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 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
10 WWW.UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ГРУДЕНЬ 2015 KATRIA HRYNEVYCH'S MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE (1875-1947) by Lidia Kupchyk English translation by Ulana Zinych November 19th marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of Katria Hrynevych, a Ukrainian writer and community activist, a selfless patriot of Ukraine. She is an interesting figure not only because of her contribution to the development of Ukrainian literature, but also because of the self-sacrifice which she demonstrated through her service to the Ukrainian people. Her fate was unusual. During the first 18 years of her life, having been born into a Ukrainian family that was Polonized (assumed a Polish lifestyle), she did not know Ukrain- ian and was actually embarrassed that she was part of the Ukrainian people who were humiliated in a variety of ways, degraded, and oppressed by thеir Polish rul- ers. Then fate dealt Katria Hrynevych a sudden revelation: she grasped the depth of injustice directed at the Ukrainian people and bravely defended the Ukrainian language, which she mastered on her own, and the human rights of Ukrainians. In this work, Katria Hrynevych demonstrated superior resilience and self- sacrifice. Katria Hrynevych created true literary masterpieces, and she tirelessly dedicated herself to educational work for the benefit of fellow Ukrainians. This work was positively evaluated by such famous individuals as Ivan Franko, Volody- myr Hnatiuk, and Ivan Trush. Yet her path to a life of activism was high- ly unusual. Katria Hrynevych was born on November 19, 1875, in the town of Vynnyky near L’viv, in a family of commoners Maria and Vasyl’ Banakh. When she was three years old the family moved to Krakow. As was mentioned, she did not know Ukrainian for the first 18 years of her life. At home Polish was spoken and early on she began learning French. Then she was sent to a private school run by an order of nuns where German was the language of instruction. Upon completion of this school she entered a teachers’ seminary (school) in Krakow, known for its Polish chauvin- istic leanings. This school prepared teachers who were supposed to replace Ukrainian teachers working in primary schools in Galicia (Western Ukraine). But in Krakow Katria met and joined a liberal Polish group of young people, which gath- ered around Artur Hursky, editor of Zycie (Life). This progressive Polish writer was the first person from whom she heard а positive opinion about Ukrainians. He introduced her to the Ukrainian newspaper, “Dilo” (Business). Fate had it that Katria became acquainted with Vasyl Stefanyk; he presented her with a Ukrainian primer and she feverishly started to study the language of her people. She immersed herself in the reading of Ukrainian newspapers, and the poetry of Ivan Franko and Taras Shevchenko. It was like an epiphany; it was а painful impulsive pull toward all things Ukrainian. Katria stopped coming to the lectures at the teaching seminary and demonstratively refused to com- municate in Polish; she read poems by Shevchen- ko at a literary evening dedicated to his memory in Krakow. Her friends laughed at her, and her parents complained that she was ruining her rep- utation among the Polish authorities. Finally she refused to take the matriculation exam in Polish, and received the label of “a great Ukrainian patri- ot,” which in the opinion of the seminary was tan- tamount to a crime. This was a tough test in the strength of her spirit, yet Katria passed it solidly. Having been made aware of the greatness of her nation and the tragedy of its fate, Katria began to think of the first 18 years of her life as a crime against her oppressed, yet not subdued nation. She decided to spend the rest of her life atoning for it. In order to become independent, Katria married Osyp Hrynevych from L’viv and moved there. Her husband was a teacher in the lower grades of the academic gymnasium. In L’viv Katria took part in the cultural and educational life, became acquainted with Osyp Makovey, Ivan Franko, Volodymyr Hnatiuk, and Ivan Trush, and, under their influence, she began to write popular short books for “Prosvita” (a society in Galicia for preserving and developing Ukrainian
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 
