Ukrainian translation of 'Ukraine Between East and West' is launched (10/28/01)

Ukrainian translation of 'Ukraine Between East and West' is launched

by Serhii Plokhy

EDMONTON - The Peter Jacyk Center for Ukrainian Historical Research at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (University of Alberta) recently sponsored a book launch in Lviv of the Ukrainian translation of Ihor Shevchenko's collection of essays, "Ukraine between East and West." The launch was co-sponsored by the Institute of Church History at the Lviv Theological Academy, which also co-sponsored the book's translation and publication.

Prof. Shevchenko's book was originally published by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press in 1996, and was the first volume to appear in the Jacyk Center's English-language monograph series.

The Ukrainian translation of the collection, titled "Ukraïna mizh Skhodom i Zakhodom," is the third book to appear in the Jacyk Center's Ukrainian-language series. The first was Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky's two-volume collection "Istorychni Esei" (Historical Essays), followed by Zenon E. Kohut's book on the liquidation of the Hetmanate, "Rosiiskyi Tsentralizm i Ukraïnska Avtonomiia: Likvidatsia Hetmanshchyny, 1760-1830 rr."

The translation and publication of Prof. Shevchenko's book were made possible by a generous donation from the Teodor and Mahdalyna Butrej Fund of the Petro Jacyk Educational Foundation in Toronto.

"Ukraine between East and West" was translated into Ukrainian by Mariia Hablevych of Lviv and edited by Andrii Iasinovsky. It is a collection of essays based on a course of lectures in Ukrainian history delivered by Prof. Shevchenko at Harvard University.

Drawing on his expertise in the history of the Byzantine Empire and the Christian East in general, Prof. Shevchenko puts Ukrainian cultural history of the medieval and early modern periods into broad perspective. He presents a new and intellectually provocative interpretation of the history of the church union in Ukraine, the origins of modern Ukrainian national identity, and Ukraine's relations with Russia, Poland and, last but not least, Byzantium.

The translation of Prof. Shevchenko's book into Ukrainian gives the younger generation of Ukrainian scholars and the public at large access to new historical methodologies and interpretations of Ukrainian history and culture.

The launch, held in the largest conference room of the Lviv Theological Academy on June 8, was well attended. It was opened by the rector of the academy, the Rev. Dr. Borys Gudziak, who shared his views on the importance of Prof. Shevchenko's work and its Ukrainian translation.

The author, who attended the launch, spoke about the methodological foundations of his research and expressed his deep gratitude to his former students, the Rev. Dr. Gudziak and Dr. Frank E. Sysyn, director of the Jacyk Center, for their contributions to the publication of his book.

Opinions on the importance of the Ukrainian translation of "Ukraine between East and West" were shared by Academician Iaroslav Isaievych, Profs. Iaroslav Dashkevych, Natalia Iakovenko, Myroslav Labunka and others. At the conclusion of the launch, Prof. Shevchenko was presented with the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Medal, awarded to him by the Shevchenko Scientific Society.

The launch of "Ukraïna mizh Skhodom i Zakhodom" and the interest it has generated in Ukraine underscores once again the importance of the Jacyk Center's translation projects, which include translations not only from Ukrainian into English, but also into Ukrainian from English and other Western languages. It also makes clear the importance of community support for the Center's initiatives, such as that evidenced by the Teodor and Mahdalyna Butrej Fund.

Both "Ukraine between East and West" and "Ukraïna mizh Skhodom i Zakhodom" are available from the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (English edition: paper $24.95, cloth $34.95; Ukrainian edition: paper $24.95, cloth $34.95).

To order, please call (780) 492-2972; send your request to the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, 450 Athabasca Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E8; or e-mail: [email protected]. Please add 7 percent GST. Outside Canada, prices are in U.S. currency.

Serhii Plokhy is associate director of the Peter Jacyk Center.

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