BRAMA, Jun 16, 2003, 9:00 am ET
Press Release
"Semestr u Lvovi" (A Semester in Lviv)
Author, Maria Kachmar
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Maria Kachmar's new book "Semestr u Lvovi" was successfully launched in Edmonton on May 24th. Chairs had to be continually set up in the UNF building to accommodate over 100 people who attended the launch. The event was attended by the representatives of the University of Alberta, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, Ukrainian Bilingual Program as well as Ukrainian Canadians and guests from Ukraine. A large multicultural group of Maria's neighbors also supported the event.
The book was published by the Ukrainian Language Education Center, CIUS, at the University of Alberta. As Marusia Petryshyn, the director of ULEC, mentioned at the launch, the book attracted her attention because of its unique content, usage of modern Ukrainian, and original design. Nataliya Pilipuk and Alla Nedashkivska, professors of modern languages at the University of Alberta, also expressed their admiration of the book.
At the launch Maria shared her thoughts about the book, its development, and plans for the future. She thanked everyone who contributed to the birth of "Semestr u Lvovi". Larissa Kachmar, Maria's sister, worked on the project with her. Larissa's visualization and design of the book enhanced it enormously. Orest Soltykevych, in a radio interview with Maria, pointed out that even if you do not speak Ukrainian, "the book is worth buying just for the pictures".
The idea of the book emerged before Maria's trip to Lviv and her studies at the Lviv National University. It is based on the author's travel diary. Maria said that the audience she originally had in mind were high school and university students who enjoy learning about Ukrainian culture and language. As a future teacher, she is especially interested in using the book for teaching Ukrainian to expose students to modern language and slang. Besides its educational purposes, "Semestr u Lvovi" is an enjoyable read for all ages, native or non-native speakers of Ukrainian.
So what is "Semestr u Lvovi"? According to Maria's words at the launch, "It is a travel diary, a photo album, a handbook for learning modern Ukrainian and slang terms, an attempt to connect two worlds, and an exploration of thoughts and ideas about modern Ukrainian culture and life of Ukrainians". The book describes the adventures and impressions of a young Ukrainian Canadian who goes to the unknown land of her ancestors to make up her own mind about modern Ukraine. "Semestr u Lvovi" provides us with a glimpse of the country today, reflecting changes that occurred in the past hundred years. Through Maria's eyes the reader can see the streets of Ukrainian cities, places of interest, university life, and student activities. With her work, the author tries to build a bridge from Lviv to Edmonton, overcoming the gap between two different cultures - "Ukrainianism" in Diaspora and "Ukrainianism" in the Fatherland. Maria's experience as depicted in the book brings up a completely new view of Ukraine breaking a lot of traditional perceptions and stereotypes. Maria expressed her intention having said that "I wanted each side to be able to comprehend the other a little bit better".
Readers will note the unique, penetrating simplicity of the book that makes it appealing to a wide audience. As indicated in the preface, it is written in the genre of creative non-fiction. The language itself also reflects Maria's desire to substitute the standardized perception of Ukraine with reality. At first, she uses the Kharkiv orthography of 1929 known in Diaspora, whereas later she changes to the orthography used in Ukraine today. This is a successful attempt to show language assimilation. Thus, readers can become familiar with everyday spoken Ukrainian that can be heard in the streets of Lviv.
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Maria Kachmar, a student at the University of Alberta, is taking her fourth year in Education. She is genuinely interested in Ukrainian culture, takes part in "Plast" activities, and actively supports the Ukrainian community in Edmonton. On graduation she plans to travel and teach English in Europe. "Semestr u Lvovi" is her first journey in the world of literature. As for Maria's plans for future, she would like to translate her book into English and even publish it in Ukraine. She is hoping to organize presentations of the book in Munich (Germany) as well as other European cities. The next Canadian presentation will take place in Toronto on July 3 at 7:30 pm at the Plast domivka (2199 Bloor St. W.). Maria wants to continue her research on Ukrainian communities and Diaspora in and outside Ukraine, especially in Europe.
More information about Maria Kachmar and "Semestr u Lvovi" can be found on the web-page http://www.ualberta.ca/~ulec/kachmar. It contains details about the author and designer, discussion club, glossary to the book, etc. To buy the book, visit your nearest Ukrainian bookstore. To order a copy over the Internet or leave your comments for Maria, e-mail her at semestr_u_lvovi@yahoo.ca.
Olena Zabolotna
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