On September 13th, 2024 The Ukrainian League of Philadelphia and Mural Arts Philadelphia dedicated a wonderful mural at the corner of 23rd street and Brown street. Years in the making, the two Philadelphia organizations worked to beautify this corner of the city, to enhance the presence of Ukrainians in the city and to show solidarity with Ukraine as it staves of Russia’s unprovoked brutal invasion of its lands. The mural, entitled Tree of Life, was created by Philadelphia-based Ukrainian artist Rymma Mylenkova with assistance from John Soss in late Spring 2024.
Melynkova shares that the mural was inspired by Ukrainian folk embroidery. For her, the flowers, branches, and leaves reflect the connectedness and renewal of families and communities while the design embodies the abundance, joyful flowering, and nurturing moisture that brings new life. The visual elements represent Berehynia, Goddess of Protection, who is a guardian for every family and their heritage. Importantly, the ornamentation inside the flowers is of centuries-old, embroidered patterns from different regions across Ukraine, representing various generations of Ukrainians from assorted regions of Ukraine that have come to the League over the past century.
Dozens of onlookers, representing residents of Fairmount as well as members of the Philadelphia-area Ukrainian community, and including Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Ambassador Sergey Kyslytsya, gathered outside the Ukrainian League building. Jane Golden, Executive Director Mural Arts, provided introductory remarks and shared details of Murals Arts’ vision and work in the city. Then Father Ruslan Borovyi, pastor of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, located around the corner, blessed the mural. This was followed by remarks by Val Gay, Chief Cultural Officer for Creative Philadelphia, Mykola Kosyk, President of the Ukrainian League of Philadelphia and Mark Andryczyk, representing the League Board’s Mural Committee.
After the dedication the crowd was invited into the League’s hall to witness a looping slideshow of the League’s many events over the years accompanied by a soundtrack of music featuring Ukrainian classic and contemporary music. Panels set up in the hall displayed dozens of posters of events announcing the myriad famous Ukrainian writers and musicians that have performed at the League in the past as well as archival photos touching on the story of two other Ukrainian organizations important in the history of Ukrainian Fairmount—St. Nicholas’s Church and the Ukrainian Art Studio (once based up the street on Poplar St.). Samples of Ukrainian food were offered to the event’s guests who were then invited downstairs to the League bar to enjoy Ukrainian music performed live and a variety if Ukrainian beverages.
