"Ukrainian-American Citadel": from the pages of UNA history (Chapter 6) (10/10/04)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

"Ukrainian-American Citadel": from the pages of UNA history

Following is part of a series of excerpts from "Ukrainian-American Citadel: The First 100 Years of the Ukrainian National Association," by Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, published in 1996 by East European Monographs of Boulder, Colo. The excerpts are reprinted with the permission of the author. The book is available from the author for $25, plus $2.50 shipping, by writing to: Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, 107 Ilehamwood Drive, DeKalb, IL 60115.

Chapter 6

By Our Strength Alone

... The 1920s in the United States was a period of great soul-searching and reappraisal for the Ukrainian community, both religiously and politically. The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church as well as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America were established during the 1920s, and the Ukrainian Catholic Church received a new bishop. The Communists grew in strength and influence as did Ukrainian monarchists loyal to the former hetman of Ukraine, Pavlo Skoropadsky. The major question during the next decade of Ukrainian American history was no longer whether one was a Ukrainian, but, rather, what kind of Ukrainian one was: Catholic, Orthodox, Communist, Monarchist (Hetmanist) or nationalist. All five groups claimed ethno-national superiority over the others and, the UNA, try as it might, could not remain neutral, neither religiously nor politically.

The Ukrainian American community, meanwhile, remained devastated by the tragedy that befell Ukraine after World War I. Hundreds of thousands of dollars had been raised, letters and telegrams had been sent, protests had been organized, a special delegation had been sent to Versailles, and four separate political coalitions had been established, all to help Ukraine, all to help the "old country" free itself of foreign domination, all to help Ukrainian brothers and sisters in their hour of greatest need. They did not achieve their goals, and Ukrainians in America were overwhelmed by a sense of impotence.

President [Woodrow] Wilson's verbal commitment to national self-determination had struck a responsive chord in the Ukrainian American community. UNA leaders believed the president when he spoke of freedom. They believed him when he said Poland would be resurrected only on that soil where the inhabitants were predominantly Polish. When Ukrainian soil was included in the new Poland, America's Ukrainians were outraged. Three empires had fallen during the war. Poland was free. So were Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. The Czechs and, to a limited degree, the Slovaks enjoyed autonomy within a free and independent nation. Even the Rusyns were members of an autonomous federation. Ukrainians, it seemed, were the big losers.

In describing the impact of these events upon the morale of the community, Father Poniatyshyn later wrote: "The Ukrainian defeat at the peace conference at Versailles, that is, the negation by that conference of Ukrainian requests, left the Ukrainian American community thoroughly disillusioned and in a deep state of depression. In the main, that depression was utilized by 'our' Bolsheviks." For the UNA, communism would remain the greatest threat to the Ukrainian nationalist front in the postwar period, an era plagued, at least initially, by political malaise. ...

During the mid-1920s the leadership of the UNA became increasingly concerned with the younger generation. A Svoboda editorial pointed out that the main reason for organizing a juvenile department within the UNA was to allow young people an opportunity to enjoy early membership so that some day they would become adult members. Pointing out that since the beginning of the year, 410 juvenile members became 18 years of age, Svoboda asked "what happened to them? ... Will they stop being members of the Ukrainian National Association? Will they cut all ties with Soyuz. ... These questions need to be answered not only by the youth but by their parents ... branch secretaries ... indeed by all members of the Ukrainian National Association." Part of the answer was supplied by Svoboda in an editorial titled "The UNA is Developing for the Glory of Our Immigration," which pointed out that in the month of July alone, 60 members of the juvenile department re-enrolled in the adult department:

"Soyuz is pleased that our members have understood the importance [of this matter]. Soyuz is delighted that cadres of a new Ukrainian American intelligentsia are emerging from the ranks of Soyuz, from the homes of its members because that is the best guarantee that a new intelligentsia will care about the future of our organization, just as their parents did. ... All enlightened immigrants should also rejoice along with Soyuz because from our ranks are emerging the new strength of youth, idealistic, and nationally enlightened community members who follow the path of their fathers and will enrich their people and their organization." ...

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