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Ukrainian Contributions To American Culture By LUBA U. KOWALSKA Summary of Ukrainian History and Reasons For Ukrainian Emigration (Continued) ® ------- - --------------------------------- around the circumference of the egg, and the colors come out dear and harmonious. Ukrainian Easter egg designs follo-w certain basic divisions, dictated principally by the con tours of the egg. Some of the most beautiful designs are geo metric in form and like the By zantine mosaics, have their ori gin in the art of the early Chris tian church. Still other designs are based on naturalistic forms such as flowers, grains, vegeta bles, birds, fish and animals. In general, these forms are charac teristic of the region where they originate. Thus deer and pine branches are found in the eggs from the mountain sections, and horses and spikes of grain from the plains and valleys. Easter and Christmas, the Pro- cais informed me, are the two great seasons of the Ukrainian calendar. Both observances last for several days, and both are ac companied by solemn age-old rites, both within and out the church. The entire Lenten period is one of deep mourning. Fast days are observed on Mondays, Wednes days and Fridays, social events are discontinued and black rib bons and streamers substituted for the flowers and other usual decorations of the church. Thurs day of Holy Week is called Stra- stney Chetver, which signifies the day of suffering. In the church service on this evening the priest reads the Gospel in twelve in tervals, describing the suffering of Christ while carrying the cross, and at each interval the congregation bows to the floor three times and prays. On Friday, the day of entombment, a large painting of the dead Christ, called the Plashchinytzia, is displayed in the front of the altar, with candles burning around it like the tapers around a bier. The regular church lamps are covered as a sign of mourning, and in the semi-darkness the congregation proceed on their knees the length of the building, then prostrate themselves and kiss the ground before the painting which signi fies “God's Grave” or the Tomb of Christ. But there is no hint of sorrow in the joyous Resurrection serv ices which come early Sunday morning, and which last for t'vfro or three hours. At the close of the service friends greet each other with the jubilant “Christ is risen!” with the returning salute, “He has risen, indeed!” and ex change the beautiful eggs which have been prepared some weeks in advance. Eggs also play a part at the traditional Sunday dinner. The father or other eldest male of the family breaks a cooked egg and cuts it into pieces, depending on the number present at the ta ble. Each member of the family takes a fragment and eats it, thus breaking the long Easter fast. The use of eggs in the observ ance of spring festivals dates back to the earliest pagan days. Winter, the season of sleep and death, is over. New life breaks through the shell of the eggs just as the dormant life within the earth comes forth at the touch of the sun. The early church took over the eggs with the greater symbolic meaning of a new spiritual life arising from the Tomb of Christ. There are many beautiful le gends in connection with the eggs. One of them, said Mrs. Procai, tells that Mary, the mo ther of Christ, brought a basket of red eggs to Pilate to persuade him to be merciful in his judg ment. Strictly speaking, the Ukraine has not been an independent country for some years, yet it has kept a cultural heritage of its own. It is a large area, shaped roughly like a big lion across the back of middle Europe. The Car pathian mountains lie to the south, but it is mostly a rich alluvial plain, much like our own great Mississippi valley. Six hundred years ago, from about 960 to 1340, the Ukraine was a proud *and independent people, but they were not allow ed to keep their independence for long. Unprotected by natural bar riers, the Ukraine was vulnerable on every side to her predatory neighbors. One after another dif ferent “landlords” moved in, put ting a claim to their share of the rich Ukrainian land. In 1340 came the Lithuanians, later the Poles. But in 1648 the Ukrainian Cos sacks took charge and establish ed an independent Cossack repub lic. In 1775 the Ukraine was split between Russia and Austria- Hungary. Finally in 1918 a Uk rainian national republic was es tablished which in 1923 became the Soviet Ukrainian Republic. In addition to the periodic changes of government the Uk raine has served as a highroad across the mid-European contin ent. Caravans from the* Orient, migrating tribes from the Cauca sus, scholars, business men and soldiers, all have moved across the face of Ukraine, but leaving little trace behind them. What remains unique about the Ukraine is that despite all the invasions, all the partitioning among neighboring states, it has kept its ethnographic and cultur al unity. No matter what tongue their conquerors spoke, Ukrain ians have retained their own lan guage, preserved their own crafts, poetry, music and religion. Art, to many people, has4 be come Fine Art, to be put in mu seums and galleries and discussed Ukrainians in American Sports Ukrainians have been famous for their horsemanship from the Kozak times. They have brought this talent to America. Ukrainian Kozak riders joined circuses and under every bigtop there are Uk rainian riders or'their American pupils thrilling the public with in esoteric terms. But to the Uk rainian art is for everyday, and fun for everybody. It can take the high form of sculpture or po etry (the Ukraine has been fam ous for both) but it also means the embroidery on a man’s danc ing shirt, or the intricate dance patterns of the Ukrainian ballet. All these things are particular ly true of the Procai family. They enjoy to the fullest their New World application of the Old World arts. Not only are Mrs. Procai and her daughters skilled Easter egg artists, but they em broider with equal facility — ta ble scarves, runners, cushibns as well as the aprons and sashes for the brilliant costumes of the bal let dancers — and it is interest ing to observe t»iat -many of these embroidery designs are similar in color and feeling to those on the eggs. The Procais sing in the choir of St. Michael's Ukrainian church. They dance in the Uk rainian ballet, a group of young people that specialize in the pic turesque dances of the Ukraine. The only son of the family, Earl Procai, .who lost his life in the U. S. Navy during an air at tack on the cruiser Indianapolis, will long be -remembered by Twin City people as the small boy who with an equally small partner performed so expertly at the many appearances of the ballet. Mrs. Procai, who has taken part in many dramatic productions, ap peared in a recent film prepared by a New York company show ing the life followed by members of the Ukrainian communities in the United States. Some of the younger members of the family are editors and publishers of the Ukadet, a Ukrainian-American church magazine, which is sent to readers all over the country. The Procais, as well as many other neighbors of Ukrainian an cestry have, by this enthusiastic sharing of Old World arts and culture, contributed immeasur ably to the rich fabric of our na tional life. their performances of old Kozak feats. In proportion to their popula tion in America and the hardships they encountered, Ukrainians have produced a great number of top-ranking athletes in scholastic, collegiate, amateur and profes sional ranks on many fields of athletic endeavor, such as foot ball, basketball, baseball, boxing, wrestling, swimming, soccer and hockey. Probably the best known American in sports was Bronco Nagurski, who was both a wrest ler and a football player. He is considered by many the greatest college and professional football player of all time, and has become a legend of the American grid iron. Among Ukrainian American boxers we have Steve Halaiko of the U. S. Olympic, and Johnny Jadick, Junior welterweight champion. Ukrainian American wrestlers included Matros Kiri lenko, Vanka Zelezniak, Bronco Nagurski, Mike Mazurki, and others less known. Bill Panzen, the Ukrainian American wrestler according to Ripley in his column of July 1, 1939, had beaten 69 champions though he had never held the world’s heavyweight wrestling crown. He fought in 650 matches, losing only 4. Peter Fick, America's greatest swimmer and holder of many speed records, is a Ukrainian. He was nicknamed “Swimming Am bassador of the United States” in 1940. Steve Wozniak is another swimming record breaker. Dr. George Kojac of New York es tablished the Olympic record in back stroke swimming in Am sterdam in 1928 and has main tained it. Michael Tresh is a Chicago White Sox catcher, while famous “Gazook-Gazella,” Michael Guze- lak ,is still remembered among major league baseball fans. Ur- banski is another Ukrainian in the major leagues. Less popular sports among Uk rainians are weight-lifting in which John Trepak has made himself a name; golfing, in which Mike Elko won the New Jersey State Public Links cham pionship in 1944; and hand-ball which Walter Plekan of up-state New York has proven to be a speedster. (To be continued)
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