Posted by Mykhailo Martin Motruk on March 09, 2000 at 18:09:45:
In Reply to: Re: Victory Day - May 9 posted by Ukrainian on March 09, 2000 at 15:23:37:
Should Ukraine continue to celebrate the Soviet Victory Day (May 9) as a national holiday?
There have been efforts (some half-hearted) by the Verkhovna Rada to eliminate all of the vestiges of the former Russian/Soviet oppressor. Some still stubbornly remain, like the hammer and "sick"le, statues to Lenin, etc. Even use of the Russian language is still stubbornly adhered to in the Rada by many speakers, even though many certainly speak Ukrainian. (Can you imagine a senator or a congressman speaking a foreign language while addressing his peers on the floor?)
As much as we all would like every last sign of those times to disappear, we have to realize it will take time to reshape the minds of those people, and more importantly, the Ukrainian government and Ukraine's people have much more important things to do with their time and money first. All in good time, as the saying goes. Then again, if you happen to be in Ukraine and wish to hack away at some monument of Stalin or something, that is your business........:)
Chest'!
Mykhailo Martin Motruk