Dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the birth of Katria Hrynevycheva
On May 19–20, the 2nd International Scholarly and Practical Conference “Sisters on Both Banks of the Zbruch River: The Historical Experience of Women in Galicia and Dnipro Region” took place at the Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies of Lviv. The conference was dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Ukrainian intellectual, civic activist, writer, educator, and editor of the children’s magazine “Dzvinok” — Katria Hrynevycheva.
The event was organized by the Lviv Regional Branch of the Olha Basarab Society, together with the Lviv Regional State Administration, Franko University of Lviv, Krypyakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies, NAS of Ukraine, and members of the Ukrainian Association for Research in Women’s History. The organizers invited scholars, civic activists, poets, artists, and creators whose professional work engages with women’s issues.
Organizing Committee members: Yaroslava Vavrysevych, Chair of the Lviv Regional Branch of the Olha Basarab Society, and Olha Bezhuk, member of UARWH.
The conference featured the following sections: “Women Writers of Ukraine: Continuity and Discontinuity of Literary Traditions,” “Pedagogical Work of Ukrainian Women in Ukraine and in Emigration,” “Women’s Contributions to the Founding and Development of Women’s Organizations,” “Wartime Experience: Types and Interpretations of Women’s Roles,” and “Women’s Civic Initiatives in Contemporary Ukraine.”
Conference guests from Lutsk, Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Novovolynsk, and Ivano-Frankivsk warmly welcomed their sisters from Israel, Poland, and Belarus, coming together once again to reconstruct the history of the women’s movement on Ukrainian lands, women’s contributions to the nation’s cultural and educational development, and the struggle for political and civic rights. The conference served as a culmination of research in the history of social development, family history, household history, and other new directions in history aimed at affirming gender principles in the development of modern democratic society. Presentations by professional women’s history researchers — O. Malanchuk-Rybak, P. Shkrabiuk, O. Bezhuk, O. Hodovanska, V. Koval, and T. Raievych — once again demonstrated that one of the most serious challenges today is overcoming Ukrainians’ attachment to familiar stereotypes and traditional prejudices that disregard the personal life of women as citizens. The difficult socioeconomic conditions in which Ukrainian women find themselves deprive them of both the opportunity and the desire to engage in civic activity. Another problem is Ukrainian society’s insufficient awareness of women’s activities — political, civic, cultural, and professional. This comes at a time when the women’s movement has a strong core of women scholars, movement ideologues, and leaders of civic organizations in villages, towns, districts, and regions who have worked and continue to work selflessly, fighting for the independence and consolidation of our statehood.
The presentation by Valentyna Chaikovska from Israel (in the center of the photo) aroused great interest among conference participants and guests. She spoke about her family being awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations for saving the life of a Jewish girl during World War II. Delegate from Vinnytsia Valentyna Pohrebniak shared and presented striking photographs documenting the difficult daily life of a woman volunteer in the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone, where one must help in time, listen, understand, and… survive. The melodious poetry of Volha Koval from Minsk and Volhynian poet Svitlana Kostiuk reminded those present once again that today we have no right to disillusionment or silence, for we bear responsibility for the future of our children, for the youth of Ukraine who aspire to live and create in a civilized, law-governed state.
At the conclusion of the conference, winners of the Lviv regional young prose writers’ competition named after Katria Hrynevycheva were honored. The competition is held annually on the initiative of the Lviv Regional Branch of the Olha Basarab Society.
It showcased the rich young potential of the Ukrainian nation across diverse literary genres. Of particular interest was the book presentation of “The Alchemy of Freedom” by competition winner Yaryna Katorzh from Vynnyky, who also won another national nomination — “Coronation of the Word.”
Thus, the meetings at the conference and the debates during the roundtable “Women as a Political Force in Modern History: The Specificities of West and East” demonstrated that today, as modern history is being made, the women of Ukraine must act together and serve as the consolidating force that renews and enriches the nation. Today we must recognize that Ukraine begins with each of us, and it is our duty to build, unite, and affirm the Strength of the Nation’s Spirit, Freedom, Truth, and Goodness in our independent state.
This review was prepared by Olha Bezhuk, Candidate of Historical Sciences (Ph.D. equivalent), Associate Professor, Head of the Secretariat of the Lviv Regional Branch of the Olha Basarab Society, member of UARWH.