Government of Ukraine honors diaspora activists in the arts (03/23/03)

Government of Ukraine honors diaspora activists in the arts

NEW YORK - Lidia Krushelnytsky and Rostyslaw Wasylenko were honored on February 27 during a special ceremony at Ukraine's Consulate General in New York at which they received medals presented by the government of Ukraine in recognition of their contributions to the arts.

Ms. Krushelnytsky was named a merited activist of the arts of Ukraine, while Mr. Wasylenko was named merited artist of Ukraine. Both designations were bestowed in accordance with a decree issued by President Leonid Kuchma on November 15, 2002.

Ukraine's consul general in New York, Serhiy Pohoreltzev, presented the honorees with Ukrainian government medals in recognition of their decades of work. In his address to a gathering at the Consulate General he outlined their contributions to the development of Ukrainian culture both in Ukraine and abroad.

Ms. Krushelnytsky, 87, is best known in the diaspora community as director since 1966 of her New York-based drama studio, where she has trained scores of young actors. She has presented many children's plays and dramatizations of works by Ukraine's most noted poets. Prior to her work in the United States, Ms. Krushelnytska (née Karatnytska) was an actress and performer in operas in Ukraine and Austria. Upon emigrating, she joined the theater-studio of Joseph Hirniak and Olimpia Dobrovolska, appearing in many of its productions.

Mr. Wasylenko, 82, a stage actor, director and pedagogue, was active in Ukraine, Germany, Australia, Canada and the United States. He completed studies at the Kyiv Ukrainian Drama Theater (1941) and then worked in the Poltava and Mykolaiv drama theaters until 1944. He was active with the Ensemble of Ukrainian Actors in Germany in 1946-1949, and then emigrated to Australia, where he was artistic director of the Ukrainian Theater of Small Forms in Adelaide. He later moved to North America.

In their acceptance remarks, both Ms. Krushelnytsky and Mr. Wasylenko expressed sincere thanks for the honors bestowed upon them and underscored their happiness that diaspora achievements in the field of Ukrainian arts are being recognized by Ukraine.

Mr. Wasylenko also spoke glowingly of the interest of youths in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Symferopol and Cherkasy, which he recently visited, in Ukraine's past. Ms. Krushelnytsky emphasized that she shares her medal with all the members of her drama studio. Both honorees presented artistic readings before the audience of guests and admirers in attendance.

Also during the reception at the Consulate General, two members of Ms. Krushelnytsky's drama studio, Slavko Szul and Tymish Hankewycz, gave a brief performance. The evening was capped off with the signing of "Mnohaya Lita" (Many Years) for the two honorees.

Also honored by the government of Ukraine in accordance with the presidential decree of November 2002 were:

Valerian Revutsky (born June 14, 1911), theater historian, critic and educator active in Ukraine and Canada, as well as author of books on drama as well as entries in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine;
Vira Levytska (born February 26, 1916), actress active in Ukraine, Germany and the United States, who played the title role in Anouilh's "Medea" staged by the Teatr u Piatnytsiu troupe in Philadelphia; and
Yelysaveta Shasharovska-Chepil (born October 4, 1916), actress active in Ukraine, Germany and the United States, known for playing Ophelia in the first Ukrainian production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" staged in 1943.

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