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B R A N C H 90 O F U N W L A H O S T S L IT E R A R Y E V E N IN G FO R V IK A IV C H E N K O TAMARA STADNYCHENKO V ik a Iv c h e n k o is th irte e n . S h e is p re tty a n d th in a n d p a le , a c h ild -w o m a n w h o s e c h ild h o o d h a s b e e n te m p e re d a n d m o ld e d b y e v e n ts th a t h a v e th ru s t h e r in to a w o rld o f c o m p le x a d u lt e m o tio n s a n d re a litie s . A v ic tim o f d iv o rc e a t th e a g e o f o n e , V ik a ’s e a rlie s t re c o lle c tio n s o f h e r fa th e r a re re c o lle c tio n s o f an o c c a s io n a l g u e s t w h o s a n g to h e r w h ile h e r m o th e r p la y e d th e p ia n o in th e ir h o m e . In A p ril o f 1 9 8 6 , fiv e y e a r o ld V ik a b e c a m e o n e o f th e c o u n tle s s v ic tim s o f th e C h o rn o b y l n u c le a r d is a s te r. T h e little g irl w a s d ia g n o s e d w ith le u k e m ia , h e r im m u n e s y s te m v irtu a lly d e s tro y e d b y ra d io a c tiv e fa l lo u t. S e e k in g tre a tm e n t in M o s c o w , s h e w a s a g a in v ic tim iz e d , th is tim e b y th e c a llo u s c h a u v in is m o f R u s s ia n d o c to rs w h o a s s u m e d to b e b o u n d b y an u n o rth o d o x v e rs io n o f th e H ip p o c ra tic o a th th a t lim ite d th e ir o b lig a tio n to th e a rt o f h e a lin g to R u s s ia n p a tie n ts . T h e d is tra u g h t m o th e r w h o h a d b ro u g h t h e r a ilin g d a u g h te r to M o s c o w in a s p irit o f h o p e w a s a s k e d ’’W h o in v ite d yo u ? D o y o u th in k w e w a n t y o u r C h o rn o b y l c h ild re n h e re ? ” W h e n th e im p la c a b le m o th e r re fu s e d to g o a w a y , V ik a w a s a d m itte d to th e h o s p ita l a n d tre a te d . T h e tr e a t m e n ts s e e m e d to h a v e n o e ffe c t, a n d V ik a , h o m e s ic k fo r h e r fa m ily a n d h e r c o u n try a n d a fa m ilia r w o rld , b e g g e d h e r m o th e r to ta k e h e r h o m e to K yyiv. B a c k in U k ra in e , V ik a c o n tin u e d to a il, b u t th e re w e re fo rc e s a t w o rk th a t w o u ld b rin g h e r h a lfw a y a c ro s s th e w o rld a n d tu rn h e r life a ro u n d . V ik a h e rs e lf w a s re s p o n s ib le fo r a ttra c tin g th e s e fo rc e s fo r th e s a m e fa te s th a t h a d b ro u g h t h e r so m u c h tr a g e d y h ad g iv e n h e r a s p e c ia l g ift, a p o e tic s o u l. V ik a ’s m o th e r , jo u r n a lis t H a ly n a Iv c h e n k o , h a s c h ro n ic le d h e r d a u g h te r ’s e v o lu tio n as a p o e te s s in le t te rs to th e U k r a in ia n -A m e ric a n p re s s , a n d V ik a h e rs e lf re c a lls c h ild is h c h a tte r in th e fo rm o f rh y m e s a t a g e tw o , w ritte n p o e try a t th e a g e o f fo u r. H e r firs t p o e m w a s p u b lis h e d w h e n s h e w a s n in e y e a rs o ld . In 1 9 9 0 , th e y e a r th a t s h e tra v e le d to M o s c o w fo r m e d ic a l h e lp , h e r firs t b o o k o f v e rs e , title d “ In D e c e m b e r a n d A fte r ” , w a s p u b lis h e d . H e r p o e try a ttra c te d a tte n tio n fro m th e m e d ia a n d c u ltu ra l o rg a n iz a tio n s in U k ra in e , a n d u ltim a te ly , fro m th e d ia s p o ra . In 1 9 9 0 , a n in te rv ie w w ith V ik a ’s m o th e r w a s p u b lis h e d in Radianska Zhinka. A c o p y o f th e in te rv ie w , a im p o rta n t ro le in th e fo rm a tio n o f th e W o rld F e d e ra tio n o f U k ra in ia n W o m e n ’s O rg a n iz a tio n s . W e w o rk e d o n th is c o m m itte e w ith h e r a n d k n e w th e tim e a n d e ffo rt s h e p la c e d o n u n itin g U k ra in ia n w o m e n in D ia s p o ra . O le n a L o to ts k y ’s life w a s so in te rtw in e d w ith h e r b rie f le tte r a b o u t V ik a , a n d s e v e ra l o f h e r p o e m s w e re s e n t to M . D a ln y , e d ito r o f th e C a n a d ia n b a s e d jo u rn a l Nowi Dni b y N in a B u la v y ts k a , a U k ra in ia n re s id in g in M in n e s o ta . In F e b ru a ry , 1 9 9 1 , th e in te rv ie w , th e p o e m s a n d M s . B u la v y ts k a ’s le tte r w e re p u b lis h e d in Nowi Dni. M s. B u la v y ts k a ’s in te re s t in V ik a d id n o t e n d h e re . S h e w ro te to K y y iv , in v itin g V ik a to S t. P a u l to s h a re h e r w o rk w ith th e U k ra in ia n c o m m u n ity th e re . V ik a re s p o n d e d th a t s h e w a s to o ill to a c c e p t th e in v ita tio n , b u t M s. B u la v y ts k a w o u ld n o t a c c e p t th is as a fin a l a n s w e r a n d in itia te d a p ro c e s s th a t s o o n in v o lv e d m a n y o th e r a d h e re n ts o f th e little p o e te s s a n d c u lm in a te d in an in v i ta tio n to V ik a fro m S t. P a u l’s C h ild r e n ’s H o s p ita l fo r fre e m e d ic a l tr e a tm e n t. F o rtu n e in te r v e n e d a g a in w h e n U k r a in e ’s A e ro flo t d ire c to r, a n a d m ire r o f V ik a ’s p o e try , p re s e n te d V ik a a n d h e r m o th e r w ith tw o b u s in e s s cla ss tic k e ts to A m e ric a . M o th e r a n d d a u g h te r a rriv e d in th e U n ite d S ta te s in M a rc h o f 1 9 9 2 , a n d th e m e d ic a l tre a t m e n t so d e s p e ra te ly n e e d e d a n d so lo n g d e la y e d b e g a n in e a rn e s t. T o d a y V ik a ’s h e a lth is m u c h im p ro v e d , b u t s h e tire s e a s ily a n d tre a tm e n t a n d c o n s ta n t m o n ito rin g o f h e r p h y s ic a l c o n d itio n w ill b e a fa c to r in h e r life fo r th e n e x t fe w y e a rs . A s w ill h e r c e le b r ity s ta tu s as th e little p o e te ss fro m U k ra in e . O n S a tu rd a y , A p ril 9, 1 9 9 4 , V ik a Iv c h e n k o m a d e h e r a c tiv itie s in th e u n ite d U k ra in ia n W o m e n ’s m o v e m e n t o f th e c ity , re g io n a l, n a tio n a l a n d w o rld le v e ls , th a t h a rd ly a n y o n e c o u ld s p e a k a b o u t h e r w ith o u t m e n tio n in g a n d to u c h in g o n ju s t s o m e o f th e m o re im p o rta n t h ig h lig h ts o f h e r ro le in th e s e o rg a n iz a tio n s . H E R S P IR IT L IV E S ! Vika Ivchenko autographing copies of her books. ’’НАШЕ Ж ИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 1994 19
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