KuFC KuleNews | September 2026

Welcome to the Kule Folklore Centre’s monthly mailout, where we share upcoming events, stories, and news to keep you connected and inspired. 

In the September 2026 KuleNews edition:

News and Event Recap:

• July 3—5 — “Chasing Gophers Exhibit” at the Pysanka Festival
• August 7 — Olia and Marko Pavlyshyn’s Visit to KuFC
• August 10—12 — “Testimony Across History”: An Oral History International Conference in Uzhhorod
• September 11 — University of Alberta Joins Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies
• Team Update — Meet the newest team members and say farewell to those moving on

Upcoming Events:

• September 18 — Workshop: “Opishnia Ceramics in Watercolour” with Maryna Salagub
• October 2 — Book Launch: Postal Censorship, Surveillance, Resistance: Twentieth-Century Ukraine and Letter Writing with Jelena Pogosjan, Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, Jars Balan, and Colin Neufeldt
• October 9 — SUCH Mini Symposium: “Community Archiving: Possibilities, Challanges, and Best Practices” with Andrew Chernevych, Andriy Sawchuk, and Elliott Kuecker

Enjoy!
Kule Folklore Centre

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Kule News and Event Recap

July 3—5
Pysanka Festival

From July 3 to July 5, 2026, the travelling exhibition “Chasing Gophers Barefoot: Prairie Children of the 1930s,” was on display at the Vegreville's 53rd Annual Pysanka Festival.

Developed by the Kule Folklore Centre and the Alberta Society for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies, this exhibit is based on the “Local Culture and Diversity on the Prairies” research project. The project created a large repository of recorded interviews which documented everyday life, ethnic identity, and regional variation among people of Ukrainian, French, German, and English heritage on the prairies up to 1939.

We are grateful to the festival organizers for allowing us to display this exhibit, and to everyone who stopped by to read and listen to these fascinating stories.

Left to right: Jonathon Grossman, Sia Chernyavska

August 7
Olia and Marko Pavlyshyn Visit to the Kule Folklore Centre

Among the many summer visitors to the Kule Folklore Centre, we were delighted to welcome guests from Melbourne, Australia — Olia and Marko Pavlyshyn, who are well known to many in our Alberta community and in Ukrainian academia worldwide.

Marko Pavlyshyn is an emeritus professor of Ukrainian Studies at Monash University and former head of its Mykola Zerov Centre for Ukrainian Studies. He is a prominent scholar of Ukrainian literature and culture, a fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, and an international member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Both Marko and Olia are active and influential members of the Ukrainian community of Victoria province and across Australia.

During their visit, the Pavlyshyns learned about the KuFC’s recent activities and were gifted a copy of our latest annual report, 25 Years of Weaving Stories Across Cultures and Generations. They also explored the organization and work of the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives, documenting some of its practices through photographs and video, with the aim of adapting these materials for use by Ukrainian community archives in Victoria.

We are very grateful to Olia and Marko for their kind donation of Paralpi by Zaachariaha Fielding — the official poster for the 2026 National NAIDOC Week, Australia’s national celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures — to the BMUFA’s rich poster collection.

Left to right: Nataliia Yesypenko, Oleksandr Pankieiev, Marko Pavlyshyn, and Olia Pavlyshyn

August 10—12
“Testimony Across History”: An Oral History International Conference in Uzhhorod

The Kule Folklore Centre, together with partners from Canada and Ukraine, co-organized an important event in the humanities, particularly in oral history — the international conference “Testimony Across History,” held in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, on August 10–12, 2026. The conference was initiated and organized by Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, Huculak Chair in Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography, and the Director of Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies with KuFC Research Assistant Anna Olenenko serving as conference coordinator.

The conference marked the 20th anniversary of the Ukrainian Oral History Association and brought together scholars and practitioners from Ukraine and abroad to reflect on two decades of oral history research in Ukraine, its methodological development, and new challenges facing the field. Particular attention was devoted to the role of oral testimony in documenting Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, as well as to questions of memory, forced displacement, trauma, silence, research ethics, and responsibility when working with testimonies of ongoing and conflictual experiences.

The event was organized in partnership with the Ukrainian Oral History Association, Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, Uzhhorod National University, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta, and Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Kyiv.

Participants of the conference

September 11
University of Alberta Joins Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies

The University of Alberta, through the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore, has officially joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, an international initiative launched under the leadership of Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska to strengthen Ukrainian studies worldwide and foster greater international academic collaboration around Ukraine.

By joining this presidential initiative, the University of Alberta cements its role as a premier leader in Ukrainian academia, expanding international partnerships to safeguard and promote Ukraine's history, culture, and sovereignty globally.

Left to right: Jen Budney, Larysa Hayduk, Olena Zelenska, Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, and Oleksandr Pankieiev

Meet our newest team members
Ava Eerkes

Hi there! I’m Ava Eerkes, a Dutch Canadian born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. I’m in my fourth year of university at MacEwan, studying for a BA in Anthropology, aiming perhaps for an MLIS degree soon as well. In past years I have worked at the Alberta Railway Museum, volunteered at the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum, and interned at the amazing Fort Edmonton Park. At KuFC, I am a Young Canada Works intern, assisting with archival work and processing archival collections. It’s an absolute pleasure to be here at the Kule Folklore Centre!

Olesya Sanzhara

Hello! My name is Olesya and I am from Dnipro, Ukraine. I am currently finishing my degree in drama and Ukrainian folklore at the U of A. My background in music contributes to the understanding of those fields and allows for a greater appreciation of people and culture. During the summer of 2026, I have been involved in the production of the documentary about Gene Zwozdesky with ALIEA, which allowed me to gain more experience in research and archival work. At KuFC, I am a member of the Communications Team, focusing on social media and design. I am excited to deepen my skills, gain experience, and meet new amazing people at the KuFC!

Leaving the team...
Andriyka Reisdorf

I’ve had the pleasure of working at the Kule Folklore Centre since 2023 as a member of the Communications Team, working on social media and design, while pursuing my Bachelor of Design. It has been a true joy and privilege to work alongside such wonderful, engaged, and passionate people who support the important work of the Centre.

Over the years, I’ve learned so much, both professionally and personally, and have had the opportunity to further strengthen my identity and connection to the community.

Although it’s bittersweet to say goodbye, I’m excited to take the next step in my career and pursue opportunities in the playground industry. I’m incredibly grateful for my time at the Centre and for everyone who has been part of this chapter. Thank you!

Upcoming Events

September 18
Workshop with Maryna Salagub: “Opishnia Ceramics in Watercolour”

🗓  September 18, 2026
🕙 12:00 p.m. MDT
📍 Henderson Hall, Rutherford Library (south), UofA
💳 $ 10 per ticket

Maryna Salagub is a Ukrainian-Canadian watercolour artist, illustrator, and art educator, whose creative practice is inspired by nature, storytelling, and Ukrainian cultural heritage.

Through step-by-step watercolour guidance, participants will create their own painting, inspired by an archival Opishnia ceramic figure.

October 2
Book Launch

🗓  October 2, 2026
🕙 5:00 p.m. MDT
📍 ArtsHub Ortona (9722 102 St NW)
💳 Free admission (please register!)

The Kule Folklore Centre, in partnership with the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, is pleased to host a launch for the newly published collected volume Postal Censorship, Surveillance, Resistance: Twentieth-Century Ukraine and Letter Writing.

Join the book's editors, Jelena Pogosjan and Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, and contributors, Jars Balan and Colin Neufeldt, for a discussion on what it took to write under regime pressure and discover how this book unveils the mechanisms of state surveillance.

Postal Censorship, Surveillance, Resistance: Twentieth-Century Ukraine and Letter Writing is edited by Alex Averbuch, Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, and Jelena Pogosjan (McGill–Queen's University Press, 2026)

*Light refreshments will be served

October 9
“Community Archiving: Possibilities, Challenges, and Best Practices” — A SUCH [online] symposium

🗓  October 9, 2026
🕙 12:00 p.m. MDT
📍 Online
💳 Free admission (please register!)

The SUCH online symposium “Community Archiving: Possibilities, Challenges, and Best Practices” will bring together three perspectives on community archiving, ranging from national institutions to collections kept in private homes. Andriy Sawchuk will explore Canadian federal archival holdings, Elliott Kuecker will examine informal archives, and Andrew Chernevych will consider how AI image recognition is transforming archival work. Join us to explore the possibilities, challenges, and evolving practices shaping community archives today.

See our full Schedule of Events