Number DOI: http://doi.org/10.33209/2519-4348-2707-9627-2024-12-160

VB. – № 12, 2024. – P. 168-187

Published: 22 October 2024

Summary

In the history of science, biographical research remains to be important. Nowadays, the growth of the number of scientific studies devoted to the research on personalities is observed. Researchers, using modern approaches and extensive methodological tools, have revived the names of many public, cultural and ecclesiastical figures once consigned to oblivion. The historical past of the Ukrainian diaspora and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Western Europe, in particular in post-war Germany, despite the individual works of scientists, is poorly researched. The figure of Archpriest Oleksandr Semenovych (1896–1957) also remained without appropriate attention from the scholars. In this article, based on the sources, an attempt is made to reconstruct fragments of the biography of Archpriest Oleksandr Semenovych, an outstanding priest of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the Diaspora. He began his priestly service in Volyn, but in 1944 he emigrated to Germany, where he actively joined the activities of the UAOC, which was organized here after the end of the war in all communities-camps of Ukrainian emigrants. The creation of a complex study dedicated to the service and activities of Archpriest Oleksandr Semenovych required the involvement of relevant historical sources. For the first time, the author used and introduced into scientific circulation documents of personal origin from the personal file of Oleksandr Semenovych, which provide an opportunity to comprehensively research the biography and his activities, especially in the period before emigration. In addition, the research was supplemented with documents and materials from the Ukrainian Historical and Educational Center of New Jersey (New Jersey, USA) and the Volyn Local History Museum. A particularly valuable complex source is the church-religious journal “Native Church”. The analysis of archival documents, which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, make it possible to compile a prosopographic portrait of Archpriest Oleksandr Semenovych in as much detail as possible and to note his role in the life of the Ukrainian diaspora community.

Key words: Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, archpriest, Oleksandr Semenovych, emigration, diaspora.

References:

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2. Correspondence of Bl. Metropolitan Nicanor. 1951–1955. Fr. Anatoli Dubliansky papers. Box 1. Folder 1. Ukrainian History and Educational Center Archives. Somerset, New Jersey (USA) [in Ukrainian].

3. Metrics of marriage. Volyn Museum of Local Lore. Inv.№KDF–17098 [in Ukrainian].

4. Personal file of Oleksandr Semenovych. Departmental archive of the Volyn Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine [in Ukrainian].

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