Volume 3, Number 2
March-April, 1997

OUR NEWSLETTER GETS A "NEW LOOK"

The print edition of our UKRAINIAN SCOUTING Newsletter, has a new look, which includes the use of spot color. All these changes are due to the fact that Newsletter is produced by a new, Plast-operated publishing house, in the city of Lviv, in the western part of Ukraine. Most of the production and editorial staff is made up of new people.

There is also a new person in charge of bringing the Newsletter to print: Rover Scout Andrij Harmatij, who, in addition to the Newsletter is also responsible for many other Plast publications, in particular the bi-monthly magazine Yunatstvo for Boy-Scouts and Girl-Scouts.

UKRAINIAN SCOUTS CELEBRATE THE 85th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST SCOUT OATH

On April 12th, Plast members in Ukraine marked the 85th anniversary of the day, when the first Ukrainian Scouts took their solemn Plast Oath and thus became the first Ukrainian Scouts. In a way, we consider this date the birth of our organization.

We have already written earlier about the great contributions made by our members in the 80-year long struggle to secure the independence of our country. Now, after achieving this long-sought goal, Scouts of Ukraine have a new task: to help build a strong and prosperous new country. This gives a whole new meaning to the 85year old Scout Oath. Appropriately, our program for 1997 will have the guiding principle: We shall never break our Plast Oath!

THE INITIAL 85TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

Since the Plast Oath begins with the words: Faithful to God and Country, the 85th anniversary celebrations commenced with church services in various localities on April 15th and were attended by our Scouts.

In the city of Lviv, where Scouting in Ukraine had its origin, on April 15th 1997 we opened an exhibit: The Plast Idea over the Decades: History Speaks. The exhibit was opened by a concert of young Plast talents. A special publication The Plast Idea was issued. Ukrainian Scouts, who came from many neighboring cities (Drohobych, Ternopil, Rivne, Sambir and other towns) attended the ceremonies in Lviv.

The exhibit is scheduled to travel to other Ukrainian cities, beginning with Rivne in the Volyn region of Ukraine.

Concerts and fairs were also held on April 15th in Rivne, Stryi, Ivanofrankivsk, and in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. In these cities, Scouts from the neighboring countryside gathered to celebrate this important anniversary in the history of the Ukrainian Scouting Organization.

TRAINING CAMPS FOR SCOUTERS DURING THE WINTER OF 1997

"Winter is an excellent time to train for the summer"—is a well known saying of Plast founder, Dr.Oleksander Tysovskyi (DROT).

The winter of 1996-97 was put to good uses by Plast in Ukraine for training new Scout leaders, Scouters, camp counselors and Scoutmasters.

In Ternopil, on February 27-28 and on March 1-2, we held the 20th country-wide training course for Scout-leaders. In a growing organization like Plast there is always a shortage of such leaders. We have many young people in many parts of the country who would like to join our movement however, we have a rule of never accepting Scouts, nor cubs in a new locality, until we have trained good leaders and counselors, who can take care of these new members.

During March 7-9, in Lviv, Plast held a training seminar for those who will lead local training camps and courses for camp counselors, Scouters, etc. Another seminar is planned for May 1997, to be held in the mountain resort of Vorokhta, in the Ivanofrankivsk province. The motto of this training seminar will be: Learn by Doing!

SKIING CAMPS

Ukraine is rich in skiing areas. In particular, the Carpathian Mountains provide many excellent skiing terrains, as well as many skiing facilities. One of the favorite skiing spots for Ukrainian Scouts is the Carpathian resort of Slavsko (in the Lviv province), which is renowned throughout Eastern Europe. As in previous years, during the month of February 1997 Plast held two special skiing camps here.

Among the participants were both experienced skiers and utter beginners, who kept falling into the snow but still had tremendous fun. Snow lasts for a long time in the Carpathians; even in May, one can still enjoy excellent spring skiing. Many Scouts continue to enjoy the crisp snow in breathless descends down the slopes in Slavsko.

INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH!

Scouts are by nature explorers and discoverers; for many years they have been climbing mountain peaks, so what more is there left? Try the other direction, rather than up, go down into the depths of Mother Earth!

In Ukraine, especially in the region of Podillia, there are some of the longest and most extensive karat-caves in the world. For example, in the Ternopil province of Podillia there is the Optimistic Cave, which has over 220 km of passages and corridors, and is considered to be the longest cave in Europe. There is also the beautiful Crystal Cave, with walls covered with glowing crystalline formations.

In this region of Ukraine there are numerous speleological clubs. Their members have made a pact with local Scouts that they will allow the Scouts to go with them on long hikes under the surface of the earth, to look for new underground wonders. In return, the Scouts will perform good deeds and clean up the more accessible portions of the caves from trash, deposited by careless visitors.

The journeys underground are truly unforgettable. Sometimes one has to slither like a snake through narrow crevices; sometimes a cave opens up into millions crystalline lights, like a Christmas tree... They create some unforgettable moments.

Last January, the Scout troops Boars, Carpathian Vixens, and Squirrels participated in one of these wonder-journeys... There is one unique thing about deep caves: they remain always at the same temperature, summer or winter, so one can take long-tong hikes even in the middle of the cold Ukrainian winter!

Contributed By Scout Andriy Horok (age 17)

DOWN THE RIVER

From April 2 till April 6 of this year, the experienced Sea-Scouts held a really thrilling ride down the mountainous area and turbulent river Prut in the Ukrainian Carpathians. The weather was particularly rough this time: a fierce wind kept blowing us down the river, and the snow was cold and stinging. But that weather did not frighten us—we have seen even worse. This trip was not the first time that we had tested the fierce weather of the Carpathian mountains!

Sea Scouting is not new for Ukraine. Since 1992, troop of Sea Scouts have existed in Kyiv Lviv, Uzhhorod, Ostroh, Kharkiv and most recently in Lviv. They have hold numerous camps, trips down the rivers, even sea voyages.

The first training camp for Sea-Scout camp-leaders was held in the Crimea, in 1992. In 1993 we already had two sea camps for Scouts one of them in the Crimea, on the famous base of Ukrainian Navy in Sevastopil. In 1994, there were four Sea-Scout camps, mostly down the white-water mountain rivers of Ukraine: the Cheremosh and the Dnister. Such three camps were held in 1995, including another training camp for leaders. In 1996, there were only two such camps (one for leaders, one for Scouts), because the First Ukrainian Jamboree was held that year.

The 1997 season has already started. Two more sailings down the rivers Prut and Cheremosh are planned for the end of May. And this year, all the Carpathian rivers are really overflowing with turbulent waters!

Contributed by Eagle-Scout Natalka Milianchuk (age 19)

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT OUR COUNTRY

Ukraine stretches from the very center of Europe almost to the border between Europe and Asia. Because of its geographic location, Ukraine had a long and colorful history. For thousands of years various peoples, tribes, and nations made their way through Ukraine, leaving traces of their cultures.

Much of Ukraine consists of flat grassland, covered by steppes. For centuries, horsemen nomads traveled east to west, or sometimes west-to-east. They traded, fought wars, sometimes settled for a century or two, only to disappear again into the vastness. They left behind their graves called mohily, or kurhany- tall mounds of earth, which rivaled in height and volume some of the Egyptian pyramids. In these mounds, they buried their kings, with their wives, horses, jewelry, weapons.

Over the centuries, most of those mounds have been looted over the centuries, but there are so many of them, that many remain intact. It is estimated, that there are still 1400 unexcavated mounds in our land. What treasures might be hidden inside them?

Scythian Gold Pectoral		Detail of Scythian Gold Pectoral

Thus, in 1997, not far from Kyiv archeologists excavated a kurhan, which contained an intact grave of a Scythian king, complete with a horse, a servant and over 1000 ornaments and weapons made from gold and silver. What was unusual is the fact, that throughout the almost 2500 thousand years that the king was entombed in this mound, his clothing with rich embroidery was still intact; there were also many tapestries-kilims in this burial chamber. The remains found in that grave are still being studied and are not on view.

But in the Museum of Ancient Treasures in Kyiv, one can admire many unique finds from the kurhans of Ukraine. Some are of Scythian origin, but some are of Sarmatian, Cimmerian, Hun, Gothic, Turkic, or Slavic origin, or from many, many other cultures and people, who traveled across Ukraine.

The Scythian treasures are particularly rich.

Scythians a nomadic Indo-European tribe lived on Ukrainian steppes from about the 9th Century BC to the 1st Century AD. They traded and fought with the Greeks, ancient Persians, and others. They were particularly rich, because they bartered Ukrainian wheat and honey for Mediterranean gold. Thus their graves often contain gold objects, of unsurpassed and exquisite beauty. Particularly famous the gold pectoral (breast-plate) and headgear (crown) found on a Scythian Queen in Tovsta Mohyla a well-known mound in Ukraine that held many priceless treasures! which are now exhibited in the Kyiv Museum of Ancient Treasures.

The Ukrainian Scouting Pages are adapted from material published by the Plast National Executive in Ukraine in Ukrainian Scouting
Editor: Lubomyr Onyshkevych

Your feedback, comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Please write to us via e-mail at: Ukrainian Scouting
Letters to the editors should be sent to:
Ukrainian Scouting, P. O. Box 22, Ternopil, 252001, UKRAINE

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