The project consists of the materials collected for Nataliya Bezborodova's master thesis. The thesis traces Internet textual representations of the Maidan, a wide-scale protest movement that took place in 2013-2014 in Ukraine, and their function in identifying the opposing sides during the protests. These texts helped to formulate new narratives, articulate attitudes, and build relationships, create a sense of community within the protestors’ side, which had its impact on institutional changes of commemorative practices.
Facebook served as an important platform for the initial appeal, for coordination between the participants, for reflections, and for identification of the opposing sides during the protests. It was a key space for sharing emotions, personal stories, humor and expressive forms of protest, making allusions to known literary works, historical events and world public figures.
Exploring the types of narratives and their contribution in identifying the opposing sides, the work is focused on digital stories that illuminate elements not covered by the professional media coverage and official reports. It traces the diverse forms, topics and expressive devices in the narratives, and identifies the categories of lore (eyewitness narratives, (re)telling of stories, jokes, poetry, songs, etc.). It provides juxtaposition of the patterns found in the text with the main events of each specific day.
The thesis provides several chapters that focus on: (1) a review of the historical context of the events; (2) an analysis of the data with reference to all categories and topics, and the main findings; (3) the role of humor and expressive devices in releasing the tension of the conflict and in helping to formulate the attitudes within the protestors’ side; (4) evidence of the functions of personal stories as they build relationships, create a sense of community, and validate the participants’ experiences and the significance of the events from the protestors’ perspectives; (5) interpretation within this protest lore, and its impact on institutional changes of commemorative practices as in the example of the Nebesna Sotnia (Heavenly Hundred) narrative formation and its correlation to the repertoire of motifs and terms of the selected historical periods: the Cossack, the Ukrainian National Republic and World War II.
The study underlines the relevance of time and several patterns related to historical events, as Facebook posts immediately responded to the events occurring on the square and streets occupied by protestors, simultaneously with professional media outlets, and sometimes prior to them. These findings have important implications that go beyond the Ukrainian context in that they contribute to the further exploration of social networks functioning in relation to factual events.
This collection contains the results of two ethnographic trips to the Ukrainian communities in Brazil by Andriy Nahachewsky. The first trip took place from 4 May to 26 May 2009, and included Andriy Nahachewsky, Serge Cipko, John C. Lehr, and Maryna Hrymych. This was the first trip to Brazil for each of the participants, though they each had strong credentials in their disciplines and in fieldwork more generally. Thus the project goal was to cast a wide net for general orientation into the historical and contemporary life of the Ukrainian communities there. Each researcher also had specific personal goals. The trip included visits to Curitiba, Prudentópolis and several rural communities nearby, Craveiro in Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Brasília, and Foz do Iguaçu. The agenda included visits to an agricultural cooperative, meetings with diplomats and organizational representatives, and diverse individuals who could speak about life in their communities. Photographs by Hrymych, Lehr, and Cipko are also accessioned into the BMUFA and located in their own respective collections.
The second trip was undertaken by Andriy Nahachewsky, for 6 months from 14 November 2009 to 13 May 2010. The goal of the project was to continue the first exploratory fieldtrip, intensifying and expanding it. The project had a strong diachronic focus, documenting change in cultural traditions, to understand better how Ukrainian cultural content, rooted in 19th century rural traditions in western Ukraine, became transplanted, disappeared, adapted, and sometimes newly created in its diaspora setting in the Brazilian context. The intent was to be able to compare these processes with similar ones known from the Ukrainian Canadian context, as well as culture in western Ukraine itself, which also changed significantly over the 20th century: One cultural root, and three branches evolving on three continents over 120 years.
Another aspect of the fieldtrip was connected with Nahachewsky’s earlier “Local Culture and Diversity on the Prairies” project, which strove to provide documentation about regional differences in traditional Ukrainian culture in the Canadian setting. This аspect of the project was to try trace local differences in Brazilian culture in a similar way. Some of these regional differences were probably most clear in past decades. A third aspect was more synchronic, aimed to document contemporary life. Connected with this, the Brazil trip involved travelling to some 65 communities in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, the main Ukrainian settlement areas in Brazil. The project involved recording some 300 audio interviews, 53 hours of video recordings of contemporary events, 14,000 photographs, and gathering many publications and manuscripts (in hard copy and reproduced digitally), as well as diverse artifacts. The overall focus in subject matter was broad, including material culture (farming practices, folk arts), customs (calendar holidays, weddings, funerals, etc) and performing arts (music, dance). Special foci developed for dance materials, religious images, church architecture, cemeteries, music, and weddings, because of Nahachewsky’s research background, opportunities, and experiences as the fieldwork proceeded. The trips were both funded by the Huculak Chair and the Kule Folklore Centre (for the first trip: Nahachewsky, Hrymych, and various shared expenses). During both trips, the hosts in the home base in Prudentópolis, as well as other locations in Brazil, were very warm and hospitable, open, and generous. A copy of the digital photo, audio, and video fieldwork materials was deposited in the Museu do Milênio in Prudentópolis.
UntitledThis series contains primarily interview descriptions as well as participant observation recordings of birth, baptism, weddings, and funerary traditions. The series is particularly strong for descriptions of weddings within living memory in various “regions” of Ukrainian Brazil. The focus here is on community and vernacular views rather than clerical perspectives or those of leaders of secular organizations. Researchers may find related materials in the adjoining series on Organized Life, as well as on Church life.
This series deals with ritual and ceremonial life that does not fall neatly into the calendar of life cycle. Weekly and irregularly observed traditions fall into this category.
This series collects information from interviews and other sources about the Ukrainian language in Brazil. Numerous researchers and publications are dedicated to the retention and promotion of the Ukrainian language in Brazil, as well as linguistic connections with 19th century dialects and influences from Portuguese. This series includes a copy of the important linguistic field recordings of Dr. Wolodymyr Kulczynskyj. Audio examples of current language use can be found in the approximately 300 interview recordings throughout this collection.
This series contains documentation of organized community life in Ukrainian Brazilian communities. One subseries is organized to focus on secular organizations, including SUBraz, TPUK, various dance groups, choirs, and an agricultural cooperative. A second subseries is devoted to religious organizations, with a focus on Eparchial centres, convents, seminaries, and other institutions organized within the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Brazil. A smaller portion of this subseries documents the Ukrainian Orthodox church and its resources. Commercial Activities are also included in this series, recording evidence of Ukrainian-oriented stores, private enterprises, and products for sale.
The essay discusses cultural change on the example of Ukrainian Orthodox church. He compares prescribed church canon with what exists in the chapel in St. John's Institute looking specifically at the layout of the building, the placement of religious objects and the placement of pictures and icons in the chapel. Written for the course Ukrainian 326.
The essay analyzes videos of 23 dances representing western Ukraine for instances of applause during group work in an attempt to elucidate what motivates audiences to clap.
Video of dances by Yevshan Ukrainian Folk Ballet.
The essay is a diachronic study of a High School graduation from a rural Canadian Ukrainian community with a description and history of celebrations after the formal ceremonies.
Video interviews for the project. Indexes of the interviews available.
The essay is a discussion about provody - the Ukrainian custom of remembering the dead. Includes indexed interview with David Goa and Vera Severin.
The essay is a study of the folksong repertoire of one woman, which is classified into different genres by their content. Interview index available.
Content analysis of Pavlo Chubynski's "trudy ethnografichesko-statisticheskoi ekspeditsii v Zapadno-russkii krai" for its contents and purpose.
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