Major Initiatives

1932  The UNWLA convened the First Women's Congress of America. Representatives of women's organizations from the United States and Canada participated in this historic event, and the proceedings of the Congress helped define the UNWLA's role in the Ukrainian women's movement.

1933  The UNWLA took part in the Chicago World's Fair by organizing an exhibition that represented the many spheres of Ukrainian folk art.  The exhibition artifacts were purchased by the UNWLA from the

Ukrainian Folk Art Cooperative in Lviv.

 

 

 

 

 

1961  Monument erected in honor of poet Lesya Ukrainka

The work of sculptor M. Chereshnovsky, this monument stands in the Cultural Park in Cleveland, Ohio (on the initiative of Branch 33 and the Regional Council of Ohio). The plaque on the monument reads:

"This monument was erected by the Ukrainian National Women's League of America."

 

The UNWLA's collection of Ukrainian folk art has been supplemented throughout the years. UNWLA branches have borrowed items from the collection for their own cultural events with the intention of informing communities across the United States about the rich cultural heritage of Ukraine.

 

1967  The Museum of Ukrainian Folk Art was founded by the UNWLA, and the collection of artifacts was housed at the Ukrainian Institute of America until 1973.

1974  The central offices of UNWLA returned to New York City after the UNWLA building in Philadelphia was sold. The UNWLA, in partner­ship with the Ukrainian Congress Committee, purchased a building at 203 Second Avenue. The UNWLA owns two floors of this building.

The UNWLA  founded The Ukrainian Museum in New York City and presented it as a gift to the Ukrainian community.  The Museum, initially housed in the Second Avenue building, now occupies a new facility at 222 E. 6th Street, which was officially opened in 2005

At the opening of the new museum, the UNWLA's ethnographic collection included more than 800 artifacts

The Ukrainian Museum is independently incorporated; however, the UNWLA retains 51% control of the votes, and every UNWLA president is the ex officio first vice president of the museum. UNWLA members and branches continue to provide generous financial support for the museum.

 

At Fordham University’s tribute to Ukrainian Catholic Church Leaders, on November 20, 2011, in the presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav, Marianna Zajac, President of the UNWLA, presented Rev. Father Borys Gudziak, UCU rector, with a check for $ 25,000.00 (twenty–five thousand dollars).

This was the first installment of a $100,000.00 endowment being established by the UNWLA for Women’s/Gender Studies at the Ukrainian Catholic University and will be a longterm investment in perpetuity. At the XXIX Convention of the UNWLA, held in May of this year, delegates overwhelmingly endorsed this unprecedented project. Newly-elected Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, upon hearing about the launch of a women’s/gender studies program at UCU, found the news to be “wonderful and perhaps the first time that a university in Ukraine was beginning such an innovative program.” Rev. Fr. Gudziak has been a strong supporter of the UNWLA and has voiced his enthusiastic encouragement of this new project. (Please view this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePCQOjO1N24 to see the interview with Father Borys, students, and staff regarding women’s/gender studies.)

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