Celebrating our heritage… all month long 💙💛

September is Ukrainian Heritage Month — a time to celebrate the stories, traditions, creativity, and contributions of Ukrainians in Canada, past and present.

Those stories reach back more than 135 years. In 1891, Wasyl Eleniak and Ivan Pylypow, from the village of Nebyliv in western Ukraine, became the first documented Ukrainian settlers in Canada. After arriving in Montréal, they made their way west to Alberta, helping to begin a much larger story of Ukrainian immigration, community-building, and cultural preservation in Canada.

Their story also has a connection to our current exhibition, Testament • Zapovit. Eleniak lived near Lamont, Alberta, where the family of artist Ihor Rodion Dmytruk later settled, and likely crossed paths with Dmytruk’s father through the local Ukrainian Catholic community.

This month, we invite you to celebrate the many generations who have carried Ukrainian heritage forward — and the ways it continues to evolve today. 💙💛

UPCOMING EVENTS

• September is Ukrainian Heritage Month 🇺🇦🇨🇦

• September 10 History Under Fire: Library, Museums, and Archives

• September 18-20 Toronto Ukrainian Festival, Bloor West Village

• September 23 ​Traditional Block Printing (Vybiika) workshop with Olha Tkachenko

• October 17 Motanka Dolls Workshop with Lucy Ireland

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We’re looking forward to Toronto’s biggest annual celebration of Ukrainian culture and we need volunteers to help make our presence bigger and better than ever! Whether you can help for a few hours or a full day, every bit of time makes a world of difference.

Please let us know when you may be available and how you would prefer to help on our Volunteer Interest Form. A Museum representative will contact you to coordinate specific timing and responsibilities. This is a wonderful opportunity to represent the Museum, connect with the community, and support our mission!

DONATIONS WELCOME

Do you have Ukrainian art, handcrafted pieces, or cultural items that are ready to find a new home?

We are especially interested in:

• Ukrainian embroidery, including vyshyvanky and embroidered linens

• Woodcraft and carved wooden items

• Ceramics and pottery

• Traditional folk art and decorative items from all regions of Ukraine

• Original woodcuts, linocuts, and other hand-pulled prints

• Ukrainian artwork, books, accessories, and other cultural items

We also welcome donations of artifacts with unique histories, documented stories, or known provenance. Historically or culturally significant artifacts may be considered for accession into the Museum’s permanent collection, where they can help preserve and share Ukrainian cultural heritage for future generations.

If you have items you would like to donate, please contact the Museum at 416-923-9861 or museum@umcontario.com. Thank you for your generosity and support for the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch.

This exhibition displays Dmyruk’s work alongside the material culture that inspired him, drawn from the permanent collection of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada – Ontario Branch. Together, these pieces explore post-WW2 Ukrainian immigration to Canada and aspects of Ukrainian culture that have endured despite russian efforts to erase them.

Organized by the Ukrainian Museum of Canada (National), Testament – Zapovit premiered in 2024 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and is presented in Toronto by the Ukrainian Museum of Canada – Ontario Branch.

Have you visited the Museum recently? We’d love to hear about your experience — please fill out our short feedback form and help us grow.

Sustain our legacy. Support the Museum.
Help support the preservation of Ukrainian culture in Canada.

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.