Moscow moves to close Ukrainian institutions in Russia

„Apparently confident that now it can do so without objections from the Yanukovich government in Kyiv, Moscow has disbanded the Federation of National Cultural Autonomy of Ukrainians of Russia and is setting the stage for closing the Ukrainian library in the Russian capital by continuing its seizures of »extremist« literature there.

The Russian government, like its Soviet predecessor, has never been supportive of the more than five million ethnic Ukrainians living there, refusing to open any Ukrainian-language state schools even as it has complained about closure of some of the many Russian-language schools operating in Ukraine. But in recent weeks, Moscow has moved against even the few Ukrainian institutions that do exist inside the Russian Federation. On the basis of a March 2010 appeal by the Russian justice ministry, the Russian Supreme Court on November 24 »liquidated« the Federal National-Cultural Autonomy of Ukrainians of Russia as a legal person.

According to Vladimir Semenenko, the former head of that former institution, the Justice Minsitry made three specific complaints about the group’s »diversions«. First, Semenko gave an interview to Radio Liberty. Second, the group organized a public conference on Ukrainian studies in Russia. And third, its leaders took part in commemorations of the Great Famine.”