Nadiya Svitlychna
Encyclopedia
Nadiya Oleksiyivna Svitlychna ' onMouseout='HidePop("63876")' href="/topics/Starobilsk">Starobilsk
district, Luhansk
region — died August 8, 2006 in Irvington
, New Jersey
, USA) was a Ukrainian
dissident
and human rights
activist, and an active member of the Ukrainian Helsinki group
. She was a writer
and editor
and for a time was a political prisoner
of the Soviet
regime.
Svitlychna was praised by Ukraine
's President Viktor Yushchenko
, who stated that "her views, the way she lived her life and passed along values to the next generation, have left footsteps to follow for millions of contemporary Ukrainian patriots."
After emigrating to the United States in November 1978 she became a member, along with General Petro Grigorenko and Leonid Plyushch
(and later others) of the External Representation of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group
and continued her work in advocating human
and national rights in Ukraine and protesting Soviet violations of the Helsinki Accords
.
Starobilsk
Starobilsk is a town near Luhansk in Ukraine. The settlement has been known since 1686. The city status was given in 1938. Population is 22,040 ....
district, Luhansk
Luhansk
Luhansk also known as Lugansk is a city in southeastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Luhansk Oblast . The city itself is also designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast...
region — died August 8, 2006 in Irvington
Irvington
- Places :United States :* Irvington, Alabama, an unincorporated community in Mobile County, Alabama* Irvington, Illinois, a village in Washington County, Illinois...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA) was a Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
dissident
Soviet dissidents
Soviet dissidents were citizens of the Soviet Union who disagreed with the policies and actions of their government and actively protested against these actions through either violent or non-violent means...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist, and an active member of the Ukrainian Helsinki group
Ukrainian Helsinki Group
The Ukrainian Helsinki Group was founded in November 1976 to monitor human rights in Ukraine. The group was active until 1981 when all members were jailed....
. She was a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
and for a time was a political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
regime.
Svitlychna was praised by Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
's President Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
, who stated that "her views, the way she lived her life and passed along values to the next generation, have left footsteps to follow for millions of contemporary Ukrainian patriots."
After emigrating to the United States in November 1978 she became a member, along with General Petro Grigorenko and Leonid Plyushch
Leonid Plyushch
Leonid Plyushch is a mathematician and Soviet dissident.- Early life and career :Leonid Plyushch was born into a Ukrainian working-class family in 1939 in Naryn, Kirghizia. His father worked as railway foreman, and was killed at the front 1941...
(and later others) of the External Representation of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group
Ukrainian Helsinki Group
The Ukrainian Helsinki Group was founded in November 1976 to monitor human rights in Ukraine. The group was active until 1981 when all members were jailed....
and continued her work in advocating human
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and national rights in Ukraine and protesting Soviet violations of the Helsinki Accords
Helsinki Accords
thumb|300px|[[Erich Honecker]] and [[Helmut Schmidt]] in Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Helsinki 1975....
.