Ukrainian Association of Washington State

1970s

The Ukrainian Association of Washington State was founded in Seattle on September 27, 1971 initially under the name Ukrainian American Club of Washington. The club’s founder and its first president was an immigrant from Ukraine, Wolodymyr Klos.

In the beginning of the 1970s, the club initiated a number of cultural and political events that became annual traditions. The first official event sponsored by the club was a Ukrainian Christmas celebration at the Museum of History and Industry in December 1971. Club members introduced Ukrainian Christmas traditions to the audience, and the club’s choir sang Ukrainian Christmas carols. The museum also opened an exhibit of Ukrainian arts and crafts. In the 1970s, similar Christmas events were regularly organized by the club.

Since 1972 the club has also celebrated the birthday of Taras Shevchenko, a famous Ukrainian poet. In 1972, the first grand ceremony took place at St. James Cathedral.

In 1973, the club held its first political activity by commemorating Ukrainian independence. In 1973, Ukraine was still incorporated into the Soviet Union, and Ukrainian diaspora traditionally recognized January 22 as Ukrainian Independence day. On this day in 1918, Central Council of Ukraine has adopted its IV Universal proclaiming Ukrainian independence; however, Ukraine was subsequently overrun with Bolshevik armies and incorporated into the Soviet Union. In 1973 the event hosted hundreds of guests from the northwestern US and British Columbia. Proclamations in support of Ukrainian independence were signed by the governor of Washington Daniel Evans and Seattle mayor Wes Uhlman who delivered a speech during the event.

In 1975, the club-sponsored the "Ukrainian Northwest Festival" in support of Ukrainian independence. Over 3500 guests from US and Canada attended the festival which featured Ukrainian artists, musicians, and dancers. Former Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and a number of US senators and congressional representatives sent their greeting messages to the festival's attendees.

In 1976 in addition to its regular activities attended by thousands, the club participated in the celebrations of United States Bicentennial and organized a special exhibition of Ukrainian folk art associated with the event.

1980s

In the 1980s, the club has continued its tradition of commemorating Independence Day of Ukraine and has organized proclamations in support of Ukrainian independence signed by Washington governors Dixy Lee Ray and Booth Gardner as well as by Seattle mayor Charles Royer.

In September 1982, the club organized protests in support of the Reagan administration’s policy against the construction of the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhgorod pipeline through Soviet Ukraine. The Reagan administration believed that such a project would make Europe dangerously dependent on Russian gas. Protests took place in Gas Works Park and were also supported by Americans of Eastern European origins.

1990s

For Ukrainian diaspora, the most important event of the nineties was the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine of 1991 when Ukraine achieved true independence as the result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This event has triggered strong emotional reaction within the local diaspora. The club’s original founder, Wolodymyr Klos, returned to Ukraine. The club started raising money for the newly formed state of Ukraine including assistance to the victims of the Chernobyl disaster.

In 1991, all club events related to the Ukrainian independence were moved from January 22 (the anniversary of IV Universal by Central Council of Ukraine) to August 24 – the current official Independence Day of Ukraine.

Since 1991, the composition of Ukrainian diaspora of Washington State began to change. Most of the early club members immigrated to the United States from Halychyna after World War II fleeing Stalin’s terror. These immigrants were exclusively native Ukrainian speakers and were largely parishioners of Ukrainian Orthodox Churches or of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. After 1991, newcomers to Washington State came from a variety of Ukrainian regions, and among those, the majority of churchgoers were Evangelical Protestants. As the result, Ukrainian diaspora of Washington State became more heterogeneous, and the club activities became unconnected to any particular Ukrainian church.

21st century

In 2008, the association took part in the worldwide «Holodomor Remembrance Flame» event commemorating the 75th anniversary of Holodomor. After its journey through Australia and Canada, the torch entered the United States in Seattle where it was solemnly passed to the Ukrainian ambassador in US. The association has sponsored the event and the subsequent reception which was attended by officials from Ukraine, United States, and Canada.

The most important events in the 21st century that affected the life of the association were the Orange Revolution of 2004 and Euromaidan with subsequent Impeachment of Viktor Yanukovych followed by 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. These events have triggered mass protests in Ukraine, especially on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv as well as protests within all Ukrainian diaspora.

In 2004, widespread falsification of the results of Ukrainian presidential election in favor of a pro-Russian candidate Victor Yanukovych has led to a political crisis and a series of civil disobedience actions that were dubbed «Orange Revolution». These events have led to a repeat vote that secured a victory for Yanukovich’s rival, Viktor Yushchenko. The association took part in the protests supporting Orange Revolution and promoted fair and transparent election procedures. The association solicited the Ukrainian administration for the opportunity of Washington State Ukrainians who still kept their Ukrainian citizenship (est. 15,000 people) to vote in this election. For the initial vote, the Ukrainian embassy has declined the association’s petition to open a polling place in Seattle area, and Ukrainian consulate in San Francisco located over 800 miles from Seattle remained the closest polling place available to local Ukrainians. The association has helped to organize a bus convoy from Seattle to San Francisco, so that at least some of the enfranchised Ukrainians could cast their votes. During the repeat vote, the association has compelled the Ukrainian Embassy to open a polling place in Kent, Washington which was the only such concession made by the Ukrainian government during the presidential elections of 2004.

In 2014, the association supported mass protests in Ukraine against abrupt decision of the Ukrainian government to discontinue the integration of Ukraine into the European Union. Rallies in support of Euromaidan were held in Seattle. The subsequent aggravation of the crisis, including the Impeachment of Viktor Yanukovych, the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and followed 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, has sparked new waves of protests among local Ukrainians. The association was raising money to support protesters in Ukraine, took part in the reception in Seattle of Ukrainian families whose members were killed in the conflict, and organized regional rallies and protests.

Organizational Structure

The association’s main organ is the Board of Directors which is composed of nine members. The Board of Directors elects an executive president. Current directors are Petro Drohomiretskiy (president), Lilya Kovalenko (also a vice-president), Elina Salienko (also a secretary), Oleksandr Dudyshyn (also a treasurer), Eduard Dudar, Maksym Kovalenko, Nazar Stetsyuk, Nazar Zaynchkovskiy, and Valentyna Drohomyretskiy. The association publishes quarterly reports for its members.

Cultural activities

From its foundation, one of the main activities of the association was preservation and cultivation of Ukrainian culture in the region. The association traditionally celebrates anniversaries of birth of Taras Shevchenko, participates in regional Christmas festival, represents Ukrainian culture on Northwest Folklife Festival and other festivals in US and Canada.

From 2004, The association sponsors folk dance group «Barvinok» which participated and won multiple awards on international Ukrainian festivals in Ukrainian dance category. For example, in 2010 on Ukrainian festival in Canada, «Barvinok» won 4 gold and 2 silver medals.

In 1973, the association has organized Ukrainian language courses in the University of Washington. The association continues to sponsor Ukrainian Studies in the university. In addition, the association sponsors Ukrainian languages classes for children and offers emergency language support in the region.

The association organizes concerts of Ukrainian artists in Seattle area. Among these artists who performed in Seattle were Vasyl Nechepa, Vasyl Shkliar, and Anastasia Prikhodko.

Even though, during the last 15 years, Ukrainian diaspora became culturally heterogeneous, the association activists see these developments as an opportunity to expand and amplify Ukrainian cultural heritage.

Political activities

The association has begun its political activities with the events that commemorated the proclamation of Ukrainian independence in January 22, 1918. In the northwestern United States, the first such event took place in Seattle in 1973. Prior to Ukraine genuine independence obtained in 1991, the association inspired various American officials to sign proclamations in support of Ukrainian independence. Among officials who signed these proclamations were Seattle mayors Wes Uhlman and Charles Royer as well as Governors of Washington Daniel J. Evans, Dixy Lee Ray, and Booth Gardner.

Before Ukraine obtained its independence from USSR in 1991, the association traditionally supported to greater extent Republican Party (United States), because Republicans historically took harder line towards the USSR regarding «the struggle of the oppressed peoples». In 1973, the representatives of the association took part in Western GOP Conference, where Wolodymyr Klos asked US vice-president Gerald Ford to continue US opposition towards the Russification of Ukraine and towards the persecution of Ukrainian activists in Soviet Ukraine.

The association repeatedly fought for freedom of political prisoners of Ukrainian origin. One of the first examples of such actions was the rally near Soviet Technical Exhibition in Seattle in May 1976 that was jointly organized with local Jewish community. The protesters demanded freedom for Ukrainian journalist Viacheslav Chornovil and for Jewish artist Boris Penson who were arrested in USSR. By means of multiple written communications to American Representatives of Congress and during the personal meeting with US First Lady Betty Ford on October 8, 1976, the members of the association solicited for freedom for Ukrainian historian Valentyn Moroz.

2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine compelled many UAWS members to engage in political activities. In 2014, the association formed a political committee. The committee regularly organizes protest rallies in Seattle which call to stop Russian aggression, to free Nadiya Savchenko, to persecute the murderers of Boris Nemtsov, a member of Russian opposition and the notorious critic of Russian military intervention into Ukraine. Sometimes these rallies are joined by Russian local activists who also protest against Putin's policies. The association raises money for humanitarian aid and first-aid kits for Ukrainian soldiers injured during the conflict, for support of an independent Ukrainian TV channel Hromadske.tv, etc. The association is believed to be in the top 20 politically active Ukrainian organizations in United States.

Charitable activities

The association regularly raises money for a number of charitable causes including support of regional cultural events and support of different organizations in Ukraine. For example, the association raised money for victims of the Chernobyl disaster, for Euromaidan protesters in Kyiv, for families of soldiers who died during 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine and for others.

The association supports the endowments of Ukrainian Studies departments in US and in Ukraine. Among the beneficiaries are National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Harvard University, the University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University and others.