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First Lady of Ukraine (or, as she prefers to be called, "the wife of the president" — "druzhyna presidenta"), Mrs. Ludmilla Kuchma. Indeed, Mrs. Kuchma was the official hostess for Mrs. Clinton during her visit to Lviv. As is traditional, Mrs. Clinton was greeted by young women in Ukrainian costumes, holding bread and salt. Needless to say, I was also waiting for the First Lady on the tarmac of the Lviv airport that evening -- I was to be her official interpreter throughout her stay in Ukraine. Following a quiet evening in the Hotel Dnister just steps from St. George's Cathedral, the First Lady began her first full day in Lviv with a tour of the Neo- Natal Center of the Lviv oblast Clinical Hospital. She had a chance to observe the use of US donated medical equipment, particularly critically needed incubators. She greeted the doctors and nurses who work to save the lives of prematurely bom and other medically-at- risk babies in the region. Following the tour, the First Lady took part in a discussion led by Dr. Olha Detsyk, head of the Neo-Natal Center. The audience included doctors, nurses, other medical personnel, medical students and parents and children whose lives had been saved by treatment received at the Center. Although Dr. Detsyk spoke in glowing terms about the life-saving results of the part-nership between US and Ukrainian hospitals, the point was very movingly brought home by a young mother who spoke about her personal experience. Anna Vihlinska's daughter was bom in the 27th week of her pregnancy and weighed only 900 grams (less than one pound). Thanks to a donated mobile incubator, the tiny baby was brought from a small town in the Lviv oblast to the Neo-Natal Center and ultimately survived. The mother pointed to the beautiful, blond haired three year old who was sitting quietly on her father's lap and said she was grateful for three things. "First, I am grateful to God for blessing me with a wonderful daughter. Second, I am grateful to the many doctors and nurses who cared for my baby. They didn't even know me and yet they did everything they could do to help my daughter. And finally, I am grateful to the people of the United States whose help gave my baby life." Mrs. Clinton (wiping away her tears along with almost everyone in the audience) spontaneously leaned over to give the young woman a heartfelt hug. It was at that moment that many of those present realized the true meaning of the "US-Ukrainian partnership". After their tour of the hospital, the First Lady and her delegation visited the Beth Aron of Israel com munity which had gathered at the Gilad synagogue. Mrs. Clinton was greeted by Rabbi Mordechai Bald and his wife Sara - American citizens who had emigrated to Ukraine to revive the community and the synagogue and to establish a school where young Jewish children can leam the basics of their faith. At the synagogue, packed with the faithful, Mrs. Clinton was greeted by the enthusiastic singing of the children of the Lviv Jewish School. The First Lady spoke about the need for religious tolerance and how pleased she was to see so many smiling faces among those who had come to see her and to bring evidence of the fact that they have indeed been practicing their faith in freedom. Although Mrs. Kuchma was unable to attend the event at the Gilad synagogue, the Ukrainian government was represented by the Mayor of Lviv and the Ukrainian Justice Minister. By the time the First Lady left the synagogue, it was way past lunchtime, yet she had another very important event scheduled before she could rest. She traveled by motorcade to the newly unveiled "Memorial to the victims of communist crimes" or "Pamyatnyk zhertvam koministychnykh zlochyniv". It was here under a cold, rainy sky, that the residents of Lviv had a chance to see the First Lady in person. Many in the US delegation had feared that the bad weather would keep people away from the monument. They needn't have worried. According to local militia estimates, the crowds that gathered at the monument numbered close to two thousand. Sharing the stage with the Justice Minister and the Mayor of Lviv, the First Lady listened to the remarks of Ivan Неї, one of those who had survived repressions at the hands of the Soviet authorities and who spoke with the expected vehemence of a dissident who had been imprisoned for his outspoken criticism of the Communist government and its attempt to eradicate the nation of Ukraine. When Mrs. Clinton took the stage, she spoke of her admiration for the Ukrainian people and for the spirit of the Ukrainian-Americans who "even when it was hard, always had faith that one day you would triumph." On behalf of the President of the United States, she sent those assembled a political message, assuring them "in your fight for freedom, in your fight for democracy, the American people will stand with you." She spoke of the voices of freedom that we must all listen to, the voice of those whom the monument honors. "I hear these voices of freedom," she said, "in the legacy of the millions who lost their lives in the famines imposed by Stalin — those 'harvests of sorrow' ... in the stoiy of an infant whose family was banished to Siberia, her three brothers killed -- simply for advocating an independent Ukraine." She spoke of the 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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