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Our Life | Наше життя August | Серпень 2021 30 /ƌĞŶĞ :ĂƌŽƐĞǁŝĐŚ (Ірена Яросевич) arrived in Kyiv during the summer of 1991 to manage foreign media relations for Rukh – The Popular Movement of Ukraine. Her two-year tenure included the August 1991 coup, Ukraine’s August 24 declaration of independence, and the final dissolution of the USSR on December 31, 1991. Currently, she volunteers as the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations Main Representative to the United Nations Department of Global Communications/NGO, serves on the Ukrainian National Association General Assembly, is event co-chair for New York Friends of UCU, and belongs to UNWLA Branch 75 in Maplewood, New Jersey. The editors of Our Life are grateful to Irene for her invaluable assistance with this section of the magazine celebrating Ukraine's 30th anniversary of independence, and for contributing the photo that graces our cover. Absorbed with developments in Russia, in - cluding the end to the coup, the return of Mikhail Gorbachev to power, and the rise in authority of Boris Yeltsin, leaders in Moscow were unprepared for the declarations of in - dependence by Estonia and Latvia on August 20 and 22 and the August 24 declaration in Ukraine. Uninvited, Russian Vice Presi - dent Alexander Rutskoy announced that he was flying to Kyiv to arrive August 27. Le - onid Kravchuk, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, then held the highest political office in Ukraine. Known as the politician who could “dance between raindrops,” Kravchuk announced that while Rutskoy had not been invited to visit, Ukrainians were not so rude as to disinvite him and said “let us listen to what the man has to say.” Rukh organized a “delegation” to greet Rutskoy at the airport with banners declaring support for Ukraine’s independence. Representatives of the two countries met for hours privately in Kravchuk’s office in the parliament building. In the early hours of August 28, journalists were invited to view the confirmation and signing of a non-aggression agreement between the Russian Feder - ation and Ukraine. Seated, from left, Alexander Rutskoy, Leonid Kravchuk. Standing immediately behind Kravchuk, Levko Lukianenko, Anatoly Zlenko, Dmytro Pavlychko. On Sunday, August 25, 1991, Rukh leaders or - ganized a public meeting (viche) in the center of Kyiv during which they explained the events of the previous days and rallied the crowd to or - ganize for a “yes” vote during the December 1 referendum. Speaking at the rally is the head of Rukh, Ivan Drach. Behind Drach, Victor Filen - ko, leader of the Party of Democratic Revival of Ukraine; beside Drach (right), Ihor Yukhnovskiy, leader of the democratic bloc in parliament, the Narodna Rada (National Council). Dr. Yukhnovs - kiy had introduced the text of the December 1 referendum the previous day during the extraor - dinary session. On Monday, August 26, the pla - za where the public meeting had been held was renamed Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), and the former name, October Revolu - tion Square, was rejected by a decision of the Kyiv City Council. Removal of the Lenin statue in the center of the square began soon thereafter. WŚŽƚŽ͗ /ƌĞŶĞ :ĂƌŽƐĞǁŝĐŚ WŚŽƚŽ͗ /ƌĞŶĞ :ĂƌŽƐĞǁŝĐŚ
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