This week in history

Dec. 25 1941. The Soviet army’s Kerch-Feodosia landing operation liberates the Kerch Peninsula from the Germans.

1992. Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice registers the human rights organization Memorial.

Dec. 26 1947. The plenary session of the Central Committee of the CP(b)U dismisses Lazar Kaganovich, and elects Nikita Khrushchev to head the Communist Party of Ukraine.

2004. The residents of Ukraine head for the polls for the third time to elect the president of Ukraine.

Dec. 27 2004. Poland’s President Alexander Kwasniewski greets Viktor Yushchenko on behalf of all Poles, offering Poland’s support and trust to the Ukrainian people.

2004. Gert Arens, the head of the OSCE Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, praises the work of election commissions during the runoff voting.

Dec. 28 1920. A union treaty on the mutual recognition of the republics’ sovereignty and independence is signed between the Ukrainian SSR and the RSFSR.

2004. US Secretary of State Colin Powell declares that the US intends to cooperate closely with the winner of the Ukrainian presidential elections.

Dec. 29 1964. The first turbogenerator of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Plant goes into operation.

2004. The Central Election Commission publishes the final results of 100 percent of the votes, according to which 52 percent of Ukrainian voters voted for Viktor Yushchenko and 44.19 percent — for Viktor Yanukovych.

Dec. 30 1992. Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice registers the ecological organization Zeleny Svit.

2004. The Central Election Commission and Ukraine’s Supreme Court refuse to consider the complaints of presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych, explaining that there are no grounds for an appeal.

Dec. 31 1930. The I All-Ukrainian Convention of Twenty-Five-Thousanders convenes in Kharkiv.

2004. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych resigns.