Directors Message

Dr. Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn

New Beginnings: A Year in Review

Celebrating Change and Community in Folklore Studies

Spring is a time of renewal—a chance to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and to look forward with hope to the seeds of growth we plant for the future. At the Kule Folklore Centre, we embrace this theme as we explore how folklore evolves through our everyday expressions—oral, written, performative, and material. Folklore tells our stories, and as those stories change, whether subtly or dramatically, so too must our research and understanding.

This year, change was at the heart of many of our initiatives. We examined how Christmas and Easter traditions have shifted over time, revisited social dance practices of the past to compare them with today’s staged performances, and explored the growing influence of AI, digital folklore, and virtual communities. On a global scale, we collaborated on projects that celebrate the creative voices of Ukrainian-Canadian communities, encompassing a range of fields, including hockey, fashion design, art, and architecture.

Yet, not all changes have been easy. I believe that teaching and inspiring curiosity are fundamental to academic leadership. They cultivate cultural understanding and tolerance, and serve as the indispensable context that makes language learning meaningful and community growth possible. Unfortunately, our core Ukrainian folklore courses, which once covered six different topics per year, have now been reduced to just one per semester. It is a difficult adjustment as we navigate shifting administrative priorities and financial challenges within the Faculty of Arts and the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies. This reflects a reality that our founder, Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky, and generous supporters like Peter and Doris Kule could hardly have imagined when they established the Centre and engaged two full-time professors to teach Ukrainian ethnography.

 Highlights of the Year

Despite these challenges, the past academic year was marked by productive research, exciting events, and community engagement. Here are some of our highlights:

• “One Man, Talents Many…” - an Exhibition at ArtsHub Ortona, in partnership with visiting scholar Lada Tsymbala, we showcased the celebrated artwork of Wadym Dobrolige.

• The Canadian premiere of “UKE: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends,” produced by Volodymyr Mula and hosted by NHL legend Kelly Hrudey, was a resounding success. We worked with UAlberta alumni, Dennis Zukiwsky from the Hockey Alberta Foundation, and brought together hockey fans and cultural enthusiasts alike.

• We celebrated the academic achievements of Anna Morozova and Illia Pokotylo, who both successfully defended their Master's theses.

• A new course, Folklore and Digital Media, was designed and launched by the Kule Chair, adding a fresh dimension to our curriculum.

• The Huculak Chair continues to address the immediate need to collect oral histories and testimonies from Ukrainians living in various geographic and sociopolitical situations. 

• The Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives added some exciting resources to the collection and supported researchers from around the world.

 Advancements in Archival Activities

At the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives, we saw incredible growth and engagement this year. Online access to our digital files surpassed expectations, and in-person visits more than doubled—a clear sign of our community’s interest in preserving and studying folklore. Generous contributions of photographs, documents, and other materials enriched our collections, and we remain deeply grateful to those who supported our efforts to scan, organize, and describe these invaluable resources.

Sustaining Ukrainian Canadian Heritage

The Sustainable Ukrainian Canadian Heritage (SUCH) Network had a banner year, adding over a dozen independent resources to its website and forming a meaningful partnership with the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada (UWAC). Together, we’ve worked closely on uploading their monthly publication, Promin, preparing their archive for transfer to Library and Archives Canada, and preserving an invaluable collection of letters from soldiers following World War II. We continue to champion the stories and traditions that shape our shared heritage.

Looking Ahead

As we reflect on the past year, we are reminded of the resilience and creativity that our community has demonstrated. Though challenges persist, the Kule Folklore Centre remains committed to celebrating the voices, stories, and expressions that make our heritage so rich and diverse. Thank you to everyone—students, scholars, families, and supporters—who walked this journey with us. Together, we’re shaping the future of Ukrainian folklore studies and ensuring our shared stories continue to inspire generations to come.

I am incredibly proud of all that the Kule Folklore Centre has accomplished over the past year. And now, as I step down from my current positions as Kule Chair and Interim Director of the Kule Folklore Centre, I embrace change and look forward to working within the community to support the Centre’s ongoing research-based focus, which connects the Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Canadian communities on a global scale.

Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn BFA, MA, PhD 
Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography
Interim Director, Kule Folklore Centre
Curator Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives 

Announcement of Appointment

Dr. Oleksandr Pankieiev

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Oleksandr Pankieiev has been appointed the new Associate Professor and Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography in the Department of MLCS and Director of the Kule Folklore Centre, commencing July 1, 2025. 

Dr. Pankieiev was previously a research coordinator at the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and is the current editor-in-chief of Forum for Ukrainian Studies, the online analytical magazine of the Contemporary Ukraine Studies Program. He is well recognized in the community for his academic scholarship. He has produced extensive publications and recently developed and taught the SLAV 399 - Contemporary Ukraine & Media Representation undergraduate course.

Oleksandr brings boardroom expertise and executive experience as a long-time member of the Board of The Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre and President of the Alberta Society for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies. He is also a longtime advocate for community outreach. As president of the Alberta Ukrainian Film Festival, Oleksandr has championed an exchange between film producers and directors in Ukraine and communities in Canada.  

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Oleksandr Pankeieiv and celebrating our good fortune in attracting him to his new role in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta.

Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn, PhD
Interim Director 

KuFC RESEARCH SUMMARIES

As Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography at the University of Alberta, Dr. Sembaliuk Cheladyn specializes in Ukrainian Canadian culture, folklore, and traditions emphasizing memory and visualization of cultural identity. She works closely with her colleagues and the community to facilitate the sharing of historical information and to initiate the exploration of new intersections of knowledge. 

In addition to her responsibilities as Interim Director of the Kule Folklore Centre and Associate Lecturer, during the 2024/25 academic year, Larisa engaged in a full slate of research-creation projects, lectures, exhibits, and presentations. Her primary research project is the multi-disciplinary Ukrainian Voice Legacy Mosaic. It is an example of applying theoretical and practical approaches to embodied memory and remediation as a form of preservation. 

Larisa also responded to ongoing requests to present on topics that support previous Kule Folklore Centre initiatives, such as Ukrainian Weddings and photography by Thomas and Lena Gushul, as well as her own Embroidered Memories exhibit. New research initiatives include an exploration of folklore related to hockey in the Ukrainian Canadian context, and a collaboration with Dr. Olga Zaitseva-Herz to explore the relationship between music and embroidery as embodiment of cultural memories.

The Ukrainian Voice Legacy Mosaic

On April 2, 2025, the Ukrainian Voice Legacy Mosaic was installed at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton. The event marked the culmination of six years of research.

The Ukrainian Voice Legacy Mosaic captures the collective memories of the Ukrainian Canadian Community from the early 1920s to the mid-1990s. It is made from 2,674 wood and metal printing blocks arranged to represent a large embroidery pattern. The blocks were salvaged from Trident Press in Winnipeg, Canada’s oldest Ukrainian-language printing house, which was founded in 1910. 

The Mosaic was initiated by Larisa in 2018 and became a collaborative research-creation project engaging UAlberta students, alumni and the community. In May, the Ukrainian Voice Mosaic was a featured event at the UpperBound AI Conference, co-hosted by Amii and UAlberta. Larisa introduced participants to the application of predictive image recognition modelling and training for cultural/heritage installations.

Using image recognition software, visitors can scan each block with their cell phone to further explore the details of each photo.

The mosaic is on display at the Royal Alberta Museum from April to September this year. 

Visitors exploring Ukrainian Voice: A Legacy Mosaic at the RAM during the Community Celebration on April 27, 2025

Lectures and Presentations - 2024-25

February 8 Lecture - Ukrainian Wedding Traditions Captured on Canvas, Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts, Edmonton, AB

February 22  Presentation - Treasured Podushky: Stories from our Embroidery, Ukrainian Museum of Canada - Calgary Branch.

February 26  Arts Now Lecture Series - The Medium, the Message, and the Collective Memories: Exploring the Photo Legacy of Lena and Thomas Gushul. University of Lethbridge. 

February 27 Exhibit Unveiling and Lecture  - Lena and Thomas Gushul: Life In Front and Behind the Camera, Galt Museum, Lethbridge, AB.

April/May Exhibit and Lectures  Wings of Wonder: Artists Reimagining the Ukrainian Folktale, Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts, Edmonton, AB

Hockey in the Ukrainian Canadian Context 

For over a century, hockey has played a significant role in the lives of Ukrainians in Canada. On March 10, 2025, the Kule Folklore Centre hosted the Canadian premiere of the documentary “Uke: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends”. This was a masterful research project by Ukrainian film Director, Volodymyr Mula. He explored the relationships between Canadian NHL hockey players of Ukrainian descent and their familial connections to historic events in Ukraine since the early 1900s.
To augment the film, Larisa initiated a research project that located primary resources documenting hockey from a Ukrainian Canadian perspective. “Hockey Memories”, a slide show of photographs and historical details related to hockey in rural Ukrainian communities across the Canadian Prairies and at the University of Alberta was prepared for the event. 

Embroidered Melodies

Have you ever wondered what embroidery could sound like if it were read as a musical score?  That is the exact idea that crossed Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn's mind once she completed her analysis of over 700 Ukrainian Canadian embroidered pillows (Stitched Narratives 2016). With Dr. Olga Zaitseva-Herz, and encouragement from Ethnomusicologist, Dr. Michael Fishkropf, and his sonification of DNA, research has begun on translating embroidery motifs and patterns into musical compositions. 

KuFC RESEARCH SUMMARIES

In addition to her many administrative responsibilities as Director of CIUS, Dr. Khanenko-Friesen, as the Huculak Chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography, continues to apply her expertise in fieldwork as a research methodology to collect oral histories and testimonies from Ukrainians living in various geographic and social situations. She shares a glimpse into her recent oral history project with survivors of the Holodomor.

Late-Life Testimony Work: Gathering Insights with Holodomor Survivors

In my oral historical work on various projects, I recently began to focus on the nature and experiences of late-life testimonial work that many members of the Ukrainian community find themselves doing. When laden with past trauma, late-life testimonies offer much light on memory and personal perseverance, the relationship between experiences of past injustices, the forms that the story takes, and the meanings it conveys. In 2022, I was privileged to interview Mr Pavlo Nazarenko of Saskatoon at the age of 101 about his experience of the Holodomor. In 2024, I sat down for two more interviews with Holodomor survivors, Natalie Konowal of 98 years and Taras Kakhno of 101 years, this time in the Chicago area. There is a lot to discuss when it comes to the nature of the Holodomor testimony as told by the survivors decades after the traumatic experience. There is much desire to pass the story on, and these accounts expose many raw emotions. These stories must be explored more deeply and further as they present the research community with a uniquely Ukrainian, trauma-informed documentary heritage. Pavlo Nazarenko’s video testimony that my team documented is now featured in one of the permanent galleries of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. As an outcome of this work, I was invited to write an article on my experience of working with Pavlo and producing a video documentation of his story. The article will be published in German in Trauma Kultur Gesellschaft, 3(1), 2025. Thank you to the Nazarenko family, the Kakhno family, the Konoval family, Iryna Kozina (CIUS), Lisa Unrau, Larysa Bilous (CIUS), Marta Baziuk (HREC), and Elina Shevchenko.
This is only a glimpse into the Dr. Khanenko-Friesen’s research.

Pavlo Nazarenko sharing his testimony. Saskatoon, March 1, 2022 

KuFC RESEARCH SUMMARIES

Work on the Klymasz Song Collection

Dr. Zatiseva-Herz continues to work on the Klymasz Song Collection. Primary tasks include organizing, sorting, and preparing digitized sound files and associated metadata. This process involves a close review of archival audio recordings, segmenting individual tracks, and standardizing file names to ensure consistency and accessibility. In particular, attention is given to identifying and matching recordings with Klymasz’s original indices and fieldwork questionnaires. To date, metadata has been compiled and edited to include key details such as performer names, recording dates, locations, and song titles, ensuring the materials are accurately documented and searchable. In collaboration with the Kule Folklore Centre, various approaches are currently being tested to identify a secure and sustainable platform for the online presentation of the collection, especially in light of recent digital uncertainties and the pressing need to safeguard Ukrainian cultural heritage.

Sonification of Ukrainian Canadian Embroidery

Together with Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn, Olga has developed a creative research project focused on the sonification of Ukrainian Canadian embroidery, transforming traditional patterns from Ukrainian podushkas into musical compositions. Drawing on historical motifs from embroidered garments and ritual motifs preserved in Ukrainian Canadian collections prepared by Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn, colour sequences, stitch density, and symbolic arrangements are translated into musical parameters such as pitch, rhythm, and texture. This interdisciplinary approach bridges tangible cultural heritage and sonic expression, offering a new way to experience embroidery as both a visual and auditory narrative at the same time. The project not only honours the aesthetic and symbolic richness of these artifacts but also encourages broader reflection on the resilience and adaptation of diasporic identity through artistic innovation. The research is expected to create different music tracks based on these embroidered patterns.

Lectures, Presentations, Performances, and Publications

In addition to her research, Olga has had a very busy schedule of Lectures, Presentations, Performances, and publications. Read more...
 

GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

FOLK 375 - Folklore and Digital Media

During the WINTER 2025 semester, a course in Folklore and Digital Media was offered for the first time at the University of Alberta. As part of the curriculum, designed by Dr. Sembaliuk Cheladyn, students explored the difference between “digital-born” folklore and analog folklore presented in a digital format. Congratulations to Jonathan Grossman on his final project, which was created on Google Sites; it is an excellent exploration of NAFO as a form of digital-born folklore. 

SLAV 320 Ukrainian Canadian Culture

The Ukrainian Canadian Culture course has been offered at the University of Alberta in various formats for over 20 years. In 2019, Dr. Sembaliuk Cheladyn redesigned the syllabus to include 14 topics related to Ukrainian Canadian folk life and folklore from 1891 to the present day. 

This year, the focus of the final research project was on Ukrainian Music on the Prairies. Following a guest lecture by Steven Chwok of CFCW’s Zabava radio program, each of the 25 students researched a piece of music and created a 90-second spot to be aired at a future date this summer.

Listen to our students,  Sundays on CFCW  (7:00 - 9:00 pm), to learn about many of the favourite polka bands, choirs, and folk songs found in the eclectic music collection in the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives.

Zabava with Steven Chwok banner

ALUMNI NEWS

FRIENDS OF THE KULE FOLKLORE CENTRE

The Society of Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre is a non-profit society established to support the work of the Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta. The Friends publicize the activities of the Centre, increase community awareness, engage in related research initiatives, and raise funds for future projects.

Survey Results - Ukrainian Calendar Customs Survey 2023/2024

Ukrainian calendar customs are plentiful and varied depending on location and demographics. Over centuries, immigration and political pressure impacted when, where, and how these traditions are celebrated. Changes often occurred in response to assimilation, integration, and social upheaval. Depending on the circumstances, the transition could occur over hundreds of years or in the blink of an eye.

Graph with results of a survey on Calendar Customs celebration between the ages of 0-17

During the current chaotic world events and technological changes, the Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre conducted an online community survey. The data collected will serve as a reference for future research initiatives related to how Ukrainians celebrated holidays and what customs they include in their daily lifestyles during this period of change.  

An analysis of the data is now available. 

Archival Residency - Anastasia Fyk

New Mini Documentaries

During the past year, the Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre commissioned three new mini-documentaries produced by Steven Brese and Legacy Films.

PLEASE NOTE

Please click on "VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE" below to read Part 2 of the Newsletter.

FOLKLORE LUNCH SERIES

The Kule Folklore Lunches are a series of lectures held monthly during the Fall and Winter Terms. They feature presentations by current graduate students funded by the Kule Folklore Centre as well as guest lectures by scholars engaged in research topics related to folklore studies. Presentations are recorded whenever possible and uploaded to the Kule Folklore Centre YouTube Channel. The following lectures were hosted during the past year:

Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives

The Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives (BMUFA) is an integral component of the Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta. It is the leading Ukrainian Folklore Archive in Canada and plays a vital role in supporting research on Ukrainian-Canadian folklore, history, and culture around the world.

Over the past academic year, archivist Nataliia Yesypenko and the BMUFA team have assisted with more than 60 new research requests, supporting researchers on various academic, community, and personal initiatives.

In this newsletter, we unveil our new FINDING GUIDES and share recent research outcomes supported by materials and research services from the BMUFA.

NEW! FINDING GUIDES

A major curatorial goal for the 2024/25 academic year was to streamline research services by introducing a series of 12 FINDING GUIDES. Each collection represents a popular topic, is organized according to language (English/ Ukrainian), and sorted into three categories - Library Resources, Audio Interviews and Videos, and Artifacts.

We encourage everyone to explore our collection by accessing the handy Finding Guides available below.

From the Archives - Highlighting Research Outcomes

The Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives takes pride in our extensive collection of historic resource materials and professionally trained staff and student assistants. The following is a sampling of research projects that have recently come to fruition with the assistance of the BMUFA.

6. Dr. Matthias Kaltenbrunner explored interviews and photographs in the Local Culture and Diversity on the Prairies project. He summarized his research outcomes in the article “Pacifists and Nazi Sympathizers? Narrating the Canadian Mennonite World War II Experience in the Local Cultures Project” in the edited volume Global Russian Germans Berlin, 2024. This publication is available at the Kule Folklore Centre Library.

Recent Archival Donations 

• Collection 0305 - Vancouver Ukrainian Radio Program “Fantasia.”
  We are grateful to the authors and record donors, Marusia and Yuri Spolsky, who donated the records, and to Lesia Savedchuk, who assisted in clarifying the information and establishing productive contact with the donors. This new collection can be accessed HERE.
   

• Collection 0328 - Dmytruk Family Photo Collection. 
  In December 2024, the BMUFA accepted the Dmytruk Family Collection. This collection is quite unique thanks to the personal diaries by Neonila Dmytruk. These diaries are small notebooks but full of valuable documentation of the family’s daily life, immigration to Canada, and their experiences settling there. The collection also includes materials belonging to Rev. Eugene Dmytruk, such as his certificates, correspondence and personal notes. In addition, this collection contains an extensive photograph collection spanning approximately 100 years of family history. This archival donation was accompanied by a financial contribution, which enabled us to hire an external archival assistant specifically to process the materials. Work on the collection is ongoing, and we anticipate its completion by the end of this year.

Open House Lecture
Ukrainian Genealogy and AI Tools by Elaine Kalynchuk

On Wednesday, March 12, Elaine Kalynchuk hosted a workshop on the process of tracing your immigrant ancestors back to their ancestral village(s) in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She demonstrated how to use gazetteers, maps, and atlases to pinpoint these locations. She then explored options for obtaining archival records from Poland and Western Ukraine. Finally, Elaine introduced participants to new  AI tools that can assist with translations and transcriptions, making historical documents more accessible and easier to understand.

Digitization Services

The BMUFA also offers research support through digitization services. Researchers frequently request digital copies of photographs, documents and audio recordings for educational and research purposes.

For example:

PODCAST - In 2024, a request was made to access Rena Hanchuk’s Ukrainian Folk Medicine Collection to create a future podcast on Ukrainian folklore traditions and rituals. With proper permissions, research assistant Brittany Dyck digitized the requested audio cassettes, and Nataliia Yesypenko scanned the transcriptions and translations.

Contact the Archives

The Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives is open by appointment from 10 am to 3 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Please contact Nataliia Yesypenko (Archivist) in advance to ensure the most efficient visit. Email to ukrfolk@ualberta.ca, or phone 780-299-6043.

SUCH

Sustainable Ukrainian Canadian Heritage Initiative

Advancing Research and Community Archiving

The Sustainable Ukrainian Canadian Heritage Program (SUCH) is a community-based resource network supported by the Peter Arabchuk Endowment and the leadership of the Kule Folklore Centre.  The SUCH mandate is to expand access to community archival collections that document Ukrainian-Canadian culture and history. SUCH team members Dmytro Yesypenko and Sia Chernyavska continue to help individuals and organizations beyond the scope of the University of Alberta to preserve, digitize, and connect their archives to broader research networks.

In this issue, the SUCH team shares recent community projects that have been added to our network. In particular, is the intriguing collection of “Letters from Refugees, 1945-1965, uncovered within the archives of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada. 

New SUCH Contributions to Research and Community Archives

In recent months, SUCH has helped advance several key projects:
 

• Digitization of the Gushul family film collection in collaboration with the Crowsnest Museum, bringing to life the work of Lena and Thomas Gushul. These newly available videos provide valuable insights into early Ukrainian settlement in Canada.

• Collaboration with Promin journal administrator Lesia Skyba to make archival issues of this periodical (1960- Present) —published by the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada (UWAC)— now Accessible via the Internet Archive.

• Expansion of the SUCH Network database, adding collections such as the Ukrainian Diaspora Communities Collection, materials from the Pier 21 Museum, and community projects including Russell Sawchuk’s Pioneer Churches on the Prairies and Musica Ukraina.

"Letters from Refugees, 1945–1965"
Preserving a Unique Refugee Correspondence Collection

During the past year, SUCH has contributed to preserving "Letters from Refugees, 1945–1965," an extraordinary collection from the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada (UWAC). The Letters are part of the much larger UWAC collection, carefully collected and preserved by UWAC archivist Lesia Perritt and her team. With the support and guidance of Dr. Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn, Interim Director of the Kule Folklore Centre, the UWAC archives, including the subfile, "Letters from Refugees, 1945–1965", were prepared and transferred to  Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. There, they will be an invaluable resource for researchers studying Ukrainian Canadiana.

The "Letters from Refugees" collection contains over 1,000 letters, postcards, books, and journals, documenting the experiences of Ukrainian Displaced Persons (DPs) after WWII and UWAC’s humanitarian efforts. These materials provide crucial insights into migration history, war displacement, and refugee resilience.

Looking Ahead to SUCH Connections

SUCH remains committed to preserving Ukrainian-Canadian heritage and supporting community archives. Please check out our video tutorials and archival networking information. For those interested in learning more about the latest news of the SUCH program, we recommend checking out our newsletter. 

If you know of a community archive project that could benefit from our assistance, we encourage you to reach out:

suchnetwork@ualberta.ca

TEACHING, COURSE DEVELOPMENT, and EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING  

Good research stems from a sound foundation built on critical thinking, contextual knowledge, and well-developed research skills. Critical thinking allows researchers to analyze information objectively, question assumptions, and draw logical conclusions, ensuring the validity of their work. Contextual knowledge provides the necessary background to understand the subject deeply, identify gaps, and situate findings within existing scholarship. Meanwhile, strong research skills—such as effective data collection, methodological rigour, and clear communication—enable researchers to gather reliable evidence and present it coherently. Together, these elements form the cornerstone of high-quality research, fostering credibility, relevance, and meaningful contributions to any field of study.

The Kule Folklore Centre and its Research Chairs have played a key role in designing and offering courses that equip graduates with valuable research skills for career success. Their classes have significantly contributed to the achievements of our alumni, preparing them for professional growth and future careers. Through these initiatives, the Centre has strengthened the link between education, real-world career opportunities, and sound research.

Courses

Ukrainian culture and folklore courses at the University of Alberta are taught by the Kule and Huculak Chairs of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography, supplemented by courses offered by other faculty members. The classes are offered through the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Arts. A limited number of graduate and undergraduate courses are offered each year. The following were taught during the 2024/25 academic year.

FOLK 204 - Forms of Folklore -  Dr. Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn
FOLK 205 - History of Folklore Studies - Dr. Jelena Pogosjan
FOLK 375 - Folklore & Digital Media - Dr. Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn
SLAV 320 - Ukrainian Canadian Folklore - Dr. Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn
SLAV 399 - Contemporary Ukraine & Media Representation - Dr. Oleksandr Pankieiev
C-LIT 243 - Fairy Tales and Folk Tales - Dr. Jelena Pogosjan 
MLCS 696 - Topics in Media & Cultural Studies (Fieldwork Methodology) - Dr. Natalia Khanenko-Friesen 

Experiential Learning

At the University of Alberta, we believe that experiential learning offers diverse opportunities for students to engage with purpose, both inside and outside of the classroom. For the past two years, students in SLAV 320 have travelled into “Kalyna Country” northeast of Edmonton to familiarize themselves firsthand with locations and customs covered in the Ukrainian Canadian Culture syllabus. On Mar 29, 2025 The St. Paul Ukrainian Cultural Society sponsored transportation to the St. Paul Museum, St Mary’s Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church at Shepenitz, and The Basilian Fathers Museum in Mundare. Thank you to Dr. Amil Shapka and the many volunteers who helped make this event so successful.

EVENTS AND EXHIBITS

The Kule Folklore Centre engages with the community through research presentations, curated exhibits, and special events. The 2024/25 academic year was busy with our annual events interspersed with several high-profile exhibits, including new collaborations with UAlberta Athletics and the NHL Hockey community,  the City of Edmonton Ortona Arts Hub, and the City of Lethbridge Galt Museum.

About the lecture:

Building Relationships for Stronger Cultural Impact
Guest Lecture by Boris Balan, President - Shevchenko Foundation

This year, the lecture focused on the contributions of the Ukrainian community in Canada to cultural preservation and development worldwide, including future challenges and opportunities. 

Watch the Lecture… HERE

The Indigenous-Ukrainian Relationship Initiative hosted this online event on April 10, 2025. Participants were invited to discover new perspectives while exploring the intersection between Indigenous and Ukrainian traditions in Canada. 

Métis Crossing – a discussion about community networks and development
by Tiffany Shaw

This presentation focused on the collaboration, creativity, and community-building efforts Reimagine Architects implemented with Métis Crossing over the past 20 years, such as site masterplans, the Gathering Centre, the Boutique Lodge, Sky Watching Domes and related infrastructure such as a water treatment plant.
 
Building Bonds: The Evolution of Ukrainian Gatherings in East Central Alberta
by Pamela Trischuk 

This presentation delved into the heart of the Ukrainian community in east central Alberta through the lens of gatherings. It explored how traditional gathering spaces and practices from the old country were disrupted and reimagined in the Canadian landscape. In creating new ways to connect, Ukrainian settlers adapted their cultural identity to a new context, navigated the challenges of a new homeland, and fostered community bonds that endure to this day.

IN MEMORIUM

Remembering Dr. Cornel Filipchuk (1937-2025)

DONATIONS

The Kule Folklore Centre is sustained by endowments that support faculty and staff, student scholarships, research initiatives, archival processing, and administrative expenses. We would like to acknowledge the generous support of Drs. Peter and Doris Kule, Erast and Lydia Huculak, Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky, Peter Arabchuk, Dr. Cornel and Mrs. Anne Filipchuk, Wasyl and Anna Kuryliw, Mike and Elsie Kawulych, and the Ukrainian Pioneers Association of Alberta.

In addition, during the past year, the following individuals, institutions, and fundraising events contributed towards specific projects. Thank you all so much for your generous donations.

• Dr. Rusty Dmytruk - Contributed $20,000 to archival processing of the Dmytruk Family Collection.

• Shevchenko Foundation - Contributed $15,000 towards processing the Avramenko archival collection and $1000 for UKE: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends.

• In Memory of Dr. Cornel Filipchuk - Funding for archival documentation, preservation, and the study of Ukrainian folklore in Ukraine, Canada, and around the world as it changes over time.

• The Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre - $25,000  Annual support for displaced Ukrainian graduate students and special events.

• Malanka DUSS Fundraiser for Displaced Ukrainian Students and Scholars.

• The Estate of Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky - $30,000 to translate Ukrainian Folklore resources into English.

• Alberta Ukrainian Heritage Foundation - Contribution towards hosting UKE: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends.

• Ukrainian Pioneers’ Association of Alberta - Contribution towards hosting UKE: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends.

• Alberta Society for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies - Co-sponsors of the Annual Bohdan Medwidsky Memorial Lecture.

• Ukrainian Millennium Foundation - Funding for the Ukrainian Composers in Diaspora Project.

• South West Ukrainian Canadian Historical Society (SWUCHS)-1991- $8000 towards processing archival materials from Calmar, Nisku, Leduc, Thorsby, and area.

• St. Anthony's Ukrainian Orthodox Church -  Contribution towards hosting UKE: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends.

• Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies - $1120 - towards Kule Folklore Centre Projects.

Anyone interested in donating to the Kule Folklore Centre and Bohdan Medwidsky Archives can contact the centre directly at ukrfolk@ualberta.ca or call (780) 492-6906

Тиха вода береги ломить
Tykha voda berehy lomyt'

Quiet water can break the riverbanks. (Still water runs deep)

-In memory of Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky

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