History of the Archives
The Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives (BMUFA) in the Kule Folklore Centre isone of the most significant repositories of Ukrainian and Canadian Ukrainian folklore materials in North America. It is open to students, scholars, and the general public. It is used in teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses related to Ukrainian Folklore. It is also used by outside researchers for studies related to Ukrainian and Canadian folklore, and as a resource for continuing community outreach projects and publications.
The Ukrainian Folklore Archives was founded in 1977 when Bohdan Medwidsky assembled students' fieldwork projects from his first course on Ukrainian folklore. Dr. Medwidsky's vision was the development of a rich, vibrant and lasting resource for studying diverse Ukrainian traditions.
Dr. Medwidsky was born in Ukraine and spent his youth in Switzerland and Toronto. He joined the University of Alberta faculty in 1971, where he has been the driving force in developing the Kule Folklore Centre, degree programs in the field, and many community-based projects promoting Ukrainian culture.
The Ukrainian Folklore Archives was renamed the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives in 2003 to honour Dr. Medwidsky.
Mission
The Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives studies, documents, acquires, and preserves Ukrainian folklore in Ukraine, Canada, and around the world as it changes over time, and makes it available to researchers and the public.
Vision
The Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives strives to become the premier resource that documents cultural experiences of Ukrainians in Canada and other diaspora communities, accessible to all and integral to the understanding of Ukrainian diaspora culture in general, and the history and culture of the Prairie Provinces and Canada in particular.
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