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OUR LIFE MONTHLY, ‘published by Ukrainian National Women’s League of America Vol. XXXII SEPTEMBER 1975 No. 9 International Women s Year 1975 CAMILLE SMORODSKY MEETING WITH THE SOVIET DELEGATION We, representatives of Ukrainian National Women's League of America had spoken on the floor of the Tribune in defense of the political prisoners of Ukraine and soon encountered Soviet wrath. When I had pointed out during one short talk, that a country which professed leadership in women's rights, had only one woman on the permanent delegation to the United Nations out of close to 200 persons, the head of the Soviet delegation rose to the m icrophone and accused me of slander. She said I was misinformed about Ukraine and Ukrainians, having never been there. I retaliated by once again repeating my previous statements concerning the prisoners. I was warmly praised by the panel for my "courage". It was shortly after the incident that I noticed I had attracted a rather heavily-set gentelman with Fu Manchu eyebrows, who foJIowed me not only to the telephone booth, the bulletin board, waited for me outside the ladies' room but even escorted me to the hotel. The next day, the Soviet delegation came to visit our exhibit. I had an opportunity to "thank" the head of the delegation Mr. Hritso Shumeyko for all the "protection". I told him how flattered I was that they thought I was im portant to rate an agent all of my own. I pointed out to him that it was unfortunate that during International Women's Year they assigned a man to me rather than a woman, little knowing that he would soon remedy that oversight. They told us what a terrible person Moroz was and I asked why they didn't save us all the trouble of making up our own minds — after all, we read his books — by opening up the trial and inviting us all down so that we Editor Marta Baczynsky could see for ourselves. I pointed out to him what a great piece of propaganda that would have been for them if they were right. He invited me, initially, to visit Ukraine and of course, I said I would be delighted to take the next plane out, if he would take me to Shabatura. He later explained just how close I came to having that option permanently for in the Soviet Union, our work is considered "anti-Soviet propoganda" — punishable by imprisonment. I told him of my own frustration, at having to point to the rich soil of Ukraine, the industry and then to the lack of national identity, the destruction of culture and heritage and trying to explain to my children why our country is being treated so shabbily. He began to recite Tychyna's poems to me — and I reminded him that he had written much more beautiful poems before his "conversion". When he reached a line about a country church, I asked him if placing Lenin in St. Sophia's was an indication that religion was now sanctioned. He became very upset and warned me never to mention Ivan lllych again. I replied that he had no basis for anger for it was his government that removed my God and replaced it by a mortal. I then asked him if he knew the Ukrainian song I knew and broke into "Sche ne vmerla Ukraina" — . He choked. I then sang directly to him "Oy, ne chody Hritsu, tay na vechernitsy". When we asked Mihail Mihaylowycz Byelorussov (who only a day earlier wore a badge giving his name as Makarenko) why there were so few Ukrainian schools left in Kiev, he replied because there is now an evergrowing Russian population and they need Russian schools. I asked what happened to the Ukrainians?. He replied that they were being moved to Moscow. "Oh, so there are schools in Moscow which teach Ukrainian now?" "No." "Why? If it is important for Russians to have Russian schools in Ukraine is it not also as important to the Ukrainian brother to have Ukrainian schools in Moscow?" "No. For if we have Ukrainian schools, we will have to have Turkish, Armenian, Byelorussian, and we are striving towards one brotherhood — one language." "Did you tell Castro yet that Russian will be the universal language?" I asked? When I asked a woman delegate why a United Nations medical team was not permitted to treat the women prisoners who have breast cancer, she replied it was an internal affair — and that there is no cure for cancer". I reminded her that a full mastectomy saved Mrs. Rockefeller's and Mrs. Ford's life. Generally, I felt that the response of the United Nations 24 НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ, ВЕРЕСЕНЬ 1975 "If particular care is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to fom ent a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws of which we have no voice or representation". Ab|ga|| Adams 1g77 Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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