Denver's Ukrainian community pays tribute to Taras Shevchenko (05/28/06)

Denver's Ukrainian community pays tribute to Taras Shevchenko

by Tatianna Gajecky-Wynar

DENVER - The Ukrainian community in Denver honored Taras Shevchenko, the Great Bard, with a grand concert to commemorate the 145th anniversary of his death. It took place on Sunday, March 12, in the parish hall of Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church.

The rich program planned and organized by Tatianna Gajecky-Wynar, longtime educator, artist, community activist and past president of the parish council, included choir and solo-singing interspersed with poetry recitals, dramatizations and interpretive dance, as well as two interesting speeches, one in English and one in Ukrainian. It was an all-adult production, with several young adults participating.

After a few opening remarks by Ms. Gajecky-Wynar the concert began with Shevchenko's "Zapovit" (Testament), sung by the mixed choir at Transfiguration Church, directed by Ms. Gajecky-Wynar.

This mixed choir was a first in Denver, composed of an interesting mixture of a few non-Ukrainians and several generations of Ukrainians: some who came to the U.S. after World War II, those who were born on the way, their children born in the U.S. and a whole new group of recent newcomers - the "Fourth Wave." Most are Ukrainian Catholics, some are Orthodox.

A speech in English titled "Who is Taras Shevchenko and Why Do We Honor Him?" was eloquently delivered by Misio Wynar, a young Denver-born educator who flew in from Kansas City, Mo., where he currently teaches theology, to participate in the concert.

Then came a dramatization of Shevchenko's romantic ballad "Prychynna" (Bewitched), which opens with the well-known lines "Reve ta stohne Dnipr shyrokyi" (The wide Dnipro roars and moans), sung by the mixed choir. The rest of the lengthy poem was read by Ms. Gajecky-Wynar to original interpretive dancing choreographed and performed by University of Denver students Roxolana Wynar and Ksenia Kuskova.

Part of the poem "Taka Yiyi Dolia" (Such Is Her Fate) was sung by Ms. Gajecky-Wynar and Valia Oryshchyn, while the dancers portrayed the death of the unfortunate girl, and then the emotions of the Kozak returning from war, who finds his beloved dead beneath an oak tree and then ends his own life there.

Miss Wynar of Denver has taken 12 years of ballet, tap and jazz in Lakewood's Little Theater, and has also studied and performed with the late Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky in New York, the Voloshky Ensemble in Pennsylvania and the Yunist Ensemble in Lviv. Miss Kuskova, started taking ballet at age 4 at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ekaterinburg, Russia, then continued dancing in Denver's David Taylor Company and Colorado Ballet, after coming to the U.S. at age 12.

The Rev. Dr. Alexander Avramenko, pastor of Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church, delivered a speech in Ukrainian, titled "Shevchenko and Religion," using passages from the poet's works to prove that only someone with deep faith could "polemicize" with God the way Shevchenko did.

This was followed by Mrs. Oryshchyn singing "Sontse Zakhodyt" (The Sun Is Setting); Halyna Kotova reading one of Shevchenko's touching prison poems, "Zore Moya Vechirnaya" (My Evening Star); and the ladies' choir performing "Sadok Vyshnevyi" (the Cherry Orchard). Then Lileya Palissa performed a very moving recitation of "Lileya" (The Lily).

Another interesting dramatization was the rendition of "Dumy Moyi" (My Thoughts) by the mixed choir and Betty Zelem on the bandura, with Mr. Wynar, who played the role of the poet Taras, dressed in an embroidered shirt and 19th century frockcoat, sitting at a candlelit table writing.

Mr. Wynar has sung and acted on the Ukrainian stage in Denver since age 3, and has performed major roles in many musicals during his days at Regis Jesuit High School and Regis University, as well as at St. Mary's Academy. He continues acting and directing plays at Rockhurst Jesuit High School in Kansas City, where he is an Alumni Service Corps member of the faculty.

The program continued with a reading of the poem "Za Bayrakom" (Beyond the Wooded Ravine) by Anatoliy Kotov. Then came an unusual singing/reading rendition of "Topolia" (The Poplar) by the ladies' choir and Miss Wynar, who sang the haunting solo parts of a young girl who lost her beloved in battle.

The youngest member of the choir, Roksolana Fajda, then read the somber poem "Rosryta Mohyla" (The Plundered Grave).

The concert concluded with "Uchitesia, Braty Moyi" (Study, My Brothers), performed by Mr. Wynar and Miss Wynar, a brother-sister duet of singing and reading, ending with Shevchenko's exhortation to all of us to "embrace the youngest brother." The mixed choir then led the audience in singing the Ukrainian national anthem.

After this, Mr. Wynar and Miss Wynar surprised their mother, Ms. Gajecky-Wynar, with a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers and a card from the choir members, thanking her for all her work and dedication. The brother and sister spoke about how their mother raised them to be proud and informed Ukrainians, and how she devoted her life to the Ukrainian community and church in Denver, preparing and directing programs such as this, designing elaborate stage sets and costumes, heading the Parish Council, teaching Ukrainian Saturday School and working in the Ukrainian National Women's League of America.

Mr. Wynar and Ms. Wynar then led the assemblage in singing "Mnohaya Lita" to their mother.

Everyone was then treated to a sumptious potluck dinner organized by Anna Honchar and Barbara Dydyn.

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