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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 2015 WWW.UNWLA.ORG 15 include works of Ukrainian composers in their programs; thus, our many American friends are exposed to Ukrainian classical music. Another important contribution of the Center is commis- sioning of compositions from Ukrainian compos- ers—so far, Evhen Stankovych, Myroslav Skoryk, Aleksander Kozarenko, Bohdanna Filtz, and Boh- danna Frolak have written compositions which had their world premieres at Grazhda. To preserve Ukrainian cultural identity and traditions was of prime importance for Ihor and me. Every year, we organize five courses in Ukrainian folk arts—embroidery, pysanky mak- ing, bead-stringing ( gerdany ), and this year Pet- rykivskyi art form. In addition, we have a very popular two-week course in Ukrainian folk sing- ing for children. Parents bring their children for this course not only from the neighboring states but from as far as North Carolina and Washing- ton. Literally hundreds of Ukrainian children have received their certificates from this singing course. At the last Annual Beaux Arts Ball, held by the Greene County Council on the Arts (GCCA), you were presented with the Dis- tinguished Service Award from the GCCA. What has this honor meant to you? Obviously, I was very honored to receive it. But, it was also a recognition of the Center's extraordinary work. I shared it with the artistic director, advisor, and the six amazing, persever- ing, dedicated women on the Board—Lydia Pia- secka, Zirka Voronka, Sophia Hewryk, Tania Keis, Melasia Serbay, and Adia Leshko. I dedicated this award to my husband Ihor who founded the Cen- ter and for the first 25 years nurtured it with pas- sion and love. Was this year’s Beaux Arts Ball a success? It was fantastic—elegant (many gentle- men in tails and tuxedos, and women in gorgeous ball gowns) and well organized. There was an ap- propriate short program, delicious food, and live music. Everything was just great! About 250 peo- ple attended, with two full tables of “Ukies,” and the entire event was a marvelous PR campaign for Grazhda Concerts. Little-Known Writer Lyubov Yanovska Born in the Russian-controlled Chernihiv region to a family of a Russian father and a Ukrainian mother, Lyubov Yanovska (1861- 1933) made a debut on the literary scene with stories in Russian. It was only after her marriage to a patriotic Ukrainian intellec- tual that Yanovska re-discovered Ukrainian language and cul- ture, and began to write in Ukrainian. Yanovska’s literary legacy includes about one hundred works of prose and drama, many of them never published during the writer’s life. Busy taking care of her ailing husband and engaged in community work for the bene- fit of Ukrainian peasants, especially women and children, Yanovska had little time or energy left to actively build her writ- ing career. In her own words, she “wrote because she could not do otherwise,” but publishing her works was not a priority. Much of Yanovska’s writing deals with serious topics: for example, many of her stories portray the awful conditions of Ukrainian peasant life in the Russian Empire, which Yanovska observed on a daily basis. The story featured here, however, is markedly different: it is one of the writer’s more light-hearted, humorous works that is based on a fantastic premise. As we follow Yanovska’s delightful flights of fancy in this piece, we are given a rare opportunity to look at ourselves with a stranger’s gaze and laugh at some of the sillier aspects of our lives. -- Olesia Wallo
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