“It was important not just to talk in Ukrainian,” said Kushniryk, 35, who came to Winnipeg in June of last year, and now teaches chemistry part time at the University of Manitoba.

“It was important to meet somebody who is from Ukraine or who knows Ukraine, who has Ukraine in his heart. And who can just support because he understands what we feel.”

Read more

And they have a monthly book club where you read books authored by Ukrainian Canadians.

Watch here

Event: Liubov – Ukrainian Art Songs of the heart and soul
Date: May 13, 2023
Time: 2:00pm
Location: St. Andrews River Heights United Church, 255 Oak Street, Winnipeg
Tickets: FREE, performers suggest that attendees consider a donation to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Canada is home to the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora population outside of Russia, and, with over 180,000 residents who identify as Ukrainian, Manitoba is the largest Ukrainian centre in Canada.

Ukrainian heritage is woven into every aspect of Winnipeg’s culture. Restaurants and delis serving pierogi, holubtsi, potato pancakes and borscht, bakeries selling paska, Ukrainian churches, the Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Education Centre, the Ukrainian Pavilion at Folklorama, and even doctor’s offices offering services primarily in Ukrainian, Ukrainian culture is everywhere you look. And this weekend, four Desautels alumni and students will be bringing the art songs of Ukraine to Winnipeg.

Liubov

Kasia Swintak (soprano), Katherine Mayba (soprano), Héctor Pinzón (piano), and Megan Dufrat (piano) will perform Liubov (“love” in Ukrainian), a collection of Ukrainian art songs, adding to the already rich arts and culture of Ukraine in Winnipeg. The free concert will take place at St. Andrew’s River Heights United Church, 255 Oak St., on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 2:00pm.

Katherine and Kasia’s interest in this concert is rooted in their shared Ukrainian heritage. Both attended the Ukrainian Art Song Project Summer Institute (UASPSI) in Toronto, where they learned Ukrainian repertoire and further explored their heritage.

“I had the opportunity to work alongside Pavlo Hunka and emerging artists to uncover a trove of exceptional music,” says Katherine of the experience.

“As a classical musician of Ukrainian heritage, the experience was invaluable and instilled a desire to showcase these underrepresented works on the concert stage,” she says.

Guardians and champions of Ukrainian heritage

Katherine came away from the 2019 summer institute determined to bring underrepresented Ukrainian works to Winnipeg. However, the beginning of the pandemic soon thwarted her plans. Undeterred, Katherine and Kasia both attended the summer institute in 2022, and were steadfast in their desire to spread Ukrainian Art Song across Canada.

Ultimately, the Desautels Faculty of Music also benefitted from the summer institute, as Katherine brought the songs back with her and taught fellow students in the Song Interpretation course the basic elements of Ukrainian language and diction.

“[I was able to] provide students with historical information to better understand the evolution of Ukrainian music and poetry,” she says of her work in the class.

This experience in the classroom helped the concert take shape.

“Through this process, I learned what tools singers need to facilitate learning Ukrainian art songs, and ways to aid ease and accessibility of the language. Learning from others was a crucial way to learn myself and prepare for this concert. I am very grateful for this valuable and insightful experience,” says Katherine.

Creating a concert

“The program will showcase varied musical styles, poetry and composers, as well as solo pieces and duets,” she says.

The concert, which is funded in part by The Shevchenko Foundation and the University of Manitoba, will feature traditional works by romantic art song composer Mykola Lysenko, viewed as the “father” of Ukrainian art songs; late-romantic composers Yakiv Stepovy, Stanyslav Liudkevych, Ostap Nyzhankivsky; mid-century composers Vasyl Barvinsky, Dmitri Klebanov; 21st century female composer Stefania Turkewich and contemporary art song composers Myroslav Volynsky and Myroslav Skoryk.

“The concert also highlights famous poems by Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka and other acclaimed Ukrainian poets, that capture the heart and soul of Ukraine and its people,” says Katherine.

Katherine feels particularly connected to the Volynsky song set that will be performed at the concert, and is excited to share this composer’s works with the audience.

“In the 2019 SI, we worked almost exclusively on Volynsky repertoire and had the opportunity to meet him,” says Katherine.

“I really enjoy the complexity of his music and find it very rewarding to learn, deconstruct and perform. The harmonic language is lush and orchestral. I love the drama infused in his music, which can feel operatic. As well, his attention to poetry and the intricacies in word-painting are particularly exquisite. I look forward to performing more of his music in the future.”

The ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia makes this concert especially important.

“I feel compelled to promote and perform Ukrainian art songs as a way to ensure Ukrainian music, language and culture is not erased,” says Katherine of the concert.

“I believe this music should be championed and celebrated on the world stage. My hope is to make this music accessible so that audiences gain an appreciation and understanding of the richness and diversity of Ukrainian art songs.”

In addition to the Liubov concert, Katherine will also be featured as the guest soloist for the O. Koshetz Ukrainian Choir’s May 28, 2023 performance Rejoice in Easter Celebrate in Spring, also at the St. Andrews River Heights Church, 255 Oak St., at 7:00pm. Tickets for that performance can be found on Eventzilla.

Don’t miss these fantastic opportunities to learn more about Ukrainian culture, art, and heritage!

This week, the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies is hosting a welcome event for the Ukrainian scholars within the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Law, Max Rady College of Medicine and other units.

Scholar Olga Khamedova, whose research explores the Ukrainian Press of Canada through gender optics, arrived in Canada with her daughter this past August. 

Formerly an Associate Professor of the Department of Journalism and New Media at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine, Khamedova’s life, like that of many Ukrainians, has been forever changed by the war.

Living in constant fear since the invasion began, Khamedova often spent nights huddled in bomb shelters for her and her daughter’s safety before being forced to flee to the west of Ukraine. Not knowing what to do next, she searched online and learned about the Canadian government’s CUAET program, which has helped many Ukrainians who are seeking safety in Canada.

As she continued her search, Khamedova came across the University of Manitoba’s Scholars at Risk program, where she found a place that could not only provide her family with safety, but also a supportive community and an opportunity to expand her research.  

“It was a lot of stress, but we were met by volunteers at the Winnipeg airport and immediately felt the support of Manitoba.” Khamedova says. “The support of newly arrived Ukrainians by the Congress of Ukrainians of Canada was unprecedented. I am touched by the help that the government of Manitoba provides to Ukrainians.”

Through the University of Manitoba’s Scholars at Risk program, each Ukrainian scholar will be funded for one-year of teaching or research up to $50,000 a year. In addition to 20 scholars, the UM waived all application fees for international students who are Ukrainian citizens and provided wrap-around supports for students.

After reaching out to see whether she qualified to come to Manitoba, she said she was encouraged by the attention and support she received from those working at UM who helped her with her transition.

An instructor in the history of Ukrainian journalism, Khamedova says she is immensely grateful and excited to explore all Ukrainian history that Winnipeg has to offer.

“I realized that Winnipeg has always been the center of the Ukrainian diaspora and the Ukrainian press in exile,” says Khamedova.  “I once dreamed of working here in the archives.”

“Thanks to the Ukrainian Scholars program, I have the opportunity to work with the unique collections of periodicals of Canadian Ukrainians, which are stored in Winnipeg libraries,” Khamedova says. “Now I can better study the history of Ukrainian emigration to Canada.”

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the welcome event to meet the scholars and welcome them to the UM community.

The Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies is hoping the event will stimulate collaboration between academia and community and encourage interdisciplinary research, says Yuliia Ivaniuk, coordinator at the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies. CUCS, which is located in the Faculty of Arts, is excited to share more information about the Centre, their offerings and to serve as a resource for scholars in these difficult times.

“This event is an opportunity not only to exchange professional experience and join in scientific cooperation, but as the war in Ukraine rages on, it is, without exaggeration, a chance for a new life for me and my daughter,” says Khamedova.

Scholars from Ukraine Welcome Event

Thursday, December 1, 2022
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
St. Andrew’s College Cafeteria

About the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies

The Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies’ mission is to create, preserve and communicate knowledge related to Ukrainian Canadiana. They offer a Bachelor of Arts degree program as well as interdisciplinary courses in Ukrainian Canadian Heritage Studies, coordinate research, serve as a resource centre for those interested in Ukrainian Canadiana, and work to enhance collaboration between UM and the community. They have recently launched a new Letter of Participation program in Ukrainian Canadian Heritage Studies which includes monthly lecture series and bimonthly book club meetings that are available to anyone who is interested in knowledge of the area.

Legal scholar Natella Roskoshna, who specializes in mediation and restorative justice, recently arrived to UM alongside her partner and fellow legal scholar, Illia Roskoshnyi.

“I can’t force other members of my family out because they want to stay in [Ukraine] because it’s their home and they want to be there, but this opportunity from the University of Manitoba, for us, it let us get back to life,” Roskoshna says. “We were stuck in Ukraine and didn’t know what to do.  We needed this opportunity to continue our life. This offer from our Dean, from Michael Benarroch, from all the staff, it is an opportunity to get back to life. It’s very valuable and we are very appreciative—it’s not enough to say ‘thank you’ for this.”

After Russia invaded Ukraine the couple began to soon search for ways out and came across the University of Manitoba’s Scholars at Risk program. They immediately reached out to see whether they qualified to come to Winnipeg. They said they were encouraged by the way the university supports Ukraine and felt immense relief to be welcomed with open arms by UM’s president, the dean of the Faculty of Law, and the university governance committee.

“We just wrote directly to the university, because we saw that they support Ukraine,” says Roskoshnyi. “We needed help and we wanted to continue our work and our research, and we asked the university, and they helped us, they supported us, they gave us a lot of things that we needed.”

Natella and Illia arrived about a month ago and they will be followed by 18 other scholars  fleeing Ukraine over the coming weeks. Each scholar will be funded for one-year of teaching or research up to $50,000 a year. In addition to 20 scholars, the UM is providing support to undergrad and graduate students who are Ukrainian citizens and are applying to the University of Manitoba for Fall 2022.

“As the invasion of Ukraine persists, it’s clear that this is a global tragedy on many levels,” says Digvir Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International). “As Manitoba’s only research-intensive university, UM recognizes the threat this war poses to the pursuit of knowledge, advancement of ideas and scientific discovery. It is paramount that such work is not thwarted, and that those scholars who do this work can continue without fear for their personal safety.”

Departments have been working directly with applicants on a first-come-first serve basis, and if a good match is found, UM’s Ukrainian Working Group steps in to help facilitate the transfer to Manitoba.

“The whole process was very easy,” Roskoshna says. “We emailed and got a response back right away. Everything was made so easy. I hope everything continues to be this good and we can give back by working with the university.”

You can read more about professor Natella Roskoshna and Illia Roskoshnyi story on UM Today.

Yelyzaveta Proskurenko, who was worried about her family in war-torn Ukraine, was one of those students who faced significant challenges when she applied for the UM Emergency Bursary Fund. “My grandmother called my father to tell him that nearby bombing caused the windows in their apartment to shatter,” says Proskurenko. “The stress caused him to have a heart attack.”

Proskurenko’s father was able to receive surgery right away, but even in the hospital he had to move to the basement to avoid the air raids. Proskurenko spoke with her family every day while also trying to connect her friends in Ukraine and Poland to secure safe lodgings.

“At first I was really stressed because, for me, it was strange to be here in Canada and not be able to fully help them,” she says. “I also had a bit of depression and had a hard time with my courses because I couldn’t study.”

Proskurenko’s family is safe now in Poland and her father is recovering well. During this time of uncertainty and separation from her family, she says she’s thankful for the UM Emergency Bursary Fund for helping her get through when she needed assistance.

The UM Emergency Bursary Fund provides financial support to students who lose access to funds, and can help eligible students pay for their tuition, residence, and other living expenses as required.

“People who support this fund also show support for Ukraine, and it helps people like me feel like we’re not alone and that we’re welcome here,” says Proskurenko.

We are living in challenging times that are impacting many of us around the world. The support that has been shown to these students so far is truly indicative of the generosity that is a part of UM and Manitoba as a whole.

But shortly before she graduated, Russian military invaded the Crimean Peninsula, igniting the Russo-Ukrainian war. The military conflict in Donetsk forced Roskoshna to put her plan to continue her studies on hold, as she stayed at home for her safety. The following year, Roskoshna was able to move to Kharkiv to pursue her master’s in law.

While attending Karazin Kharkiv National University, she met Illia Roskoshnyi, a fellow law student who shared her values and desire to use their legal education to create positive change in the world. Drawn to ideas of restorative justice and the importance of mediation in resolving conflict, the couple began a relationship and were married the following year.

In addition to their scholarly work, the couple started a business together – a coffee shop named Philosopher – choosing the name as a place for “thinking and coffee”, while conducting research for a private research institution on constitutional rights, consumer rights, and discrimination.

The pair graduated in 2021 and defended their dissertations in December. Roskoshna’s focused on mediation in the concept of restorative justice, while Roskoshnyi’s discussed the constitutional and legal principles of human-state interaction in the information society. After graduation, they planned to begin developing a program for the university and start teaching the next session. But then, as before, an inescapable conflict once again forced them to reevaluate their future.

As Russian military began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March, like many Ukrainians, the couple’s lives were irreversibly shaken as a conflict that neither of them could have predicted was suddenly on their doorsteps.

“The first two weeks, we were in shock,” says Roskoshna. “We didn’t know what would happen. We were scared and we stayed in our home and tried to understand what we could do for our future. Could we survive or not?”

Despite warning signs in February that an invasion from Russia was potentially imminent, Roskoshna says very few Ukrainians could wrap their heads around the idea that this could happen to their country, even after the invasion began. She says it took some time to adjust to the new horrifying reality that their once happy home was now in a war zone.

“We just refused to believe that it was reality,” says Roskoshna.  “We didn’t believe it. We thought in maybe three days it would end, but it didn’t, and we were just stuck in this situation. After a while, we began searching for different opportunities so that we could continue our lives.”

While searching for alternate arrangements online, the couple tried to remain focused on continuing their work, even as their physical environment became increasingly unsafe.

“We were stuck for two months, just shocked, and trying to do our business at home and not pay attention,” says Roskoshna. “When the rockets would hit, we would go to the corridor, the safest place in the apartment, because it had no windows. It protected us from the glass shattering.”

In their tense search for safe lodging to continue their work and their lives, the couple came across the University of Manitoba’s Scholars at Risk program, and immediately reached out to see whether they qualified to come to Winnipeg. They said they were encouraged by the way the university supports Ukraine and felt immense relief to be welcomed with open arms by UM’s president, the dean of the Faculty of Law, and the university governance committee.

“We just wrote directly to the university, because we saw that they support Ukraine,” says Roskoshnyi. “We needed help and we wanted to continue our work and our research, and we asked the university, and they helped us, they supported us, they gave us a lot of things that we needed.”

While the dangerous journey to leave Ukraine was arduous and filled with uncertainty, Roskoshna says that the transition to living and working in Canada was a pleasant one.

“People here are super friendly, very open, very supportive and this process of adaptation was very good,” says Roskoshna. “It wasn’t stressful for us. I think we are very lucky to have this opportunity from the university, from Michael Benarroch and all the governance at the university. The way to Canada was difficult for us, but this was not.”

“We are happy to be here,” adds Roskoshnyi.

On May 26, the couple arrived safely in Canada and set about creating a new home for themselves, even as their own on the other side of the world continues to be torn apart by conflict and war. While they say they are doing their best to focus on their work, research and acclimatize to their new surroundings, the safety of many of their friends and relatives who remain in Ukraine still occupy their thoughts.

“We are staying here now, and we have some communication with our relatives, and we don’t know whether we will have connection with them tomorrow or not,” says Roskoshnyi.

“Every time [we hear] it is louder, more dangerous,” adds Roskoshna. “and now with the situation even if they want to, they can’t leave this territory because it’s very dangerous.”

Roskoshna says her experience witnessing the war unfold in her country has emphasized the necessity of mediation in resolving conflict and the importance of working to achieve justice that is truly restorative.

“I like everything about mediation because people can reach an agreement almost in any situation, except the situation like this, in Ukraine. The good thing about mediation is that mediation recognizes that we are all different and we have different needs and different emotions, so we must be treated in different ways. It’s about meeting with real people and asking about their real needs.”

The University of Manitoba was one of several Canadian universities to provide this unique opportunity to its community. The event was livestreamed on both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with university students at UM and across Canada on June 22, 2022.

To date, the University of Manitoba has committed up to $1,755,000 to support Ukrainian undergraduate and graduate student and researchers to come to UM to continue their studies and work that has been disrupted as a result of the war. Part of this commitment is the Emergency Bursary Fund which will provide robust financial support to students in financial distress as a result of the war in Ukraine, international conflicts, environmental catastrophes and extraordinary life events. More information can be found on the Ukraine support website.  

The June 22 livestream event, hosted by the University of Toronto and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, also included remarks from Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland.

Watch the video of the discussion below. 

A webpage has been created as a gateway to information for our students, faculty and staff and for prospective students and researchers, who have been impacted by this war. If you are a current or prospective student or researcher and are looking to know more about what supports are available, a staff member of the University looking for information or supports, if you are wondering what the sanctions mean to UM, or are a community member looking for information on where to donate, please visit this new site. 

The webpage will be kept up to date as more information and updates become available.

If your question isn’t answered on the webpage, an email address has been established to direct all inquiries related to UM’s response to the invasion of Ukraine. You can email umukraine@umanitoba.ca anytime.

Manitoba is home to one of the largest populations of Ukraine diaspora in Canada and we take our obligation to address this crisis seriously. We recognize that war and geopolitical events can impact our international students, and that domestic students can similarly experience emergencies that impact their finances and create unexpected need.

Students lose access to funds for various reasons, and this emergency support will help students pay for the full cost of their tuition, residence, and other living expenses as required. These funds are available to those in need right now.

The university is prioritizing funds toward this immediate need and I want to thank our university community, including our alumni and donors, who continue to step up to meet the increased demand for emergency student supports such the UM Student Food Bank.

The university is committed to ensuring we offer meaningful, targeted support to students whose lives are upended by conflict or natural disaster here or abroad. Students come to UM to pursue an education and though we cannot alleviate all of their burdens, we can offer emergency aid that will allow them to focus on their studies.

I encourage students in need to apply for this assistance here. We are here for you. If you find yourself needing additional help or assistance, these other supports are also available.

UM is grateful to have many international students and employees from Ukraine who make rich contributions to our province and university community. Our thoughts are with you, and with all your family and friends who deserve peace, liberty and good governance.

If alumni and donors wish to support students impacted by the war they can select to donate to the UM Emergency Bursary or Student Food Bank.

Sincerely,
Michael Benarroch