Tribute to Dr. Maria Fischer-Slysh,
Sponsor of Hrushevsky Translation Project and New Volume Launch
On March 27,
the Canadian Ukrainian Art Foundation (KUMF)
Gallery in Toronto was filled to capacity as the Ukrainian community gathered to
pay tribute to Dr. Maria Fischer-Slysh, sponsor of the Hrushevsky Translation Project’s
publication of Mykhailo Hrushevsky’s History of Ukraine-Rus’, at the launch
of the newest volume. Dr. Fischer-Slysh is a retired pediatrician whose philanthropy
over many years has benefited scores of educational, religious, cultural, and social
initiatives in
The audience
was welcomed by Dr. Frank E. Sysyn, head of the Peter Jacyk Centre and Editor-in-Chief
of the Hrushevsky Translation Project. Fr. Michael Loza of
Prof. Ivan
Myhul, rector of the Ukrainian Free University, sent thanks to Dr. Fischer-Slysh
for her generosity to his university, located in
Dr. Daria
Darewych, President of NTSh
Dr. Fischer-Slysh’s
niece Dr. Olga (Oka) Hrycak of Barnard College, New York, spoke of her aunt from
a personal perspective, relating warm childhood memories that included the many
books presented to nieces and nephews, later often followed by queries about their
content. She expressed thanks for her aunt’s care and concern from a large extended
family, five of whom were in attendance, including Marta Samotulka, Stephanie Simmons,
Michelle Crawford, and Evhen Hrycak.
Dr. Fischer-Slysh’s
contributions to
Dr. Luba Komar,
Turning to
the Hrushevsky Translation Project (HTP) and its new volume, translator Marta Daria
Olynyk of Montreal spoke of her work and noted the impact Mykhailo Hrushevsky’s
History of Ukraine-Rus’ had in scholarly
circles and the need today for scholars worldwide to have ready access to his work,
something the English-language edition ensures. The History’s new volume,
The Cossack Age, 1654–1657, Volume 9, Book 2, Part 2, first published in
Ukrainian in 1931, a time when Stalinist repression of Ukrainian intellectuals and
culture was escalating, reflects Hrushevsky’s personal victory in refusing to allow
an atmosphere of fear to undermine continuation of his scholarly work.
Dr. Marko
Robert Stech, managing director of CIUS Press and HTP program manager, spoke
of the technical preparation and production of each volume of the History
and work of staff, including Uliana M. Pasicznyk and Tania Plawuszczak-Stech. The very positive scholarly reviews received by
the HTP volumes published to date, stresses the importance of placing the series
in libraries, academic centres, and universities through sponsor support at a time
when acquisitions by these institutions suffer from severe budget cuts.
As Editor-in-Chief
of the History and Director of the Jacyk Centre, Dr. Frank E. Sysyn spoke
of the sponsors and donors who have made the Hrushevsky Translation Project possible,
beginning with the Centre’s founding benefactor, the late Peter Jacyk. He described
the specialized editorial expertise that goes into the preparation of each volume
of the History. Particularly with new volume, Dr. Sysyn noted the contribution
of translator Marta Daria Olynyk; editorial and bibliographic work of the volume’s
consulting editor, Kyiv historian Yaroslav Fedoruk, who also wrote the introduction
on diplomatic relations; compilation of the bibliography by Andrii Grechylo of the
Lviv Institute of Archeography; and the extensive work of the volume’s managing
editor, Myroslav Yurkevich. Dr. Sysyn also spoke of the volume’s special historical
importance. Whereas Russian historiography presents the Treaty of Pereiaslav of
1654 as the culmination of Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s foreign policy, this new volume,
building on Part 1, presents in detail the hetman’s continued and sophisticated
diplomatic efforts to secure Ukrainian statehood and independence. These negotiations
with other foreign powers are of interest to scholars of diplomatic history of the
period, especially Swedish historians, as the English edition facilitates their
work.
Dr. Sysyn
expressed great thanks to Dr. Maria Fischer-Slysh for her generous donations to
the Hrushevsky Translation Project. He noted that Volume 9, Book 2, Part 2, dedicated
to the memory of her parents, Dr. Adolf and Olha Slyz, is the first of two Hrushevsky
volumes being sponsored. Together with the editorial staff, Dr. Sysyn presented
Dr. Fischer-Slysh with a copy of the new publication. Her brother, Volodymyr Slyz
of
Guests enjoyed
a musical interlude arranged by Oksana Zolkewych, also a member of Dr. Fischer-Slysh’s
family, when Adriana Tuz and Olenka Hrynkiw, students of Vera Zelinska, performed
a vocal duet of Ukrainian songs, playing accompaniment on their banduras. During
the reception that followed, guests also viewed the paintings and sculpture of local
artist Barbara Hart that were on display at the Gallery.
The new volume
of the History of
Uliana M. Pasicznyk
PHOTO
1 - Dr. Maria Fischer-Slysh
(seated) and members of the Hrushevsky Translation Project and event organizers
(from left to right): Tania Plawuszczak-Stech, Uliana M. Pasicznyk, Marta Daria
Olynyk, Dr. Frank E. Sysyn, Dr. Marko R. Stech, and Oksana Zolkewych
2
- Dr. Frank E. Sysyn, Editor-In-Chief