The 24th Annual J.B. Rudnyckyj Distinguished Lecture with Bohdan Krawchenko

 Poster for the Lecture Event (designed by Solomiya Shavala)

Dr. Krawchenko's talk at the U of M Archives & Special Collections 

The 24th Annual J.B. Rudnyckyj Distinguished Lecture took place on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, in the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections. The guest lecturer for the event was, Dr. Bohdan Krawchenko.  Dr.  Krawchenko began his talk, titled, Global (Dis) Order and Ukraine,  with providing an overview of the recent global, economic, political, and social changes. He spoke about the rise of nationalist and populist forces in the United States and in Europe, and how these forces challenge the established liberal and democratic values. In addition, the rise of an aggressive Russia,with a nationalist agenda, also poses a challenge and threat to the western democracies. Krawchenko successfully tied this in to the current situation in Ukraine, and how Ukrainian society has adapted and emerged with a vision on how to overcome many of the challenges currently facing it. After years of having Russia as its largest trading partner, the war, has forced Ukraine to become more competative in the global market, and seek new trade partners and opportunities . In the end this will be beneficial to Ukraine, and recent statistics have shown this to be true.

Bohdan Krawchenko is the director of the University of Central Asia (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)  a bold educational initiative focused on the mountain communities of Central Asia and Afghanistan. While working in Ukraine, he directed the first institution to train civil servants and headed the Soros Foundation’s regional program on local governance. Dr. Krawchenko is also the former director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies.
 
The well-received lecture had around 100 members of the university and external communities in attendance. The talk was sponsored by the U of M Archives & Special Collections, the Slavic Collection (Elizabeth Dafoe Library), and the Department of German and Slavic Studies. Following the lecture, Bohdan Krawchenko continued to answer questions at the reception that followed his talk.

The Ukrainian National Home Association Fonds

 

The Ukainian National Home Choir, Winnipeg, MB, 1929 (With conductor, Yevhen Turula, shown seated second row, centre). The Ukrainian National Home of Winnipeg Photograph Collection, PC 331. U of M Archives & Special Collections.

Ukrainian School. Ridna Shkola. Ukrainian National Home, Winnipeg, MB, 1916 (Yuriy Genyk is the teacher shown standing in the top row, centre). The Ukrainian National Home of Winnipeg Photograph Collection, PC 331. U of M Archives & Special Collections.

The Ukrainian National Home Association (‘Ukrains’kyi  Narodnyi  Dim’) was founded in Winnipeg in 1913, after discussions that had begun as early as 1905. The Association in Winnipeg was the foundation for the movement which established a network of Ukrainian National Home Associations throughout Western Canada.  The Ukrainian National Home Association was a secular organization designed to support the cultural and educational needs of Ukrainian Canadians, regardless of their religious or political views or affiliations.  The building, located at the corner of McGregor Street and Burrows Avenue, eventually housed an auditorium for dramatic and musical presentations and concerts, meeting rooms, a library, a banquet hall,  a Ukrainian school (ridna shkola), and lodgings.  In later years, the Association funded and housed Ukrainian language courses sponsored by the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies at the University of Manitoba, during the tenure of Dr. Natalia Aponiuk as Director of the Centre and a long-time member of the board of directors of the Association. In the spring of 2011, the membership of the Ukrainian National Home, at the suggestion of the chair, Dr. Natalia Aponiuk,  voted to  to donate their archives and library holdings to the University. 

In May of that year, the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections acquired the Ukrainian National Home fonds, consisting of the organization’s textual records, photographs, rare books and artefacts.  In addition, the Elizabeth Dafoe Library’s Slavic Collection was gifted the remainder of the library, which chronicled nearly one hundred years of Ukrainian Canadian history.  One other important decision was made during the spring meeting, the association created an archival fund and a scholarship at the University of Manitoba. The Ukrainian National Home fonds, are available to view at the U of M Archives & Special Collections. 

The 23rd Annual J.B. Rudnyckyj Distinguished Lecture with Vitaly Portnikov

 Dr. Roman Yereniuk presents a gift to the 2016 J.B. Rudnyckyj guest speaker, Vitaly Portnikov

at a luncheon held at St. Andrew's College, U of M, on Monday, March 21, 2016.

 Poster for the 23rd J.B. Rudnyckyj Distinguished Lecture, with Vitaly Portnikov.

 (Poster created by Solomiya Shavala)

The 23rd Annual J.B. Rudnyckyj Distinguished Lecture took place on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, in the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections. The guest lecturer for the event was, Vitaly
Pornikov.  His lecture titled, The Emergence of a Contemporary Ukrainian Civil Society.  Mr. Portnikov discussed the emergence of a civil society in Ukraine following the Orange and Euromaidan Revolutions that took place in 2004 and 2014 respectively, -- and in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine’s eastern oblasts of Donetsk and Luhansk. Special thanks goes to Dr. Myroslav Shkandrij (Department of German & Slavic Studies) for providing the simultaneous translation (from Ukrainian into English) of Mr. Portnikov's talk during the event.

Vitaly Pornikov is a journalist, author, political commentator and leading opinion maker from Kyiv, Ukraine, -- Portnikov has a large following in social media. His articles have appeared in publications around the world and is a frequent guest on TV shows.  He hosts a popular weekly radio program dealing with current affairs.  In addition, he has won numerous awards for his fearless commentary on events in Ukraine, Russia and Eastern Europe.

The well-received lecture had around 150 members of the university and external communities in attendance. The talk was sponsored by the U of M Archives & Special Collections, the Slavic Collection (Elizabeth Dafoe Library), and the Department of German and Slavic Studies. Following the lecture, Vitaly Portnikov continued to answer questions at the reception that followed his talk, and signed copies of two of his book, Bohorodytsia v synahozi (Mother of God in the Synagogue) and Tiurma dlia anholiv (Prison for Angels).

Istorychnyi Atlas Ukrainy = Historical Atlas of Ukraine

Istorychnyi Atlas Ukrainy = Historical Atlas of Ukraine

 

Cover of Istorychnyi Atlas Ukrainy (2015)

Page 208 of Istorychnyi Atlas Ukrainy showing the areas under control

of the Ukrainian Central Rada  in 1917 during the 'peaceful period'.

Researched and compiled by Ukrainian historian and cartographer, Iurii Loza,  the 320 page  Istorychnyi Atlas Ukrainy = Historical Atlas of Ukraine covers the ancient settlements of Ukrainian lands to the modern independent Ukrainian state. Special attention is paid to the various periods of Ukrainian history, and their respective territorial boundaries (e.g. Kyivan Rus; the Kingdom of Galicia-Volyn [Halyts'ko-Volyns'ke kniazivstvo]; the Ukrainian Kozak State; independent Ukraine [1918-1921]; Soviet Ukraine; and 21st century independent Ukraine). This new atlas builds upon Loza's earlier work which was published in 2010, and covers more recent events such as the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, and the ongoing conflict in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhask oblasts.

The atlas is well illustrated with hundreds of  coloured maps covering important periods and eventsin Ukrainian history. A copy of the atlas is available in the Slavic Collection's Reference area, under the call number, Slav Ref  G 2151 S1 M37 2016

A Concordance to the Poetic Work of Taras Shevcehnko

Published in 2001 by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, -- just 14 years prior to the bicentenary of the birth of Ukraine's national bard, Taras Shevechenko, this 4 volume set represents the many years of work by Professors Oleh Ilnyzkyj and George Hawrysch of the University of Alberta. The two academics compiled a thorough alphabetical index of the words found in Shevchenko's poetry in the original Ukrainian. Ilnyzkyj and Hawrysch's concordance shows where each of Shevchenko's words are located in the text of a specific work, as well as its context within that work. 

A Concordance to the Poetic Works of Taras Shevchenko is located in the  Reference section of the Elizabeth Dafoe Library's Slavic Collection at the University of Manitoba.  Call Number Slav PG 3948 S51 A2 2001 t.1-4

Historical Encyclopedia of Siberia = Istoricheskaia Entsiklopediia Sibiri

Cover of Volume 1 of the Historical Encyclopedia of Siberia (Istoricheskaia Entsiklopediia Sibiri)

The Historical Encyclopedia of Siberia (Novosibirsk: Izdatel'skii dom "Istoricheskoe nasledie Sibiri, 2010) is the first such encyclopedia covering the histiography of Siberia from ancient to modern times. This important resource covers the region in its entirety, and looks at its  economics, demographics and its historical development over the centuries.

The idea of creating an encyclopedia devoted to Siberia goes back to the early 1930s, but such a project did not materialize until after the fall of the Soviet Union, -- with the completed work published in 2010. The encyclopedia consist of 3-volumes with individual entries arranged in alphabetical order. There are over 4000 articles, reflecting well-known indiviuals, geography, events, etc., -- with about half of them being biographical  sketches of individuals born and/ or associated with Siberia. Accompanying the text are various illustrations, inlcuding: photographs, maps and diagrams. In total, over 400 academics were consulted from over 50 universities or academic institutions, stretching from St. Petersburg in the west, to Vladivostok in the far-east.

 The Historical Encyclopedia of Siberia is available in the Elizabeth Dafoe Library's  Slavic Collection (Call# " Slav DK 761 I885 2010.