Kovaliv Awards presented to authors Wira Wowk and Marta Tarnawska (12/28/03)

Kovaliv Awards presented to authors Wira Wowk and Marta Tarnawska

by Dzvinka Martiuk Zacharczuk

PHILADELPHIA - On Sunday afternoon, November 30, the Philadelphia Regional Council of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (UNWLA) hosted the presentation of the Kovaliv Award to this year's winner, the eminent authors Wira Wowk and Marta Tarnawska.

Regional Council President Chrystyna Chomyn Izak welcomed the laureates and a distinguished audience in the gallery of the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown, Pa. She invited Irena Kurowycky, the National President of the UNWLA, to present the representatives of local organizations and societies who came to honor the recipients. Oksana Farion, third vice-president of the executive committee took over as the mistress of ceremonies. Ms. Farion gave a brief biography of Petro and Lesya Kovaliv, the founders of the award.

This Ukrainian couple of an upper-class background started their life together in 1915 and traveled through Western Europe. Mr. Kovaliv worked in various capitals as foreign diplomatic attaché for the Ukrainian National Republic. This was terminated, however, by World War I, so the couple settled and spent most of their life in Switzerland. There Mr. Kovaliv had received his doctorate in chemistry and worked for a Swiss drug company until retirement.

On their 50th wedding anniversary in 1965 the Kovalivs fulfilled their dream and expressed their love for their lost homeland by starting a fund to encourage literary, historic and civic consciousness for Ukrainians. To administer their literary-historic fund, they selected the Ukrainian National Women's League of America because of the organization's apolitical tradition, frugal administration and its dedication to youth as the future of Ukraine. Since 1965 the UNWLA has awarded the Kovaliv Award, alternating yearly for literature and work in the fields of history/civics and sociology.

Ms. Farion then introduced the main speaker, Nadia Svitlychna, who explained the great talent of Dr. Wira Selanska (pen name Wira Wowk) and the richness of her contributions. Her work in four volumes, "Poetry, Prose, Theater and Memoirs" said Ms. Svitlychna, "expressed exactly what the Kovalivs had asked for: to present the past or the present of Ukraine in an uplifting, honorable and state-building fashion."

Ms. Svitlychna reminisced about Ms. Wowk's 1965 visit to Ukraine, where she first met her and where Ms. Wowk met and befriended the members of the Ukrainian literary renaissance group, the "Shestydesiatnyky." This sent an uplifting feeling throughout the audience as all realized that oceans and continents separating Ukrainians do not matter - we can connect.

Ms. Svitlychna then referred to "Keys to the Kingdom," a collection of essays and commentaries by the second Kovaliv Award laureate, Ms. Tarnawska, master of Library Science and distinguished librarian of the University of Pennsylvania Legal Library.

"Her Words," said Ms. Svitlychna, "are accurate and carefully chosen." She pointed out that Ms. Tarnawska's writing expresses strong optimism and condemns apathy. She accentuates the positives that could be gained from living in the diaspora.

Ms. Farion introduced Halyna Pupin and Lesia Koval, two members of the recently founded UNWLA Chapter 128 in Philadelphia, who conducted readings from the works of the laureates. This was followed by the musical performance of a talented young violinist, Solomiya Ivakhiv, the recipient of a scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Ms. Wowk, who resides in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, expressed thanks for the award and an opportunity to visit the Ukrainian community in Philadelphia.

Ms. Tarnawsky completed the rich afternoon with some words to ponder: "What is to be done with the declining number of readers in the Ukrainian language?"

Refreshments with good conversation followed.

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