Ukraïns’kyi visnyk
Ukraïns’kyi visnyk [«Український вісник»; Ukrainian Herald]. An underground samvydav journal in Ukraine. The first eight issues (in six volumes) appeared in the early 1970s; all of them, except vol 5, were published in the West, and some were translated into English or French. The journal contained articles defending human rights in Ukraine and exposing Russification and Russian chauvinism. The journal published much information on the illegal repressions against Ukrainian intellectuals, including reports on the closed trials and prison or labor camp conditions and the texts of defense speeches and protest letters. It presented the available evidence on the murder of Alla Horska and the persecution of Ukrainian dissidents, such as Viacheslav Chornovil, Mykola Plakhotniuk, Stepan Khmara, Oles Shevchenko, Ivan Svitlychny, Valentyn Moroz, Yevhen Sverstiuk, Sviatoslav Karavansky, and Ivan Sokulsky. Besides reports and materials on the human rights movement it published analytical articles on political questions and literary works by persecuted writers, such as Vasyl Symonenko, Ihor Kalynets, Hryhorii Chubai, and M. Kulchynsky. Issues 7–8, edited by the pseudonymous Maksym Sahaidak, differ from the previous issues in tone and in their more nationalistic positions. After a 13-year silence the journal was renewed, in 1987, with the appearance of issue 7 (the earlier issues 7–8 were not recognized by the journal’s founders). A reflection of the more liberal atmosphere under Mikhail Gorbachev, the editorial board was listed for the first time. It consisted of Ivan Hel, Vasyl Barladianu, Mykhailo Horyn, Pavlo Skochok, and V. Chornovil (chief editor), all former political prisoners. For the most part issues published previously banned or censored literary works. Although the editors intended to publish monthly, no further issues appeared. The journal was criticized severely in the Soviet press, and its editors were denounced as Ukrainian bourgeois nationalists and agents of Western imperialism.
Boris Balan
[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]