This film documents a series of events held in Halifax and Bradford to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. It includes a mass held at Halifax Ukrainian Catholic Church, the unveiling of a memorial in Bradford City Centre and a concert held at Bradford Ukrainian Club. The film was made by the Ukrainian Video Archives Society (UVAS) but they are not credited. The film begins with a view of the external front façade of Halifax Ukrainian Catholic church, with...

This film documents a series of events held in Halifax and Bradford to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. It includes a mass held at Halifax Ukrainian Catholic Church, the unveiling of a memorial in Bradford City Centre and a concert held at Bradford Ukrainian Club. The film was made by the Ukrainian Video Archives Society (UVAS) but they are not credited. The film begins with a view of the external front façade of Halifax Ukrainian Catholic church, with close ups of three plaques, commemorating 1000 Years of Christianity in Ukraine (celebrated 1988) and the Holodomor 1932-1933 respectively. This is followed with views of the church interior, beginning at the back where there is a small exhibition of material relating to the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. The camera moves through the church and down the aisle towards the Chornobyl Madonna which is displayed in front of the iconostasis. The service begins and the liturgy is a sung Easter mass (Orthodox Easter having been celebrated on 14 April). Dr Roland Franko from the Ukrainian Embassy in London is in the congregation and is formally welcomed by the priest. The congregation comprises first, second and third generation Ukrainians. The sermon (25 mins in) is on the topic of Chornobyl and mentions its impact on the environment and society, noting the increased numbers of cases of childhood leukaemia. The liturgy continues towards communion, shows the congregation coming forward to receive it, and continues to the final prayers. At the end of the mass, the priest reads out a number of parish notices including a thank you to Dr Franko who has had to leave to get to Bradford, a welcome to a guest from Ukraine Oleksa Tekhovich, who is asked to come to the front, notices about forthcoming celebrations for Mother’s Day. He then asks all the children to come to the front of the church and light candles for a requiem (panakhyda) for Chornobyl. A group of children, all wearing embroidered shirts and blouses (vyshyvanky), come to the front and take it in turns to light small candles from a larger candle. They stand in an arc at the front for the duration of the service. At the end, they blow out their candles and return to the pews. The requiem uses the sung Easter liturgy rather than the usual panakhyda liturgy which includes the singing of Vichnyaya Pamyat (Eternal Memory). The film ends with a close up of the Chornobyl Madonna. This section finishes at 1 hr 26 mins 38 secs. The next section starts at 1 hr 26 mins 40 secs and is a film of the unveiling of a memorial to Chornobyl in Bradford city centre. It begins with views of the people assembled for the ceremony, including Dr Franko and Father Mykola from Halifax. There is a view of the memorial from behind. It is flanked by a third-generation Ukrainian boy wearing traditional costume holding a Ukrainian flag, and a third-generation Ukrainian girl in traditional costume holding a Union Jack. The camera shows the mayoral car arriving, and members of the Bradford and Halifax Ukrainian community greet the Lord Mayor Councillor Marilyn Beeley. They introduce themselves and show her the memorial. Next the Bishop of Bradford arrives and is introduced to the other guests. An unidentified male guest arrives and is introduced. The head of the Yorkshire Regional Commemoration Committee (unnamed first-generation Ukrainian man) introduces Zenon Lastowiecki the chair of the Bradford Branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Dr Roland Franko from the Ukrainian Consulate in London, Father Mykhaylo Kupano and Father Damien from the Ukrainian Catholic Church and Father Mykola Hyrchavyn from Halifax Ukrainian Catholic Church. Zenon Lastowiecki makes a speech in English about the disaster and its impact, and then asks the Lord Mayor to unveil the memorial. She makes a short speech before removing a rushnyk (ritual cloth) which has been placed over the plaque which is mounted in a stone, and then receives a round of applause. Zenon Lastowiecki asks the Bishop of Bradford to bless the memorial. The 10th anniversary Committee chair then speaks in Ukrainian and thanks the community for arranging this memorial. The Ukrainian national anthem is then sung and the camera pans the participants. Zenon Lastowiecki makes a closing speech in English and Ukrainian, thanking everyone for attending and inviting the guests back to the Ukrainian Club for a commemorative concert at 6pm. The camera then focuses in on the memorial plaque and captures footage of the Lord Mayor, guests and children in Ukrainian dress standing around the memorial for a commemorative photograph. This section of the film ends at 1 hr 45 mins 23 secs. The final section of the film starts at 1 hr 45 mins 24 secs with a close up of a sign which reads Remember Chernobyl Ten Years On. There are close ups of a double-sided exhibition board. One side includes information about the Chornobyl disaster and includes maps, text, statistics and photographs. Amongst the photographs are images of sick children in hospital. The other side shows photographs and information about the Ukrainian Children’s Appeal Fund (Fond Materi I Dytyny) and the work to send aid to children and families affected by the disaster. The scene cuts at 1 hr 48 mins 49 secs to the hall at Bradford Club. At this point, the film is date stamped 28.04.1986 17.59 (the only date and time on the film). The film begins by panning round the audience before the Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Marilyn Beeley is announced. She and other guests walk down the central aisle in the hall towards the stage and take their seats at the front of the audience. The camera takes up its position at the back of the hall to focus on the stage, and there are a few minutes of footage of the audience and stage before the curtains open to reveal a large commemorative placard hung on the back of the stage which reads Chornobyl 86 96 in English and Ukrainian. The stage is also decorated with the Ukrainian flag and the Union Jack, and a typical cross made from silver birch logs which would be found on a mohyla (traditional Ukrainian grave). The concert begins with a speech by Mychalylo Reviliak first in Ukrainian and then in English giving the context to the disaster and the need for advocacy around its impact in order to avoid another Chornobyl. This is followed by an introduction by Zenon Lastowiecki in Ukrainian and English where he asks everyone to stand for a prayer which is led by the Ukrainian and English priests. The concert begins and the programme is as follows (the language is Ukrainian unless otherwise specified): Association of Ukrainian Women (AUW) Bradford branch singing Our Father (Otche Nash) by candlelight to piano accompaniment, conducted by Maria Danelchuk; a reading entitled Chornobyl by Maria Fedyszyn; performance of two songs by Vidrodzennya (Rebirth) choir from Manchester conducted by Halyna Sawczuk; a reading of a piece entitled Chornobyl in English by Myron Mandzij which includes some graphic language; recital of a poem by Oleksa Symyniuk entitled Chornobyl by Chrystyna Kozak; AUW Bradford branch choir perform two songs; recital of a poem by Oleksa Semeniuk; three songs performed by Vidrodzennya choir; Andrij Skok reciting a poem entitled Chornobyl Cavalry (Holhota Chornobyl) by Rostislav Vasylenko; two songs performed by the choir of the Bradford Branch of the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM); a speech by Dr Roland Franko on behalf of the Ukrainian Embassy in Ukrainian, translated by Zenon Lastowiecki. The programme closes with a speech from Zenon Lastowiecki in Ukrainian and English thanking everyone for attending, and listening to the speeches and recitals about a traumatic event in Ukraine’s history. All the performers are assembled on stage and they join with the audience to sing the Ukrainian and British national anthems. Finishes at 3hrs 47 mins 22 secs