CHICAGO – When President Franklin D. Roosevelt congratulated the organizers of 1932-1933 World’s Fair called “A Century of Progress,” he said he hoped it would “bring about friendship among the nations of the earth.” Newly arrived Ukrainian immigrants understood that such a friendship could thrive only among nations that truly knew one another. So they mustered all of their resources and built one of the largest pavilions – the only national structure not sponsored by a foreign government – in which to introduce the gems of Ukrainian culture to the world.
Now, the public can view 2,500 artifacts from that pavilion at the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago – where it is indeed bringing about friendship among the Windy City’s diverse ethnic residents who are scheduling showings of the catalogued exhibit. More and more school groups and private individuals are learning about the immigrants who enabled today’s thriving Ukrainian Village, with its gourmet restaurants, glittering domes and hot real estate values.