Collector Stories & Visitors: October recap

This October, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, hosted many special visitors, including a weekend of events featuring renowned collector Leonard Krawchuk from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over the past three decades, Mr. Krawchuk assembled an extraordinary collection of Ukrainian folk art and traditional material culture – including clothing, embroidery, woven and leather works, ceramics, wooden artifacts, jewellery, and visual art – which he generously donated to our Museum over the past few years.

Our current exhibition, Kosiv Bazaar: A Living Archive of the Carpathians, is the first in a series of four planned exhibitions highlighting not just the items in the Krawchuk Collection, but the rich stories behind each piece. We invited Mr. Krawchuk to Toronto to share the tales of his decades-long quest and his unwavering devotion to preserving the beauty and heritage of Ukrainian culture.

On Sunday, October 19, we welcomed 50 guests for an engaging afternoon with Leonard at St. Volodymyr Institute. Moderated by Alexandra Shkandrij, Leonard spoke of his visits to Ukraine – including two during the Soviet era – his encounters with artisans, the challenges of preserving fragile objects, and the connections he forged with fellow collectors in the Ukrainian diaspora. Along with a slideshow of significant heritage sites in both Ukraine and Canada, his presentation sparked lively discussion and was met with enthusiastic interest from the audience.

We are deeply grateful to Mr. Krawchuk for choosing the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch as the steward of his extraordinary collection. Our staff and volunteers take great care in preserving and presenting these artifacts for current and future generations. For those interested in contributing to the Museum’s collections, please contact us for more information.

SPECIAL VISITORS

Along with special events and strong individual attendance, October was a particularly vibrant month for group visits to the Museum.

• Residents and staff from the Ivan Franko Long-Term Care Home joined us for a visit on October 21, enjoying a lively and engaging tour with our intern, Olena.

• On October 27, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation hosted 11 visitors from Red Cross Ukraine at the Museum, who were captivated by the exhibition and expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to visit.

• Representatives from the Lviv Board of Education visited on October 28, accompanied by Bohdan Kolos from the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre. During their tour of the exhibit, they remarked that stepping inside made them “forget they were in Canada”.

These visits underscore the Museum’s ongoing role as a place of learning, cultural connection, and community engagement, welcoming audiences from near and far to explore and experience the richness of Ukrainian heritage. 💙💛

Kosiv Bazaar • A Living Archive of the Carpathians is an exhibition drawn from the collection of Leonard Krawchuk, inspired by the unique phenomenon of the Hutsul bazaar in Kosiv. A place where – for centuries – craft, community, and the beauty of everyday life have intersected. The Kosiv Bazaar is more than just a market – it is living memory, cultural force, and a space of gathering. We invite you to experience an exhibition where trade becomes culture, and the bazaar becomes a living metaphor for community.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by:

UPCOMING EVENTS

• October 28 – November 24 Holodomor Commemorative Exhibit

• November 8 & 9 Holiday Market

• November 12 Book Launch: No Place Like Home by Bohdan Kordan

• November 14-16 XXVIII Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians

• November 22 Holodomor Commemoration

• December 2 Giving Tuesday

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The Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch is a member of the
Canadian Museums Association and the Ontario Museum Association,
and is located inside St.Volodymyr Institute.