Life and work of Leo Mol highlighted in book published in Ukraine (02/04/96)

Life and work of Leo Mol highlighted in book published in Ukraine

by Marta Dyczok
Special to The Weekly

KYIV - Ukrainian Canadian sculptor Leo Mol received an unexpected gift for his 80th birthday. A book describing his life and work was published in Ukraine titled, "Skulptor Leo Mol. Zhyttia i Tvorchist" (The Sculptor Leo Mol: His Life and Work). This is the first major publication about the internationally known artist to appear in the country where he was born.

The Canadian Embassy in Ukraine marked the occasion by hosting a celebratory book launch on December 14, 1995, the first such event held at the Embassy. The master of ceremonies, Consul Roman Waschuk, introduced the author of the book, Dr. Dmytro Stepovyk, senior associate at the Institute of Art History, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.

The Ukrainian art historian explained that he first became enchanted with the works of Leo Mol in 1964, when he saw a photograph of Mr. Mol's statue of Taras Shevchenko in Washington. At the time he was advised by friends to keep this opinion to himself, since the sculptor was considered an enemy of the Soviet Union. Born Leonid Molodozhanyn in Polonne, in the Khmelnytsky Oblast of Ukraine in 1915, during World War II he left Ukraine, and in 1949 settled in Canada. He has never been back.

Despite receiving international acclaim for his works, which include the statue of former Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in Ottawa and portraits of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Winston Churchill, Mr. Mol was virtually unknown in his native Ukraine.

Dr. Stepovyk nurtured his secret admiration for the sculptor for many years, until in 1989, when he was finally allowed to travel abroad, he visited Canada. He sought out Mr. Mol and requested a meeting.

The initial contact developed into a friendship and Dr. Stepovyk conducted a series of interviews with Mr. Mol. He then began scouring Western archives in search of information on the sculptor, and six years later he had enough material for a book.

Although the publishing industry in Ukraine is undergoing a serious crisis, Dr. Stepovyk convinced Mystetstvo Publishers of the importance of his work, and the book was published. An edition of 2,000 copies of the illustrated hard-cover book is now available for distribution.

Nina Prybena, the vice-president of Mystetstvo Publishers who accepted the book for publication and oversaw its production, was beaming at the book launch at the Canadian Embassy. "Finally this artist will be known in Ukraine as well," she said. "The book is now available to readers in Ukraine."

However, the high costs of publishing in Ukraine today make the price of the book, 3,650,000 karbovantsi ($27 U.S.), inaccessible to many Ukrainians. In a generous gesture, the Canadian charge d'affairs, Roman Lishchynsky, announced that the Canadian Embassy was buying 40 copies of the book and distributing it to libraries throughout Ukraine to make it available to a wide readership.

Due to his age and state of health, Mr. Mol was unable to attend the book presentation in Kyiv. He did send a telegram which was read by Mr. Waschuk, in which he thanked the author, the publisher and the Embassy for such a nice birthday present.

Though no longer young and mobile, Leo Mol is still working. He was recently commissioned to prepare a statue of Taras Shevchenko by the city of St. Petersburg (Russia, that is), which has finally decided to honor the memory of the Ukrainian poet.

"Skulptor Leo Mol: Zhyttia i Tvorchist" is available from: Mystetstvo Publishers, att'n Tetiana Koriachenko, 11 Zolotovoritska St., Kyiv, Ukraine; telephone, (38044) 224-9101.

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