Walter Kish

Since Ukraine became independent more than a decade ago, Ukrainian organizations in the diaspora have been experiencing a noticeable decline in the level of interest, activism and commitment to what was once an idealistic and emotional crusade.

Starting with the large influx of post-war Ukrainian immigrants and until well into the 80s, Ukrainian organizations of every stripe and character grew and flourished, driven by nationalistic zeal and a determination to free the homeland from centuries of political and cultural oppression. Both the displaced immigrants as well as the established Ukrainian communities in Europe and North America, devoted significant amounts of time, energy and money towards "the cause".

This cause was a potent mix of political idealism, religious passion and cultural assertiveness, all dedicated towards attaining the Holy Grail of Ukrainian independence, recognition and self-determination. For decades, this movement forged ahead, fuelled by a type of spiritual adrenalin that was the product of the blatant oppression and persecution of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. The more that Soviets tried to submerge and deny the very existence of a distinct Ukraine people and state, the more determined were these defenders in exile. This was not a cause that engendered passive support, but one that demanded a heart and soul commitment.

When the USSR unexpectedly disintegrated in the early nineties, there was the understandable initial euphoria within all these Ukrainian organizations in exile. The promise had been fulfilled; the dream had been achieved. It was time to savour the fruits of victory.

Unfortunately, it did not take long for the disillusionment to set in. The new, free Ukraine turned out to be far different than what most had expected. Those long-suffering nationalist heroes in exile were not welcomed back with open arms. There was no room for them in this new Ukraine. Succeeding Ukrainian governments made it quite clear that they neither needed, nor welcomed the advice of those who had sacrificed so much for so long. In Ukraine itself, self-serving opportunism, corruption and economic stagnation dampened that initial euphoria and enthusiasm, and most Ukrainians have become fatalistic about their immediate future.

Many who have visited Ukraine in the first decade after independence have come away disappointed and even depressed. The mythological picture of a free Ukraine that they had constructed during that half-century in exile did not exist. The majority of the population, whether Ukrainian or Russified, were more concerned with basic survival and materialistic pursuits than political and cultural freedom. With the exception of a small minority of activists in Western Ukraine, most Ukrainians were either politically naïve or apathetic. Though the structure and organs of the Soviet state had disappeared, the values and mentality engendered by such a long period of oppression, intimidation and mind control had left behind the legacy known as "homo sovieticus". The Ukrainian soul and spirit had been badly eroded to the point where many wonder whether a true Ukrainian state can evolve from the ashes of the failed Soviet experiment.

All this has served to significantly sap the energy and drive of Ukrainian organizations here in Canada and the US. With no strong motivating cause to sustain them, most have sunk into a state of ideological and political lethargy. Some have shifted their focus to more domestic pursuits such as fighting the Canadian government’s misguided "denaturalization and deportation" policy for suspected war criminals, or seeking redress for Canada’s interment program during the First World War. Somehow though, these causes, worthy as they may be, have not managed to engage more than a handful of diehard Ukrainian activists.

At the moment, Ukrainian organizational life in Canada is stuck in the doldrums and badly in need of someone to create a new vision and purpose, one that will engage and motivate the Ukrainian community in general. We need a modern day Shevchenko or Khmelnitsky to awaken the Ukrainian spirit once more!