To the President of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US (2000-2006)
Full Member of the Society
Dr. Larysa Onyshkevych
Dear and Honored Dr. Onyshkevych,
On the occasion of your 90th birthday, the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US extends to you its most sincere congratulations and best wishes.
From the vantage point of your remarkable life, you undoubtedly recall many pivotal events of the twentieth century that you personally witnessed. Born into a family of Ukrainian Galician intellectuals, you were instilled from an early age with the core values of Galician patriots—those who championed the vision of a united and sovereign Ukraine. The upheavals of World War II profoundly reshaped the lives of countless Ukrainians, including your own family, who became part of the émigré community, choosing exile over accepting the Bolshevik occupation or the very idea of a Soviet Ukraine. You have movingly captured these experiences of displacement in your extraordinary memoir, Borders, Bombs, and … Two Right Shoes.
Growing up abroad—first in Canada and later in the United States—you pursued your education with dedication while actively participating in Ukrainian organizations, most notably Plast. Your deepening interest in literature, and particularly in drama, led you to pursue Slavic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where you earned your doctorate and continued your scholarly research. This work resulted in an impressive body of academic contributions, including numerous articles, curated anthologies, and your influential monograph Text and Performance: Ukrainian Modern Drama. You served as the chief editor of the collections The Worlds of Taras Shevchenko (Volumes 1 and 2), and On the Ukrainian Orthography and Related Issues; for many years, you chaired the UVAN Committee on the Study of Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s Work. You also led the literature section of the journal Suchasnist, making significant editorial contributions. Among your most important achievements are the compilation of two landmark anthologies: The Twins Shall Meet Again: Anthology of Drama of the Ukrainian Diaspora and An Anthology of Modern Ukrainian Drama, published in both Ukrainian and English.
Recognizing the importance of amplifying Ukrainian voices on the global stage, you translated and published the poetry of Vira Vovk, Vasyl Stus, Ihor Kalynets, and Ihor Rymaruk, the prose of Serhii Paradzhanov, and the dramatic works of Valeriy Shevchuk. Your efforts extended beyond creative literature; you are also widely respected for your translations of seminal works of literary criticism from English into Ukrainian.
Perhaps the most impactful and enduring chapter of your scholarly career has been your leadership of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US. As a visionary organizer and advocate for Ukrainian intellectual life abroad, you played a pivotal role in preserving and advancing Ukrainian academic institutions in the diaspora. Under your guidance, NTSh-A expanded its archival and library collections and brought to light important scholarly legacies through publications. Your tenure was marked by a series of significant conferences in literary studies, linguistics, and translation theory. You were the driving force behind numerous foundational initiatives that NTSh-A successfully realized—efforts that have meaningfully enriched the tradition of Ukrainian intellectual and cultural life beyond the homeland.
Dear Honoree, as each of us reflects on our life and professional journey, we come to appreciate that the Biblical phrase “a time to gather stones” is more than a poetic metaphor—it carries a profound meaning. It speaks to the understanding that life’s challenges and achievements are deeply intertwined, leaving behind not only visible results but also a lasting intellectual legacy.
With respect and admiration,
The Board of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US (NTSh-A)