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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Eternal Memory - Mykola Plawiuk 1925-2012

Mykola Plawiuk 1925-2012
On March 10th, 2012 a well known Ukrainian community and political activist, Mykola Plawiuk, passed away in Burlington, Ontario. He was 87.

Mykola was born in Rusiv, Ukraine on June 5, 1925, son of Vasil and Maria. Mykola met Jaroslava in Germany in 1945. They were married in 1948 and immigrated to Canada in 1949. They lived and worked in both Canada and the United States.

Prior to the proclamation of an independent Ukrainian state in 1991, Mr. Plawiuk held a number of
prominent positions in many Ukrainian diaspora community and political institutions from 1956-1992.


These include the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, World Congress of Free Ukrainians, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, and many others.

For his achievements in Ukrainian community and political affairs in the diaspora, Mykola Plawiuk was awarded the St. Volodymyr the Great Medal by the Ukrainian World Congress, and the Taras Shevchenko Medal by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

In 1988 he took on the position of President of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) in Exile, a mantle he wore for four years. At a specially convened session of the Parliament of Ukraine in Kyiv on August 22, 1992, Mykola Plawiuk formally ceded his mandate to the first President of independent Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk.



In 1993, via extraordinary decree by President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, Mykola Plawiuk was made a citizen of Ukraine.

From 1992 to 2011 Mr. Plawiuk served as Leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Chairman of the Oleh Ol’zhych Foundation, and President of Olena Teliha Publishers – all three institutions headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine.

In 1996, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma conferred upon Mykola Plawiuk the State Order of Merit, III-rd Class for his personal contribution “to the development of Ukrainian statehood, and his active community and humanitarian involvement.”

In 2007, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko conferred upon Mykola Plawiuk The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st Class for his contributions as a “public and political leader, President of the UNR in exile 1988-1992, for his selfless service to the Ukrainian people, and distinguished personal achievements in the revival of Ukraine’s independence."

Mykola Plawiuk is deeply mourned by the Ukrainian community and his family: Jaroslava, his wife of 64 years; his four children (Orest, Nestor, Ulana, and Oksana); nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be held at 10am on Thursday, March 15, 2012 at Holy Protection of the Blessed Virgin MaryUkrainian Catholic Church in Burlington, followed by interment St. Volodymyr Cemetery in Oakville.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate charitable donations to the UNF Foundation (Paul Yuzyk Institute for Youth Leadership), 145 Evans Avenue, Toronto, M8Z 5X8, or to The Olzhych Foundation (Ukrainian Student Scholarship Fund), 464 Symington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6N 2W5.

Written expressions of sympathy to the family may be sent by email.

Вічная пам'ять!
(Vichnaya pamyat – Memory Eternal)

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