New $9 million Ukrainian Museum in New York is blessed (02/20/05)

New $9 million Ukrainian Museum in New York is blessed

by Helen Smindak
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

NEW YORK - The new $9 million Ukrainian museum building that will house and exhibit a rich trove of Ukrainian artifacts received its official blessing on Sunday, February 6. In an exciting prelude to the museum's inaugural opening on April 3, visitors were welcomed inside the three-story brick and glass structure for the first time since construction was completed last year.

There was elation in the air as close to 500 people stood in the street outside the building at 222 E. Sixth St., listening intently as prelates of the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches performed blessing rituals near the entrance. Police cars at two positions blocked off motor traffic.

Bishop Basil Losten of the Stamford Eparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., concelebrated the blessing with solemn rites and prayers, sprinkling holy water on the edifice.

They were assisted by clergy from local churches: the Revs. Bernard Panczuk and the Mario Dacechen of St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church, the Rev. John Leshyk of St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, the Revs. Mykola Fylyk and Yuriy Bazylevsky of All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and the Rev. Deacon Yuriy Malakhovsky of Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Standing beside an honor guard of uniformed members of the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM) and the Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, soprano Anna Bachynsky opened the ceremonies with the singing of "God Bless America" and later led the public in singing "Bozhe Velykyi Yedynyi." Museum staffers Oksana and Olha Olach, attired in embroidered blouses, were stationed at the door with the traditional Ukrainian welcome of bread and salt proferred on embroidered ritual cloths.

Olha Hnateyko, president of the museum's board of trustees, Maria Shust, museum director, and John Luchechko, former board president, cut the ribbon spanning the front of the building. Ms. Hnateyko radiated the joy of museum directors and staffers as she exclaimed, "Finally, we're going into our new home."

She said The Ukrainian Museum's new building was the culmination of a decade-long project that has benefited from unwavering community support.

Referring to the inaugural address given by newly elected President Viktor Yushchenko who vowed to the Ukrainian people, "Together with you, I will preserve the orchard of Ukrainian culture, Ms. Hnateyko said "We, in the newly built Ukrainian Museum, will preserve our orchard of Ukrainian culture in this, the land of Washington, for our children and grandchildren."

Ms. Hnateyko said the museum's trustees were grateful to the Ukrainian community for "your overwhelming support and for understanding the need for a Ukrainian museum in New York City, where the best in our cultural heritage can be presented to the world." She invited everyone to tour the museum building and quaff a glass of wine with hors d'oeuvres at the conclusion of the program.

While assisting priests moved through upper floors, sprinkling holy water in all rooms, Bishop Losten and Archbishop Antony pronounced blessings in the high-ceilinged lobby. The Dumka Chorus, directed by Vasyl Hrechynsky, contributed a capella renditions of joyful Ukrainian music.

A time of renewal

Guest speakers were unanimous in their praise of the new edifice and its importance as a matchless source of information about Ukraine, its history, culture and folk arts, often alluding to Ukraine's Orange Revolution and its new president as examples of strength and renewal.

Ambassador Valerii Kuchinsky of Ukraine's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, one of those who called attention to the fact that the blessing was taking place at a time of renewal in Ukraine, expressed confidence that "now we can have hopes for a breakthrough not only in the field of politics and economic welfare, but also in the flowering of the culture and art of the Ukrainian people."

He emphasized the lasting cooperation between the mission and the museum, as witnessed in the Great Famine-Holodomor exhibition prepared and set up at the United Nations headquarters by the museum in November 2003, and assured listeners that Ukrainian diplomats in New York are "ready to continue and develop this cooperation."

Iryna Kurowyckyj, president of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (UNWLA), noted that the day was particularly meaningful for her organization, which initiated the museum 28 years ago with 800 artifacts. Since then, Ms. Kurowycky said, UNWLA members have raised over $3.5 million for the museum.

Pointing out that much is still needed to be done to furnish and foster the museum, Ms. Kurowycky concluded her address with a motto borrowed from the Orange Revolution: "Nas bahato - nas ne podolaty" (We are many - we cannot be defeated).

From Bishop Losten came words of praise and encouragement. The bishop noted that the new museum was built not for the past but for the preservation of Ukrainian treasures for future generations, who will acknowledge this achievement with gratitude, respect and pride.

Archbishop Antony highlighted the important role that museums have in the lives of people, providing opportunities to fulfill our aims to achieve what is best. They help us to develop our society, and they will play a positive role in the education of future generations of children, he noted.

Museum Director Maria Shust, expressing the pleasure and gratitude of everyone at the museum that so many people had come out to endorse the event, said that "those who have supported this project but are no longer with us are in our hearts."

Addresses were also given by Serhiy Pohoreltsev, consul general of Ukraine in New York; architect George Y. Sawicki, who was responsible for the design of The Ukrainian Museum; Mr. Luchechko; and Bohdan Kekish, president of the Selfreliance Federal Credit Union in New York.

Among donations presented that day to the museum were $25,000 checks from Mr. Kekish on behalf of the Selfreliance Credit Union in New York and by Julian Baczynsky, owner of the East Village Meat Market, both adding to substantial contributions made in the past.

Visitors used the elevator or stairs to roam around the museum's three floors, to check out galleries amd administrative quarters (noting that quite a few areas had been funded by generous patrons whose names will remain to identify the space), and to congregate on the lower level around buffet tables and wine service.

The new facility, with 17,800 square feet of usable space, provides spacious exhibition galleries, collections' storage rooms and work areas.

It also includes a gift shop, cafe/gallery, projection room, photography room, kitchen, coat room and rest rooms.

Planned to allow for the expansion of museum activities that will include cooperative projects with other museums, as well as with the cultural and artistic communities in the U.S. and Ukraine, the new museum will continue as part of the complex of Ukrainian institutions and businesses in the neighborhood, while remaining a member of lower Manhattan's busy and expanding academic and artistic area, which includes The Cooper Union and New York Uiversity, as well as the Soho art district.

Museum trustees emphasized that additional public support is essential to provide such necessities as security, communications and computer systems, to purchase furnishings for the library, gift shop and cafe, and for general upkeep of the new facility.

Operations in the new building will be inaugurated on April 3 with its first exhibition, an exhibit of some 65 sculptures and sculpto-paintings by Ukrainian sculptor Alexander Archipenko, curated by Dr. Yaroslaw Leshko, professor emeritus of art history at Smith College in Northampton, Mass.

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