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
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36
BILINGUALISM IN THE UKRAINIAN MUSEUM The Ukrainian Museum is geared toward satisfying two types of audiences — the Ukrainian and the general public. It responds to the Ukrainian community’s cultu ral and social needs, but a great deal of effort is also placed on reaching out beyond the Ukrainian sphere. Because of this multi-level function, the museum faces special challenges. Maria Shust, Director of The Ukrainian Museum addressed the topic of bilingualism in the Museum in a panel during the 81st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Museums, held in New York City. Ms. Shust began by presenting a short history of The Ukrainian Museum, its uniqueness and purpose. “For a small museum, located in a city which is considered to be, by many, the cultural center of the world — we were faced by a great challenge. We had to compete for our audiences with world famous museums. We, therefore, had to offer something unique, something not offered by any other cultural institution.” “Our goals were well-defined: we were established as a specialized museum whose purpose was to preserve the collections that were placed in our trust and to develop exhibitions, publications, educational and pub lic programs of the highest caliber, which related specif ically to Ukrainian art, history and culture.” The Director explained how the Museum responds to the needs of the Ukrainian community, not only within its proximity but scattered throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. “Our exhibitions and programs are developed on the highest level and in as great a depth as possible — giving a visitor greater insights to the var ious aspects of the Ukrainian culture and history. This gives people of Ukrainian descent a sense of pride in their culture’s achievements. Our catalogues are pro duced as scholarly publications, contributing to a par ticular area of Ukrainian studies. Perhaps, one of the most important functions of the Museum is that it is perceived as an avenue through which one could acquaint and share with the general public the beauty, richness and diversity of the Ukrainian culture, which is generally not known to the western world.” Ms. Shust said that a lot of effort is placed in this direction which has proven to be successful, since as many as 70 per cent of the Museum’s visitors are non-Ukrainian. “ In order to draw as wide a public as possible, much of our energy is directed toward publicizing our activi ties, while new exhibitions and programs are continually being developed.” Thus, according to Ms. Shust, the Museum has deve loped a supportive dual-language following and has therefore implemented bilingual programs. “Our exhibi tions labels, wall texts, audio-visual presentations, pub lications, flyers, posters and tour lectures are in both languages, Ukrainian and English. In order to draw large audiences, our public relations efforts are geared toward both sectors; press releases are sent out to both Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian newspapers and maga zines; our calendar of events, as well as the annual report is published bilingually; our courses and work shops are given in English, however, the instructors are fluent in Ukrainian and can communicate in that lan guage when necessary.” Director Shust said that the English language is also used for the benefit of the second and third generation Ukrainian-Americans to whom their ancestral tongue is no longer familiar. The use of the Ukrainian language in the Museum, continues Ms. Shust, has a very important and emo tional meaning. “The Ukrainian language has become an issue on par with retaining our Ukrainian identity. In Soviet Ukraine the use of our language is discouraged and it is being eliminated as much as possible." Ms. Shust also spoke about the Museum’s important function as the publisher of scholarly works, particularly those associated with exhibitions, such as catalogues, dealing with Ukrainian historical or cultural themes that are not acknowledged in the Soviet Union. “To produce everything in Ukrainian and English , we at the Museum draw upon not only the bilingual resour ces of our staff, but also upon members of the Ukrainian community,” continued Ms. Shust. Because of the dual language requirements, the Museum had to make specific adjustments in every phase of its operation. Ms. Shust elaborated on this issue: “Our staff has to be bilingual — this is necessary, from answering telephone inquiries to proof-reading typeset material.” She pointed out that each project must be done in duplicate, meaning twice as much work, not to mention the additional cost of producing printed material in two languages. In conclusion, Director Maria Shust said, “The isssue is not only to produce things in both languages, but to produce everything in the best possible form of each language. Material must be edited well, literate and scholarly, otherwise, in our case, it defeats the purpose of bilingualism. This is the challenge we are faced with for the future.” MARTA BACZYNSKY ’’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЖОВТЕНЬ 1986 31
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36 
