Ukrainian poet and translator Moses Fishbein has been awarded the Order “For Intellectual Courage” (Potocki Palace, Lviv, Ukraine, 15 December 2010).

According to a survey by the authoritative Razumkov Centre, Ukrainians are registering a fall in the level of democracy

Police spokeswoman Natalya Taran told AP that a Hasidic Jewish pilgrim was killed in Uman, home to the grave of an important Hasidic rabbi who died 200 years ago, in a fight with local residents

Kharkiv, which was already awarded the European Diploma in 2003, Flag of Honour in 2004 and the Plaque of Honour in 2008, is the first Ukrainian town to receive this award

The 75- minute film is about Holodomor 1932-1933. Work on the film spanned 11 months, and its premier was on 21 November 2008.

In Ukraine, it states, the authorities failed to respond adequately to rising racist attacks. Refugees and asylum-seekers were at risk of enforced return. Torture and other ill-treatment in police detention continued, and perpetrators of human rights violations enjoyed impunity

Despite lots of dire reports and predictions of late, it would seem that Ukrainians are by no means eager to have fundamental rights and freedoms curtailed

The Razumkov Centre has published the results of a public opinion survey regarding the human rights situation in 2008. According to respondents, the situation in general worsened, as did observance of specific rights

The President of the European Parliament warned parliamentarians that the constant political instability was a serious problem for the country and was slowing down the process of reform

On the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese troops which led to his exile, the Dalai Lama has launched a fierce attack on Chinese rule in his Tibetan homeland

According to the latest Razumkov Centre survey, assessments of changes in Ukraine in various areas during 2008 are extremely negative and much worse than at the end of 2007

Ukraine has every reason to cherish its statehood and to cultivate pluralism of opinion and diversity of culture. It needs support in ensuring that this is preserved

“It was only after I made the film “Katyń” that I had the grounds to come here and visit his grave”, Pan Wajda explained before the film showing in Kharkiv. “My father was a witness to the Katyń Crime, and my mother lived through the Katyń lie ..."

The Institute of National Remembrance has been instructed to draw up new textbooks on Ukrainian history “in order to help bring up the younger generation in a spirit recognizing their national identity, respect and love for their native land”.

The good news from Freedom in the World 2008 is that Ukraine remains one of the 90 countries classified as free. Concern was expressed about many other former Soviet republics and over a general decline worldwide

According to a judgment from Ukraine’s Constitutional Court issued on 20 December 2007 all films shown must have dubbing or subtitles in Ukrainian

Over the first 10 months of the year, according to the State Committee of Statistics, there were 398 thousand births against 630 thousand deaths however the Ministry of Justice asserts that the ratio is decreasing

The Ukrainian Security Service [SBU] has created a special working group to study and then make public archival documents on the activities of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and Ukrainian Resistance Army], as well as on well-known figures of the Ukrainian liberation movement

The SBU have published details about special units of the Soviet security and enforcement bodies which pretended to be resistance fighters, as well as information about the extra-judicial bodies used to pass sentence during the Terror

The Security Service has a document providing evidence of crimes committed by agents of the Security Service who disguised themselves as Ukrainian Resistance Army fighters and tortured and murdered people in Western Ukraine