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
36-37
38-39
40
“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЧЕРВЕНЬ 2018 WWW. UNWLA .ORG 19 Statue of Oleh Olzych at Ukrainian Homestead of Central Executive Committee ODWU, Inc. Sculptor: Mychajlo Chereshnovskyj (Михайло Черешновський). Architect Wasyl Nahirniak (Photo courtesy of Ukrainian Homestead CEC, ODWU, Inc.) For as long as I can remember, there was always a statue of a man named O. Olzych near my fa- vorite tree at the homestead. I didn't really know who he was, j ust that the oselia was named in his memory because he did important things for Ukraine. As little kids my brother and I would go visit him. We would stand in front of the statue and talk to him. My mom would go behind the statue and answer in a deep voice . Looking back, I realize that this was a sweet way to connect us to our heritage and history. Instead of lecturing us about political facts that children can't begin to grasp, my mom familiarized us with the man by making him human, by making him our frie nd. Living right in the middle of it, we felt like it was our oselia, but somewhere along the way we learned it was not just a place to play in but to preserve as well. We knew every inch of the place and every person there. The oselia was a part of us, a nd we were a part of it. My heart and soul will forever be inter- twined with it. From the land to the trees to the buildings and the pool I can't imagine my life without it. And I am not alone. I hear similar sentiments from many people who spent time at t he oselia. Among them is m y fellow Branch 88 member, Ulana Prociuk, who is the current administrator of the homestead. During a recent conversation, Ulana told me , “The homestead is like a second home to me. Coming to camp and growing up here we would recite Olzych's poems and learned about him through his work. Now, as adults, we try to preserve his memory and perpetuate his ideas of freedom and Ukrainian culture by making the homestead a cultural center where people can learn and practice the traditio ns." I’m a mom now, and it's heartwarming to watch my children play at the oselia the way I once did. It's like going back in time and watching m yself play ing with my brother and friends. Years have passed and though many things in the world have changed , the good old wholesome life at the oselia remains unaltered. It is still a safe haven where children can roam , explore, grow and be children.
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 
