Manchester City Council

Ukrainians

  1. Brief history

    Ukrainians first migrated here in the late 19th and early 20th century, settling in the Red Bank area. Often referred to as the 'old immigrants' (stari emihiranty), further Ukrainian immigrants and displaced persons from Western Ukraine, settled in the Cheetham area after the Second World War. The majority of Ukrainians in the city were Ukrainian Catholic. In 1954 the first parish priest, Father Djoba, purchased St Mary's Ukrainian (Uniate) Catholic Church on Cheetham Hill Road, also known as Dormition of Our Lady. Previous to this, the Catholic Ukrainians had practised at St. Casimir's Roman Catholic Church, Manchester (before c.1930) and then at St. Chad's Roman Catholic Church, Cheetham Hill (from c.1930).

  2. What's available

    We hold microfilm copies of baptisms, marriages and confirmations for St. Casimir from 1904 to 1931 (MFPR 981) and baptisms, confirmations and burials for St. Chad until 1941 (MFPR 960-962). Some Manchester Ukrainians are Orthodox and practice at a church in Plymouth Grove, Longsight.

    A good history of St. Chad is: St. Chad's Manchester: Parish and People (2007) by Martin Gittins (282.42733 RAD). This includes a section on the early Ukrainian community.

    The first Ukrainian social club was opened on Cheetham Hill Road around 1930. It's had various locations, but is now based on Smedley Lane, Cheetham Hill. In Whalley Range two clubs were opened in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but these were closed in the 1990s.

    The best introduction to the Manchester Ukrainian community is 'A Brief History of Ukrainians in Manchester' (in Ukrainian, some parts in English) by Father Evhen Nebesniak (we don't have a copy at the moment). A good brief history of the community can also be found on the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain website.

    We have various resources relating to the community:

    • Mitchell, Larysa, 'Sources for the Ukrainian Community in Manchester' (University of Liverpool Master in Archives and Records Management Dissertation, 2001) BR942.733004 MIT. We also hold some papers of Larysa Bolton (nee Mitchell) relating to this dissertation (ref GB127.M714). Language: English.
    • Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain (Lesia Ukrayinka), Manchester Branch. Minutes 1967 to 2005 (ref GB127.M747 on microfilm). Language: Ukrainian.
    • Press cuttings taken from Ukrainian press concerning aspects of Ukrainian life in the diaspora with particular focus on the city and the surrounding area, 1958 to 1972 (ref GB127.M776). Language: Ukrainian.
    • Miscellaneous material relating to the city's Ukrainian Community (ref GB127.MISC/1098).
    • Papers of Dariya Fedyk, Ukrainian teacher, 1950s to 2004 (ref GB127.M789)
    • Photographs of Ukrainian life in Manchester and Britain taken by Mr. and Mrs. Lytwyn. Includes photographs of CYM (Ukrainian Youth Association); marches and rallies; amateur dramatics; funerals; Dormition Our Lady Ukrainian Church; Serednicky family; Lytwyn family; Whit Walks; Sydenhurst Home in Chiddingfold; Ukrainian camp in Derby; social gatherings; and religious occasions (ref: GB127.M793).

    We also hold printed material:

    • Golden Jubilee programme for the Church of the Dormition of Our Lady, 2004. 282.427339 Ch(774). Language: Ukrainian.
    • Panchuk, B. 'Heroes of Their Day' (Multicultural History Society, 1983) includes sections on the 'stari emihiranty'. 942.733004 PAN(162). Language: English.
    • 'Fifty Years of Homin and Orlyk: The Jubilee Concert of Representative Ensembles of the Association of Ukrainians of Great Britain' (Association of Ukrainians of Great Britain, 1999). 942.733004 ASS(002). Language: Ukrainian and some English.
    • Shkola Ukrayinoznavstva v Manchester im. Tarasa Shevchenka : Littya, 8go-lipnya, 1995 [A History of the Manchester Ukrainian Saturday School] q371.829917SHK(010). Language: Ukrainian. 
    • Programme for the Golden Jubilee of the Homin and Orlyk Ensembles (Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, 1999) [Homin and Orlyk are Manchester based Ukrainian singing and dancing groups respectively].

    These sources also all include sections relating to Manchester (Language: Ukrainian). Photocopies of parts of these sections can be found in GB127.M714 (see above):

    • 'The Almanac of the Association of Ukrainian Former Combatants, Volume 2, 1964-1980' (Association of Ukrainian Former Combatants, London, 1980)
    • 'The Almanac of the Association of Ukrainian Former Combatants, Volume 3, 1980-1990' (Association of Ukrainian Former Combatants, London, 1980)
    • 'Revival in Exile: 15 Years of the Work of the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain 1948-1963' (Association of Ukrainian Women, London, 1967)
    • Martshenko, Nina, 'Revival in Exile: 25 Years' Work and Activity of the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain 1963-1988' (Association of Ukrainian Women, London, 1991)

  3. How to access

    Records on microfilm (marked MFPR) are available on the ground floor at Central Library, no appointment needed.

    Materials marked with GB are available in the search room at Central Library, please make an appointment.

    Library members can find and reserve the other resources mentioned by following the links to our library catalogue.

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