[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 185 (Thursday, December 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CELEBRATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VOICE OF AMERICA'S UKRAINIAN 
                                SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 9, 2009

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today on the special occasion of 
the 60th anniversary of the Voice of America's first Ukrainian-language 
broadcast. As Co-chair of the Ukrainian Caucus, it is my honor to 
recognize this day. In the darkest hours of the cold war, Ukrainians 
behind the Iron Curtain have received VOA broadcasts of accurate, 
balanced and comprehensive news and information. The VOA reports that 
Ukrainian dissidents imprisoned in Siberian camps and human rights 
activists who worked clandestinely to avoid arrest say they drew 
strength from its broadcasts.
  As the Communist system began to fissure, VOA notes it continued to 
provide Ukrainians with the news and information that their own 
censored, government-controlled media would not provide. Through the 
decades VOA was there to tell Ukrainians stories about the Hungarian 
Revolution in 1956, the Prague Spring of 1968, the rise of the 
Solidarity movement in Poland in the 1980s, the cover up of the 
Chornobyl nuclear power plant explosion in 1986, the fall of the Berlin 
Wall in 1989, and the Ukrainian independence and democracy movement 
which played a key role in the collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991. 
Through Ukraine's struggles with independency, VOA was a vital source 
of accurate news and responsible commentary.
  Today, VOA continues to reach millions of Ukrainians each week. The 
radio broadcasts that began in the early cold war period have been 
replaced with daily television broadcasts and reporting on VOA's web 
site. Ukrainians still look to VOA not only to hear about the 
Washington perspective on what is happening in Ukraine, but also to 
comprehend America's story--its foreign policy objectives, national 
politics, social challenges, culture, arts, educational opportunities, 
business successes and achievements in science, technology, and 
medicine. The United States continues to serve as an important example 
for Ukrainians on maintaining a vibrant, prosperous, pluralistic 
society. Through its strict adherence to journalistic excellence over 
the past 60 years, the Voice of America's Ukrainian Service has been a 
key institution in U.S. public diplomacy. Today, its mission remains 
critical as ever, and we proudly mark this milestone anniversary.

                          ____________________