Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MEDALLIONS, ICONS FROM "ROYAL DOORS"

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

2015

Materials

WOOD, CANVAS, PAINT

No. Pieces

6

Length

34.5

Width

18.5

Description

A. PAINTING, DIPTYCH PANEL, 34.5CM LONG X 18.5CM WIDE. CANVAS PAINTING ATTACHED TO WOOD PANEL IN SHAPE OF TEARDROP (UPSIDE-DOWN). FRONT DEPICTS THE ANGEL GABRIEL IN GOLD ROBES WITH A RED SASH HOLDING A LONG-STEMMED YELLOW AND WHITE FLOWER ON A GREEN BACKGROUND. GABRIEL FACES LEFT, IS PERCHED ON A CLOUD, AND HAS WHITE WINGS FOLDED AT BACK. GABRIEL’S RIGHT ARM IS RAISED. BACK OF PANEL IS PAINTED GOLD WITH TEXT WRITTEN IN BLACK MARKER, “L PANEL, ANGEL GABRIEL, ANNUNCIATION”. UPPER RIGHT EDGE OF BACK AND LOWER LEFT CORNER OF BACK HAVE HOLES AND LOSS; LOWER EDGE OF BACK HAS LOSS IN WOOD; CANVAS IS PEELING AND FRAYING AT EDGES; PAINT IS PEELING ON CANVAS AT EDGES; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION. B. PAINTING, DIPTYCH PANEL, 34CM LONG X 18.5CM WIDE. CANVAS PAINTING ATTACHED TO WOOD PANEL IN SHAPE OF TEARDROP (UPSIDE-DOWN). FRONT DEPICTS THE VIRGIN MARY IN RED, WHITE, BLUE, AND GOLD ROBES STANDING IN FRONT OF A BROWN WOODEN PODIUM READING A BOOK ON THE PODIUM. BACKGROUND OF FRONT IS GREEN; A BROWN DOORFRAME AND GREEN CURTAIN HANG BEHIND MARY; A BROWN VASE HOLDING LONG-STEMMED WHITE AND YELLOW FLOWERS STANDS IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM; A WHITE DOVE SHINES A GOLDEN RAY OF LIGHT ONTO MARY. BACK OF PANEL IS PAINTED GOLD WITH TEXT WRITTEN IN BLACK MARKER, “VIRGIN MARY THEOTOKOS, R PANEL, ANNUNCIATION”. FRONT OF PANEL HAS RIP IN CANVAS IN AT UPPER LEFT EDGE; FRONT HAS SMALL HOLE FROM A NAIL AT UPPER RIGHT EDGE. LOWER LEFT AND RIGHT CORNERS OF BACK HAVE HOLES AND LOSS IN WOOD; CANVAS IS PEELING AND FRAYING FROM WOOD ALONG EDGES; PAINT IS PEELING ON CANVAS AT EDGES; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION. C. ROUND PAINTING WITH ROUND FRAME DETACHED, FRAME IS 24CM DIAMETER, PAINTING WITH FRAME IS 2.8CM TALL. PAINTING IS PART OF QUADTYCH DEPICTING SAINTS; FRAME IS WOOD PAINTED GOLD WITH CENTER CUT-OUT TO SHOW PAINTING. PAINTING IS COMPLETED ON CANVAS ATTACHED TO WOOD BACKING; FRONT DEPICTS ST. JOHN WITH BROWN HAIR, AND GREEN, RED, GOLD, AND WHITE ROBES. ST. JOHN HOLDS A WHITE QUILL AND BROWN BOOK, WITH A YELLOW HALO BEHIND HEAD; HALO IS OUTLINED WITH BROWN. PAINTING SHOWS A BROWN BIRD ABOVE ST. JOHN’S RIGHT SHOULDER. BACK OF PAINTING IS PAINTED GOLD WITH TEXT IN BLACK MARKER, “ST JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN, UPPER LEFT”. WOOD FRAME HAS FIVE SMALL NAIL HOLES IN FRONT; BACK OF FRAME IS STAINED WITH PAINT. FRONT OF PAINTING HAS FOUR SMALL NAIL HOLES; CANVAS ON FRONT HAS PAINT PEELING ALONG LOWER EDGE; FRONT OF PAINTING HAS GOLD PAINT AND SCUFF MARKS ALONG EDGES; LOWER LEFT EDGE OF WOOD HAS SPLIT; BACK OF PAINTING HAS SMALL NAIL HOLE AT UPPER EDGE; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION. D. ROUND PAINTING WITH ROUND FRAME DETACHED, FRAME IS 24.6CM DIAMETER, PAINTING WITH FRAME IS 2.8CM TALL. PAINTING IS PART OF QUADTYCH DEPICTING SAINTS; FRAME IS WOOD PAINTED GOLD WITH CENTER CUT-OUT TO SHOW PAINTING. PAINTING IS COMPLETED ON CANVAS ATTACHED TO WOOD BACKING; FRONT DEPICTS ST. LUKE WITH BROWN HAIR AND BEARD, AND GOLD, BLUE, RED, AND GREEN ROBES. ST. LUKE HOLDS A WHITE QUILL AND OPEN BOOK, WITH A YELLOW HALO BEHIND HEAD; HALO IS OUTLINED WITH BROWN. PAINTING SHOWS A BROWN BULL ABOVE ST. LUKE’S LEFT SHOULDER. BACK OF PAINTING IS PAINTED GOLD WITH TEXT IN BLACK MARKER, “ST LUKE, LOWER LEFT”. WOOD FRAME HAS THREE SMALL NAIL HOLES IN FRONT; BACK OF FRAME IS STAINED WITH PAINT. FRONT OF PAINTING HAS FOUR SMALL NAIL HOLES; FRONT HAS PAINT AND CANVAS ALONG UPPER EDGE; FRONT OF PAINTING HAS GOLD PAINT AND SCUFF MARKS ALONG EDGES; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION. E. ROUND PAINTING WITH ROUND FRAME DETACHED, FRAME IS 25CM DIAMETER, PAINTING IS 25.5CM DIAMETER, PAINTING WITH FRAME IS 3.2CM TALL. PAINTING IS PART OF QUADTYCH DEPICTING SAINTS; FRAME IS WOOD PAINTED GOLD WITH CENTER CUT-OUT TO SHOW PAINTING. PAINTING IS COMPLETED ON CANVAS ATTACHED TO WOOD BACKING; FRONT DEPICTS ST. MARK WITH GREY HAIR AND BEARD, AND BLUE AND RED ROBES. ST. MARK HOLDS A WHITE QUILL AND BROWN BOOK, WITH A YELLOW HALO BEHIND HEAD; HALO IS OUTLINED WITH BROWN. PAINTING SHOWS A BROWN AND GOLD LION ABOVE ST. MARK’S RIGHT SHOULDER. BACK OF PAINTING IS PAINTED GOLD WITH TEXT IN BLACK MARKER, “ST MARK, LOWER RIGHT”. WOOD FRAME HAS TWO SMALL NAIL HOLES IN FRONT; BACK OF FRAME IS STAINED WITH PAINT; BACK OF FRAME HAS WHITE TAPE IN TWO PLACES TO REPAIR BREAKS IN FRAME; BREAKS IN FRAME VISIBLE FROM FRONT. FRONT OF PAINTING HAS FOUR SMALL NAIL HOLES; CANVAS ON FRONT HAS PAINT PEELING ON SURFACE ALONG EDGES; FRONT OF PAINTING HAS GOLD PAINT AND SCUFF MARKS ALONG EDGES; LOWER LEFT EDGE OF WOOD HAS SPLIT; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION. F. ROUND PAINTING WITH ROUND FRAME DETACHED, FRAME IS 23.9CM DIAMETER, PAINTING WITH FRAME IS 3CM TALL. PAINTING IS PART OF QUADTYCH DEPICTING SAINTS; FRAME IS WOOD PAINTED GOLD WITH CENTER CUT-OUT TO SHOW PAINTING. PAINTING IS COMPLETED ON CANVAS ATTACHED TO WOOD BACKING; FRONT DEPICTS ST. MATTHEW WITH WHITE HAIR AND BEARD, AND GREEN, RED, AND GOLD ROBES. ST. MATTHEW HOLDS A WHITE QUILL AND BLUE-GREEN BOOK, WITH A YELLOW HALO BEHIND HEAD; HALO IS OUTLINED WITH BROWN. PAINTING SHOWS THE FACE OF A CHERUB, WITH GOLD HAIR, BLUE EYES, AND WHITE WINGS ABOVE ST. MATTHEW’S RIGHT SHOULDER. BACK OF PAINTING IS PAINTED GOLD WITH TEXT IN BLACK MARKER, “ST MATTHEW, UPPER RIGHT”. WOOD FRAME HAS FIVE SMALL NAIL HOLES IN FRONT; BACK OF FRAME IS STAINED WITH PAINT. FRONT OF PAINTING HAS THREE SMALL NAIL HOLES; FRONT HAS PAINT AND CANVAS PEELING ALONG EDGES; FRONT OF PAINTING HAS GOLD PAINT AND SCUFF MARKS ALONG EDGES; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

ART

Historical Association

RELIGION

FINE ARTS

History

ON MAY 23, 2019 COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED ALEXANDER SEREDA, MARY SEREDA, AND DAVID DICKHOUT TO DISCUSS THEIR DONATION OF OBJECTS FROM HOLY TRINITY UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. DAVID BEGAN BY EXPLAINING, “BASICALLY ALL THESE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE OFFERED ARE SURPLUS. WE HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH OTHER/ WITH NEWER OBJECTS. AND ALSO, IN SOME CASES, IT IS JUST VERY PRACTICAL, BECAUSE WE USED CANDLES IN THESE, AND IT WAS QUITE FRANKLY A MESS. SO WE HAVE INSTALLED NEW MATERIALS - NEW CANDELABRA, NEW ICONS. THE ICONS WERE OLD AND FALLING APART, AND THOSE ARE FROM THE ROYAL DOORS, AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN – SO, BASICALLY, WE ARE REPLACING OBJECTS THAT WE NO LONGER USE.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE ROYAL DOORS INSERTS THAT WERE DONATED, ALEXANDER EXPLAINS, “A ‘ROYAL DOORS’ IS ACTUALLY WHAT SIGNIFIES UKRAINIAN NATIONAL/NATIONALITY. THE FORM OF IT, IS WHEAT, A SHAFT….” DAVID CONTINUES, “THE ARRANGEMENTS ON THE DOOR… GOES, THE FOUR EVANGELISTS, AND THE ANNUNCIATION ON THE BOTTOM… SO IT GOES, MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, AND JOHN. ON THE DOORS THEMSELVES, IT’S JUST REVERSED.” RELATING TO THE INSERTS THEMSELVES, DAVID AGREES THEY ARE PAINTED ON CANVAS AND INSERTED TO THE FRAMES. HE ADDS, “THEY’RE IN THE RINGS [THAT] ARE NAILED ONTO THE ROYAL DOORS. THAT’S HOW THEY WERE ATTACHED…WE HAVE INSTALLED NEW ICONS TO REPLACE [THESE DONATED] OLD ONES.” DAVID EXPLAINED WHY THESE ITEMS WERE DONATED: “…THEY WERE IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE, YOU CAN SEE THEY’RE FADING… AND EVEN THE ICONOSTASIS HAD TO BE PAINTED BECAUSE [THE GOLD AND BLUE] WAS ALL FADED AND THE PAINT WAS CRACKING…THE STYLE THAT WE HAVE NOW IS MORE BYZANTINE, AND [THE DONATED INSERTS ARE] MORE OF A WESTERN STYLE… THESE ICONS FROM THE ROYAL DOORS WERE REPLACED [IN 2013-2014]…THE NEW ONES WERE…FROM WINNIPEG.” ALEX CONTINUED, “…A NUMBER OF THE ITEMS WERE DONATED [FOR EXAMPLE] ‘IN MEMORY OF MY PASSED-AWAY FATHER,’ I WILL DONATE THESE TWO PIECES, AND THAT’S HOW ALL OF THEM WERE, EVERY ONE OF THEM, WERE DONATED INDIVIDUALLY BY SOMEONE IN MEMORY OF SOME.” REGARDING THE VIEWS OF THE CONGREGATION WHEN REMOVING THESE OBJECTS, DAVID REPLIED, “WE HAD VERY LITTLE OPPOSITION. PEOPLE LOOKED AT THE ICONOSTASIS, AND THE ICONS, AND SAW HOW FADED THEY WERE, COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL, AND THEY SAID, ‘NO, WE NEED THEM REPLACED.’” ALEX EXPANDED ON HIS CONNECTION TO LETHBRIDGE AND THE UKRAINIAN CHURCH, “[IN] 1948 I CAME TO LETHBRIDGE, AND I NEVER LEFT. I STAYED WITH THE CHURCH FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. IT WAS GATHERING PEOPLE, THE ONES THAT IMMIGRATE[D] TO CANADA IN ‘48, ‘49 AND ‘50’S. PEOPLE WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ON THE FARMS. AND, TO ORGANIZE THE CHURCH, IT WAS NECESSARY TO BORROW A SPACE SOMEWHERE, AND SOME OTHER CHURCHES DID OFFER SPACE, UNTIL WE STARTED BUILDING OURS IN [1950]… WHEN IT WAS ORGANIZED AS A GROUP. [SAINT AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH], THAT’S WHERE WE MET, RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. THEY OFFERED US A SPACE AND WHENEVER WE NEEDED IT, IT WAS SMALLER IN SIZE IN THOSE DAYS, BUT THAT’S WHERE, ORIGINALLY, WHERE WE STARTED OUT OF…” “THERE WERE FOUR IMMIGRANTS [ZAYCHUK, MYKOLA, SOROKOSKI, AND FILIPCHUK]…ORIGINALLY OF UKRAINIAN ORIGIN, AND THEY WERE ORTHODOX … AND THEY DID START A CHURCH ALREADY.” ALEX EXPLAINS THAT THESE FOUR BUILT A CHURCH, WHICH IS NOW THE MOOSE HALL, ON FIFTH AVENUE NORTH IN THE ‘30S. “THOSE FOUR WERE THE INSTRUMENTS TO BUILD THAT, BUT THEY DID SEPARATE, BECAUSE THE COMMUNISTS WERE STRONGER, AND THEY PUSHED THEM OUT. THAT WAS THEIR WORK. THEY BUILT THAT...A NUMBER OF UKRAINIANS CAME TO LETHBRIDGE. SOME WERE CATHOLICS; SOME WERE ORTHODOX. THOSE FOUR... WERE ORTHODOX, ORIGINALLY OF UKRAINIAN ORIGIN, AND THEY WERE ORTHODOX ALREADY AND THEY DID START A CHURCH ALREADY. BUT IT DID NOT WORK OUT. IT WAS TAKEN OVER BY COMMUNIST PARTY AND ORGANIZED AS A CLUB HOUSE, RATHER THAN A CHURCH, AS A RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION… THERE [WERE] FIGHTS AMONG THEMSELVES... AND, [ZAYCHUK, MYKOLA, SOROKOSKI, AND FILIPCHUK] DIDN’T BELIEVE IN THE CLUB HOUSE, BUT, AS A CHURCH AS A RELIGIOUS GROUP – RELIGION, RATHER THAN THE NATIONALITY…THEY DID SEPARATE BECAUSE THE COMMUNISTS WERE STRONGER AND THEY PUSHED THEM OUT…[ZAYCHUK, MYKOLA, SOROKOSKI, AND FILIPCHUK] DID HELP US A LOT …TO ORGANIZE AND GET ENOUGH MONEY TO BUILD A CHURCH, AN ORTHODOX CHURCH. AND, THOSE WERE THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE THAT DID WORK. THEY ALREADY SPOKE ENGLISH; THEY ALREADY HAD CONNECTIONS WITH THE AUTHORITIES IN LETHBRIDGE HERE, SO THEY MADE A VERY BIG DIFFERENCE ON THE SUBJECT OF BUILDING THE CHURCH.” ALEX EXPLAINS THE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDRAISING FOR THE CHURCH IN 1950, SAYING, “IT WASN’T VERY EASY TO START WITH, YOU HAD TO REMEMBER, BECAUSE IT WAS SPREAD ALL OVER THE PLACE. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WAS DECIDED AT THE TIME – THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A CENTRAL LOCATION, WHERE EVERYBODY COULD GET TOGETHER AND PITCH IN, AND START DOING. [ZAYCHUK, MYKOLA, SOROKOSKI, AND FILIPCHUK] WERE THE ONES THAT PURCHASED THE LOT. EACH ONE OF US DONATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT, WHATEVER WAS GIVEN. FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER THREE YEARS, COMING TO LETHBRIDGE, WE ALREADY PURCHASED OUR FARM, SO WE HAD A TRANSPORTATION - A PICK-UP, A FARM TRUCK - AND I HAULED THE FIRST LOAD OF BASE, FOR THE BASE FOUNDATION AT THE CHURCH, SHOVELING GRAVEL AT THE RIVER BOTTOM INTO THE TRUCK, AND UNLOAD BY HAND, AS WELL, ON TOP…[THERE WAS] A CONTRACTOR. HE WAS OF UKRAINIAN ORIGIN, AND ... HE WAS ORTHODOX... HE OFFERED TO BUILD THE CHURCH, AT COST, WHATEVER IT WILL COST... HIM, WITH HIS FAMILY, THEY PUT UP THE FRAME...I DON’T REMEMBER HOW IT WORKED OUT; WHO MADE THE ORIGINAL BLUEPRINTS, AND ALL OF THAT. [THE CONTRACTOR] WAS RESPONSIBLE. HE OFFERED, AT THE COST, EVERYTHING WOULD BE DONE AT THE COST, AS HIS DONATION TO THE ORGANIZATION…" MARY ADDS, "THE WOMEN WERE DOING A LOT OF BAKING, AND COOKING, AND EVERYTHING TO MAKE MONEY, BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE SAY, 'WE LIKE YOUR STUFF THAT YOU’RE DOING.' SO, WE DID..." ALEX ADDS, "THE LADIES WERE COOKING, AND BAKING, AND MAKING ALL KINDS OF MONEY BY DONATING THEIR TIME, AND WHATEVER WE GREW ON THE FARM, AND MAKING UKRAINIAN FOODS, AND SOLD THEM. BUT THAT WAS ALREADY WHEN THE CHURCH HAS STARTED.” HE CONTINUES THAT IN 1950, “…WE HAD UP TO 70 MEMBERS…THE CATHOLICS WERE MOSTLY OUT OF THE WESTERN UKRAINE; ORTHODOX WERE RATHER TO THE EASTERN PART, AND CENTRAL PART OF UKRAINE...WAS SOMEWHAT PROBABLY MORE SELF-RELIANT PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM WERE FARMERS AT HOME, AND LAND, AND OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN FARMING AREA WAS MORE APPEALING TO THEM, WHILE, WESTERNERS… FARMS WERE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT…PEOPLE BOUGHT LAND, THE ONES THAT HAD MONEY, AND MOST OF THEM WERE WORKERS. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCUMULATE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY, SO THEY ENDED UP TO BE MOSTLY WORKERS, AND, FOR THEM (AS A WORKER, WHERE THE PAY IS HIGHER), INDUSTRIES OFFER MORE PAY. SO, MOST OF THEM WENT TO THE EAST FROM HERE, BECAUSE THE PAYS WERE HIGHER OVER THERE, AS WELL AS LARGER COMMUNITIES OF THEIR ORIGINAL PLACES. IT WORKED MOSTLY ON THE SUBJECT (THAT’S MY INTERPRETATION), THAT WHERE SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW WERE FROM/THAT YOU CAN BE AS A LARGER GROUP/AS A COMMUNE IS WHAT WAS CLOSER TO THEIR HEART...MORE [UKRAINIANS] FROM HERE WENT TO EASTERN CANADA. PRETTY WELL ALL THE ONES THAT CAME TO WORK ON SUGAR BEETS OVER HERE END UP TO BE THERE..." ALEX STATES, "SO, TO US, CHURCH WAS A RELIGION, RATHER THAN A GROUP OF SAME PEOPLE KNOWING EACH OTHER AND BEING – GOING TO ORGANIZATION WHERE YOU WILL BE NATIONALLY OF THE SAME. TO US, IT WOULDN’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE - IF IT IS ORTHODOX, IT IS ORTHODOX. WE’RE WORKING ON THE CHURCH. WE ALWAYS DID WORK FOR THE CHURCH, RATHER THAN -. NATIONALITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION." DAVID CONTINUES REGARDING THE FORMATION OF THE CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY, “I DIDN’T ARRIVE UNTIL ABOUT 2004, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT…IT HAD BEEN A PREDOMINANTLY UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX COMMUNITY, BUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAD A NUMBER OF NEW PEOPLE…I DON’T THINK IT’S EXCLUSIVELY UKRAINIAN ANYMORE… THE NON-UKRAINIANS, OVER THE YEARS, HAVE BEEN CERTAINLY WELCOMED BY THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX, AND WE JUST SORT OF SLID IN. WE WERE ACCEPTED, AND WE CONTINUED, AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER WE WERE UKRAINIAN OR NOT. AND, WE STILL USE UKRAINIAN IN OUR WORSHIP, BUT WE ALSO USE A LOT OF ENGLISH TOO. I THINK SOMETIMES WE ARE USING MOSTLY ENGLISH, BUT I THINK WHEN FATHER TARAS IS THERE, IT’S PROBABLY ABOUT 60:40.” ALEX ADDS, "THAT’S WHO IS, IN MY OPINION, A ROOT OF OUR EXISTENCE – THAT FATHER TARAS IS THAT KIND OF A PERSON. RELIGION IS WHAT HE IS WORKING RATHER THAN NATIONALITY, AND WESTERNERS WORK JUST OPPOSITE. TO THEM, NATIONALITY IS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CHURCH. LIKE I SAY, MANY OF THEM ARE OF THE GREEK CATHOLIC EXTRACTION, SO THEY JUST GO TO BIGGER AREAS WHERE THERE’S MORE OF THEM, SO THEY ARE AS A NATIONALITY, NATIONALLY ORGANIZING, RATHER THAN RELIGION." DAVID EXPLAINS, "WE ALSO HOST THE COPTIC ORTHODOX, AND THE ERITREAN ORTHODOX COMMUNITIES IN OUR CHURCH, TOO. SO, THAT IS A FURTHER EXPANSION, AND SOME OF THEM ATTEND OUR SERVICES, TOO, SO, I WOULD SAY, IT’S A VERY MIXED CONGREGATION. IT’S MULTI-CULTURAL; MULTI-ETHNIC; IT’S VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHEN THE FIRST UKRAINIANS ARRIVED. IN THAT COMMUNITY, THEY HAD THE TROYANDA DANCERS THERE AT ONE POINT." TECHNICAL ERRORS RESULTED IN THE INTERVIEW ENDING BEFORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PAINTING WAS DISCUSSED. FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMMIGRATION STORY OF THE SEREDAS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20190009001.

Catalogue Number

P20190009002

Acquisition Date

2019-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail