The Ukrainian diaspora is one of the largest settlements in the world. Comprehensive coverage of this phenomenon helps to clarify an important page in the history of Ukraine, exemplified by one of its historical regions – Bukovyna.
Over 130 years ago, the emigration of Bukovynians across the ocean began. They journeyed in search of a better fate – talented, intelligent, resourceful. Each with their own story. With families who put down roots in a new land and learned to survive in difficult and unfamiliar conditions.
The Bukovynian diaspora is not just a scattering of people across other countries and continents – it is a vibrant mosaic of human destinies, life stories, talents, traditions, and knowledge. Interacting with local cultures, they enriched them with their new and bright colours.
The exhibition invites visitors on an intriguing journey through time and space into the world of great achievements by Bukovynians. Ivan Pihuliak, Myroslav Semenovych, Ivan Ivasiuk, Arkadiy Zhukovsky, Hryhoriy Skegar, Josef Schmidt, Viorica Ursuleac, the Rusnak brothers, Frederick Kiesler – here you can see unique museum objects that tell the stories of people who, through their persistent work and respect for their roots, achieved success in life.
The exhibition halls of the "Bukovynian Diaspora" department showcase the main stages of emigration processes in Bukovyna, which began in the second half of the 19th century. In addition to covering the generally recognized waves of emigration, the updated exhibition for the first time raises a topic long silenced in Western society – the internment in Canada during the First World War of citizens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which included Bukovyna. A significant section is dedicated to the repatriation of the German population from Bukovyna and Bessarabia to Germany, and the activities of Bukovynians in displaced persons camps after the end of the Second World War.
The "Artistic Glory of Bukovynians" hall presents works by Mykola Bidniak, Temistokl Virsta, Yaroslav Paladiy, Vasyl Kurylyk, and Oleksandr Vaysman. The museum proudly features a large collection of works by the internationally renowned craftswoman Ksenia Kolotylo. Her embroidered "Oranta" serves as a unique talisman, supporting the museum's staff and visitors during these times.
Each story presented in the exhibition testifies to the strength of the human spirit and the ability to transcend the limits of what is possible. It also serves as an example that, regardless of distance and time, Bukovynians retain a sense of belonging to their roots, share their traditions, values, and talents with the world.
We hope that the "Bukovynian Diaspora" exhibition will be a source of inspiration and understanding, as well as the beginning of new dialogues and cooperation among Bukovynians worldwide. After all, even today, thousands of Ukrainians are forced to seek refuge from war in other countries. We should remember that for over a hundred years, generations of Ukrainian settlers have not lost their national identity and vividly represent the distinctiveness and culture of their ancestors.
