Citizens of Ukraine demand to give to Yuriy Shukhevych, the long-term political prisoner, remedial figure, prominent public and statesman, a rank the Hero of Ukraine on the occasion of his 70-th anniversary (march 28, 2003).

After difficult years of the Soviet totalitarianism Ukraine demands immediate and convincing actions of comprehensive democratization of bodies of the government. Starvations in Ukraine, massacres, arrests, exile to Siberia, imprisonment of citizens for their political and national attributes during all period of functioning of the Soviet regime, were organized by different state structures of the USSR and Ukrainian SSR. People who did not agree with system and demanded political changes, were imprisoned for long years, kept in awful conditions, exposed to tortures. Frequently terror had the form of revenge, because of political convictions of members of families, even against juvenile children.

The Soviet terror had the form of the state terror. The state bodies of Ukraine, in overwhelming majority, have been created and functioned long time in structure of the government of the USSR. Bloody crimes of workers of GPU, NKVD (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs), the MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) and other bodies, committed against peace population of the USSR, amaze with their cruelty and inhumanity. The impunity of criminals, involved in millions of death, negatively influences development and functioning of the state bodies of Ukraine and a crime rate in the state, in which the most severe murderers get protection. The huge inheritance of the past - the state employees of the former USSR who are directly involved in numerous crimes, brakes the further democratic development of Ukraine, reorganization of bodies of the government and various structures, counteracts representation of long-term remedial figures to the state awards, and also distribution of fundamental laws and freedom of the person in Ukraine. Since October, 2002, state and politicians of Ukraine, consider the issue of awarding to Yuriy Shukhevych a rank the Hero of Ukraine for display of heroism during all of his life.

Yuriy Romanovych Shukhevych has been imprisoned at the age of 11, because of political views of his parents and was kept as the hostage many years. During 46 years of political imprisonment, he constantly supported human rights and democracy. During political imprisonment, he has completely lost sight, was constantly exposed to physical and moral tortures, but has not refused his parents, ideas and democratic belief. Sacrificing his own life, he has continued remedial activity. He has displayed heroism, high personal moral values, strength of spirit, will, unselfishness and fidelity to idea of democracy all over the world, has shown a heroic example of related feelings that form a basis of any state. At the age of 57, he was freed and received a permition to come back to Ukraine. After the imprisonment, he is actively engaged in democratization of Ukraine, reforming of its political system, legislative and executive authorities. He asserts observance of human rights by all state structures. Despite of condition of own health, he is an active political and remedial figure. Being disabled, he actively politicizes, showing thus the true heroism.

The solution of this question displays a modern condition of the rights and freedom of citizens in Ukraine and will certify the beginning of qualitative changes in relations between the state and people.

Ukraine passes through the heavy period of development and formation of the state institutions and tries to take a deserved place among the nations of the world. The recent totalitarian past has cast its shadow onto all fields of live of our society. The entire world watches with mistrust and exactingness our sincere desires of changes and our first timid steps.

We not always succeed. No doubt, the relations between the state and people cannot become civilized on their own. Crucial here is the estimation, understanding and attitude to awful, totalitarian methods of treatment of people by the state in a society which we today try to reform and a place of the citizens who have suffered from repressions and terror in this society. It especially concerns cases when the victims of totalitarian state system were juvenile children, who were punished only for having parents.

All of us understand, that existence of father cannot be a reason for 46 years terror in relation to an 11-year old child. From the age of 11 and up to age of 57 Yuriy Shukhevych was continually exposed to physical and moral tortures. 46 years of bondage including 32 years in prison, 10 years in exile and penal servitude, 4 years in specialized correctional institutions, 4 enforcement proceedings, are revenge to Yuriy Shukhevych for views and beliefs of his father. In 1944 he forcedly, under an escort, leaves Ukraine and returns in 1990 as a Hero broken physically, but not spiritually. Yuriy Shukhevych's destiny is a destiny of the Hero of Ukraine.

Each of us, irrespective of political views and ideological belief is the son, father or grandfather, therefore it is not too difficult to imagine the Yuriy Shukhevych's destiny - 46 years of psychological and physical terror, full loss of sight, physical inability. And all this occurred in the USSR because he was the son of his father. This is a terrible destiny of a human being in a terrible country.

How far are the attempts of democratization of the Ukrainian society effective? What is the attitude of official authorities of Ukraine to these events? Which practical steps can be made in order to overcome the totalitarian past? Do we need official avowal of faults, decorating of Yuriy Shukhevych to guarantee, that the terrible past will never repeat again or should we keep silence whenever possible, distract attention in order to reserve man-hating technologies for the future?

In the world practice there are precedents of an official pardon, recognition of made mistakes, proofs of good intentions from the state authorities for the sake of Christian values, triumph of the truth, justice and humanism. Certainly, the lost years cannot be returned to Yuriy Shuhevych, but we are obligated to reward his power, belief, fidelity to Ukraine and his father, by giving him a rank of the Hero of Ukraine.

Today, Yuriy Shuhevych, who survived the communistic tortures, lives as the citizen of Ukraine in Lviv.

For successful implementation of reforms in social, economic and political fields of the state, the development of which is crucial for the presence of powerful financial investors, it is necessary to give an appropriate estimation to the totalitarian past, by giving to Yuriy Shuhevych a rank of the Hero of Ukraine.

The historical past of our society, complete destruction of a private property, collectivization of the agriculture, mass repressions, famine, harassment at juvenile children, etc., require convincing and resolute proofs of changes for comprehensive and equal in rights development of the national economy on international scene.

From the early childhood and till an old age Yuriy Shuhevych bore all tortures heroically, with dignity, not having lost human values and belief and remaining devoted to the idea of Independence of the Ukrainian State. Risking his life, being imprisoned, he repeatedly acted and sent letters to the world community, governments, international organizations, fellow citizens and official authorities of the USSR for observance of constitutional laws and freedom of the person. Yuriy Shuhevych is an outstanding state and public figure.

With regard to the said above and the biography of Yuriy Shuhevych (the biography is attached), in accordance with clauses 1and 6 of the Law of Ukraine "About the state awards of Ukraine" we demand to give a rank of the Hero of Ukraine - to Yuriy Shuhevych, who will be 70 on March, 28.2003.