I would like to recommend a book we came across while conducting some family history research recently. It is a deeply personal and historically vivid memoir by Father Oleksa Prystai, bringing to life Galicia at the turn of the 20th century.
During the early years of Soviet occupation, the memoirs that were sent to Ukraine were confiscated by the NKVD. They remained under strict secrecy until 1989, making any re-publication or public sharing impossible for decades.
Born in Truskavets on 27 February 1863, Oleksa Prystai was a Greek Catholic priest, educator, community leader, and chronicler of his homeland. After studying in local schools and the Lviv Theological Seminary, he was ordained in 1893 and served in various parishes in Galicia before emigrating to the United States in the early 1900s, where he continued his pastoral and community work among Ukrainian emigrants.
It has been fascinating to find these photos of Fr. Prystai’s visit to his homeland from 1938, just before the outbreak of World War II. They brought back warm memories of the heritage tours we organized for our customers before the current war began in 2022.
The 1st volume of Fr. Prystai’s memoirs is of particular interest to those researching their family history in Ukraine. It’s a unique historical source offering insight into Ukrainian culture, folk life, and the heart of his native land – Galicia. It’s a unique way to learn about our ancestors’ lives in the the 1st person.
It may be of special interest to those whose ancestors come from Truskavets, Drohobych, Stryi, and the surrounding areas, or who were born in Galician villages and studied in larger towns.
You can find the book on the V. I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine website. Check out this link.
I have created a quick summary of the book’s contents below. We will post translations of select chapters in this blog, and you can join us on our Ukraine Roots Illuminated with Dorosh Facebook page to receive updates.
Andriy
Photo courtesy: https://photo-lviv.in.ua/
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introductory Word
Truskavets, General Overview (History of the Village. The Church. The School. Public Institutions. Bathing Establishment. Community Administration.)
PART ONE: MY NATIVE NEST
- On the Way to Truskavets
- The Name of Truskavets, Its Population, and Location
- The Baths of Truskavets
- Naftusia — Marusia
- Hungry City Girl, Knight, and Wild Woman
- The Houses of Truskavets
- Farm Buildings
- Self-Sufficiency
- Grain and Vegetables Grown by the People of Truskavets
- Cattle Breeding
- The Clothes of Truskavets Inhabitants
- Seasons in the Village
- The Gardens of Truskavets
- Education and Morality
- Hospitable and Caring Truskavets Residents
- Food
- Village Artisans and Engineers
PART TWO: CHILDHOOD AND BOYHOOD
18. In the Parental Home
19. To the Village School
20. Little Goose Shepherd
21. Generalissimus
22. Shepherd Life
23. Kom Tosh
24. The Kingdom of Happiness and Fun
25. Our Holiday
26. Perspective Images
27. Semaphores Are Pointed Out to Me
28. The Village Pastor
29. Father and Mother
PART THREE: IN THE CITY SCHOOL
30. The Exam Approaches
31. On the Path to Life
32. My Beginning in Drohobych
33. The Public School Near the Pig Market
34. Drohobych Gymnasium, 1878–1883
35. On the Margins of My Stay in Drohobych
36. During the Vacations
PART FOUR: PAVING MY WAY
37. To Stryi
38. Stryi Teachers
39. Traditional Stations
40. Studying and Earning a Living
41. The Etymological Heart and Ukrainian Mind
42. Vacations at the Priest’s House
43. First Speech, Dances, and Graduation
44. Lyokay and Failure
45. The Count in a Red Robe
46. From Lecture to Lecture
47. Between Scylla and Charybdis
48. The Dream Comes True
Appendix
The Native Village in Troubled Times