8 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2003 No. 12
No. 12 by Yuri Shevchuk THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2003 9 <strong>Ukrainian</strong> studies initiative launched at Cambridge University TORONTO – <strong>The</strong> formation of modern Ukraine has been the result of a complex interaction between <strong>Ukrainian</strong>s and other European nations, and the “<strong>Ukrainian</strong> fac<strong>to</strong>r” should be recognized as an indispensable dimension in the making of modern Europe. This was the principal argument of the lecture “<strong>The</strong> Making of Modern Ukraine: the European Dimension” delivered by Prof. Roman Szporluk of Harvard on February 28, at Cambridge University. <strong>The</strong> event did not qualify as a sensation neither by the number of people in attendance – about 70 – or by the fact that the invited speaker was an academic celebrity in his field. Over its 700 – year his<strong>to</strong>ry Cambridge University had seen greater audiences and heard from many a scholar of great prominence. Yet the purpose of this undertaking singles it out in the busy program of events at Cambridge as a pioneering and auspicious initiative. Prof. Szporluk’s appearance launched the first ever Annual Lecture Series in <strong>Ukrainian</strong> Studies at Cambridge University. Organized by the Cambridge Committee for Russian and East-European Studies (CREES), with the support of the Cambridge University <strong>Ukrainian</strong> Society and the sponsorship by the Stasiuk Program for Contemporary Ukraine at the Canadian Institute of <strong>Ukrainian</strong> Studies at the University of Alberta, this series pursues the ambitious goal of boosting academic interest in <strong>Ukrainian</strong> studies and making them a permanent presence in the curriculum of Cambridge University. Dr. Szporluk, the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of <strong>Ukrainian</strong> His<strong>to</strong>ry at Harvard University and direc<strong>to</strong>r of the Harvard <strong>Ukrainian</strong> Research Institute, needs no introduction for those interested in modern East European, <strong>Ukrainian</strong> and Russian his<strong>to</strong>ry. His bibliography includes books, articles, chapters in collective monographs, essays, book reviews and interviews published in several languages. His most recent book “Russia, Ukraine, and the Breakup of the Soviet Union” (Hoover Institution Press, 2000) saw its second printing in 2002. In March 2003 a collection of his essays “Imperium, Komunizm, i Narody” (Empire, Communism, and Nations) was published in Krakow, Poland (Arcana Publishers, 237 pages). In recent years Dr. Szporluk has been working on a book tentatively titled “<strong>The</strong> Making of Modern Ukraine: A His<strong>to</strong>ry and an Interpretation,” which covers the period from the late 18th century <strong>to</strong> 1991. “One of Roman’s major achievements in <strong>Ukrainian</strong> his<strong>to</strong>ry was his re-contextualization of it,” noted the edi<strong>to</strong>rs of “Cultures and Nations of Central and Eastern Europe. Essays in Honor of Roman Szporluk” (Harvard <strong>Ukrainian</strong> Research Institute, 2000). “Those outside the field had tended <strong>to</strong> regard <strong>Ukrainian</strong> his<strong>to</strong>ry ... as an appendage of Russian his<strong>to</strong>ry ... Roman’s innovation was <strong>to</strong> insist on examining <strong>Ukrainian</strong> his<strong>to</strong>ry as a component of East Central European his<strong>to</strong>ry, <strong>to</strong> be studied particularly in connection with developments in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.” <strong>The</strong> inaugural lecture As a point of departure for his presentation, Prof. Szporluk chose another lecture, one delivered in February 1948 by the eminent British his<strong>to</strong>rian Sir Lewis Namier (1888-1960) <strong>to</strong> mark the centennial of the European revolution of 1848. Namier’s life and thought readily lend themselves <strong>to</strong> the argument Dr. Szporluk was about <strong>to</strong> make. Namier grew up in Eastern Galicia, in what <strong>to</strong>day is the Skalat district of the Ternopil region in Ukraine. During the Polish- <strong>Ukrainian</strong> conflict of the 1918-1923 he spoke for the <strong>Ukrainian</strong> side and throughout his life had preserved a strong sentiment for Ukraine. Just as Ukraine was an important formative influence for the prominent British and European his<strong>to</strong>rian, so has Ukraine been a constant presence in European his<strong>to</strong>ry. In the opinion of the speaker, this influence has been so great that “<strong>to</strong> understand the modern his<strong>to</strong>ry of Europe ... it is necessary <strong>to</strong> recognize ‘the <strong>Ukrainian</strong> fac<strong>to</strong>r’ – (Continued on page 14) During the reception after Cambridge University’s first Annual Lecture Series in <strong>Ukrainian</strong> Studies (from left) are: Dr. David Marples, Dr. Roman Szporluk and his wife, Mary Ann, and Dr. Simon Franklin. Members of the Cambridge University <strong>Ukrainian</strong> Society (from left): Alex Orlov (Kyiv), Zoryana Oliynyk (Lviv), Andriy Nevidomsky (Lviv) and Andriy Ivanchenko (Kharkiv). UKRAINIANS love SOYUZIVKA! MARCH MADNESS… Stay with us one night and the 2nd night is free! Valid Sunday through Thursday, during the month of March 2003 NATURE TRAIL CLEARING WEEKEND APRIL 12-13, 2003 If you're a nature buff or want <strong>to</strong> lend a helping hand, join us in clearing miles of trails on Soyuzivka property for future hiking, biking and cross-country skiing! We're clearing a hiking trail <strong>to</strong> the waterfalls and a mountain biking/ hiking/ cross-country ski trail up the mountain <strong>to</strong>wards Minnewaska State Park. We'll start between 8-9 am and then reward all your efforts with a complimentary BBQ feast. Rooms FREE for all volunteers staying in Sich, Uzhorod and Odesa, and there's a special 'FAMILY VOLUNTEER' rate of $40 for all other rooms (includes taxes and breakfast). Please call for reservations. Bring your hiking boots, gloves, rakes, etc., and come help us improve Soyuzivka! Cinco de Mayo Weekend May 2-4, 2003 First annual, bring your sombrero and join us for a weekend of fun. Keep the date open – more details <strong>to</strong> come! Call (845) 626-5641 for more information