Earlier this year, on a frigid February morning, Dr. Sergiy and Tetyana Kryvoruchko watched in anguish as Russian forces invaded their beloved homeland of Ukraine, igniting a sense of duty to defend and preserve a culture under attack.
“Russian aggression is a real threat to Ukrainian culture,” the Kryvoruchkos wrote in an email interview. “Looking throughout history, the examples of that destruction are so numerous.”
Now, in a remarkable gesture, the Ukrainian-Canadian couple has given the Faculty of Arts & Science $125,000 to create new scholarships for students studying Ukrainian language, culture and literature.
“For everything we do in this life, we strive to ensure that it’s useful to other people, in particular helping individuals strive for excellence,” wrote the Kryvoruchkos, who started developing this scholarship before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We hope these long-term grants will stimulate further growth of Ukrainian studies at University of Toronto,” they wrote. “These grants allow new and detailed research of modern Ukrainian literature and language that will consider the circumstances and consequences of the insidious war started by Russia against the Ukrainian people.”
The inaugural recipients have yet to be announced, but these scholarship grants, two for undergraduate students and two for graduate students, are lauded by faculty at the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures.
We hope our grants motivate other people to study Ukrainian culture, with its centuries of history, along with its unique art, language and literature.
Associate Professor Taras Koznarsky has a unique perspective as a Ukrainian ex-pat who served in the Soviet army before the collapse of the U.S.S.R. He also has a mother and brother living through the war in Lviv and Kyiv. Koznarksy says the Kryvoruchkos’ generous gift will award students the resources to explore Ukrainian culture for years to come.
“Once you start thinking about this gift, you realize how logical it is. Russian rhetoric at the beginning of the war suggested the mission was to wipe out Ukrainian identity,” he says. “And we are witnessing the bombing of schools, universities, museums and cultural monuments. Every effort is being made to erase, replace and demonize Ukrainian culture.”
U of T is a major North American hub for Ukrainian studies and Koznarsky says these scholarships are substantial amounts of money for students who will, one day, be able to study in Ukraine.
“I hope the war will be over soon. This major event in world history will need to be studied, and preparing specialists, as these scholarships envision, is preparation for the future,” says Koznarsky.
The Kryvoruchkos are actively engaged in the war effort from abroad, supporting refugees and soldiers with donated medical supplies and funds for military equipment, but they are no strangers to the dangers faced by Ukrainians in the heart of the war zone.
In 2014, deadly clashes broke out between Ukrainian protestors and police over the pro-Russian government’s decision to drop out of a European Union association deal and build closer ties to Russia. The Kryvoruchkos risked their lives as they stood in defiance with Ukrainian citizens in Kyiv’s Independence Square during the Euromaidan Revolution, which Ukrainians widely call the Revolution of Dignity.
“We felt fear going to the square because we could have been killed. Nevertheless, we had even more fear over what would happen if we didn’t join the resistance.”
When asked why they believe the Ukrainian people are so resilient despite generations of hardship, the Kryvoruchkos say that Ukraine’s resistance to oppression is embedded in the DNA of its citizens.
“The root of resistance by the Ukrainian people is the desire for freedom and justice, and Ukraine’s ability to fight back depends on support from the democratic world.”
The Kryvoruchkos think of these scholarships as another line of defence, another weapon to be used in the Ukrainian struggle for peace and independence.
“The fight against Russian tyranny continues and the whole democratic world has united in this struggle. We have no doubts that tyranny and the Putin regime will fall, and Ukraine will win together with the whole world behind us,” they say.
“We hope our grants motivate other people to study Ukrainian culture, with its centuries of history, along with its unique art, language and literature.”
Interested in establishing your own scholarship and creating transformative opportunities for students? Contact Courtney Boost, Development Officer, at c.boost@utoronto.ca or 416-946-3923.