«Sharing America’s Story with Ukraine: the Voice of America’s Ukrainian Service, 1949–2019»: Collection of Scientific Articles and Materials on the History of the Ukrainian Service «Voice of America»

Abstract

In this publication, an overview of the American-Ukrainian collection of scientific articles and materials «Sharing America’s Story With Ukraine: The Voice of America’s Ukrainian Service, 1949–2019», presented in Ukraine and the United States is carried out. Collection, prepared on the initiative of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History of Foreign Countries of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, of the Ukrainian Museum-Archive in Cleveland and the Ukrainian Association of American Studies, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Ukrainian Service «Voice of America». It first reviewed the history of the Ukrainian service «Voice of America» from the appearance of until now. Attention is accentuated in the most important milestones and aspects of its activities, in particular in the conditions of ideological and information struggle of the USA and the USSR in the Cold War, coverage of independent Ukraine, its socio-political transformations and revolutionary events of the modern time, the contribution of Ukrainian service «Voice of America» in the formation of Ukrainian democratic media, etc. Also the collection included general research on the history of service, an overview of the context of its work and research on several directors. Particularly valuable are the memoirs of Adrian Karmazyn about his almost 30-years work for the «Voice of America» and a number of documents of Soviet special services associated with Western radio voices. Articles included in the collection prepared primarily on the basis of unique documents on personal archives, as well as the Sectocal state archive of the Security Service of Ukraine, memoirs of participants in fateful events, the most significant video materials and publications placed on the official website of the Ukrainian service «Voice of America». The importance of the appearance of such publications, and in particular this collection certifies attention to it and positive reviews of Ukrainian and American scientists, media, representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States. As well as the spread of a collection on authoritative websites, for example, in one of the largest resources of the Ukrainian diaspora «Diasporiana.org.ua». And although the collection of articles and materials «Sharing America’s Story With Ukraine: The Voice of America’s Ukrainian Service, 1949-2019» came out quite voluminous, many aspects of the history of the Ukrainian «Voice of America» remained unproven and need further research. Thus, the publication should be considered as a peculiar foundation for a further purposeful comprehensive study of the history of the Ukrainian service «Voice of America», published in it articles and materials, undoubtedly will be useful to the next researchers. The presentation of the collection took place on February 12, 2020 at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv on the basis of the Department of New and Contemporary History of Foreign Countries. Members of the author’s team, teachers and students – аmericanists of historical faculty, correspondents of «Voice of America» took part in it, as well as in video conference – one of the compilers and editors of the collection Adrian Karmazyn from Washington and the director of the Ukrainian Archive-Museum in Cleveland Andriy Fedynskiy. During the discussion about the role and place of «Voice of America» in the Ukrainian and world information space, the presentation participants emphasized the relevance and prospects of further research of the history of its Ukrainian service.