Oleksander Barvinsky ( uk, Олександр Барвiнський ) (June 8, 1847 – December 25, 1926) was an important western Ukrainian cultural figure and politician, a founder of the Christian Social Party in western Ukraine. He also was a member of the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

parliament, chaired the

Shevchenko Scientific Society The Shevchenko Scientific Society () is a Ukrainian scientific society devoted to the promotion of scholarly research and publication that was founded in 1873. Unlike the government-funded National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the society ...

and held the post of secretary of education and religious affairs of the

West Ukrainian National Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR) or West Ukrainian National Republic (WUNR), known for part of its existence as the Western Oblast of the Ukrainian People's Republic, was a short-lived polity that controlled most of Eastern Gali ...

. It was during his chairmanship that the Shevchenko Scientific Society was turned into a well established academy of sciences.

Biography

Oleksander Barvinsky was born on June 8, 1847 in Shliakhnyntsi, a village near

Ternopil Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Ternopi ...

western Ukraine Western Ukraine or West Ukraine ( uk, Західна Україна, Zakhidna Ukraina or , ) is the territory of Ukraine linked to the former Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, which was part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austria ...

(at the time, part of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

), into the family of a Ukrainian Catholic priest. Like many Western-Ukrainian priestly families Barvinskys were of noble origin and belonged to

Jastrzębiec coat of arms Jastrzębiec () is one of the most ancient Polish coat of arms. Dating back to the 10th century, it has been used by Poland's oldest szlachta families — Poland's Immemorial nobility — and remains in use today. History Legend of the coat of ...

. From 1868 he began teaching at gymnasiums (secondary schools) in western Ukraine until 1888, when he began teaching at Lviv's teacher's seminary and later the theological seminary. Collaborating with

Panteleimon Kulish Panteleimon Oleksandrovych Kulish (also spelled ''Panteleymon'' or ''Pantelejmon Kuliš'', uk, Пантелеймон Олександрович Куліш, August 7, 1819 – February 14, 1897) was a Ukrainian writer, critic, poet, folklori ...

, Barvinsky helped create textbooks for Ukrainian schools, and was largely responsible for the use of Ukrainian

orthography An orthography is a set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, word breaks, emphasis, and punctuation. Most transnational languages in the modern period have a writing system, and mos ...

and for the term of Ruthenian-Ukrainian within the schools in eastern Galicia.Encyclopedia of Ukraine, "Oleksander Barvinsky" written by Elie Borschak
/ref> In 1890, Barvinsky was one of the initiators of the "New Era" policy among Ukrainian political leaders, calling for rapprochement between Poles and Ukrainians. Even after most Ukrainian leaders abandoned this approach by 1894, Barvinsky along with

Anatole Vakhnianyn Anatole Vakhnianyn ( uk, Анатоль Вахнянин ; September 19, 1841 – February 11, 1908), was a Ukrainian political and cultural figure, composer, teacher, and journalist. Biography Family Background Vakhnianyn was born in Sieniawa, ...

refused to reconsider their positions and together with him formed the political party "Catholic Ruthenian-Social Union". A prominent community organizer and Ukrainophile activist, in 1891 he was elected to the

Austrian parliament The Austrian Parliament (german: Österreichisches Parlament) is the bicameral federal legislature of the Austrian Republic. It consists of two chambers – the National Council and the Federal Council. In specific cases, both houses convene ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, where he served until 1907. From 1894 until 1904 he was a member of the local Galician Diet. In 1917 Barvinsky became a member of the Austrian upper chamber (

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

). When Austria-Hungary fell apart following the First World War, Barvinsky became the minister of education and religious affairs of the

,State Secretariat of the Western Ukrainian National Republic
/ref> retiring from political life after the Poles captured the capital of Lviv.

Personal life

Before 1880, he married the pianist, choral director and soprano

Yevheniya Barvinska Yevheniia Maksymivna Barvinska or Yevheniya Barvinsʼka (nee Liubovych, 1854–1913), was a Ukrainian pianist, choral conductor and singer (soprano), who promoted the music of Ukrainian composers. Biography Yevheniia Liubovych was born on 20 D ...

(1854–1913) and they raised six children, Olga Bachynska (1874–1955), Bogdan Barvinsky (1880–1958), Roman (1881–1947), Olena Savchuk (1883–1962),

Vasyl Barvinsky Vasyl Oleksandrovych Barvinsky ( uk, Василь Олександрович Барвінський) (20 February 1888 – 9 June 1963) was a Ukrainian composer, pianist, conductor, teacher, musicologist, and music related social figure. Barvinsk ...

(1888–1963) and Alexander Barvinsky (1889–1957).

References

Bibliography

* ''Small Dictionary of History of Ukraine''/Chief Editor Valeriy Smoliy. "Lybid". Kiev, 1997. * Melnychuk,B. Khanas,V. ''Oleksandr Hryhorovych Barvinsky''/Ternopil Encyclopedic Dictionary. Vol.1. "Zbruch" Ternopil, 2004. * Seredyak,А. ''Outline of

Prosvita Prosvita ( uk, просвіта, 'enlightenment') is a society for preserving and developing Ukrainian culture and education among population that created in the nineteenth century in the Austria-Hungary Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. By the ...

history''. Lviv, 1993. pp. 120–121 * Kachkan,V. ''Ukrainian Social Studies in names''. Vol.2. Kiev, 1997. pp. 45–54 * Liberny,О. ''Oleksandr of the Barvinsky constellation...'' "Svoboda". 1997 * Chornovil,І. ''Political realism of O.Barvinsky'' "Suchasnist". #1. 1998. pp. 99–105

External links

Oleksandr Barvinsky - the Ukrainian politician and civil activist

Governments of West Ukrainian People's Republic - History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barvinsky, Oleksander 1847 births 1926 deaths People from Ternopil Oblast People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Ukrainian Austro-Hungarians Members of the Diet of Galicia and Lodomeria Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1891–1897) Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1897–1900) Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1901–1907) Members of the House of Lords (Austria) 19th-century Ukrainian historians Ukrainian politicians before 1991 Ukrainian Eastern Catholics West Ukrainian People's Republic people Burials at Lychakiv Cemetery