UKRAINIAN PEACE COUNCIL - AT 60 (1951-2011) -

National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine

On October 24, 2011, the Ukrainian Peace Council (UPC) solemnly celebrated the 60th anniversary of its establishment. The celebrations were held at the state level in the Ukrainian House International Convention Center in Kyiv in accordance with the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) Resolution "On Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Ukrainian Peace Council".

One of the highlights of the solemn event was the photo exhibition titled “Ukrainian Peace Council at 60”, “Ukraine – the Country of Peace”, which was jointly organized by UPC and its organization member, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

Invitees had the opportunity to learn about the history and activities of the Ukrainian Peace Council, formerly known as the Ukrainian Republican Committee on the Protection of Peace, from its foundation in 1951 to the present day.

The anniversary celebrations welcomed distinguished guests, including members of the UPC Presidium, the Presidium's Advisory Board, heads of regional branches, organization members of the Ukrainian Peace Council, peacekeeping activists, representatives of more than 30 Ukrainian and international non-governmental organizations that maintain friendly relations and collaborate on joint projects with the UPC. Government officials and representatives of the diplomatic corps in Ukraine were also invited to participate in the commemorative event.

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Volodymyr Novokhatskii, Deputy Head and Director of the Ukrainian Peace Council, opened the solemn event by reading out the greeting from Leonid Kravchuk, the First President of independent Ukraine and UPC Head.

The Ukrainian Peace Council was warmly welcomed by Ukraine’s President, Verkhovna Rada, the Kyiv City State Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, Universal Peace Federation (UPF) International President Dr. Thomas Walsh, as well as other prominent public and political figures.

In commemoration of its 60th anniversary, a documentary film was produced to highlight UPC activities. The film featured notable individuals such as Leonid Kravchuk, Olivier Adam (UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine), Borys Oliinyk (member of the Advisory Board of the UPC Presidium, public and political figure), Yurii Shcherbak (member of the UPC Presidium, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, public and political figure), Kostiantyn Sytnyk (member of the Advisory Board of the UPC Presidium, public and political figure), Georgios Geoguntzos (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece to Ukraine), and Dr. Thomas Walsh.

Watch the film

The celebrations continued with a solemn ceremony for the presentation of Ukrainian Peace Council's honorary awards, namely the Order of Peace 1st and 2nd Class.

Commending their significant personal contributions to peacekeeping in the name of upholding humanism and justice, energetic public activities dedicated to preserving peace and harmony in Ukraine and abroad, formation of Ukraine as a democratic and peace-loving state, as well as their high level of professionalism and loyalty to Ukraine, the UPC Presidium made the decision to bestow

the Order of Peace 1st Class upon the following individuals:

1. Volodymyr Lytvyn — Chairperson of Verkhovna Rada

2. Oleksandr Popov — Head of Kyiv City State Administration

3. His Holiness Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Filaret

4. His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav — Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

5. Georgios Geoguntzos — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece to Ukraine

6. Thomas Walsh — Universal Peace Federation International President (USA)

7. Jack Corley — Regional Chair of UPF for Europe

8. Daisaku Ikeda — President of the NGO Soka Gakkai International

9. Valentyna Honchar — wife of Oles Honchar

10. G.K. Kriuchkov — member of the Presidium of the Ukrainian Peace Council, public and political figure

11. Viktor Andrushchenko — Member of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine and Rector of the Mykhailo Drahomanov Ukrainian State University, which is the organization member of UPC

12. Ivan Sergiyenko — Member of the Advisory Board of the UPC Presidium, Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), and Director of the V. M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics under the NASU

The Order of Peace 2nd Class was awarded to the following individuals:

1. Pal Chong Jin — President of the International Charitable Aid and Friendship Foundation

2. Yurii Miroshnikov — Member of the Presidium of the Ukrainian Peace Council and President of Ukraine International Airlines, which is the organization member of UPC

3. Roman Artsyshevsky — Head of the Volyn regional organization of the Ukrainian Peace Council and Director of the Institute of Social Sciences at the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University

4. Oleksandr Biriuk — Member of the Advisory Board of the UPC Presidium and Director of Kyiv-based Gymnasium No. 315, which is the organization member of UPC

5. Mykhailo Ilin — Chairman of the Board of the Universal Peace Federation in Ukraine

6. Liubov Kovalenko — Member of the Advisory Board of the UPC Presidium, Head of the Vinnytsia regional organization of the Ukrainian Peace Council, and Director-General of the Vinnytsia Regional State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company

7. V.P. Sliota — Chairperson of the Zaporizhzhia regional organization of the Ukrainian Peace Council, Head of the editorial and publishing group Memory Book of Ukraine.

Under the aegis of the Ukrainian Peace Council, two books were presented within the framework of the event:

In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Ukrainian Peace Council, documentary exhibitions showcasing UPC activities were opened in state archival institutions throughout Ukraine. Additionally, a series of television and radio programs were organized, and the Ukrainian postal operator Ukrposhta produced envelopes adorned with the UPC logo.