V. Staryk. Ukrainian Chernivtsi

We shall start our excursion through Ukrainian Chernivtsi from a wooden Saint Nikolai Orthodox Church (1607) in Sahaydachnyj St #83, which is associated by Ukrainian historical tradition with hetman Bohdan Khmel’nyts’ky’s times. Modern history has put this Church in the centre of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church revival in Bukovyna. Nearby in the suburb Horecha the Saint George’s Orthodox Church (1765-67) is located; this oldest stone church in Chernivtsi is an architectural model of Ukrainian Baroque. The church preserved the unique for Bukovyna frescos of the 18th century and magnificent Baroque iconostasis with Ruthenian (old-Ukrainian) inscriptions. Another architectural model of Ukrainian neo-Baroque is Greek Catholic Assumption Church (1820-1821, completion 1937) in Rus’ka St #28. This church was the centre of Chernivtsi Ukrainian Greek Catholics’ confessional and spiritual life. An outstanding architectural model of Ukrainian Modernist style is represented by a house in Lesya Ukrainka St #16 constructed by the architect Ivan Levyns’kyj.
Having been awoken by revolution of 1848 Ukrainian public life in Chernivtsi expressed itself in establishing the first public organizations – Society «Rus’ka Besida» (Ruthenian Conversation) (1869), «Ruthenian/Ukrainian National House» (1884) and others. «Congregation House» in Sahaydachnyj St #56 was built not only the residence of «St. Thaddeus Church Brotherhood», but also the place of activity of societies («Ruthenian Townsfolk Reading-house», «Ruthenian Townsfolk Chorus», «Ukrainian Theatre», «Ukrainian Literacy Courses».
Ukrainian National House in Lomonosov St #2 was the socio-political, cultural and educational centre of Chernivtsi Ukrainian community. Its first Chairman was professor of Higher Realgymnasium Yerotey Pihulyak, later the deputy of Bukovynian Diet and Austrian Parliament, who resided in Drahomanova St #18. Reconstruction of the building of the Ukrainian National House to its current form in the 1899-1900 occurred during the chairmanship of a well-known lawyer Volodymyr Yasenyts’kyj. His house in Gorki St #9 was visited by Mykola Lysenko and many other leading figures of Ukrainian cultural life.
Although in 1851 Ukrainian language and literature were introduced in Chernivtsi I State Gymnasium as a subject, it was only in 1896 that the first Ukrainian secondary school – II State German-Ukrainian Gymnasium was founded in Chernivtsi. An excellent school building for this institution was constructed in 1904 in Dmytro Zahul St #8. The most prominent Ukrainian scientists of Bukovyna were professors of this gymnasium – Julian Kobylyans’ky and Vasyl’ Simovich; the future professor of Warsaw University Myron Korduba, who resided in Shevchenko St #30. Korneliy Kozak and future Minister of Education of ZUNR (West-Ukrainian People’s Republic) Government Agenor Artymovych, who resided in June 28 St #52, were directors of this gymnasium.
To enable the Ukrainian countryfolk children to study in Chernivtsi secondary schools Ukrainian National House established a Boarding School named after Оsyp Fed’kovych – at first in Lomonosov St #2, and since 1906 in his own building in Fed’kovych St #10.
The importance of establishing in 1875 the University chair of Ukrainian language and literature cannot be overestimated. Almost for 30 years this chair was headed by Professor Stepan Smal’-Stots’kyj, who resided in Shevchenko St #55; his house guests were I.Franko, M.Kotsyubyns’ky and other prominent figures of Ukrainian cultural life. S. Smal’-Stots’kyj’s students were Osyp Makovei, a famous writer and seminary professor who resided in Khmel’nyts’kyj St #36; Vasyl’ Simovich, an eminent Ukrainian scholar who resided in June 28 St #52. Klymentyna Hankevych was the first Bukovynian woman, who graduated and received the title Doctor of Philosophy; she resided in the former Medical Association building in Gorki St #21.
Ukrainian artists Yustyn Pihulyak, who resided in Shevchenko St #84, Mykola Ivasyuk who resided in Ukrainian St #37 and Yevzebiy Lipetskyj whose apartments and workshop were located in Ukrainian National House glorified our city as a European cultural centre.
Ukrainian theatre life of Chernivtsi passed in the old wooden theatre as well as in the new City Theatre, where local troupes and theatre companies from Ukrainian Galicia were touring. Ukrainian national demonstrations, including the celebration of the Ukrainian Literature centenary in 1898 and Bukovynian Viche (mass demonstration) in 1918 took place in both theatre buildings and on the squares in front of them.
A lot of writers whose works belong to honourable canon of Ukrainian literature also lived and worked in Chernivtsi. Their graves on the Ruthenian Cemetery together with the graves of other prominent Ukrainian leaders formed the Pantheon of fame of Bukovynian Ukraine.
Yuriy Fed’kovych studied in District Normal School; he resided for a while in the hotel «Under the Black Eagle». During his last years he was residing and editing the first regional Ukrainian newspaper «Bukovyna» indoors the society «Rus’ka Besida» on the Soborna Sq #10, where nowadays the literary-memorial museum of Y.Fed’kovych is situated. A monument to the poet was built on the square in University St.
Sydir Vorobkevych was a prominent Ukrainian poet, playwright, composer, educator and ecclesiastic. He studied in Chernivtsi I State Gymnasium; his activity as composer and conductor is closely connected with the Philharmonic Society. Sydir Vorobkevych resided in June 28 St #36; his monument stands on the square in Kotsiubyns’kyj St #7.
Many commemorative plaques in Chernivtsi are dedicated to the writer Ol’ha Kobylyans’ka, who raised the Ukrainian prose to European standard. After the World War I Ol’ha Kobylyans’ka resided on the first floor of the building on the Central Sq #5; later she resided in her own house in Dimitrov St #5, where nowadays the literary-memorial museum of Ol’ha Kobylyans’ka is located. Her monument stands on the Theatre Sq in front the Theatre named after Ol’ha Kobylyans’ka.
In Chernivtsi resided many political leaders of the influential Ukrainian Chernivtsi community, which numbered 15254 persons in 1910. Amongst them we can mention Mykola Vasyl’ko, whose house in Shevchenko St #40 was adorned with forged monogram on the gate; Omelyan Popovych, the President of Ukrainian Bukovyna in 1918, who lived in Honta St #4; Volodymyr Zalozets’kyj, President of the Ukrainian National Party, whose house was situated in Kobylyans’ka St #31. At the time of Ukrainian revolution 1917 the territories of Galicia and Bukovyna were governed by Dmytro Doroshenko, a prominent Ukrainian historian who lived in a so called «Governor’s House» in Ukrainian St #37. The first Ukrainian burgomaster Osyp Bezpalko, appointed by the Ukrainian National Council, governed the city in stormy November days in 1918 in the Chernivtsi Magistrate. The Consulate of Ukrainian People’s Republic was situated nearby in Kobylyans’ka St #34, where the consul Mykhaylo Dohomylya defended the rights of Ukrainians in the face of Romanian occupation power.