Immigration in Argentina

In the late nineteenth century the territory of Ukraine was divided between neighboring states. Most of them belonged to the Russian Empire and its western member of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The occupying powers only thought in exploiting the country's wealth and effort of the people, no matter what.

This state of affairs resulted in a difficult economic situation for most people, in particular for Ukrainians farmers and laborers. For this reason, many sought a more promising future in distant countries, not hesitating to cross oceans and seas. The year 1885 recorded the arrival of Ukrainian immigrants in USA and Canada,then in 1891 arrived the first families to Brazil and so forth.
In Argentina, politicians were well aware of the need to colonize the territory, at that time largely uninhabited.Even Alberdi said: "In America, to govern is to populate." In 1876 came into force "Avellaneda Act," which sought to encourage the arrival of European immigrants. The generosity of the law meant that large numbers of immigrants began to arrive at the port of Buenos Aires.

Among immigrants who arrived at the port of Buenos Aires in 1897 were the first settler families Ukrainians, 12 in total, which after a brief lull in Buenos Aires and La Plata were invited to populate the then federal territory of Misiones. An August 27, 1897 those families of pioneers arrived to the people of the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, now the thriving city of Apostles. The first settlers received plots of virgin land and began the arduous task of converting them into fertile land. Despite the setbacks, lack of knowledge of the language and local customs, the resistance of the wilderness to the progress of civilization, their efforts began to bear fruit and to a promising other families began to arrive.

And if in 1897 lived in Apostles 297 people, which added to those of nearby came to 900, then to 1903 that number had risen to 6,000 people, most Ukrainians.
For many years the settlers lacked the support of his church, which have built chapels, even without a priest. In 1908 arrived the first priests of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, launching the great pastoral today translates into a Eparchy, 14 parishes and about 60 churches and chapels.The priests also gave impetus to the social and economic life of colónos. In that order in 1910 the father Karpiuk created the first Ukrainian social entity in Argentina, she was the Reading Room "Markian Shashkevych" Apostles. Unfortunately, the institution is not there for many times.In 1921, another priest, Father Ivan Senyszyn, organized a cooperative Apostles, "The Ukrainian Agricultural, looking to increase the economic capacity of the pioneers.

Early settlers also sought to maintain and transfer to their children their customs, traditions and religious beliefs. To this end in 1907, the tenth anniversary of the arrival of the first Ukrainian to Argentina, comes the first building of an Ukrainian school. This occurred in the village of Las Tunas. Classes were taught in the home of settler Graboviecky and the first teacher was Dmytro Warenycia. Then this school moved to Three Capones. In 1908, already existed three schools: In Las Tunas, apostles and Three Capones.In 1909, R.P. Jaroslav Karpiuk organized a parish school at Apostles, with some ups and downs that lasted until the advanced decade thirties, the same thing happened with the school Azara. It was built where Apostles have blessed in 1930, the first Ukrainian school in Argentina. Classes are taught at the outset daily in a sort of dual enrollment. The whole education system was maintained in missions until the mid-forties.

The outbreak of the 1st World War interrupted immigration to Argentina.Only in the early years of the 20th decade, new waves of immigrants began to arrive at the port of Buenos Aires, including many of our compatriots.Ukraine, after the Russian Revolution and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire, had declared its independence. Followed by a series of defensive wars with Communist Russia, Tsarist Russia, (called "whites"), and with the Poles they sought to rebuild its grip on the Ukrainian territories. As a result of the cited invasions, Ukraine lost its independence and a new wave of their children looked after better prospects of living over seas. Many of them emigrated for political reasons, chased by the occupiers of their homeland. They did not always have the necessary capital to acquire lands and farms.

Therefore cities gave them the opportunity to be able to survive by working, especially in factories, workshops and refrigeration. They gave impetus to the creation of the Ukrainian community life. Most of these immigrants were settled in the Federal Capital and Greater Buenos Aires. They have created then social entities.The first entity that emerged in these years was "Molodá Hromada" (Community Youth), Berisso, in early 1924, which were transformed into the Association "Prosvita". Another Association "Prosvita" was founded in Buenos Aires in August of 1924. In December 1926 was established the Association "Prosvita" Dock Sud, which for many years was the real center of social life Ukrainian in Buenos Aires. It was at the subsidiary "Prosvita" Dock Sud, where began the publish in February 1928, the Ukrainske Slovo newspaper.

In 1928 the three entities joined to form a single association, becoming the Buenos Aires and the Central House of Berisso and Dock Sud. In 1930 formed the subsidiary Apostles; In 1933 the Valentine Alsina and so forth. In the early forties, the Association "Prosvita" had 24 branches: five in Greater Buenos Aires, three in the province of Santa Fe, eight missions, five in Chaco, one in Mendoza, Santiago del Estero and in Tucuman. Some of these subsidiary were transient, because their partners worked in the public works site.On May 25, 1930 the priest Stepan Waprowych, arrived from Missions,and blessed Headquarters "Prosvita" -Dock South.

The corporate activity at that time was very diverse. Each subsidiary had its library with books and newspapers from Ukraine, so that they could read and learn the latest news. It also issued a series of workshops aimed for improving the chances of immigrant labor.It was at the subsidiary Dock Sud, where it had been lunched the first Easter Community (Spilne Sviachene "). It happened in 1931.A year earlier, in 1930, was published in Buenos Aires the first "Dictionary Ukrainian -Spanish and Spanish -Ukrainian, probably the first in the world. The editor was Stepan Mandziy, a leader of "Prosvita" Dock Sud.

The teacher was Stepan Naumluk founded a new school in the subsidiary Prosvita of Berisso, and in August 1933 another school in Valentine Alsina. In September 1932 was formed in "Prosvita" Section School whose mission was to help the maintenance of schools, provide them the training materials, and so on.The Ukrainian Religious life experienced a very emotional moment, when in 1922 happend e great thing: the pastoral visit of Metropolitan Andrey Szeptytsky, the Ukrainian Catholic Church. In 1930 he visited the Ukrainian settlements in Misiones and Buenos Aires Bishop Kostantyn Bohachewsky and in 1939 Bishop Ivan Buchko.

There was a notable pastoral work of the father Stepan Vaprovych, who in a few years built Missions in eight churches and chapels.In 1935 parents Basilianos took over the parish of Missions. In 1939 arrived sisters Basilianas and then priests and nuns from other religious orders.
The Ukrainian immigrants in Buenos Aires did not have a priest until 1940, when the father Ipatiy Mayka arrived there and settled in Berisso, officiating at Masses in several Argentine Catholic churches, where he was permitted to officiate at its rite.In 1932 came the first evangelical congregations, which years later joined the Evangelical Community in Ukraine.

In addition to the Association "Prosvita" were basing others. Thus in 1926 was formed in the city of Córdoba "Mutual Aid Association", an entity that was proposed to help economically the imigrants. This partnership in 1929 built his own head office.In 1931 formed another association of mutual aid in Buenos Aires.In 1930 it was formed the first female Ukrainian entity in Argentina. It was the "Uniting female charity." In 1931 was founded in Buenos Airesthe Ukrainian Gymnastics Association "Sokil", which had its branches in La Falda, in the province of Cordoba and in the city of Cordoba. Also in 1931 was founded in the South Dock the Ukrainian Sports Association "Sich".In December 1933, a group of members of "Prosvita" founded "Striletska Hromada", which in 1934 began to publish the weekly "Nash Klych" (Our Call), which appeared until 2000. In 1938 the "Striletska Hromada" joined the Partnership "Sokil" shaping "ODVU" (Organization for Renaissance Ukrainian State). Only subsidiary "Sokil" Cordoba refused to integrate to the new structure remaining autonomous until today. Over time the partnership was expanding Renaissance, relying at present with a headquarters, three subsidiaries (Avellaneda, Berisso and Munro), and a fifth sport center(Kalyna).

The Second World War interrupted momentarily the arrival of immigrants. On completion of the hostilities in 1945, in the territories occupied by Germany from Western allies, appeared a large number of war refugees, as well as tens of thousands of deported from Ukraine, to work in Germany. Also left Ukrainians freed prisoners of Nazi concentration camps.They were grouped in refugee camps.The Soviet authorities tryed to repatriate them back,but the refugees refused to do it. Despite of everything people began to search new countries to which emigrate. Many arrived in Argentina, forming a new wave of immigration. All of them were considered immigrants for political reasons.The vast majority settled in the city of Buenos Aires and its surroundings. The newly imigrants brought new ideas and create new partnerships such as: Ukrainian Club (1948), the Ucrainian Women's Union (1948), the Organization youth Ukraine "Plast" (Boys Scouts) in 1949, the Ukrainian Youth Union (SUM), in 1950, the Brethren Rifles of the Ukrainian Sich (1950), the Union of scientists, artists and writers Ukrainians (1949), The Brotherhood of ex-combatants of the 1 st Ukrainian division (1951),The Union of Students (SAUS) (1953), the Union of Ukrainian businessmen, entrepreneurs and professionals (1954), the theatrical survey "Les Kurbas" (1952). The low number of new emigrants produced no significant changes, most of them have integrated the ranks of existing entities

.In 1948 parents Basilianos bought a property in the Federal Capital, which was transformed into a church and monastery. Blessed in October of that year,it became the first Ukrainian Catholic church in Buenos Aires. Then other churches were built in Buenos Aires and its provinces. Similar trend continued Orthodox believers, evangelists, etc..But the so-called Ukrainian immigration policy did not live a long time in Argentina. The greatest intellectual and economic opportunities they offered the North American continent, in particular the USA And Canada, and especially the ability to revalidate their professional qualifications without necessity, as in Argentina, having to make the primary again, were an irresistible motivation for them and since the mid-fifties until the early of 60 most of them, a very important strip of intellectuals and professionals Ukrainians, returned to migrate to those countries.In the economic field, the fifties witnessed significant progress in the community. In 1952 is based cooperative "Renaissance", in partnership with the same name. The cooperative grows years later and has subsidiaries in San Bernardo-Chaco and Oberá-Misiones. In 1957 surge "Fortune", the cooperative partnership "Prosvita". Then appears the cooperative "Tryzub (Trident), the Orthodox community.

Unfortunately, the economic crisis which struck Argentina frustrated was the development of the cooperative movement Ukrainian.In 1961 arrives in Argentina Monsignor Andrew Sapelak, appointed by the Holy See, initially as Apostolic Visitator of Ukrainians in Argentina. Monsignor Sapelak gave new impetus to the development of the ukrainian religious life, organizing more parishes and building new churches. Today Monsignor Sapelak lives far away in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian educational system reaches its tertiary level in 1967 with the opening of the Ukrainian Catholic University San Clemente Pope. Its first director was Dr. Bohdan T. Halajczuk.
It was also developed the Autocephalous Orthodox Church Ukraine.

In1970 the female section of Prosvita, active since 1934, was transformed into the Women's Union of Prosvita, an autonomous entity within the association. Similar process occurred in the Renaissance, which gave birth to the Women's Organization Ucranias Renaissance.

In 1987 surge in Posadas the Ukrainian Cultural Association "August 27", while in the city of Oberá, the Community of Ukraine Oberá and Colonies was facing the construction of a Ukrainian representative house. In April 1987, Pope John Paul 11 visited the Ukrainian Catholic community in Buenos Aires, on the eve of the millennium of Christianity in Ukraine.On August 24, 1991 Ukraine declared its independence.Shortly the embassy opened its doors to Ukraine in Argentina.Over a hundred years passed in the life of the Ukrainian community in Argentina. Years of work and effort of our elders, have been translated into temples and social centers, libraries and schools, communities and associations. A true epic whose history we must not only rescue, but show as an example to future generations.This is the legend that we received and we have to transmit it to future generations.

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