Lesya Ukrainka Garden Development on U of S Campus in Saskatoon

In 1976, a bronze statue of Lesya Ukrainka, the celebrated Ukrainian poet, was unveiled at the University of Saskatchewan amid celebration and controversy. Commissioned by the Association for Cultural Relations of the USSR, the statue was at the time seen by some as an attempt to justify and dignify injustices perpetrated by the Soviets against the people of Ukraine. When offered to the Province of Saskatchewan and the City of Saskatoon, both declined acceptance due to the political sensitivities surrounding the gift.

The University, however, accepted the statue and it was installed in the green space to the southwest of the Arts Tower. In spite of the significant public outcry at the University’s acceptance of the Soviet’s gift, this included protests during the statue’s installation ceremony, the monument to Lesya Ukrainka stands today as a highly regarded and very public symbol of Ukrainian strength and independence.

Beginning in 2012, construction will begin on the new Aboriginal Students Centre (ASC), which will be built approximately 30-40 feet from the statue’s current location. Many within the Ukrainian community believe that the ASC will not only stand in stark cultural contrast to the statue, but significantly diminish its physical and symbolic prominence on campus.

The University Library is currently exploring financial support for the next stage of the physical renovation of the Murray Library, which has as its core the transformation of collections, client, and work space for the University Archives and Special Collections (Library Transformation: Phase III). LTIII will allow the University Library to increase its capacity to preserve and showcase various collections of significance - including the University’s Ukrainian heritage such as: the Lesya Ukrainka statue; the Prairie Centre for the Study of Ukrainian Heritage’s collection; personal and professional papers of distinguished Ukrainian scholars; and teaching and research on Ukrainian studies, etc.

The University Library proposes to incorporate the Lesya Ukrainka statue into its permanent collection, which will represent a tangible and significant example of its Library Transformation initiatives. The statue will be relocated to the green space on the northwest side of the Murray Building and a permanent “garden” will be established in which members of the campus and wider communities can gather and physically interact with, and learn more about, an important part of Ukrainian heritage.

This project has been enthusiastically endorsed by both the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Club.

Significance and Benefits

1. The statue not only has rich historical and cultural value, but holds a unique place in Ukrainian and University history.

2. Lesya Ukrainka was a poet and a significant literary figure, and her association with the University Library is a natural one.

3. The Lesya Ukrainka Garden “supports and advances the preservation and promotion of the Ukrainian Canadian cultural heritage” (Foundation Website).

4. The Ukrainka Garden not only preserves an important piece of Ukrainian heritage, but creates a unique space in which students, faculty, staff, and the wider community can engage and physically interact with Ukrainian history.

5. The Garden will serve to raise the profile and awareness of Lesya Ukrainka during a year in which there will be heightened interest in her life and work (2013 marks the centennial of her death).

Financial Goal and Targets

The University Library must raise a minimum of $300,000 towards the development of the Lesya Ukrainka Garden.

Unless allocated to a specific area of the project by the donor, funds will be allocated to this project with a view to supporting the following:

- Designing the garden space;

- Building the garden space;

- Relocating the statue;

- Refurbishing the statue;

- Ongoing maintenance costs of the statue;

- Contributing to expanding the capacity of Archives and Special Collections (i.e. LTIII);

- Donor recognition.

Note: There will be unique opportunities available to recognize donors and partners in this project in the Garden itself and elsewhere. Such opportunities can be discussed with the Library’s Development Office.

Project Timeline

April 2012: Library/University and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress agree in principle to terms of the relocation.

May-June 2012: Minimum funding in the amount $150,000 secured.

June 2012: Project approved by University Library, University Advancement, and LTIII Steering Committee.

June 2012 – March 2013: Fundraising efforts secure up to an additional $350,000 toward LTIII (Ukrainka Garden).

April-July 2013: Garden under construction.

July 2013: Statue restoration underway.

August 1, 2013: Official Opening.

Prepared by Luke Muller, Development, University Library, University of Saskatchewan