Calgary's Annual Ukrainian Festival of Carols 2014

Koliada is a word that lightens the heart and fills the spirit with hope and love.  Calgary's Koliada always starts with a great send off before the actual Christmas season starts. At some time early in December the tradition of sharing the tremendous gift of Ukrainian musicality returns to our community.  Whether singing, strolling, sharing the Good News, or celebrating the ancestral wisdom through humorous or spiritual teachings, this event sets a wonderful tone for everyone. Come for the carols, koliady, schedrivky, vinshuvannya, and celebrate the good will that binds our Calgary community.  

The beautiful St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cultural Centre 404 Meredith Road N. E. was the host venue for Calgary's Annual Ukrainian Festival of Carols 2014 7:00 pm Sunday December 14th, 2014.

The organizers collected volunteer cash donations for Help to Ukraine at the Door. If you wish to donate online please visit www.calgaryucc.org

For more information about this lively community festival in Calgary please email ucc.update@shaw.ca or call Halya at 403-276-1835.

Many thanks to the Calgary Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association of Calgary and Echoes of Ukraine Shaw Digital TV for continuing this lively tradition!  

And if you missed the carol festival, here is a special gift of listening pleasure - two hours of Ukrainian Christmas Carols!!  Ukrainian Christmas - two hours of excellent traditional celebratory music.

And don't forget that one can continue singing the lovely koliady clear through the month of January, and even into early February!  Way past the feast of Jordan - but more about that later!!

Calgary Holodomor Commemoration 2014

In the late 1800's Canada had the wisdom to invite Ukrainian people and others from Eastern Europe to the hard task of creating farms on the prairies. The theory was that the poorest farmer on the smallest landholding in Ukraine had to be the hardest worker, and use extreme flexibility, creativity and personal initiative to simply survive there. That was the kind of worker Canada needed. Breaking the prairie scrub land, many of those farmers flourished amazingly well. Canada's prosperity grew.

The Stalinist Soviet government of the late 1920's and early 1930's looked with on with envy, coercively bent on producing a new kind of wealth for the USSR - collective wealth. But first there would be collectivization of lands. It would belong to nobody and everybody at the same time. Inexperienced foremen, inflexible, and brittle, bristled with arrogance upon the slightest criticism. Practically ineffective but ideologically driven they iron fistedly expunged centuries of creativity, initiative and flexibility in one fell swoop with the Holodomor. When subjected to pressure and stress, things break, snap or crack - as Ukraine did in the 1930's. Millions of people died, and with them, the subtly nuanced collective inheritance of farm land management, resources and cultural wealth. And countless personal and shared stories of life and living.....

Horrific events with a multitude of affects - and here we are 80 and more years later seeing Ukraine continue its struggle - how to bounce back from the aftermath of the Holodomor and more, and finally develop the world class leadership capacity to ensure the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. How to engage an entirely disengaged citizenry who remember just how quickly the tallest sunflower always gets noticed and cut down first!!

The future beacons, and those who learn from the past will not make the same errors.

On Saturday, 22 November 2014, International Holodomor Memorial Day and National Holodomor Memorial Day, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress calls upon all Canadians to:

remember the victims of the Holodomor with a moment of silence at 19:32 local time;
light candles of remembrance in homes;
participate in local commemorative events and memorial services.

Calgary's Holodomor Commemoration Ceremony will be held on Nov 22nd, 2014 at 11 AM at St.Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 404 Meredith Road NE Calgary. You are graciously invited to wear an embroidered sorochka, and join the community commemoration of the Ukrainian Genocide Famine 'Holodomor'.

May our memory of the victims of the Holodomor – 1932-33 Famine Genocide remain eternal.

Ukraine remembers – the World acknowledges!

Sadochok is Growing 2013

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Today made me so happy!  I had the opportunity to attend the year end Father's Day Program of the  capable little participants of Calgary's Ukrainian Sadochok at St. Vladimir's Cultural  Centre!

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In conversation with Larissa Groch I was so pleased to hear that the volunteer board of Sadochok have put in place fabulous decisions which have made Sadochok grow and grow!  In fact, I heard that certain areas of registration for next year are already full, and there is more demand than earlier anticipated.  Clearly there is a pent up desire for quality programming in the Ukrainian community, and Sadochok delivers!

Teachers Pani Olena, Pani Valya and Pani Lesia take such gentle care of the children during their time at Sadochok.  There is structured time, play time, snack, singing, language learning, crafts, even nap time because for some children Sadochok is also partly a daycare.  Sadochok has a lovely working environment because of the professional standards in place, and of course because of the huge hearts involved.




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Today's program was ambitiously planned, and overwhelmingly embraced by all the guests.  The beaming faces,  the little ones dressed in their embroidered finest, just make your heart melt.  And when they began their verses, their songs, their lovely little dance moves, everyone in the audience was smeared in smiles - you just have to believe me.  How could any baba or dido help but be enchanted in this love fest?

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 While the brightly colored visual arts are only a part of the children's Sadochok program, I thought to share these with the readers of ukrainiancalgary in the hopes you would pass the message along.  Sadochok is growing and it is time to register the little ones in Ukrainian language and culture programs offered here in Calgary!

All the ripples created by the Ukrainian community start with small steps - make sure you reach out, connect and pass it on!  Oh, and I really love Sadochok's motto - Make Baba Proud!

www.ukrainianpreschool.ca

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988-2013 makes 1025 years!

The year 2013 will mark the 1025 year of Christening of the Kyvian Rus' Ukrainian State - 988 to the present. I'm hoping to get to Ukraine to catch a glimpse of how they might celebrate the date!  And here in Calgary, Ukraine's King Volodymyr is well represented by the impressive church on the hill in Bridgeland overlooking Memorial Drive.

By 980 King of Kyivan Rus', Volodymyr Sviatoslavich Rurikovich (958-1015) had consolidated his empire from Ukraine to the Baltic Sea, solidifying frontiers from any incursions. King Volodymyr established amazing international relationships with neighboring royal courts. Royally commanded, his boyars brought envoy delegations from the great religions of the world for Religion 101 - Comparative Studies (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) By 987 Volodymyr was drawn to Eastern Christianity, for the full festive ritual of the Byzantine church, the beauty, majesty and awed because "God dwells there.....". Bringing the Byzantine world closer through this relationship of faith was impressive.

Legend has it that Saint Andrew, the first Apostle of Christ, traveled over the Black Sea to the ancient Greek colony of Chersonesos, (literally peninsula - an ancient city and now an archaeological site near Sevastopol in the Crimea, Ukraine ) where the faith was accepted by many thousands. This video tour of Ancient Chersonesos is one of the sites on the Black Sea Odyssey tour, a place commemorating the place of Volodymyr's Christian Baptism.http://www.360cities.net/image/ancient-ruins-of-chersonesos-sevastopol#306.10,5.50,78.8

Saint Andrew is said to have traveled north up the Dnipro River to a place where Kyiv would in time be celebrated for its thousand golden domed temples. This ancient place retained its status in Eastern European Christianity from Saint Andrew's time.  The Christian Baptism of King Volodymyr the Great, and Kyivan Rus' made it a Metropolitanate of the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Newly Christened, King Volodymyr received the Princess Anna of Constantinople in Christian marriage and initiated a campaign of Christianization in his nation of Kyivan Rus' (Ukraine). Removing pagan idols, deposing pagan wives, and adopting a new convert's zeal to the tasks before him, he compelled his household, court and officials to submit to a memorable Christian Baptism by immersion in the Dnipro River flowing through his city of Kyiv.

In 988 King Volodymyr's people walked into the water in the Obolon' area, a part of right bank Kyiv that is a floodplain between the River Dnipro and Pochaina.  Podil Raion (Lower City)  just above the floodplain contains construction dating back to at least the 9th to 11 centuries making it the oldest neighbourhood of the city of Kyiv and its historical center. A family member toured me through the  prestigious district years back, to The St. Elijah church (Ilinska Tserkva), the first Orthodox parish in Kyivan Rus'.  Records show that in 945 AD a Liturgy was served at the already built Church of Saint Elijah by the flowing river Dnipro.  Pagan warrior Princes of  Kyiv, Askold and Dir are said to have witnesses a miracle, and initiated its construction. Imagine a full immersion Christening in the Dnipro River, and appreciating the dry land ceremony of presentation in the temple of Saint Elijah only 1025 years ago!  

Rus' newly minted Christians took to their new moral code with enthusiasm, and trepidation. King Volodymyr set an admirable example for his people by freely giving money to the church, the poor, and hesitated to repeat his war craft or inflict capital punishment for fear of bearing sin. A role model, he generously funded the building of beautiful churches. Volodymyr directed clergy who remained in each newly Christianized city to teach spirituality, literacy, culture and economics in the accompanying schools built by his royal decree. Culture flourished. By 1015 he had calmed the spirits of many doubters.

So many historical references can be drawn from seeing the beautiful temple in honor of St. Volodymyr - Equal to the Saints, ideally situated with its panoramic vista of the Bow River in Calgary.  Enjoy!  http://www.beautifulalberta.com/ed-panoramas/st-vladimirs-ukrainian-orthodox-church-in-calgary/

Sadochok Open House

Calgary is home to a wonderful Ukrainian preschool program! St. Vladimir's Sadochok has grown so positively over its 25 year existence! The program is again making strides in service and excellence in child care programming.

 
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 from 7 to 8:30 they are hosting a visit for fans and newcomers to feature changes that are making Sadochok one of the most sought after preschool programs in the city of Calgary. Sadochok is welcoming ongoing registrations, too.  

Sadochok is located just across the Bow River from Calgary's city core. With excellent parking, open air playground, gym and sunshine filled classrooms, this is a program for native speakers of Ukrainian, and those seeking an embracing introduction to the culture and traditions. They also have an innovative manner of addressing a variety of schedule needs.

For more information check
 http://www.ukrainianpreschool.ca

Faith, Love, and Generosity

Welcoming the patron Saint of children!   Today's program for Святий Миколай St. Nicholas was a bundle of lessons about the Saint, child centered verses about good behavior spoken with clear Ukrainian diction, cheerful seasonal songs, traditional Ukrainian carols and the traditional hymn of welcome for Sviatey Mikolay!  Such lovely little people, and such lovely little voices, bursting full of love for learning.

The stage at St. Vlad's Cultural Center at 404 Meredith  Road NE Calgary was full of children from three years up to early teens. Children from Sadochok (Calgary's only Ukrainian language bilingual preschool program), Ukrainian Saturday School, and Church school were excited to perform for the guests!  Smiling faces, beautiful embroideries, and sparkling voices brought huge grins of pride from parents, grandparents, teachers and guests.  These enthusiastic Садочок Sadochok, Рідна Школа Ridna Shkola, and Church School children make us all proud!

We all loved the show! Special thanks to Olena Kanevska, Zennovia Haydey and Pani Valia - the teachers whose preparation and care made a visit from the Generous Saint himself, Святий Миколай so welcome!  A gift of faith, love and generosity!

And thanks to St. Nicholas the Wonder Worker who must be very busy tending the hearts of many vulnerable children the world-over during this season of peace, love and hope!

Woven Ukrainian Rushnyk Workshop

The traditional handwoven linen rushnyk plays a very important role in the life of a Ukrainian person.  And last fall I had the opportunity to learn a bit about this special artform from  Elizabeth Holinaty at a weaving workshop held here in Calgary. The event was one in a series of events sponsored by the Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts.  It was such an amazing course, and it was hard for Elizabeth to remove me from the loom!




 Last year's project involved weaving a small fabric sample to place into the window of a small greeting card.  Such a novel and beautiful idea!  And I had the great opportunity to make two!!  The students all came into the class to find a loom pre-strung for our use.  Elizabeth prepared a lovely weaving pattern, and all we had to do was choose  the colors for the project.  Lots of concentrating, but a totally fulfiilling process - very mesmerizing and addictive!
So when I heard she is coming back to Calgary for another workshop this weekend it made me so excited!!  This year's project will involve learning how to weave a small rushnyk of 8inches by 15 inches using white mercerized cotton.  The promotional material says you can choose to weave an all white patterned rushnyk or one with colored bands.  All levels of weavers are welome.

The course runs Saturday, October 20, 2012 in two sessions, from 9-12 and from 1:30-4:30.  It will be held in the Golden Agers' Room at St. Vladimirs' Ukrainian Orthodox Church on 404 Merdith Road NE.  You can call 1-855-488-8558 to register and pay by Visa or Mastercard. 

The Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts is hosting a wide variety of craft workshops this fall. Please visit www.acuarts.ca for more information, or email info@acuarts.ca.

Information about Elizabeth -
http://www.acuarts.ca/pdf/holinaty.pdf



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