Condolences To The Family Of Olga Swiderski Katchan

January 27, 2023.  Saying goodbye to a Camp Ohio resident is extremely difficult.  There was a great deal of sadness in our home when we learned that Olga SWIDERSKI KATCHAN had passed away in Perth, Australia on January 23, 2023.

Born in Pochaiv, Ukraine on July 23, 1928, Olga lived in Camp Ohio with her father, Mykola SWIDERSKI, and her future husband, Arkadi KATCHAN (who died in 1982), until they immigrated to Australia.

Olga’s son, George Katchan, wrote “…I am very sorry to announce that my mother, Olga Katchan, died last Monday afternoon here in Perth. She died quite peacefully and I was with her at the time. We are planning to fly her to Sydney where she will be buried in our family plot with other family members….”

….Olga was a treasured resource…

Over the past years, Olga was a treasured resource – generous in sharing her knowledge to help clarify events, unlock the terminology of acronyms, and to lend a hand with phrases that were difficult to translate.  She shared her photos and did her best to help with the identification of many photos that were received over the years.  If Olga didn’t know the answer, she almost always knew someone who could help…. and no one ever refused to provide assistance with this research project if Olga requested it.

In addition to Olga being a Camp Ohio resident and a resource for this research project, she knew my late father, Wasyl MAKOTA.  Had he still been alive, how he would have loved to have spoken to her after so many decades! 

1947 Masked Ball at Camp Colorado.  (Photo courtesy of W. Makota and O. Katchan collections)

Olga sent me a photo, which I had also found amongst my father’s photos, but had no idea where the photo was taken, why, and who was in the photo.  Olga unlocked the mystery, explaining that “…the photo was taken in 1947 in Camp Colorado at a masked ball. From right to left: Arkadi (we were not married yet), your Dad, myself, an unknown person who was possibly a friend of your Dad, and Natasha Holubtsov.  Your Dad was responsible for getting us there in his lorry. Since our mutual friend Tanya lived in Colorado, we could change in her room and did not have to worry about travelling in fancy dress. Arkadi and your Dad were great pals, because your Dad taught him to drive…”

….Some of Olga’s photos from Camp Ohio and journey to Australia…

Here is a very brief trip down memory lane featuring some of the photos that Olga shared…

Camp Ohio Christmas. Olga with her Christmas tree. (Photo courtesy of O. Katchan collection)

Olga recalled that “…I always insisted on having a tree in my room in the barracks.  I shared the room with my Dad…”

Aboard the ship ‘General Harry Taylor’ enroute to a new life in Australia. (Photo courtesy of O. Katchan collection)

After leaving Camp Ohio, Olga immigrated to Australia, along with her father, husband Arkadi, and his parents.  When Olga sent this photo, she explained that it was “…on board ‘General Harry Taylor’ sailing to Australia. From left to right: Vera Katchan, Arkadi Katchan, Olga Katchan, Wala Kiltschewskij (already expecting Olga, who was to be my goddaughter)….” 

Arkadi and Olga Katchan at Greta Camp. (Photo courtesy of O. Katchan collection)

After arriving in Australia, Olga and her family were sent to Greta Camp, located west of Newcastle, New South Wales, in the Hunter Valley, not far from Maitland, a large town where many of the immigrants later settled. 

Olga explained that “…We were the last to disembark as both Arkadi and I were asked to work as interpreters for the customs officers who screened everybody before allowing them to step on Australian soil.

The Camp had two sections: A Reception centre, called Silver City, and a Holding Centre called Chocolate City, (or Mums and Bubs). We all had to sign a contract to work for 2 years where needed by the government. The dependents would stay in Chocolate City until the working members found a home for them. In our case, Arkadi and I worked in Sydney, while his parents stayed in Chocolate City. My Father went to live with my brother Nick and his wife Halina in Sydney….”

….Olga became a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sydney…

Newspaper graduation photo of Olga, with her brother Nicholas Swiderski. (Newspaper photo courtesy of O. Katchan collection)

In 1966, Olga graduated from the University of Sydney with a BA with First Class Honours in Psychology, receiving her Masters degree in 1972.   She began as a tutor in psychology in 1966, becoming, in 1988, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Sydney in Australia. 

Olga (right) at the 27th Jean Arnot Memorial Luncheon in May 2019. (Photo courtesy of O. Katchan collection)

In May 2019, Olga was honoured with a Certificate of Appreciation at the 27^th Jean Arnot Memorial Luncheon in Sydney for her contribution to the advancement of women and service to the community. 

….Olga shared her family’s story…

Olga shared her story, and that of her father, Mykola Swiderski, for this blog, ensuring that their stories will not be forgotten.  I only wish we could have met in person. Our deepest condolences go to Olga’s family and friends.

For a link to Olga’s story, please see https://dpcampohioresearchproject.wordpress.com/2019/03/08/camp-ohio-resident-olga-swiderski-katchans-escape-from-paradise/

For a link to Mykola Swiderski’s story, please see https://dpcampohioresearchproject.wordpress.com/2018/06/30/camp-ohio-resident-mykola-swiderski/

….A last Christmas photo…

Olga with her son George (centre), and family.  (Photo courtesy of George Katchan)

I asked Olga’s son George if he had a photo of Olga he wished to share.  He did, explaining, that the photo was of “… mum at Christmas time with her Perth family (son, grandson/granddaughter & great grandson)….”

When I wrote Berlin historian Ralf Gräfenstein to let him know of Olga’s passing, his response best summed up how my husband Pieter and I felt.  “…I am filled with sorrow that she passed away in her 95th year of life.  She knew so much and had such an eventful life. I often thought of her and I was always happy to exchange with her via email and regret that I never got to talk (also in German) with her. With Olga, a contemporary witness and protagonist of almost a century – of war, expulsion, new beginnings and reconstruction, science, and research is leaving us.  She will always remain in my good memory….”

Thank you to Olga’s son George for taking the time to contact us. Do you have a memory or photo of Olga Swiderski Katchan to share? Comments can be made on this blog or by sending an email to dariadv@yahoo.ca.

© Daria Valkenburg

The 2019 Camp Ohio Reunion – Part 2 Revelations and Insights

July 19, 2019.  The Camp Ohio Reunion in Prince Edward Island is already a distant memory, but what a wonderful one!  By the time we gathered together for our review of some of the Camp Ohio photos, we had already had a chance to share stories from the reception the day before (See The 2019 Camp Ohio Reunion – Part 1…. The Opening Reception and Interview).

We are very lucky to have a rich collection of photos from Camp Ohio, but one feels like an archeologist or anthropologist quite often as we try to figure out the date and context of a photo.  In addition to identifying the people in a photo, many times the location is a mystery.

One photo illustrates the challenge of trying to identify a photo with no background information.  The photo may only be 70+ years old, but the questions are no different than the ones faced by those looking at ancient artifacts that are thousands of years old.

Take a look at the photo below and perhaps you see the dilemma.  While it’s clear the photo was taken outside a barracks in Camp Ohio,  it’s not clear when and why the photo was taken, let alone who is in the photo.  Many of the people who were recognized belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox church, so at first it appeared to be some kind of church photo.  Was it a choir?  Was it for a religious festival?  You can see the man standing at the far right is wearing an armband.  What did that represent?  All of the people in the photo were wearing ribbons on their left side.

It would have been left as a church related photo, except for the fact that everyone looked glum (or serious) and the people in the front row are sitting with their arms crossed.  This was not typical of a church photo, so the mystery deepened.

The photo was sent to several former residents, with no results regarding context, until Olga KATCHAN and Vala BEREHULAK wrote me that “We think the photo is of a sport organization (sportova drushyna). The folding of the hands is typical of sports groups.”  This reply illustrated how important it is to have the knowledge and recollections of former residents!

We still don’t know the circumstances or date of the photo, but we have a context that makes sense now.

Taken individually, each Camp Ohio photo is a snapshot in time.  But what we noticed in looking through a number of photos on a large screen brought out some surprising revelations:

• Camp Ohio was a tidy place.  In none of the photos does one see the litter and dirt that is commonly associated where a large group of people are congregated.
• People are very nicely dressed.  Except for people in uniforms, or theatre productions, sports photos, and photos from forestry operations, men are wearing suits and women are in dresses.  People took pride in their appearance and it showed.  Much of the clothing people wore had been donated, much as today we send donations of clothing and shoes, and talented seamstresses and tailors among the residents altered the clothes to fit as needed.
• Theatrical costumes and scenery were outstanding.  In an interview with former Camp Ohio resident Iryna SCHUMYLOWICH in 2016, I had asked about the costumes and set designs for the various productions and the various choirs.  She explained that “the costumes were made out of old donated clothing and the sets were made out of any materials on hand. Camp inhabitants did the sewing and the set construction and painting.”  There was no budget for these activities, as far as she was aware.
• People were very talented.  Photos show people in various cultural activities, indicating that not only were there painters and carpenters able to make sets and costumes, but there were musicians and dancers.
• Church played an important role in camp life.  It’s not clear whether people were exceptionally religious, but it was clear that the structure of religion played an important role.  It provided stability in an unstable period as the cycles and rituals of life continued.  Children were born, couples married, and people died.
• Education was important.  There are many photos of children attending school, adults in literacy or other adult education classes.

The photos deliberately tell a positive story about Camp Ohio, as well they should. Underlying the good things that one should remember and celebrate are some of the negative aspects that people remembered as well.  These were discussed at a later point during the reunion.  First, though, it was time for another photo op and lunch!

If you come to Prince Edward Island, a photo by the 13 km long Confederation Bridge is a must.  That was our first stop before lunch.

In the background you can see the 13 km long Confederation Bridge, which links the island to mainland Canada. Left to right: Meinhard Janssen (of Germany), Phillip Shovk (of Australia), Marilyn Berezowsky (of Canada), Roman Berezowsky (of Canada), Daria Valkenburg (of Canada), Brigitte Janssen (of Germany). (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg.)

Visitors to the island who love seafood are never disappointed, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Lobster Barn in the village of Victoria-By-The-Sea.

Roman Berezowsky gets a bib in preparation for his lobster dinner at Lobster Barn! (Photo credit: Marilyn Berezowsky)

We had a lot of fun, and returned back to Chez Shea in Kinkora, refreshed and ready to continue with the discussions back in time to Burgdorf and Germany during the 1940s, with a presentation on displaced persons who were entertainers during the war and post-war period.

Comments can be made on this blog or by sending an email to dariadv@yahoo.ca. Don’t forget to check out the photos on our website at http://www.dpcamps.org/burgdorf.html.

© Daria Valkenburg

Camp Ohio Resident Olga Swiderski Katchan’s Escape From ‘Paradise’

March 8, 2019.  One of the exceptional former residents of Camp Ohio who has tirelessly helped to clarify events, helped with acronyms and difficult translation phrases, and photo identification, is Dr. Olga SWIDERSKI KATCHAN, a retired psychologist who was Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Sydney in Australia.  Her memory of events that occurred during the Camp Ohio years, knowledge of history, and fluency in several languages is without equal. Part of Olga’s story was told when she provided the background information for a profile on her father, Mykola SWIDERSKI.  (See Camp Ohio Resident Mykola Swiderski)

After reading the blog posting about Roman BEREZOWSKY, Olga was struck by the similarities in the exodus made by his parents.  (See Camp Ohio Resident Roman Berezowsky).  She wrote that she enjoyed reading “about Dr Roman Berezowsky. It was most interesting to discover that his parents shared, as me and my Mother did, an escape from the ‘liberated’ Western Ukraine in January 1940. My Mother had also attempted to join the Poznan bound crowd but was unsuccessful and we had to do it the hard way.”

Olga Swiderski in Camp Ohio in 1948. (Photo courtesy of O. Katchan)

A few years ago, Olga had related the dramatic journey taken by her mother Elisabeth (nee VON WIEDENBACH) and herself, referring to it as the Escape From ‘Paradise’.  She now shares this story of how, after many frightening moments, they were able to be reunited with Olga’s father and brother.  It’s a testament to the courage, ingenuity, and determination it took to leave during the Soviet occupation of Ukraine.

“The year was 1939. I was 11 years old and lived in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, with my parents and brother Nick, 19 at the time. There was talk of war and we were taught how to use gas masks. On the 22nd of June the school year finished and Mother and I set off for Pochaiv, where I had spent the first 10 years of my life (we moved to Warsaw in 1938) and where we still had a home.

We were to spend the summer holidays there and return to Warsaw at the end of August for the beginning of the new school year. It was wonderful to see my old friends again and my birthplace, a tranquil small town built around a 13^th century monastery. I did miss my father and my brother, but Dad surprised me on my birthday in July by coming over for 2 days. He brought with him a present and a warning. We were not to return to Warsaw as planned. War was imminent and Warsaw would be the first target. We would be safer in the country.

Dad was right- Germany attacked Poland on the lst of September and Warsaw was being bombed. All communications were cut and we could only pray for Dad’s and Nick’s safety. As Poland surrendered, we were in for a new surprise. Our part of the country was to be occupied by Soviet Russia. They were to ‘liberate us from the Polish yoke’, as they put it. Their army marched in, some soldiers being billeted in our house. School reopened and I joined, to be faced by a new regime. We no longer curtsied to our teachers, nor did we address them as Mr or Miss. They were now our ‘comrades’, to be addressed by their patronyms. The day of the October Revolution was celebrated with a concert and a march through the town.

Around that time a messenger arrived from Warsaw. Dad and Nick were alive and wanted us back. How? There was now a border between us. Mother found out that it was being opened occasionally at Przemysl, a town west of Lviv, and one was allowed to cross the bridge. Mother decided we would go to Lviv and from there travel to Przemysl. It was getting cold and we had only our summer dresses.

Photo credit: http://www.mapquest.com

Somehow we managed to procure a pair of warm cardigans and leaving everything behind, but wearing several layers of our clothing, we set out. A couple with a daughter my age were also leaving for Lviv and had hired a car.

We joined them and found a room in Lviv which we then shared. It had straw mattresses on the floor and, mercifully, a pot belly stove. This was to be our home for the next 6 weeks. My friend and I amused ourselves by joining every queue to buy sweets while her parents and my mother were looking for an escape route. The border at Przemysl remained shut.

Christmas came and we were still there. Our only Christmas treat was some fudge we managed to make from our bounty of sweets. The weather turned foul. It was now – 36^o Celsius and we huddled around our pot belly stove, devouring a couple of books we managed to buy. Mine was a geography textbook and I was into Australia.  Little did I know then that 10 years later Fate would take me there.

A few days after Christmas, Mother announced that she had been given an address of a guide in a small village right on the border who could lead us across the now frozen river. This information had cost Mother her gold watch. The question now was to get there. A bus could take us to the nearby town of Rava-Ruska and from there we would have to go by sleigh.

Early in the morning we said goodbye to our friends and set out for the bus stop. The cold was frightening, but we were warmed by the thought of escape and reunion with Dad and Nick.  We waited all day. The bus never came. Frozen stiff, we returned to our friends. I was given some warm beer to thaw me out.

The next morning we were off again.  Mother found out that the bus left from the bus depot, where one had to bribe the driver to get aboard. We did, and after many hours of swaying in a very overcrowded vehicle, we arrived in Rava-Ruska. It was New Year’s Eve.

Mother left me at the railway station, where the waiting room had a pot belly stove, and set off to look for shelter. I sat there amusing myself by thinking how I could relate our adventures to Dad from a funny perspective. Russian soldiers would come in and survey the scene. I tried to ignore them and they left me alone.

At long last Mother came back. Night had fallen and the cold was once again unbearable, but she had found some people willing to help us. Their warm house seemed like heaven. We were now accustomed to straw mattresses, and after some warm food we slept like babes. The New Year dawned. Children arrived with traditional New Year’s wishes, strewing corn to ensure a good harvest. Mother gave them some money and they departed happily.

The following day we were on a sleigh dressed like peasants, with only a small basket with food, heading for Uhniv, a small village directly on the border. We arrived in front of the designated shop and Mother went in, but soon came out looking ashen. The man was no longer there. We had nowhere to go and night had fallen once again. Suddenly a young woman emerged from the shop. “Come with me”, she whispered. “I shall give you shelter and help you.” We trudged after her. She took us to her farmhouse and said she knew someone who could take us across the border as soon as he had a group large enough to warrant the risk (his fee was quite high). We shared a meal and went to bed. Mother and I slept on a narrow bench behind the door in a small room adjoining the main one.

In the middle of the night we were awakened by loud banging on the door. “Open up, we have been told you are harbouring some people trying to escape.” Russian soldiers! Mother and I froze.  Our hostess let them in. “l have no one, as you can see.” “Then why are you trembling?” “What do you expect, waking me up in the middle of the night, alone with a small child” (she had a little girl). They looked around and left. We breathed a sigh of relief.

Two days later we were told to be ready for the crossing late at night. It was now the 4th of January and a blizzard was raging outside, with visibility almost nil. We walked to another farmhouse where a sleigh was waiting, with some people already huddling on it. We set off. The guide warned us that should we encounter some border guards we were to maintain that we were visiting another farm and had lost our way in the blizzard. Suddenly he panicked. ‘We have, indeed, gone too far. Let’s get off and run. The guards will be here soon” (He knew their schedule). We all ran across the frozen river. A child fell and cried, but was picked up and carried the rest of the way. “The guards are coming. Form a circle and crouch. We shall hopefully look like a shrub from a distance.” We did and froze.

Two shadows moved across the horizon on the other side of the river. They did not detect us. Fifteen minutes later we were told to resume our march through the deep snow, all 5 kms of it.  Mother fell at one stage into a ditch and got wet, but once I had helped her to get out, there was no time to waste. We had to keep up with the others. Finally we reached a farmhouse with warm food and shelter.

The following morning we were taken by sleigh to the railway station to wait for a train to Warsaw. There was one in the afternoon and we boarded. German soldiers helped us. I was sick over one of them, but he gave me some of his cognac and I revived. An unexpected act of kindness, from unexpected quarters. Our compartment was full of escapees from ‘paradise’, as everyone referred to the Soviet occupied territory. I slept on Mother’s shoulder the whole night. In the morning we caught our first glimpse of the outskirts of Warsaw. What terrible devastation!

We arrived at an outlying station, but were able to find a doroshka (a horse drawn open cab) to take us to our apartment. We could not believe our eyes: rubble, rubble, and more rubble, and an overpowering stench of broken gas pipes.

Our block of apartments still stood, but the flat below us had been hit and we were greeted by a huge gaping hole. It did not matter. We were home. Dad was overjoyed and so were we. The only sad part was that Nick was in hospital, seriously ill, and since all the pipes were frozen, we had no central heating and no inside toilet. We huddled around the stove in the kitchen, the only habitable room.

It was now the 6th of January and according to the Julian calendar, observed by our Church, Christmas Eve. Our janitor, who heard about our arrival, came knocking on our door, bearing a fully decorated Christmas tree. Amid the misery and sadness, yet another act of kindness.

The following day we went to church to thank God for our deliverance, but not before Dad had bought me a pair of felt boots so that I could cope with my frostbite. Mother’s wrapping of my feet and legs with newspapers did not prevent it. In the afternoon we visited Nick who was getting better and all was well, at least for the time being…..”

Olga Katchan on her 90th birthday in 2018. (Photo credit: Robin Hall)

Thank you to Olga for sharing the story of her traumatic exodus from Ukraine, the first of many events that Olga and her family had to face, as related in the blog posting about her father. It’s wonderful to have such an eye-witness account. What an experience!

Do you have a story of your own that you’d like to share? Comments can be made on this blog or by sending an email to dariadv@yahoo.ca. Don’t forget to check out the photos on our website at http://www.dpcamps.org/burgdorf.html.

Upcoming 2019 Camp Ohio Reunion: Want to learn more about Camp Ohio? Would you like to meet some of the former residents and their families? A reunion is being planned in beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada July 9 to 12 in 2019. Meet up with old friends, make new ones, share memories and photos!

© Daria Valkenburg

 

The Prosphora Festival in Camp Ohio

January 15, 2019.  One of the more interesting descriptions of life in Camp Ohio concerns a Prosphora Festival.  The word ‘prosphora’ is Greek and means ‘offering’ and is the bread used at the altar in church.  Roman Catholics use a wafer, while those following the Byzantine traditions, such as the Ukrainian Catholic Church, use a prosphora for communion.  The prosphora is based on the bread that Jesus Christ would have used at the Last Supper, and is made from four ingredients: wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water.

According to a blog posting by Father Ivan Mysiv (see https://catholicukes.org.au/prosphora/)   “It is very common in Ukraine and now around the world to stamp the top of the Prosphora with a round seal which bear very important symbols. The symbols appear on top of the baked bread. There is first of all a cross with the Greek name for Jesus Christ. The lower two quarters include the Greek word NI KA which means conquers. So the Prosphora reads – ‘Jesus Christ conquers’.”

Example of a prosphora. (Source: https://catholicukes.org.au/prosphora/)

On January 22, 1948, Bohdan KOWAL described events around a Prosphora Festival in conjunction with Independence Day celebrations.  This is not the Ukrainian Independence Day we are currently familiar with, which falls on August 24 since 1991, but one declared after the end of World War I, when the Ukrainian people attempted to secure independent statehood. “The camp celebrated the Independence Day with lively participation in the theatre.  On the program of the Festival were singing, performance of the Orchestra, lectures and a speech. All sang the national anthem at the end of the Festival.

In January, the Women’s Club, with the participation of the chairpersons of the Zonal Association and a member of the Committee of the Women’s Club held a joint Prosphora for their members. The speeches were made by Mrs BILJAKOWA, Chair of the Zonal Council of the Women’s Association, Mrs. BOBELAK, Chair of the local Women’s Club, and Father ROMANYSCHYN. The speeches emphasized the task of Ukrainian women in immigration. In a friendly atmosphere, the members of the Women’s Association sang Christmas carols and Ukrainian folk songs. Camp Management representatives were invited to the Prosphora.”

From the description of the events, and with the presence of the Ukrainian Catholic priest Father Petro Romanyschyn, it appears that everyone was invited to accept a piece of prosphora, rather than to participate in the baking of it.

Kowal also described a Prophora Festival in the school in the same month.  “At the end of January, the school management organized a Prosphora Festival. All the schoolchildren gathered in a festively decorated room. Representatives of the Orthodox and the Greek Catholic Church, the Ukrainian school inspectors in Lower Saxony, the representatives from our camp, Engineer S. BOBELAK, the management of the camp, and the entire faculty, were invited. Principal BODNARUK opened the Festival with a short speech, in which he explained the meaning of the Festival.  After that, the microphone was given to Engineer Bobelak who stressed that the teachers put in lots of effort to educate the children to be wise and noble citizens of their country.”

Former Camp Ohio resident Olga Katchan explained that the aim of the Prosphora Festival as described in January 1948 was “to have a social event with the blessed bread, lunch, and entertainment.” Later on in the year, another Prosphora event was held to raise funds and gifts for the sick.

If you were one of the children featured in the photo from the Prosphora Festival, or attended any of the events described, we’d love to hear from you. Does anyone have a photo of the prosphora used in Camp Ohio?  Comments can be made on this blog or by sending an email to dariadv@yahoo.ca. Don’t forget to check out the photos on our website at http://www.dpcamps.org/burgdorf.html.

Upcoming Event in July 2019: See 2019 Camp Ohio Reunion.

© Daria Valkenburg

 

The Second Christmas In Camp Ohio

December 23, 2018.  In the last posting, the first Christmas in Camp Ohio was described, based on the information available to date.  (See The First Christmas In Camp Ohio)

The information we have on the second Christmas in Camp Ohio revolves around Saint Nikolaus.  For the Ukrainian population of Camp Ohio, Christmas began with the Feast day of Saint Nikolaus, a bishop who lived in the 4th century in Myra, Asia Minor, which is presently Demre in Turkey. Traditionally, he has been honoured on December 6 in Western Christian countries which follow the Gregorian calendar, and on December 19 in Eastern Christian countries, such as the area of present-day Ukraine, that follow the Julian calendar.

I didn’t grow up with the tradition of Saint Nikolaus. It wasn’t celebrated in our family in Canada, although my father’s family back in Ukraine did.  Being married to a Dutch guy, I’m more familiar with the tradition of Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Saint Nikolaus, who arrives in The Netherlands by boat from Spain every December 5, and travels throughout the country on his white horse Amerigo, accompanied by his Moorish helpers.  There are special treats to eat and, as with the Ukrainian Saint Nikolaus, there is the tradition of giving gifts, particularly to children.

And of course, there are special songs, such as the Ukrainian song ‘Who Loves Saint Nikolaus’, heard here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0mFpgIqZt8 and performed by Zakharii.

The residents of the camp put great effort into making Saint Nikolaus Day memorable for the children. Camp Ohio resident Bohdan KOWAL recorded an event that happened on Sunday, December 15, 1946: “The feast day of Saint Nikolaus was organized for the children of the camp. The performances of the children were prepared by Mrs. Natalia Kowal. The first, second, and third classes sang songs and danced the Hopak, Kolomyjka, and the dance of the horse, under the accompaniment of folk dance music, played as always by Mrs. Hlibowych and Engineer Berezowsky.

In the second part, a small theater piece was presented by Mrs. and Mr. Schumylowych, the text of which Mr. Schumylowych wrote himself. The end of the Festival was celebrated in the presence of St. Nikolaus. Mr. Semen had much in common with St. Nikolaus. Together with the angels, he distributed gifts among the children. Apart from the children, also present at the Festival were Mr. Mitlehner of the UNRRA, and it’s Head of Care Station, Mrs. Kaljash.  The Women’s Club prepared the gifts for the children.”

A hopak is an improvised Ukrainian folk dance whose name is derived from hopaty, which means ‘to leap and stamp one’s feet’.  A kolomyjka is a Hutsul area folk dance from the town of Kolomyia.  Participants form a circle, joining hands. The dance begins with participants turning the circle, usually counter clockwise, then clockwise. Further into the dance, soloists will perform in the centre of the circle.  Are any readers familiar with the ‘dance of the horse’?

No photos have been found as yet of this Festival, but thanks to Olga Katchan, there is a photo for the school Christmas party for the children.

In the photo, among the adults are school principal Iwan BODNARUK, teacher Natalia KOWAL, and teacher Mykola SWIDERSKI.  Halyna KOWAL, whose daughter Vala was a student in the Camp Ohio school, is also in the photo.  Olga Katchan, nee Swiderski, explained that “This is a school Christmas party, with Vala’s mother still sporting the apron she wore to do the cooking for it. Vala was sick at the time, thus not in the photo.”  Do you recognize anyone else in the photo?

Many of the residents of Camp Ohio had trees in the barracks, as did Olga Katchan, who shared accommodation with her father, Mykola SWIDERSKI.  In the photo below, Olga recalled that “The tree is in my room in the barracks. You can see my icon in the corner.  I would have shared the room with my Dad.”

Thank you to Olga Katchan for sharing the photos and providing her recollections.  More Christmas stories from Camp Ohio to come in the next posting!  Do you have any Camp Ohio Christmas memories or photos to share? Comments can be made on this blog or by sending an email to dariadv@yahoo.ca. Don’t forget to check out the photos on our website at http://www.dpcamps.org/burgdorf.html.

© Daria Valkenburg

 

The First Christmas In Camp Ohio

December 22, 2018.  Last year, one posting described how the residents of Camp Ohio formed a community, which was not easy in what was a very uncertain time for them.  No one knew what the future held.  Would they be accepted for immigration to another country?  Would they be repatriated against their will?  What happened to family members and friends they weren’t able to find after the war ended?  (See Making a Community During a Time of Uncertainty)

When the war ended in May 1945, there was chaos as people either tried to make their way back home, or find a way to escape the areas under Soviet control.  Many people had been elsewhere before Camp Ohio was opened in August 1945.  (See The Revelations of Captain W. Little of No. 3 DPACS )

Over the next months the authorities and workers administrating the displaced persons camps, AND the displaced persons who became residents of those camps, had to find a way to make some order in a difficult period.  In Camp Ohio, those first arrivals who didn’t want to be repatriated wrote letters to the camp administration outlining their reasons not to go back.  (See Refusal of Repatriation Letters From 1945).

Residents organized schools and adult education courses.  Many worked, either in paid labour or as volunteers for the betterment of the camp.  Women’s clubs were set up to teach skills that young women would not have learned during the war.  A theatre group began.  There were churches.

With Christmas almost here, it’s an opportunity to see how the residents of Camp Ohio celebrated Christmas, based on the photos and accounts we have available to date.  In Western Christian countries, which follow the Gregorian calendar, Christmas falls on December 25.  By contrast, in Eastern Christian countries that follow the Julian calendar, such as the area of present-day Ukraine, Christmas falls on January 7.

No account has yet been found of the first Christmas in Camp Ohio, either on December 25, 1945 or January 7, 1946, except for a brief account of a performance, and a photo of carollers in costume.

Camp Ohio resident Bohdan Kowal noted, in a January 12, 1946 account, that “The theatre group, the Everyday Way of Life in Emigration, prepared a puppet show. Mr. Zolotarczuk prepared the carol singers. The revenue from the Christmas concert was intended for the Fund of the Ukrainian Representation in Hanover. Total collected 640 RM.” RM referred to Reichsmarks (the German currency in use until June 1948).  The photo below appears to have been taken in a small hall or office, rather than in an individual barrack.

My Aunt Sophia, who lives in Ukraine, explained the tradition of carolling in costumes and noted that the carollers would carry a ‘crib’, which is a miniature stable with a manger.  “On the first or second day of carolling, boys get dressed and during the day go from house to house carolling, and give a speech glorifying the birth of Jesus.  For this, people give them money.  There are certain characters, and when two shepherds carry the crib on their walk, they have their own words.  There are 3 kings, 1 angel, Herod, and a devil.  First they visit as shepherds and carol the song ‘Glory Be To God’, after which they get into character with their own words and at the end of this occasion they carol.  They will go until evening, and afterwards they count the money and celebrate.  This word ‘crib’ is called a manger in Polish and refers to Bethlehem.”

In the photo, you can see the three kings have beards (far left, second from left, and third from right).  There is a devil with horns (far right).  Perhaps the angel is the character in white (second from the right). At least one shepherd is seated on the far left.  Given the clothing shortages after the war, the group did an admirable job!  Does anyone have more information on this photo or the identity of the carollers?

Unfortunately, no photo has been found of the puppet show, called a ‘vertep’, which dates back to the 16^th century.  It tells the story of the Nativity with interludes depicting daily life.  It’s not commonly performed today, but remnants of this tradition are seen in the miniature Nativity scene displayed in Ukrainian homes during Christmas, and in the Christmas carollers dressed up as ‘vertep’ characters.

The carol ‘Glory Be To God’ can be heard at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aro78FsGBtA, performed by Musicist.

Another popular Christmas carol is ‘Eternal God Is Born Tonight’.  You can listen to it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUCDNJJZUCs, performed by the student choir of the Ternopil Greek-Catholic Theological Seminary in Ternopil, Ukraine.  My father sang this song before every traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner.

Camp Ohio resident Olga Katchan, nee Swiderski, who immigrated to Australia, explained that “Christmas was celebrated on the 7th of January, but the most important part was The Holy Eve on the 6th, with the special dinner cooked individually in the barracks. We could purchase herrings from travelling experts who bought them in Hamburg and went from camp to camp, selling them in advance. The Church Service took place on the 7th, followed by the singing of carols. Whether anybody celebrated on the 25th of December was a private matter, but it depended on their place of birth. Those from the former USSR were used to celebrating only the New Year.”

Thank you to Sophia Makota and Olga Katchan for their recollections.  More Christmas stories from Camp Ohio to come in the next posting!  Do you have any Camp Ohio Christmas memories or photos to share? Comments can be made on this blog or by sending an email to dariadv@yahoo.ca. Don’t forget to check out the photos on our website at http://www.dpcamps.org/burgdorf.html.

© Daria Valkenburg

Camp Ohio Resident Mykola Swiderski

June 30, 2018.  One of the ongoing themes encountered in researching the residents of Camp Ohio is how dedicated those residents with the benefit of a good education were in giving a helping hand to those who were less fortunate in receiving an education before the war.  In a previous posting the Agricultural School in Camp Ohio was discussed.  (See The Agricultural School in Camp Ohio). This was only one of several initiatives that began in the fall of 1945 by a committee formed in the camp.

One of the programs was, according to a journal kept by Bohdan KOWAL, “intended to close the so-called ‘gaps’ among uneducated people, so that they have the opportunity to learn reading and writing.”  The instructor for this first literacy program was Mykola SWIDERSKI.  With the exception of one woman, Charatina KILCZEWSKI, no other student has been identified to date.

Mykola Swiderski was a key figure in Camp Ohio.  In addition to the literacy class, he taught in the Ukrainian elementary school and was on the school council, taught music, was conductor of the Camp Ohio Women’s Choir, and conducted the Ukrainian Orthodox Church choir. He is in many of the Camp Ohio photographs.  Who was this man whose efforts helped ease the lives of so many residents, and what happened to him after he left Camp Ohio?

His daughter Olga helped fill in the story about her father, explaining that he was “born in Pochaiv” (in the Ternopil province of Western Ukraine), “on December 12, 1892.”  It was the start of an eventful life.  “After attending the Military Academy in Kiev, he was one of the first to organize and set up the first military units of the new Ukrainian fighting forces of the newly proclaimed Ukrainian National Republic.”  The Ukrainian People’s Republic, or Ukrainian National Republic, was declared on June 10, 1917 following the Russian Revolution.

“In August 1917, he was commissioned by its President, Symon Petliura, to continue this task in Trabzon (Turkish Anatolia).  Upon its successful accomplishment he returned to Kiev in 1918 at the head of a Ukrainian army and was asked to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Central Rada.”

In the book ‘Encyclopedia of Ukraine: Volume 5 St-Z’, edited by Danylo Husar Struk, under the entry for Turkey, an explanation for this was given.  “…In the spring of 1916, the Russian imperial army, which included Ukrainians, captured eastern Anatolia (centred on Trabzon), which it held until 1918.  After the February Revolution of 1917, a Ukrainian Hromada was established in Trabzon. In September 1917, the Central Rada appointed M. Svidersky as commissar of the Trabzon district.  Entrusted with Ukrainizing local military units, he organized a military congress there in October 1917.  In early 1918 the imperial army evacuated the city, and the Ukrainians returned to Ukraine…” A Hromada is a term for an association or community for people.

Olga continued with the story of her father’s life, by saying that while at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, her father “met and married Elisabeth von Wiedenbach.” The Ukrainian National Republic lasted on Ukrainian territory until 1920, when the head of the Directory and the government went into exile.  “When the Ukrainian National Republic was forced to leave Kiev, the young couple went with them, but were left behind in Ternopil when my father contracted typhus.  Upon his recovery, they decided to settle in the town of his birth.”

Two children were born during this period:  Mykola, on October 17, 1920, and Olga on July 23, 1928.  “During the 1920s and 1930s, my father was elected and re-elected mayor of Pochaiv and brought about many improvements for the township and its inhabitants, including clearing the swamp in the middle of town and replacing it with a park, and establishing a fruit cooperative.”

Mykola Swiderski at his desk while mayor of Pochaiv. (Photo: Olga Katchan family collection)

Mykola Swiderski and his wife Elisabeth with daughter Olga in front of the Council Chambers of Pochaiv in 1934. (Photo: Olga Katchan family collection)

“Unfortunately, in 1937, the Polish government decided to replace the Ukrainian mayor with a Polish government official.”  The family was advised to leave and moved to Warsaw.  In the summer of 1939, Olga and her mother spent the summer in Pochaiv.  In July her father came for Olga’s birthday, and advised them not to return as war was imminent.  “Dad was right.  Germany attacked Poland on the lst of September and Warsaw was bombed. All communications were cut and we could only pray for Dad’s and my brother Nick’s safety. As Poland surrendered, we were in for a new surprise. Our part of the country was to be occupied by Soviet Russia.”

In October Olga and her mother learned that Olga’s father and brother were alive and hoped they could now return to Warsaw.  It took until January 1940 to return, due to the closed border, a story in itself that hopefully Olga will one day agree can be shared.

The family remained in Warsaw “until 1944, when Dad was sent to the front to dig trenches.”  Just before the war ended Olga was near Prague, in a German school, and her mother came to visit for a few days.  It was the last time they saw each other.  When American troops came in, the school was disbanded and Olga ended up in Wurzburg (in the American Zone) where she found a job teaching the children of a war widow.

A year later, Olga heard about a church organization that helped people looking for family members.  She wrote to them and soon learned that her father was living in a DP camp in the British Zone and went to meet him.  Together they went to the Red Cross in Hamburg, where they learned that Olga’s mother was in the Russian Zone. Unfortunately, she passed away in hospital on October 17, 1946.  Olga joined her father in Camp Ohio, and not long afterwards they learned that Olga’s brother Nick and his wife Halyna were in Biberach, in the French Zone.

In 1949, Mykola Swiderski, his daughter Olga, and her husband Arkadi KATCHAN immigrated to Australia, where Olga’s brother and wife had already immigrated.  Unfortunately, his health deteriorated, and he passed away on October 20, 1951 in Sydney, at the age of 58.

A big thank you to Olga Katchan for sharing the story of her amazing father!  If you have any memories of Mykola Swiderski, or recognize anyone in the literacy class photo, please share them, along with any other anecdotes you may have about Camp Ohio.  Comments can be made on this blog or by sending an email to dariadv@yahoo.ca. Don’t forget to check out the photos on our website at http://www.dpcamps.org/burgdorf.html.

© Daria Valkenburg