A Liberal Wedding Ukrainian-Style

By Olena Wawryshyn

Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj and Lina Fedko were united in the Holy Sacrament of Marriage at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto on January 20.

The officiating clergy were the Rev. Father Roman Lobay and the Rev. Father Oleh Yuryk, a third-cousin of Mr. Wrzewsnewskyj. His Eminence Archbishop Yurij (Kalitschuk), of the Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern Canada and Toronto, was given a seat of honour at the front, before the iconostas.

In attendance were the couple’s family, including the groom’s parents, Irena and Roman Wrzesnewskyj; the bride’s mother and stepfather, Ludmila Fedko and Vladyslav Trush, from Kyiv; friends; Ukrainian-Canadian community leaders; as well as a number of current and former Members of Parliament.

Among the dignitaries were Toronto Mayor David Miller, who attended with his young son, and Gerard Kennedy, a candidate in the recent Federal Liberal leadership race, and his wife Jeanette Arsenault-Kennedy.  Also at the service were Liberal MP Navdeep Bains and MPP Donna Cansfield, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation and others.

 Entering the church arm-in-arm with Wrzesnewskyj, the raven-haired Ms. Fedko wore a white fur jacket, which she slipped off when they got to the front of the church, revealing an elaborate floor-length white gown designed by Inna Cherniak of the Yunona Fashion House in Kyiv. Mr. Wresnewskyj wore a tuxedo with a silver-gray bow tie and cumberbund.

Standing at the couple’s side during the service were Ms. Fedko’s maid of honour, her sister Valeria Trush, of Kyiv, and Mr. Wrzesnewskyj’s best man and cousin, Demyan Hyworon, of Winnipeg.

The Vesnivka women’s choir, under conductor Halyna Kvitka Kondracki, sang magnificently as did soloist Anna Yaschyshyn, whose rendition of composer Mykola Fomenko’s Divo Mariye was enchanting. Their voices combined with the late-afternoon light that streamed through the stained-glass windows of the beautiful church created an atmosphere that was both spiritual and sublime.

After the proceedings concluded with the signing of the marriage certificate, the newlyweds made their way to the doors of  the church, where they graciously greeted and thanked each guest for coming. When the couple finally exited, they were showered with wheat by enthusiastic well-wishers.

They then left for the Golden Lion banquet hall, located  near  Mr. Wrzesnewskyj’s federal riding, where approximately 300 guests, including former Prime Minister John Turner and employees of the Wrzesnewskyj family’s businesses, Future Bakery and MC-Dairy, dined on a meal that included soup made with mushrooms from the Carpathian Mountains.

Since the Wrzesnewskyjs are in the bread-making business, the korovai (wedding bread) had to be special. There were several baked for the wedding at Future Bakery with the help of Mrs. Franka Nazarewycz, a master baker, who used to teach the bakery’s employees. She came out of retirement to lend a hand.  Mini korovais in tiny baskets were presented to all the guests.

The starosty were Prof. Jurij Darewych and Mr. Wrzesnewskyj’s sister, Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj.

Guests were entertained by violinist Vasyl Popadiuk and danced to the music of the Ron Cahute band.

That the Toronto-born Mr. Wrzesnewskyj married a bride from Ukraine is not surprising given his long-time involvement with Ukrainian-Canadian organizations and his interest in Ukraine. Growing up, he belonged to Plast, a Ukrainian youth scouting organization. During his university days, he was active in the Ukrainian Students’ Club at the University of Toronto. Then, later, as an MP, he helped to organize the delegation of Canadian observers during the 2004 Ukrainian elections.

It was his interest in politics in Ukraine that led to his first meeting with his future bride. Three years, ago, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj was introduced to Ms. Fedko, who is almost 20 years his junior, at a banquet in honour of Yulia Tymoshenko, who later became Ukraine’s prime minister. Ms. Fedko is a former publisher of the Canadian Ukrainian-language edition of the Kyiv-based newspaper, Vechirni Visti and a family friend of Tymoshenko.

After honeymooning on the island of Bora Bora, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj will get back to his duties as the newly appointed Official Opposition’s Critic for Crown Corporations.