The Ukrainian Museum's Malanka 2001 kicks off 25th jubilee (01/28/01)

The Ukrainian Museum's Malanka 2001 kicks off 25th jubilee

by Marta Baczynsky

NEW YORK - One of the most exciting events that is fast becoming a New York tradition is The Ukrainian Museum's annual New Year's dinner/dance, the Malanka. This year, to welcome the year 2001, the event was held in the popular restaurant Tavern on the Green, located in legendary Central Park in mid-Manhattan. According to the Julian calendar and Ukrainian tradition, the New Year arrived at the stroke of midnight on January 13.

Malanka 2001 was the kick-off for what promises to be a yearlong celebration marking the museum's 25th anniversary. More than 250 elegantly dressed guests, for the most part a younger crowd, first gathered for cocktails and later retired to a richly adorned, mirrored banquet room that glowed with thousands of lights.

The dinner menu proposed a Chilean sea bass or filet mignon. The guests, enveloped in the ebullient spirit of the evening, enjoyed the good food and danced to the spirited music of the Montage orchestra. Vocalist Nestor Kyzymyshyn entertained with a few songs, while master of ceremonies Orest Kyzyk kept the verve of the party on a high, even keel.

The huge windows of the fabled restaurant allowed a pristine snow-covered vista of the park, thus serving as an almost fairy tale-like backdrop for the effervescent ambiance of the party indoors.

The event was organized by the Special Events Committee of the museum's board of trustees. Chaired by Tatiana Tershakovec, the committee has as its task the organization of events, cultural and entertaining in nature, that will also serve as fund-raisers for The Museum. Malanka 2001 raised over $50,000 in cash and pledges to the Building Fund.

The sponsors of this year's New Year's event, whose support contributed greatly to its success were: Dr. Roman and Anna Alyskewycz, Orest and Lidia Bilous, Dr. Areta Podhorodecki and Zenon Chernyk, Bohdan and Lydia Hajduczok, Roman Hawrylak and Maria Tershakovec Hawrylak, Timish and Anna Hnateyko, Dr. Arthur and Irene Hryhorowych, Dr. Jaroslaw and Alla Leshko, Orest and Daria Temnycky, Dr. Andrew and Tatiana Tershakovec, Lydia Zaininger and the corporation Western Union Money Transfer.

Olha Hnateyko, president of the museum's board of trustees, greeted the guests with the New Year and shared with them the good news that the museum had recently received a major gift from Eugene and Daymel Shklar - a $2.5 million outright donation to the Building Fund and a $1 million Challenge Grant, designed to match any donations to the museum up to a total of $1 million received between November 2000 and the end of December 2001.

The board president informed the audience that the gift will allow the museum to begin construction of its new building on East Sixth Street in Lower Manhattan in the spring of this year. The original design plans of architect George Sawicki will be utilized.

Many individuals contributed their time and effort to make the Malanka dinner/dance a wonderful and unforgettable experience for those present. The work of members of the Special Events Committee, with Lydia Hajduczok as the liaison with the museum's administration, is to be applauded. The humorous drawing on the invitation to the event was created by caricaturist Orest (Gogo) Slupchynsky.

Though the museum is poised on the threshold of its 25th year - an impressive length of time in its life - these were the fledging years for the institution. The museum had to find its footing, develop a strong base for its agenda, encourage support and establish a name for itself. In a quarter of a century the museum has done just that - it became a viable member and leader in its community and a respected institution among its peers.

Hard work, consistently professional quality programs and consistent support of the people who subscribe to the belief that the Ukrainian cultural legacy is to be treasured and preserved for future generations of Ukrainian Americans have underwritten the museum's achievements and successes.

The crowning glory of The Ukrainian Museum's 25-year journey will be a new museum building, a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a showcase for what is best in the Ukrainian culture and experience. This achievement of paramount importance to Ukrainians in the United States and Canada and to Ukraine is being made possible with the great generosity of the Ukrainian people, and will mark the beginning of a new exciting journey for the museum that will last for many years to come.

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