14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2014 No. 30 OUR DIASPORA: Hope for Ukrainian education in Poland by Michael Buryk were about 100 inhabitants each in this vil- recognized as a national minority along with lage and also in nearby Morochów. Between their language. However, state and local When you drive up to the grey stuccoed the two world wars, Ukrainian was taught in funding for schools where minority languag- building in the small village of Mokre, Poland, the schools and there was a Ukrainian es are taught is not always sufficient to main- it probably looks like any other primary Catholic church here. tain and expand their facilities and programs. school in the area. But, a brightly colored bul- There has always been a strong Boiko Today, the director of Niepubliczna letin board that stands out front offers a win- influence since this Ukrainian ethnic group dow on the amazing experience that is taking settled throughout the area and even into Bernardetta Holowaty. It is now an associa- place inside. The pupils at Niepubliczna some of the villages north of Sanok. The Szkołation school Podstawowa and no longer aw state Mokrem one, and isit - world famous folk-singing and dance group operates with a local, private board under dergarten through Grade 6, and their curric- Oslaviany was formed in Mokre in 1972 and the direction of the Association Baladhora. Szkołaulum includes Podstawowa instruction w Mokrem in both attend Polish kinand today is based at the Ukrainian community This major administrative and financial Ukrainian. And, there is a heavy emphasis on center in the village. The group took its change occurred in September 2012. The science and computer technology as well. name from the Oslava river that runs Gmina of Zagorz no longer helps to finance Could this become a successful model for pri- through Mokre. Their repertoire includes the school as it did previously, but has lent mary education throughout southeast Boiko, Lemko and Hutsul music and dance. the building to the association. They must Poland with its minority population of The school encourages its students to par- raise money for its maintenance and heat- Lemkos and Ukrainians? ticipate in the group to cultivate their con- ing, the furniture and any additional educa- In July 2013, I met the Rev. Julian nection with their Ukrainian culture. tion projects. There is still some funding Felenczak, the heart and soul of this unique, from the Polish Ministry of Education for Effects of world war and Akcja Wisla multicultural school that is located in the existing curricula and teachers, but their flatlands and low, rolling hills just south of Before World War II, there had been a salaries were cut in 2012 as a result of the Sanok in Gmina Zagorz. “I originally came small Jewish population in Mokre. “All the loss of funds from Zagorz. from the village of Bortne (Bartne in Father Julian Felenczak in a classroom local Jew families were shot by the Nazis In terms of the student population, 30 Polish) in Gorlice County in the Lemko of the Mokre bilingual school. during World War II,” said Father Julian. In Polish, 30 Ukrainian and 30 mixed Polish- region,” he said. He was ordained as a 1947, Akcja Wisla took its toll on the local Ukrainian families send their children to Ukrainian Orthodox priest in Zdynia, where 31st anniversary. “There was a change in Ukrainians. “Only five Polish families were the school. Although the study of the he was an avid supporter in the 1990s of plans,” he said, and in 1996 he was sent to left after it happened,” he said. Ukrainian language is optional, at least 50 the Lemko Vatra, which just celebrated its the parish of Morochów/Mokre (the parish Some Ukrainians were sent to the percent of the students from Polish families includes the villages of Morochów and Masuria region of northeast Poland, while elect to study it. Many of these families Mokre) with his young wife, Seweryna, Mike Buryk is a Ukrainian American writer others went to western Ukraine. Under the have at least some Ukrainian roots. whom he met in France while in the semi- There is a shortage of funds to continue whose research focuses on Lemko and nary there. An orthodox church had existed in 1956, those families who had been innovative programs and develop new ones Ukrainian genealogy and the history of in Morochów as early as 1402 and Polishdeported government within Poland of Władysław were allowed Gomułka to in science, computer technology and the Ukrainians in the United States. You can con- th remained until the end of the 18 century. return. “About 25 percent of the families arts. And funds must be raised to maintain tact him at [email protected]. His Rusyns, Boikos, Lemkos returned,” he said. Some Ukrainian families the school facilities as well. Currently, website is http://www.buryk.com/our_patch/. emigrated to European Union countries, teachers have a heavy workload and it Mr. Buryk extends special thanks to There is a long history of ethnic educa- the United States and Canada in the 1980s. would be desirable to have at least one new Volodya Cherepanyak for his translation assis- tion in Mokre. The teaching of the Rusyn The Ukrainian Catholic church in teacher in the lower grades. tance during the in-person interview in language began in the area in the 19th centu- Morochów (there was no church in Mokre, Father Julian is especially proud of the Mokre, Poland. ry, and a primary school existed as far back since this village had always been connect- computer lab. “I wish there were more Copyright (c) 2014 by Michael J. Buryk. All as 1912. At that time many of the local peo- ed with the parish in Morochów) was funds available to upgrade the equipment rights reserved. ple called themselves Rusyny and there closed in 1945. In the late 1950s, some of and purchase new, updated software,” he the returning families began to think about said. He would also like to have more crafts opening a new church. And in 1961, a materials for the students and toys for the Ukrainian Orthodox parish was estab- pre-school. The current budget for all of this lished. There was also a Ukrainian Greek- including computer hardware and software Catholic church built in Mokre in 1992, the is only 350 zloty (about $150 U.S.) annually. Church of the Transfiguration. An ongoing major concern for Father Today, Father Julian is the pastor of the Julian is enrollment. If the student popula- Meeting of the Lord Orthodox Church in tion were to drop below 30, then it would Morochów and the parish extends to the lose state funding. While this is not a prob- village of Mokre. He teaches religion, math- lem now, it could be in the future. So Father ematics and IT (information technology) in Julian hopes to continue to provide the the primary school. Teaching religion in kind of multicultural environment and up- state schools was allowed for the first time to-date curriculum that will attract new in Poland in 1989, and parents make a reli- students year after year. gion choice for their children when they * * * first enter school. Their choices include If you would like to contribute to sup- Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman port this innovative grass roots Ukrainian Catholic. multi-cultural education effort in southeast Poland, here is where you can send money: Challenges facing the school The association’s address: Stowarzyszenie With Poland’s accession to the European Baladhora, Mokre 22, 38-542 Rzepedz, Union in 2004, there was greater opportuni- Poland; ty for teaching minority languages in state The association’s bank account: Baladhora schools. Also, the European Charter for NSP Mokre, PBS o/Sanok Poland; SWIFT: Regional or Minority Languages was PODSPLP1; IBAN: PL 55 8642 1184 2018 approved by Poland in 2009. Ukrainians are 0031 6433 0001. The Mokre bilingual primary school..