Belarusian reference tool for cities and towns

Cover of the Mahiliou voblasts (Mahiliouskaia voblasts'), Book III, Harady i vioski Belarusi

Introductory page to the section devoted to the
Mstsislauski district (Mstsislauski raion), Mahiliou voblasts

Starting in 2004, the Institute of Arts, Ethnography and Folklore, of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has been putting together a series of volumes devoted to the voblasts (provinces) of Belarus, and their individual districts.  Harady i vioski Belarusi (Cities and towns of Belarus) is being published by the Petrus Brouski Belarusian Encyclopedia Publishing House, -- with each individual voblasts' having 2 or 3 volumes devoted to its various raions (districts). Anyone doing genealogical research will find this set of books a most welcome resource tool. One will find write-ups on the history of each city, town and village located within a voblasts' and district. Each volume contains: information about when a particular town was founded; what are some noteworthy events that took place over the centuries in the town and its surrounding areas; and what important buildings and landmarks exist in a district. A detailed map of each district accompanies the start of each chapter devoted to that district. As a note, this is an ongoing project, with one or two volumes being added to the series each year.

Harady i vioski Belarusi, is located in the Slavic Collection's Reference section under the call number, Slav DK 507.37 H37.

Ukrainian source for genealogical research

Cover of the volume of Istoriia mist i sil URSR, devoted to the 

Ternopil oblast (Ukr.: Ternopil's'ka oblast')

 Map of the Ternopil oblast' found within the above mentioned volume.

Between 1967-1974, the Institute of History for the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian S.S.R. (today, the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) published a series of volumes, titled, Istoriia mist i sil URSR (The History of the Cities and Towns of the Ukrainian S.S.R) each one, devoted to an individual Ukrainian oblast (province or administrative unit). Within each volume, there is a detailed look at each of the oblast's various districts, or raions, with accompanying maps of each of these districts. For genealogists, this is truly a great resource for locating small villages, that may not usually appear on ordinary commercial maps. In addition, one will find write-ups on the history of each city, town and village located within that particular oblast'. Although each volume contains the Soviet-slant on Ukrainian history, it is still a great source  to obtain information about, say for example, --when a particular town was founded; what are some noteworthy events that took place over the centuries in the town and its surrounding areas; and what important buildings and landmarks exist in a district. It would be nice to see an updated version of this set of volumes in present-day, independent Ukraine. Perhaps such a project is currently underway -- one can only hope...

Istoriia mist i sil URSR, is located in the Slavic Collection's Reference section under the call number, Slav DK 511 I7.

New Book on the Russian Empire in Colour

Front cover of Nostalgia. The Russian Empire of Czar Nicholas II

 One of the restored photos by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii, 

showing Georgian tea workers near Chavka, ca. 1910

Starting in 1909 until 1915, chemist and pioneer photographer, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii, photographed the various peoples and places that comprised the vast Russian Empire. Using a method involving colour-sensitive glass plates and 3-coloured filters (blue, green and red), Prokudiin-Gorskii was able to capture the diverse nations, folklore and landscapes in colour. With the support of Tsar Nicholas II, the Transportation Ministry provided him with a specially equipped railway car, in order to accomplish this unique project.

Of the nearly 2000 photographs taken, 300 of them were meticulously restored by the Library of Congress, which had purchased the collection back in 1948 (Four years after the death of Prokudin-Gorskii). The restored images are showcased in the book, Nostalgia. The Russian Empire of Czar Nicholas II (by the German Publishing House, Gestalten). It is available in the Slavic Collection's Reference area, under the call number,  Slav Ref DK 262 P76 2012, -- with a circulating copy, held in St. Paul's Library (Fort Garry Campus,University of Manitoba).

Hallama Family fonds

The Hallama Family of Grande Point, MB., ca. 1925

Photograph courtesy of the U of M Archives & Special Collections,

Hallama Family fonds (PC 123).

 

The Hallama Family fonds  [Mss Sc 128, Pc 123 (A96-21, A12-08 )] consists of photographs, farm account books and a history of the Hallama family and farm in Grande Point, Manitoba. Wenceslaus Hallama, a Czech inmmigrant, who arrived in Canada in 1891, settled on his uncle, Joseph Schwab's farm, near Grande Point. Wenceslaus Hallama later purchased the farm from his uncle, where Wenceslaus' bride, Barabara Blahnik, from Bohemia, soon joined him. The couple then raised a family, from which the farm was passed on to their son, Joseph, and then later, to Joseph's son, Edward.

a fascinating collection that recollects the early years of the Hallama family, one of earliest Czech families in Western Canada. Of special note, Wenceslaus  Hallama was the first farmer in the area to own a ... »seed drill and a gasoline tractor.  The Hallama Family Fonds is available to view in the U of M Archives & Special Collections.

Walter Klymkiw Musical Scores Collection

Cover of Hryhorii Ver'ovka's Ukrains'ki narodni pisni dlia khoru

 (Ukrainian folk songs for choirs)

The Walter Klymkiw Musical Scores Collection consists of several hundred musical scores and arrangements of Ukrainian folk, liturgical, classical and contemporary music. This unique collection was donated to the Elizabeth Dafoe Library’s Slavic Collection by the Walter Klymkiw Family in 2001.

 The late Walter Klymkiw served as the choral director of the renowned Winnipeg-based Olexander Koshetz Choir. During his nearly fifty years with the choir, Klymkiw and his choir toured throughout Canada, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Western Europe, and South America. The choir went on to record two CDs, nine cassettes, and six records. For nearly half a century he maintained and developed contacts with Ukraine's composers and artists -- fostering a special relationship with Anatolii Avdievs'kyi (Avdievsky), director of the world famous Ver'ovka (Veriovka) Ukrainian State Folk Choir. Through his many travels, and the many contacts and friendships he established during his lifetime, Dr. Klymkiw was able to purchase and collect hundreds of musical scores, many of which he would utilize in his choir’s countless performances.  Included in the collection are the works and arrangements of such well-known Ukrainian composers, musicologists and conductors as Dmytro Bortnians’kyi (Bortniansky),  Mykola Lysenko, Filiaret Kolessa, Olexander Koshetz (Koshets’), Mykola Leontovych, Hryhorii Ver’ovka, Ihor Shamo, and Oleksandr Bilash.

This unique collection is available in the closed stacks of the Slavic Collection, and complements the Klymkiw Family Fonds held in the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections. Please ask the Slavic staff for assistance.

Natsyianal'nyi Atlas Belarusi = The National Atlas of Belarus

Natsyianal'nyi Atlas Belarusi = The National Atlas of Belarus

Many of the post-Soviet countries have published national atlas's since becoming independent in 1991, including, Belarus. The National Atlas of Belarus (2002) is divided into 19 sections, and focuses on such areas as: territory; population; climate; ecology; agriculture; culture; science; and industry, In addition, there is a section devoted to the history of Belarus, for example,  several maps cover the period of the Grand Duchy of Litva.  The atlas was created under the auspices of the Council of Minister of the Republic of Belarus, whose committee oversees land resources, geodesy and cartography.

The  National Atlas of  Belarus is held in the Atlas Section in the Elizabeth Dafoe Library's Reference Room, under the call number G 2145 R4 2002