Pre-Easter bazaars and other activities

    The Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community will be busy during the second half of this month with some very popular and interesting activities, in addition to strictly religious services and prayers appropriate for the Holy Lent, known to Ukrainians as “Velykyi Pist” (great fast).

    On Friday, from 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., the very popular Pre-Easter Bazaar at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish of St. Mary’s will be held. It will take place in the Parish Center located next to the church at 1078 N. Biscayne Drive at the corner of West Price Boulevard in North Port. Traditional Ukrainian American dinners, which include a selection of varenyky (pierogis), holubtsi (cabbage rolls), sausage and other delicacies, will be served from noon until closing. Coffee and pastries will be available all day. Takeout will be available also, but the kitchen management would appreciate advance ordering for larger orders. In addition to food items, there will be many items available for purchase, including the world-renowned “pysanky” (Ukrainian hand-decorated Easter eggs) and other gift items. Iwanna Holowaty and Oksana Lew, both of Venice, are co-chairs of the Bazaar Committee. For more information, call 941-423-2427.

    On March 28, between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., there will be another, just as popular Pre-Easter Bazaar at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”), at 4100 S. Biscayne Drive in North Port. There will also be all kinds of items available for purchase, including baked goods such as babkas, pysanky, house articles, books and other gift items. Traditional Ukrainian food will also be available to eat on-site, or for takeout. For more information, contact Gene Tomashosky at 941-786-5256 or St. Andrew’s at 941-426-9745.

    On March 31, the traditional annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon, sponsored by the Scholarship Committee of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, will be held at noon at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club. Tickets, at $25 per person, should be ordered in advance by mailing a check payable to the Ukrainian American Club to Nancy Wosny, Club Treasurer, 6167 Otis Road, North Port, FL 34287. Tickets will not be available at the door.

    The Scholarship Committee, headed by professor Victor Lisnyczyj of North Port, solicited applications for scholarships from North Port High School seniors, and for the first time, from seniors at Port Charlotte High. Only one $1,000 scholarship will be awarded at the luncheon.
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    The monthly membership meeting of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida will be at 6 p.m. March 25 at the Oseredok. Several important issues will be discussed, and President Daria is asking all members to attend. Nonmembers are always welcome to attend and to socialize at the end of the meeting over a cup of coffee and delicious home-baked pastry.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn

‘Free Nadiya Savchenko Day’

      In addition to celebrating International Women’s Day, Ukrainian women’s organizations in Ukraine and throughout the world, including the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America called for all to observe March 8 as “Free Nadiya Savchenko Day” by holding rallies and fasting. The North Port Ukrainian American community also held special “Molebens” (prayers) at the conclusion of last Sunday’s liturgies in both Ukrainian churches here, St. Andrew’s and St. Mary’s.

    Ukrainian military paratrooper and pilot Nadiya Savchenko was captured in 2014 by the Russian-supported terrorists in Eastern Ukraine and clandestinely transferred across the border to Russia. Russian authorities charged her with involvement in the death of two Russian journalists during the anti-terrorist action in the Donbas region. Later, she was additionally charged with illegally crossing the Ukrainian-Russian border. While in jail, Nadiya declared, over two months ago, a hunger strike protesting her illegal detention, and her health is now in very poor condition as a result of it.

    During the last Ukrainian parliamentary elections in November, she was elected a member of “Verkhovna Rada,” Ukraine’s parliament, as No. 1 on the “Batkivshchyna” (fatherland) party list, and in December she was included in Ukraine’s quota for representatives in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Thus, Putin’s Russian authorities are holding illegally a member of another country’s parliament and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Europe, in violation of Geneva Conventions and all international laws and treaties.

    Nadiya Savchenko was the only female soldier serving with the Ukrainian peacekeeping troops in Iraq.
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    The monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans took place Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”). The meeting was chaired by Post Commander Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.).

    After listening to and approving the reports of officers and committee chairs, members discussed at length the post’s traditional participation in the Memorial Day program at Venice Memorial Gardens on May 22 and North Port’s community observance of Memorial Day on May 25. Yours truly was appointed coordinator of our post’s participation on Memorial Day with Post 254 of the American Legion to ensure that the official program and other publications adequately and properly reflect Post 40’s role.

    The next membership meeting will be at 3 p.m. April 3 at the Oseredok. Members are being asked to come at 1:30 p.m. to prepare Memorial Day ribbons.
                                                                     • • •
    The North Port and Southwest Florida Ukrainian-American community commemorated and honored the memory of Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), Ukraine’s national hero, artist, poet and revolutionary. The festive assembly, sponsored by the Coordinating Committee of Ukrainian American Clubs and Organizations, headed by Roma Garran of Venice, was held Saturday at the Oseredok.
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    Other important community events coming up: March 16, annual membership meeting of the Oseredok; March 20, Pre-Easter Bazaar at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church; March 28, Pre-Easter Bazaar at St. Andrew’s; and March 31, Scholarship Awards Luncheon of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol. com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn

Commemorating Taras Shevchenko

     While the month of February is traditionally dedicated to Ukrainian heroines, March is dedicated to the commemoration of “the greatest Ukrainian” — artist, poet and revolutionary Taras Shevchenko (March 9, 1814-March 10, 1861). As a gifted youngster whose drawing and painting talent was discovered by his master Engelhart (Shevchenko was born a serf), he was encouraged to continue his formal education in art and became one of the best portrait painters of his era. However, he is better known for his poems and his political activities, which led to a 10-year sentence that he had to serve in the army in what is now Kazakhstan. His sentence was personally endorsed by the Czar, who added a personal note: “with prohibition to paint and write.”

    Shevchenko’s poems, some historic and patriotic, others romantic and sentimental, became popular very early. He was considered the conscience of the Ukrainian nation and was often referred to as “Bat’ko Taras” (Father Taras) even though he was very young (he died at the age of 47). A collection of his poems, “Kobzar,” became one of the most popular books and was treated on par with the Bible. Many of his poems became popular songs, sung to this day throughout Ukraine and Ukrainian communities throughout the world. Many schools, including the Ukrainian National University in Kyiv, bear his name, as do many streets and plazas throughout Ukraine. There is also a Taras Shevchenko Place not far from the Cooper Union in New York City.

    Shevchenko’s monuments are in just about every city and town throughout Ukraine and in many foreign capitals and cities, including Washington, D.C.; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Warsaw, Poland; Winnipeg, Canada; and many others.

    The North Port and Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community will commemorate Taras Shevchenko this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as “the Oseredok”) in North Port. All are welcome. The event is sponsored by the Coordinating Committee of Ukrainian American Clubs and Organizations headed by Roma Guran of Venice. The program will include songs by the United Choir under the direction of Lubow Dobrowolska-Ingram of Venice.
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    The monthly membership meeting of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port and held Feb. 25 at the Oseredok, was dedicated to honoring the “Nebesna Sotnya” (Heavenly Hundred), the over 100 demonstrators killed in Kyiv by former President Yanukovych’s thugs and Russian Special Forces sharpshooters during the “Revolution of Dignity” (Nov. 23, 2013-Feb. 22, 2014).

    The business portion of the meeting included reports of officers and committee chairs. Professor Victor Lisnyczyj of North Port, chair of the club’s Scholarship Committee reported on the work of the committee, and responses to the published scholarship application on the club’s website (www. ukrainianamericanclub. com). He also announced that the traditional Scholarship Awards Luncheon at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club will take place at noon March 31, and not as previously announced.
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    The monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at the Oseredok.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn

Halyna Kymuk to speak on ‘Euromaidan’

      The Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, will meet at 6 tonight at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”) in North Port. The brief business meeting, with reports of Secretary Doris Horbachevsky, Treasurer Nancy Wosny, Corresponding Secretary Halya Lisnyczyj, Scholarship Committee Chair Victor Lisnyczyj and other committee chairs will be followed by an interesting presentation by Halyna Kymuk.

    Mrs. Kymuk, a Southwest Florida resident and community activist, will speak about her personal experience and observation of events, including tragic, while participating in “Euromaidan,” the Ukrainian “Revolution of Dignity,” which began on Nov. 23, 2013, as the peaceful protest of Ukrainians, mostly students, against former president Yanukovych’s refusal to sign an agreement of cooperation with the European Union and turning toward Putin’s Russia. At Yanukovych’s order, the “Berkut” special security units and Russian Special Forces sharpshooters began to shoot the peaceful, unarmed demonstrators, and by the time Yanukovych fled to Russia on Feb. 22, 2014, more than 100 young people had been killed, with many hundreds wounded. The innocent heroes, now known and honored as “The Heavenly Hundred,” included members of Ukrainian ethnic minorities who believed it was their obligation to demonstrate for the democratic and Western-leaning Ukrainian Fatherland.

    Since the end of the demonstrations at the Maidan (“maidan” in Ukrainian is “plaza”), which was followed by the election of a Western-oriented, democratic “Verkhovna Rada” (parliament) and President Petro Poroshenko, Mrs. Kymuk also visited the Ukrainian military units now engaged in anti- terrorist operations in the southeastern regions of Ukraine.

    The meeting and Mrs. Kymuk’s presentation will be followed by a social hour with coffee and pastries. All are welcome. One does not have to be a member of the club or be of Ukrainian descent to attend and be welcomed.
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    The monthly member- ship meeting of North Port Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian ladies), headed by President Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, will take place at 10 a.m. March 3 at the Oseredok. The agenda will include a report by Olya Hron of Osprey, branch vice president and chair of the committee of the very successful fundraiser “Vyshyvani Vechernytsi” (“Embroidered Ball”) on Feb. 14.

    Following all reports, there will be a brief, solemn commemoration program honoring all Ukrainian heroines.

    Prior to the meeting there will be requiem divine liturgy and “Panakhyda” (special prayer service for the dead) at 9 a.m. at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church for the repose of souls of all departed members of UNWLA Branch 56.
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    The monthly membership meeting of North Port’s Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.) of Osprey, will take place at 3 p.m. March 6 at the Oseredok.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn

A Valentine’s Day wedding at St. Mary’s

     The Southwest Florida Ukrainian American Catholic congregation, led by the Rev. Dr. Severyn Kovalyshin, pastor of North Port’s Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church, has a reason to be much happier following a rather rare event, a “vinchannya” (marriage) of a young couple in the local church.

    Adrian Kekis and Lida Kryzaniwsky were married last Saturday, Valentine’s Day, by the Rev. Dr. Kovalyshin and the Rev. Renaldo Kekis, the groom’s father.

    Adrian is the son of Marij and the Rev. Ronald Kekis, pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Resurrection in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Lida is the daughter of parish members Chrystyna and Dr. George Kryzaniwsky, a U.S. Armed Forces veteran and member of North Port’s Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans.

    My wife Katrusia and I congratulate the parents of the bride and groom, and wish “Mnohaya Leeta!” (many, many years) for the newlyweds.
                                                            • • •
    Ukrainians in Ukraine and throughout the world commemorate in February Ukrainian Heroines. The tradition began after two patriotic female revolutionaries were murdered by occupiers of Ukraine — Olha Basarab was murdered Feb. 12, 1924, while imprisoned in L’viv, and Olena Teliha was executed by Nazi Gestapo Feb. 21, 1942, at Babyn Yar in Kyiv.

    There are many more heroines, including the most recent ones, members of the “Heavenly Hundred” killed by Yanukovych’s security thugs during the “Revolution of Dignity,” now fighting the Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine.
                                                            • • •
    The Executive Board of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, held its meeting last week to discuss various issues and to plan the club’s activities for the next several months. In addition to approving the officers’ reports (secretary, treasurer, corresponding secretary and Social Services Committee chair), board members discussed at length the club’s scholarship program following the presentation of professor Victor Lisnyczyj, chair of the Scholarship Committee.

    Prof. Lisnyczyj informed board members that the information about applications for the club’s scholarships was given to North Port and Port Charlotte high schools. Applications are also available on the club’s website at ukrainianamericanclub. com. All seniors from these two high schools are eligible to apply for a $1,000 scholarship. The traditional scholarship awards luncheon will be held at noon March 18 at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club in North Port.

    Among several projects discussed, plans for arranging an exhibit of artwork of members of the local Ukrainian American community in March or in April at the North Port Library elicited the most favorable response. It will be finalized at the next membership meeting.

    The next monthly membership meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”). The guest speaker will be Halyna Kymuk, who spent many weeks as an observer and active participant of the Revolution of Dignity, also known as “Euromaidan” in Kyiv (Nov. 23, 2013-Feb. 22, 2014), which resulted in the replacement of the corrupt, Kremlinoriented government of former president Yanukovych with a democratically elected pro-Western “Verkhovna Rada” (parliament) and government headed by President Petro Poroshenko.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors  -  The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn

 

"Embroidered Ball" on Valentine’s Day

     North Port Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, better known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (Union of Ukrainian Ladies), headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, is sponsoring its traditional annual “Vyshyvani Vechernytsi” (“Embroidered Ball”) at 6 p.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive, at the corner of West Price Boulevard in North Port, with music by Vic Syzonenko. All are welcome.

    Tickets, at $15, can be ordered from Kati Posnachiwsky at 941-423-6329 or Tania Silecky at 941-302-6054. For more information, call branch vice president Olya Hron at 941-966-2845.

    All proceeds are for the UNWLA “Heart to Heart” Fund to help victims of the “Revolution and War of Dignity” in Ukraine.


• • •

    Members of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.), held their first meeting of 2015 on Feb. 6 at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”). The meeting was called to order by Vice Commander Col. Roman Synychak, USAF (Ret.) due to Commander Rondiak’s absence. After the opening formalities (salute, Pledge of Allegiance and commemoration of deceased comrades), members approved last meeting’s minutes and discussed the financial report, which will be reintroduced at the next meeting and then approved.

    Following the reports of other officers, UAV National Commander Ihor W. Hron relayed information about activities and plans of the UAV National Executive Board. One of the items discussed by NC Hron at length was the UAV National Monument. The work to erect the monument at St. Andrew’s Ukrainians Cemetery in South Bound Brook, N.J., has started, and a formal dedication will take place in the first half of October, in conjunction with the 68th UAV National Convention that will take place in New Jersey. NC Hron will write a letter to all post commanders requesting the attendance at the monument dedication of representatives from every post.

    NC Hron introduced a guest, Oleksandr Kryskiv of L’viv, Ukraine. Kryskiv, a political and community activist, is one of the leaders of the Ukrainian Scouting Organization “Plast” in Ukraine. He spoke about the situation in Ukraine in general, and specifically about Plast members, who, as volunteers, are fighting the Russian aggressors and their stooges in the Donbas region. Following his presentation, post members approved a donation to purchase special winter boots for this group of volunteers. Additional funds were also donated by post members.

    Other individuals, including members of the North Port community, who would like to contribute to this project, can do so by mailing a check payable to “UAV Post 40” and mailing it to the post at 4100 S. Biscayne Dr., North Port, FL 34287.

    Col. Synychak relayed messages from absent Commander Rondiak, and PPC Jerry Zinycz made inquiries about the status of the address book, which our post in cooperation with two other organizations is planning to publish. IPPC Gene Tomashosky provided information about the status of the project.

    The next membership meeting will be held at 3 p.m. March 6 at the Oseredok.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn

 

Judge speaks on Ukraine’s democracy quest

    Last week’s meeting of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, — the first meeting of this year — was attended by a large number of members and many guests fully filling the main hall of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”). There is no doubt that the reason for such a large turnout of members, guests and even guests who are not members of the Ukrainian American community, was the speaker, the Honorable Bohdan A. Futey, a federal judge serving on senior status for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and his topic, “Ukraine’s quest for democracy and rule of law after the Revolution of Dignity,”

    Judge Futey, who spoke to various audiences on legal matters at many seminars and professional meetings in the United States, Canada, Germany and Ukraine, and was consulted by governmental agencies of Ukraine, had no problem keeping the audience captivated for over an hour. He traced the pre-history of the “Revolution of Dignity,” which lasted from Nov. 23, 2013, to Feb. 22, 2014, and its aftermath, and explained some of the difficulties the new, western-oriented government of Ukraine, including President Petro Poroshenko, are facing in their quest for democracy and the rule of law in the midst of open military aggression of the neighboring Russian Federation. The revolution, which began as a peaceful protest against then-president Yanukovych’s refusal to sign an agreement with the European Union, resulted in over 100 lives of peaceful demonstrators shot by security personnel, ordered by Yanukovych, while the de-facto open war since April 2014, took over 5,000 Ukrainian lives, including soldiers, but mostly civilians including women and children — and there is no end in sight.

    Preceding Judge Futey’s presentation there was a relatively brief meeting of the club. Following the traditional reports of secretary Doris Horbachevsky, treasurer Nancy Wosny, and correspondence secretary and chair of the social services committee, Halya Lisnyczyj, president Daria asked professor Victor Lisnyczyj, chair of the club’s scholarship committee, to submit his report. He spoke about the last meeting of the committee, some of the difficulties he and members of the committee had to face and to overcome, and informed members and guests that the applications for scholarships, which are available on the club’s website (ukrainian americanclub.com) for seniors at North Port High School and, for the first time, from Charlotte County high schools. The traditional Scholarship Awards Luncheon will be held March 18. Details to come.
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    The monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Commander Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.), will take place at 3 p.m. Friday at the Oseredok.

    Finance Officer Oleh Sawkiw is asking all members who did not mail their dues to him to prepare to pay this year’s dues ($30) at the meeting, with checks payable to “UAV Post 40.” Additional donations are appreciated.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn