Governor Kathy Huchul mentioned Sunday, in suspending trade relations with Russia, that New York is home to the largest number of Ukrainian immigrants in the nation, but where is that community concentrated?
New York City is home to one of the largest populations of Ukrainians in the United States, between 100 and 150,000, according to estimates from the Committee of the Ukrainian Congress of America.
And the heart of that community is known as Little Ukraine, bounded by a handful of blocks from Sixth and Seventh Streets and Second Avenue in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood. Ukrainian restaurants, churches and banks stand out in the area.
Port Brighton Beach in Brooklyn also has a large concentration of Ukrainians with schools, synagogues, and cultural centers, in addition to populations scattered throughout the five boroughs.
Ukrainian immigration to New York coincided with another massive European immigration in the late 19th century. Another mass Ukrainian immigration occurred during and after World War II, when Ukrainians escaped from the Nazis and the Russians.
Ukrainian immigrants began to settle predominantly on 7th Street in the East Village. It is in that area, where Ukrainian culture and architecture are most visible today, the Ukrainian population surpassed 60,000 residents after World War II, according to city records.
One of the famous institutions is the Ukrainian Museum, the largest community in the country. It was founded in 1976 by the National Ukrainian Women’s League of America with the great goal of acquiring, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting items of artistic or historical importance to Ukrainians.
The museum’s unparalleled variety of popular art, exceptional fine art collection, and extensive compendium of archival materials make it one of the most unique and dynamic museums in New York City, with broad appeal to diverse audiences. Each year, the Museum organizes several exhibitions, publishes accompanying bilingual catalogs, and conducts a wide range of public programming, frequently in collaboration with other museums, educational institutions, and cultural centers.
In 2005, the Museum moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the East Village. The building was designed by Ukrainian American architect George Sawicki of Sawicki Tarella Architecture + Design, and funded primarily by the Ukrainian-American community.
The Museum’s new home, at 222 East 6th Street, is also home to the National Ukrainian Women’s League of America, established in 1925.
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