Inaugural issue of "magazine of Ukrainian things" hits North America (03/16/97)

Inaugural issue of "magazine of Ukrainian things" hits North America

by Marta Dyczok

TORONTO - Zdorov!, The Magazine of Ukrainian Things, has hit North America. Published in Toronto, the quarterly hopes to attract readers who consider themselves Ukrainian in some way, but are not reading the press that is already out there.

Targeting 24- to 50-year-olds, Zdorov! is introducing a non-traditional approach to Ukrainian journalism. "We will give you a novel, contemporary look at the Ukrainian community in North America," write Yuriy Diakunchak and Nestor Gula in their first editorial.

Appropriately, one of the magazine's launches in Toronto was organized by the local chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Federation.

It was held on December 19, 1996, in a suburban location of the Ukrainian-owned Future Cafe. Catering to the technologically oriented readership, the editors have made Zdorov! subscriptions available on the Internet.

These two young Canadians know about things Ukrainian and journalism, and come to their new roles as editors with impressive credentials. Both are graduates of the Toronto-based Ryerson Polytechnical Institute's Faculty of Journalism. Mr. Gula was editor of the Canadian student newspaper Student in 1986-1991, and in 1995 attended the highly regarded Banff Publishing Workshop. During his 1992-1993 sojourn in Ukraine, Mr. Diakunchak worked for the Kyiv-based news agency Intelnews.

Both have traveled extensively and sought out Ukrainian communities in many countries. It was as a result of their contact with young Ukrainians in Britain who had set up a magazine for the upwardly mobile second generation, also named Zdorov! (first issue, summer 1995), that the idea for a North American edition was conceived.

Don't be put off by the provocative cover shot of actor Tamara Gorska draped in an embroidered "rushnyk." The magazine tackles serious issues, such as the abuse of women and the silence that continues to surround this topic in the Ukrainian community.

Olena Hankiwska's article comments that, "We have songs which celebrate spousal and family abuse yet furiously deny that the problem exists." It goes on to suggest that an 250,000 Ukrainian Canadian women are likely to have suffered some form of physical or sexual violence.

One woman called to complain before the magazine even appeared in print. Mr. Diakunchak had distributed promotional brochures outside her church in Florida, and a scant week later she woke up one of the editors early on a Saturday morning to say that Ukrainians were not alcoholics and that an article on "samohon" (moonshine) had no place in a Ukrainian publication. When asked to identify herself she suddenly remembered some very pressing matters and hung up.

Ukrainian Canadian writer Myrna Kostash of Edmonton introduces the back page opinion piece, "Final Phrases." In an amusing description of the Ukrainian community's coming of age in the perceptions of the "Anglo-American-Saxon-Celtic country club," she describes a Canadian Heritage Moment (part of a series of government-sponsored micro-documentaries/ads) that depicts Ukrainian farmers setting up community health care. Ms. Kostash writes, "The message of this little film seemed to be that being poor and pious and exotic in our sheepskin coats didn't stop us from contributing our fair share to Canadian enterprise."

With its first issue, Zdorov! has certainly accomplished its goal of getting attention. By covering a wide variety of topics, it has something for everybody - from sports enthusiasts to banking types, bookworms, music lovers and travel fanatics. It is a bit uneven, however, with some articles (the reviews) sounding like thinly disguised advertisements, others containing ageism verging on insult and some downright oddities, such as the quiz "How Uke Are You?"

Watch for the useful tidbits such as Ukrainian websites and notice that Kyiv-brewed Obolon Beer is now available in Ontario.

Editors Gula and Diakunchak are very responsive to feedback. On page 5 they run their own ad: "Got a gripe? Something bothering you? In this issue or in general. Write a letter to Zdorov! It's cheaper than therapy!"

A year's subscription costs $14.99 (Canadian, with U.S. dollar equivalent for U.S subscribers) and may be purchased from: Zdorov!, 12 Lorahill Road, Toronto, Ontario M8Z 3M6; telephone, (416) 239-2280; fax, (416) 763-3725. The magazine's website can be found at: http://www.interlog.com/~ngmakhno/zdorov.html

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