Historica Olomucensia

The beginning of the Russian assistance action and the activity of the Ukrainian citizen's committee in Czechoslovakia from 1921-1925

After the fall of the tsarism in Russia in 1917 Ukraine was able for the first time in its history choose its future form of state and form of relations with its eastern neighbour. The offered chance, however, remained wasted because Ukrainian political elites were not ready to govern and there were arguments among the government representatives. After the beginning of the Bolshevik regime many Ukrainian refugees chose Czechoslovakia to be their new home. Here they started the Russian assistance action in 1921 and Ukrainian citizen's committee became the central organization of Ukrainian emigrants. The original aim of the committee was material and health care but eventually it became most well-known due to educational and propaganda work. The committee assisted opening of the Ukrainian agricultural academy in May 1922, the Ukrainian House was opened in March 1923, first students began to attend the Ukrainian pedagogical institute in July 1923 and in December 1923 the Ukrainian studio of fine arts emerged. Disputes and politicking, however, did not avoid the committee either. This and non-diplomatic behaviour of its chairman Mykyta Šapoval meant gradual weakening of the organization and its future dissolution in 1925.