Metropolitan Ilarion (Ivan) Ohienko (1882 – 1972) 

Honoured with Conference

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada hosted a three day conference to honour Ivan Ohienko a noted Ukrainian-Canadian Church and community leader on the weekend of Nov. 2-4, 2007.  This year marks the 125^th Anniversary since his birth in Ukraine and the 35^th Anniversary of his repose in Winnipeg in 1972.

 Metropolitan Ilarion was a world-renowned Ukrainian linguist, historian, theologian, nation builder, ecclesiastical leader and translator of the Bible. The last  25 years of his life (1947 – 1972), he spent in Canada, where he held three prominent positions - the Primate or head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, Dean and Professor of Theology at St. Andrew’s College and Adjunct Professor of Graduate Studies, University of Manitoba (Department of Slavic Studies).

Twelve papers were presented at the three day conference on various aspects of the life and accomplishments of Metropolitan Ilarion (Ivan Ohienko), the authors of which discussed the numerous contributions of Ohienko to the religious and national life of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and Ukrainian national life in both Ukraine and Canada.  Prof. Oleh Gerus (University of Manitoba) focused on his establishment of a university in the city of Kamianets Podil’sk in South Western Ukraine,  Prof. Hryhoriy Kuprianovych (Marie-Curie Skodlowska University, Lublin, Poland) focused on his sacrificial and dedicated service to the nation and Church, while Prof. Iryna Tiurmenko (National Aviation University – Kyiv, Ukraine) analyzed his understanding and conception of Ukrainian culture.  Further, Bishop Ilarion (Rudyk) (Portugal) concentrated on his role as a  community and ecclesiastical leader, Bishop Andriy (Peshko) (England) analyzed the period of his episcopacy in Kholm from 1940-44 and Rev. Dr. Yaroslaw Buciora (University of Winnipeg) presented an analysis of Orthodox  anthropology in the thought of Metropolitan Ilarion. Dr. Roman Yereniuk (St. Andrew’s College, University of Manitoba) presented his study of the religious epistles of Ilarion in Canada, Dr. Yulia Zayachuk (Ivan Franko National University, Lviv, Ukraine) expounded his educational philosophy and Prof. Iryna Konstantiuk (University of Manitoba) surveyed his teaching work at the University of Manitoba. Rev. Prof. Oleh Krawchenko talked about his recollections of the late Metropolitan, Rev. Dr. Stephan Jarmus identified and illustrated Metropolitan Ilarion’s oratorical style while Mariya Kortchevich provided a general overview of the man and his era.

The conference opened at St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral on 820 Burrows Ave.  and Saturday sessions were held at St. Andrew’s College on the University of Manitoba campus. The Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Ihor Ostash was the guest speaker at the Saturday evening banquet.  The symposium concluded at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral on Main Street with a Divine Liturgy, requiem service, and commemorative banquet.

In Kyiv, in early June, another major conference on Ivan Ohienko was coordinated by Prof. Iryna Tiurmenko, history professor at the Kyiv Aviation University with the assistance of various other academic institutions in Ukraine and Canada (including the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, University of Manitoba). Some 56 papers were presented, discussed and debated at the conference in 7 sessions on the legacy and patrimony of Ivan Ohienko. Most of the papers were read by scholars from Ukraine, however four papers were presented by Canadians, all from Winnipeg.

The Canadian papers included: Prof. Roman Yereniuk, St. Andrew’s College and Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, University of Manitoba,  on “The Religious Epistles of Metropolitan Ilarion in Canada (1947-1972)”;  Prof. Fr. Stephan Jarmus, St. Andrew’s College, “Metropolitan Ilarion as a Public Speaker on Religious and Cultural Themes”; Prof. Iryna Konstantiuk, Dept. of German and Slavic Studies, University of Manitoba, on “Metropolitan Ilarion as an Educator at the University of Manitoba” and Lecturer Fr. Yaroslaw Buciora, University of Winnipeg, on The Theological Foundation of the Teachings of Metropolitan Ilarion” (this paper was sent in to the conference committee).

The Kyiv Conference was officially opened by the Canadian Ambassador in Ukraine, Ms. Abina Dann, the Rector of the Kyiv Aviation University and the former Minister of Education, M. Kremel.

Metropolitan Ilarion (Ivan) Ohienko was a prolific writer, whose contribution included some 1500 monographs, articles, brochures and pamphlets as well as the editorship of five journals on religious history, Orthodox theology and Ukrainian philology and culture.

One of the major accomplishments of his life was the translation of the entire Bible into modern Ukrainian, which eventually was published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in England in 1962.  To much acclaim, the Weekend Magazine (Winnipeg)  in 1957 titled a prominent three page article on him “Scholarship  on the Run”, since the translation was done prior to, during, and in the aftermath of WWII in three different countries – Poland, Switzerland and Canada.

Metropolitan Ilarion was well known in Ukraine and Poland as an outstanding scholar and professor at several universities. He was responsible for the establishment of a new university in Kamianetsk-Podil’sk, Ukraine.  In the short lived Ukrainian government of 1917-1919 he held the position of Minister of Education and later Minister of Religious Affairs. At the Ohienko Conference in Kyiv, the Numismatics Office of the Ukrainian Mint officially launched a two hryvnia coin dedicated to Ivan Ohienko in a series entitled “Prominent Figures of Ukrainian History”.  Earlier in the year, the Post Office of Ukraine had inaugurated an official seventy kopiyky stamp dedicated to Ivan Ohienko.

Metropolitan Ilarion was truly a key figure in the history of Ukraine and that of the Ukrainian Canadian community in the XX century. His manifold activities and concerns still need further study. The conferences provided important insight into the ethos of the man and his era which will continue to be studied in the future. The conferences were a most fitting tribute to Ivan Ohienko (Metropolitan Ilarion) and his tremendous academic and religious activity both in Ukraine and Canada.

Prepared by: Dr. Roman Yereniuk, Associate Professor at St. Andrew’s College and Sessional Lecturer at the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, University of Manitoba. He can be reached at 204 474-7011 or at yereniuk@cc.umanitoba.ca