Does President Kuchma speak correct Ukrainian?

[Zbyszek]

I watched the meeting of the Polish and Ukrainian presidents in Pavlivka/Poryck, near Vladimir Volynski, Ukraine last Friday, July 11, 2003. They met to commemorate people who were killed in the Volyn land during WWII.
I listened to the speeches of both presidents.
Kuchma was first to speak and I, as a Slav, could understand something. His speech was translated into Polish sentence by sentence. I had an impression that Ukrainian president spoke with a Russian accent Am I wrong?
Then, Kwas'niewski started to speak and I tried to understand the Ukrainian interpretor's words. I really managed to understand a lot. Did the interpreter speak with a Polish accent?
I just noticed a big difference between Kuchma and Ukrainian translator's language melody.

[candle]

You▓re right Zbyszek, how you could expect from excommunist to speak proper Ukrainian. It▓s such a shame, like there in whole big country is no one who could be better for the job.

I wouldn▓t mind if it would be just question of the language, hell with the language when it comes to a better person to save the country, but he isn▓t the one.

[Zbyszek]

Hi Candle, could you help me to solve a translation problem?
The Friday celebrations in Volyn were widely reported in the Polish TV. I am not sure whether they got so extensive coverage in the Ukrainian media. Polish TV showed the moment of unveling the commemorative monument of the Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation in Pavlivka.
There were three words engraved in two languages (UA and PL)on the stone face of the monument.

Memory (Remembrance)

Regret (Sorrow)

Reconciliation

The comment of the Polish speaker was that the translation of these words into Polish were wrong and they were interpreted as:

Memory (Pamiec)

Mourning (Zaloba)

Unity (Jednosc)


The correct version would be

Pamien'c'

Zhal

Poyednanie



Was the Polish speaker right or wrong?
Candle, could you recall the Ukrainin version of those three words?
Thank you for your answer concerning Kuchma language proficiency. It is deplorable that he does not have not enough authority to speak in the name of all Ukrainian nation. I am a bit proud to dicswover his language problems without being Russian or Ukrainian. I know some (not much) Russian but I can't speak Ukrainian.
Is 'trubka' (ear phone) a Ukrainian or Russian word?

[candle]

Hi Zbyszek!

I didn▓t have the opportunity to see the coverage in Ukrainian media simply cose I live in California. And US TV doesn▓t do much of coverage of any world events, such a shame. But I translated all the words in to Ukrainian, so you could see it for your self.

Here we go:

Memory √ Pam▓yat▓
Regret √ Zal▓
Reconciliation - Prymyrynnya
Mourning - Zaloba
Unity - Yednanya

Also word ⌠trubka■ is used in both languages Russian and Ukrainian as ⌠ear phone■. It simply means ⌠pipe■. We could talk in to ⌠trubka■, we could play on ⌠trubka■ and we could smock ⌠trubka■ or ⌠fayka■, depends on personal preferences.

The way in which I learned Polish was by reading Henrik Sinkevich in original language. You see, spoken Polish language sometimes at home / with friends and on TV / Radio was not enough, it took me to visit my family in Poland and spent few days before I become fluent, and the books did a great deal of helping me with it, they expanded my vocabulary.

Your Ukrainian is just fine, you are doing well. I▓m sure that if you happened to visit Ukraine you▓ll fill very comfortable and would pick the Ukrainian in a hearth beat. At the end both of these languages have same roots┘

[Zbyszek]

Greetings Candle, I would like to tell you that we had a vey good discussion here at times, with several good and intelligent participants like Kathy, Vanya (Johnstruthers, Zhuk, Halina, Batukhan, Silkrem, Ulysses, Andrej, Kazhan etc.). History forum here is generally of good quality and in spite of some quarrels, a lot interesting information can be found. At the moment, Ukraine.com is rather silent and surely in holiday mood. If you can use built-on search engine here, you can find a lot of interesting views concerning Ukrainian culture, famous people, events and touring.
I consider visiting Lviv this summer. I have never been there.
Candle, I think your participation to Ukraine.com would be something valuable and refreshing. It seems you are in a unique position of being capable to understand Polish-Ukrainian problems. Thank you very much for your translation. Not many literary gems are better than those of Sienkiewicz for exploring the depth of the Polish language. As a Nobel prize winner, he retained his position even at communist times (however it was so funny to read the hypocrite comments of communist propaganda on some of his novels).

[albatros]

Kuchma is originally from the Dnipropetrovsk region and thus his first language is Russian. I've been told he does not speak proper Ukrainian at all and people often laugh at his mistakes and clumsy pronunciation.

[candle]

Hi Zbyszek!

Glad to know you▓re considering visiting Lviv. I was born there; it▓s a very beautiful city. Take a camera with you and take time to look up at the buildings, you▓ll find some very interesting and unusual pieces of art. If you would have someone not just to show you around but someone who obsessed with Lviv▓s history, it▓s buildings they could tell you some very interesting stories about people who used to live there. Ask someone to show you the ready to fly two swans sculptures on the roof of a building, they are so big and really beautiful. Ask about the legend of two friends bankers who had their bank buildings faced each other and with some fun sculptures on one building laying their shadows in the office of the other building, you will have a good laugh. The Armenian street, Lviv has a very large Armenian community that dates if I'm right all the way to 14 century. And of course the beautiful palace of Graf Potozky and residency of Polish Kings.

To bad I▓m not going to be able to visit Lviv yet, I know that it changed and many things are different now. But I do miss the times when I was enjoying a good coffee in ⌠Bulochka■ having a fun conversation about the next play with my life long friends.

To my ashamed I discover my horrible misspell of Sienkiewicz name. I do not have his books with me anymore, I wasn▓t able to bring many of my possessions to California, and I was just recovering spelling of his name from my memory. If I remember right it was over 15 years ago when I was reading his books, but I do remember being glue to the pages like a little child. About the hypocrite comments of communist propaganda, I know exactly what you▓re talking about. Ukraine▓s most beloved writers where made all revolutionaries and fighters even in their poetries about love. Even if the time frame was few hundred years different, not a big deal, they where all swept in to revolutionaries. They where probably turning in their graves in disgust.

About Kuchma, well... he is not the last president in history of Ukraine. The time will come and Ukrainian language will be restored and there finally will be a president who will not only speak this beautiful to ear like a song language but also will be good human being who would worry about his country and his people.