During her trip, Secretary Penny Prizker and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met with a group of American executives to discuss essential steps needed to make additional concrete progress to curb orruption; improve tax administration; strengthen intellectual property rights protection; deepen gas sector reform; and support the rule of law. more info | view original

At the State Archives in Kyiv, Secretary Pritzker was able to view the birth certificates of her great-grandfather Nicholas and his siblings. Secretary Pritzker’s great grandfather was born in Podol, the historic Jewish ghetto in Kyiv, in 1871. He opened a grain wholesale store on Zhitney Rynok, the prominent market square in the city. While the store was destroyed during World War II, Secretary Pritzker was able to visit the square during her visit. more info | view original

Jacob Pritzker and his family, along with most of the Jewish population, left Bila Tsirk’va after 1855 to move to Podol, where Nicholas was born. Jacob’s son, Nicholas, was only ten years old when the Anti-Jewish pogroms broke out in Kyiv in 1881. Nicholas sailed for the U.S. in 1922, and moved to Chicago where Secretary Pritzker’s grandfather, Jay, was born that same year. more info | view original

Today, the core of the Jewish community is represented through the school, which has about 150 students (K-12). The school contains a small museum depicting the history of the Jewish people in Bila Tsirk’va. more info | view original

Jacob and many members of the Pritzker family moved north to Bila Tsirk’va in the middle of the 19th century when Jews were permitted to move to larger towns. In Bila Tsirk’va, Secretary Pritzker visited the cemetery where members of the Pritzker family are buried, and the local, Jewish school. more info | view original

Secretary Pritzker’s great, great grandfather, Jacob Pritzker, was born in 1831 in Veliky Pryts’ky, the town in which her family name is derived. Secretary Pritzker toured the site of the manufacturing plant that her family may have jointly co-owned in Veliky Pryts’ky. more info | view original

Later in the week, Secretary Pritzker visited the towns of Veliky Pry’tsky and Bila Tsirk’va, and the State Archives of Ukraine to learn more about her family history and heritage. more info | view original

Secretary Pritzker also heard from the company members of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council during her visit to Kyiv. more info | view original

In Kyiv, Secretary Pritzker announced that the Obama Administration intends to work with Congress to move forward with a third, $1 billion loan guarantee for Ukraine. Over the past 18 months, Ukraine has made progress with its ambitious reform agenda and the U.S. remains dedicated to working with international partners to ensure Ukraine has the support needed to continue these efforts. This loan guarantee fulfills a U.S. commitment to consider providing a third, $1 billion loan guarantee in late 2015 if conditions warrant. more info | view original

The American executives also met with Secretary Pritzker and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to hear directly from companies on the progress they have seen from Ukraine’s ambitious reform agenda. The U.S. businesses then had an opportunity to share their recommendations for additional measures need to strengthen Ukraine’s business climate and improve trade and investment. more info | view original

The American executives also met with Secretary Pritzker and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to hear directly from companies on the progress they have seen from Ukraine’s ambitious reform agenda. The U.S. businesses then had an opportunity to share their recommendations for additional measures need to strengthen Ukraine’s business climate and improve trade and investment. more info | view original

The American executives also met with Secretary Pritzker and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to hear directly from companies on the progress they have seen from Ukraine’s ambitious reform agenda. The U.S. businesses then had an opportunity to share their recommendations for additional measures need to strengthen Ukraine’s business climate and improve trade and investment. more info | view original

The American executives also met with Secretary Pritzker and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to hear directly from companies on the progress they have seen from Ukraine’s ambitious reform agenda. The U.S. businesses then had an opportunity to share their recommendations for additional measures need to strengthen Ukraine’s business climate and improve trade and investment. more info | view original

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko issued statements to the press following their bilateral meeting on October 26 in Kyiv. more info | view original

During her trip, Secretary Penny Prizker and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met with a group of American executives to discuss essential steps needed to make additional concrete progress to curb orruption; improve tax administration; strengthen intellectual property rights protection; deepen gas sector reform; and support the rule of law. more info | view original