Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is located 50 kilometers east of Edmonton on the Yellowhead Highway 3 kilometers east Elk Island National Park.
The museum is an open air concept that combines costumed historical actors that recreate the pioneer settlements in east central Alberta, Canada. The actors portray the lives of Ukrainian Canadian settlers: 1899 to 1930. Authentic buildings from the surrounding areas have been moved to the site. During the winter periods of the year when only parts of the site are open, the Village provides a glimpse of what it was like to live in this part of Alberta before 1930.
The first Ukrainian settlement in Canada was established north east of Edmonton during 1892-1894, north of Lamont, Alberta. Between 1892 and 1930, Ukrainian immigrants established other core settlements in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The Ukrainian settlement in east central Alberta was the largest. By the 1920s, it spanned more than 8,000 square kilometers between the towns of Fort Saskatchewan and Vermillion.
The Village has a strong commitment to historical authenticity and the concept of living history. The actors employ a technique known as first-person interpretation which requires that the performers remain in character. Actors answer all questions as if it is the year their building was built in. This approach contributes to a much stronger experience of immersion in history than traditional third-person tour guide recites information to a bored group of tourists. At the village, the actors are part of the museum!
There are authentic homes in the Village that were lived in many years ago, for example: Iwan and Maria Pylypow were important settlers in the Ukrainian community. The village displays the authentic home of Iwan and Maria Pylypow. It was moved to the Ukrainian Village from a farm near Star, Alberta. The house is built of logs, and the exterior and interior were covered with milled lumber in 1917. Iwan has been recognized as one of the key figures in the mass immigration of
Ukrainians to Canada at the end of the nineteenth century. His journey to Canada in 1891 with fellow villager Wasyl Eleniak and his discoveries of opportunities for Ukrainian immigrants in the Canadian West led to the first colony of Ukrainian settlers in Alberta.
Plan to spend a whole day at the Village. It is fun and educational. There is a food kiosk so you won’t go hungry! For direction on how to get there go to:
http://culture.alberta.ca/museums/historicsiteslisting/ukrainianvillage/default.aspx
Note pets are NOT permitted in the Village as there is livestock on site.
Melissa Montgomery