VICTOR KOSZARNY (SIDELNYK)

Date and Place of Birth: 1942 in Artemove, Donetsk oblast, Ukraine

Date of Interview: November 17, 2015

Place of Interview: Toronto, Ontario

Interviewer: Sophia Isajiw

Length of Interview: 01:05:26 (raw)

Mother (Survivor): Olena Hayworonska (maiden name) Koszarny-Semeniuk, b. 1923 in Kryshtopivka, Kharkiv oblast, Ukraine, d. 2015

Father (Survivor): Hryhoriy Sidelnyk (changed to Koszarny while in Germany to avoid being sent back to eastern Ukraine), b. in Kryshtopivka, Kharkiv oblast, Ukraine, d. 1978

(Excerpt):

I: What would you like to see different about the Ukrainian Canadian community?

VK: I think in view of what’s happening in Ukraine these days I think we just need to become more focused on trying to help Ukrainian soldiers, Ukrainian population in any way. I think we have been doing that for years. People don’t realize the mass of inflow, annual inflow that goes into Ukraine from outside of Ukraine. Did you know that it’s over a billion dollars, a year?

I: I’m not surprised, even before the war.

VK: Yeah. For many years, you know, relatives in Canada supporting that. It’s huge.

I: So you’re saying in unofficial personal ways.

VK: Yeah, well, there are specific programs. Our daughter Olena heads up a lot of those. We outfitted 50 soldiers because of her campaign for winter.

I: What was that campaign?

VK: Well it was a private campaign that she had. I think it was about $600 to outfit them in proper clothing. And unfortunately some of the people that we outfitted, individuals, were killed in that Donetsk battle. And of course as a church we’re supporting some of the…

I: That was early on then, you did this very early.

VK: ... yeah ... the 100 that were killed during the early uprising, we’re supporting their families in Ukraine. And she’s also started a, my daughter started a, through her company, started a leadership program. To pick kids from every oblast and go through a 10 months training of what it is to be a Ukrainian. (00:55:34)

I: Really?

VK: Yes. And they’re going to expand that to several other locations, they’ve done only one location and they’re going to, I think, add another 2 or 3.

I: Ok, and where is your daughter located in Ukraine?

VK: In Kyiv.  (00:55:54)

CROSS REFERENCES:

• Victor Koszarny’s mother, Olena Koszarny-Semeniuk, online obituary notice in The Toronto Star newspaper, July 20, 2015. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?pid=175324518  

And on the Ukrainian Canadian Congress website it is also in Ukrainian here: http://www.ucc.ca/2015/07/20/ukrainian-canadian-congress-expresses-condolences-to-koszarny-family/

• Victor Koszarny’s mother, Olena Koszarny-Semeniuk film: "The Living Truth — Голосом Правди". This is the story of Holodomor survivor Olena Koszarny-Semeniuk's recollections of the Holodomor, 1932-33. The film, in Ukrainian with English subtitles, is supported with archival background clips from the period. Facebook page for it: https://www.facebook.com/events/1020407088016688/

• Victor Koszarny’s mother Olena Koszarny-Semeniuk, My Life’s Journey, book of memoirs.