After all that he endured in the Soviet Union—the interrogations, the years in prison and the gulag, the constant surveillance—Vasyl Velychkovsky’s final years in Canada offer a deeply moving chapter: a time of fragile recovery, quiet leadership, and enduring spiritual witness. The Turning Point: Release and Exile In 1969, after suffering a heart attack in […]
Category: Heros
Let’s take a thoughtful turn into the life of Vasyl Velychkovsky. Vasyl Velychkovsky’s time in the Soviet gulag at Vorkuta stands as one of the most harrowing and powerful parts of his story. He had already endured interrogation, arrest, and sentencing for refusing to renounce his faith and his allegiance to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic […]
Today we look at the fascinating story of how a dissident Ukrainian Catholic priest ran a cathedral out of his small apartment in eastern Ukraine, and ended up in Winnipeg, Canada. Now considered a saint by the Catholic Church, Ukrainian priest Vasyl Velychkovsky was an amazing man. Among his accomplishments: Vasyl Velychkovsky’s life exemplifies steadfast […]
My Ukrainian ENGin buddy, and Friend of the BLOTT, has shared one of her favorite poems with us. Крилаby Lina Kostenko Kryla (Wings)by Lina Kostenko(Translated from Ukrainian by Elder G) А правда, крилатим ґрунту не треба. Землі немає, то буде небо. Немає поля, то буде воля. Немає пари, то будуть хмари. В цьому, напевно, правда […]
The current United States regime is cutting many vital services. In it’s wisdom, it defunded a true jewel of democracy – Radio Free Europe. Radio Free Europe (RFE) began in 1949, to broadcast news, current events, politics, and, interestingly, jazz to the eastern European countries trapped behind the iron curtain. Nicola Careem The Mission RFE/RL’s […]
We continue our look at Bread Spreads, focusing on Salo (Ukraine’s national dish). Again, thanks to Elder KM for the suggestion. al Jazeera has a nice introduction to his pork product: Museum of Salo Apparently the Salo Museum is a popular destination for bachelorette parties. A Life of Luxury Salo – pig fat – has […]
We continue our look at Bread Spreads, focusing on Ikra (zucchini/bell pepper/eggplant spread). Again, thanks to Elder KM for the suggestion. To help my fellow central Texans relate, Ikra is a cross between Texas Caviar and Salsa. This recipe is inspired by the traditional dish Ikra, or “eggplant caviar,” a Russian and Ukrainian staple. Ikra […]
Elder KM provided the Ukrainian perspective on bread spreads…. Forshmak From the Jewish Food Society: You can read about the fascinating family history of Anna and her mother Rhoda here. She also shares her family recipes on this site. Our recipe for Forshmak comes from the web site Flavors of Diaspora, based partly on the […]
WLBOTT has long been fascinated by the Sikh Golden Temple, in the Punjab region of India. We are especially fascinated by the free communal meals, called “Langar”, and the generosity and egalitarianism shown by the Sikh community. The Golden Temple (also known as the Harmandir Sāhib lit. ’House of God’, Punjabi: harimandara sāhiba pronounced [ɦəɾᵊmən̪d̪əɾᵊ saːɦ(ɪ)bᵊ], […]
I have long loved the song Sacrifices/Sacrificios by Tish Hinojosa. Sacrifices/Sacrificiosby Tish HinojosaSacrificios, sacramentos de la vidaReligioso, el amor un tierno altarMi plegaria de rodillas será estaQue por siempre encendiera nuestro amarSacrifices, sacraments of life and livingLove’s the altar where religiously we prayWhispered softly like a prayer up to the heavensEternally our votive light will […]