Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12
Cultivating and Modernizing Ukrainian Culture By Mildred Milanowicz (Address delivered at the 10th Convention of UYL-NA held over the past Labor Day weekend at Hotel Benjamin Frankhny Philadelphia) (Conclusion) Songs In established choirs, the feel ing for improvement also seems to exist. We reached a fine high several years ago, when we reached the Koshetz level, but we must now go on from there. Now we need qualified and competent choir directors. We need new songs, new arrangements. We need new programs for our con certs, with concessions made to American listeners by including other than Ukrainian songs. How else can our present choirs prove their natural artistry and musi cianship in singing Ukrainian songs, if they do not also offer fine interpretations of songs fa miliar to Americans? We urgent ly need concertized arrangements of our Ukrainian songs for our concert singers, our instrument alists. Why not include music on a -higher plane in our programs, like operas, symphonies ? It is about time we graduated from the amateur class in our concert programs. Literature Since music has been for cen turies, our strongest point in our favor, I have dwelt at length on that subject. But we can go on to literature and state that not enough is known either by us or by the world at large about Uk rainian literature. We need more translations of our stories, our poetry, our plays. Prof. Manning has given us an excellent start with his two books — “Taras Shevchenko” and “Ukrainian Lit erature.” They should spur us not only to read the accepted works of prose and poetry in the origin- ing Shevchenko, Franko, Stefa- nik and a few others. We should read any modern Ukrainian mag azine or book on literature and discover for ourselves the sheer beauty in the poetry of Olena Te- liha, Olzhech and others of this era. Painting and Architecture As to painting, did you know that a school of Ukrainian paint ing has developed recently? Mo dern Ukrainian painters claim that it gives the same feeling of lyricism, of liquid motion and grace and balance that i$ ^iven by our national folk songs. You find samples of it in the modern art magazines on display here. In this field too,*we need study of history and modern develop ments. We have many competent teachers and exponents of Uk rainian school of painting. You might even now be con sidering the building of a new church, a new national home in your community. Why not utilize our heritage of Ukrainian archi tecture and perhaps start a new trend in. style of public buildings Jiere? Decorations too, can be modern Ukrainian, based on the traditional. We have architects among us here who have studied this Ukrainian form and use it. In sculpturing- here too, we need to go beyond knowledge of the. works of Archipenko. You will find that today a Ukrainian sculptor by the name of Muchyn is being hailed by critics as a al Ukrainian, but to learn the newest writers' and poets’ works and help the world know them through translations. We have competent teachers here and abroad who can help us in this respect. Our knowledge should not stop at the smattering we re ceived .in our schooldays in read- twentieth century genius. Photos of his works are in many new art magazines. Folk Art. A neglected and ab used field. From the examples you on exhibit you can see for yourself the highly finished form it has taken. You can, also see how vast new fields of develop ment are open, using traditional Ukrainian designs, colors, tex tures, as represented by the mo dern furniture displayed here, de signed and executed by Mrs. Ma ria Chomyn. The importance of an exhibit of this sort is better realized with the knowledge that non-Ukrainians seek them out for new ideas, new inspirations. Consequently an exhibitor of Uk rainian folk art must have an in timate knowledge of the origins and sources of the material on display. Since exhigits like this interpret our Ukrainian people to the world, we need to gain com petent people along these lines, ones who are qualified to advise on, and explain our costumes, our handicraft and our customs. For spreading our culture among the very young and im pressionable, where it is planted forever, there is the Ukrainian scout movement, part of the World Scouts, which also include the American Scouts. Ukrainian scouts in their homeland and now in the DP camps have produced youth of such high ideals that to day these former scouts are will ing to sacrifice their lives in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army for their high ideals, for freedom, equality, for a free Ukraine. Our culture, based on these principles always, should find many friends in the growing world, through the Ukrainian Scout movement I have only touched on the high spots of things we should do to develop and modernize our Ukrainian culture here in'Amer ica. How to do it? I think you will find the means. Youth al ways has been able to meet any challenge. You might find your answer in establishing Ukrainian Culturural Courses here in the United States. How to Do It You can start on the generous help in this country of our Uk rainian musicians, composers, writers, teachers and intellectu als who have devoted and sacri ficed a whole life-time to the worthiness of preserving and de veloping Ukrainian culture. You сап. depend too, on help from the newest group of Uk rainian immigrants who are eag er to bring their specialized and modern knowledge of Ukrainian culture to you. These recent im migrants from DP camps fit in here, because they chose to live only by their old democratic ideals of freedom and equality in this country, rather than return to their enslaved homeland to live under totalitarianism. From them you can expect fine co operation. From you, I repeat, we can ex pect wonderful things. The League, at its coming annual conventions, should be reporting fine things on our future prog ress in choral competitions, art contests, sports contests, hand craft exhibits. We can. expect to hear of more people graduating into positions of importance in America, who will be proud to acknowledge 'their Ukrainian cul tural background. We can start now. UKRAINIAN JUNIOR LEAGUE, BR. 52 OF UNWLA On Its 10th Anniversary October 7, 1947, marked the tenth anniversary of successful existence otf the Ukrainian Junior League, Branch 52, of the Uk rainian Nfetifonal Wemen’s League of America, Inc., by cele brating with a dinner and dance. The guests were entertained with a piano rendition of Ukrain ian folk songs by Miss Kay Mu cha, and a soprano solo by Mrs. Pearl Bilinsky, assisted at the pi ano gy Mrs. Marie Rylbachok. The welcome address was giv- ano by Mrs. Marie Rylbachok. President of Branch 52, who also introduced Mrs. Julia Letnau- chyn as toastmistress. The invo cation was delivered by Rev. Bohdan Olesih. The guest speaker Mrs. Helen F. D. Lototsky, National Presi dent of UNWLA, in her address called for unity of thought and harmonious work. — You will, in the near future take over the leadership in this great organiza tion of ours, said Mrs. Lototsky, it is then desired that you enter this field with dignity, armed with knowledge and experience. Carry on the good work of UN WLA (Soyuz Ukrainok), so ably developed by your mothers, the builders and pioneers in cultural and educational endeavors. Mrs. Olga Liso, cited by the members as the “Woman of the year,” for her outstanding achievements and contributions to the Club, was presented with an orchid and a gift. A trident pin of marcasites was presented to members of good standing of 5 years or more. Greetings and monetary gifts were extended by representatives of UNWLA Philadelphia Council of Branches, and Branches 41, 42, 46, 47, and St. Mary’s Sorori ty of Chester, Pa. One of the highlights of the evening was the initiation of a new Branch 57, the teen-agers of the Junior League, sponsored by Branch 52. Mrs. Heleq Lototsky, as National President, presented a charter to Miss Helen Wasy lenko, President of the new Branch. Dinner closed with singing of Soyuz Ukrainok song. Dancing continued into late hours and a good time was had by all. Stephanie Wochok. ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER TO OUR LIFE Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
Page load link
Go to Top