They have been fated since then to suffer under Communist totalitarian tyranny. Misery and misfortune. oppression and endless suffering have been the lot of these helpless and innocent Ukrainians for centuries. Long before the rise of czarist Russia. they had suffered under Asiatic invaders. and their country was ravaged by these hordes. but when the wave of these invaders receded late in the Middle Ages. the Ukrainians had managed to recoup some of their losses. had succeeded in rebuilding their ravaged homeland. had real hope of enjoying some peace. In 1918. after attaining their national goal. when they were about to embark upon the task of creating anew a free and independent life in their homeland. their hopes and their dreams were shattered by the aggressive and oppressive policy of the Soviet Union. Today these people. living in one of the most fertile parts in Eastern Europe. are denied their most cherished birthright. the freedom to live according to their wishes and to work for their own welfare in their historic homeland.