{"id":4262,"date":"2025-07-15T15:11:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T21:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/?p=4262"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:19:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T21:19:35","slug":"what-ukrainian-women-in-edmonton-dreamed-of-in-the-20th-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/eternal-4262-what-ukrainian-women-in-edmonton-dreamed-of-in-the-20th-century","title":{"rendered":"What Ukrainian Women in Edmonton Dreamed of in the 20th Century"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Throughout the 20th century, <a href=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/chrystia-freeland-a-ukrainian-canadian-political-powerhouse-driving-canada-forward\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/chrystia-freeland-a-ukrainian-canadian-political-powerhouse-driving-canada-forward\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ukrainian women<\/a> who immigrated to Edmonton built new lives while preserving their identity, language, and culture. They didn&#8217;t just adapt to new realities; they created them. Ukrainian women in Edmonton were active participants in public life. The history of women&#8217;s immigration is also always a history of feminist activity. It is this story that we will tell next on <a href=\"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\">edmontonka<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a77f1ffa7818\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a77f1ffa7818\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/eternal-4262-what-ukrainian-women-in-edmonton-dreamed-of-in-the-20th-century\/#Context_Political_Movements_of_the_1960s-1970s\" >Context: Political Movements of the 1960s-1970s<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/eternal-4262-what-ukrainian-women-in-edmonton-dreamed-of-in-the-20th-century\/#The_%E2%80%9CHromada%E2%80%9D_Group\" >The &#8220;Hromada&#8221; Group<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/eternal-4262-what-ukrainian-women-in-edmonton-dreamed-of-in-the-20th-century\/#The_%E2%80%9CHromada%E2%80%9D_Housing_Co-operative\" >The &#8220;Hromada&#8221; Housing Co-operative<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/eternal-4262-what-ukrainian-women-in-edmonton-dreamed-of-in-the-20th-century\/#Ukrainian_Women_and_Business\" >Ukrainian Women and Business<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Context_Political_Movements_of_the_1960s-1970s\"><\/span>Context: Political Movements of the 1960s-1970s<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 1960s and 1970s, progressive political processes began in Canada. In this period, the environmental movement, the anti-war movement, and the movement for gender equality actively developed. At the forefront of these movements were students and youth, including the children of people who had experienced the trauma of the Second World War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the students and activists were people who grew up in the Ukrainian-Canadian community and had witnessed discrimination from childhood. Edmonton became a centre where a unique environment of people of Ukrainian descent formed, who sought to preserve Ukrainian culture while also being interested in progressive politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These individuals were involved in various important activities, including organizing protests in defence of political prisoners in the Soviet Union, as well as creating their own organizations. Among these people were many women who were specifically engaged in defending women&#8217;s rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_%E2%80%9CHromada%E2%80%9D_Group\"><\/span>The &#8220;Hromada&#8221; Group<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edmontonka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2025\/07\/ad_4nxcoapi121hunsshy4zq7i1bkgrlgwwe6bq56uema0q4_qbvitreb3q0ozvwkou7a8uqxqb29t7irpnhuy1pd9zvkl3vu6n_swvopj4v0ouq3vxnlnfwchehfqhclalvibmu4mu8qwkeymg2amclfav4v5xrfmfaasq.png\" alt=\"Archival photo of a group of Ukrainian-Canadian activists.\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many activists were former or current members of the Ukrainian Canadian Students&#8217; Union who became active during their student years. At that time, the cultural group &#8220;Hromada&#8221; was formed. It was a group of people seeking ways to form an anti-Soviet, pro-Ukrainian, yet socialist position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within this group, a women&#8217;s group, also called &#8220;Hromada,&#8221; was created. This happened after the women noticed that the men often ignored their opinions. The women united to create an organization where all voices would be heard. Here, they could explore aspects of their own experiences and learn about the history of women in Canada and Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, the women of the &#8220;Hromada&#8221; Women&#8217;s Group held actions in defence of female political prisoners in the Soviet Union and established connections with feminists in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_%E2%80%9CHromada%E2%80%9D_Housing_Co-operative\"><\/span>The &#8220;Hromada&#8221; Housing Co-operative<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The &#8220;Hromada&#8221; Women&#8217;s Group founded its own housing co-operative. Among the first residents were the well-known Myrna Kostash and Anna Radyo. The co-op was created with the aim of preserving and developing Ukrainian culture and language, as well as building a feminist community for the empowerment of women. The women strove to build a home where the Ukrainian community could exist in an English-speaking city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, families lived together and helped each other with raising children. Such closeness significantly facilitated socialization, organizing processes, and participation in political activism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The &#8220;Hromada&#8221; Housing Co-operative is a unique phenomenon. The co-operative still exists today. It is inclusive, alternative housing that is home to many scholars from Ukraine working in Edmonton. On February 24, 2022, all residents hung flags in front of the co-operative&#8217;s homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ukrainian_Women_and_Business\"><\/span>Ukrainian Women and Business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukrainian women actively put their feminist ideas into practice. For example, Halyna Freeland opened Edmonton&#8217;s first women&#8217;s bookstore, &#8220;Common Woman Books,&#8221; and Anna Radyo managed the boutique &#8220;Zoryana.&#8221; They had a shared clientele and were located next to each other. The employees of the two stores helped each other and celebrated International Women&#8217;s Day together. Edmonton residents remember these places as spaces where you could just drop in and always feel welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The books at &#8220;Common Woman Books&#8221; covered topics such as art, childbirth, children, feminist theory, fiction, lesbianism, sexuality, spirituality, violence against women, rights, and more. Priority in the bookstore was given to female authors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Throughout the 20th century, Ukrainian women who immigrated to Edmonton built new lives while preserving their identity, language, and culture. They didn&#8217;t just adapt to new realities; they created them. Ukrainian women in Edmonton were active participants in public life. The history of women&#8217;s immigration is also always a history of feminist activity. It is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":402,"featured_media":4251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1035],"tags":[3013,2981,2649,3017,3006,3009,3018,3011,3019,3012,3016,3007,3010,3008,3015,3014,2779,1906],"moimportance":[34,33],"motype":[1045],"moformat":[66],"class_list":{"0":"post-4262","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-psychology-of-women","8":"tag-20th-century","9":"tag-common-woman-books","10":"tag-feminism","11":"tag-feminist-activism","12":"tag-feminist-history","13":"tag-hromada","14":"tag-hromada-co-operative","15":"tag-ukrainian-canadian-women","16":"tag-ukrainian-community","17":"tag-ukrainian-culture-in-canada","18":"tag-ukrainian-diaspora","19":"tag-ukrainian-immigrants","20":"tag-ukrainian-women-in-business","21":"tag-womens-emigration","22":"tag-womens-movement","23":"tag-womens-organizations","24":"tag-womens-rights","25":"tag-edmonton","26":"moimportance-golovna-novina","27":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","28":"motype-eternal","29":"moformat-vlasna"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/402"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4262"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4266,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4262\/revisions\/4266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4262"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=4262"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=4262"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=4262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}