Ukrainian Jewish Heritage: Yaroslav Dashkevych

Yaroslav Dashkevych was a prominent Ukrainian historian, and a living example of intellectual and professional honesty. 

He was born in 1926 in Lviv to Olena and Roman Dashkevych.

Yaroslav’s mother was Olena Stepaniv, the first Ukrainian woman officer and a cornet of the Січові Стрілці (Sich Riflemen).

His father, Roman Dashkevych, was a general in the Ukrainian National Republic Army.

After studying Ukrainian Language and Literature at the Lviv National University, he worked as a librarian.

In December 1949 he was arrested by the KGB as politically unreliable, and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. 

Upon his release, he was unemployable for 23 years. Yet under impossible circumstances, he carved out a distinguished academic career, during which he wrote more than 900 works in various disciplines, most notably Ukrainian-Armenian, Ukrainian-Turkish, Ukrainian-Jewish relations... but also much more.

Yaroslav Dashkevych once wrote: “In Ukraine, along with short periods of hard times, there were longer periods of Jews and Ukrainians living side-by-side. A unique Jewish culture sprang up here, and it needs to be preserved. The inter-connectedness of cultures requires a thorough research and dissemination.” 

Click here for full transcript.

This feature originally aired October 2013 on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio ... which broadcasts weekly in Vancouver Saturdays at 6pm PST on AM1320 CHMB, and in Nanaimo Wednesdays from 11am-12:30pm PST.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.