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A CLEVER TONGUE WILL TAKE YOU TO MOSCOW?
Valentyna Samar
Mirror Weekly (Zerkalo nedeli)
22 September 2008
Ukraine
The decisions of the Crimean parliament and its call to the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia, its refusal to execute the orders of the Ministry of Science
and Education of Ukraine and of the Healthcare Minister of Ukraine to
increase the amount of hours of instruction in Ukrainian language in
Crimean schools and in the healthcare educational institutions caused
disputes of a "It is starting in Crimea too!" kind.
No - all of this is just continues to take place in Crimea. You
shouldn't forget that the parliament of the Crimean autonomous
republic denounced the Belovezhskiy agreement and that the Crimean
government announced its territory as a NATO-free zone. Certainly,
the appeal to the Verkhovna Rada passed by Crimean deputies does
not bear any meaning other than propagandistic. However, this is a
fact. The Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the
only body of power in Ukraine that supported the independence of the
self-proclaimed republics. This is just another confirmation of fears
expressed in connection with the collusion of the Party of Regions with
pro-Russian organizations during the elections. It is no secret that
the current decision was pushed through the Crimean parliament by the
former leaders of the Russian bloc, which were brought to parliament
by the Party of Regions. If its comrades from Moscow would not have
insisted and the leaders of the Party of Regions not agreed, then the
political existence of this bloc would have come to naught. However,
after getting into the For Yanukovych Bloc and occupying leading
posts in the republic and organizations of the Party of Regions,
these politicians got a second wind and received an opportunity to
pass decisions favorable for Moscow in the Crimean parliament.
And the current decision will not be the last, since the resistance
of the speaker of the Crimean parliament A. Gritsenko is very
easily overpowered by the hands from Donetsk or by the necessity to
keep power in his hands. On September 24, it is scheduled to hold
parliamentary hearings on the NATO issue. This doesn't mean anything
from juridical standpoint, but there will be many loud statements
and the issue "Crimea against NATO, Crimea for the Black Sea Fleet"
again in the press.
Nevertheless, the call of Crimean deputies to the Verkhovna Rada of
Ukraine to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia
is not a reason to dissolve the autonomous republic's parliament,
as many politicians propose. This issue should be thoroughly studied
in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in order to make well-considered
decisions regarding Crimea.
In this relation, I would like to dwell on the decisions of the
Verkhovna Rada of Crimea on Ukrainian language passed at its
first session this season. The deputies refused to execute the
orders of the Minister of Science and Education of Ukraine and the
letter-instructions of the Healthcare Minister of Ukraine concerning
increasing the amount of hours of instruction in Ukraine language
in secondary schools and healthcare educational institutions in
Crimea. The parliament assigned the government and advised local
governments to "provide the constitutional right of the citizens to
study and receive training in their native language and to provide
the possibility to use the language of instruction in business
documentation and internal record keeping".
What was happening in Crimea when obligatory external testing was
held in Ukrainian language this year? There are only six schools with
instruction in Ukrainian language among 555 in Crimea. In percent
proportions: 90.6% of Crimean students study in Russian, 6.2% - in
Ukrainian and 3.1% - in the Crimean Tatar language. Yes, the number of
"Ukrainian hours" in schools with the instruction in Russian language
is increasing every year, but this doesn't necessarily mean that the
quality of instruction is improving. The instruction in all higher
educational institutions in Crimea is in Russian language. Where
can Crimea get the Ukrainian-speaking teachers of math, history and a
subject of choice as it is stated in the Program for the improvement of
Ukrainian language studies? Perhaps, the Program should have proposed
Ukrainian language courses for teachers. However, according to the
Minister of Education of Crimea, Valeriy Lavrov, Kyiv has not organized
any training courses or allotted resources for implementation of the
Program yet. And the Minister of Science and Education of Ukraine,
Ivan Vakarchuk, also clearly understands the situation, saying that
the instruction of Ukrainian language in minorities' schools is not
carried out, but "is simply imitated". However, he is saying this
post-factum. And remember that after protests in Crimea, the Ministry
of Science and Education of Ukraine changed the rules of obligatory
external testing and allowed educators to choose the language, and
also agreed to establish a two-year transition term during which the
tests will be translated into minorities' languages. Then, when the
Ministry was changing the testing rules, they should have foreseen
the situation. If they did, then there wouldn't be any political
speculations and spurning of the minister of education in the squares
of Crimea.
Kyiv should have foreseen that not only the Russians but also the
Crimean Tartars would protest against the Program for the improvement
of Ukrainian language studies in secondary schools with instruction in
national minorities' languages for 2008-2011. The Crimean Tatars have
just started recreating their national education and, additionally,
never heard the Ukrainian language before returning to Crimea.
Kyiv's main problem is that it doesn't know Crimea, whereas Crimea
(most of the Crimean people) do not know or understand what Kyiv
actually wants. The lack of information, as it is known, strengthens
the phobias and forces the adherence to stereotypes. It is not hard
to understand that without exception all ethnic groups in Crimea
consider themselves aggrieved.
The Crimean Russians are feeling hurt after losing their "great
Motherland". This problem is redoubled because they are constantly
being forced to protect their culture and language and simply because
they feel discomfort from the thought that they are representatives
of a minority in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians in Crimea are the national minority, with implications
including defamation of Ukrainian churches. Additionally, they feel
responsible for everything that "their Kyiv" is doing or not doing.
The Crimean Tatars, which have suffered for a half century following
deportation and then after returning back to the motherland, now
have to prove their right to learn in their national language, to
pray in mosques, to receive land and build houses. Other national
minorities, Greeks, Germans, Bulgarians, Armenians, which have gone
through troubles of deportation too, have the same problems and one
more latter-day problem - the state sees and listens only to the
Crimean Tatars...
For many years, Ukrainian classes and Ukrainian schools were
not established in Crimea "in order not to be accused of forced
Ukrainization. In order not to spoil the relations with Moscow. In
order not to complicate the situation in Crimea." Kyiv demonstrated its
weakness, whereas Moscow built schools and kindergartens in Sevastopol,
opened branches of Russian institutes in Crimea, supplied textbooks
and issued scholarships...
It was real discrimination against the Crimean Ukrainians. I have a
full moral right to make such a conclusion since I have experienced
this myself. My written request to the director of the school asking
to take my daughter to Ukrainian grade was lost two times and after
all, I had a conversation with the head of the academic department
("Why do you want to spoil your child's life?). There was time when
the students of the Ukrainian school-gymnasia studied in small rooms
of the former kindergarten, sitting at the school-desks meant for
first-graders and had lunch in a lunch-room arranged in the place of
a former restroom. My daughter was lucky because she spent her last
school-years in the new Ukrainian gymnasia, which is considered
to be the most up-to-date secondary school in Crimea. However,
this gymnasia wasn't built under the guidance of Kyiv. The Ukrainian
gymnasia in Simferopol was built by the Jew Boris Deitch. He insisted
that money received from the sale of a sanatorium should be allotted
from the Crimean budget for the construction of this gymnasia. Then,
he wisely set up the construction project under President Kuchma's
"umbrella". Yes, somebody received political dividends thanks to this
matter. However, the final result is what is more important. Today,
there is a line (an international line) of those that wish to study
in this gymnasia, because this school has got swimming pools and
excellent gyms; because four foreign languages are taught in this
school; because its graduates show a very high level of knowledge
and almost 100% are accepted to the most prestigious universities
of Ukraine. "We make Ukrainian fashionable", proudly says gymnasia
Director Nataliya Rudenko.
Therefore, there is a positive example in this sphere. Why don't we
follow suit, why don't we make Ukrainian prestigious and not forcible?
The number of requests from parents wishing their children study in
native Ukrainian or in native Crimean Tatar, which have been ignored by
Crimean powers due to lack of teachers, is considerable. For example,
in Bakhchisaray district, where there had been 11 requests for the
first Ukrainian grade, this grade was not opened. Another scandalous
case happened in Simferopol and was, by the way, disclosed by the
parents who read in their son's copy-book for history class: "The
word "Ukraine" is a disgraceful word, it means "outskirts". The word
"Ukraine" was made legitimate in order to set it apart. We live
in Russia, not in Ukraine. There was christening of Rus, not of
Ukraine. Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities and not of Ukrainian
cities. That's why, in order to keep the unity of the Russian nation,
we shouldn't recognize Ukraine. The Ukrainian people and Ukrainian
language doesn't exist." This history teacher was recommended by
the Ministry of Education of Crimea. According to the investigation
conducted by the newspaper Sobytiya, this history teacher wasn't
fired. He is just being inspected to check his teaching level.
It is also worthwhile to remind Kyiv about long-term obligations. When
during Kuchma's rule, Yalta's Yusupovskiy Palace was taken out of
Yalta's community property and reconstructed as just another state
residence, there was a decision to build a Ukrainian gymnasia as
compensation to the city. The state residence was turned into a
VIP-hotel, and the Ukrainian school wasn't built. Furthermore, during
V. Yushchenko's presidency, no educational or cultural establishments
were built or opened in Crimea. Thus, Viktor Yushchenko hasn't left
his cultural impact in Crimea, hopefully, yet.
One more thing is that Kyiv officials shouldn't study the situation
in Crimea just on paper and shouldn't explain new decisions from the
center. The leaders of the ministries, whose decisions are protested
in Crimea, should announce, explain, advise and take all criticism and
wishes into consideration during person meetings with the executors of
these decisions and on Crimean TV programs. Otherwise, everything will
be like it is today: the decisions from the center are interpreted
by Crimean and Moscow politicians, and the Kyiv officials are left
to change their orders and decrees.
It seems today that Crimea is returning to the early 90s. Perhaps,
because there are a lot of foreign journalists, diplomats and
analysts whose special interest in Crimea and Sevastopol has resumed
lately. Only official Kyiv is not interested in Crimea. There
are no more regular field meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers,
working trips of the President with meetings in different cities on
important problems; working groups and commissions have disappeared;
the practice of public dialog between the autonomous republic and
the center is lost. And who, tell me, will gain from such a situation?
Valentyna Samar
Mirror Weekly (Zerkalo nedeli)
22 September 2008
Ukraine
The decisions of the Crimean parliament and its call to the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia, its refusal to execute the orders of the Ministry of Science
and Education of Ukraine and of the Healthcare Minister of Ukraine to
increase the amount of hours of instruction in Ukrainian language in
Crimean schools and in the healthcare educational institutions caused
disputes of a "It is starting in Crimea too!" kind.
No - all of this is just continues to take place in Crimea. You
shouldn't forget that the parliament of the Crimean autonomous
republic denounced the Belovezhskiy agreement and that the Crimean
government announced its territory as a NATO-free zone. Certainly,
the appeal to the Verkhovna Rada passed by Crimean deputies does
not bear any meaning other than propagandistic. However, this is a
fact. The Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the
only body of power in Ukraine that supported the independence of the
self-proclaimed republics. This is just another confirmation of fears
expressed in connection with the collusion of the Party of Regions with
pro-Russian organizations during the elections. It is no secret that
the current decision was pushed through the Crimean parliament by the
former leaders of the Russian bloc, which were brought to parliament
by the Party of Regions. If its comrades from Moscow would not have
insisted and the leaders of the Party of Regions not agreed, then the
political existence of this bloc would have come to naught. However,
after getting into the For Yanukovych Bloc and occupying leading
posts in the republic and organizations of the Party of Regions,
these politicians got a second wind and received an opportunity to
pass decisions favorable for Moscow in the Crimean parliament.
And the current decision will not be the last, since the resistance
of the speaker of the Crimean parliament A. Gritsenko is very
easily overpowered by the hands from Donetsk or by the necessity to
keep power in his hands. On September 24, it is scheduled to hold
parliamentary hearings on the NATO issue. This doesn't mean anything
from juridical standpoint, but there will be many loud statements
and the issue "Crimea against NATO, Crimea for the Black Sea Fleet"
again in the press.
Nevertheless, the call of Crimean deputies to the Verkhovna Rada of
Ukraine to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia
is not a reason to dissolve the autonomous republic's parliament,
as many politicians propose. This issue should be thoroughly studied
in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in order to make well-considered
decisions regarding Crimea.
In this relation, I would like to dwell on the decisions of the
Verkhovna Rada of Crimea on Ukrainian language passed at its
first session this season. The deputies refused to execute the
orders of the Minister of Science and Education of Ukraine and the
letter-instructions of the Healthcare Minister of Ukraine concerning
increasing the amount of hours of instruction in Ukraine language
in secondary schools and healthcare educational institutions in
Crimea. The parliament assigned the government and advised local
governments to "provide the constitutional right of the citizens to
study and receive training in their native language and to provide
the possibility to use the language of instruction in business
documentation and internal record keeping".
What was happening in Crimea when obligatory external testing was
held in Ukrainian language this year? There are only six schools with
instruction in Ukrainian language among 555 in Crimea. In percent
proportions: 90.6% of Crimean students study in Russian, 6.2% - in
Ukrainian and 3.1% - in the Crimean Tatar language. Yes, the number of
"Ukrainian hours" in schools with the instruction in Russian language
is increasing every year, but this doesn't necessarily mean that the
quality of instruction is improving. The instruction in all higher
educational institutions in Crimea is in Russian language. Where
can Crimea get the Ukrainian-speaking teachers of math, history and a
subject of choice as it is stated in the Program for the improvement of
Ukrainian language studies? Perhaps, the Program should have proposed
Ukrainian language courses for teachers. However, according to the
Minister of Education of Crimea, Valeriy Lavrov, Kyiv has not organized
any training courses or allotted resources for implementation of the
Program yet. And the Minister of Science and Education of Ukraine,
Ivan Vakarchuk, also clearly understands the situation, saying that
the instruction of Ukrainian language in minorities' schools is not
carried out, but "is simply imitated". However, he is saying this
post-factum. And remember that after protests in Crimea, the Ministry
of Science and Education of Ukraine changed the rules of obligatory
external testing and allowed educators to choose the language, and
also agreed to establish a two-year transition term during which the
tests will be translated into minorities' languages. Then, when the
Ministry was changing the testing rules, they should have foreseen
the situation. If they did, then there wouldn't be any political
speculations and spurning of the minister of education in the squares
of Crimea.
Kyiv should have foreseen that not only the Russians but also the
Crimean Tartars would protest against the Program for the improvement
of Ukrainian language studies in secondary schools with instruction in
national minorities' languages for 2008-2011. The Crimean Tatars have
just started recreating their national education and, additionally,
never heard the Ukrainian language before returning to Crimea.
Kyiv's main problem is that it doesn't know Crimea, whereas Crimea
(most of the Crimean people) do not know or understand what Kyiv
actually wants. The lack of information, as it is known, strengthens
the phobias and forces the adherence to stereotypes. It is not hard
to understand that without exception all ethnic groups in Crimea
consider themselves aggrieved.
The Crimean Russians are feeling hurt after losing their "great
Motherland". This problem is redoubled because they are constantly
being forced to protect their culture and language and simply because
they feel discomfort from the thought that they are representatives
of a minority in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians in Crimea are the national minority, with implications
including defamation of Ukrainian churches. Additionally, they feel
responsible for everything that "their Kyiv" is doing or not doing.
The Crimean Tatars, which have suffered for a half century following
deportation and then after returning back to the motherland, now
have to prove their right to learn in their national language, to
pray in mosques, to receive land and build houses. Other national
minorities, Greeks, Germans, Bulgarians, Armenians, which have gone
through troubles of deportation too, have the same problems and one
more latter-day problem - the state sees and listens only to the
Crimean Tatars...
For many years, Ukrainian classes and Ukrainian schools were
not established in Crimea "in order not to be accused of forced
Ukrainization. In order not to spoil the relations with Moscow. In
order not to complicate the situation in Crimea." Kyiv demonstrated its
weakness, whereas Moscow built schools and kindergartens in Sevastopol,
opened branches of Russian institutes in Crimea, supplied textbooks
and issued scholarships...
It was real discrimination against the Crimean Ukrainians. I have a
full moral right to make such a conclusion since I have experienced
this myself. My written request to the director of the school asking
to take my daughter to Ukrainian grade was lost two times and after
all, I had a conversation with the head of the academic department
("Why do you want to spoil your child's life?). There was time when
the students of the Ukrainian school-gymnasia studied in small rooms
of the former kindergarten, sitting at the school-desks meant for
first-graders and had lunch in a lunch-room arranged in the place of
a former restroom. My daughter was lucky because she spent her last
school-years in the new Ukrainian gymnasia, which is considered
to be the most up-to-date secondary school in Crimea. However,
this gymnasia wasn't built under the guidance of Kyiv. The Ukrainian
gymnasia in Simferopol was built by the Jew Boris Deitch. He insisted
that money received from the sale of a sanatorium should be allotted
from the Crimean budget for the construction of this gymnasia. Then,
he wisely set up the construction project under President Kuchma's
"umbrella". Yes, somebody received political dividends thanks to this
matter. However, the final result is what is more important. Today,
there is a line (an international line) of those that wish to study
in this gymnasia, because this school has got swimming pools and
excellent gyms; because four foreign languages are taught in this
school; because its graduates show a very high level of knowledge
and almost 100% are accepted to the most prestigious universities
of Ukraine. "We make Ukrainian fashionable", proudly says gymnasia
Director Nataliya Rudenko.
Therefore, there is a positive example in this sphere. Why don't we
follow suit, why don't we make Ukrainian prestigious and not forcible?
The number of requests from parents wishing their children study in
native Ukrainian or in native Crimean Tatar, which have been ignored by
Crimean powers due to lack of teachers, is considerable. For example,
in Bakhchisaray district, where there had been 11 requests for the
first Ukrainian grade, this grade was not opened. Another scandalous
case happened in Simferopol and was, by the way, disclosed by the
parents who read in their son's copy-book for history class: "The
word "Ukraine" is a disgraceful word, it means "outskirts". The word
"Ukraine" was made legitimate in order to set it apart. We live
in Russia, not in Ukraine. There was christening of Rus, not of
Ukraine. Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities and not of Ukrainian
cities. That's why, in order to keep the unity of the Russian nation,
we shouldn't recognize Ukraine. The Ukrainian people and Ukrainian
language doesn't exist." This history teacher was recommended by
the Ministry of Education of Crimea. According to the investigation
conducted by the newspaper Sobytiya, this history teacher wasn't
fired. He is just being inspected to check his teaching level.
It is also worthwhile to remind Kyiv about long-term obligations. When
during Kuchma's rule, Yalta's Yusupovskiy Palace was taken out of
Yalta's community property and reconstructed as just another state
residence, there was a decision to build a Ukrainian gymnasia as
compensation to the city. The state residence was turned into a
VIP-hotel, and the Ukrainian school wasn't built. Furthermore, during
V. Yushchenko's presidency, no educational or cultural establishments
were built or opened in Crimea. Thus, Viktor Yushchenko hasn't left
his cultural impact in Crimea, hopefully, yet.
One more thing is that Kyiv officials shouldn't study the situation
in Crimea just on paper and shouldn't explain new decisions from the
center. The leaders of the ministries, whose decisions are protested
in Crimea, should announce, explain, advise and take all criticism and
wishes into consideration during person meetings with the executors of
these decisions and on Crimean TV programs. Otherwise, everything will
be like it is today: the decisions from the center are interpreted
by Crimean and Moscow politicians, and the Kyiv officials are left
to change their orders and decrees.
It seems today that Crimea is returning to the early 90s. Perhaps,
because there are a lot of foreign journalists, diplomats and
analysts whose special interest in Crimea and Sevastopol has resumed
lately. Only official Kyiv is not interested in Crimea. There
are no more regular field meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers,
working trips of the President with meetings in different cities on
important problems; working groups and commissions have disappeared;
the practice of public dialog between the autonomous republic and
the center is lost. And who, tell me, will gain from such a situation?