Kule Folklore Centre at the U of A

09/16/2025

🎨 Kule Lecture Series presents: A Conversation with Natalka Husar, Internationally acclaimed Canadian artist, on October 3rd, 2025

"IT TAKES THREE TO TANGO: The true story of a fictitious romance in the correspondence of Ivan Ostafiichuk and Natalka Husar"

📍 Art Gallery of Alberta (2 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, Edmonton)
📅 October 3, 2025
⏰ 6:00 p.m. MDT

👉 RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/it-takes-three-to-tango-the-true-story-of-a-fictitious-romance-by-n-husar-tickets-1693903784819?aff=oddtdtcreator

Fresh out of school, the young artist Natalka Husar travels to Soviet Ukraine, the homeland of her displaced parents. There she meets an already famous artist, Ivan Ostafiychuk. It is 1969, and the Cold War is raging. In great concern about the KGB cracking down on Ukrainian artists and intellectuals, the two engage in letter writing, for Ivan wants to escape the Soviet regime. For several years, letters crossed the ocean as the two artists staged a long-distance romance in order to convince secret services that they were in love and wanted to marry. Did they succeed? Did Ivan escape the Soviet Union? How did this romance with the plot of a thriller end?

Meet Natalka Husar and hear the story in person. Learn the perspective of scholars who study Ukraine and KGB surveillance. Read the newly published book containing Ivan’s letters.

Natalka Husar is a Toronto-based artist who has explored diasporic and post-Soviet Ukrainian identity over her 48-year career. Her paintings are in many of Canada’s foremost museums, including The National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Alberta, where her painting Edelweiss/Paradise is on view in the exhibition “Seeing and Being Seen.”

🌟 Featuring panelists:

Oleksandr Pankieiev (moderator) – Associate Professor & Kule Chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography, Director of the Kule Folklore Centre

Natalia Khanenko-Friesen – Professor & Huculak Chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography, Director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies

Andriy Kohut – Director, Sectoral State Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine

🎟 Free to attend, but RSVP is required: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/it-takes-three-to-tango-the-true-story-of-a-fictitious-romance-by-n-husar-tickets-1693903784819?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/10/2025

On Friday, September 19, at 10:00 a.m. (UTC-6), join us online for a captivating lecture with historian Kateryna Dysa: “Ukrainian Witchcraft Trials in the 17th–18th Centuries.” Registration link is below!👇

🤔Were there really witchcraft trials in 17th- and 18th-century Ukraine? What kinds of legal systems and religious factors enabled them? How did witchcraft accusations occur, and what was the typical social and gender standing of accusers and accused? Which issues generated the conflicts that led to such accusations? Professor Dysa will address these questions and more during her talk.

Event details:
"Ukrainian Witchcraft Trials in the 17-18th Centuries"

🗓Sept 19, 2025 | 10 am (UTC-6)
🎤Presented by Professor Kateryna Dysa
📍ONLINE ONLY

Kateryna Dysa, associate professor in the History Department of the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”. She has been a visiting fellow at Harvard, Stanford, Paris, and Oxford universities, as well as a visiting professor.

Whether you’re a researcher, a history enthusiast, or someone curious about the way folklore and society intersect, this online talk will give you fresh insight into an overlooked chapter of Ukrainian heritage.

Register for the event: https://ualberta-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ajn8OdsFSZquI6TA4PO7TQ #/

09/06/2025

Nina Murray visited the Kule Folklore Centre!

On September 4th, 2025, the Kule Folklore Centre warmly welcomed Nina Murray, a Ukrainian-American poet, translator, and the current director of the Connect Program at Razom for Ukraine. Nina is known for her significant contributions to Ukrainian literary translation and her original poetry collections.

It was an immense pleasure to welcome Nina and give a tour around our Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives, and discuss future collaboration.

Razom for Ukraine Kule Folklore Centre at the U of A

09/03/2025

We are excited to share that the Kule Folklore Centre at the U of A will contribute to one of the world’s most prestigious academic gatherings in folklore and narrative studies - the ISFNR Conference 2026, themed Nature(s) in Narrative, hosted June 13–16 in Reykjavík, Iceland.

This prestigious event held every two years in different parts of the world, brings together leading international scholars to explore the richness of folklore and various cultural traditions.

We are proud to announce that Ukrainian and Ukrainian Canadian folklore research will be represented in two panels co-convened by the Centre's Director, Dr. Oleksandr Pankieiev:

- Narrating Nature, Performing Identity: Ukrainian Folklore in Domestic, Digital, and Diasporic Worlds (convened by Dmytro Yesypenko)
- Narrating Nature in Times of War (convened by Anna Olenenko)

These panels place Ukrainian voices - at home, abroad, and in Canada - at the very center of global conversations on folklore, identity, and the environment.

📣We invite scholars from folklore, ethnology, literary and narrative studies, environmental humanities, and beyond to join this important event and to consider submitting their proposals by the deadline of October 1, 2025. Submission details can be found in the conference Call for Papers: https://isfnr.org/we-meet-across-the-world/reykjavik-iceland/cfp

More about the conference: https://isfnr.org/we-meet-across-the-world/reykjavik-iceland/

09/03/2025

Discover how Ukrainian writers Taras Shevchenko and Ivan Franko turned epidemics into powerful stories shaped by folklore, newspapers, and science in a new blog post by Dmytro Yesypenko, research assistant and coordinator of the Sustainable Ukrainian Canadian Heritage Program at the Kule Folklore Centre.

Read Dmytro's blog post for the Media and Epidemics (MEDEP) and join the conversation on how literature gives meaning to times of crisis:

“…epidemics are never only about pathogens. They are also filtered through the words of newspapers, proclamations, and popular accounts — words that, like folk tales, provided framework…

08/30/2025

We are proud to congratulate Dr. Natalia Khanenko-Friesen —Director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Huculak Chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography at the Kule Folklore Centre at the U of A —on being awarded the Order of Princess Olga by decree of the President of Ukraine.

This international honour recognizes women whose leadership has made outstanding contributions to science, education, and culture. Dr. Khanenko-Friesen’s scholarship and dedication continue to strengthen Ukrainian studies at the University of Alberta and around the world.

08/29/2025

Did you know Ukrainian dance competitions in Western Canada started less than 50 years ago?😯

Before dance competitions took off, dancers mostly performed at cultural festivals like the Vegreville Pysanka Festival and Canada's National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin. That all changed in 1984 with the launch of the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Festival in Edmonton, where the dance group also had the opportunity to compete with others.

By 1998, Cheremosh was welcoming over 2,600 young dancers and 500 performances in one weekend.

To learn more about Ukrainian dance competition practices and traditions, read Jason Golinowski's MA thesis "Gold, silver, bronze: reflections on a Ukrainian dance competition."

https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/823fc51e-a4fa-4f3c-8958-66892d50e16c

Jason Golinowski currently serves as the President of the Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre.

08/27/2025

📣 Event Announcement | September 5 “You Are an Expert. Now Act Like One”

The Director of the Kule Folklore Centre, Dr. Oleksandr Pankieiev, will moderate an upcoming workshop examining the role of advocacy in scholarly settings, with a particular focus on Ukrainian Studies and its potential to foster meaningful public engagement.

📅 Date: Friday, September 5, 2025
🕛 Time: 12:00 PM MT
📍 Location: Henderson Hall, Rutherford Library, University of Alberta (Edmonton)

The workshop will be led by Nina Murray, retired U.S. diplomat and current Director of the Connect Program at Razom for Ukraine. She is also a Ukrainian-American poet and translator, and the author of the poetry collections Glapthorn Circular and Alcestis in the Underworld.

Her award-winning translations include Oksana Zabuzhko’s Museum of Abandoned Secrets and Oksana Lutsyshyna’s Ivan and Phoebe. Her translation of Lesia Ukrainka’s Cassandra was staged at London’s Omnibus Theatre in 2022 and went on tour to Cambridge and Oxford in 2023.

This event will emphasize the importance of advocacy in advancing the visibility of Ukrainian cultural and scholarly contributions, strengthening academic discourse, and building meaningful connections between research and community initiatives.

The event is open to researchers, students, and members of the wider community. No registration required.

Organized by Disrupted Ukrainian Scholars and Students (DUSS UAlberta), with support from the Kule Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), the Kule Folklore Centre, and Razom for Ukraine.

08/24/2025

Ukraine regained its independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, fulfilling a long-standing national aspiration for sovereignty, democratic governance, and self-determination. Yet, the struggle to preserve that independence continues.

In 2014, Russia violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity by launching an unjustified war through the occupation of Crimea and parts of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. In February 2022, Russia escalated this war into a full-scale invasion, an act of aggression marked by systematic violations of international humanitarian law, widespread civilian suffering, and attempts to erase Ukrainian identity and sovereignty.

On this Ukrainian Independence Day, the Kule Folklore Centre affirms its unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their ongoing defense of freedom, cultural heritage, and the right to determine their future.

source: https://www.cfr.org/timeline/ukraines-struggle-independence-russias-shadow

08/23/2025

𝘼 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙚 by Serhiy Zhadan
Translated by Nina Murray
2-7 September, 2025 | Bleviss Laboratory Theatre (FAB 1-63), University of Alberta

A dramatization of the Russian invasion of a town in Eastern Ukraine in 2014. Supporting opposing sides, the inhabitants experience apocalyptic events. As they choose to counter each other or unite, will they find something to live for?

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀:
Sept. 2 & 3 (previews) | 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 (opening) | 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5 | 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 6 (matinee) | 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 (matinee) | 3 p.m

Get your tickets today!: ualberta.ca/en/drama/on-stage/a-harvest-truce.html
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𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘺 𝘡𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘯’𝘴 "𝘈 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘦" 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘜𝘬𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦, 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘴.
| Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta | University of Alberta Department of Drama | HURI Books

08/22/2025

The Kule Folklore Centre is pleased to announce a new arrival to the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives (BMUFA): the exhibition catalogue "Nowa Ikona – W Drodze."

This publication showcases the vibrant works featured in an international exhibition of contemporary icon art, representing the creative efforts of artists from Poland, Ukraine, and neighboring countries. Focused purely on the visual presentation, the catalogue contains reproductions of icons without accompanying essays, offering an immersive glimpse into current trends and cross-cultural artistic exchange.

Compiled collaboratively by teams from MAW (Międzynarodowa Akademia Więzi), Stowarzyszenie Przyjaciół Nowicy, and exhibition curators connected to international icon workshops, "Nowa Ikona – W Drodze" stands as a unique resource for researchers and members of the Ukrainian Canadian community interested in sacred art, transnational cultural ties, and the evolution of icon painting today.

For researchers, the catalogue serves as a valuable primary source documenting modern iconographic creativity, artistic networks, and community collaboration. Explore this new addition in BMUFA to deepen your understanding of contemporary expressions of tradition and faith.

👉To access the catalogue firsthand, schedule an appointment by emailing us at [email protected]

08/09/2025

The KuFC sticker is now proudly repping up north on the “Welcome to Yukon” sign.

There are nearly 2,000 Ukrainians living in Yukon today, including both Ukrainian Canadians and newcomers. Established in January 2023, the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon, Yukon Support Ukraine 🇺🇦🇨🇦, has been working closely with the Whitehorse Firefighters’ Charitable Society and other partners to offer settlement support, strengthen cultural connections, and provide humanitarian aid.