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was assigned for this position. He followed all
the instructions from Moscow. His leadership
in Ukraine lasted 17 years by 1989.
Autumn The declaration of Vyacheslav Chornovil,
1975 Ivan Svitlychnyi and Iryna Kalynets about
rejection from the Soviet citizenship.
November, 9 The establishment of Ukrainian Helsinki
1976 Group (UHG) in Kyiv. They were formed to
facilitate execution of Helsinki agreements.
M. Rudenko, a writer, headed it. L.
Lukyanenko, O. Berdnyk, V. Chornovil, I.
Kandyba, P. Hryhorenko, O. Meshko, M.
Matusevych, M. Marynovych, N. Strokata
and O. Tykhyi were its members. It was the
first legal movement against the Russian
empire. In Memorandum №1 UHG declared
its programme goals: “struggle for Human
Rights until these Rights become everyday
norm of social life”. The group disclosured
crimes of the regime, propagated probable
Ukraine’s leaving the USSR, etc. In April,
1977 arrests started. In all, by 1984, 41
members were arrested and put on trials.
Their total imprisonment term was 550 years.
Five people (Stus, Marchenko, Tykhyi,
Lytvyn and Melnyk) died in prison. UHG
represented the first stage of Ukrainian
liberation movement. At present, three former
members of the group are still alive: M.
Matusevych, M. Marynovych and L.
Lukyanenko.
October, 7 The Supreme Council of the USSR adopted
1977 the new Constitution of the USSR. For the

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