1992
September
In order to implement the project "Profiles of Fortitude: An Oral History of the Clandestine Life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, 1946-1989," Boris Gudziak founded a research institute initially located in a corner of one room of the Svichado ("Beacon") publishing house of the Studite Fathers.
September-December
- Developing project methodology, making up questionnaires and record cards
- The institute becomes the administrative base for the Lviv Theological Academy Revival Committee
1993
March-April
Repairing and furnishing premises in the complex of St. Michael's Church of the Studite Fathers
April
Pastoral Department, headed by Iryna Kolomyiets, starts its work
8 May
First Institute Supervisory Board Meeting chaired by Fr.Iwan Dacko; Boris Gudziak appointed Director, Victor Susak Assistant Director
- "Trial by fire": A transformer failure caused a fire; the newly created archive was preserved, but repair had to be done again
- Publishing of first collection of church history articles, Kovcheh ("The Ark"), jointly with the Institute for Historical Research at Lviv State University
- First Kurylas Family contest for best interview with underground UGCC Members; winner: Vasyl Gabor
8 July
Institute of Church History registered by Lviv Regional Administration as a non-governmental and non-profit public organization
23 August
Ceremonial inauguration of ICH at Lviv Palace of Solemn Occasions, during 2nd Congress of International Ukrainianists Association (IUA) in Lviv
26 August
Scholarly conference "Church, Culture and Politics in Early Modern and Modern Ukraine," part of 2nd Congress of IUA (Lviv; Briukhovychi)
2 November
Organizing gala academy on 210th Anniversary of the foundation of Greek Catholic Seminary in Lviv
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Professor Yaroslav Dashkevych: " The foundation of the ICH was something new in Ukrainian historical studies, because almost no one had been involved with church history. Those who were ‘involved' mostly presented a distorted picture that was rarely based on the study of historical sources."
(from an interview for the documentary Living History, 1997) |
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Father Thomas Widner: "I briefly acquainteded myself with the work of Gudziak and his three colleagues in their office at St. Michael's Monastery in Lviv. Their working facilities are limited to two small rooms, though they have computers. However, the project presentation was very promising."
(The New World, 1993, 23.07) |
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1994
September
- ICH becomes autonomous structural department of Lviv Theological Academy
- Oleh Turii appointed ICH Assistant Director
5-7 September
International Conference "Methodology and Methods of Oral History: Life Stories in Sociological Research" held in Lviv
1-6 October
Brest Lectures start with scholarly session "The Historical Context: Establishment of the Union of Brest and the First Generation after the Union"(Lviv; Ivano-Frankivsk; Kyiv)
30 October
Premiere of They have returned by Youth Theatre "Meta," using ICH materials on UGCC underground activity
1-4 November
Scholarly Conference "Metropolitan Andrey (Sheptytsky): On the 50th Anniversary of His Death" (Lviv;Kyiv)
27 December
Oleh Turii defends his Master's Thesis "The Greek Catholic Church in the Social and Political Life of Halychyna [Galicia], 1848-1867"
1995
1-6 February
Second cycle of Brest Lectures: "Church, State, and Society in Ukraine in the 17th Century" (Lviv; Dnipropetrovsk; Kyiv)
20-23 June
Third session of Brest Lectures: "The Union of Brest and Ukrainian Culture in the 17th Century" (Lviv; Kharkiv; Kyiv)
July
Father Ernst C. Suttner's visiting lectures at ICH, and first LTA English-language summer school
September
Publication of first collection of Brest Lectures materials
2-6 October
Brest Lectures fourth thematic cycle "The Union of Brest and Internal Church Life in the 17th Century" (Lviv; Lutsk; Kyiv)
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Petro Didula: "The work of scholars as part of the Brest Lectures program is aimed at researching the history of the Union of Brest, which triggered our geopolitical feuds, for the key factors. Without this, any vision of the future of the Ukrainian church is impossible."
(Viruiu ["I believe"] 22 (1994) 6) |
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Professor Yaroslav Isaievych: "I have been to many scholarly conferences abroad and in our country. I have probably never seen any conference so wellorganized and so interesting. However, before they began I had doubts about its success, because it all was too unusual."
(from an interview for the documentary Living History, 1997) |
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1996
January
Launching the project "The Church in the Life of Society: Interdenominational and International Relations in Halychyna [Galicia], 1772-1989"
March 7
Conference "The Historic Fate of the Greek Catholic Churches in Central-Eastern Europe after WWII"
Beginning of May
Publication of second book of Brest Lectures materials
13-20 May
Fifth Brest Lectures: "Mentality, Identity and Theology in Ukraine and Belarus in the 17th Century"(Przemysl[Poland]; Lviv; Kyiv)
14-20 May
Sixth, final session of Brest Lectures: "An Ecclesiological Evaluation of Early Modern Unionism" (Lviv; Kyiv; Uzhhorod)
September
Establishment of Ukrainian research group as part of "Aufbruch" International Project
October
"Trial by water": Due to a heating system failure, the Institute's new premises on Sventsitskoho Street were flooded
November
Publication of third book of Brest Lectures
Autumn 1996-Spring 1997
"Trial by cold": Due to no heating and a need for repair, the Institute was temporarily sheltered by the Ukrainian Youth For Christ organization and St. Volodymyr Foundation
1997
Beginning of October
Publication of fourth Brest Lectures materials
2 October
Launching "History for the Future" project
10 October
ICH 5th Anniversary celebration: dedication of new premises, viewing of documentary film Living History, presentation of publications.
Mid October
"Uninvited guests": 5 of the Institute's 6 computers and other equipment stolen from premises
17 November
Opening of exhibition of ICH pictures " Portraits of Members of the UGCC Underground " in St. George's Cathedral (photographer L. Mykhailiuk-Sukhi) with the participation of Liudmyla Kuchma and Hillary Clinton
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Doctor Robert Letz: " Having gotten better acquainted with the Ukrainian historians' work, I realized very clearly and with a sense of pain how badly we could use a similarly effective institute of church history in Slovakia."
(Katolicke noviny, 1996, 7.04) |
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Iryna Kolomyiets: "Pictures preserved as family relics can tell a lot. Having been given to the ICH, they became our calling card, especially portraits of members of the Greek Catholic underground."
(Viruiu ["I believe"] 11 (1998) 4) |
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1998
January 11
Ceremonial presentation of papal honors and distinctions to distinguished underground Greek Catholic priests
March 12
First session "The Church and the Mass Media in Ukraine, 1939-1988," part of scholarly seminar held jointly by ICH and Institute of Religion and Society.
2 April
Seminar "UGCC Hierarchy and Clergy in the Period of Stalinism"
21 May
Seminar "Theological Education and Religious Upbringing in Ukraine".
September
A seminar course, " The Living History of the Underground UGCC ," for LTA students begins
26 November
Borys Gudziak ordained priest
28 November
Celebration of international accreditation of LTA:
Dedication of ICH seminar room named after Iryna Shypula
1999
6 March
Celebration of 60th Anniversary of ministry of priests of underground church
18 May
Seminar on 10th anniversary of Greek Catholic hunger strike in the Arbat, Moscow
17 September
Seminar on 10th anniversary of march to St. George's Cathedral in Lviv for UGCC legalization
23 December
Ihor Skochylias defends master's thesis "Minutes of the General Visitation of the Lviv Eparchy in 1730-1733 as a Historical Source"
2000
March
Publication of Ukrainian translation of Fr. Borys Gudziak's monograph Crisis and Reform.
1 July
ICH Director Fr. Boris Gudziak becomes LTA Rector
13 October
Seminar "Greek Catholic Monasticism at the Dawn of the Third Millenium: Historical Heritage and Prospects."
December
Publication of second number of revived church history collection Kovcheh ("The Ark").
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Fr. Ivan Kubai: "I was glad when people from the Institute came to interview me about my life
It was an opportunity to share my experience
Afterwards I had many contacts with the Institute. They help me financially, send greetings. It instills hope
"
(ICH Information Bulletin) |
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Dr. Yaroslav Hrytsak: "Institutes like the ICH are good in that, on one hand, they conduct scholarly research and, on the other, they combine it with training of new personnel, young students, post-graduates, researchers. International experience shows that this is the most effective and productive way of creating new historical schools and, in a broader sense, of creating a new intellectual climate in general."
(from an interview for the documentary Living history, 1997) |
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2001
22-29 April
Session of the Central-Eastern European International School of the Humanities held in Lviv
May
Publication of collection of essays Ukraine between East and West by Ihor Sevcenko; presentation of publication at scholarly seminar with author participating
May-June
Publication of series of brochures "Christian Ukraine"
June
- Publishing of Fr. Laslo Pushkash's book Theodore Romzha
- Opening of museum exhibit "The Underground Church" in Iryna Shypula Seminar Room
- Presentation of ICH web-site
- Presentation of biographies of new UGCC martyrs before Papal Liturgy of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Lviv
August
Publication of collection of articles of Fr. Ernst Suttner, Ukrainian Christianity at the Beginning of the Third Millennium
2002
February
Publication of third issue of collection Kovcheh
April
Publication of book Church of the Martyrs
15-19 May
International conference "Confessional Identity and National Engagement: Greek Catholic Churches of Central-Eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th Centuries"
18 May
Supervisory Board appoints Oleh Turii Institute Director
May-September
Video project launched
June
Inauguration of Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv; opening of photography exhibit "Seminary, Academy, University"
9-24 October
- Dedication of Stefaniya Shypula Research Room
- Ceremonial delegation of powers to new director
- Open house
- Oleh Turii awarded Bohdan Bociurkiw Fellowship instituted by George Weigel for heads of Department of Church History of UCU Theological Faculty
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Pope John Paul II: "In our own century the martyrs have returned, many of them nameless,"unknown soldiers" as it were of God's great cause. As far as possible, their witness should not be lost to the Church."
(Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 37) |
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O. Turii: "Our church needs to develop contacts with other Greek Catholics who were persecuted and scorned by repressive regimes, moreover being often ignored by ‘masters' of the official ecumenism. Such relations are very important for jointly asserting our own position within universal Christianity."
(LTA Press Release) |
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