AN OPEN LETTER TO THE DIRECTORATE OF THE VOICE OF AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00039R000100070054-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 21, 2012
• Sequence Number: 54
• Publication Date: August 7, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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TO ~1'ui: ua.~ T~1 r l ci:; o _
aih =.o "rare/ to Ukrainian L3nPUa1 o 3roadour is
U1;r31na1d, 7i oti (Ukr~i~ian Now)
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RESU1C?!D
Ul~aitian Nawo
(U1ifl61d, Vioti)
AN O1EN LETTER TO THE DI1tEOTO1ATE OF "THe VOICE OF AMERICA"
With Rogard to Ukrainian Lange go Rroadoaotc
In writing thin latter to ao high an institution as tho
dirootorote of the "Voioo of Amorioa" I havo stn mind the
$oripturai truth that oven the oimpleat and pooroot mortal may
be hoard before the figheot Throno. All the more reaoon, then,
why this mortal may hope that his voice (the Voioo
of America may not be wanted as a "voioe orying in tho wildorneao".
The foot is, however, that all our voioea up to now, the voioea of
all tho Ukrainian omigre preen, addressed to VA on the oubj a of of
the Ukrainian bxoadoaete, havo been just "voic?a crying in the
wilderness," and nothing more. Can it bo that these voioea have
beon unoonvincing, misunderstood, or expreaced from a point of view
hostile to demooraoy? No; among them have boon voioea by no means
anonymou~a, voioec very outspoken, and oompletely in socord with the
democratic position. In such a state of affairs, the letter of an
individual person has very little chance [of being ooncideredJ.
However, thin does not prevent me from publishing thin open letter
(a private one would not produce the desired rosulte), or from ex-
preacing some thoughts for your kind attention.
Two things give me the moral right to write this letter.
First - I am a Ukrainian, recently a citizen of the USSR, a former
political prisoner who has spent a large part of his life in Soviet
prisons - in other words, one who belonged to that part of the
tfa-e.inian people in whose name, and primarily for whose cake, was
organized the Ukrainian broadcasts of the Voice of America.
Secondly, VA has used nor name as well as my works several times in
its Ukrainian language broadcasts, and to some extent has used my
humble authority in its relations with the Ukraine under the Soviets.
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'his givoa mo tho moral right to raise my voiao rogarding
VA' a Ukrainian broadoaato, and addrooa it to the dirootorato of
VA in the hopo that it will reooiv? a hearing.
It goo$ without paying that the aphoro of Amorioan intor-
national ro1i tiona is outside the aphoro of oompotence of a aimplo
individual: It is a1Qo obvious, howovor, that all the broad-
oasta of VA to the pooplea ona1avod by Moaoow ooircuniom aro within
that dphoro. And it is no lone obvious that VA' s Ukrainian broad-
oaato, ae they ho,vo appeared ao far, for aomo un1own reason have
nothin(~ in common with Amorioan polioiee as they are understood in
the wor1d, if American proolamation and defenee of baaio human freedoms
is not pure propaganda. Therefore, without intending to intrude into
the aphore of American polioiee, I only want to point out to the
oste?med direotorate of VA the strange situation which exiata and
which unnuestionab1y eompromiooo both morioa and all of w?storn
demooraoy in tho eyes not only of the Ukrainians but of the other
peoples who live in the USSR and listen avidly to VA--the otrange
situation which makes difficult, if it does not completely nu11ify,
ali the efforto of America morally to mobilize these peoples against
Moscow oommunism. Thie strange situation oonsists in the fact that
these broadcasts have become the megaphone of Russian imperialiom,
which in ono way or another is connected With Staliniin. It may be
irnportinont, but let uc consider how these broadcast appear to the
Ukrainians and how they are received by them.
The directorate of VA cannot afford to ignore the thoughts of
the Ukrainians themselves, and partiou1ar1 y of those who know very
well the Ukraino under the Soviets, who have recently left it, who
were and are political antagonists of Moscow communism, who know the
inclinations, hopes, ar level of political develo~nent of the
Ukrainian people, and who know what the many millions of Ukrainians
hope for from western democracy and to what extent they may or
t b
th
id
f
no
e on
e s
e o
the latter.
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Ed
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The U1c2'ainian people hope at least for the moral support off'
wosteX'n democracy in their oeasoiens struggle against Moscow off ,
a strurie in which they are making coiosna1 sacrific?a not only in
thoir own intor4ats, but in tho interests off' all rfl4nkind.
So tho organization of the Ukrainian brondoaate was an overt of
trromendouc politioal tmportanoo, oaloulatod to inoludo within the
orbit of th4 anti-oommunist foroea the second largest nation in thu
USSR. T vQryono hailed thin ?v?nt, partioularly thore on the ether
cido of the iron ourtain where overyono listeno with opeoi.1 eagerneoa
to the defenac of their interesto and to ideo1ogioa1 nupport of thoir
many years of struggle against the Moaoow communist totalitarianism,
Conaicloring this, the Ukrainian broadoasts of VA oould play a truly
(great historioal role.
However, on the banio of four months stucly of the Voice of
America Ukrainian broadoa; to I can with complete confidence assure the
directorate of VA that these broadcaste are actually aahievinp reeultn
in the Ukraine entirely oontrary to those denired by America and western
democracy; at best they are arousing contempt for the Voice of America,
or, indeed, for Amerioi in general; at worst, they will dentroy forever
the faith of the Ukrainian people in America and in weotern democracy,
1"? Because foremost inhmine of each ~Y Ukrainian must be nuoh thoughts
as these :
What can the Ukrainian people expect from democratic and freedom-
loving Amerioa when that great power is incapable of organizing for
them (for forty million people( ) independent radio broadcasts, but
on1r repeats for them the Russian broadoastc (alien to them and in-
imical to their aspirations) which are merely translated into Ukrainian -
enthat badly? What can the Ukrainian people under the Soviets expect
from America when her voice propagandizes Russian imperialism, and this
in the fiftieth gear of the twentieth centuryl
KESI 1C1~D
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~uah aro the "Ukrainian" boada~ata of the Voioo o Amorioa ,
put the word " ainian " in quotation marko, L'or the direotoratQ
Q' VA itae1~' puts it in quotation marks, ernd no would anyone who
listened to the Voiae of America in tho t ame; ha would - ut it in
quotation marks bootw e, from the point of view o?' any politiofUy
literato ilkrainion on tho othor side of ho iron ourtain, those
"Akrainian'~ broadoasto in their genoral lino follow in the path
of the bolahoviot broadOt td, in the path of the bolihovist polioiad
againat tho nations seized by them.
The a?neral lino of tho oon nunist empire demands the atitling
and olimination of the oultuxo and history of tho oub jugatod nation,
roduoing thorn to the ranks of 'fyoun or brothoro", to a role of oolonial
subordination, of pariah-nationo, who for any protoct or attempt to
broak away from the ampiro of the bolshoviDt totalitarian maohina ar?
neroileQnly punished, even to the extent of mans physioal annihilation,
Striving at all oosts to keep the to ainian nation as a part of the
oommuniet empire, boloheviat Moaoow makeo tine of the Ukrainian tan e
for the ruin of the nation, for a self-oontradiotor~r grafting on to it
of a complex of unity centering on Mocoow, rooting out the Ukrainian
demooratio traditions and in their place grafting on the oult of Peter
the First and Ivan the Terrible, hafting on Russian oulture and its
Runnian imperialist world outlook, etc.
And in not VA doing this some thing with the Ukrainian language?
It is surprising, but it is true. Tho core of the "Ukrainian" broad-
oasts of VA ie that same "general line" which is provided in the so-
oalled Calendar of Historical 1vents (Kalendar' Istorichrrkh podiy)
for the Ukrainian people behind the iron ou'tdin from their histo
and struggle, It carries out this line in the following ways :
flES1~IC1U\
4
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1. Regarding Potar the Flat -~ supporting the ou!.t of the
despot of the Ukrainian people, which cult Malin, too, is build-
in~ up by aU poAaib1e means. Who in Amerioa Iowa that Stalin
oonfcrred all kinds of'avora on th4 writer1A. To1'atoy1'or his
~lorifioation of thin Toar~ and gAvo him a 5t tUn prize bocauae ho
drow en analogy botwoon Stalin and Pot?r? Tho Ukrainian paoplo
rooognizod the true nature of that analo y, for Poter I was the
firot organiz?r of a nrnn annihilation of U1crainiano, for puniohmsnt
after th? defeat of 1'tazepa at Poltava beoauoo they wanted to aoparnto
the 1J1o'aino from R,onia. Obviounly, VA my spook from the rostrum
about Poter I, too, for the Ukrainian people, but from what otandpoint?
VA ?poakn from the ntandpoint of tho intoreoto of the Ruanian oYnpiro.
2, Regarding "In1 a" Spark" from which wan kindled the
"f].arne" of Lenin, with which now the whole worlc't cannot cope, and which
hags burned in a oruei fire of terror for millions of none and dauthters
of the Ukrainian people. Of oourw, VA can apeak about "Iakra," too,
for the Ukrainian people, but how?
3? Regarding "the peoploa of Russia" -- constantly dinning thin
Vlasov-Hitlorite idea into the heads of the nations under the Soviets,
when there are not and never have been any "peoples of Russia", if one
oonsidera their own desires, an expresnod in the great revolution which
dentroyed the Ruaaian empire of the Romanov dynasty. Even Stalin, neck-
ing to fool all these peoplen with his so-called democratic constitution,
understanda this. We fear that if the "peoples of Russia" had to choose
between the phrase of the Voice of Amerioa and the Stalin Constitution,
it would not again be an difficult for them to choose the latter as
when ahoy ohooe [itjat the time of Hitler. Hitler made use of thin
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as ne phrase which now the Voice of Amoriaa utiiizoa . "the peoples
of Rucoia" - which atrengthQns and perpetuates the Russian prison
oil peoples.
4. Reg Qrding Rue Tian mat men and writors ~: as it' there
hover were any great mon and writora in all Ukrainian history.
I VA door aomotim?a mention U1 inian goat mon and writora, it
t F ka to t anotorm them into Ruasiano. Thuo it was with the greatont
poet of the Ukraine - Shevohanlco; VA mado a Russian poot of him.
And thin when oven the Do1ehevi3c did not dsre to ?ncroach upon this
giant of Ukrainian history)
. Rogarding the Kronntadt uprising. vidently the Voioo of
Amorioa has to talk about the Kronataclt uprising, too, for the
Qinian poop/?, But the Ukrainian people have i.n their history of
anti-oornmmic~t atruggi? plenty of impre G ,ivo upri singe of thoir own.
And, most important, it must not be forgotten that Kronstadt has one
g
into Ukrainian history with other uprisings, uprisings which have
strengthened and oonnolidated nolshovism; they lcnow more about this
in the Ukraine than in America. So the oult of Kronatadt is voz'y
dangerous. Z could cite other examples.
Why is there this m~ked Russian want to the "Ukrainianu
broadcasts? Why not base the Ukrainian Voice of America on Ukrainian
history, or Ukrainian culture, or actual Ukrainian strucg1e against
Moscow bolshevism?
Involuntarily one wonders just who is directing the Voice of
America behind the back of American officials; who is it that is re-
sponsible for the cult of ?ter the First, for the nullifying of all
Ukrainian history and Ukrainian oulture, and the malicious use of the
Ukrainian language to the inJury of the Ukrainian people?
Now we think that it must be clearer to the directorate of the
Voice of America whose is the guiding hand in these nfkrainiantI
broadcasts and who is responsible for their political oourse. Every.w
one knows that the whole lantern Laro an Sect
~ 3on of VA is under Russians.
RFZT Ifl1 ED
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liES TRIb?Eo
or oouree, we have note againet tha Rueeiane ?- against the
Rweeian pQop1o as such. And of oourso VA is an etc n institution,
and it is frAe to Antrust tha dirootion of this or that seotion to any
har4e it soe sit. but it also goes without saying that ovary
Wcrahian hero on this eido of the iron ourtairn is abao1uto1y oppc
to !uO1 Russians, who direot the Ukrainian broadoasta in - o a way .-
is oppoaod to tho faot that thoeo Russians spark in the no of he
Ukrainian poop1A, and is oti11 more oppoood to the faot that they
speak in the wi a off' Amorioa to the Uk atnian people, while under-
mining the authority of America with their polioie? against that
people.
Now, just what kind of policies and what kind of Ruerianr are
therm? We 1 iow that thoy are or tho progronrive oiroles of tho
to the Bolsheviks, and ends with the following, quoted verbatim
?11111 nuseianJ s
Ruooian emigration in America. So, to find an anrwer to the question
oonoerning the political line or the Ruonian omigro oirolo? in
knerioa, and to the question ae to why the "Ukrainian" broadoaota of
the Voice of America follow ouch a couree, I rooommend that the
?rteemed direotarate of the Voice of America get the Febrtiiar, r, 19O
(No. 1-2) issue of "Soteia1iatioheekiy Veetnik" [Socialist Herald?,
the leading journal of the Russian emigration in Annerica, and turn to
pages 19-20. This journal ie published in New York by the most pro-
gressive elements of those circles which are connected with the Voice
of America and into whore hands have been given the Ukrainian broad-
casts. In it ie published an article by I. Abramovich entitled
',Enumeration of Enemiostl And in it you can read between tho linos
why the "Urainian" broadoaets, directed by Riurniane, should have
quatatiorn marks around the word "Ukrainian", and why they follow the
line they do. I. Abramovioh, attacking the attempts to name Stalin
as enemy No. 1 (along with Hitler), makes a great number of conceasione
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RETRICTEO
"They cues ot8, t ante, d ata i :th' C
ifl1r war :i~w
r mea $ inet t, !tea o 1e~ u/th 4- t e L4Y-
hetve d amemberecj uaeia," (Under].ining mine. 1.8.)
Io not tho po1itioai1ino of the Run~ian omigration door From
thia7 Thoao ontlemen how very woU that the "non-diam inb~armcnt
of Ru aiat~ by the Ro1& viko is oonnooted with frightful terror
loath, oonoontration campo and frightful gonooide tint all tho
pooploo who wou~ ~ like to onoapo from the Rurnian "prtaAn of pooploo".
rrowcver, Malin io for ivon n1. the crimon, for Stalin io attainin
R
hie ewe np ?oial coal . "thc non-~1 m~~ aborm nt of Rureia". Afton
thos9 otatOTrlonts by Abrarnovioh (and k rc n?kiy oxprccscd thf Como ide t
oarlie~~ in the n1opans "Doctor gin evil ciiotator then a carving u of
the living body of Russia") -- in it not olonr thiit ~t11 their ualifiod
r,ttnckc on thg Dolohevika arc junt a mioka port n? ~hocc false domocrAts
and false aooiaiis a bocomo arounat1 over terror only when it is direotod
against thorn personally, Dut whore it in diroctecl by Malin against
tho "dirnnembermnnt"of Russia, thoy praisr it. They prainc it ire con-
tradiction to all their r1omocratic declarations.
Moreovor, they would oppose tnyorv who would think of applying
the slogans of western ctomocraoy (proclaimed by America in its Atlantic
Charter) to the peopl1De subjugated by the Bolsheviks. It is clear that
if America should undertake to extend the theme of democracy to the
"peoples of RussiatI, these gentlemen to whom is antruatod the Voice
of America would o n s9 America. In fact, they did take part in the
war on the side of Str1n only because the war itself threatened to
"dismember Russia", by unleashing a popular centrifugal anti-im rialjat
movement. likewise the gentlemen of Russian democracy in whose hands
M the Voice of America have bet:n playing the role of a fifth column
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for Stalin, And in thin role they wig, o
ppooA anyone ; haw they
will do thta may bo dinoernod from the awn "SAt;
Aialiatioheakiy
Ve atnik" and f v m the ants article ;
UThoreforo, they (the foltevikn) from the s~
~w.. (omp1itia
Abramovjch ' n) point of view on by no mectnn be
comparo4 with th~a
aUloitora of the Thircl Keith (omp}ia mind I .D,) have
thA teak of dismembering Ru?nia. " Not that ho has
,~. Britton
nw,hS'! Thin in no typo'aphioal error. This in a threat and
a declaration in the nty1A of the otatemontA of the o0
mmuni?t 1@adore,
among whom is the Amerionn, Wallace, for tho intontio to
oppono
4nyono who starts a war ajainnt Stalinist Ruonia, ai ainst the
"non -diannemborvro Boleh?vint
f of Runn La". That thin is
not a tYpographioal error,
but meant Just ac stated, ie evi1enoec1 by tho whole
content of the
nrtioio.
Trann1ator ' s note s The term " Gauie
Third Reich" ie a lied o it?rs of the
Abramovioh to uohA pprobriousl~r by
Ukrainian soparati s as
Bagryanyy, the author of this artiole
After all, then, is it not olear why the "Ukrainian"
broadcasts
of VA, directed by the ideological comrades in arms
of the Stalinist
"non-dismemberers u, follow Leh a oonrse and
3 whir' VA provokes among
the forty millions of the Ukrainian people only derision (om) for the
Voice of America and for America in general'i It is because the Voice
of America for the Ukraine in not the speaking tram pet of America nor
of western democracy. It is the speaking trumpet of
Russian imperialism,
of the Stalinist ideological comrades in arms.
What is to be done?
Unfortunately, that does not depend on us. However, if the
declaration of the rights of man, made in authoritative documents, to
the whole world not so long ago, are not just a bluff, then let me be
permitted in closing to offer some simple advice.
REST R1CTE
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The elaaiAat th1.ng would be to end the Ukrainian brQadpaAtn,
which is whet in nought by the leaders of Ukrainian oixolea who
are protesting, with oomp1Ate justification, against tho uoe of
the Ukrainian 1afguage to the injury of the ~lkrainian poop1e.
Howover, praotioaUi~this is very ditficuit from tho point of
view of world politico, for to and tho tflc ininn broadoaoto
mnan 2~; An,,hnaQ1aav srnci?i. bAio , Eontof All
would be to nAt up TJkrr~inian broa~teasto which wero roally Ukrainian,
both in form and oorntont, after taking; thorn out from under the
R~rasians and putting thorn under Ukrniniane. Then the Voice of
Amorioa - the voioe of western demooraoy - would rertoh the very
heart of the Ukrainian pooplo, striking Moaa~w oonmttrtigm a heavy blow,
and the name of America would booome a symbol for those forty million
people in tho struggle actinat the Stalinist depots.
The Ukrainian nation in the aecond in nine and the moat advanced
in the US"R; it has its history, its culture, and ita oalendar of
hicatorical events, abounding; in fsmoun dates of victories and defeats
in the strugr'le against Stalinist communism for the freedom of the
Ukraine and for the intere9ts of alb mankind. Is thin not sufficient
reason for setting up independent broadcasts for the Ukrainian people?
If this is not possible - if it is not pos,tiba.e either to open
up the Voice of America or to close it down altogether - then we, the
whole Ukrainian emigration, exercising our human rights, will protest
br~fore the whole world in the name of our people against the use of
the Ukrainian language to the injury of our people, to their ruin, and
to the etrengtheninpof Russiun imperialism.
Such a Voice of America for the Ukrainian people as there has been
up to the present time is destroying the remaining faith of this people
in their liberation.
ReSpeotThliy your, RESTRICTED
Ivan BagrYaiYY
Ukrainian writer and many years a prisoner of Soviet prisons.
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