Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
UNWLA 100
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2024
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
36-37
38-39
40
From left: Vera Klisch, Halyna Ivchenko, Vika Ivchenko and Natalia Danylenko. Photos courtesy Tamara Stadnychenko. P h ila d e lp h ia d e b u t. T h e e v e n t, s p o n s o re d b y B ra n c h 9 0 o f th e U N W L A , d re w n e a rly 4 0 0 m e m b e rs o f th e U k r a in ian c o m m u n ity fro m P e n n s y lv a n ia , D e la w a re a n d N e w J e rs e y to P h ila d e lp h ia ’s U k ra in ia n E d u c a tio n a l a n d C u l tu ra l C e n te r. A n a u d ie n c e th a t in c lu d e d s e n io r c itiz e n s , c o lle g e s tu d e n ts , b a b y b o o m e rs a n d c h ild re n w h o h a d ju s t fin is h e d th e ir c la s s e s in th e U k ra in ia n s c h o o l lo c a te d o n th e p re m is e s c a m e to s e e a n d h e a r a n d b e c h a rm e d b y th e m u lti-fa c e te d little g irl w h o h a s b e c o m e th e h e ro in e o f a sa d s to ry w ith , h o p e fu lly , a h a p p y e n d in g . T h e p ro g ra m w a s o p e n e d b y B ra n c h p re s id e n t M a ria R a k o w s k a , w h o g re e te d th o s e a s s e m b le d a n d p ro m is e d an u n u s u a l e v e n t. P ro g ra m m o d e ra to r V e r a K lis c h p re s e n te d a b io g ra p h ic a l s k e tc h o f th e y o u n g p o e te s s , w e a v in g in to th e s to ry e x c e rp ts fro m V ik a ’s w o rk th a t d e fin e h e r p e rs o n a lity , h e r in te re s ts , a n d th e m a jo r e v e n ts o f h e r life . D ra w in g o n a n a n e c d o te a b o u t a n a g in g R o b e rt S c h u m a n n ’s d e lig h t a t th e ta le n ts o f a v e ry y o u n g F re d e ric C h o p in , M s. K lis c h th e n p re s e n te d V ik a . O n c e o n s ta g e , V ik a a n n o u n c e d h e r in te n tio n s o f s h a rin g h e r w o rk a n d v ig n e tte s a b o u t h e r life w ith h e r a u d ie n c e . M id -w a y th ro u g h h e r firs t s to ry a b o u t h e r e a rly c h ild h o o d , th e e le c tric ity fa ile d a n d th e m ic ro p h o n e w e n t d e a d . M o m e n ta rily n o n -p lu s e d , V ik a s to p p e d in m id -s e n te n c e a n d lo o k e d to h e r m o th e r, to M rs . K lis c h , to th e a u d ie n c e as if s e e k in g a n e x p la n a tio n , a s o lu tio n . B u t th e s u rp ris e d lo o k o n h e r fa c e v a n is h e d a lm o s t in s ta n tly , to b e re p la c e d b y a lo o k o f s e re n e s e lf- c o n fid e n c e . T h e re w e re n o te a rs , n o p rim a d o n n a ta n tru m s a n d n o n e rv o u s a d o le s c e n t g ig g le s . V ik a s m ile d a n d sa t d o w n , c e rta in o f h e rs e lf a n d c e rta in th a t th is lit tle c ris is w o u ld s o o n w o rk its e lf o u t a n d th a t h e r ro le fo r th e m o m e n t w a s to w a it. W o rd le s s ly , c a lm y , s h e e n d e a re d h e rs e lf to an a u d ie n c e a lre a d y d e te rm in e d to lik e a s ic k little g irl, m a k in g th e m s e e th a t s h e w a s s o m e th in g m u c h m o re . W h a t fo llo w e d a fte r e le c tric a l p o w e r w a s re s to re d d id n o th in g to s h a tte r th e p e rc e p tio n o f s tre n g th a n d d e te rm in a tio n th a t h a d b e e n fo rm e d in th o s e m o m e n ts . A v a rie ty o f a u to b io g ra p h ic a l s to rie s w e re in te rs p e rs e d a n d illu m in a te d b y h e r p o e m s . T h e c h ild w a s re v e a le d in a p o e m a b o u t s e a g u lls th a t s h e m is to o k fo r c ra n e s . H e r p e rs o n a l tr a g e d y c a u s e d b y th e n u c le a r fa llo u t fro m C h o rn o b y l w a s s o fte n e d b y a p o e m a b o u t a d y in g d o l p h in w a s h e d u p on th e s a n d o f s o m e q u ie t b e a c h . T h e y o u n g w o m a n w h o h a s b e c o m e c o g n iz a n t o f th e tu m u l tu o u s h is to ry o f h e r c o u n try w a s re v e a le d in a p o e m in w h ic h s h e d e s c rib e d h e rs e lf as an e x ile in M o s c o w , try ing d e s p e ra te ly to c a tc h a ’’U k ra in ia n V o ic e ” o n th e ra d io . V ik a ’s s to rie s a n d p o e m s als o d e a lt w ith a w id e ra n g e o f e m o tio n a l e n c o u n te rs . T h e r e w a s a s to ry a b o u t a te a c h e r w h o h e lp e d V ik a d e a l w ith c la s s m a te s je a lo u s o f h e r s u c c e s s as a w rite r. In a n o th e r s to ry th e a u d ie n c e s a w a fe is ty y o u n g la d y u n w illin g to h a v e an e d ito r ta m p e r w ith h e r w e ll-c h o s e n w o rd s . "I to ld h im ,” s h e s a id , ” if y o u re p la c e m y ro u n d w o rd s w ith y o u r s q u a re o n e s , s ig n y o u r o w n n a m e a t th e e n d .” A c e rta in v u ln e r a b ility w a s re v e a le d in h e r c o m m e n ta ry a b o u t p e o p le d o u b tin g th a t h e r w o rk is h e r o w n . P a in a n d c o m p a s sio n w e re e v id e n t in a p o e m w ritte n in S t. P a u l, a p o e m to u c h in g o n C h o rn o b y l c h ild re n w h o d id n o t re c o v e r. A n d a re c u rrin g th e m e th ro u g h o u t th e p ro g ra m w a s lo ve o f fa m ily . T h e s to ry -te llin g a n d p o e try re c ita l w e re c o m p le m e n te d b y a b rie f m u s ic a l in te rlu d e . V ik a , a c c o m p a n ie d b y p ia n is t L e s ia R u d y j, s a n g tw o so n g s. T h e firs t s o n g w as a fa v o rite o f h e r g r a n d m o th e r ’s w h o m s h e s e e m s to m iss v e ry m u c h . T h e s e c o n d s o n g w a s o n e s h e w ro te fo r h e r s is te r. F e a rin g th a t h e r s is te r’s m a rria g e w ill s e p a ra te th e m , sh e a d v is e s , “ D o n ’t g e t m a rrie d a n d le a v e u s ...th e y b rin g y o u flo w e rs a n d th e n m a k e y o u w a s h d is h e s ,” a n d th e n c o m fo rts h e rs e lf b y re fle c tin g , ’’b u t y o u d o n ’t lik e w a s h in g d is h e s so y o u ’ll c o m e b a c k to us." A b rie f s o lo m e d le y o f U k ra in ia n fo lk s o n g s b y M s. R u d y j c o n c lu d e d th e m u s ic a l p o rtio n o f th e p ro g ra m . W h ile m o s t o f th e p ro g ra m w a s d e v o te d to V ik a ’s p o e try a n d s to rie s fro m h e r p a st, sh e c o m m e n te d b rie fly on h e r e d u c a tio n in A m e ric a , h e r in d e b te d n e s s to n u m e ro u s U k ra in ia n -A m e ric a n s , in c lu d in g a n o n y m o u s p e n s io n e rs w h o h a v e s e n t h e r sm all b u t m e a n in g fu l m o n e ta ry g ifts , a n d a b o u t h e r a m b itio n to b e c o m e a jo u rn a lis t lik e h e r m o th e r. O ff ic ia lly c lo s in g th e p ro g ra m , M a ria R a k o w s k a th a n k e d V e ra K lisc h fo r h e r ro le as m o d e ra to r a n d p re s e n te d V ik a w ith a g ift fro m B ra n c h 9 0 m e m b e rs , a g o ld p e n d a n t re p lic a o f P h ila d e lp h ia ’s L ib e rty B ell w h ic h V ik a w is h e d to p u t o n im m e d ia te ly . T h e p o e te s s th a n k e d th e m e m b e rs o f th e a u d ie n c e fo r th e ir a tte n tio n a n d o ffe re d to a u to g ra p h c o p ie s o f h e r p o e try b o o k s . E v e ry o n e w a s in v ite d to p a rta k e in a lig h t b u ffe t p re p a re d b y th e p ro g ra m s p o n s o rs . W h ile v is itin g th e e a s t c o a s t, V ik a a n d h e r m o th e r a re e n jo y in g th e h o s p ita lity o f Ivan an d N a ta lia D a n y le n k o o f N e w J e rs e y . 20 ’’НАШЕ Ж ИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 1994 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
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 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
