Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky

Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky (Ukrainian: Іван Лисяк-Рудницький; 27 October 1919, Vienna, Austria – 25 April 1984, Edmonton, Alberta) — Ukrainian historian, political scientist, publicist; full member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. and the Shevchenko Scientific Society of Canada.

Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky
BornOctober 27, 1919
Vienna
DiedApril 25, 1984 (1984-04-26) (aged 64)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
NationalityUkrainian
Alma mater
Scientific career
FieldsSocial Science
Political Science
History
InstitutionsUniversity of Alberta
American University
La Salle College
Charles University

Biography

Family

Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky was born into one of the most famous Ukrainian intellectual families. His father, Pavlo Lysiak, was a prominent lawyer, editor and contributor to many Ukrainian publications, ambassador of the Ukrainian National Democratic Alliance (UNDO) to the Polish Sejm in 1938–1939. Ivan's mother, Milena Rudnytska, was an ambassador of the UNDO to the Polish Sejm (1928-1935), chairman of the Ukrainian Women's Union in Lviv (1928-1939) and of the Ukrainian Women's World Union (since 1934). The mother belonged to the so-called "five bunch" of Rudnytsky. Among them are literary scholar, publicist and translator Mykhailo Rudnytsky (1889–1975), lawyer and well-known public figure Volodymyr Rudnytsky (1890–1974) and composer and musician Antin Rudnytsky (1902-1975). All of them have made an outstanding contribution to the development of Ukrainian political and cultural life.[1][2][3]

Lviv period

Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky received his school education in Lviv. In 1925-29 he studied at the Ukrainian elementary school, and from 1929 to 1937 — at the Academic Gymnasium in Lviv, the oldest Ukrainian Gymnasium not only in Galicia, but throughout Ukraine. Then he studied at the Law Faculty of Lviv University (1937-1939).

European period

After 1939 he lived abroad due to the outbreak of World War II. He studied at the Faculty of International Relations at the University of Berlin (1940-1943). He defended his doctoral dissertation at Charles University in Prague (1945). A well-known scientist Edward Winter, who ia a connoisseur of Slavic and Ukrainian subjects, was the scientific supervisor of Ivan. Drahomanov's political views became the topic of dissertation. The defense took place in April 1945, just a few days before the Soviet troops entered Prague.[3]

In the 1940s he was a member of the Ukrainian Student Society "Mazepynets", the Ukrainian Student Community in Prague, and together with A. Bilynsky, V. Rudko, O. Pritsak — a member of the Nationalist Organization of Ukrainian Students of Germany (NOUS). After the war he moved to Austria, and in 1947 to Geneva (Switzerland), where he attended lectures at the Institute for Higher International Studies.

In 1949 he married the American Mary Joan Benton.

American period

In 1951-1971 Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky lived in the United States. In 1951-1952 he interned at Columbia University and soon received Ph.D. there.[3]

In February 1956 he was promoted to assistant professor at a local Catholic educational institution — La Salle College (Philadelphia), where he taught courses in Russian history and recent Western European history. With the beginning of the publication of the magazine "Modernity" (January 1961) Lysiak-Rudnitsky became his active contributor. Here, in addition to the original articles, he published Ukrainian translations of his major English-language scientific publications. Cooperation with the magazine lasted until 1967.[3]

In 1967 he co-authored the "Statement", sent form the leading American intellectuals of Ukrainian descent to the leadership of Soviet Union and Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, with the political requirements to establish citizenship of Ukrainian SSR, establish diplomatic relations between Ukrainian SSR and foreign countries, to provide the Ukrainian language with the status of the official state language in Ukrainian SSR, to legalize the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, etc.

From 1967 to 1971 he worked at the American University in Washington.

Canadian period

Since 1971, Ivan Lysiak-Rudnitsky has lived in Canada, where he received a professorship at the University of Alberta. He was a member of Shevchenko Scientific Society and UVAN. He became one of the founders of the Istitute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta.[4]

Throughout his life he wrote for the Ukrainian emigrant periodicals, in particular for the newspaper Ukrayinski Visti and the magazines Meetings, Modernity (1961-1967).

Scientific work

Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky wrote works on the history of Ukraine, Ukrainian political thought of the XIX-XX centuries and the theory of the nation. Historical essays published in 2 volumes. Has a great influence on contemporary historiography.

The center of philosophical interests of the scientist was historical knowledge, in the center of his historiographic interests — the history of Ukrainian socio-political thought from the middle of the XIX century to the 30's of the XX century.

His most important researches are devoted to M. Drahomanov, Vyacheslav Lypynsky, M. Khvylovy, O. Nazaruk. The leading theme is the fate of Ukraine in recent history, first of all the analysis of the decisive tendencies of its political changes in the context of the modern world process and political forecasting. His intellectual homeland was Germany of the XVIII-XX centuries. The most tangible in the work of the historian is the influence of the philosophy of Hegel's history, his thoughts on the objective logic presence in the historical process and the possibility of freedom only in the rule of law.[5]

In 1970 Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky wrote an article “The Soviet Ukraine in Historical Perspective”, which clearly analyzed the “built-in tension” in the status of Ukraine as a nominally sovereign state. In the article, he wrote that in the era of the collapse of colonial empires, the USSR became an anachronism and only when the Leninist slogan "self-determination of nations until separation" ceases to be a hoax, Ukraine and Russia will be able to live like good neighbors.[6] The scientist also insisted that Muscovy-Russia of the 14-17th century should not be considered European in essence. And Europeanization occurred as a result of the reforms of Peter I. Ukraine have never experienced an era of sudden “westernization,” but it was always European in nature and did not require assimilation. And the European character of Ukraine, according to Lysiak-Rudnytsky, was strengthened due to influence and contacts with other European countries.[7]

Bibliography

An extensive list of Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky's works.

In English
  • Rudnitsky I. L. Essays in Modern Ukrainian History. — Edmonton: Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta, 1987. — 500 p. ISBN 0-920862-47-0
  • Rudnitsky I. L. V. Lypyns'kyj's Political Ideas from the Perspective of Our Times — Harvard Ukrainian Studies, Vol. 9, No. 3/4, The Political and Social Ideas of Vjačeslav Lypyns'kyj (December 1985), pp. 342–356
  • Rudnitsky I. L. Mykhailo Drahomanov and the Problem of Ukrainian-Jewish Relations — Canadian Slavonic Papers / Revue Canadienne des Slavistes, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Summer, 1969), pp. 182–198.
  • Rudnitsky I. L. The Intellectual Origins of Modem UkraineThe Intellectual Origins of Modem Ukraine — The Annals of Ukrainian Academy of the Arts and Sciences in the U.S. (New York), 1958, vol. 6, No.3-4 (21-22).
  • Rudnitsky I. L. The Role of the Ukraine in Modern History — Slavic Review. - Vol. 22. - No. 2 (June 1963). - PP. 199–216.
  • Rudnitsky I. L. The Soviet Ukraine in Historical Perspective — Canadian Slavonic Papers / Revue Canadienne des Slavistes, Vol. 14, No. 2, UKRAINE (Summer, 1972), pp. 235–250
  • Rudnitsky I. L. Mykhaylo Drahomanov. A Symposium and Selected Writings. Compiled with the assistance of the Drahomanov Commission of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the US under the Chairmanship of Professor Svitozar Drahomanov. /Ed. by Ivan L Rudnytsky //The Annals of the Ukrainian Academy of Art and Sciences in the US. — Vol.II. - N 1(3). - Spring 1952. -1,225 P.
  • Rudnitsky I. L. Drahomanov as a Political Theorist // Mykhaylo Drahomanov. A Symposium and Selected Writings... The Annals of the Ukrainian Academy». - Vol.II - N1 (3). - Spring 1952. - P. 70-130.
  • Rudnitsky I. L. A Bibliography of Drahomanov's Major Works (Compiled with Svitozar Drahomanov) // Mykhaylo Drahomanov. A Symposium and Selected Writings... The Annals of the Ukrainian Academy... — Vol.II — N 1 (3). - Spring 1952. - P. 131–140.
  • Rudnitsky I. L. An American Study of the Ukrainian Revolution // The Annals of the Ukrainian Academy of Art and Sciences in the US. — Vol JI — N 2 (4). - Summer 1952. - P. 316-322 Rec. ad op: John S.Reshetar. The Ukrainian Revolution 1917-1920: A Study in Nationalism — Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1952. — 363 P.
  • Rudnitsky I. L. Status of Crimea. Recent Move is Seen as Concession to Ukraine Demand: (Letter to the Editor) // The New York Times. -1954. - March 16.
  • Rudnitsky I. L. Ukrainian Scholarship in the Soviet Union Today — The Slavic and East European Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Autumn, 1963), pp. 251–257. Published by: American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages

References
  1. "Rudnytsky, Ivan Lysiak". www.encyclopediaofukraine.com. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  2. Грицак Я. Іван Лисяк-Рудницький (нарис інтелектуальної біографії) // Сучасність. — 1994. — № 11.
  3. Himka, John-Paul (November 2014). "A Man Much Missed: Remembering Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky". Krytyka. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04.
  4. "Ivan Lysiak Rudnytsky: Diarist, Historian, Political Thinker | Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies". www.ualberta.ca. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  5. "Between history and politics: Ivan Lysiak-Rudnytsky and his legacy". UJE - Ukrainian Jewish Encounter. 2019-12-17. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  6. RUDNYTSKY, IVAN L. (1972). "The Soviet Ukraine in Historical Perspective". Canadian Slavonic Papers / Revue Canadienne des Slavistes. 14 (2): 235–250. doi:10.1080/00085006.1972.11091274. ISSN 0008-5006. JSTOR 40866431.
  7. Ігор Шаров. Вчені України: 100 видатних імен. — К.: АртЕк, 2006. ISBN 966-505-054-0 (in Ukrainian)
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