Big Changes are in the Works…

Sons of the Soil, an exhibition from the permanent collection of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, is finally coming to an end. This exhibition has been on display, with minor changes, for more than four decades.

The exhibition Sons of the Soil was created for the opening of the new museum building in 1980.

Its title was borrowed from the epic novel Syny zemli (“Sons of the Soil“), written during WWII by the Ukraine-born Alberta teacher and author Illia Kiriak. Visited by countless school children, families, tourists, and Saskatoon residents over its long lifespan, the exhibition is virtually synonymous with the Museum.

But all things end, and the clothing, tapestries (kylymy), photographs, and other artefacts that have filled the majestic main gallery of the Museum need to rest. The museum’s collection will be examined with fresh eyes and reinstalled in new ways in late September 2023.

The large gallery will no longer be a “permanent” exhibition but a space that hosts rotating shows, both from our permanent collection and from other sources. Sons of the Soil has been a perennial favourite, and some people have grown up with it. Don’t miss your chance to say goodbye before the end of August.

The exhibition ends September 2, 2023, but things will be moving around in the space before then. Come say “Farewell!” (Proshchavai!) and leave your favourite memories and thoughts about the exhibition in our Memory Book or send us a letter to 910 Spadina Cres E, S7K 3H5.

Syny zemli, we thank you! You have worked hard!