It was the Society of Supporters of Ukrainian Science, Literature and
Art that was formally responsible for organizing the courses. The founders of
the Society were Ivan Franko, Volodymyr Hnatyuk, Mykhailo Hrushevskyi and
artist Ivan Trush. The aim of the society was to organize events, which were
impossible or problematic for the Shevchenko Scientific Society (hereinafter
NTSh) for internal reasons (Rohde, 2019). Apart from the founding members, one
of the organizers of these courses was Maria Hrushevska, Mykhailo Hrushevskyi's
wife. All the lecturers at the courses, except Mykola Hankevych, were full members
of the NTSh. According to the official data, the total number of students
taking these courses was 135 people from all over Galicia and Dnieper Ukraine (Грушевський, 1904). It should also be emphasized that the idea of these courses
did not come from the scholars themselves but from the Ukrainian community
(Дорошенко, 1930).
Mykhailo Hrushevskyi gave a review course on the history of Ukraine-Rus,
Ivan Franko — on the history of Ukrainian literature, Fedir Vovk — on Ukrainian
anthropology and ethnology, Kyrylo Studynskyi told about the cultural and
educational movement in Galicia, from Markiyan Shashkevych to 1860, Mykola
Hankevych told about the history of Western Europe since the French Revolution.
Ivan Rakovskyi's seminar on human ontogenesis and phylogenesis was the only
course in natural sciences; however, it was closely related to Vovk's course on
anthropology. Stepan Tomashivskyi prepared lectures on Hungarian Rus and the
history of Ukrainian-Polish relations in the 17th century. Hist
style of lecturing was considered extremely boring, therefore his second
session was barely attended and the further sessions cancelled. In addition,
Ivan Bryk, a young philologist, gave a course on the Ukrainian language, with
the main emphasis on grammar; this course was aimed primarily at Ukrainian
students from the Russian Empire, who did not have the opportunity of a
systematic, advanced training in Ukrainian. Mykhailo Hrushevskyi described the
essence of these courses as "historical Ukrainian studies," whose main
components were history, history of literature, and ethnography. Here, one has
to do with a more detailed term that describes Ukrainian "national
science" — Ukrainian studies (ukrainoznavstvo),
suggested by Mykhailo Hrushevskyi (Грушевський,
1904).
Almost a third of the audience were women, including members of the Circle
of Ukrainian Girls, who promoted Ukrainian-language science in Lviv (Rohde, 2020).
According to one of the participants, Nastya Hrinchenko, the Circle took an
active part in the preparation of interesting educational activities that took
place in the afternoons and were intended for Ukrainians from the Russian
Empire. Despite the fact that there is no detailed documentary evidence of this
activity, it is clear from memoirs that the young participants were interested
not only in science but also in good company. In addition to the transfer of
knowledge, these courses aimed at establishing symbolical ties between the
politically divided Ukrainian lands (Kotenko, 2018), the scholarly community
building and the establishment of personal ties between students. In addition,
young women who demonstratively attended these courses manifested their desire
to obtain higher education (Rohde, 2018).
However, there is no reason to consider this event a successful step on
the way to a Ukrainian university (Rohde, 2019). The event should rather be
considered as an important moment, in which the mission of Ukrainian
scholarship was negotiated and new Ukrainian networks across borders were build
and intensified.
Lviv through the eyes of participants from
Russian-run Dnieper Ukraine
Volodymyr and Dmytro Doroshenko left the brightest memories of the summer
courses (Дорошенко, 1930; Дорошенко, 1949; Дорошенко, 2011). They were students
of the universities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. They were joined by Maria
Dvernytska, Mykhailo Derkach and Dmytro Rozov (Дорошенко, 1949, 51). Their
memories allow to understand how these two students, who visited Lviv for the
first time, saw the city. Ukrainians who attended these courses, as well as
scientific and literary events held by the NTSh and other institutions,
initially imagined Galicia in general and Lviv in particular as a kind of "Eldorado"
(Kotenko 2018).
When they arrived in Lviv and saw Polish signs on the city streets,
their impressions changed: "We were
not impressed by the appearance of the capital of Galician Ukraine either.
Narrow, winding streets, which we passed on the way from the Pidzamche, those
meager Jewish shops with their Polish inscriptions, seemed to us so provincial
in comparison with Kyiv, with its wide streets, lush boulevards, majestic
churches with their golden domes, with the dense greenery of city parks" (Дорошенко,
1949, 53). Nastya Hrinchenko, who came to Lviv from Kyiv in 1903 to study at
the university, had similar impressions (Клименко,
2012).
Inviting Ukrainians from the Russian Empire, the organizers of the summer
courses promised to provide them with accommodation for the duration of the
courses. However, they did not fulfill the promise. Therefore, the Ukrainians
appealed to the Academic Community, a Ukrainian student organization, to assist
them in finding housing. Levko Hankevych helped them to find an apartment on
ul. Kurkowa, which they liked because it was spacious and could accommodate
everyone. Having settled, they all went to a canteen run by the Bratnia Pomoc,
a Polish student mutual aid organization, since there was no Ukrainian student
canteen, as Dmytro Doroshenko noted. Later, difficulties with finding an
apartment arose again: "…we learned
that the agitated landlord from ul. Kurkowa came running and said he could not
accept us because the owner of the house, a Polish woman, said she would throw
him out if he accommodated those Ukrainian haidamaks... What had we to do? We
did not invent anything and decided to go to the Monopol [café] to meet Franko and to let it be as God
wills" (Дорошенко, 1949, 53).
Before that, they learned that Franko came to the Monopol Café (opposite
the monument to Adam Mickiewicz), the favorite meeting place of the NTSh board,
every day at 5 p.m. (Дорошенко, 2011, 557).
Ivan Franko invited students to stay at his home for the duration of the
courses. However, to the writer's shame, his wife was not enthusiastic about
this idea: "Mrs. Franko was
dissatisfied with the fact that a young, apparently emancipated woman from
Ukraine was to live with her" (Дорошенко 1949, 55). In his memoirs,
Dmytro Doroshenko wrote later that he had been shocked by the conservatism of
Galician women and the conservative attitude towards women in Galicia in
general.
Anyway, Franko was a very interesting person for the students of the
vacation courses. They admired not only his clear manner of lecturing but also
the simplicity and naturalness they did not expect from a great writer
(Дорошенко, 2011). Levko Chykalenko, the son of Yevhen Chykalenko (who financed
these courses), also visited Franko's house. After completing the courses, he
went with Franko, who was visiting his brother, to Nahuyevychi. In 1947,
already in exile, Levko Chykalenko fondly mentioned fishing together with Franko,
an avid fisherman (Чикаленко, 2011).
A group of Ukrainian students, along with Dmytro and Volodymyr
Doroshenko, eventually found housing at ul. Kurkowa 10. The girl who
accompanied them settled in the St. Olha Women's Dormitory (founded in this
building with the support of the Ruthenian Pedagogical Society — ed.), as well
as Nastya Hrinchenko, who also felt a chilly attitude from Olha Franko (Загірня
(Грінченко), 2011). Many Ukrainian emigrants from the
Russian Empire lived at ul. Kurkowa 10, so this house was called their
"colony" (Клименко, 2012, 150; Качмар, 2006, 116). Here the guests had the opportunity to communicate with
socialist-minded emigrants and Galicians, who shared their views (among the
latter were Levko Hankevych and Yulian Bachynskyi). Political debates for 20-25
people, including Dmytro and Volodymyr Doroshenko, took place in this apartment
(Дорошенко, 1949, 59).
Doroshenko visited the NTSh building and the Society's library. First of
all, Dmytro was pleasantly surprised by the liberal conditions of using the
library. At the request of Volodymyr Hnatyuk, he became a regular member of the
NTSh, in order to support Mykhailo Hrushevskyi at the general meeting of the
Society on June 29, 1904 (Дорошенко, 1949, 58).
Fedir Vovk together with those attending his lectures visited the
museums of the city, in particular the NTSh museum and the Dzieduszycki museum.
In addition, he organized city tours, which were accompanied by intellectual
conversations and anecdotes from his young years (Грушевський, 1904).
While the stay of the guests from Ukraine in Lviv and their contacts
with the city residents are recorded only in a small number of documents, in
memoirs one can see a broad picture of their familiarity with local features.
Galician conservatism was most striking for the more progressive and often socialist-minded,
ambitious young people from Ukraine. Their reactions to the lectures were also
very different, as not of all the lecturers were experienced speakers and could
convincingly convey their opinions to the audience (Rohde, 2020). For many
attendees of the courses, including Volodymyr Doroshenko, who from 1909 until
his death had close contacts with the NTSh, these courses were an opportunity
to establish important contacts that later affected their lives.
