Cheers to 80 years!!Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ Νβ
80 Years of the Museum: One Night to Remember!Last Friday, St. Volodymyr Institute was filled to capacity as we celebrated the 80th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada - Ontario Branch! A heartfelt thank you to all our guests who joined us to be the first to view our new exhibition, Making a Museum: Safeguarding β’ Sharing β’ Celebrating!, and to support our fundraising efforts. The evening began with inspiring words from our President, Laurisa Hrycyna, who conveyed greetings from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, welcomed guests from the Ukrainian Museum of Canada National Branch in Saskatoon, SK, as well as Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
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Mayor Chow spoke about Torontoβs multicultural community as a vibrant space where all ethnic groups can share their stories and foster a sense of belonging. She emphasized the significance of our work:
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βThis museum is a powerful example of the deep connection between Canada and Ukraine, and it all started with one sleeveβ¦ what a story!! In 1944, a small group of Ukrainian women gathering, with one single embroidered sleeve was significant, because at that time, the Soviet Union was trying to destroy the art of Ukrainian embroidery. Destruction of a peopleβs art means a destruction of peopleβs identity and heritage and their stories β that is the aim of tyrants everywhere. So this one sleeve was the start of saving this ancient art, reviving it here in Canada, and was the birth of this Museum. A place to celebrate beauty, a place to celebrate creation, and to undertake the work of preservation of keeping the flame of Ukrainian heritage and hope alive. That is powerful.β
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She also reflected that we are now in the third winter of the russian invasion of Ukraine, during which 437 museums and libraries in Ukraine have been destroyed (according to UNESCO). Additionally, countless Ukrainian artifacts have been stolen or destroyed by invaders, underscoring the urgency of our Museumβs mission in Canada today, and the importance of capturing our predecessorsβ stories. Exhibition Curator Daria Diakowsky shared her personal story over the past 26 years as a Museum member, volunteer, director, past president, and exhibition curator. She explained how this exhibition not only honours the Museumβs past and present but also engages new voices β the future stewards of our collection. In curating Making a Museum, our summer students and interns worked with Daria to select artifacts that had a compelling provenance or an appearance that intrigued them. One artifact that particularly moved Daria was a kylym from the early 1700s, which embodies three centuries of history β the story of a wealthy landowner and his servants, being rescued from a tragic fire, sheltering a young family escaping war-torn Europe, and eventually crossing the Atlantic to find a home in our Museum. This artifact is one of thousands that exemplify the vital role our Museum plays in preserving and sharing these stories.
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(L-R) UMCO President Laurisa Hrycyna, Exhibition Curator Daria Diakowsky, UMCO Intern & Exhibition Co-Curator Olena Voznesenska, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow
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We extend our deepest gratitude to all our silent auction donors and sponsors of the 80th anniversary exhibition and fundraiser, including the SUS Foundation of Canada, Shevchenko Foundation, Temerty Foundation, Kalimin Foundation, Franko Family Foundation, Ukrainian Credit Union, Colio Estates Winery, the Governments of Ontario and Canada, as well as St. Volodymyr Institute. A special thank you goes to the entire exhibition team for their dedicated work in preparing this historic exhibition, particularly Daria Diakowsky, Dr. Christine Yarmol, Olena Voznesenska, Anna Harasym, Andrew Waller, and Tamara Ivanochko. Our amazing event team, led by Marianna Zaparyniuk and Sonia Holiad, put on a spectacular cocktail party and exhibition opening event β in true Museum fashion. We are so grateful to them all! With over 375,000 people of Ukrainian origin in Ontario, we wish we could have hosted everyone on Friday! We look forward to welcoming many visitors to experience this exhibit in the coming months and hope you will continue to support our mission of exploring the past and embracing the future. ππ Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more photos of this event in the coming weeks!
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CURRENT EXHIBITION October 25, 2024 β March 30, 2025 This exhibition honors the Museum's founders and their ongoing contributions over eight decades. It showcases treasured and rarely displayed artifacts, telling the story of our donors, collection, and diaspora while highlighting the Museum's rich history.
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October 30 to November 6 Online Charity Auction Long-time UMCO member and past president Sonia Holiad has organized an online auction on MaxSold to support the Museum. CLICK HERE to bid on items until 8:15pm on November 6.
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STAND WITH UKRAINE πΊπ¦The Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, stands in solidarity with Ukraine in defence of its sovereignty and independence. There is no place for aggression against any sovereign country. Respect for the rule of law matters to every citizen in every country of the world. The Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, remains committed to preserving and exhibiting Ukrainian culture and identity within Canada and the world. Donations can be made to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine quickly and efficiently.
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