Pittsburgh community commemorates solemn 50th anniversary of Akcja Wisla (10/12/97)

Pittsburgh community commemorates solemn 50th anniversary of Akcja Wisla

by Michael Jula

PITTSBURGH - The sun was shining on the greensward of the University of Pittsburgh's main campus for Pittsburgh's commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Akcja Wisla.

Western Gothic splendor blended with Byzantine glory and American country warmth to provide a fitting setting for the September 14 commemoration as several hundred people gathered in Heinz Chapel, the sculpted granite and stained glass replica of St. Chapelle in Paris. The Gothic high altar was vested with floor-length cloths embroidered with a blue and red Ukrainian "nyzynka" design, and flanked by banners with needlecrafted icons of the Pantocrator and Theotokos.

In the center of the altar stood an iron cross that once graced a cupola of the Lemko Church of the Dormition built in 1884 in Tonarnia, Poland. The triple-armed cross was retrieved from the rubble of the arson that followed Akcja Wisla. Basil and blood-hued field flowers adorned this relic, the base of which was cloaked in an embroidered ritual cloth.

The Pittsburgh Ukrainian Festival Committee had taken a hiatus from planning its annual festival due to multiple community events planned for this year, and spearheaded this community observance of Akcja Wisla.

The Ukrainian Cultural Trust Choir of Western Pennsylvania, under the direction of Dorothy Waslo, began the afternoon commemoration with the traditional Ukrainian song "Zhuravli" (The Cranes). Carrying memorial wreaths, students ranging in age from 4 to 14 proceeded to the altar where they placed flowers into vases and laid wreaths.

An honor guard from the Poltava and the Kyiv Ukrainian dance ensembles followed. The women, wearing the distinctive pleated skirt and apron, head scarf and woven bead yoke of the Lemko folk dress, carried an icon of the Belz Theotokos draped in a "rushnyk" (ritual cloth) along with offerings of "kutia" (a mixture of grain, poppyseed and honey) and triple breads to set the "tetrapod" (table for the requiem). The men, in Lemko waistcoats, carried ritual triple candelabras. The guest speakers followed, then the clergy in red vestments.

The Rt. Rev. George Hnatko, dean for the Ukrainian Orthodox, began the "panakhyda" (requiem service). Attending was the Rev. Joseph Swierczynski of Immaculate Heart Parish from Pittsburgh's Polish Hill neighborhood. Local clergy of the Byzantine Catholic, Carpatho-Russian Orthodox, Orthodox Church in America, Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches were in attendance.

The chant and liturgical language common in 1947 Halychyna and Lemkivschyna was used; the program book included the Church Slavonic service written in parallel lines of Cyrillic and Latin transliteration flanked by Ukrainian and English translations. This unique and effective design of the program book was executed by Marina Petrov of Multilingual Communications Corp. of Pittsburgh, through the courtesy of owner Charles Kostecki.

With script in hand, the assembly joined the choir in chanting the service, and was immersed in the haunting sounds of the concluding invocations of "Vichnaia Pamiat" (Eternal memory).

Msgr. George Appleyard, vice-dean for Ukrainian Catholics, gave the homily on the theme "... as we forgive those who trespass against us ..." ( Matt. 6:12 ) and with his Christian perspective, comforted the troubled while troubling the comfortable.

Master of ceremonies Michael Komichak, director of the local Ukrainian radio program on WPIT, read greetings from Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma to Ukrainians in Poland on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Akcja Wisla. The mixed choir then sang three songs including "Dolyna," "O Vershe, Miy Vershe" and "De Hory Karpaty."

Dr. George Kulchycky presented a historic perspective on Akcja Wisla and emphasized that the Lemkos of Poland were neither colonists nor immigrants, but were a people indigenous to that region. Predating Kyivan Rus', their Christian mysticism came from Ss. Cyril and Methodius.

Mr. Komichak acknowledged local survivors in attendance: Andrij Guzylak of Pittsburgh, and Piotr and Eudokia Kalymon of Carnegie. A large number of recent Ukrainian immigrants were in attendance - many of whom had parents who were expatriated from Poland by the Soviet army.

In contrast to the small number of survivors in residence here, the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the early Lemko immigrants, along with Ukrainian Insurgent Army supporters, attended in large number and were greatly moved by the commemoration.

Concluding the ceremony, all joined in the singing of "Bozhe Velykyi Yedynyi" and in lieu of a recessional, Mr. Komichak invited the assembly to come forward to venerate the Tonarnia cross and the Belz icon.

The choir distributed commemorative Lemko-style "krashanky" (colored eggs) to the assembly. Each egg was decorated on one side with 50 strokes, suggesting a border of migrating birds around a church's cupola cross, and the reverse of the egg was decorated with the dates 1947, 1997.

The Akcja Wisla commemoration in Pittsburgh reflected the local style of the "hromada," a timely mixture of prayerful supplication, musical interlude and thought-provoking reflections, in a setting of artistic splendor. For this brief moment the souls of those assembled were consoled, while their spirits were uplifted and refreshed.

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