The relationship between Athens and its sister city in Ukraine continues to grow as both cities collaborate on ideas and programs The partnership began in June when both cities met over a video conference to sign an agreement to legally mark Ostroh and Athens as sister cities, according to a previous Post report. The agreement entailed how the two cities planned on supporting each other and exchanging ideas A few similarities Patterson said he has noticed between the two cities include a forestry program and youth engagement throughout the city “I'm fascinated with their forestry conservation program (and) that they have basically all grade levels that are involved in different ways,” Patterson said was the third ward council member at the time the agreement to become sister cities was made official and said he believes the program will help each city learn about the other’s culture it's a way to learn about how our individual cities are run and I'm really interested in how they do things,” Crowl said Crowl said he is hoping to be more involved with the program in his new position by showing support to Ostroh and Ukraine in general during the country’s ongoing war with Russia “There's been a number of local organizations which have been trying to get needed goods,” Crowl said “Trying to get shipping containers of needed supplies clothing and all sorts of things to physically One way Patterson plans on connecting further with Ostroh is through an eight-day visit to Ukraine sometime in February “I’m going over so that I can meet the government officials and better understand their commerce better understand their educational system and better understand the university,” Patterson said Patterson will be traveling with Svitlana Ramer senior communications manager for Ukraine projects at DAI Global who originally paired Athens and Ostroh within the sister cities program "I am actually accompanying Mayor Patterson on the trip to provide logistical support communication support as well as sort of local context interpretation support," Ramer said The trip will include meetings with Ostroh city administration that will revolve around projects and areas of interest within each city Ramer said the trip will include a meeting at Ostroh Academy where Patterson will give a lecture on local politics "We definitely talked a lot about youth and collaboration between the universities but also youth in the communities," Ramer said "Youth councils working together and sharing respective expertise and how they want things in their different cities and how they do programming." Both cities also plan to collaborate on projects involving green space and tourism "We also identified farm tourism or green tourism as an area that's interesting to both communities and especially things like farmers markets and farm-to-table concepts," Ramer said Crowl will serve as acting mayor during council meetings Councilmember Jeff Risner will take over as acting council president because he is the longest-serving member "Nothing will change in terms of what the city needs to get done and we just hope that the mayor has safe travels and returns and we all get to play the roles that we were elected to," Crowl said he said he plans on bringing some new ideas back to the city government as well as Ohio University "After I come back from the trip (I want to meet) with the Student Senate and to see if there's interest in having a subcommittee or a group start to help me cultivate a dialogue between the university students at the Ostroh Academy," Patterson said Crowl said he believes the trip will help bring both cities closer together and expects the program will help make the world a smaller place "I just feel like humanity needs more communication outreach and understanding," Crowl said "Anytime you reach across cultural boundaries to sort of do that you're helping yourself and you're helping those people who are doing that outreach with so I just think it makes the world a smaller place.” @paigemafisher pf585820@ohio.edu You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Athens Mayor Steve Patterson will depart for an eight-day trip to Ukraine on a trade and diplomatic mission Patterson will visit the city of Lviv, along with Athens’ sister city, Ostroh Connections between the two cities were established through a program overseen by the U.S Agency for International Development known as the Governance and Local Accountability Activity “When I learned more about this type of a sister city who told USAID to find a city in Ukraine that was comparable to Athens which is one of the oldest institutes of higher education in all of Ukraine.” The National University of Ostroh Academy was established in 1994 in a decree issued by Ukraine’s then-president Leonid Kravchuk The original Ostroh Academy was founded in 1576 becoming the first institution of higher education on Ukrainian soil one of the earliest East Slavic translations of the Bible USAID’s goal is to create economic and political relationships between U.S along with encouraging economic development and fostering cultural understanding Patterson is hoping Athens K-12 schools and Ohio University can exchange ideas and begin a student exchange program with Ostroh down the line “I’m working with several of our local businesses here who have given me items to take over and share some of the products that are produced here in the city of Athens,” Patterson said Mayor Steve Patterson stands for a portrait in his office in Athens [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]Among the items Patterson is bringing to Ostroh are pawpaw seeds a ukelele and a cigar box guitar kit from Stewart-MacDonald it’s really trying to make these connection points between our two communities to see if once that connection is made (to) get them to start communicating and working with or partnering with some of the local businesses,” Patterson said Patterson will attend a ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine An obelisk will be dedicated in the town square of Ostroh featuring the seal of the city of Athens and celebrating the bond between the two cities Patterson will also visit Lviv and place flowers on the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred which commemorates those killed by the secret police of Russian-backed dictator Viktor Yanukovych during the Maidan Revolution “I had the good fortune when I was attending the U.S where I got to meet the mayor of (Lviv),” Patterson said So we’re going to be making a stop for basically a day and spend the night there.” While Ostroh is over 500 miles away from the frontlines in the Donbas its hospitals are filled with the sick and wounded from the battlefields of the east Russia has also struck cities in western Ukraine with missiles as part of a campaign to degrade Ukraine’s infrastructure and weaken its morale Lviv was bombarded by a barrage of Russian cruise missiles a residential neighborhood and taking out an electrical substation and I am honored to be able to go over there and engage with them and to show our support for everything that they are having to endure,” Patterson said Yuriy Matsiyevsky of the Center for Political Research at Ostroh Academy will discuss the civil and armed resistance in Ukraine during an online program with the Public Policy Initiative at Penn State Behrend The Public Policy Initiative at Penn State Behrend will host an online discussion with Yuriy Matsiyevsky head of the Center for Political Research at Ostroh Academy will focus on the ways Ukrainians have resisted Russian control in parts of the country that are now occupied by foreign forces an associate teaching professor of political science at Behrend and associate director of the Public Policy Initiative To learn more, or to register, visit the Public Policy Initiative webpage Matsiyevsky will highlight the role of partisan units in Ukraine’s armed resistance he will explore the ways that repressive measures in Kherson Zaporizhzhia and Crimea have sparked civil and armed resistance and peaceful protests including the Yellow Ribbon movement and the “Flag of Ferocity” campaign Home page » Topics » Art » The Synagogue in Ostroh: Reconstruction of the ruins One of the largest synagogues in Eastern Europe is located in Ostroh It has been reconstructed for 20 years by a local Hryhorii is a professional builder who decided to save the historic monument He has already invested more than 180 thousand dollars in the restoration the first Jews settled this area at the invitation of the Dukes of Ostroh in the 14th century according to the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine there are around 800 synagogues in Ukraine and some of them are only partly preserved invited Jews to Ostroh in the 16th century to facilitate the development of trade and craftings Jews were involved in the production of beer That is how the history of the Jewish community started in Volyn which is one of the oldest in the territory of Ukraine there were about three thousand Jews living there Hryhorii Arshynov calls Ostroh the significant city for the Jewish community as it was the center of the Jewish communities’ unity at one time: It is a non-governmental entity that was extended beyond one state and represented the interests of the Jewish community in other countries: it was in Lithuania It is more than just a territorial community And the center of that VAAD of the four states was Ostroh at the milestone of the 16-17th centuries There were four lands: the Greater Poland Voivodeship (located in western Poland the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (located in southern Poland between Silesia Swietokrzyski land and Subcarpathia — ed.) Red Ruthenia (name originated in Polish sources in the 16-18th centuries to determine the former Principality of Halych — ed.) The construction of the synagogue in Ostroh is associated with the name of Rabbi Solomon Luria who became the Head of Rabbi High School in 1550 the school was headed by the distinguished Talmudist (an expert on the code of religious and legal rules for the life of Jews — ed.) Shmuel Eidels (Maharsha) who came to Ostroh in 1598 and rebuilt the synagogue at his own expense and in 9 months or in some period of time they would receive a baby The Talmudist Shmuel Eidels (Maharsha) completed the construction of a women’s gallery Hryhorii Arshynov says that the building was part of the defence structures: most likely it was a demand from the city authorities: you want to build a synagogue — it must become a fortress in case of war There are a lot of such synagogues in Ukraine A sacred building might be any room that has been consecrated during a special ritual the synagogue should be located in the center of the Jewish settlement and on the high ground One of the biggest synagogues in Eastern Europe was functioning in Ostroh till the Soviet authority came to power in the synagogue building they wanted to make a bakery but later (and up until the early ’90s) it was used as a warehouse “Misktorh” (city trade department) There is a legend that during the Polish-Russian War of 1792 two cannonballs flew into the synagogue which did not explode because of prayers “The Russian army stands there and shoots with the cannonballs and here the Jewish community stays fearing And these cannonballs fly and don’t explode The Ostroh community writes Magelad Tammuz — a treatise on prayer about such a miracle the miracle of the Creator is that he saved them Right here they were hanging for some time and another cannonball was embedded into the southern facade.” Hryhorii Arshynov was born in Ostroh in a Jewish family he started to learn about the heritage of his people: “We went to gather with father the lists of Ostroh’s citizens — Jewish people who died during the Holocaust That is how the Black book of remembrance was formed Hryhorii specializes in civil engineering and is engaged in restoration He has experience working on objects of the 16-17th centuries in Kyiv and felt the power to restore the Ostroh synagogue: “Such a sacred building can be lost forever and the Jewish people of Ostroh will be forgotten And this is the last point: if not me because my older children are in the USA and it is unlikely that they will deal with the Ostroh synagogue The sacred building could not stand the weather conditions and the impact of people Hryhorii Arshynov was looking for investors abroad the landmark for the man was the article about Jewish heritage in the magazine “European Jewish Heritage” In the article “To remember or to forget?” the author Serhii Kravtsov stated that the synagogue in Ostroh is an important building and the point of no return might come very soon The article contained an ironic comment about the inaction of the local authorities Hryhorii Arshynov took this as a personal reproach because he is a city council member and a member of the Jewish community The man approached the activist Yisroel Meir Gabbai who takes care of preserving the tombs of tzaddiks — mediators in the communication of the believers with the Creator They agreed to share the cost and began reconstruction Classmates of Hryhorii from Canada and activists from Rivne helped with money as well 180 thousand dollars have been already spent: “28 tons of garbage were removed from the inside and outside They helped with pleasure: for a very little payment I thought that it is my last chance to make the most of my life.” The City council supported the initiative of the synagogue restoration So the work has started: the walls were fixed then we resolutely restored the facades and plaster one of the locals brought to Hryhorii a large rusty key with a star of David And Arshynov recalled the legend which tells that in 1939 the Chief Rabbi of the Ostroh synagogue lost the key to the entrance to the shrine This was considered a bad omen because difficult times were to come for the community the religious life of Jewish people came to an end So I think that everything will be fine with the synagogue As the living memory of the community that used to live here and build here Hryhorii Arshynov also took care of the preservation of the Jewish cemetery in Ostroh that was destroyed in 1968 Last year the cemetery got back its former status as it was previously considered to be a monument of landscape art: people are still bringing back gravestones We installed these monuments back and brought some back from time to time to his grave 5 thousand or even more pilgrims travel annually The idea is to create a center of tolerance in Ostroh.” Hryhorii dreams of creating a permanent exhibition in the restored synagogue He owns many exhibits that he wants to show in a gallery so locals will remember that after the war two-thirds of the population were Jewish: The active community that will go to the synagogue I hope that with God’s help it will be like that Involved in the preparation of the material 18 volunteers Project support: Fundacja Euromaidan-Warszawa Use of materials is only permitted upon providing the source: Ukrainer.net Дизайн — Артем Зубкевич Розробка — Deluxcode The City of Beaufort is using its Pride of Place account to raise funds for the city of Ostroh located in the Rivne province in Western Ukraine Mayor Stephen Murray contacted Ostroh Mayor Yurii Yahodka via email to let him know of Beaufort’s interest in helping a city of similar size and historic significance during this time we need supplies for our defenders to save people’s lives,” Mayor Yahodka replied in an email Mayor Murray said he was looking for a “meaningful way to help the people of Ukraine That made me think we could ‘adopt’ a town similar to Beaufort and use Pride of Place to raise funds They are home to Ukraine’s first university with the help of English interpreter in Mayor Yahodka’s office which is  approximately 217 miles west of Kiev and 177 miles east of the border with Poland But it is helping refugees from other parts of Ukraine such as Kyiv and Kharkiv and  working to get supplies to other parts of the country that are under siege “We need aid for the elderly and the young as we try to find a place where the refugees can camp and rest,” Mayor Yahodka said via Zoom oil and supplies for the people and the Army who needs help,” he said “Many of the men are at the center of Ukraine – they protect us so we need to provide for them.” He said that the city had received humanitarian aid from Germany and since then has advanced slowly in the country The invasion has inflicted tens of billions of dollars of infrastructure damage on the country It’s difficult to get an accurate count of both Ukrainian and Russian casualties have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries Those who are interested in donating can either: All donations will be given to the City of Ostroh which has set up an account to receive donations “Thank you once again for standing with Ukraine Citizens of Ostroh are grateful to the people of Beaufort for coming to help us Once it’s all over and Ukraine wins this unfair war you are welcome to visit us to celebrate the victory,” Mayor Yahodka said in his email to Mayor Murray Read more local Beaufort SC news here. Yuriy's military status is evident in his slender posture Yuriy decided to connect his life with his military career when he was a third-year student at the Faculty of Philosophy of Ostroh Academy "Philosopher," later used on the front he had to travel almost 50 kilometers from Ostroh to Rivne and in 2022 he took part in combat operations in eastern Ukraine The young soldier shared with UkraineWorld his memories of one of his most memorable battles Yuriy drove to the Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway as the commander of a trophy T-80BVM tank as part of a new crew He had to engage Russian troops advancing from a distance of 3-4 kilometers we hid in the woods and threw off our ammunition we launched a vehicle and a French-made thermal imager The gunner informed me that at a distance of 3-4 km he was observing either manpower or military equipment so we did a "pulse check" by firing two shells at the enemy's concentration point when suddenly I heard my gunner shouting: "I see a tank!" I looked through the thermal imager screen and saw a T-72B3 tank I was surprised how well it was visible from a distance of 3 km 700 meters We loaded a high-explosive fragmentation shell The tank sustained significant damage and sought refuge in a forested area I gave the order to fire two more high-explosive fragmentation shells Only God knows what was left of the crew...or the Devil everything indicated that the soldiers had received life-threatening injuries when we were already out of ammunition and moved away to reload The commander told us: "Let's not be too heroic The enemy hit the engine and transmission compartment of the tank with a mortar Yuriy's company commander was taken captive this is the most tragic page of the full-scale war It's clear that I'm not going to sit and torture myself with these thoughts on purpose this memory of the commander is what motivates me to move on and fight for freedom." His fellow soldiers also help Yuriy to keep moving forward with purpose "All of our unit commanders are combat officers who participated in the assaults These are people who are respected by the personnel I am proud to serve alongside them," adds Yuriy Yuriy sees himself working entirely in the defense sector He tries to focus all his thoughts on his professional activities and do what is required of him victory means having such a powerful armed force that they won't mess with us again." This is a history we will never be ashamed of." Home page » Topics » Education » Ostroh The return of the first Eastern Europe Academy The Ostroh Academy is one of the first successful examples of educational revival in Ukraine that doesn’t try to replicate the old Soviet system and leans on the long-standing traditions of Ukrainian education instead The university in Ostroh has been in existence since 1576 but fell into decay after the death of the duke and his sons in 1636 Ostroh was known for its mental hospital — a marker of Soviet rule since such institutions would often host dissident academics and intellectuals The city of Ostroh in the Volyn region was a prominent landmark The buildings here carry remembrances of those times: monumental structures of the Lutsk Gate and the Ostrozky Castle have been converted into museums and the ruins of the Ostroh Tatar Tower peek over a residential area The city received a new lease of life after 1994 with the arrival of prospective students of the Ostroh Academy the population of Ostroh numbered fewer than 10,000 inhabitants the idea of restoring the educational institution seemed farfetched to all but Ihor Pasichnyk Nowadays the Ostroh Academy is a famous feature of the city known for its unusual approach to education both in Ukraine and abroad The modern-day university in Ostroh could be considered as one of the newest universities in Ukraine its historical counterpart became the first higher educational institution in Eastern Europe The city’s cultural and educational growth revolved around the reign of Kostiantyn Vasyl Ostrozky The Duke Ostrozky relocated the ducal residence from Dubno to Ostroh founded an educational institution and began building the university the duke established a printing house in Ostroh and invited the best printer of his time he was surrounding himself with a community of the best scholars and would give them access to the best library of dictionaries This set a precedent unlike any before: the union of Byzantine and Western European cultures It was made possible by borrowing a system of education from Western Europe which taught the seven basic sciences — grammar It also stemmed from the very first opportunity of learning higher sciences in the land — philosophy theology and medicine — as well as mastering five languages Kostiantyn Vasyl Ostrozky won 86 battles as a military commander Each of these battles prevented the Tatars from entering into Central Europe It is difficult to overestimate the historical significance such victories have had on the preservation of Western culture baron of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and senator of Rzeczpospolita Polska having the right to seal with red wax (a right reserved for kings and barons of special merit) created something in Ostroh that would come to be seen as Ukrainian renaissance He continued to expand the reach of Eastern Orthodox theology but turned to Catholic theological works for enlightenment creating the conditions for community improvement he made it his priority to establish the resource base needed for the first scientific and educational institution so the income from nearby villages would go towards it automatically One of the first significant contributions to the institution was made by duke’s niece who donated a large sum of money in her testament: “— for the hospital and the Ostroh Academy for the Holy Transfiguration Monastery near Lutsk over the Styr river and for the village of Dorohynia: 6,000 in Lithuanian currency” the first “Greek-Russian Church Slavonic Reader” in Ukraine was published here an accompanying alphabetised index were published here as well The overall number of Ukrainian first prints that came out in Ostroh is astounding The Ostroh Bible remains the chief success and achievement of that period it became the first comprehensive Orthodox canonical edition of all 76 books comprising the Old Testament and the New Testament in Church Slavonic The educational institution premises from the ducal period have not been preserved the modern-day university is situated in a building with a very interesting story All of the baroque ornamentation was removed shortly after to make everything simple and functional Duke Janusz Sanguszko gifted this territory to Capuchin monks which could have been linked to the general system of Ostroh catacombs The monks were using them as living quarters and A well was constructed right in the middle of the monks’ kitchen deep enough to allow constant access to clean water The monks would prepare medicine and hand out free lunches After the November Uprising (also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31) Russian authorities forced them to leave the monastery There is evidence to suggest that they were given only one hour for packing It was too little time to pick up all of the important things the building was being used as a girls’ college for future teachers and governesses Antonina Bludova founded this institution and named it after her father The college operated on these grounds between 1865 and 1922 Ostroh was front of mind thanks to works written about the Ostroh Bible A decision was made to set up a women’s Orthodox college for girls aged 9 to 16 and so the Church of the Holy Trinity became the Cyril and Methodius Church this site would host a Polish teachers’ training college and even saw the Capuchin monks return for some time a boarding school for children with latent forms of tuberculosis was said to be cursed due to permanent humidity coldness and “terrible sounds coming from under the floor” It was only in the 1990s when the room was handed over to the university The worker removing the old floors watched his hammer fall through the wood and heard it hit the ground sometime later The room now hosts one of the exhibition halls of the Museum of Ostroh Academy can talk about the university’s revival for a long time and in great detail given he lived through each stage of the university’s foundation: this was a ruin in the full sense of the word and he had planned to move to a bigger city a meeting with Prime Minister Mykola Zhulynskyi and the head of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy They told him about Ostroh and the history of the academy Ihor had no idea about any of it at the time — the Soviet Union had erased all accounts of the Ostrogski family and the Ostroh Academy and Ostroh was known solely as a district center with a large psychiatric hospital: — It was the most outlandish idea you could come up with: to restore the Ostroh Academy in some godforsaken town in spite of its past status as a capital city So they joke that I would end up there soon enough anyway because agreeing to go to Ostroh and for nothing was a ridiculous idea at the time the Ostroh Academy possessed a huge legacy which still benefits the university’s development to this day We can’t afford to do worse than our ancestors Ihor Pasichnyk had decided to come up with a concept for the university he spoke about the past glories of Ostroh and its university which would soon come to attract students from all over Ukraine — Every time I left the TV studio with a feeling of disbelief in my own words Last year alone we’ve had 15 gold medalists (pupils granted with the highest award for excelling at their studies) from the leading lyceums and high schools of Kyiv So everything that I spoke of turned out to be true It was made possible with the help of philanthropists and people invested in our success Their names are stamped on a special plate that overhangs the science library entrance A lot of them are people from the diaspora and entrepreneurs They donated a massive amount of money because they believed that the level of Ukrainian education would improve one day one of the best online libraries and a collection of invaluable early printed books: — Someone rich would offer a two-bedroom apartment on Khreshchatyk (one of the central streets in Kyiv) for a single early printed book You know how much an apartment on Khreshchatyk costs since it is the only original copy of the first book published in Ukraine one person brought it and granted to Ostroh Academy the first discussions about ways to restore the Ostroh Academy took place at the ministerial level It gained significant support: from the rector of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the regional council heads to various officials and advisers to the President first 100 students began their studies at the university Leonid Kuchma (the President of Ukraine at the time) signed a decree to rename the Ostroh Collegium into a university The university’s departments continue to grow new faculties and specialties appear all the time sustainable development gains a foothold and the amount of students which has reached five thousand at this point the university has an important opportunity to organize exchanges and form associations with several leading European universities Ihor Pasichnyk sees the restoration period as a worthwhile challenge These were the heads of an architectural institute They gave us their conclusion: we’re better off taking a bulldozer and leveling it to the ground there was nothing here that could be restored and no one could imagine that this was possible He believed that you could build a higher education institution in a tiny town one that would appear on the list of the best universities not only in Ukraine but internationally as well: The Ostroh Academy differs from other universities significantly The head of the university has dreams that extend far beyond the boundaries of these walls: — I’m interested in the formation of Ukrainian thinkers they should work according to their specialties The academy graduates have occupied senior positions both in Ukraine and abroad for over ten years now: — The chief auditor of Luxembourg graduated from the Ostroh Academy our Sasha Talavera — an Ostroh Academy graduate — is among the top five best known and distinguished economists of the world Ihor Pasichnyk explains that chasing foreign students is not the purpose however: — I dream that at least 70% of my graduates don’t move and remain to work in Ukraine instead The Academy’s professors go beyond sharing their knowledge and work to shape a generation of Ukrainian thinkers They believe that what Ukraine needs the most right now are leaders that will bring the society together It’s important to begin with a moral component A student who has never given a bribe won’t take one tomorrow They will form around them a community of conscionable people instead — The Ostroh Academy had accomplished this goal once before when it first began in the 16th century I think that our university will accomplish this goal too it matters shape not only the educational process He stresses that a lot of people come to study in Kyiv because of stereotypes They believe that Kyiv means better job opportunities: — Studying in Kyiv doesn’t necessarily give you a better education The National University of Ostroh Academy is the only educational institution in Ukraine that has proven by example the viability of a university in a district centre It was created in line with the American approach where the smaller cities have more space for the students and professors to engage in scientific and creative activities He considers cities such as Kyiv to be oversaturated building a university in the district centre can bring with it a breath of fresh air and a new take on its historical background: The university gave it a strong new lease on life People in the university are convinced that an open society starts with open lecture rooms The doors to the lecture rooms have modern glass inserts so that everyone knows what is going on in the lecture Some of the rooms have pictures of fine art others have antique vyshyvankas on display the lectures are being held with a live accompaniment on the piano (introduction to classical music taken over a trimester is an obligatory class for all students) — People don’t have the opportunity to learn this But the classics must underpin all moral values and attitudes Students often take his words with a degree of doubt His daughter is an opera singer and a pianist after all so his enthusiasm is entirely understandable the students themselves will advise others not to miss “the week of Yurii Plyska” you can spend time enjoying auditory pleasures and laughing at the Warsaw University professor’s witty jokes The example with artists and composers serves to show that the university prioritizes its students’ personal development while staying within the boundaries of an educational program The institution treats the issue of bribery with utmost determination when a student is taught not to give or take any bribes that student will gather like-minded people around them in their future workplace Speaking of the ways to create such an environment at the university — It’s pretty simple: don’t accept bribes yourself a simple method of fighting corruption and bribery is to have the people in leadership reject it This will then put them in a position to prevent others from taking bribes He believes strongly that the university is educating prospective leaders and thinkers who will be able to make Ukraine stronger from the regional level But the Ukraine that we all dream about cannot be built on bribery everyday and holiday in an Ostroh Academy student’s life are framed in certain canonicity and tradition The academic choir Gaudeamus performs at every inauguration and convocation which can be heard all over the central courtyard of the university Instead of the standard “Miss University” there is an annual “Halshka” so named in honor of one of the university’s first founders It is likely this kind of approach that helped the university get into the Book of Ukrainian Records eight times and even to be immortalized in the Guinness World Records for “the longest poetical marathon” The latter was achieved by a 456-hour non-stop reading of Kobzar by Taras Shevchenko organized in March 2014 Ihor Pasichnyk himself emphasizes that teamwork made all of this possible he was recruiting young people who were not afraid to work towards the creation of a new educational institution one that would measure up against the world standards He tells that the selection criteria were very strict: mandatory knowledge of English a desire to take an internship abroad by assignment methodology and knowledge and — a cause of derision among the rectors of other universities back then — young age: They’re envious now because these youths defended their theses they are experts in the international arena Nowadays such a team is the object of envy for other universities since many of Ukraine’s scientists are of retirement age the average age for deans and vice-rectors in Ostroh is quite young: when the first workers were recruited to the university their eyes shone at the mere mention of the word “independence” —We built our foundations on traditions: we’re a team I feel so sorry for them because they have such small salaries The well-coordinated team created something the rector calls a miracle of the Ostroh Academy restoration the preservation and advancement of national educational heritage his efforts earned him the title of Hero of Ukraine back in 2009: I’m not a hero of Ukraine and I didn’t bring the Ostroh Academy back to life I know that 10% of them will end up like anyone else but the other 90% will raise the bar and raise it high Involved in the preparation of the material 15 volunteers Department of History of the National University of Ostroh Academy Andrii Smyrnov is a professor at the Department of History of the National University of Ostroh Academy His research interests are focused primarily on the church history Smyrnov earned his Doctor of Historical Sciences degree (doktor nauk) in 2021 at the National University of Ostroh Academy the Swastika and the Red Star: Ukrainian Orthodoxy during the Second World War (2021) as well as a number of publications on the history of religion he was a Petro Jacyk Visiting Scholar at the University of Toronto and in 2013–2014 he held John Kolasky Memorial Fellowship at the University of Alberta Smyrnov also received a Research Fellowship at the German Historical Institute in Warsaw he was a DAAD visiting scholar at the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe He serves as a member of the Expert Council under the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience Synodal Commission for the Inter-Christian relations of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Pathways to Peace Initiative steering group of the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches reference group for the pilgrimage of justice “Between Berlin and Moscow: The Orthodox Church on the Polish Territories from 1939 to 1948”: the story of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church during the Second World War is shaded in controversy and murky references that result from both wartime political developments and the postwar situation within Poland until full archival access becomes available research on this segment of church history entails sifting through conflicting and often contradictory accounts of its activities during this period The postwar Polish Orthodox Church faced a number of daunting challenges headed by a greatly reduced constituency and the redefinition of its position within the new political order and activities of the Polish Orthodox Church during the Second World War and aftermath is the subject of this research project  wirth.institute@ualberta.ca  (780) 492-1444 labs and research stations are primarily located on the territory of the Néhiyaw (Cree) Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Anishinaabe (Ojibway/Saulteaux) lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6 The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty knowledge systems and cultures of all First Nations Colleen Prince was 11 years old when she attended her first Ukrainian dance camp at a diaspora community in Lehighton she’s teaching and learning folk dance in Ukraine with her Fulbright scholarship moved to Ostroh in west Ukraine in September to teach English language at the national university there In addition to assisting as many as four linguistics classes a day Prince is pursuing her passion for Ukrainian folk dance — by taking an hour-long bus each week to the nearest big city to join an ensemble and sometimes it doesn’t depart at all,” Prince said Prince will begin dancing with another small ensemble in the next town over Prince studied Ukrainian folk dance for 11 years before moving to Ostroh mostly by dancing at camps and festivals at home in Pennsylvania during the summer Joining these dance communities at home in Pennsylvania was a natural fit for Prince Prince’s great-grandparents were Russian-Ukrainian a refugee from the Russian revolution.  “It’s been a struggle because there’s a difference between the diaspora community’s relationship with folk dance and the everyday Ukranians’ relationship with folk dance,” Prince explained “Folk dance is actually not as popular here as you’d think Though her Fulbright sponsors her to teach English linguistics Prince said she chose to apply for Ukraine because of her long love of their folk dances.  “I realized that I originally came here with a bit of a self-centered perspective wanting to improve myself as a folk dancer,” Prince said “I didn’t fully realize what coming here as a cultural Ukrainian diaspora ambassador from the United States really was until I arrived Ethnic art in the country itself is very different than in diaspora communities ­— which makes a lot of sense because Pennsylvania wasn’t starved out by the Russians I realized I actually need to sacrifice and contribute and work hard at learning from the amazing artists who are here.” No two days in Ukraine look the same for Prince but one thing that is consistent in her life in Ukraine: Lots of buses.  ‘The Laundromat,’ and they’re showing these buses in Panama like look how terrible they are,’ and I thought Prince said she’s taking every opportunity she can to dance — including moving to Kyiv for the month of January to study with an ensemble there Though she described folk dance as “dormant,” Prince said it’s not dying and she hopes to dedicate her efforts to keep it alive “There are some really incredibly advanced dance ensembles here in Ukraine,” she said “I want to make their names known and support them in anyway that I can Prince didn’t have a lot of time to spare for folk dance while at Hillsdale.  You’re able to practice with your ensembles; you’re going on tour a lot and everything,” Prince said “And then at Hillsdale it was a huge challenge because folk dance isn’t as popular here It was difficult to find time to train myself and to teach others.” she poured her efforts into learning modern dance with Jillian Hopper and continuing her ballet training with Assistant Professor of Dance Holly Hobbs Prince already had an extensive dance background “She had already gone to Jacob’s Pillow — one of the largest dance festivals in the world and she didn’t really know what it was because she hadn’t done modern dance To me that was very impressive because it’s very prestigious; not everyone gets invited that way.”  Hopper and Hobbs both agreed Prince grew a lot as a dancer at Hillsdale “One of the best memories I’ll carry with me was the dance she put together for the American College Dance Association,” Hopper said “She choreographed and got to perform this solo piece that was totally outside of her Ukrainian dance background It was totally postmodern and theatrical and it was beautiful I’ll always have this image of her on that stage in that costume under those lights and owning that stage.” Prince said she’s drawn to folk dance because it captures the human spirit in a different way than other dance genres It was founded in the streets of Ukraine by ordinary people and used throughout history as a political statement or a way for Ukrainian people to reconnect with their heritage “Folk dance is connected to a specific culture and a specific historical background and a specific people In many ways it can be used as a political statement sometimes it can be used as a cultural statement “Folk dance during the Soviet Union served sometimes as propaganda It’s very raw and very human in that sense You can feel that — you can feel that adrenaline rush when you do it.” which “tug at something inside the human heart,” she said “Part of the country I’m currently living in is a war zone,” she said folk dance isn’t a number one priority in Ukraine This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what 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