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In the center of town other groups join the “Wave” bearing their national insignia — representatives of the Sholem Alejchem Jewish organization, Polish and Russian organizations supporting Ukrainian lan guage and culture. The ranks are joined by students from other countries who are studying in Lviv, by guests from other republics of the Soviet Republic. In the headquarters of the organizing committee the phones ring constantly with information from the field. Before 12 noon news came that the stream of people from Ivano Frankivsk, Uzhorod and Lviv were already joined in Stryj. Representatives of the organizing committee, the press and television crews ride up and down the “Wave” making sure all is well. It is difficult to ride in the cars because they are positioned four abrest, all traveling in the same direc tion. Traffic controllers meanwhile stop all cars going in the opposite direction and get them off the road. On the right side of the road, at times in the center of it is the “Wave”, sometimes thicker, at times thin, but unbroken, alive, throbbing and happy. Finally there are so many cars that traveling is impossible. So as not to be late, people use side vil lage roads to get to their appointed places. Here one can see how whole villages prepare to join the “Wave”. These scenes are so packed with emotion that even men weep, and the throat tightens. All the houses in villages are decorated, on the village streets and in front of the church people join in processions headed by the clergy. There are many flags. The people are dressed in their holiday clothes and are in a holiday mood; whole families are gathered, with children, even infants. We pass through the Lviv district. The “Wave” in Ternopil seems thicker, although national symbolisms are less visible. We reach the Zsytomir highway and suddenly...what is this? There is no one on the road — the “Wave” has been broken. We get out of the car, blood racing throught the veins. What to do? It is almost 11:30, this is a break and there are no people!” Now we hear the loud roars of the busess — they pass us and the first stops suddenly — it has a Lviv number. People quickly disembark and run, then arrange themselves and clasp hands along the empty road. Another bus comes along and the same proce dure is repeated. Suddenly, three trucks arrive with Ternopil plates. In the first vechicle there is a priest in festive garb, and seated in tight formation one to one, are villag ers. They are from the Pidhajetsky district. Their vil lages were not on the route of the “Wave”, therefore they rented automobiles and left at night so as to arrive in time to participate in the event. They were told that near Novohrad-Volynsk there were not enought people, so here they came to help. ’’Tell us where to stand.” We move on. Coming to meet us are buses from Chernyjiv and people in the “Wave” join hands with those from Ternopil. Here on the Szytomir and high way actors from the Kiev theater take their place and suddenly the “Wave” was one and flowed into unison. It can’t be said that people from Szytomir did not take part in this at all, but there were very few of them, therefore their places had to be filled by peo ple from other places in Ukraine. When the “Wave” became one, it rode high, it sang, (oh, that Ukrainian song — what it can do!) more and more local people came out of their houses to join the hand-held group. 12 oclock, January 21, 1990. People in cities and villages, on the highways and roads of Ukraine, joined hands and became one massive wave, from Ivano- Frankivsk/Stansislaviv/through Lviv to Kiev. In many places it is not even necessary to clasp hands because the people are so crowded together — shoulder to shoulder, even two or three to a row. But here and there, where the distances are too great for hand reaching, people pass a ribbon from one to another, thus maintaing the unity of the “Wave” which has joined eastern and western Ukraine into one nation. Lets call this a “wave” and not a chain. A chain has the connotation of something somber and heavy, but our wave undulated and played in the sun, dis playing our national colors, it laughed and sang, and joked and was a joy. Now, the oncoming traffic was allowed to move. The people in the vehicles tooted their horns, waved arms, some with flags. News people filmed the action around them, spoke to participants, milling around the crowds. In Lviv, the general opinion of the event was unanimous: “This was a great, much awaited celebra tion — a holiday of UNIFICATION”. Some of the people in the “Wave” did not even know what it was dedicated to, but they quickly found out, joined hands and were glad! One oclock. The signal is given that people can leave. The leaving process is slow. On the streets of Lviv it seems as if the holiday continues. In Kiev, in front of St. Sophia, preparations are being made for a large rally. But that is another matter. Evening comes and it finally begins to rain. Par ticipants in the “Wave” are going to their homes. A mother leading a four year old who asks: “Mama, are we going to have a birthday tonight at home?” And I reflected that it was truly the birth of a uni ted Ukraine, a grand holiday! On January 22, 1990 in the grand hall of the Lviv center for the performing arts solemn ceremonies were held, comemmorating the unification of Ukraine. On January 27th ceremonies were held to remember Ukrainian Sichovi Striltsi, the Ukrainian Galician Army and the Western Ukrainian National Army. (translated from Ukrainian) 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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