This week in history

March 6: 1919. The III All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets opened in Kyiv, adopting the first Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR.

1939. Marking the 125th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko’s birth, a monument was unveiled in Kyiv.

March 7: 1921. The Council of People’s Commissars of Ukraine ratified a decree on organizing workers’ courses ( rabfaky ).

1967. The CPSU Central Committee, the USSR Council of Ministers, and the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions approved a decision to transfer the employees of all enterprises and institutions to a five-day work week with two days off.

March 8:1913. International Women’s Day was for the first time celebrated in Ukraine.

1946. The Soviet regime began a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Council in Lviv to repudiate the Union of Brest and unite with the Russian Orthodox Church.

March 9: 1930. The trial of a group of 45 Ukrainian intellectuals accused of founding the mythical Union for the Liberation of Ukraine underground organization began in Kyiv.

1934. The Veselka [Rainbow] Publishing house for children’s literature was founded in Kyiv.

March 10: 1992. Ukraine was accepted as a member of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council.

1995. The Japanese-Ukrainian Friendship Parliamentary Association was created in Tokyo.

March 11: 1901. A political demonstration was held in Kyiv by 15,000 workers and students protesting against tsarist policy towards revolutionary students.

1921. The Council of Peoples Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR ratified a decree on purchasing cultural values for the state museums from private persons.

March 12: 1945. The Ukrainian National Committee began its activity in Berlin.

1990. The Extraordinary Third Meeting of the USSR People’s Deputies started its work electing Mikhail Gorbachev as president of the USSR.