| | LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: | Fonds | | No.: | PR3405 | | TITLE: | Roman Ostashewsky fonds | | CREATOR: | Roman Ostashewsky | | DATE RANGE: | 1959-1983 | | EXTENT: | 2.03 m of textual records and other material.
44 photographs. – 8 negatives. – 24 lantern slides. | | ADMINISTRATIVE | | HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | Roman Ostashewsky was born in the Western Ukraine (at that time part of Poland) in 1924. He attained secondary and high school education in Lviv and attended agricultural college in 1942-1943 during the German occupation. In 1943, as a refugee he fled the Soviet invasion and ended up in Italy where he attended the University of Rome. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in 1947 and Bachelor of Theology in 1950.
After coming to Canada he worked for several years in Edmonton as a labourer, autobody painter, postal clerk, and librarian. After receiving a City of Edmonton Scholarship and Provincial Government Scholarship he graduated with a Bachelor of Library Science degree from McGill University. In 1967 he received Diploma in Archives Administration from the University of Denver.
In 1966 he became Senior Archivist with the Provincial Archives of Alberta, a position he held until he was appointed Director of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, an open-air museum owned and operated by the Provincial Government of Alberta in 1976. In 1964-1965, Mr. Ostashewsky served as President of the Edmonton Library Association and as Director of the Alberta Library Association.
For many years, Roman Ostashewsky was deeply involved in the local Ukrainian community and held numerous executive positions in Ukrainian committees, associations and clubs in Western Canada. He served as Chairman of the Edmonton Ukrainian Art and Literary Club (1966-68); Secretary of the Ukrainian Catholic Council of Alberta (1964-67); Chairman of the Ukrainian Drama Club of Edmonton (1968-1972); Chair of the Committee for Ukrainian Patriarchate (1972-75); Edmonton President of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (UCC) in Edmonton (1969-1971); President of the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club (1974); President of the Edmonton Ukrainian National Federation (1972-73, 1975-76); Member of the Council of Ukrainian Culture in Canada, Winnipeg (1974-77); Member of the Taras Shevchenko Scientific Society, Edmonton; Director of the National Executive of the Ukrainian National Federation, Toronto; Chairman of the UCC Cultural Development Committee, Edmonton. In the 1974-1978, he worked as Program Director of the Ukrainian Symphony concerts and organized the Heritage Series of Concerts in Edmonton.
Since 1973, he has been host and producer of a weekly Ukrainian TV program “Kontakt” and for over twenty-five years performed across Western Canada as a narrator of Ukrainian short stories and poetry. He helped organize numerous concerts and festivals and spoke at professional conferences and community events.
Roman Ostashewsky received the Province of Alberta Achievement Award in 1976, the Shevchenko Gold Medal and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and Honorary Life Membership in the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club. Mr. Ostashewsky was appointed Member of the Order of Canada in 1979.
Roman Ostashewsky passed away on February of 1983
| | CUSTODIAL HISTORY: | Mrs. Lillian Ostashewska, wife of the late Roman Ostashewsky, donated the personal papers of her husband to the Provincial Archives of Alberta on May 30, 1986. | | SCOPE AND CONTENT: | The fonds consists of personal papers of Roman
Ostashewsky. The majority of the records reflect Mr. Ostashewsky’s participation in various community organizations such as Ukrainian National Federation, Committee for the Establishment of the Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchate, Ukrainian Professional and Business Club (Edmonton), The Ukrainian Canadian Committee (Edmonton) and Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Winnipeg). These records include personal correspondence, drafts, financial records, newsletters, promotional materials, minutes, agendas, and reports. Another group of records reflects Mr. Ostashewsky’s activities as an organizer, artistic director and master of ceremonies of various community cultural projects such as Heritage Series of Concerts, Vegreville Ukrainian Festival, Shevchenko Concerts, Ukrainian Day and numerous commemorative events. These records include hand written notes, correspondence, speeches, programs, promotional materials and photographs of the featured artists. The files related to the Kontakt TV program include brief profiles of the guests and interview questions.
| | LANGUAGE NOTE: | The material is in Ukrainian and English. | | GENERAL NOTE: | Information for the administrative history/biographical sketch was
sourced from the biographical materials found inside the fonds. |
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