BOOK REVIEW: A photodocumentary of Chicago's Ukrainians

"Generations: A Documentary of Ukrainians in Chicago," by Irene Antonovych (oral histories) and Lialia Kuchma (photo-portraits). Chicago: Ekran Magazine, 1999.

by Myroslaw Bytz

A landmark chronicle born of the ideas of the late Adam Antonovych (1908-1992), longtime publisher of Ekran Magazine, "Generations" preserves the Ukrainian cultural life in Chicago in striking elegance. The subjects of the many photos and anecdotes represent four full generations of immigrants and American-born Ukrainians. Their stories transform the abstract history of Ukrainian immigration into quite personal and affective realities.

These first-hand accounts, some of the Great Famine, others of the long voyage to America, and still others of the "New Ukraine" in the Chicago diaspora, are testaments to the thriving culture of the Illinois metropolis. "Generations" is essentially a celebration of life, an extreme life marked by the brutal hardships and glee, the pits of disheartenment and the highs of hope.

The opening pages offer an opportunity for nostalgia and a wealth of background information relevant to Ukrainians not only in Chicago, but throughout the diaspora. A photograph of Mr. Antonovych is placed next to a letter sent to him by former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, who appreciates and lauds the activist's many years of selfless work and concern for Ukrainians in Chicago.

Five essays illuminate the goals of "Generations" and the processes by which these goals have been attained. Each painstaking step was obviously quite impressive to the creators; the very result is testament to that fact.

The many dimensions of the book's relevance and historicity are outlined in the essays by such eminent guest consultants as Emma Kowalenko, an independent historian; Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, immigration historian; Dr. Daria Markus, associate editor of the Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora; Irene Antonovych, the project director; and Lialia Kuchma, the photographer, whose exposition is exceptionally worded and comes straight from her heart to the reader's.

Dr. Kuropas notes that "this documentary project sponsored by the Ukrainian National Museum is ... a momentous and welcome undertaking. Combined with the written word, the art, photographs and videotaped interviews with living witnesses will enrich the cultural tapestry of Chicago's Ukrainian community."

Sections of excerpts from interviews appear occasionally, with such headers as "Growing Up in Ukraine," "Coming to America," and "Transitions." Diverse subjects are dealt with, from "Mixed Marriages" to "Faith," from "The Terror-Famine" and "Forced Labor Camps" to "Life in America" and "Financial Institutions: Supporting the Community." These interviews all highlight important aspects of the many lives that share unspeakably extreme experiences, ones that make the bond between Ukrainians of all backgrounds that much closer.

But the book's major feature is the treasury of photographs of Chicago's Ukrainians. As noted by the book's editors, richly ethnic Chicago boasts 20,000 people of Ukrainian descent, many of whom live in the neighborhood known as the Ukrainian Village. All done in portrait style, the photos capture precisely the title of the book, "Generations," as many of the shots are of children, parents and grandparents.

Furthermore, while the essays, anecdotes and declarations all contribute to the understanding of the Ukrainian story, each individual's eyes, as well as the surroundings in which they are depicted, tell the tale with such effectiveness and humanity that the reader is compelled to honor all Ukrainians with a moment of emotional silence.

For information on this book - the result of a broader oral history project that was supported by grants from the Illinois Humanities Council, National Endowment for the Humanities, Illinois General Assebmly, Illinois Arts Council, 1st Security Federal Savings Bank and Selfreliance Ukrainian Federal Credit Union, among others - write to: Generations Project, 2232 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60622.

A copy of this photographic documentary may be obtained by contacting Orysia Antonovych at (773) 489-2722, or writing to the above address. The cost of the book is $23, including shipping and handling.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 16, 2000, No. 3, Vol. LXVIII

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