Late February, Ukraine traditionally honours the famous writer, patroness of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. A series of events take place in the institution during Lesya’s days.
Lesya Ukrainka Museum hosted the «Olena Pchilka. The Portrait» exhibition. The event was attended by University Rector Anatolii Tsos, Vice-Rector for Academic Work and Recruitment Yurii Hromyk, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Communication Nataliia Blahovirna, Dean of Faculty of Philology and Journalism Lilia Lavrynovych, lecturers and students.
Head of Department of Theory of Literature and Foreign Literature, Serhii Romanov, was the first to address the audience, emphasizing the knowledge about Olena Pchilka in the dimensions formed a long time ago far from full representation of the features with which Olena Pchilka is perceived, evaluated and referred to nowadays.
«She is known to us as the mother of Lesya Ukrainka, however, it probably makes sense to talk about her as the great Mother of a glorious family, and also of the Ukrainian literature and culture as such. We have definitely heard about her achievements in various fields, and she is the first female academician in our science for a reason. But why she received this title, how she is associated in culture, what functions she performed in her time and to this day are the tasks that we all have to deal with. Our University works in these perspectives. Today’s exhibition is called “The Portrait” and we would like these portraits of a great person to resonate in everyone’s soul,» said Serhii Romanov.
Rector Anatolii Tsos presented a bouquet of amaryllis, Olena Pchilka’s favorite flowers, to Tetiana Danyliuk-Tereshchuk, Director of Lesya Ukrainka Museum.
«We should take pride in living on the ancient land of Volyn with wonderful educational tradition. Without Lesya Ukrainka and Olena Pchilka, our Volynian land would not look like this. Olena Pchilka was a wonderful playwright, folklorist and many of her works have been preserved for us. The current year of Olena Pchilka will be interesting, rich in discoveries, and our task is to convey the legacy of Olena Pchilka to pupils, students, fellow citizens of Volyn as much as possible,» Rector noted.
Tetyana Danyliuk-Tereshchuk told about the work of Olena Pchilka, emphasizing that Lesya Ukrainka’s mother is officially the first Ukrainian poetess, the first among Ukrainian women writers to have published the collection «Thoughts of a Lady».
During the exhibition, the visitors could see the photos from the Kosachiv-Drahomanovs’ family archive, their household items, letters, postcards, original works, and more. A special place in the exposition belonged to the collection of Olena Pchilka patterns and collars worn by women and girls of the Kosach family.
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