Archives News and Highlights

by Ostap Kin, Archivist

The Shevchenko Scientific Society was recently honored to recieve five archival collections over the past several months. Specifically, Stephania Hnateyko donated the papers of author Vadym Lesych.  The archival papers of philosopher and editor of “Lysty do Pryateliv” Mykola Shlemkevych were donated by Marta Shlemkevych-Sawycky. Poet Vasyl Barka’s archival collection was donated by Uliana Holubets and Natalia Sonevytsky donated the archive of community activist Olha Sonevytsky. Evhen and Yaroslawa Salamach’s archive was donated by Taya Salamacha.

Vadym Lesych Papers

The archive of poet Vadym Lesych contains typewritten articles, copies and newspaper articles written by Lesych which highligh local events and activities of Ukrainian communities in the USA. Vadym Lesych  wrote about exhibitions in New York by such artists as Mykola Butovich, Oleksa Gryshchenko, Lev Gets, Slava Geruliak, Arkadia Olenska-Petrishin, Lyuboslov Gutsalyuk, Sergey Lytvynenko, Mikhail Chereshnovsky, Petro Kholodny, Vasyl Panchak, Klym Trofimenko, Volodymyr Balyas, Lubomyr Kuzma, Vasyl Krychevsky, Bohdan Savchuk and Theodor Vitsik.

First page of Vasyl Lesych’s article entitled “Olensky-Petryshyn in an American Gallery” which was published in “Svoboda”  in the “Art Up Close” series.

 

Vasyl Barka Papers

The Archive of Vasyl Barka, poet and philosopher, contains material, such as personal documents (financial, medical, legal) that cover the very first years of the poet’s stay in New York, and the last period of his life as a writer. In addition, the collection includes correspondence, photographs and materials about the writer and the manuscript of the translation of the book “The Yellow Prince” (translation of Yaroslav Lyshynsky).

Invitation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of creative work and the 90th birthday of Vasyl Barka, which took place on September 20, 1998 in Glen Spey, New York.

 

Handwritten invitation by Vasyl Barka to celebrate his 90th birthday to  Zenon Holubets, 1998.

 

 

Mykola Shlemkevich Papers

The archive of philosopher, publicist and public figure Mykola Shlemkevich  (1894-1966) consists of materials from his life and body of work.The collection contains correspondence from various persons, handwritten and typed, and scripts of his own radio program.  In 1934 the Shevchenko Scientific  Society in Lviv, Ukraine published his work “Philosophy”, which was reprinted in 1981 in the USA in the Society’s “Zapysky”  under the title “The Essence of Philosophy.” Shlemkevich founded the magazine “Letters to the Friends” in 1953 and was its editor until 1966. He was an active member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences, and served on the first Board of Directors of the Shevchenko Scientific Society re-established in the United States of America.

The cover of “Philosophy” by Mykola Shlemkevich, published as the XVIIth volume of the Collections of Historical and Philosophical Section of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, Lviv in 1934.

Evhen and Yaroslava Salamach Papers

The Evhen and Yaroslava Salamach archive contains materials that span the lives of the couple in Ukraine, in displaced persons camps in Germany, and in the United States. In particular, a large body of materials from Yaroslava’s  participation in the UPA in Ukraine has survived. The archive also includes the materials of the artist Yuri Solovyy (in particular, the correspondence of the artist and articles about him).

Yaroslava Turyanska’s (Yaroslav Salamacha’s maiden name) Attendance Record for USA Orientation lessons. Germany, 1951.

Olha Sonevytska papers

Olha Sonevytska (1902-1989) journalist, founder of the Olha Sonevytska’s Art Gallery in New York and public activist, was born in the village Kopychyntsy in the Podil (now – Ternopil) region. The archive consists of correspondence, material related to the work of Olga Sonevytska’s Art Gallery, personal documents and photographs. She graduated from the State Gymnasium in Ternopil and after moving to the United States, she wrote and worked for such publications as Free Word (Canada), Our Life, New Way (Canada). She was co-editor for the almanac “Chortkiv District” (published in 1974).

Olha Sonevytska’s  Employment Card as a member of the  Ukrainian Chorus “Ukraina” issued Warner–Caserne, Germany DP camp Labor Office.