York University Course Focuses on Ukraine’s Rich Cultural History

By Olena Wawryshyn

Despite the fact that there are reportedly over a million Canadians of Ukrainian descent, there are surprisingly few Ukrainian courses at the university level in the country. Only a small handful of Canadian universities offer such courses at all, and of these courses, few run annually.

York University’s course Aspects of Ukrainian Culture, which is being offered for the fifth consecutive year this fall, is, therefore, a rare gem for those who want to learn about Ukraine in an academic setting.  

It is also unique in its focus.  Though there are courses that cover Ukrainian culture, in particular at the University of Alberta, they focus on folklore, often in a Canadian context. The course at York deals with what can be called Ukrainian high culture and examines it within a European context. 

The third-year course is divided into two separate half courses: Aspects of Ukrainian Culture I and II, running over two semesters.  The first half surveys Ukrainian culture starting with the prehistoric period to the mid-19th century and includes Neoclassicism. The second half starts with Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine’s famous bard who was also an accomplished painter, and surveys Ukrainian culture from his time to the present day, covering not only artists in Ukraine but also those in Canada.           

Part of York University’s European Studies program’s course offerings, Aspects of Ukrainian Culture was designed and has been delivered since its inception by Prof. Daria Darewych, who has a PhD in art history from the University of London, in England.   The material she teaches centres on her specialty: art and architecture. “Because Aspects of Ukrainian Culture will probably be the only Ukrainian course that many York students will take I feel that it should also include other aspects of Ukrainian culture,” says Prof. Darewych.

In the class, parallels between various cultural branches, art, literature and music are discussed in a seminar setting.  For the session on music, Dagmara Duvirak Turchyn, a Ukrainian music scholar comes in to discuss the development of Ukrainian music.

The course is taken by undergraduate students from various programs and faculties and with many different academic backgrounds, including history, political science, fine arts, languages and even business. They bring different perspectives to the discussions. “I find that very stimulating,” says Prof. Darewych who gears the classes to the interests of the students in any particular year.

“If there are students interested in film, we will have a presentation on film; likewise, if there are students interested in drama and theatre. In the past, we have had students interested in the economic or social aspects of Ukrainian culture who have done presentations on the patronage of Ukrainian arts. Students who are interested in opera can do their class presentation on this theme and everybody benefits,” she adds.

One of the main hurdles for Prof. Darewych in developing the course was the lack of textbooks on the subjects covered. As a result, she has prepared a course kit containing various articles and material.  To fill the gap, she is in the process of writing a textbook on Ukrainian art and architecture.

To ensure the course continues, Prof. Darewych is also actively involved in fundraising with the help of the York University Foundation.  Her course was established after the university's Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Robert Drummond, was approached by Prof. Orest Subtelny, who teaches a biennial Ukrainian history course at the university, and Prof. Jurij Darewych,  of the university’s Physics Department, with the idea for a course on Ukrainian culture.  Dean Drummond agreed to back such a course at York if the community provided partial funding in the amount of $7,500 annually.

In previous years, full financial support for two years has come from the Rev. Marian and Dr. Roman Curkowsky Foundation, and partial support from the Committee of Ukrainian Studies at York, the Canadian Foundation of Ukrainian Studies, Buduchnist Credit Union, Mr. and Mrs. Roman and Maria Wynnyckyj, and the Foundation of Dr. Jurij Danyliw.

Though the student enrollment in the course is more than adequate (so far 25 have registered for the 30 spaces in the 2006/2007 session), the fact that it is funded by the community means that the course can not be eliminated by the university should the numbers ever drop below 15 students.

The work Prof. Darewych has put into the course is reflected in the positive feedback she has received from students. They are from different cultural backgrounds and some are even from other countries.  The course has “kindled in me an interest in Ukrainian culture that will stay with me forever,” said Ryan Bochnak, one of her past students.

A Canadian student of Portuguese heritage wrote that now every time he hears anything about Ukraine he feels as if he were part of the Ukrainian community in Canada says Prof. Darewych. An international student contacted Prof. Darewych from Korea to tell her that she benefited not only by broadening her information on Ukrainian culture but European culture as well.

Says Prof. Darewych: “We [the Ukrainian community] underestimate the impact that university courses can have on young minds and students who are the future leaders of society in Canada and abroad.”