International conference marks 75th anniversary of Ukrainian Free University (01/26/97)

International conference marks 75th anniversary of Ukrainian Free University

by Albert A. Kipa

PRAGUE - The Slavonic Division of the National Library and the Slavonic Institute of the National Academy of Sciences, both of the Czech Republic, hosted an international conference here recently to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Free University (UFU).

Partial funding for the event, which took place under the aegis of the Rector of Charles University, was provided by the Ukrainian Free University Foundation in the U.S. Support also came from the Czech Association of Ukrainian Studies and the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague.

The occasion marked the culmination of a series of celebrations, including those held earlier in Munich, the university's current seat, and New York. Although established in Vienna in 1921, the Ukrainian Free University moved the same year to Prague, where it was welcomed and supported by the government of the Czech Republic under President Tomas Masaryk.

The scholarly sessions of the conference, whose official languages were Ukrainian and Czech, were held on November 28-29, 1996, in the conference hall of the Czech National Library. Twenty-two presentations covered a variety of aspects concerning the history and the people associated with the Ukrainian Free University. Participants from the United States and their topics were keynoter Prof. Leonid Rudnytzky ("Semper Fidelis: The Ukrainian Free University in the Service of Ukraine and the Diaspora"); Dr. Andrij Szul ("The Significance of UFU Faculty Contributions to the Development of World Scholarship"); Dr. Eugene Fedorenko ("Academician Stepan Smal-Stocky and the UFU"); and Prof. Albert A. Kipa ("Pavlo Zaitzev, Shevchenko Studies and the UFU").

Representing the Czech Republic were Prof. Antonin Meshtan ("Ukrainian Literature in Western Encyclopedias"); Prof. Jiri Marvan ("Masarykian Pre-War Legacy: The Case of Ukrainian Scholarship"); Dr. Bohdan Zilinsky ("Ukrainian Students in Prague, 1919-1921"); Dr. Jiri Vazek ("UFU Faculty Relations with Czech and Slovak Political and Cultural Leaders in Prague"); Dr. Tetjana Bednarzhova ("Augustin Voloshyn: The UFU's Last Rector in Prague"); and Dr. Alena Moravkova ("Ukrainian Poets - UFU Graduates").

Scholars from Ukraine included Lviv University Vice-Rector Prof. Anatolii Karas ("UFU Humanities Scholarship of the Prague Period in its European Context"); Dr. Oleh Kupchynsky ("UFU's Scholarly, Organizational and Publishing Activities, 1921-1991"); Dr. Taisa Sydorchuk-Potulnytska ("The UFU's Viennese and Prague Periods: Scholarly and Pedagogical Activities"); Prof. Stepan Vidniansky ("UFU Students and Graduates in Prague"); Dr. Natalia Kolesnychenko ("V. Janiv and O. Kulchytsky: Concerning the National Identity of Ukrainian Writers"); and Dr. Oksana Franko ("The Scholarly and Political Activities of Vadym Scherbakivsky").

Slovakia was represented by Dr. Mykola Nevrly, who spoke on the "UFU in its Czech and Ukrainian Contexts and Its Significance for Ukraine," and Dr. Mykola Mushinka, who covered "Unknown Documents Regarding the UFU's History in the Archives of Kyiv and Prague."

From Germany came Prof. Zinovy Sokoliuk, who spoke on "The UFU's Legal Scholarship and Its Significance for Ukraine's Independence," and Prof. Ivo Poluljach, whose topic was "Ethics as a Component of Political Economics Scholarship at the UFU in Munich."

Prof. Mychajlo Lesiw of Poland reviewed "Ukrainian Linguistics at the UFU" and Dr. Luca Calvi of Italy discussed "Attempts by UFU Faculty at Introducing Ukrainian Studies in Italy in the 1950s."

At the conclusion of the engrossing presentations, UFU Vice-Rector Dr. Zinovy Sokoliuk and Dr. Rudnytzky, vice-president of the Ukrainian Free University Foundation in the U.S. and dean of the UFA's philosophy faculty, expressed their gratitude to the conference organizers and presented Dr. Milena Klimova with a copy of "Shevchenko's Kyiv," published by the Shevchenko Scientific Society.

A sumptuous banquet concluded the proceedings. The Slavonic Institute of the Czech Academy of Science and the Ukrainian Free University plan to publish the scholarly proceedings of the conference in the near future.

Pre-conference activities included a reception on May 27, 1996, hosted by Czech Academy of Sciences president Rudolf Zahradnyk. Opening ceremonies were held on November 28 in the Hall of Mirrors of the Klementinum Chapel in the center of Prague. Dr. Klimova, director of the Slavonic Library, presided; greetings and remarks were also offered by Dr. Zdenek Pertold, vice-rector of Charles University; Dr. Meshtan, director of the Slavonic Institute; Dr. Rudnytzky; Dr. Jiri Kramer, director of the Institute of Medical Chemistry (the first medical department of Charles University founded 111 years ago by Ivan Horbachevsky who subsequently became rector of the university); Andrij Ozadovsky, Ukraine's ambassador to the Czech Republic; and Dr. Marvan, Czech ambassador to Greece.

As part of the proceedings Dr. Ruzhena Shyshkova and Dr. Rudnytzky introduced the second volume of the Ukrainian-Czech Dictionary published jointly by the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the U.S.

A spirited recital of Ukrainian folk songs and operatic arias by artists Volodymyr Kowal and Halyna Chemytenko, soloists of the Kyiv and Prague operas, with Irena Romenska at the piano, concluded the festive opening ceremonies.

On November 30, conference participants toured former UFU facilities and Ukrainian hubs in Prague under the guidance of Drs. Zilinsky and Mushinka. The tour, arranged by the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague, included a visit to the Olshynsky Cemetery, where Ambassador Ozadovsky placed a commemorative wreath at the symbolic grave of poet Oles Olzhych.

A lavish reception in the Embassy's new home, hosted by the ambassador, concluded the post-conference activities.

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