Питання дотримання прав людини в СРСР на тлі візиту О. Косигіна до Канади (жовтень 1971 року)

Responses to activation of the dissident movement in the Ukrainian SSR in the 1960s were political repression in various forms: from “preventive conversations” to arrest for “anti-Soviet activity”. Violation of constitutional rights in the Soviet Union was not overlooked by the Western communities. Dissidents made no secret hopes for the support of the Ukrainian community in the Diaspora and Western Governments. The political position of the dissident movement was based on the notions of humanism, democracy, and individual and national freedom. The Ukrainian dissident movement generally adhered to legal and constitutional means of struggle. “Samvydav” documents were widely distributed in the West, particularly in Canada. And during the official visit of the Soviet Chairman of the Council of Ministers O. Kosygin to Canada in October 1971 had a good opportunity to once again draw the world’s attention to the issue of human rights in the “most democratic country in the world”. Soviet Premier O. Kosygin’s visit constitutes was served to maintain the bilateral momentum established by Trudeau’s groundbreaking visit to the USSR that spring.From the perspective of most Ethnic organizations in Canada, human rights were so fundamental principle, which had developed bilateral Canada-Soviet relations. After numerous requests from Ukrainian organizations a Canadian Prime Minister P. Trudeau and others influence politicians (M. Sharp, P. Yuzyk, D. Crool, J. Diefenbaker) bring up this matter of the imprisonment Ukrainian intellectuals in public and private discussions with Soviet Premier. P. Trudeau stressed that freedom is the most important value a just society and the exercise of freedom its principal characteristic. Without these, human rights could not hope for true fulfillment. Trudeau’s foreign policy was based on a liberal agenda, including attitude of some sympathy to left regimes in the world (in particular USSR). At the some time Canadian leader condemned nationalist lawbreakers at their country (for example Quebec) and beyond. During official visit to Soviet Union in May 1971 he compared Ukrainian dissidents with Quebec terrorists. This caused resentment and even during the visit Kosygin to Canada Trudeau tried to remedy the situation and improve their reputation in the eyes of Ukrainian Canadians.Kosygin’s visit to Canada stirs mass student’s protests, which demanding to stop human rights violations in Soviet Union. They emphasized that these Ukrainian intellectuals in opposing the russification policy of Moscow in Ukraine and in defending the cultural rights in their Constitution and the Charter of the United Nations. Except Ukrainians part in the pickets took Jews, Czechs, Hungarians, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians. A Hungarian political refugee even damaged Kosygin’s jacket.Kosygin’s declaration at press conference that the nationality problem in Soviet Union has been successfully solved caused indignation. The Jewish question, namely blocking out the Jews from the Soviet Union, Soviet politician called artificial. Similarly O. Kosygin answered on the Ukrainian question, arguing for equality of all peoples in the Soviet Union. Senator P. Yuzyk confronts Soviet Premier in arrests of dissenters. When asked about the imprisonment of Ukrainian dissidents, including V. Moroz, Kosygin replied that he had never heard of this person, as he knew nothing about the arrest of others Ukrainian intellectuals.However, O. Kosygin visit to Canada and the events surrounding it still brought limited results – once again internationally raised the issue of human rights in the Soviet Union and imprisonment of dissidents, and soon some of the prisoners dissidents were able to emigrate to Canada.

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.