THE English supplement of SVOBODA, Ukrainian daily, founded 1893. Dedicated to the needs and interests of young Americans of Ukrainian descent. No. 8 JERSEY CITY, N. J., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1941 VOL. IX HETMAN BOHDAN KHMELNITSKY "And Yet He Must Appear In his lecture at, Columbia University last Friday, As a people who have been denied national freedom far Professor George Vernadsky of Yale paid high tribute to more than anyone else, the Ukrainians have learned to the leadership, statesmanship, and generalship of Hetman cherish it most of all. Especially do they cherish and honor Bohdan Khmelniteky, the great Kozak leader who freed its great champions. Chief among them, of course, is George Ukraine in 1648. Washington, the Father of Our Country. For the Ukrainians In fact,,the tribute that Vernadsky paid Khmelnitsky he is the very personification of freedom. That is why they is in some respects even higher than many Ukrainians always allude to America as "vilna zemlia Washingtona"— usually pay him. In one important respect, however, they the free land of Washington. And that is why, too, their all agree with the distinguished Yale scholar. Had not pre­ greatest poet and national martyr, Taras Shevchenko, cried mature death taken Khmelnitsky when he was needed most, out in one of his poems: they say, had he been able to live about ten more years, When will our Washington appear, his life work would then have been completed, Ukraine With just and human laws? would have probably won lasting freedom, and the entire but, full of faith, he then exclaimed: course of East European history would have been changed. And yet he must appear* Perhaps, to go even further, Ukraine and not Russia would have then been the dominant power in that area today. In any event, Bohdan Khmelnitsky was a great man. VERNADSKY LECTURE LECTURES ON tKRAI N K He might be regarded as a combination of Oliver Cromwell, AT COLUMBIA DRAWS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY George Washington, and Simon Bolivar. The similarity be­ MANY lecture No. 2 tween him and Cromwell is especially striking. Even a The second of the series of lectures Polish historian, Ludwig Kuballa (1838-1918), commented The Ukrainian Revolution of on Ukraine at Columbia University upon it. Wrote he: "Strangers compared Khmelnitsky with 1648, which gave rise to modern will be given tonight, beginning at 8 o'clock, Room 305. Schermer­ Cromwell. Т¾е comparison forces itself to the attention, Ukraine, was an historical event of no leas significance than the horn Hall. especially of the age when these two men drew upon them­ Thirty Year War or the English The lecturer will be Stephen selves the undivided interest of Europe. Both lived and Revolution of 1640-49, declared Shumeyko, Editor of the Ukrainian died at practically the same time. Both were standing Professor George Vernadsky of Weekly. His topic will be The Yale University, author of several Modern Period in Ukrainian His­ enemies of the ruling church and government of their coun­ tory. outstanding historical works on tries, and і¿ the later years of their lives both stood at Russia, during the course of his the head of an uprising that could boast of progress which lecture at Columbia University partment of Ea»t European Lan­ could put to shame the teaching and experience of the last Friday night on the subject guages. of the Kievan and Kozak Periods greatest warriors and diplomats. E]ach created a mighty 'The problem of Ukraine is one in Ukrainian History. (An abs­ of the most thorny and disputed army by whose help he governed, and both died at the height tract of Prof. Vernadflky's lecture problems in the Europe of today," i>f their power, willing their positions to their children." appears on page 3). Professor Manning declared. "His· The two men, it might be added, are reported to have Well over two hundred persons, ton· with its many changes of corresponded with one another. A letter from Cromwell to mostly of the younger generation, names has completely obscured the Khmelnitsky is said to indicate that the great Englishman attended the lecture, which was development of events, and politi­ the first of the series currently cians and ncholars some honestly regarded the great Ukrainian as a noble champion of human t being sponsored at Columbia Uni­ and others for personal or national liberties. - — versity by its Department of East advantages, have sought to profit It was in this role that Khmelnitsky aroused and led European Languages in conjunc­ by the confusion. the Ukrainian people against Poland. The Revolution of tion with the Ukrainian National "But today there is a major con­ 1648, as Vernadsky calls it, had been brewing a long while. Association. flict in the world and all the basic These lectures are held every concepts of a well ordered universe The Polish kingdom then was, as expressed in some old Friday evening, beginning at 8, are being questioned. It is t¿ie task Latin verses, "Coelum Nobilitorum, Paradisus Judeorum, in Room 305, Schermerhorn Hall, of a University to serve as a guide Et Infernum Rusticorum"—Heaven for the Nobles, Paradise which is on the Amsterdam Ave­ to intelligent thinking on important for the Jews, and Hell for the Peasants. nue side of the Columbia grounds, problems and therefore the Depart­ Hell indeed it was for the Ukrainians, who were mostly at 118th Street. The Broadway~ ment of East European Languages, 7th Avenue Express, going to 242 with the cooperation of the Uk­ peasants. This fact is stressed by Poles themselves, such as Street, should bo taken; get off at rainian National Association, is the chronicler Wezpiazin Kochowski (1633-99) or the his- 116th Street only too glad to arrange this series torian Samuel Gradski (17th century). Foreigners, too, like The lecture was presided over by of lectures on the development of the French engineer Sieur de Beauplain, noted it. Finally Professor Clarence A. Manning, Ukrainian history, culture and lit­ even a Jewish writer, Nathan Hanover, commented on it. acting executive on¶cer of the De- erature." Oppression by the Polish magnates and nobles had reduced the Ukrainian peasants to such straits, he wrote, "that they sary for him to conclude in 1654 the disastrous treaty of were lorded over by everyone. Even those who themselves alliance with the Muscovian Tsar. were in the most sorry plight—the Jews—lorded over them." "Able both as statesman and warrior, accorded a kingly Preceded by a number of peasant revolts, which were estate by all the great powers. Bohdan continued until the ruthlessly put down, the Ukrainian Revolution of 1648 was end of his career to lead the life of a peasant or common begun not so much by the peasants as by the Kozaks, com­ soldier," thug wrote Count de Salvandy, the French states­ posed of those bolder spirits among the peasants and towns­ man and historian. "In the same room he (Bohdan) shared people who had fled the oppressive rule and settled in the with his wife and children, he received embassies from the dangerous but bountiful borderlands, and there evolved into greatest crowned heads of Europe. The sudden apoplectic a military organization which became world famous for its stroke which carried o£f the veteran chief of the Kozaks removed a factor which has been compared with that of defense of Europe against the unceasing invasions of the Oliver Cromwell in the West. Vet today Bohdan Khmel- Tartar and Turkish hordes. nitsky's name is all but forgotten in history." "Being a man of great abilities, well educated, a shrewd politician," as Professor Vernadsky describes him in his But the above was written in the late 1820's. Today "Political and Diplomatic History of Russia," Bohdan Bohdan Khmelnitsky's name as well as the great role he Khmelnitsky soon found himself at the head of the revolu­ played in East European history, are becoming better known tionary movement. With the entire Ukrainian nation behind than ever before. him, Khmelnitsky was able to drive the Poles out of Ukraine, As Professor Vernadsky said at the Columbia Univer­ shatter their military might at the battles of Zhovti Vodi, sity lecture last Friday: "His (Khmelnitsky *e) achievements Korsun, Piliava, and Zboriw, and reduce the resistance of were of tremendous importance and the foundation of his aristocratic Poland to such an extent that, in the words of policies sound. It was the mistakes of his successors and the Polish writer Sienkiewicz, "Poland lay in the Wood and the lack of cooperation between various factions, which dust at the feet of the Kozaks." Had not Khmelniteky chose eventually undermined the unity of the Ukrainian nation to be lenient then, all of Poland would have capitulated be­ and thus contributed greatly to the subsequent extinction fore Km tnen, which perhaps would ha*e made it unneces- of Ukrainian liberties." £ UKRAINIAN WEEKLY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21. \d'J ; No 8 THE UKRAINIAN" NATIONAL ASSOCIATION - £ E v> ПРНЕ outbreak of the first World War in 1914 Publications It is precisely this fraternal and democratic ^" created in Europe a whirlpool of conflicting character of the Ukrainian National Associa­ human interests that at once sucked in those In this connection, it is also worth while to tion, together with the large resources at its gigantic waves of emigration that had been point out that the U.N.A. has done more than command, that has enabled it to be so sen­ flooding America for well-nigh one hundred any one single agency in making the Ukrainian sitive and receptive to the needs and desires of years.