Bohdan HAWRYLYSHYN: “It is great to be a Ukrainian!”

Great Ukrainian Hawrylyshyn marked his 85th birthday with publishing his book of memoirs I Remain a Ukrainian. He explained the book’s main idea thus: “I wrote it with only one purpose in mind, and that purpose was to speak to the new generation. The state of Ukraine is currently terrible, socially as well as politically and economically. Ukraine does not need mere reform, Ukraine needs a transformation. People, who were in power, are in power now and will run the country for some years ahead, will not be able to effect this transformation. But young people, those aged eighteen to thirty years, – these are new people, the people we were waiting for…”

The gathering filled a hall at the Ukrainian Home and went beyond mere presentation of the memoirs, transforming itself into a warm and touching welcome for the veteran economist. It brought together people of different generations and views, working in various fields, but united by an overwhelming sense of gratitude to Hawrylyshyn for his example that shows us: to be successful in the open society, one must first of all remain true to herself or himself. That is, remain a Ukrainian...

His Beatitude Liubomyr (Husar) described “the temptation to stop being Ukrainian” as one of the temptations that met representatives of the third wave of emigration: “Some people thought that by pretending to be Canadian, Brazilian, American, they would be doing better in their professional lives. Other people again were frankly ashamed to confess to their Ukrainianness. Unfortunately, both groups included quite a few individuals... Hawrylyshyn was and is a Ukrainian everywhere and at all times. I think we must be extremely grateful to him for it.”

Patriarch Filaret called I Remain a Ukrainian’s release a very timely event. “Ukrainians are famed all over the world. They achieve the best results under conditions of freedom. I think that your book, Mr. Hawrylyshyn, will be widely read and prompt its readers to reconsider their lives.”