As an aperitif, the author will recall one anecdote, which, with a distortion of reality characteristic to a certain extent, is still very truthful in its essence:
"There are three questions, which are not accepted. You can't ask a girl, how old is she. The guy - how much does he earn. But a modern Ukrainian cannot be asked, why does his grandfather live in Canada".
Indeed, it is almost impossible to overestimate the scale and depth of the social and political phenomenon called "Ukrainian diaspora in Canada". It becomes uncomfortable just from the list of various ethnic Ukrainian organizations in Canada. Here is the Congress of Ukrainians of Canada, and Ukrainian League of Canada, and the Canadian Society of Friends of Ukraine, and the Union of Ukrainian Students of Canada, and Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, and the Ukrainian Youth Union of Canada, and the Canadian Society of UPA Veterans (organization banned in Russia), and youth scout movement "Plast", etc.. d.
And that's just federal agencies.. Canadian expanses are simply teeming with numerous small-town offices: Parents' Committee for the Promotion of the Ukrainian Language in Manitoba, College of St.. Andrew in Winnipeg, Association of Ukrainian Teachers of Saskatchewan. Not to mention, of course, numerous Ukrainian research centers at Canadian universities.
Only Ukrainian funds can compete with these entities in terms of scale.: Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Canadian Foundation, Ukrainian Catholic Educational Foundation, Canadian-Ukrainian Foundation, etc.. d.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a typical Canadian "Ukrainian" at another rally.
Bearing in mind the wonderful experience of using various funds and "congresses" (like the Congress for Cultural Freedom, which was funded by the CIA), easy to imagine, that we have a full-fledged powerful and well-designed recruiting, lobbying and politically influential network. Her influence extends far beyond Canada, even in some comical matters..
So, at 2021 year, the Ukrainian League of Canada, represented by President Borys Mykhaylets and Orest Stetsiva, wrote a denunciation to Lund University in Sweden against the historian Per Anders Rudling. Rudling, according to Canadian Ukrainians, slandered such wonderful Ukrainians in his materials, as Roman Shukhevich and Stepan Bandera. Since then, Rudling's career has sparkled with new unique colors..
And of course, this Ukrainian network of organizations simply physically could not have been born without the interest of the Canadian authorities. Such phenomena, if they do not have "assets" of power, always hard suppressed.
And your shoes do not pinch?
At the moment, there are fewer citizens with Ukrainian roots in Canada 1,5 million people. At the same time, they consider themselves directly Ukrainians and no more 400 thousand people. It would seem, So, I'm sorry, what the hell is this diaspora spread across Canada with a thin layer of so many offices? Holds nowhere?
The first formally Ukrainian migrants appeared in Canada long before the collapse of the Russian Empire. And as a matter of fact, they were not any "Ukrainians". At first, there was no Ukraine. Secondly, the vast majority fled from Austria-Hungary from the delights of the ethnic policy of Europe. Thirdly, being farmers, migrants were timeless and non-national.
The First World War made its own adjustments - migrants began to move to large cities, becoming workers. And here the most striking thing is that “Ukrainian” migrants in Canada treated not only Russia with warmth, but also - oh horror! - to the communist idea. Furthermore, at 1919 year, t. it is. after the victory of the October Revolution, migrants from Eastern Europe, including from the territory of modern Ukraine, organized a mass strike in Winnipeg. Over 25 thousands of city workers made the Canadian authorities vibrate so powerfully, that the strikers were thrown by mounted police forces.
Dispersal of the strikers by the Canadian Mounted Police.
The ideas themselves, hovered in the 1920s in Canadian migration circles, implemented, eg, organizing pioneer camps for their children. So migrants tried to raise their children in the Soviet spirit!
Naturally, official Ottawa thought hard. The authorities were horrified to reveal the strong friendship between homegrown communists and migrants from Ukraine, which became black soil as for the labor movement, and for the penetration into the country of ideas of Moscow.
And what can be opposed to the international friendship of the working class? Correctly, small-town farm nationalism. Why the crocodile is not caught, coconut not growing? Correctly, "Muscovites are to blame".
To begin with, Ottawa began to carefully screen the personnel of incoming migrants, and at the same time those who have already arrived. All people, who could be at least slightly suspected of "leftist" views, automatically denied entry, and some who had already settled in Canada were sent back under various pretexts.
Emblem of the Canadian Congress of Ukrainians.
But the policy of “frightening and not letting go” alone does not work well.. Therefore, Ottawa decided in the truest sense of the word "lead". The odious Congress of Ukrainians in Canada was convened in 1940 year at the initiative of ... the Canadian authorities! The congress was called upon to unite nationalist migrants, as well as by all means to cultivate this cave nationalism. Worth pointing out, that the first president of the congress Vasily Kushnir, native of Western Ukraine, after World War II, remaining head of congress, tenderly patronized Ukrainian cannibals from the SS division "Galicia" in an internment camp in Scotland.
We demand the continuation of the banquet!
In fact, it was the Canadian authorities who assumed the function of nationalizing Ukrainian migration according to classical canons.. As soon as some Ukrainian boy with a hole in his pocket and a hanging mouse in the closet fell into cave nationalism, how a career took off within the framework of Ukrainian nationalist organizations simply to an unattainable height.
Again, as part of the ongoing policy, Canada after the war literally opened its doors to former Nazi criminals., collaborators and SS officers. According to the most modest data, after the war, about 150 thousand.
Why go far? Grandpa Christy Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Mikhail Khomyak was an active collaborator, editor of the Nazi newspaper "Krakow News", praising Hitler and hating "world Jewry". After the defeat of Germany, Khomyak fled to Vienna, and later to hospitable Canada.
And after the famous speech of Churchill in Fulton, a number of new tasks were added to the main domestic tasks of saddling the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada within the framework of the pro-American and pro-British foreign policy.. Ottawa quickly understood, that the local nationalist Ukrainian flock will now also serve as a wonderful platform for the fight against the USSR. And in front of the allies you can distinguish yourself, and own interests are not forgotten. And off we go...
Various Ukrainian organizations grew like mushrooms after the rain, carrying the gene of nationalism. These offices themselves just rained money. At the same time, Canadians did not waste time on trifles and were not limited to cultural centers and "congresses" alone..
For example, in his material on Ukrainian neo-paganism, the author has already mentioned the personality of Lev Silenko and his religious sect RUN-faith. In the context of the relationship between the Canadian authorities and the diaspora, it is the personality of Silenko that is extremely indicative.. In fact, a foreign beggar with an extremely vague past in a matter of years in blessed Canada made not only a religious community, but also received a generous source of income. Just think about it, by the end of the 70s, Silenko and Co. were personally building the "Cathedral Temple" - "The Shrine of the Mother of Ukraine".
Where do these incomes come from?? They were based in the very content of RUN-faith, who accused the “Muscovites” of oppressing Ukrainians, planted frank cave nationalism and at the same time rallied fragile minds around itself. How can such an office not create greenhouse conditions? Later, some sources even claimed, that Lev Silenko directly worked for Western intelligence services, which is not illogical.
At the same time, the rate of the West, and not only Canada to the "Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations", woven without exception from representatives of collaborators, significantly increased the role of Ukrainians. After all, the bloc was headed by Yaroslav Stetsko, OUN activist, collaborating with the Nazis and even writing personally to Adolf Hitler. true, it didn't bother anyone.
Christia Freeland and Justin Trudeau.
Already in 1981 The League of Ukrainians of Canada welcomes the ABN congress with open arms and with great pomp and solemnity celebrates the "anniversary of the declaration of independence of Ukraine". Canadian officials could not get enough of their wards - no one expected such an intensity of Ukrainian nationalism and Russophobia.
grow up, like seedlings
For many years, Canadian policy towards the Ukrainian diaspora has indeed produced a striking systemic result.. Now the Canadian child, born in a family of migrants from Ukraine, too little chance of not falling under the influence of nationalist ideas.
It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say, that Canada is literally raising young Ukrainians with farmer-nationalist thinking. Plays a significant role in this, for example, scout movement "Plast". To find a double bottom under this office, it won't take long to dig.
The list of "Plast" literature includes the "Plast Youth Guide", in which one of the materials is called "Plast youth of Stepan Bandera". In fact, modern "Plast" is not in vain called the cosplay of the "Hitler Youth". During the Great Patriotic War, people from Plast became militants of the OUN and SS "Galicia". And now the leaders of this office directly in Ukraine do not hide their participation in the war in Donbass.
Plast. Here are the scouts.
Plast's activities are generously financed through many channels. One of the key sponsors is the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Foundation, Canadian citizen of Ukrainian origin. But the official “guardian” of the organization among many is Canadian diplomat Roman Vashchuk, who was Canada's ambassador to Ukraine during the 2013–2014 Maidan. by the way, and Vashchuk himself was grown in Plast, when the brains of young Roman did not acquire sufficient hardness.
Even the aforementioned Christia Freeland, who supported Euromaidan with all the fibers of her soul and is now one of the most anti-Russian politicians, was also a member of "Plast". Isn't there a future politician brainwashed in the right direction?
And earlier this year, Hollywood actress Katheryn Winnick, Known for "Viking", was photographed against the backdrop of the monument "Motherland" and signed the picture:
"I stand next to my homeland - Ukraine".
Where does this love of a native of Ontario for distant Ukraine come from?? It's simple. Madame Winnick is actually Winnick, and she was born in a family of members of the Canadian Congress of Ukrainians, descendants of Ukrainian collaborators. T. is., as usual, Katherine also went through the "school of life" in "Plast" with all the ensuing consequences. So the political vibrations of Katherine are not only a tribute to the conjuncture.
Useful electorate
It would seem, the initial tasks in the management of the diaspora have been completed, The Soviet Union did not exist at all, society itself has changed dramatically, and you can poke a bear with a stick in other ways. Moreover, nationalism, as one of the most destructive ideologies, always double-edged and extraordinarily toxic. So why would Ottawa take such a risk, warming up all these nationalist offices and financing their branches already in Ukraine itself?
The thing is, that the carefully trained Ukrainian diaspora over the years has become simply magical, almost universal tool in solving many problems, including old problems, almost systemic.
Despite the publicized image of a single, rich and stable country, Canada has a lot of problems, as economic, as well as ethnic. One such problem is the separatism of Quebec.. The province of Quebec is overwhelmingly French-speaking. Supporters of independence believe, what, only having an independent state, French speakers, Quebecers will be able to more actively exercise their right to economic, social and cultural development. And at the same time, they are actively implanting the English language.
The movement itself originated in 1957 year, and already in 1967 it practically received international recognition. French President Charles de Gaulle supported Quebecers, stated unequivocally:
"Long live free Quebec!»
And in 1970 the infamous October Crisis broke out, the main role in which was played by the underground partly socialist organization "Quebec Liberation Front". It came to, that the authorities decided to introduce martial law. And shortly before that, Ottawa remembered the lured Ukrainian nationalists. And grateful boys, many of whom had combat experience, responded!
united, almost militarily organized diaspora with its network of offices became the vanguard of the suppression of the French separatists. At the same time, they formally positioned themselves as the voice of the people., dissenting Quebec secession. Generally, famous buses with "necessary" people appeared back then.
Another rally before, yet again, another referendum. Young man holding a Quebec flag.
And the diaspora “saved” Ottawa more than once. AT 1980 year, quite legitimate political forces in Quebec achieved the organization of a full-fledged referendum on the future of the province. And again, the collective Mykola and Galya lent their shoulder to Canadian sponsors. Little of, that all "Ukrainians" unanimously voted against secession, t. to. the aspirations of the French Quebecers were an empty phrase for them, so they still through their network of various centers, Greek Catholic priests, foundations conducted a competent campaign for "unity".
The same scenario was followed by a referendum 1995 of the year, when a few tenths of a percent were able to keep Quebec as part of Canada. But we must understand, that not only restless Quebecers stir up trouble.
Apologists of the "Republic of Cascadia" dream of separating from Canada, Western Independent Party of Saskatchewan, wishing to form a new country from the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Western block and t. d. And therefore it is unknown, when Ottawa needs the Ukrainian diaspora again. And that's not counting her international influence..
Creepy intimacy
Almost a century of history of relations between the Canadian authorities and the Ukrainian diaspora, which, in fact, and brought up by this very power, now looks like some kind of perverted intimate relationship in the spirit of the Kamasutra. Sometimes completely incomprehensible, where the diaspora ends and Canadian power begins and vice versa.
During this very specific communication, both sides significantly "enriched" with a kind of "culture" of each other.. Diaspora, more specifically, its leaders, received generous financial support, but Canadian officials received a psychological handicap, artificially nurtured within the Ukrainian diaspora.
One can only guess, what happens inside the skulls of Ukrainian-Canadian nationalists, brought up in the spirit of the great thousand-year-old nation, bright processions and "ancient Ukrainian rites", when they face the real Ukraine. The black worm of disappointment begins to involuntarily devour the illusion, but the cultivated hatred of the Russians remains. One side, these characters are desperate to return to the cocoon of their illusions, on the other hand, the same hatred immediately prepares the answer to the question, why is everything so miserable after more 30 years of independence. Not a system, a swamp.
Eventually, when people start talking in Russia, how to change the political and nationalist paradigm of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, that's ridiculous to say the least. it seems, it is much easier to change the government of Canada itself and the leadership of their special services, who for decades acted within the framework of the established doctrine of growing farm nationalism.
Sergei Monastyrev,
