Miracle of Ostroh: A beacon of hope for Ukraine's future (11/23/97)

Miracle of Ostroh: A beacon of hope for Ukraine's future

by Myron Kuropas

OSTROH, Ukraine - If you're disenchanted with Ukraine and worry about her future, take heart. There is hope, and it resides in Ukraine's people. Fortunately, not everyone has been debauched by the Soviet system.

Pockets of hope exist all over Ukraine. There are people who believe in God, nation and a glorious future. Most Ukrainians are not afraid of work. They want what all of us want, an opportunity to live better lives. There are people who are compassionate, honest and willing to make sacrifices for the good of Ukraine. They are the salt of the earth, and you will find them throughout Ukraine.

I found such a pocket the first time I visited the town of Ostroh in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine in 1995. I was traveling with two other professors from Northern Illinois University (NIU), Jeff Mirel and David Ripley. All of us were from the faculty of educational foundations of the department of leadership and educational policy studies.

Our sojourn began the year before, when Prof. Viacheslav Briukhovetsky of the University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy made a presentation to the NIU educational faculty. We discussed the possibility of establishing a department of educational foundations at the Mohyla Academy, and Dr. Briukhovetsky encouraged us to visit. By the time we arrived in Kyiv the following summer, Dr. Briukhovetsky had decided that the institution most amenable for such a department was not Mohyla Academy but Ostroh Academy.

Initially, we were not too keen on the idea because Ostroh is not exactly a thriving metropolis. We agreed to visit, however, and to assess the possibilities. Ostroh was some 300 miles away, and it took us over six hours to get there.

Our welcome was extraordinary. Everyone was exceptionally warm and hospitable. We met with staff, students and local citizens. We were very impressed with their commitment to excellence. We saw great potential for a cooperative effort. For me the most important quality about Ostroh was the people. Everywhere I went - stores, restaurants, hotels, parks - everyone spoke Ukrainian.

We returned in 1996 to administer anonymous questionnaires to some 250 professional teachers in the Rivne and Kyiv regions. Our objective was to determine how these teachers, who were training Ukraine's future leaders, perceived the democratic process and what effect independence was having on their classrooms.

The results were shocking. Although most teachers were familiar with the concepts of freedom of speech, religion, assembly and the press, few believed these ideals were helping build a civic society in Ukraine. Most were convinced that the Ukrainian government and system were corrupt, and that there was little that they as individuals could do to change things. Statistically significant differences emerged between older and younger teachers, with younger teachers demonstrating less faith in the triumph of democracy in Ukraine (a surprise to us) than the older ones.

As we pondered these results, compiled by Dr. William McCready, director of the NIU Public Opinion Laboratory, we realized that if the teachers of today had little faith in democracy, they could hardly prepare Ukraine's future democratic leaders. Their doubts were deep-seated, possibly intractable. There was no quick fix; no three-week or three-month seminar or exchange program would make a difference. What was needed, we concluded, was a long-term approach. We decided to start from scratch, with the teachers of today who would be enlightening the leaders of tomorrow.

Our solution to the problem of teacher education in Ukraine was to develop a master's program (M.S.Ed.) at NIU in democracy and education, an idea that was enthusiastically supported by the rector, vice-rector and the staff. Thanks to the untiring efforts of Prof. Mirel, NIU generously agreed to provide paid assistantships for three Ostroh Academy professors and to waive their tuition. What we still needed, however, was travel money and living expenses.

Obtaining further support for our idea was not easy. Prof. Mirel and I traveled to Washington hoping to obtain funding. Thanks to Mr. Chomiak, we met with various foundation and government agency personnel. But, we received little encouragement. Returning home, we continued to apply to various funding sources, but failed to obtain what we needed. Everyone, it seemed, was interested in funding NGOs, exchange programs and other short-term projects.

I shared our frustration with many Ukrainian Americans, including Marta Kolomayets, who suggested the Eurasia Foundation as a possible funding source. She agreed to take our proposal to Kyiv and to lobby on our behalf. Her efforts paid off, thanks largely to Nick Deychakiwsky, who saw the value of what we were trying to do. We received our grant.

In the summer of 1997, Profs. Mirel, McCready and I taught two three-hour courses (social and historical foundations of education) at Ostroh Academy to some 20 area teachers - three of whom were selected to be the first cadre of Ostroh master's candidates. In August Oleksii Izmentinov, Natalia Lominska and Vasyl Zhukovsky arrived in DeKalb, Ill., to begin their studies at NIU.

All three have already selected thesis topics relevant to democratic education in Ukraine. Mr. Izmentinov is researching multicultural education in the United States, questioning if this approach to the education of diverse groups is applicable to the Ukrainian experience. Mrs. Lominska's thesis topic is "Language Education and National Identity in Ukraine: A Historical Analysis." Mr. Zhukovsky's topic is "Moral Values Education in American and Ukrainian Secondary Schools (1970s and 1990s)."

Next semester all three Ostroh professors will be teaching NIU undergraduates. For Mr. Izmentinov, it will be a second semester of teaching. In addition, all three will experience internships with various democratic institutions, including the DeKalb mayor's office, the county office, the school system, volunteer organizations and campus religious organizations such as the Newman Center and Campus Ministries. If all continues to go well - and so far, it's going very well - all three will receive their degrees in May and return to Ostroh.

If funding is provided, the same program will continue for the next two years with courses taught both in Ostroh and at NIU for six more professors from the academy. The nine NIU graduates will then develop a graduate department of education at Ostroh.

Ostroh is an ideal site for the establishment of a center for teacher education. An ancient town dating back to the year 1100, Ostroh was, by the 16th and 17th centuries, a famous political, cultural and educational center in Ukraine.

A liberal arts academy was founded in 1576 under the patronage of Prince Kostiantyn Ostrozsky. Professors at the academy included a number of eminent scholars of the day, and the curriculum was similar to that of Europe's leading universities. By 1535 some 500 students had completed their studies at Ostroh Academy, including Yov Boretsky and Elisei Pletenski, the founders of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy; Meletii Smotrytsky, author of the textbook Slavonic Grammar; and Petro Sahaidachny, a future hetman of the Zaporozhian Kozaks.

Thanks to the influence of the academy, Ostroh soon became a publishing center for all Ukraine. The first Ukrainian primer was published in Ostroh in 1578, and in 1581 the world's first Slavic-language Bible made its appearance.

The academy ceased to exist soon after the death of its major benefactor, Prince Ostrozsky, in 1638. It remained a memory until April 12, 1994, when, thanks to the endeavors of a group of Ukrainian patriots, the academy was formally reopened as Ostroh Higher Collegium, a preparatory school. A decree by President Leonid Kravchuk was promulgated on the occasion. That same year Dr. Ihor Pasichnyk, an eminent psychologist, became the first rector. On June 5, 1996, President Leonid Kuchma issued a decree designating the collegium an academy of higher education.

Today, there are some 100 students attending the Ostroh preparatory school. They study the English and Ukrainian languages as well as other subjects in preparation for their entrance exams, which are offered in May. Some 30 percent of the prep students usually pass the exams. Since there are five applicants for every vacancy, the selection process is very competitive.

Some 700 students are currently in the four-year program at Ostroh Academy. For the first two years everyone pursues a liberal arts curriculum that includes history (Ukrainian and world), religion, literature, basic economics, foundations of law (the Ukrainian Constitution), Ukrainian, English, math, physical education and one other foreign language (French, German, Polish or Latin). Following successful completion of their first two years, students select one of four majors: economics, law, history or culture.

In addition, there are some 100 off-campus students taking correspondence courses in economics and law - the two most popular higher education subjects in Ukraine. Graduate courses in history, psychology and economics are scheduled for 1998.

Tuition is free for everyone, but there are fees for room ($3 per month) and board (meals in the cafeteria). Additional fees amount to approximately $100 per year.

The future of Ukraine depends on its youth. The Ostroh Academy is one institution that richly deserves the support of every Ukrainian who cares about Ukraine's future. Donations are welcome and tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to the UNA Foundation/Ostroh Fund and sent to: 107 Ilehamwood Dr., DeKalb, IL 60115. Every donor will receive a receipt for tax purposes.

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