Dear Friends,
All sumivtsi wishing to meet old friends and make new ones, as well as have a great time with them on Ukrainian soil, have already signed up fo the VI World Zlet, to take place from August 16 to 24, 2001 in Ukraine. To date, this represents over 200 people.
Where will we be staying?
While in Ukraine, Zlet participants will be staying in youth hostels. We have visited these hostels and believe them to be adequate living quarters for sumivtsi. The hostels have rooms for 2, 3 or 4 persons.
What will our meals be like?
Three times daily we will have the opportunity to savor delicious Ukrainian meals.
Our program is as follows:
During Zlet we will be commemorating famous Ukrainian Heroes - Baykovyj Cemetery in Kyiv, Lychakivskyj Cemetery in Lviv, the village of Staryj Uhryniv; we will discover many interesting things through excursions, meetings, concerts; we will sing and dance at evening gatherings; we will discuss a variety of topics during the discussion sessions; we will make new friendships with fellow sumivtsi; we will get to know life in a CYM oseredok in Ukraine; we will partake in liturgies in different churches; we will take part in celebrations commemorating the 10th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
Day 1 - (08/16/2001): Lviv |
| |
Upon arrival and check-in in the city of Lviv, participants may take part in a CYM celebration of Mass at the Saint George Church (Sobor Sviatoho Yura), followed by official Zlet Opening Ceremonies at the city's center near the Opera theater. Invited to theses opening ceremonies are: bishops of different denominations, the Prime Minister and vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine, head of the National Committee for Family, Youth, Sports and Tourism, head of the World Congress of Ukrainians (CKY), head of the World Congress of Ukrainian Youth Organizations (CKYMO), head of OUN (OYH), head of Plast in Ukraine, as well as other dignitaries.
Sumivtsi from the Lviv oseredok will act as our guides on a tour highlighting the ancient streets of their historic city as well as the many sites of historic interest where the struggle for Ukraine's independence has taken place over the ages. Highlights of the tour include the sites where Ukrainian statehood was proclaimed, where in 1918 insurgents created the Western Ukrainian National Republic (3YHP), the site where UPA colonel Oleksa ("Lytsar") Hasyn was killed, and many others.
In the evening, participants gather at the Picasso nightclub for a "Let's Get Acquainted" reception, during which attendees will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to others. Your introduction can be informative, artistic and/or humorous (but not lengthy!) - you decide! These introductions happen as part of an evening of games and amusement!
|
Day 2 - (08/17/2001): Lviv |
| |
The day begins with an organized discussion session.
After lunch, we commemorate some of those whose life's work served to strengthen Ukraine's culture and identity. We'll visit the graves of Franko, Ivasiuk, and Shashkevych at the Lychakivsk Cemetary, planting kalyna at each gravesite in their honour.
In the evening, a chance to experience Lviv's culture by attending the Lviv Opera or the L. Kurbas Youth Theater!
|
Day 3 - (08/18/2001): Lviv, Kalush, Ternopil |
| |
We're celebrating the 10th Anniversary of CYM's rebirth in Ukraine!
As part of today's schedule, you will visit one of western Ukraine's CYM branches - you choose an oseredok in Lviv, Kalush, or Ternopil.
Sumivtsi in these cities will take you on a tour of their home town and give you the opportunity to visit historic sites such as the birthplace of Stepan Bandera (and the house he grew up in, in the village of Staryj Uhryniv); the pride of Lviv - the Vysokyj Zamok (High Castle); etc. You can also take part in meetings with local government officials at these oseredky.
|
Day 4 - (08/19/2001): Yaremche |
| |
Whether you chose Lviv, Ternopil or Kalush yesterday, today we'll all meet in the Pearl of the Carpathians, the city of Yaremche. Here, we celebrate a Mass and the blessing of fruits. During the course of the day, participants with a pension for hiking will have the opportunity to climb the nearby mountain of Hoverla, and witness a great waterfall. The day's end brings us together for an evening of song and celebration around a CYM vatra (campfire) at the river's edge. Lodgings today are courtesy of the local villagers - a chance to learn what life in the Karpaty is really like!
|
Day 5 - (08/20/2001): Ivano-Frankivsk |
| |
Excursions and sightseeing in the nearby city of Ivano-Frankivsk. A day to enjoy the sites, walk the streets of this beautiful city and take in life in western Ukraine. This evening we board an overnight train and begin our journey to the nation's capitol.
|
Day 6 - (08/21/2001): Kyiv |
| |
In the morning, we arrive at last in Kyiv! After checking in and getting settled, we gather for part 2 of our discussion sessions. Afterward, sumivtsi from the Kyiv CYM oseredok take us to see the Tsentralna Rada building, the site of the 1st Ukrainian Gymnasium (the Middle School whose headmaster was a man named Durdukivsky; he and his student Mykola Pavlushkov made CYM history here in 1925…), the Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra (Monastary of the Caves), the Mykhajlivskyj Zolotoverkhyj Sobor, and more.
|
Day 7 - (08/22/2001): Kyiv / Kaniv |
| |
A journey down the river Dnipro. Today, we travel on rivercraft to the resting place of Ukraine's great Poet and Bard, Taras Shevchenko. Spend the day on the river and atop the Chernecha mountain - truly a place to remember!
The evening program includes "CYM fun and games", contests, song and dance, ...
|
Day 8 - (08/23/2001): Kyiv |
| |
Today, our Zlet delegation takes part in an official meeting with the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister! Another delegation from the Zlet will participate in CKYMO and the World Forum of Ukrainians. Some participants will visit the Baykovyj Cemetery, where lay Vasyl Stus, Lytvyn, Hrushevskyj, and Lesya Ukrainka.
Planned for the evening program - attendance at a holiday concert at the famous "Ukraina" Palace.
|
Day 9 - (08/24/2001): Kyiv |
| |
Independence Day! On the last official day of the World Zlet, sumivtsi will get to watch the nation's Independence Day Parade! After the Parade, the Zlet comes to a close with a Mass at the Mykhajlivskyj Zolotoverkhyj Sobor, and Closing Ceremonies on the Mykhajlivskyj plaza.
|
Day 10 - (08/25/2001): Kyiv |
| |
We depart! While many of us are homeward bound, others may be off to visit relatives, friends or other sites in Ukraine.
Bon voyage!
|
The organized participation of CYM members worldwide in the celebrations and commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the independence of Ukraine and the 10th Anniversary of CYM in Ukraine, and to bring together sumivtsi in an atmosphere of cooperation and solidarity. The program is designed to enable participants of the Zlet to become acquainted with Ukraine and its history and diverse nature, as well as to meet with members of CYM branches in Ukraine.