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OUR LIFE Monthly, published by Ukrainian National Women’s League o f America Vol. LXIV FEBRUARY 2007 Editor: TAMARA STADNYCHENKO From the Desk of the President History teaches us about many women whose actions in a time of crisis or danger or uncertainty earned for them the name “heroine.” Some, like America’s Molly Pitcher (who took over her husband’s position firing a canon after he was wounded in battle), earned this title through military exploits. Other, like Rosa Parks, earned it through civil disobedience. Some heroines, like Nadia Svitlychna or the Philippines’ Corazon Aquino, became symbols of a cause. Others, like Joan of Arc or Olena Teliha became martyrs to a cause. And some, like Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper or Amelia Earhart become heroines because they dare to challenge stereotypes while facing the risks and challenges of soaring into the sky. All of these women are known for something, and each has been called a heroine. Often, the word is used unconsciously and automatically to describe a certain kind of person; we do not analyze exactly what we mean by saying it. So what exactly does “heroine” mean? Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines a heroine as a woman admired for her achievements and noble qualities and considered a model or ideal; a figure, a woman of courage and bravery, who is self-sacrificing and unselfish. During the month of February, Ukrainians around the world honor Ukrainian heroines. Many of those honored gave their lives for our nation, but others are quiet heroines whose deeds are seldom recognized and it is these unsung heroines that I would like to mention today: Ukrainian mothers who raised their children in the Ukrainian culture, passing down through the decades and even the centuries traditions, language, religious beliefs, and cultural treasures from generation to generation, both within the borders of Ukraine and in the Ukrainian diaspora. In Ukraine, these heroines sometimes took a revolutionary stance against occupying powers—not by fighting with swords or guns, but by fighting with quiet faith and by example. In the United States, they helped to build churches, schools and other institutions, so that their children would never forget about their roots. Theirs was a noble struggle against cultural assimilation that many immigrant communities were not able to achieve. Today, unfortunately, we see the efforts of these heroines being eroded in subtle ways. Recently, in one Ukrainian parochial school, for example, children caroled in many languages and then recited poems in Russian. Ukrainian parochial schools were built to treasure Ukraine’s culture; I cannot help but wonder what the founders of this school would think and cannot help wonder how many of the parents of the children attending the school protested against what occurred there. For me, Russian songs and poetry have no place in a Ukrainian parochial school, especially in light of the history of Russification in Ukraine and the current struggle of schools in Ukraine to remain Ukrainian. Highlighting this problem and similar problems related to the preservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage is an alarming letter I recently received from Dr. Olenka Pevny. One of the recipients of the UNWLA’s Young Women Achievers Award at the XXVII UNWLA Convention in 2005, Dr. Pevny is a scholar of Byzantine Orthodoxy; her area of research and specialization is in Byzantine and Medieval art history in Eastern Europe. She is an assistant professor of Art History at the University of Richmond in Virginia. The letter Dr. Pevny sent to me focused on an urgent need for individuals as well as international agencies to make a concerted effort to preserve the Church of St. Cyril of Alexandria, a cultural and religious
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