2:16 PM Heroes’ Day Commemoration | |
To honour the memory of those who fought for the freedom of Ukraine, Queanbeyan Hromada and the Ukrainian Women’s Association (Oksana Meshko Branch) sponsored this year’s Heroes’ Day Commemoration on Sunday, 17 June 2012 in the Ukrainian Hall, Queanbeyan.
At 1:00 p.m., Vyacheslav Spesyvy, President of Queanbeyan Hromada and Master of Ceremonies, opened the Commemoration by extending a warm welcome to all distinguished guests and to all present at the Commemoration. He then invited representatives of the Ukrainian Youth Association (Marusya Jacyshyn), Plast (Helen and Michael Liszczynsky), Queanbeyan Hromada (John Warcholak) and the Ukrainian Women’s Association (Paraskevia Mychailuk) to lay wreaths around the symbolic grave in front of the stage. Following the wreath-laying ceremony, Fr Andriy Mykytyuk, standing at the foot of the symbolic grave, conducted a Panakhyda in memory of all Ukrainian freedom fighters. St Volodymyr’s Parish Choir and the audience sang the responses during the Panakhyda. At the conclusion of these solemn ceremonies, the Canberra Singing Group, under the leadership of Ivan Miljenovic, sang, to a standing audience, a moving rendition of Ivan Franko’s "Ne Pora” ("It is not Time”). Their performance was followed by a poem written by Dmytro Chub in honour of Ukrainian heroes and titled "U Den Zhaloby” ("On a Day of Sorrow”). It was beautifully recited by Eugenia Ilyk, President of the Ukrainian Women’s Association. A number of musical items followed the recitation. Father Andriy Mykytyuk and Andrew Liszczynsky performed 2 separate items on the program. During both appearances, Father Andriy sang and played the guitar while Andrew Liszczynsky accompanied him on his guitar. The duo first performed the UPA song "Lenta za Lentoyu” ("Round after Round”), composed by Vasyl Zastavnyj, a great-uncle of Father Andriy’s wife, Yimost Olesia. In their next performance, they performed "Bude Nam z Toboyu, Scho Zhadaty” ("There will be Something for Us to Remember”) and "Ne Plachte, ne Zhuritsia” ("Don’t Cry, Don’t Worry”). Their performances completely enthralled the audience. Father Andriy’s and Andrew’s performances were interspersed with two communal songs. "Podaj Divchyno Ruku na Proschannia” ("Lass, Give Me Your Hand in Farewell”), under Irene Pellegrino’s leadership, was the first song to be sung by the audience while the second song, under Ivan Miljenovic’s leadership, was "Tam Des Daleko na Volyni” ("Somewhere, Faraway in Volyn”). An interesting and well-researched keynote address titled "In Memory of Leader Yaroslav Stetsko on the 100th Anniversary of his Birth” was delivered by Marusya Jacyshyn from the Ukrainian Youth Association. The final two items on the program were Volodymyr Prysiazhnyj’s poem, "Smert v Paryzhi” ("Death in Paris”), which was beautifully recited by Irene Forostenko from the Ukrainian Women’s Association, and a folk song titled "Hey na Hori Tam Zhentsi Zhnut” ("Hey, on the Hill, Reapers are Reaping”) which was sung by the Canberra Singing Group with audience participation. At the conclusion of the Commemoration, the Master of Ceremonies thanked everyone who contributed in their various capacities to making the Commemoration a success: Father Andriy Mykytyuk for the Panakhyda; the performers for their performances; the audience for their attendance; members of Hromada and the Ukrainian Women’s Association for organising the Commemoration, decorating the Hall and providing refreshments. He also thanked a number of individuals who contributed financially to the upkeep of the Hall.
The Commemoration closed with the
singing of the Ukrainian National Anthem, "Sche ne Vmerla Ukrainy”. Tea, coffee
and refreshments were provided at the conclusion of the Commemoration. to see all photos please click here | |
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