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OLEXANDRA EFIMENKO A HISTORIAN OF UKRAINE Among; the students» of history of Ukraine, toward t'he end of the 19th century and at the beginning* of the 20th century, one of the eminent places belongs to Olexan- dra Efimenko. Her personal life and her tireless work for Ukrain ian culture can be understood only against the background of events of the period when she was active in abnormal conditions of life. She was born in 1848, the daughter of Stavrovskys, in Arkhangelsk, in Northern Russia. Following .her graduation from a high school she began her tedious work as a teacher in Kholimogori. She might have lived a'll her life at this hard task requiring self- sacrifice, as thousands of other teachers did in Czarist Russia, but her fate was preparing for her another course which tied her name to far away Ukraine. The Ukrainian cultural life, blazed by the ardent word of Ta ras Shevchenko, began then to evolve. In 1863 it was rashly halt ed by the ukase of Valuyev, Rus sian minister of interior. He for bade printing Ukrainian book-s and newspapers and ordered Sun day schools closed. A number of active Ukrainian patriots were exiled to northern parts of Rus sia. Among them was Peter Eifi- menko, a student of Ukrainian antiquity. It so happened that a young Ukrainian scholar and a young Rus'sian teacher met and fell in love with each other. He kindled in her heart the love for the pas't. Olexandra Efimenko began to explore the history and sociology of the northern provinc es. Her works in Russian, entitled 'The Exploration of Folk Life” and “Peasants' Ownership in Nor thernmost Provinces,” brought her to the rank of foremost Rus sian historians. However, t'he re turn of the couple from exile was also the turning -point in Ole van- dra’s research work. She sorted work in sr in the archives at Khar kiv, and since then her husband’s native country has grown to be her homeland. And she became an Ukrainian historian. At that time an Ukrainian mag azine, “The Kievan Antiquity,” was being published in Kiev. It was founded by renowned Uk rainian 'historians. The periodical published valuable sketches of Ukrainian history, literature and folklore. Yet these were isolated studies or articles. There was not, at that time, a complete course of Ukrainian history on a scientific level. In 1896 the magazine announc ed an award for an author who shall write a complete history of Ukraine, and the jury accepted the work O'f Olexandra Efimenko. The censorship, however, detain ed the issuing of the work which did not appear until 1906. Prior to the publishing of the popular history of Ukraine by Michael Hrushevsky, Efimenko’s book had been the only source which en abled the wide circles of the Uk rainian ipeoiple to get acquainted with the complete history of Uk raine. Two volumes of her ar ticles, published in 1905, served as a complement. Owing to the conditions of the period of time, evervthiner had to ‘be nrinted in Russian. Efimenko’s “Historv of Ukraine” did tint arxnear in Uk rainian until 1922. Her abridged work, under heading “Historv of Ukraine я rid its Peo.nle.” was like wise. miblished soon after in Uk rainian. Under Russian Czarisit regime the university chairs and scholar ships were inaccessible to women, mo mattejr how valuable their work might have been. It was only after the passage of a law in 1912 that the wray was opened f6r women to professorship. Yet be fore the enactment of this law Olexandra Efimenko had been chosen professor of history at the Bestuzhev school of higher learn ing in Petersburg. The girls were receiving a complete college ed ucation at that school. It did not enjoy juridical privileges. How ever, then the school could af ford to be more liberal in selec tion of professors. At that school Olexandra Efimenko proved to be a brilliant educator. Her excellent lectures on history of Ukraine and her seminary courses helped many of her students to grow to be enlightened Ukrainian patriots. Among 'her students was Natalie Mirza Avakiantz who subsequent ly became a professor of history of Ukraine. For her studies in history of Ukraine O'lexandra Efimenko was distinguished as doctor honoris causa by Kharkiv university. She was the only woman in Ukraine thus honored. Generally respected and recog nized as an eminent historian, Olexandra Efimenko lived through the first years of Russian revolution in her venerable age. The revolution in Ukraine brought forth establishment of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and with it the growth and pro gress of Ukrainian culture and education. There were prospects open to Ukraine, unattainable during the Czarist regime. And then suddenly came an end to Olexandra Efimenko’s life, so va lued by the Ukrainian people. She was murdered in 1919 by bandits at her estate in the Kharkiv re gion. Such was the trail of her life. Of foreign origin, she was ani mated by the force of Ukrainian spirit. She devoted her life, talent, knowledge and toil to Ukraine, to her culture, and through the efforts of her life she elevated the glory of the Ukrainian wo man. Prof. N. /Polonska-Vasilenko. ВСІ СПРАВИ В НІМЕЧЧИНІ полагоджує Скоро • солідно • дискретно Українське Бюро доручень Адреса: SCHREIBBUERO, Muenchen 54, Seehamerstr. 21 6/8, Germany. Банкконто: Sueddeutsche Bank AG, Fil. Muenchen, K-to Nr. 17991 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.
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