Living National Treasures

By Volodymyr Kish

The Japanese have a wonderful tradition of designating outstanding contributors to the preservation and enhancements of Japanese arts and culture as “Living National Treasures”.  Aside from receiving significant government subsidies to continue their work, they are held in high honour and revered by the whole of Japanese society. 

I was reminded of this over the past weekend while watching a performance of the Canadian Bandurist Capella under the direction of Victor Mishalow.  The performance was part of the UNYF 75^th Anniversary Gala and fund-raising banquet held in support of the creation by the UNF of the Paul Yuzyk Institute for Youth Leadership.  It came to mind that here was a prime example of one of the Ukrainian community’s own “Living National Treasures”.  Victor Mishalow is acknowledged as one of the greatest bandura players of our age, and his Capella is indeed a fine example of Ukrainian musical artistry as can be found anywhere in this world.  Their performances are a unique emotional and spiritual experience.  I think few would disagree that Victor and the Capella are “Living National Treasures”.

The same could have been said for Paul Yuzuk during his lifetime.  Though the Ukrainian Diaspora in Canada has produced many outstanding individuals over the past century, few would argue that Paul Yuzuk stands head and shoulders above all others.  Acknowledged as the father of the official Canadian policy of Multiculturalism, the late Senator Yuzuk was a political and cultural leader not only within the Ukrainian community but the broader Canadian society as well.

In pursuing this train of thought, I was reminded of many other individuals both past and present whom I would personally add to this “Treasure” category for their contributions to the preservation and evolution of Ukrainian art and culture in Canada.  Vasyl Avramenko, the “Father of Ukrainian Dance”, easily comes to mind for having trained a whole generation of Ukrainian dance instructors throughout Canada and the U.S.  William Kurelek, of course needs no introduction, and is acknowledged as one of the greatest painters, Ukrainian or otherwise, that Canada has ever produced.  Walter Klymkiw and the O. Koshetz Choir from Winnipeg set the standard for Ukrainian choral music for several decades.

The ranks of contemporary, living “Treasures” is rich as well.  The musical sphere especially offers us many fine examples in addition to Victor Mishalow and the Capella.  Alexis Kochan-Budyk, has been at the forefront of taking Ukrainian-Canadian music into innovative new directions for many decades now, combining original folk genres with a contemporary, unique style that is spell-binding.  Halyna Kvitka Kondracki has been teaching and conducting Vesnivka and other choirs with unparalleled dedication for most of her life. Ron Cahute has been the epitome of Ukrainian Canadian band music for ages, creating a distinctive fusion of Ukrainian folk, Canadian country and ethnic rock that is as enjoyable and popular now as it was when he first picked up an accordion as a kid.  His forays into children’s music with innovative albums such as Barabolya and Booryak have shown his exceptional versatility as a musician.

Canada has produced many memorable Ukrainian dance groups, none more famous perhaps than Edmonton’s Shumka.  Formed in 1959 by Chest Kuc, they became the pre-eminent Ukrainian dance group in Canada, combining disciplined talent with a theatrical, story-telling approach to the dance form.  The sixties and seventies were particularly rich in exceptional dance groups, including Rusalka in Winnipeg, Kalyna in Toronto and the Marunchak dance group in Montreal.  All were undoubted “Treasures” and led to today’s vibrant Ukrainian dance scene in Canada which is blessed with over two hundred dance groups across the country and growing.

Whichever field of contemporary artistic endeavour you look at, there are Ukrainian Canadians of remarkable talent and distinction.  In the classical arts we have names such as Natalka Hussar, Peter Shostak, Pavlo Lopata and the late Leo Mol.  In academia we have such outstanding scholars and writers as Orest Subtelny, Paul Magosci, Petro Potychnyj, Manoly Lupul, Roman Serbyn, Andrew Gregorovich and many others.  In literature we have such recognized talents as Janice Kulyk Keefer, Jars Balan, Myrna Kostash and Marsha Skrypuch. In the media and journalism we have such people as Jurij Klufas, Stefan Genyk-Berezovsky, Walter Cap and Vera Ke.

Going beyond the arts and into the field of community activism and charitable endeavours, we have outstanding individuals such as Iryna Soltys, Victor Malarek, Myroslava Oleksiuk, the whole Wrzesnewskyj Family, James Temerty, Ostap Hawaleshka, Paul and Olya Grod, Ihor Bardyn, Lubomyr Luciuk and many others. 

They are all “Treasures” and we should honour them for the remarkable contributions they make to Ukrainian life in Canada.  I would love to hear from readers of this column as to what their own personal nominations would be to this list.