SOWER JANUARY 24,, 2016

TheThe UkrainianUkrainian MuseumMuseum andand LibraryLibrary ofof StamfordStamford UKRAINIAN- DURING WORLD WAR I AND ITS AFTERMATH by Lubow Wolynetz, Curator War, especially in western , reached to organize committees and collect funds to would include Eastern . This in America. Many of them still had help those in need, especially widows and or- Memorial (of which we have a copy) family and relatives there in desperate need of phans. Collected moneys were sent through the was signed by Very Rev. Peter Poni- help. Ukrainian-American newspapers like Austrian Ambassador in , DC. An- atyshyn, chairman, and other civic ac- Svoboda and Ameryka continuously published other interesting brochure was entitled Iak Vyh- tivists. It is through the work and efforts detailed news about the War and the situation liadaie v Nashim Ridnim Kraiu Teper v Cchas of this committee that President Wilson in Ukraine based on world news, as well as on Vijny (How are Things in Our Land Now dur- declared April 21st, 1917 to be Ukrain- private correspondence of individuals writing ing the War) published in in 1914. ian Relief Day. In 1919 in New York to their families in America. This prompted This 27 page brochure described the atrocities City another collection of articles ap- Ukrainians in America to unite and mobilize committed by the Russian army and the arrest peared under the title Ukraine on the all of their efforts, first of all to help their of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky by the Road to Freedom: selection of Articles, brethren in war-torn Ukraine, and secondly to tsarist Russians. A man by the name of Hryts Reprints, and Communications Con- inform Americans and the entire world about Zaiachkivsky began publishing Khronika Svi- cerning the Ukrainian People in Europe. Ukraine, its history, its culture, its centuries- tovoi Viiny, 1914-1915 (Chronicle On the 3rd of August long fight for freedom and independence, of World War, 1914-1915) of 1919, a Ukrainian about which Americans and the world knew which three issues were printed by Convention in the little about and cared even less. The hope of all the Philadelphia Orphanage Print- State of Connecticut Ukrainians, those in America and those in ing House. The contents of these was held in the Those nations which were mil- Eastern and Western Ukraine, was that once brochures dealt mainly with mili- Ukrainian Hall in New itarily involved in the Great War (World the was vanquished, Ukraine tary issues. In 1915, in New York, Britain. This Conven- War I, 1914-1918) initiated a centennial might finally become united and independent. the Ukrainian National Associa- tion issued a Memorial commemoration period from 2014 - To achieve this tion published a collection of arti- and Petition for Lib- 2018. Various projects, exhibits, end, Ukrainians in cles entitled Ukraine’s Claim to erty. It was presented and events are continuously tak- America established Freedom: an Appeal for Justice to the United States ing place in many European and civic organizational on Behalf of Thirty-five Millions. and to the Peace Con- non-European countries. units for the purpose of The articles recounted the history ference in Paris by the Through international coopera- informing Americans of Ukraine, its national revival, delegates. tion, much archival material about Ukraine by pub- movement, and aspirations. A small brochure of This is just a small sampling of (made available by 10 national li- lications, by maintain- unknown authorship, probably published in publications and material dealing with braries) has been digitized and is ing informational 1918 under the title The Problem of Galicia, re- the Ukrainian situation during World accessible on the internet. This centers, by lobbying counts the horrors which the people lived under War I and its aftermath which is included digitized material includes books, the United States gov- foreign occupations. It maintained that the best in our Library. If anyone reading this ar- brochures, maps, photographs, ernment to support solution for this problem was to rebuild the ticle has material dealing with this sub- posters, postcards, medals, art, Ukraine, and by fund- Western Ukrainian Republic. In 1918 the ject matter, please do not hesitate; send it letters, journals and much more. raising for the needy in Ukrainian National Alliance (later renamed the to us as soon as possible for preservation Ukraine and Ukrainian peo- Ukraine. Ukrainian National Committee) was founded for posterity. ple participated in this War not as In our Museum and Library we have which united religious and civic organizations. After World War I was over an independent nation, but as split be- a number of publications which relate the In April of 1918 it published a very informa- and peace treaties were signed, Ukraine tween two great empires -- as part and goals, activities, and achievements of Ukraini- tive Review entitled UKRAINE: a Monthly Re- was again divided and not independent. subjects of tsarist Russia and as part and ans in America in their efforts to help war-torn view of Ukrainian Affairs and Most of the wartime activ- subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Em- Ukraine. One of the first publications was Za the Problems of Eastern Eu- ities of American-Ukraini- pire. Battles that took place on Ukrainian Shcho Llietsia Krov Milioniv(Why is the Blood rope. This same Committee ans diminished and some lands during the War, left the countryside of Millions Flowing). This book was pub- on July 9,1919 presented a organizational units even ravaged, cities destroyed, farms and lished in 1915 by the Philadelphia Orphanage Memorial Addressed to His ceased to exist. Ukrainians homesteads burned, churches pillaged, Printing House. It has data about the reasons Excellency, The President of in America again became population displaced, exiled, incarcerated for the War, description of the first battles, de- the United States, and to the an unknown entity. Impor- or massacred. Sad to say, when perusing tails of destruction committed by the tsarist Senators of the United States tant evidence and proof of the above mentioned digitized material, Russian army, heroic deeds of the Sichovi and the Representatives in the work, achievements, one can hardly find any mention of Striltsi etc. The most important part of this pub- Congress, recounting the and sacrifices of those ded- works and items dealing with the situa- lication is the inclusion of The Pastoral Letter atrocities committed in East- icated Ukrainian-Ameri- tion and plight of Ukraine and Ukrainian of Bishop Soter Ortynsky to his Flock in ern Galicia and requesting the cans which we have in our people (which at that time were still America which was issued on October 28, United States to withhold the Library is contained in the called Ruthenia and ). 1914. In this letter the Bishop described the ratification of any treaty with publications and archival The news of the tragedy and war situation in Western Ukraine and urged all the New Polish State which material that has been and hardships that befell Ukraine during the currently is being preserved. ExploreExplore andand ExperienceExperience OurOur PastPast