On one of my trips to Ukraine, I visited the village where one of my grandfathers was born. I was introduced to an elderly lady who was related to our family. After the introductions, her first words were, “Thank you for not forgetting about us.” And then she started to cry. Her words reflected the years of hardship the peoples of Ukraine suffered under occupation from a string of bordering countries and from wars fought on its soil.
Ukraine achieved its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The book chronicles the connections that occurred between Saskatchewan and Ukraine starting in the early 1970s before independence. The University of Saskatchewan established a connection with Ukraine while it was still behind the Iron Curtain, with the establishment of the Chernivtsi Student Exchange Program. This was followed by the U of S/Ukraine MBA internship exchange program. The government of Saskatchewan was very active with Ukraine immediately following independence, particularly in the areas of education and energy. The University of Regina established a student exchange program with the Ivano-Frainkivsk University of Oil and Gas that continues to this day.
Boris Kishchuk, author of Connecting With Ukraine: Saskatchewan-Ukraine Relations
Many Saskatchewan-based organizations and individuals have had contact with Ukraine over the years. This has included everything from sending medical equipment to hospitals in Ukraine to sending financial help to operate soup kitchens. One Saskatoon-based organization started assisting Ukraine by sending shoe boxes full of toiletries and ended up establishing four orphanages in Ukraine. Another organization has established a safe-house and training centre for orphaned youth at risk. A number of individuals from the province participated as election observers in Ukraine.
The book contains writeups by Saskatchewan students who travelled to Ukraine and participated in their programs. They provide an account of their experience while Ukraine was still a member of the Soviet Union and immediately after it achieved its independence. My first visit to Ukraine was in 1992, one year after it gained its independence. Through subsequent visits, I have been able to observe how Saskatchewan-Ukraine connections have aided Ukraine in its growth to become a functioning democracy
Connecting With Ukraine can be purchased at McNally Robinson and Indigo in Saskatoon and Chapters in Regina.
