UKRAINIAN DIASPORA IN THE SOCIO-POLITICAL LIFE OF CANADA IN THE 1970S – 1980S (BASED ON KGB DOCUMENTS OF THE USSR)

DOI 10.17721/2521-1706.2024.18.9

Oleh Mashevskyi,

Dr. habil. (History), Professor,

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5251-2089

Abstract. In the struggle to revive Ukrainian statehood, the activities of the large Ukrainian community in Canada played a significant role. This community tried to oppose the Soviet regime, seeking support from Canadian legislative and executive authorities. Therefore, this article aims to highlight, based on materials from the State Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine, the efforts of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in the fight for the restoration of Ukrainian statehood, its interaction with Canadian state institutions, and the counteractions from Soviet special services.

The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that secret archival documents of the KGB, which scholars have not previously utilized in the context of the proposed issue, are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

The methodological basis of the research includes methods of historical archival studies, as well as problem-chronological and analytical methods for working with primary sources.

Conclusions. The article analyzes and publishes (in the appendices) archival documents from the State Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine, shedding light on the relationships between Ukrainian organizations in Canada and the government through the lens of how these processes were perceived and reacted to by Soviet special services. Several Canadian government officials and parliamentarians (including Prime Ministers D. Diefenbaker (1957–1963) and J. Clark (1979–1980)) actively supported the Ukrainian movement. At the same time, another trend was evident among some Canadian officials, primarily from P. Trudeau’s team (Prime Minister from 1968–1979 and 1980–1984), who sought to avoid conflicts with the USSR and thus attempted to limit the anti-Soviet actions of Ukrainian organizations. Notably, the KGB systematically tried to provoke or deepen these contradictions through provocative actions.

Ukrainians in Canada successfully participated in parliamentary elections and were included in the government, as seen in 1979. The struggle between Canadian Ukrainians and the Soviet regime also extended to cultural issues and religious matters. The KGB attempted to persuade representatives of the Ukrainian creative intelligentsia in the diaspora to collaborate. Conversely, conscious Ukrainians in Canada seized every opportunity to advocate on humanitarian grounds, such as the fight for freedom of religion in Ukraine during events marking The Millennium of Rus’-Ukraine.

Key words: Canada, Canadian government, Canadian Ukrainians, Ukrainian diaspora, Cold War, socio-political activity, international relations.

Submitted: 11.07.2024

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