Bohdan HNATOVSKY :
I met Ihor Bilozir some 20 years ago. My first article
about him was published January 1, 1980. And we have met almost every day
for the last couple of years. On May 8, a woman friend of mine celebrated
her birthday at Tsisarska Kava. The guests were all from the intelligentsia:
two schoolteachers, Ihor, me, and an Art Academy instructor. I started
singing Ihor Bilozir’s “That’s not apple blossom, not May, not a late autumnal
acacia, that’s a young white swan lost in winter...” A very nice lyrical
song. Ihor was very good at lyrics.
Others at the table joined me. Just then a man with a guitar
sat at a nearby table and struck off an old Russian prison song. A man
sitting a couple of tables away stood up, walked over and said rudely in
Russian, “Stop singing, let us relax and enjoy ourselves.” I stood up and
said in Ukrainian, “What’s the matter? We are also here to rest and enjoy
ourselves. See this man? He is Ihor Bilozir, People’s Artist of Ukraine,
we are singing one of his songs.” There was a militia patrol close by,
so the man challenging us returned to his table. After that Ihor walked
over to that table and spoke to the people there. We were no longer in
a festive mood and five or ten minutes later we left the cafe. I didn’t
see who was the first to hit Ihor and when I turned I saw him fall to his
knees. I lifted him with my left hand, holding a briefcase in the right
one. Then someone hit me in the face, splitting my lip (I would have three
stitches at the hospital). All this happened in front of the cafe. Ihor
and I went home, walking down Shevchenko Ave. When we were 50-60 meters
from the cafe, several steps from the Prosecutor’s Office, the two men
that had sat at the cafe near us raced over. One wore a white shirt and
the other a dark one. I was hit again and felt dizzy. Then I heard Ihor
groan and fall, there was the sound of a blow and a crack (he was hit with
brass knuckles). I fought back and then a militia patrol car stopped. They
tore one of the attackers from my hands and then caught the one that had
knocked Ihor down. Both were shoved in the patrol car and we were picked
up by an ambulance. It was around 23.00 and the street was deserted. And
it was dark. The street lamps were turned off.
The ambulance took us to the city emergency hospital. We
had to wait for quite some time before doctors came. I had three stitches
on my lip and Ihor needed an X-ray. I personally pushed the gurney up and
down the hospital floors. He was in very bad shape but could move and tried
to speak. After the X-ray (it must have been around four in the morning)
I rolled him into a ward and placed him on a bed. After that I went home.
The next morning I had a hard time getting through to Neurosurgery-1. Finally
someone replied, “Sorry, sir. It’s a holiday and only the duty doctor is
at the hospital, I don’t think anyone will tell you how your friend is
doing.” I called Ihor’s home. No answer (his wife had left to visit with
her parents). Had I known the outcome, I would have been more insistent,
of course.
The attackers were taken to the district precinct. I am
not sure, but word has it that both later returned to the cafe with some
militiamen and had a nice time. The defendant rejects this and some witness
insists this is precisely what happened. I don’t think there is anything
else I can tell. The investigation is underway and I am a witness for the
prosecution.
MILITIA COMMENTARY
The Day ’s Oleksandr Syrtsov asked Bohdan Vasylyk,
deputy head of Lviv’s Regional Interior Department, for an official version
of the tragedy.
B.V.: Criminal proceedings were started May 11,
as per Article 206, Section 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, against
Hnatovsky and Bilozir charged with hooliganism, and in conjunction with
heavy bodily injuries inflicted on Ihor Bilozir, People’s Artist of Ukraine,
as per Article 101, Section 1 of the CCU. The criminal case was opened
by Halytsky RUGU. Considering the topical nature of the case, I ordered
it be investigated by the regional law enforcement authorities. In the
course of investigation it was established that acts of hooliganism and
grave bodily injuries implicated Dmitri A. Voronov, b. 1972, and Yuri V.
Kalinin, b. 1972. Voronov was taken into custody May 22 and he is currently
in a detention cell. There is a warrant of capture out for Kalinin.
On May 28, after Ihor Bilozir’s death, Section 1, Article
101 of the CCU was substituted with Section 3: intentional gross bodily
harm causing victim’s death, entailing up to 12 years in prison.
Voronov is 28 and has a family. His father is deputy chief
of the city militia force in Lviv, with a service record of 25 years, who
has done nothing except solve crimes and otherwise help the populace. I
think what happened to his son should have no effect on his work in the
militia. He filed a report and is now on leave of absence.
The case is causing unhealthy reverberations, because some
want to capitalize on it politically, pretending they know more than the
investigating authorities. We do not build evidence on hearsay, we work
in accordance with the law.
The Day : Do you think the militia patrol, arriving at
the scene when the conflict was just starting, acted professionally?
B.V.: As the patrol arrived the conflict did not
look serious enough, just a quarrel. Everything happened by the cafe, remember?
Strong emotions appeared later, something the patrol could not have foreseen.
It was not an interethnic confrontation, although precisely this issue
is being raised. There was a third party where people sang Russian songs,
but nothing happened. Besides, no one knew at first the man was Ihor Bilozir,
so there is no cause for describing everything as a deliberate act. One
must not look for any undercurrents or political coloration in this scandalous
incident. Let me tell you again, the conflict started as a bar brawl.
MEDICAL COMMENTARY
The following are excerpts from a report filed by the Municipal
Emergency Hospital with the press center of the regional state administration,
dated 05.19.2000.
“Ihor Y. Bilozir, 45, was brought by ambulance 05.09.2000
at 00.35, picked up on Shevchenko Ave. Trauma received 05.08.2000, inflicted
by unidentified persons. Signed in at Neurosurgery-1 after being examined
by duty neurosurgeon. Brain trauma and fractured right frontal bone diagnosed.
May 9 registered in stable condition. Appropriate treatment prescribed
and administered. Computer tomography performed May 10 at the regional
diagnostic center, confirming previous diagnosis: brain trauma, fractured
frontal and parietal bones, subarachnoidal hemorrhage.
“05.10.2000. Patient transferred to resuscitation ward
for conservative medical treatment. Patient is conscious, showing signs
of progress.
“05.15.2000. Patient registers cardiac malfunctions causing
cardiac standstill at 06.00 on 05.16.2000.
“Patient resuscitated, but his condition remains critical,
with signs of unstable hemodynamics. Patient is sustained by iron lung,
with all vital functions under constant monitoring.
“Treatment is under constant control by leading regional
and medical university experts.”
From the report dated 05.24.2000: “Emergency Hospital administration
hereby informs that patient Ivan Bilozir’s condition remained critical
May 22-24, 2000. The patient is comatose, unconscious, sustained by iron
lung. Unstable hemodynamics, medically sustained. Medical treatment is
administered in full measure and on the required scope.”
Ihor Bilozir died on the night of May 27-28. Zinovy Huzar,
head of the health care department, Lviv City Council, told The Day
the cause of death will be finally determined by forensic medical findings.
As for local newspaper allegations about medical unprofessionalism, Mr.
Huzar regards them as cheap sensationalism and “the interested party’s
desire to place at least part of the blame on the hospital personnel.”
May 30, Ihor Bilozir was buried at the Lychakivsky Cemetery,
not far from the grave of Volodymyr Ivasiuk. Some 150,000 joined the funeral
procession.
RADICAL COMMENTARY (MOST POPULAR IN LVIV)
Ihor K ALYNETS , poet:
People felt they were humiliated as a nation, a humiliation
we each of us struggle with single- handedly. The tragedy made the people
aware of the solidarity they had lost. He was buried on Tuesday and 150,000
Lvivites walked out of their homes to join the funeral. Something Lviv
hasn’t seen since the funeral of Metropolitan Sheptytsky in 1944. Now the
Right and ultra-Right parties come out with resolute statements about putting
things right in Lviv. We have been too soft, tolerant, democratic — spineless
is the word — and allowed the Russian part of the populace too much. Every
night Lviv turns into a Russian-speaking city. At times one forgets one
is still in a Ukrainian city. The impression is that the Ukrainian state
is doing its best to give Russian culture the wide road, leaving Ukrainian
culture pushed to the curb. Lviv has nothing to boast today; the Galician
Piedmont is gradually becoming a city dominated by Russian-language cultural
products: Russian pop songs, Russian paperbacks, newspaper stands packed
with Russian periodicals.
It was planned to mark the 10th anniversary of the first
session of the democratic Regional Council that elected Viacheslav Chornovil
its Chairman. The ceremony was to take place at the Opera House. I was
among the deputies of that council, but I did not want to attend the ceremony
because I thought we had lost everything we spoke about at the outset of
Ukrainian democracy. But that day I learned about Ihor Bilozir’s death,
so I did attend to address the people gathered by the Shevchenko statue.
I told them an assassination had taken place and that all of us ordinary
people were to blame, because we had connived at the Russification of Lviv.
And the municipal authorities were also to blame, including the Mayor.
I had on more than one occasion told him that Russian chauvinism was rampant
in the city, but he did nothing to put an end to it. I said, rather categorically,
that after what had happened the Mayor should resign as one that had catered
to Russification in Lviv. There was nothing coincidental about Ihor Bilozir
failing to find sponsors for a concert marking his Vatra group’s 20th anniversary,
precisely when the city and regional authorities were busy making Russian
pop stars welcome.
The next day the funeral organizing committee was formed.
I was among its members. The committee prevailed on the Mayor to announce
a day of mourning in Lviv. He did so reluctantly, saying a lot of other
prominent figures died without announcing mourning. But in our case a man
died a violent death, meaning that the announcement of mourning would be
a political act. On The Day of the funeral we picketed the Prosecutor’s
Office, demanding that Voronov Sr. be retired and that Russian music be
banned at Lviv’s cafes.
I think that Bilozir was assassinated, because both Voronov
Jr. and Kalinin knew very well who they assaulted and why; they hated people
singing Ukrainian songs. Nor is it coincidental that the militia is not
too active in looking for Kalinin. Under the circumstances, Voronov as
the son of a ranking militia officer will be able to blame Kalinin for
everything that happened when it comes to court hearings. But if they find
Kalinin, Voronov will get his share of punishment.
Yuri V YNNYCHUK , writer (from an article carried by
the newspaper Postup [Progress] 06.01.2000, signed by his pen
name Observer Yuzio):
Bilozir’s murder by two brutalized Russkies with such meaningful
last names, Voronov and Kalinin, is regarded as a public slap in our national
face. Both are sons of the local Russkie elite. This elite sired the murderers,
instilling in them hatred of everything Ukrainian; both knew only too well
who they were killing. Our defiled national dignity cries for vengeance.
METAPHYSICAL COMMENTARY
Viktor M OROZOV , musician, composer, translator:
In our criminalized society somebody is constantly mugged,
musicians included. Not so long ago a vocalist of the Picardy Tierce group
was assaulted. The man was on his way home late in the evening. And the
incident raised no hue and cry in Lviv, regarded as just another street
crime. But what happened to Bilozir is a significant event combining a
lot of peculiar things. A composer was killed because of his song. And
all were instantly reminded of Ivasiuk’s murder that remains a mystery
since 1979. That same year Bilozir joined Lviv’s Philharmonic Society.
So what do we have? Ivasiuk dies, enters Bilozir who dies in the end just
because his Ukrainian song prevents some Russian youths from relaxing and
enjoying themselves. Another significant aspect is that the tragedy took
place in Lviv, always regarded as a venue of Ukrainian culture. In other
words, Russian expansion in Lviv was slowly but surely gaining in aggressiveness
and an outburst of radical moods was due only to an excessive incident.
Dying for one’s song... If Ihor could see what happened
after his death he would say something like “Holy Cow!” (he never used
four- letter words). Therefore, I refuse to believe the allegations that
what happened was because of alcohol consumption. He was an altogether
different type, nothing like those that look for trouble after having had
one too many. Naturally, people celebrating someone’s birthday at a cafe
consume alcohol, but it was not the reason for the conflict. A song was.
I am sure there are no coincidences the way they are generally
perceived. Often what is actually behind things that happen in one’s life
can be understood years later. In this case I have a feeling that Ihor
subconsciously sacrificed himself, so people — at least those living in
Lviv — would rise from their sleep. By the way, one of his last songs written
shortly before his death carries a symbolic title: “Rise from your Knees,
My People!”
This violent death only served to reveal the moods that
had long been brewing within society. Anyway, Lviv residents for once articulated
their dissatisfaction with the cultural policy of the state; hence the
demands for banning Russian-language radio and TV channels. Personally,
I am convinced that nothing should be banned and that we must choose a
different, smarter way. For example, under the Soviets, teachers of Russian
received extra pay. That way, although no one prohibited anything, such
incentive formed the public opinion about Russian being superior to Ukrainian.
Likewise, the Ukrainian state should resort to incentives and privileges
like tax concessions. Our culture badly needs protectionism at the state
level. We all know that Canada protected itself from U.S. mass cultural
onslaught only be enforcing rigid national product quotas on all radio
and television networks, as Canadian mass culture was just being conceived.
And the laws establishing such quotas were met with violent resistance.
But now Canadian stars are known all over the world.
POLITICALLY ACTIVE COMMENTARY
Yuri N AZARUK , student at the International Relations
Department, Lviv University, Young Diplomacy Center:
When people get killed in their native city for singing
in their mother tongue it means the situation is horrible and others must
respond to it. The Young Diplomacy Center held a news conference titled
“Youth against Muscovites.” Its categoricalness was somewhat mitigated
by the motto “Kill Muscovites not in the Street, but in Yourselves.” Our
objective is in calling for youth to boycott Russian-language radio and
TV companies, cafes and clubs where this language and Russian music are
prevalent.
I am not saying that it was a contract murder for political
reasons. It is an event that may trigger the development of Ukrainian culture
in Ukraine. This event was just an explosion in a situation that has been
aggravated as of late.
AESTHETIC COMMENTARY
Mykhailo B ARBARA , musician, head of the Dead Rooster
group, chief editor of Radio New Wave Initiative:
I returned to Lviv on Monday, May 29, and immediately headed
for the radio studio. Our phones were red hot with calls. Lviv was getting
it off its chest, pouring out negative emotions against what was described
as Zhuzhykiv- Zhulytsky bandit culture (which is 100% Russian language).
Very few calls mentioned national culture. We received calls from Ukrainians,
Russians, and Poles voicing indignation over the dominance of “criminal
subculture” in Ukrainian society, in many respects blaming it for the Bilozir
tragedy. Outraged, people blamed everything and everybody, ranging from
municipal services to all sustained by the taxpayer’s money.
This is far from the first such outburst of unrestrained
hostility but the most tragic one. Not so long ago a vocalist with the
Picardy Tierce was mugged and the Dead Rooster frequently had problems
with “Zhuzhyk” toughs after concerts in their home town. Taras Chubai (he
works in Kyiv now) recalled such situations several times. I think this
hostile response addresses any manifestations of Ukrainian intellectuality.
At first, they looked down on “Ukrainian country bumpkins” and then suddenly
realized that here was a different great culture, something they could
not outdo. Hence their frustration venting the animal instinct to kill.
Ukraine today is a typical third- world country and all
the picture lacks is poppy and hemp plantations along with drug barons
(well, we have oil tycoons, haven’t we?). The rich and famous consider
themselves members of a superior caste, the Untouchables (except that the
name historically belongs to a category of people living in India that
did not belong even to the lowest caste, the Sudras, being entirely outside
the social order and limited to doing the most menial and unappealing tasks).
In this horrible situation one is reminded of Yuri Shevchuk’s song: “Open
your mouths, take off your hats, there are major boys marching in the street.”
Laws, state and humane, are nonexistent for them. One positive aspect about
the tragedy is that it made such social reverberations, for self- respect,
national as well as personal, are at stake.
I never go to a cafe with bad music — I mean snazzy pop
or prison camp stuff — because such music is not only irritating but also
harmful. Head shrinkers say all signals received by our senses settle on
the subcortex, meaning one can end up in the funny farm.
We would like to stage a gala concert to mark the 40-day
anniversary of Bilozir’s death, with Ukrainian classical pop performers
and young groups and Ivasiuk and Bilozir songs in the program.
PRACTICAL COMMENTARY
Oksana H ORELYK , press secre tary with the cultural-art
center Dzyga, deputy manager of Radio New Wave Initiative:
The situation that has taken shape after Bilozir’s death
sharpens a lot of cultural problems that are still to be solved. Radio
New Wave, which appeared on the air only recently, tries to respond not
with drawn-out debate and verbal battles but with practical deeds. Actually,
we offer our listeners a new musical and aesthetic concept compared to
what people usually hear on the radio. We play a lot of classical pieces
and modern Ukrainian, Polish, European, and American compositions, mostly
jazz and rock. And we willingly play Russian music, but for us it’s a matter
of principle to play Time Machine or Aquarium rather than Aliona Apina.
We ignore music lacking ambition and this applies not only to Russian pop
compositions.
AUTHOR’S COMMENTARY
Civil wars are the most horrible events in the history
of mankind and the most horrible reason for civil wars is the piling up
of criteria dividing a given society into friends and enemies, when social
factors turn into ethnic distinctions based on religion, language, etc.
The murder in Lviv is an eye-opener on a social crisis embracing all aspects
of human existence in Ukraine, ranging from the guarantee of life and health
to the satisfaction of cultural needs. People seem never to have been so
vulnerable. Ihor Bilozir tried to defend his cultural preferences and provoked
a situation dreaded by most of us. God forbid crossing the path of those
criminals sitting in high offices (who, unlike you and me, are prepared
to defend even their “cultural values” with brass knuckles, knowing no
one will punish them)!
However, the cultural-lingual aspect of Lviv’s ethnic unrest
should not be regarded as a permanent entourage of any Galician problem.
The first question I posed to all people I interviewed was how come Bilozir’s
murder caused such a powerful outburst in the city, considering the overall
political apathy of Ukrainian society? What rallied all those people? I
heard a variety of answers that can be summed up as follows: universal
belief in the unjust nature of all that has to do with the current regime
in Ukraine and its senseless policy without an idea or ideology. In Lviv,
where even notices over stores and cafes reflect inspired lingual relicts,
there are people horrified at the notion of “Russian-speaking Lviv at night.”
All I spoke with claimed Lviv is exposed to total Russification (largely
because in its ten years of independence the Ukrainian state has not come
out with a more or less rational concept of Ukrainianization). On May 30,
Aleksandr Lyubimov, popular Moscow ORT host, said in the evening news release
that “a well- known composer, Ivan [sic] Bilozir was beaten to death by
young nationalists [sic] just as he sang his Russian [sic] songs at a Lviv
cafe.” Apparently, the Russians would be hard put to picture a situation
the other way around. But we know what it is like to live in a country
without having a state of our own and having to rely only on our own resources.
Photos by Serhiy SMYRNOV, Lviv
№019 June 13 2000 «The
Day»
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