Hrushevsky's history presented as a gift to the people of Ukraine (08/16/98)

Hrushevsky's history presented as a gift to the people of Ukraine

OTTAWA - On May 29, Volume 1 of the English translation of Mykhailo Hrushevsky, "History of Ukraine-Rus' " was presented by David Kilgour, secretary of state for Latin American and African affairs, to Volodymyr Furkalo, ambassador of Ukraine, as a gift of the people of Canada to the people of Ukraine. The event, which constituted the Ottawa launch of the Hrushevsky translation series, was held at the Parliament Buildings in the nation's capital during this year's Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities.

The launch was co-sponsored by Sen. Raynell Andreychuk and Mr. Kilgour. The Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa joined with the Peter Jacyk Center for Ukrainian Historical Research at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), University of Alberta to organize the event. Approximately 150 scholars, diplomats, government officials and members of the Ukrainian community attended the event.

Dr. Theofil Kis, Chair of Ukrainian Studies at Ottawa, and Dr. Zenon Kohut, director of CIUS, opened the proceedings. Dr. Frank Sysyn, director of the Jacyk Center, thanked the translators, staff, and donors who made the project a success. Peter Jacyk, founding benefactor of the center, and Nadia Jacyk, director of the Petro Jacyk Educational Foundation, reaffirmed their commitment to the work of the center and the Hrushevsky Translation Project. Dr. Lew Stelmach spoke in the name of his parents, Petro and Ivanna Stelmach, sponsors of Volume 1.

After the reading of messages from Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Sen. Andreychuk, Mr. Kilgour delivered an address placing the project in the context of Ukrainian Canadian history and Canadian-Ukrainian relations. He then presented a copy of the volume to Ambassador Furkalo. The ambassador made remarks on the significance of the English translation of this fundamental work of Hrushevsky, who served as Ukraine's first president at the time of the renewal of Ukrainian statehood. The official proceedings were closed by Dr. Sysyn, who thanked the Ottawa Chair of Ukrainian Studies, especially Irena Bell, for organizing the evening.

On May 31, a special panel was held at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Slavists to mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first volume of Hrushevsky's history. The panel was chaired by Prof. Irena Makaryk of the University of Ottawa, and featured presentations by Dr. Kohut on "The Birth of Ukrainian Historiography," Dr. Sysyn on "Mykhailo Hrushevsky and His 'History of Ukraine-Rus'" and Dr. Serhii Plokhy on "Revisiting the Golden Age: Mykhailo Hrushevsky and the History of the Ukrainian Kozaks."

The Ottawa launch follows launches in Edmonton, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Regina, Cleveland, Saskatoon, Seattle, Vancouver and Munich. A 60-page illustrated booklet, "The Hrushevsky Translation Project," contains remarks delivered at some of the launches by the translator of Volume 1, Marta Skorupsky, and by Profs. Thomas S. Noonan, Paul Hollingsworth and Ihor Sevcenko. It may be obtained free of charge by writing to: Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, 352 Athabasca Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E8.

Volume 7 of "The History of Ukraine-Rus'," sponsored by Olga Pawluk of Etobicoke in memory of her husband, Stephen, will be submitted for publication to CIUS Press in September.

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