Walking the Neighborhood

Street in Kyiv in honor of Kyivan Rus' Sovereign,
King and Saint Volodymyr.
amk2013

A couple of weeks ago or more I set out on a Black Sea Cruise. What drew me here? Am I on vacation to rest, am I tracing my ancestral roots, or is my inquiring mind thirsting for adventure?  I think it is more complicated than that.  Ancestral roots are one thing, but there is a context for my ancestors life choices, for leaving these lands and emigrating to Canada.  How better to understand at least some of that than to walk in their neighborhood.

The trip started in Constantinople, toured the Rock Church monastery in Sumela, visited Trabzon (the trading port through which many people from the now Ukrainian lands entered Turkey many centuries ago), Batumi Georgia, Feodosia, Sevastopol, Yalta, Balaklava, Odessa, Nessebur Bulgaria, Kyiv, Lviv, Sokal, Kaniv, and more.  History oozes out of every nook and cranny here.  Centuries old buildings, old stone babas, fortresses in ruins, castles and palaces, churches in every condition, those almost destroyed all the way through to beautifully new-built marble temples, and roads that have served the common folk for centuries. Rubbernecking like a tourist I have stood slack jawed, stunned and in awe of the swath of physical artifacts from this civilization, from the people in my ancestry.  Filled to the brim with thoughts bubbling and swirling, I am finding it hard to trim back my writing to a few paragraphs.

I may have initially thought the term "native/foreigner" was appropriate, but I have been a tourist, plain and simple.  Walking through museums, touring the sites, hearing lectures and listening to tour guide interpretations is an opportunity for serious learning. Nothing passive about it.  Watch an experienced traveler and you will see how they assume the "stance", ears perky, eyes wide and observant, and a mind swirling with connections. Notebook in one hand, camera in the other, crazy sunhat, water bottle, and sore feet are just the start. Soaking it all in means active processing.  One net of understanding laid upon another web, upon another grid, upon another......and the moment these nets cross an exhilarating jolt of recognition runs through the body.

The exponents in the display case could have been part of my life, these things could be part of my family's lifestyle, these could be the tools, the weapons, the products, the hopes, dreams and aspirations of my near and far ancestors.  Finding a quiet spot to tend for one's life, to live in peace and comfort, to provide for family has been the most important thing a person could do.  This could be my life, but for the adventurous streak in my ancestors.  The jobs,  groceries, children, homes, and survival were all part of living here.  It all speaks of industrious, resilient, ambitious people wanting to thrive, spending a lifetime in the pursuit.  But the winds here are powerful, so swaying and bending is part of living here.

Nobody here is passive, even though it may look like it on the surface. Paraphrasing an poster hanging in the Balaklava Museum, "don't say everything you know, nor know enough to say".  Tour guides and lecturers continue to be constantly aware of their audience, remembering to stay "on the script", concerned for the security of their jobs. History is everywhere, and people sometimes choose not to see what is right in front of them, for a good reason.  I feel like a detective on the trail of a treasure, finding bits of it here and there, excited for the parts I understand and puzzled by much.  But I get the feeling that some people living here feel the exact same way.  For answers to some of the puzzles, a serious treasure hunt, they might enjoy a "stay-cation" excursion to the intriguing museums here, too.  For that matter, maybe the Ukrainian museums here in Canada and the US might be an interesting start!  Fascinating stuff.

Check The Ukrainian Museum of Canada for more http://www.umc.sk.ca/page/happening.

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/

Edmonton Shevchenko Event 2013

Can you imagine telling your child, or any child for that matter, to stop being artistic? To stop drawing, to stop painting, to stop versifying?  Can you imagine your child being held in serfdom for years - picking up after the "boss" and polishing shoes, folding undergarments for a grown man?  

This was the experience of the little boy who was Taras Hryhorievych Shevchenko.  Born in 1814, and left an orphan by the early passing of his parents, he was caught in the spiral of serfdom.  He was a slave.  A little boy, a slave.  

In today's terms, his childhood was stolen by a system of serfdom he had no hope of escaping.  But he did.  Moments of benevolent care made it possible for him to draw, to paint, to rhyme - and somehow his brilliance caught the attention of a person who could rescue him from a life of servitude.  

He was bought out of serfdom while a student at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art - a serf under the Russian Empire - freed by friends and patrons who saw the huge potential of his genius.  He was a romantic, reveling in the history and folklore of his ancestry, caught in nostalgia, but urged by contemporary events to a more somber portrayal of Ukrainian History.  For this he was forced into exile and compulsory military service.  His crime?  To write the true stories of his people, he wrote about the relationship of the ruling empire and oppression of the land and people of his ancestry.  

Forbidden to write, what is an artist to do?  Trapped by circumstances, his creative juices treated historical and moral issues which resonate in the Ukrainian world today.  They resonate as human rights issues the world over.  The resonate for women, for children and for politicians.   

The Ukrainian Music Society of Alberta and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Edmonton Branch invite you to the Shevchenko Concert on Sunday, March 10 at 2:30 PM at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex, 9615-153 Ave. Edmonton. 

Tickets may be purchased at Ukrainian Social Services - 11717-97 Street or 780-471-4477

Meest - 10834-97 Street - or 780-424-1777

Orbit - 10219-97 Street or 780-422-5693

Living Culture - Ukrainian Style

Learning the language and culture of your ancestral heritage is a precious gift to open! Canada provides top notch public school education, and fabulous Ukrainian Bilingual Programs in many of the large cities, places like Edmonton, Vegreville, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Dauphin and Toronto. The students who are fortunate enough to participate often become polyglots - fluent in many languages - and not only in the languages of their familial ancestry. Elsewhere things are perhaps a bit more complicated.

Fortunately for "elsewhere", there are great opportunities opening up for summer studies in Ukraine. Take for example this L'viv Summer Course offered by the University of Alberta. They are announcing the twelfth annual travel study course hosted by the University of Alberta's Ukrainian Language and Literature Program  in L'viv, Ukraine to take place from May 17th to June 14, 2013.

Ukrainian Through Its Living Culture is an opportunity to explore the culture and local flavour of the Ukrainian world, while practicing your language skills in a living experience. If you are interested in what could be the most memorable experience of your life, you will find L'viv Ukraine is a beautiful city. The program itself is full of educational value, not only the academic kind, but learning from an immersion in the culture and daily life of this vibrant Western Ukrainian city.

A recent CNN article calls L'viv "Little Paris of Ukraine." That sounds like high praise to me, so it's a wonder that so many waves of Ukrainian immigration to Canada eminated from L'viv and area - there clearly must be layers of the story we don't necessarily know about in the western world.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/12/travel/lviv-ukraine-culture-capital/index.html

To make things even more interesting, I have discovered that there is financial support for potential candidates of this program too. Makes it a very worthwhile little detour from the daily grind, eh!

For more information, see the course site at

http://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/ukraina/study_in_ukraine/ukrainian_through_its_liv/

or contact the instructors yourself at

Dr. Alla Nedashkivska, Associate Professor
Undergraduate Academic Advisor: Ukrainian
Chair, MLCS Curriculum Committee

Modern Languages and Cultural Studies
University of Alberta, 200 Arts Building
Edmonton, AB T6G 2E6
TEL [general office] (780) 492-4926
FAX 492-9106

Calgary's 2012 Holodomor Commemoration

amk2012

Calgary honored the Holodomor with a commemoration event that took place at 11 AM on Saturday, November 24, 2012 in the St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church Cultural Centre.  Master of Ceremonies - Michael Ilnycky, President of Calgary's Ukrainian Canadian Committee.

amk2012

About a dozen students from Calgary's Ukrainian Student's Society presented a montage of poems, and verses (presented by Roman Storoschuk and Katrusia Owad,), an interpretive dance by Christina Chumak, and song accompanied and sung by Stephania Romaniuk.

amk2012

Dr. Roman Serbyn, a Canadian historian of Ukrainian origin, Holodomor scholar, and guest speaker from Montreal,  spoke in brief about how the Holodomor came about, and used the terms "post genocidal community" and "post colonial community" as descriptors of the Ukrainian community's internal perceptions of this experience.  Internal community change, and external acknowledgement is now possible because of free-er access to historical documents which irrefutably attest that the Holodomor was an act of intentional destruction of the repository of ancestral memory - the people of Ukraine.

amk2012

A Memorial Service (Panachyda) was served by the clergy of Calgary's Ukrainian churches, St. Stephen the Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church.

The participants prayerfully joined in the singing of Vichnaya Pamyat' - the prayer for eternal memory of the reposed.

amk2012

Organizations listed participated by laying wreaths of memorial:  Sister Servants of  Mary Immaculate, Assumption of the  Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Senior's Club at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Knights of Columbus-St. Nicholas Ukrainian Council #7659, Order of St. Andrew, Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada-Calgary, Ukrainian Museum of Canada-Calgary Collection, Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada, League of Ukrainian Women in Canada-Calgary Branch, Barvinok Ukrainian Dance Society, Yalenka Ukrainian Dance Society, Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre, Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, Plast Ukrainian Scouts, CYM Ukrainian Youth, CYMK Ukrainian Orthodox Youth, Ukrainian Student's Society at the University of Calgary, SOS Ukraine, Ogen House Ukrainian Cultural Society, Echos of Ukraine Television Program, Ukrainian Canadian Civil  Liberties Association, Ukrainian School at Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Slava Chamber Choir, Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association, Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, Friends of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Separate School Division, City of Calgary, Government of Alberta, Government of Canada, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

amk2012

amk2012

amk2012

Our elected officials from three levels of government came to honor the event.  Speeches were given by elected officials, representatives of each respective level of government - Alderman Jim Stevenson - Ward 3, Government of Alberta - Linda Johnson, Calgary Glenmore and Government of Canada - Michelle Rempel, Calgary Centre North.

amk2012

An important forward looking presentation was given by the representative of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights -  Eric Hughes.  He spoke of the upcoming opening of the new museum in Winnipeg, the complexity of this human rights issue and the truly significant and critical role Canada's new museum will play in uncovering the truths for future generations - may they learn from the lessons of the past.








Thanking all the guests for their generous participation in today's commemoration, MC and UCC Calgary President Michael Ilnysky thanked CYM Ukrainian Youth Association for the Display and Artwork from the Kyiv Art Institute - and then  invited everyone to sing O Canada, the national anthem of Canada, and Sche Ne Vmerla Ukraina - the national anthem of Ukraine.  Then everyone was invited to a Hungry Lunch of broth and bread.