Foundation of St. Volodymyr

About the Foundation

Foundation of St. Volodymyr, the Baptizer of Kyivan Rus’ was established in Krakow by its founder Włodzimierz Mokry and registered in the Ministry of Culture and Art in June, 1989. The main goal of the foundation is the development and popularization of Ukrainian science and culture in Poland, and its activities are aimed at Polish-Ukrainian rapprochement.

At the heart of the Foundation lies the award of the Foundation of John Paul II that was given to the Founder, Włodzimierz Mokry, „For social and moral activity for Polish-Ukrainian understanding and rapprochement, extremely important for the future of Central Europe, as well as for major scientific achievements that indicate on the Christian roots of Ukrainian culture” in 1987.

It is no coincidence that, established by the Foundation of St. Volodymyr, the Center of Ukrainian Science and Culture is located in Old Kraków. Here, at the Wawel Castle, lived and prayed the princesses of Kyivan Rus’, and in the XV century here worked the first person in the world to print Cyrillic church books, Schweipolt Fiol (1491). Krakow also played a big role in the lives of prominent creators of Ukrainian culture and science, starting with Yuriy Kotermak (15th century) and ending with such outstanding figures of the 20th century as Ivan Zilynskyi, Bohdan Lepky, Ivan Trush, Mykhailo Boychuk, Oleksa Novakivskyi, Leon Getz, Jerzy Nowosielski, Tyrsus Wenhrynowicz.

The activities of the Foundation in Krakow

1. Scientific activity:
   
   Since May 1990, the Foundation of St. Volodymyr has been organizing international scientific conferences, including: Ukrainian Political Thought in the 20th Century (May 1990); Independence Aspirations of Ukrainians in the 20th Century (May 1991); conferences dedicated to the scientific work of Prof. Jan Janow (1992); Bohdan Lepky (1991) and Jan Kozik (1995); John Paul II on the Christian East. On the 15th anniversary of the pontificate of the Slavic Pope (1993); Kyiv – Brest – Rome. Union tendencies and their cultural-religious consequences before and after 1596 (1996); Vasyl Stefanyk and his era (1998); The Poetic Path of Bohdan Ihor Antonych. From „Greetings to Life” in Nowica in Lemkovyna to „Great Harmony” in Lviv (1999); „Do you not feel shame at authorizing only three languages?” (St. Cyril). Ukrainian and Polish advocates of harmonious coexistence of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions (On the 155th anniversary of the founding of the Kyiv Brotherhood of Cyril and Methodius) (2000); Ukraine in the year 2000. Christian saints and holidays in the spiritual life of Ukrainians (2000); Language, literature, culture, history of Ukraine (2001); Teaching of John Paul II in the realization of the Cyril and Methodius idea among Ukrainians (2003); Language, culture, mentality, and national identity of Ukrainians (2007); What did Galicia and the Carpathian Region live on during the time of Bohdan Ihor Antonych (1909–1938)? Krakow – Nowica – Gorlice – Sanok – Lviv. On the centenary of the poet’s birth (2009); The Role of Monasteries in shaping Ukrainian culture in the 11th–20th centuries (2010); Ukrainian language in the life and activities of elites in Ukraine over the centuries. Culture, science, education, religion, society, politics (2012); Operation „Vistula” and the fate of the Ukrainian minority in Poland from 1947 to 2012 (2012); Poles, Ukrainians, Russians. Paths of understanding and reconciliation (2013); Sloboda Land – Donbas – Crimea – Kherson – Odessa in the life of Ukraine until November 2014. History, language, culture, religion, economy, politics (2014); The significance of the work of the sons of St. Volodymyr for an independent Ukrainian state, national culture, and spirituality. Holy princes Boris and Gleb and Jaroslav the Wise. 1000th anniversary of the death of St. Volodymyr the Baptizer of Kyivan Rus and the birth to heaven of the saints Boris and Gleb (2015); The Gospel in the language of the mother. Inspirations with the heritage of St. Cyril and Methodius in upbringing and education – Eastern European experiences in the context of current challenges (2015); The role of Christianization in the history, culture, and spiritual life of Poland, Ukraine, and neighboring nations. On the 1050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland (2016); Volhynia in Polish memory, historical policy, literary works, film adaptations, and social awareness (2016); Issues with preserving the language, culture, and identity of the Ukrainian minority in Krakow and Poland. 70 years after the resettlement action „Vistula” in 1947 (2016); Spiritually indivisible Europe „of two lungs” of St. Benedict, Cyril, and Methodius in the thought and ecumenical activity of St. John Paul II (2018); Why did it „take 1100 years” for the Slavic Pope St. John Paul II to make the Slavic Apostles St. Cyril and Methodius – precursors of celebrating the liturgy in national languages in Catholic churches worldwide since the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) – co-patrons of spiritually indivisible Europe „of two lungs” (2019); Secular and Roman Catholic authorities of the Commonwealth towards their non-Catholic citizens – Protestants, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Jews. Contemporary echoes of old problems in the 19th–21st centuries. On the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the Union of Lublin (2019).

2. The Foundation was also a co-organizer of student scientific conferences held as part of the Student Days of Ukrainian Culture at the Jagiellonian University, organized in 1992–2019 for students of Ukrainian philology, and then for the Department of Ukrainian Studies and students from Ukraine and other countries. It was also the organizer and the patron of the student club „Vernyhora”.
3. As part of the „Ukrainian Scientific Thursdays”, Ukrainian scientists from Poland, Ukraine and other countries present reports on Ukrainian history, culture, literature and Polish-Ukrainian relations in the ХІ–ХХ centuries.
4. Icons (in particular, the miraculous icon of the Virgin of Korchmyn) and complete iconostases have been restored in the Icon Restoration Workshop of the Foundation for many years. Completed restoration work on the iconostasis from Cewków near Lubaczów (partially subsidized by the Culture Foundation), as well as the iconostasis from Gorajec (XVII century) of the Przemyśl eparchy.
5. Publishing activitySince 1991, the Foundation of St. Volodymyr has been operating the Szawajpolt Fiol Publishing House – the publisher of, among others, the almanac „Między Sąsiadami” (Between Neighbors) (16 volumes), „Krakowskie Zeszyty Ukrainoznawcze” (Krakow Notebooks on Ukrainian Studies) (published jointly with Jagiellonian University from 1992 to 2011; 12 volumes), and the magazine promoting the culture and spirituality of national minorities titled „Horyzonty Krakowskie” (Krakow Horizons) (published from 1995 to 2000). From 1997 to the present, the publishing series „Biblioteka Fundacji św. Włodzimierza” (Library of the Foundation of St. Volodymyr) has been issued. Within this series, the following publications have been released, among others: „Problemy Ukraińców w Polsce po wysiedleńczej akcji ‘Wisła’ 1947 roku” (Problems of Ukrainians in Poland after the resettlement action ‘Vistula’ in 1947) (1997); Yurii Havryliuk, „Kraje ruskie Bielsk, Mielnik, Drohiczyn”. Rusyns-Ukrainians in Podlasie – facts and controversies (1999); Harmonious coexistence of Eastern and Western culture in Ukraine (2000); Włodzimierz Mokry, Papal messages of John Paul II to Ukrainians (2001); Włodzimierz Mokry, Ukraine of Vasyl Stefanyk (2001); Christian holidays and saints in the spiritual life of Ukrainians at the turn of the millennium (2001); Włodzimierz Mokry, Apostolic word of John Paul II in Ukraine in 2001 (2002); Language, literature, culture, history of Ukraine (2003); Tadeusz Filar, At the feet of the royal Wawel. The Ukrainian community in Krakow in the years 1918–1939 (2004); Jadwiga Styrna, Agata Mamoń, Monuments of the Lubaczów region. Changes in the years 1904–2004 based on the manuscript of Karol Notz (2004); Włodzimierz Mokry, Spiritual sources of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004 (2006); Language, culture, mentality, and national identity of Ukrainians, ed. W. Mokry (2009); Rafał Kęsek, Ukraine’s policy towards the Russian Federation in the years 1997–2004 (2010); Michał Siudak, Perspectives of Polish-Ukrainian dialogue in the environment of the Paris „Kultura” in the years 1947–1991. Giedroyc, Mieroszewski, Łobodowski (2010); Language, culture, mentality, and national identity of Ukrainians, ed. W. Mokry (2010); Rafał Kęsek, Ukraine’s policy towards the Russian Federation in the years 1997–2004 (2010); Denys Pilipowicz, Conversation about the spiritual world. Hryhorij Skovoroda: philosophy – theology – mysticism (2010); Language, culture, mentality, and national identity of Ukrainians (2010); Michał Siudak, Perspectives of Polish-Ukrainian dialogue in the environment of the Paris „Kultura” in the years 1947–1991 (2010); Michał Olchawa, Stars and Trident. European integration of Ukraine (2013); The role of monasteries in shaping Ukrainian culture in the 11th–20th centuries, ed. A. Gronek, A. Nowak (2014); Włodzimierz Mokry, Councils of Kyivan Rus in the spiritual life of Ukrainians and in the Letter „Orientale Lumen” of St. John Paul II (2014); Ukrainian language in the life and activities of elites in Ukraine over the centuries. Culture, science, education, religion, society, politics (2015); W. Mokry, What does Moscow propose to Ukraine and Europe? From the devastation of Kyiv by Andrey Bogolyubsky to the annexation and occupation of Crimea, Donbas, and Luhansk (2018).

6. In the Gallery of Ukrainian Art, operating since June 1992, opened in June 1992, more than 150 exhibitions of Ukrainian painting, graphics, sculpture, art photography, as well as decorative and applied art were organized. More than 100,000 people visited the gallery. Booklets or albums were published on the occasion of the opening of exhibitions.
7. Foundation of St. Volodymyr is also engaged in the distribution of Ukrainian books (for many years the „Nestor” bookstore was engaged in this).
8. Foundation of St. Volodymyr also has a restaurant „Ukrainian taste” – „Smak Ukraiński” on the street. Grodzka 21 in Krakow.