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The term “diaspora” has become quite popular, implying first of all those Ukrainians who reside in Canada, the US, Germany, Argentina, France. Lately we have begun to mention our compatriots in Poland, Romania and other countries.

And finally we have remembered our brothers and sisters scattered across the former Soviet Union.

The Ukrainian nation had lost a great number of its sons and daughters during the tragic and disputable years of its history. It is known that every third Ukrainian lives beyond its native land.

The greatest number of the people of the Ukrainian origin lives abroad.

United States of America – 2,000,000:

Canada, Poland – 1,000,000;

Argentina, Brazil – 250,000;

Yugoslavia – 60,000,

France, Australia – 40,000:

Great Britain – 30,000:

Czechiya, Slovakiya – 100,000;

Austria, Hungary, Holland – from 5,000 to 500.

The emigration of Ukrainians to other countries was mainly caused by economic and political reasons.

The greatest part of the Ukrainian Canadians lives in the provinces оf Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Ukrainian immigrants established in Canada the institutions which had been part of their life in Ukraine: churches, libraries, schools, community centres, amateur art groups, political organizations and publishing companies. The Ukrainian community is among the most highly organized of all ethnic communities in Canada.

The development of Ukrainian culture, high-quality system of schools for adults and children, music schools, choirs and orchestras, dance schools, the development of the periodical press became a feature of Ukrainian community life.

The great number of museums in Canada preserve the Ukrainian cultural legacy.

The most famous of them are in Edmonton and in Saskatoon.

The monuments to such prominent Ukrainians as Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, Ivan Franko, Vasyl Stephanyk are erected in Canada.

The Ukrainian language is taught at 12 universities of Canada.

The main Ukrainian newspapers and magazines in Canada are: “Moloda Ukraina”, “Ukrainskiy Golos”, “Promin” and others.

Different foundations are important centres of the cultural development of Ukrainians in Canada. The biggest of them is the Ukrainian foundation named after Taras Shevchenko. This and other foundations finance the Ukrainian cultural projects.

The Ukrainians living abroad uphold contacts with the land of their forefathers. Our compatriots and their children and grandchildren receive information on the life, culture, national traditions of the Ukrainian people. Ukrainians of the second and third generation, many of whom had never seen Ukraine, love the land of their forefathers with all their hearts and souls, develop the feeling of respect to the Ukrainian people.

The people of Ukrainian origin often come to Ukraine and they try to help their compatriots in their time of need. When the disaster occurred at the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl Ukrainian diaspora in Canada organized the Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund that sent several plane-loads of medical support for the victims of the disaster.

Nowadays the Ukrainians all over the world are making the most valuable contribution to the course of revival of the Ukrainian language, art, science, economy in their native homeland.

The country sets direct contacts with many foreign countries signing agreements and treaties. Taking into consideration the development of Ukraine, a lot of joint ventures have appeared recently in its cities and towns. A lot of delegations, businessmen, specialists and tourists from the English-speaking countries keep coming to Ukraine.

Changes in Ukraine allowed for the development of closer contacts among professional, charitable, cultural organizations of Ukrainian Diasporas abroad and Ukraine.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 801