18th Conference on Ukrainian Subjects focuses on post-modernism (08/01/99)

18th Conference on Ukrainian Subjects focuses on post-modernism

by Olena H. Saciuk

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The 18th annual Conference on Ukrainian Subjects, held here on June 14-19 was dedicated to the topic "Between Modernism and Post-Modernism: New Developments in Ukrainian Philosophy, Art and Literature."

It was organized by the Ukrainian Research Program at the University of Illinois and held, as were the previous 17 conferences, at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. As always, the sponsors of the conference were the Summer Research Laboratory of the University of Illinois, the Foundation for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Illinois and 1st Security Federal Savings Bank of Chicago.

Dr. Dmytro M. Shtohryn, chairperson of the Ukrainian Research Program at the University of Illinois, has been the organizer of this conference since its inception. In fact, Dr. Shtohryn, in the last years with the help of his wife, Eustakhia, has carried the whole burden of organizing this conference.

This year the Program Committee also included: Prof. Assya Humesky (University of Michigan), Dr. Larissa M.L. Onyshkevych (Shevchenko Scientific Society of the U.S.), Prof. Jaroslav Rozumnyj (University of Manitoba), and Prof. Bohdan Rubchak (University of Illinois at Chicago).

Auxiliary support was provided by the members of Organizational Committee: Raisa Bratkiw, chairperson, John Derkach, Vera Eliashevsky, Alex Konoval and Olia Kusyk of the Foundation for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Illinois, Julian Kulas of 1st Security Federal Savings Bank in Chicago, and Vicki Retzolk from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

On Sunday evening, June 13, conference participants met at an informal reception at the Illini Union Student Center. The next day, the first session began with an inquiry into the processes of post-modernism from various perspectives. All three papers were presented by guest scholars from Ukraine. Prof. Roman Hromiak, vice-rector of the State Pedagogical University of Ternopil, gave a wide-ranging historical perspective in his paper "Once Again on the Heterogeny of the Ukrainian Literary Process: Problems of Description and Interpretation," while Prof. Taras Luchuk, from the Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies, National Academy of Science of Ukraine (NASU), focused on two specific generations in his

"Post-Modernism or Ariergard: 'Visimdesiatnyky'/'Deviatdesiatnyky,'" and Serhij Kvit from the Kyiv publication Ukrayinski Problemy, examined the parameters of post-modernism and questioned the limits and role of this literary movement in "Within Limits, Beyond Limits, on the Verge: Some Questions About Post-Modernism."

In the afternoon session two of the presenters looked back at two non-post-modern literary figures. Prof. Humesky, from the University of Michigan, gave a very unique perspective on Shevchenko's works by counting words and analyzing them in context in order to show that indeed there was "Ukrainian Humor in Shevchenko's Poetry." Her presentation was in honor of the 185th anniversary of the poet's birth. Writer and independent researcher Marta Tarnawsky of Philadelphia, honoring "Olena Pchilka's 150th Anniversary and Translations of Her Works into English," gave a detailed bibliographical view of the subject.

That evening Prof. Humesky talked about her father, Serhij Pylypenko, his valuable work and his unfortunate belief in the ideals of communism, which he joined with a fervent Ukrainian patriotism. The latter cost him his life and led to his family's exile to Siberia. She also showed a videotape of the recent unveiling of her father's monument in Ukraine. At last, like so many Ukrainian patriots, he has been rehabilitated and his contribution recognized.

On Tuesday, June 15, the morning session looked at Ukrainian post-modernism in art. Prof. Anna Chumachenko of Ohio State University, a Ukrainian scholar doing research now in the U.S., opened for the participants "A Window in Post-Modernity: The American-Born Generation in Artistic Activities of the Ukrainian Diaspora," presenting the work of the Canadian painter Natalka Husar. Prof. Chumachenko brought some illustrations of the painter's work to accompany her analysis. Prof. Natalie Kononenko of the University of Virginia turned to Ukrainian customs in Ukraine in her illustrated talk, with video footage as well as artifacts, to tell of "Contemporary Ukrainian Village Weddings: Continuity and Change."

The next area to be examined was language with Sviatoslav Karavansky's dictionary, "Rosiisko-Ukrayinskyi Slovnyk Skladnoyi Leksyky," which he himself presented. He gave many examples of incorrect and correct pronunciation, as well as the correct and incorrect forms of Ukrainian lexicon which have been terribly, in some cases, mangled under the influence of Russian and as a result clash with the characteristic sonoric system of the Ukrainian language.

In the afternoon sessions Prof. Jaropolk Lassowsky analyzed and pointed out how "Post-Modernism Catches Up with Ukrainian Composers." For those participants who are not musicologists, Prof. Lassovsky's examples of music, as he pointed out what should be noted, were a real eye and ear opener.

From music the program led to the theater, as Dr. Onyshkevych gave an overview of "New Plays in Ukraine: Between Post-Colonialism and Post-Modernism," while Prof. Chumachenko read the paper prepared by Daria Lassowsky Nebesh, an independent researcher whose health did not permit her to attend the conference. Her work acquainted the audience with "Ukrainian Identity, Music and Dance in the Light of Biculturalism and Post-Modernism." Among other things, she pointed out the importance of music and dance in forging Ukrainian identity for the youngest generation of the Ukrainian diaspora.

Taking advantage of the fact that the program was not paper-intensive - because many of the scholars from Ukraine who were invited to give presentations at the conference were not issued visas by the U.S. Embassy - there was time for this writer, a professor at Inter American University of Puerto Rico, to conduct an interview with Yuriy Olishkevich, who brought his post-modern art exhibit, which uses the symbolism of the pysanka as the central theme of the majority of his works.

Following the interview, the participants were drawn into the world of poetry, as two young Ukrainian poets, Taras Devdyuk, now doing research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Iryna Starovoyt, doctoral candidate from Lviv, did poetry readings of young Ukrainian post-modern poets in their "Off and On: Literary-Artistic Program."

The next day, June 16, Prof. Anna Procyk, Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S., turned conference participants' attention to politics, examining "The Question of European and National Identity at the End of the 20th Century." One of her important affirmations was that Western Europe always contributed to and was part of Ukrainian identity.

Ms. Starovoyt, scholar from Ivan Franko State University of Lviv, gave a very analytical, literary analysis of "Post-Modern Marginalia in Ukrainian Literature of the Late 20th Century," which was followed by an in-depth look at the leading futurist of the 1920s, Mykhail Semenko, done with great insight by the young scholar Mr. Devdyuk. A related topic, but one far more exotic, was a study by Orest Pavlov, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, of the "Demiurgic World of Text in Post-Modern and Verbal Magic of Folklore." This presentation led to many questions from the audience.

The conference next focused on "Problems of Cooperation Between Ukraine and the Diaspora in Education and Research." The roundtable discussion was moderated by Prof. Rubchak, with seven panelists giving their views: Prof. Chumachenko, Prof. Humesky, Prof. Kononenko, Prof. Olha Luchuk, Prof. Rozumnyj, Dr. Shtohryn and Ms. Starovoyt. The panel presented a variety of views on the situation and possible solutions; in general, however, panelists saw a lot of promise.

One of the main points made was that the diaspora must continue its work and not relegate everything to scholars in Ukraine. It was underlined that there should be more publications in the West covering all aspects of Ukraine in order to disseminate knowledge about Ukraine. Even though Ukraine has the status of an independent nation, these publications in the West are still of paramount importance for non-Ukrainian scholars.

The last day of the conference opened with the reading of Ms. Luchuk's paper on "Ukrainian-American Literary Dialogue at the End of the Millennium," which in a way continued the topic of the previous day's panel but with a focus on literature. The young scholar from Ukraine is now a Fulbright Scholar at Penn State University. A detailed historical overview by the young scholar and poet from Zerna, (Zwikau, Germany) on the "Tendencies in the Development of Ukrainian Poetry on the European Continent Outside of the Native Land: An Attempt at the Analysis of Trends in the Development of Ukrainian Poetry at the End of the 1980s and Beginning of the 1990s."

Afterwards Prof. Rubchak presented two poets, Ihor Tratsch and Taras Luchuk, who read their poems, explained what they were trying to do and each poem's source of inspiration, and sometimes provided biographical data to situate a given poem.

The very successful academic part of the conference ended with another roundtable discussion, this time on the "Political and Economic Situation in Ukraine." The panelists echoed what is generally know: the outlook is grim, but hopeful. All will hinge on the upcoming elections and how the democratic front organizes its campaign. The roundtable was moderated by Prof. Rozumnyj with the following professors and researchers as panelists: Prof. Hromiak, Mr. Kvit, Taras Luchuk, Dr. Onyshkevych, Prof. Procyk and Mr. Tratsch.

That evening the participants enjoyed an informal repast that ended with singing - joyous identity-binding across generations and borders - making everyone feel like one big Ukrainian family. All participants agreed that the 18th Conference on Ukrainian Studies was one of the most successful ever, despite the fact that many of the guests from Ukraine could not come. The conference was sharply focused on post-modernism, which tied all the aspects into a whole, thus giving a panorama of this, not only literary and cultural, but philosophic and political world trend.

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