Family DANTSCHUK in Ukraine

[Aussieuke]

Hi, I live in Australia and for some time have been thinking about tracing relatives on my fathers' side in the Ukraine. I know we have cousins there as my parents visited Liviv,Rovno area in the early 80's.We have photo's of their visit but due to my fathers illness after returning my mother failed to write notes on the back of the photo's leaving me little pieces of who they might be.Therefor can someone please let me know if there are any Dantschuk (Даньчук)members in the Lviv/Rovno area). My fathers birth place is listed as "Wojslawice" but the Google Earth places that in Poland somewhere.
My fathers name was Josyp (born 1922?)and I know he has/d a brother named Євґен(I think the spelling is right). I have photo's of cousins and Aunts,weddings and funerals but no contacts.I know Hani and Volodi (Гані і Володі) got married in 1977 where ? and who was the Danstchuk?
I will be in Lviv mid April this year and once I work out how to get around I hope to track some of them down. As I am on a tourist visa my movements and time appear to be tied to my accomodation(strange system you have) therefor travel to and from small villages may be restricted? any help/suggestions would be appreciated.I can be contacted on //stevedunsteve@hotmail.com // or here.

thankyou Stefan.

[Serhii]

Hi Stefan,

I just want to mention that you could solve many problems and questions in ... Australia. I don't know where you live , but in Sydney, Melborn, etc. ther are different Ukrainian organisations. It seems you are cut from any Ukrainian activities.

I live in Ukraine , but almost every day receive pictures about different events in Ukrainian community. Many people from L'viv and other areas came to earn some money in Australia. So you could talk directly to them. I am sure it would be very useful for you. I could send you an email address if you are intersted in.

It's a Christmas eve today in Ukraine. Христос рождається !

[Hannia]

In 1922 Halychyna/Galicia and Vohlyn were part of Reconstituted Poland.

There is a selo/village called Voyslavychi /Wojslawice (Polish), coordinates
50.34N-24.12E, located in Sokalskij (Sokal) raion/district > Lvivska (Lviv) Oblast/Region > Ukraine, latest zip code 80011.

Traveling in Ukraine in 1980’s and traveling today is very different. Today there
are no restrictions traveling to villages and visiting w/relatives!

Before doing anything I would consider writing village administrator and inquiring re any family still residing in the village.

Once you have ascertained that this is the correct village and there is family there, you can plan on either taking a train or hiring a chauffeur.

Will you be traveling w/tour group?
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No details re Mother?

The Australian Archives are free to citizens and available online.

All DP's/Displaced People emigrating from Germany to Australia post WW2 had to fill out extensive personal questionnaires/migrant selection records. These records should confirm all metrical details re parents. You might find that they were listed as Polish. Don't let that throw you. For a period of time post WW2, the Allies did not recognize Ukrainians as a nationality, so they lumped them in with other ethnic groups, depending on the area they were originally from. As per personal questionnaire, you should also be able to get a handle on parents’ WW2 experience.

National Archives of Australia - The Collection - Family History - Immigrants
National Archives of Australia - Immigrants - Making Australia Home

above link excerpt from
Shipping and Immigration
http://www.coraweb.com.au/shipsite.htm
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Ukraine and Ukrainian Christmas at BRAMA
Ukraine and Ukrainian Christmas at BRAMA

[Aussieuke]

To Serhii and Hannia,
Thankyou for the very quick reply.
I live about 30km's out from the nearest Ukrainian Club in Brisbane and I have been speaking with some of the members.Unfortunately meetings are few and I am not always available to attend functions they hold.I have met a couple of peole who new my parents but mostly from the Immigration Camp in NSW and their memories are occasionally faded.
I will look up the Co-ordinates so as to plan my trip. I am travelling alone as a tourist.
My mother's family(Maria Kowal and Stefan Kowal with 4 children, 3boys and a daughter) came out from Lublin via Germany. A older daughter was married(in Germany) and she came out with her husband and son.We think we have identified them in the ship register and yes they were listed as Polish.
My mother met my father in the Camp at Greta(Newcastle) NSW. They were married in 1951? My mother,her brothers and recently her sister have all passed away.My grand parents passed away many years ago.
In searching papers I have, I came across a reference to my father's birth town as 'Cholm' (english spelling) on the marriage certificate. I do remember my father saying some things about a place called Holmschano(my phonetic spelling!) or rather in the context of 'from Holmschano'. He was sent to Germany as a boy to work and came out on his own.
My reference to being difficult was more to do with having to show proof of accomodation (visa reqirement)and then doing day trips to relatives with only hours at each location.We are spoilt here in that we have Motel accomodation in nearly every town of 1,000 or caravan parks or hotels with accomodation/rooms along the roads. All I find on the web is large Hotel buildings with rooms and seperate units /rooms for hire that appear to be attached to someones personel home.Very nice and and very pricey!all requiring early booking. As I said we are spoilt and unless you happen upon a festival or something we can drive anywhere anytime and find somewhere to stay. That's life I suppose.
I do have photo's of a family in Rovno so I think that may be a starting point also, the city will have accomodation and I may be closer to the smaller towns. I am rambling now ,so again thankyou.I will write to the administrator.
Stefan(Aussieuke)

[Hannia]

Since Poland had not existed as a geopolitical entity from late 18th century to 1919, the Lublin Region was technically part of Russia. There were many ethnic Ukrainians living in this region. From 1919 this region was/today is part of Reconstituted Poland.

Chelm & Lublin are two different powiats (Polish for administrative district) in the Lubelskie (Lublin) Wojiwodstwo/Region.

In the Chelm powiat there is a Wojslawice gmina (judicial/tax district).

Lublin Genealogy
Lubelskie Geneaology Web

In 1947 Ukrainian Churches were burned and ethnic Ukrainians from Lublin were deported to "Poland's Recovered Lands". Vohlyn (today divided between Vohlynska and Rivnenska Oblast) was one of these recovered territories. This is probably how maternal family landed up in Rivne.
Poland's president expresses regret over 1947 Akcja Wisla (04/28/02)
Poland's president expresses regret over 1947 Akcja Wisla (04/28/02)
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Interesting Reads

Idea restytucji Ukrainskiej Republiki Ludowej, 1920-1939 (the idea of reinstitution of the Ukrainian People's Republic, 1920-1939), by Robert Potocki. Introduction by Jerzy Kloczowski. Lublin. Instytut Europy Srodkowo-Wschodniej. 2000. Bibliography, indexes, maps, tables. 383 pages. Paper. In Polish; summaries in English, Russian and Ukrainian.
A detailed and scholarly history of the Semyon Petlura-JСzef Pilsudski alliance, the Polish Kiev campaign of 1920, the peace of Riga, Ukrainian emigration, national and military structures, and Polish-Ukrainian collaboration between the two world wars. The book is meticulously executed by a young scholar who garnered much praise from both the Ukrainian and Polish side.

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Snyder, Timothy ""To Resolve the Ukrainian Question Once and for All": The Ethnic Cleansing of Ukrainians in Poland, 1943-1947"
Journal of Cold War Studies - Volume 1, Number 2, Spring 1999, pp. 86-120
The MIT Press


Abstract
The complicated and violent interactions between Ukrainians and Poles during and after World War II have been the subject of competing Ukrainian and Polish historical interpretations. This article sifts through the historical evidence to determine why Ukrainian and Polish memories of that period are so much at odds. The fate of the contested territories of Eastern Galicia and Volhynia was decided ultimately by the Soviet Union, which imposed new borders on Poland. Once those borders had been established, the transfer of Poles from the newly enlarged Soviet Ukraine and the forced removal of Ukrainians from eastern Poland consolidated an "ethnically cleansed" postwar order.

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Kowal and Danczuk are not uncommon surnames in Ukraine. I recommend that you get in touch w/Victor in Lviv (UNBREAKABLE in this forum) to help w/telephone look up's and making arrangements for you in Ukraine. He is fluent in English and has a heritage similar to yours. He may even be able to help track down records in Poland. Rates are very fair.

Once you locate family, chances are you will have invite to stay w/them.

[Serhii]

Hi Stefan,

Hope you have read all Hannia's explanations - they are just excellent as always !

Your phonetic spelling isn't bad as well. The word ' Holmschano , etc' is very close to its correct spelling - Holmschyna ( in Ukrainian Холмщина ) . It means a town of Holm and area aroung it.

It was glorious Ukrainian city since kings times. During operation Wisla Polish government brutally expelled all Ukrainians from their native land. The town is now in Poland and is called Helm.

[Hannia]

Serhii,

HAPPY YEAR MY FRIEND!

Please send me your address @mitehelp@aol.com

Stefan,

HOLM/HELM/CHOLM/CHELM are all variant spellings of the same place.

Do you speak Ukrainian?