ALEXANDER VORONYN’S CONTRIBUTIONIN NATIONAL REVIVAL OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The personality of Aleksandr Voronyn is almost not studied, and for this reason the author of the research has made an attempt to illustrate certain aspects of the life of this journalist, editor, clergyman and statesman. This article includes the analysis of the activities of Aleksandr Voronyn, the representative of Ukrainian diaspora in the USA, which was aimed for the national renascence of Ukraine. His work in the Metropolitanate of UOC of the USA in South Bound Brook town and the first volume of the documentary publication “Martyrology of the Ukrainian Churches V. 1. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church”, which was compiled by him, demonstrate his professional skills. The idea of organization of the religious and educational publishing house “Resurrection” belongs to A. Voronyn.
The article reviews the history of A. Voronyn’s creation and hosting of broadcasts on such radio stations as “Svoboda” (he was a presenter of a series of programs “From the Chronicle of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church”) and “Voice of America” (he carried out the preparation of the program “The Voice of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Speaking”, the first broadcast of which was opened by the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the United States Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), who later became the Patriarch of the UAOC) during the 1980s–1990s. In this way, broadcasting was one of the ways of dialog between the Ukrainian diaspora and Ukraine, particularly during the time of the Soviet Union.
Particular attention is paid to the participation of Alexander Voronyn in the events dedicated to the celebration of the Millennium of Baptism of all Ukraine-Rus, which were held in the USA in 1985–1989. Voronyn prepared and made several reports devoted to focal points of Ukrainian church history at several scholarly conferences. He has also been the author of the texts and commentaries to the exhibition “The Icon in Ukraine”, which was took place within the framework of the conference organized thanks to the Ukrainian Research Program of the University of Illinois (20-25 June 1988). The author considers and regards such activity as the apogee of his activity in the religious field.
It was concluded that A. Voronyn was a devoted patriot of Ukraine whose versatile activities (scholarly, educational, organizational, journalistic, charitable) were aimed at the revival and preservation of Christian values of the Ukrainian people and building a bridge between Ukraine and the Ukrainian Diaspora.