UMA 2000 Christmas Party

Holly Gigante (Director of Cleveland International Program), Lena Pogrebinsky (UZO), & Oleh Mahlay (UMA member and Director of the Ukrainian Bandura Chorus), playing the Bandura

     Christmas for Ukrainians is steeped in tradition. One of the traditions for Cleveland’s Ukrainian-American community is the annual UMA Christmas Party. This year’s party was held on Friday, December 8, 2000 at the Ukrainian Museum-Archives. Guests had an opportunity to share friendship, snacks and music provided by bandurist Oleh Mahlay.


     Under the UMA Christmas tree, we found a bronze bust of

Lena Pogrebinsky describing her efforts and those of UZO President, Wasyl Liscynesky, to secure the bronze bust of Ivan Franko.

poet-author Ivan Franko, the work of sculptor Alexander Archipenko (1936). Until recently, the City of Cleveland had kept the bust in storage to protect it from vandalism. Through the efforts of the United Ukrainian Organizations (UZO) and particularly the President, Wasyl "Bill" Liscynesky, and Lena Pogrebinsky, the bust will now be displayed at the UMA.

Taras Burij & Ivan Oliar

     Taras Burij and Ivan Oliar, members of Cleveland’s chapter of the Veterans of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), presented UMA Director Andrew Fedynsky with a collection of photographs and other archival materials documenting the history of their chapter. UPA fought the Nazis in World War II in Ukraine and then continued their struggle for Ukrainian Independence afterward against the Soviet Union.


     Mr. & Mrs. Hryciw donated a beautiful album with portraits of Ukrainian cultural

Andrew Fedynsky opening Mr. & Mrs. Hryciw's gift.

figures and a commemorative book on the Philadelphia Chapter of the Ukrainian scouting organization, Plast.


     Congressman Dennis Kucinich

Congressman Dennis Kucinich presenting Andrew Fedynsky with videotapes of Window on America.

reached under the tree and found some videotapes of the Ukrainian-language Window on America, a U.S. Information Agency program that is beamed by satellite into Ukraine every week. Thanks to legislation he passed, the UMA has a videotape of every program since the inception of the program in 1993.

Andrew Fedynsky; Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur; Yarko Kuk & Mrs. Winnie Kuk of Toledo (son & widow of late Prof. Kuk, Prof. of Slavic Languages at University of Toledo & a great Ukrainian patriot)

     Last but not least, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur also found a gift under the tree—a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for $200,000 for renovations to the UMA.

Holly Gigante of CIP, Marie Smith and Andrew Fedynsky.

     Many old friends came to the Christmas party and some new ones, including newly-born Sophia Dobronos, who slept through much of the excitement, and Holly Gigante and Barbara Galloway from the Cleveland International Program (CIP). The UMA and CIP have been working together on a Family Medicine Project that links the Cuyahoga County Department of Health with the Lviv Oblast Health Department in Ukraine.

John Moss, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Lev Kulchytsky and Taras Burij	Good friends, good cheer and a good time was had by all.	A flash off the mirror and into the face of UMA Director Andrew Fedynsky!
Dr. Wolodymyr Bodnar, Eugenia Benko and Dr. Zenon Holubec	Dr. Alexander Jakubowycz; UMA Assistant Director for Cataloguing, Ihor Kowalysko; Aretka Kulchytsky holding baby Sophia Maria Dobronos; and Mom, Lidia Dobronos	Oleh Mahlay, Danko Kulchytsky, Drs Taras & Natalia Mahlay, & Levko Kulchytsky
Mike & Lidia Dobronos, Congressman Dennis Kucinich in the doorway and (right), Ihor Kowalysko chatting with Trish and John Cooney.	Dr. Alexander Jakubowycz	Congressman Dennis Kucinich chatting with guests while Aretka Kulchytsky admires the new Dobronos baby, Sophia Maria.