UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IN MY BABA'S HOUSE, IN MY PARENTS' HOUSE: ^=% Perspectives on Two Houses in Kamsack, Saskatchewan C. by MAUREEN STEFANKJK Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in UKRAINIAN FOLKLORE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURAL STUDIES EDMONTON, ALBERTA SPRING 2009 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de Pedition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaONK1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre r6f6rence ISBN: 978-0-494-54623-9 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-54623-9 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Nnternet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, queiques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1+1 Canada ABSTRACT This thesis employs four methodologies: autobiography, a review of literature on Ukrainian dwelling architecture, fieldwork interviews and a detailed description of Ukrainian decorated eggs. All these research sources illustrate different perspectives on two particular houses in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, my grandmother's house and my parents' house. Some perspectives present a polarity strongly contrasting the two houses, one being very "traditional" while the other being very "modern." Other perspectives suggest that the two Kamsack dwellings were quite similar. The four different methods, or types of sources, ultimately help to understand the question of what constituted Ukrainian ethnicity in each case. Objects of Ukrainian ethnicity acquire a new diversity, and multiplicity of forms within the contemporary Ukrainian cultural context, as well as a new aesthetic, symbolic, hybrid status. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to God for granting me the grace and fortitude to remain faithful to answering the questions that were uppermost in my heart and mind when I entered the Ukrainian Folklore program. I acknowledge a great debt to my mother Marie and my daughter Ilara for their unfailing love, sacrifice, encouragement and support of me throughout this project. I extend a special thank you to Hans Von Grunwald for his good heart, good humor and his willingness to "be there for me" as an inspiration, and as a loving and soulful companion. This study would not have been possible without the knowledge, guidance, patience, kindness, and wisdom of my two supervisors, Professors Andriy Nahachewsky and Natalie Kononenko who supervised my work at various times over the course of this project. I am very grateful for their compassion, the gift of their time and their generosity of spirit towards me. Without their sensitivity and direction this thesis could never have been born. I would like to thank my fieldwork informants for graciously giving their time and energy to welcome me and freely share information. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Betty Rohr, Louise Henein, Donna Cooley, Donna Eisner, and most recently, Sisters Margaret McGovern and Laurette Belanger and the Sisters of the Marian Community at Providence Center, whose hospitality of heart and home in both Saskatoon and Edmonton have gone far beyond the call of duty. They all prayed, protected, encouraged and nourished me- heart, mind, body, and soul. Their moral support has been invaluable over the past six years. And last but certainly not least, I am grateful for all the administrative and technical assistance of my MLCS Angel, Jane Wilson. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE 5 AUTOBIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL 5 I IMPRESSIONS OF MY BABA'S HOUSE 5 II IMPRESSIONS OF MY PARENTS' HOUSE 31 III NOTIONS OF HOUSE 54 CHAPTER TWO 55 CANADIAN-UKRAINIAN DWELLING ARCHITECTURE 55 I THEBURDEI 55 II LOG AND PLASTER PEASANT HOUSE 59 A. The Main Features 62 B. House Lay-Out 63 C. House Structure 64 D. House Styles 69 E. House Contents 72 F. House as Interactive Space 73 III WOOD FRAME HOUSE 76 A. Main Features 76 B. House Structure 79 C. House as Interactive Space 80 IV MODERN DWELLINGS 86 V CONCLUSIONS 88 A. Situating My Baba's and My Parents' Houses Along The House Continuum 89 CHAPTER THREE 97 INFORMANT RESPONSES 97 I SOURCES 97 II INFORMANTS ON BURDEI 99 III INFORMANTS ON THE UKRAINIAN PLASTER HOUSE 100 A. Informants on Exterior House Rituals in the Ukrainian Plaster House 101 B. Informants on Interior House Rituals in the Ukrainian Plaster House 101 IV INFORMANTS ON THE UKRAINIAN WOOD FARM HOUSE 105 A. The Stefaniuk Farm House 106 B. The Kryworuchka Farm House 107 C. The Dutka Farm House 110 D. Rituals in the Farm House Ill V INFORMANTS ON THE ENGLISH HOUSE 115 VI INFORMANT IMPRESSIONS OF UKRAINIAN HOUSES IN THEIR PAST 116 VII INFORMANTS ON THE MODERN HOME 118 VIII CONCLUSIONS 123 CHAPTER FOUR 129 UKRAINIAN OBJECTS WITHIN THE VARIOUS UKRAINIAN HOUSES 129 I INFORMANTS ON OBJECTS WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL UKRAINIAN LOG AND PLASTER HOME 129 A. Objects in the west room/domestic area/ mala khata: 130 B. Objects in the east room/ ceremonial guest area/ velyka khata: 131 A-List Objects in the mala khata of the Ukrainian Log-Plaster House: 133 B-List Objects in the velyka khata of the Ukrainian Log-Plaster House: 133 C-List Total Number of Objects in the Ukrainian Log-Plaster House: 134 (A-List and B List Combined) 134 C. Informants on Ritual Objects in the Log and Plaster House 136 II INFORMANTS ON UKRAINIAN OBJECTS IN THE 137 MODERN HOME 137 A. Visual Art and Craft- 140 B. Religious Imagery- 141 C. Objects of Nature- 141 D. Food- 141 E. Antiques and Ukrainian Pioneer Artifacts- 141 F. Books- 141 G. Music- 142 D-List Informants on Ukrainian Objects in the Modern Home: 142 III UKRAINIAN OBJECTS IN BABA'S HOUSE AND IN MY PARENTS' HOUSE 145 IV CONCLUSIONS 151 A. Ukrainian Pioneer Folk Art 158 B. Ukrainian Nationalist Art in the Context of Urban Modern Culture 162 C. Ukrainian Ethnic Pop Art in the Context of Urban Modern Culture 166 C. Andriy Nahachewsky, Anna Kuranicheva, on Ukrainian Art Objects 168 CHAPTER FIVE 175 THE DECORATED EGG IN THE UKRAINIAN PLASTER HOUSE, 175 IN THE WOOD FRAME HOUSE AND IN THE MODERN HOME 175 I THE DECORATED EGG IN THE UKRAINIAN PLASTER HOUSE 176 II DECORATED EGGS IN BABA'S WOOD FRAME HOUSE 178 A. Primary Sources: 178 B. Preservation: 180 C. Social and Historical Context: 181 D. Baba and Pysanky Rituals 182 III DECORATED EGGS IN MOTHER'S MODERN HOME 185 A Description: 185 B. Preservation 186 C. Social and Historical Context: 186 D. Other Informants on Pysanky: 187 IV CONCLUSION: 191 CHAPTER SIX 199 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS 199 I METHODOLOGY 199 II A NEW DIVERSITY & MUTIPLICITY OF UKRAINIAN CULTURAL FORMS 202 III SYMBOLISM 207 IV HYBRIDITY 209 V CULTURAL DISPLACEMENT AND EMOTIONAL PROJECTION 212 BIBLIOGRAPHY 215 FIELDWORK INTERVIEWS 219 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Comparison of Objects inBaba's and Parents' Houses 145 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Baba Stefaniuk's Kamsack House 5 Figure 2. House Interior. Kitchen of Baba's House 7 Figure 3. George Stefaniuk circa 1920 8 Figure 4. Baba Stefaniuk's Kamsack House Floor-Plan 10 Figure 5. Baba Stefaniuk's Kamsack House Interior Floor-Plan 11 Figure 6. Baba Stefaniuk's Sacred Heart Icons of Jesus and Mary 12 Figure 7. One of Baba Stefaniuk's Barrels Crafted into an End Table 14 Figure 8. Interior Kitchen of Baba's House, 1948 15 Figure 9. Baba Stefaniuk's Wooden Clock 17 Figure 10. Kitchen of Baba's House. Baba's Birthday, 1966 18 Figure 11. "Baba Shelf 19 Figure 12. Icon of Child Jesus with Lamb 22 Figure 13. Baba's Icon of St. George and the Dragon 23 Figure 14. Living Room in Baba Stefaniuk's Kamsack House circa 1956 24 Figure 15. Gido's Chest with Blue Lock 25 Figure 16. Gido Stefaniuk's Docking Paper 26 Figure 17. Baba Stefaniuk's Hand Embroidered Ritual Cloth/rushnyk, 27 Figure 18. Baba Stefaniuk's Hand-Crafted Pillow Cover 28 Figure 19. Ukrainian Christmas Eve circa 1960s 29 Figure 20. Baba Stefaniuk circa 1950 31 Figure 21. John and Marie Stefaniuk's Wood Frame House circa 1950 32 Figure 22. Parents' 1920s House Plan 33 Figure 23. An Architectural Sketch of the "Kingsmere" Home circa 1960 38 Figure 24. Parents' Remodeled Kamsack House circa 1970 39 Figure 25.