New Pathway – Ukrainian News.
The Ukrainian word oseredok (осередок) has different meanings in English which reflect the multitude of missions that Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre fulfils in Winnipeg’s Ukrainian community: centre, hotbed, nucleus, nursery.
“During the past 75 years, we have accomplished many things we can be proud of. Today our Centre is one of North America’s largest and most unique Ukrainian cultural organizations with an art gallery, museum, library, archives, cultural programming and a boutique,” says Don Puhach, President of Oseredok.
Oseredok’s gallery boasts an extensive collection of art, artifacts, archival materials and published works which document the history and culture of Ukrainians in Canada. Various artifacts are periodically exhibited showcasing the breadth and scope of its collection which consists of over 900 works of art – lithographs, oils, acrylics, sculptures – by Ukrainian, Ukrainian Canadian and Ukrainian American artists. The majority of the collection is by artists from the latter half of the 20th century and includes such masterpieces as woodcuts by Jacques Hnizdovsky, oils by Myron Levytsky and lithographs by Alexander Archipenko. Ukrainian Canadian artists are represented by William Kurelek, Leo Mol, Jacob Maydanyk, Peter Shostak and others.
The museum’s collection includes artifacts that tell the story of Ukrainian ethnology and history. The collection includes Ukrainian pioneer clothing, textiles, folk art and Ukrainian regional costumes. Oseredok houses one of the largest pysanka collections in North America.
Oseredok’s archival collection is one of the richest sources of Ukrainian archival material in North America. It contains over 500 meters of textual material related to the history of Ukrainians in Canada and other countries. It includes papers by prominent community leaders and community organizations. Iwan Boberskyj's and the St. Raphael’s Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Welfare Association of Canada's are two important collections related to the early years of settlement in Canada. The archives also have a strong music component with the papers of Oleksander Koshetz, Pavlo Macenko, Ehven Turula, Myron Fedoriv and Walter Klymkiw.
The Centre’s research library has approximately 35,000 volumes of books, 1,700 periodic titles and 450 newspapers. It offers a wide range of publications, primarily in Ukrainian, but also in English and other languages, on Ukrainian and Ukrainian Canadian history, literature, language, geography, the fine arts, music, folk art, ethnography, to name a few.
This year, Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre is marking 75 years of service to the community. It all began in 1943, when Oleksander Koshetz and other Ukrainian community leaders began discussions on the development of a resource centre dedicated to preserving and promoting the Ukrainian cultural heritage and history. In December 1943, a founding committee of the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre was created consisting of V. Kossar (Chair), V. Hultay (Vice Chair), T.K. Pavlychenko and P. Macenko (Secretaries), O. Tarnovetsky (Treasurer), O. Iwach and P. Bozhyk (Members), and O. Koshetz (Advisor). In 1950, the Ukrainian National Publishing Union bought the building at 184 Alexander Avenue East, where the New Pathway had its office and printing house, and where Oseredok is now housed.
This year, Oseredok had a management change – Yulia Zmerzla was appointed as the new Executive Director. Her broad project management experience is expected to serve well to advance the Centre’s strategic vision.
A diamond anniversary is a significant milestone and Oseredok would like the Ukrainian Canadian community to come in numbers to the Oseredok Gala 5-2-1 to be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019 from 7:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. at 184 Alexander Avenue East, Winnipeg.
The Gala’s guests will be the first to visit Oseredok’s re-opened museum, which will have a new collection, for the first time in many years, showcasing “From Tradition to Modernity: Treasures from Oseredok’s Collection”. This is a new, semi-permanent exhibit in conjunction with retrospective displays that will feature Oseredok’s vast collections and the many accomplishments of the organization to date. Dr. Myroslav Shkandrij will be on hand to be the guests’ personal tour guide for the evening.
The guests will also witness the official opening of the “Transformation” display in Oseredok’s art gallery which will feature the works by the Ukrainian Association of Visual Artists of Canada members. Mr. Oleh Lesiuk will also be on hand to be the personal tour guide for the evening.
Oseredok has more surprises up its sleeve for the Gala’s guests – the event will showcase Oseredok like you’ve never seen it done before.
Tickets are $125.00 per person and can be purchased in the Oseredok Boutique or from Board Members and 75th Anniversary Committee Members. For further information, contact Oseredok at 1-204-942-0218.
With files from Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre
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