ARCHIVE (All issues) / 
Content (2016, Issue 1)
Matiash I. "World Library of Ukrainian Studies" of Yevhen Slabchenko as the Idea and Culturological Project of Public DiplomacyAbstract: The article covers the process of the Ukrainian Studies library-archive foundation in the 1950–1960s in Nice (France) by a famous representative of European cinematography avant-garde, French camera operator and motion picture director of Ukrainian origin Yevhen Antonovych Slabchenko (Eugene Deslaw). Yevhen Slabchenko began collecting books written by Ukrainians and about Ukraine at the beginning of the 1950s inspired by the familiarization with the work of the archive, library and museum of the Center of Ukrainian culture and education in Winnipeg where he had come in 1949 while seeking employment in the area of cinematography. Not having found work in Canada relevant to his qualification, he returned to Europe and established a unique cultorological project «World Library of Ukrainian Studies». The collector-amateur understood his mission as the preservation of the most valuable part of the Ukrainian nation documentary (book, manuscript, archival) heritage outside Soviet Ukraine with a view to its transfer to Ukraine when it finally gains its independence. As a genuine patriot he had no doubts that it would definitely happen. The concept of the World Library of Ukrainian Studies changed several times, new departments were created, and there were attempts to establish a publishing house for book monuments republishing. The distinctive feature of the library was an open access to documental treasures for everyone interested in them. After the untimely death of Yevhen Slabchenko in September 1966 his librarian and archival collection has remained in France and has been in private ownership. Keywords: Yevhen Slabchenko, World Library of Ukraine Studies, Ukrainian Diplomatic Library. Author(s) citation: Cite: |
