Roman Rakhmanny - Ukrainian journalist, editor, writer, literary scholar, historian.

Rakhmanny, Roman (real name:Olynyk Roman Dmytrovych; other pseudonyms:Roman Khmil, Romain d’Or; born 26 December 1918, village of Piddnistriany, now the district of Zhydachiv, Lviv oblast) – Ukrainian journalist, editor, writer, literary scholar, historian.

Completed primary school in his native village. Studied at the Rohatyn Gymnasium. After its closure by the Polish authorities continued his studies in the Lviv Academic Gymnasium which he completed in 1937. That same year became a student of the Greek-Catholic Theological Academy in Lviv. Was forced to interrupt his studies in September, 1939. Worked as a teacher in the Lemko region until 1941. Participated in the activities of the semi-legal Expeditionary groups (Pokhidni hrupy) of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). Evading arrest by the Gestapo after the liquidation of his sub-group, he returned to Lviv where he continued his studies at the Theological Academy, completing them with distinction in 1944. After the arrival of the Soviet Army Western Ukraine, he immigrated to Germany. From 1946 to 1948 published many articles about the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in the English, French, Swiss, and Dutch press.Was the founder and co-editor of the newspaper Chas (Time) (Fuert, Germany) 1945-48. Was a member of the editorial board of Ukrainska trybuna (Ukrainian Tribune) (Munich, 1945-48), headed the Ukrainian Press Service. 

In 1949 Roman Rakhmanny immigrated to Canada where he continued his journalistic activities and played an active role in the socio-political life of Ukrainian immigrants. That year he became the co-founder of the Canadian branch of the League for the Liberation of Ukraine and the newspaper Homin Ukrainy (Ukrainian Echo). Studied at the University of Toronto where he obtained an M.A. in Slavic Studies in 1958. In 1962 he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Universite de Montreal. Worked as a lecturer of Ukrainian literature at l’Universite de Montreal (1961-62) and McGill University (1974-76). Took an active part in the work of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, the Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences. Was a member of the Union of Ukrainian Journalists of Canada, the Union of Ukrainian Writers in Exile, the World Congress of Free Ukrainians, the Canadian Association of Slavists, the International PEN Club.

From 1959 to 1974 Roman Rakhmanny worked as an announcer-producer at the Ukrainian Section of CBC’s Radio Canada International and from 1975 to his retirementin 1984 was its head. He was a member of the editorial boards of the journal Suchasnist (Present Times) (1963-86 and Novi dni (New Days) (1970-71).

For his outstanding journalistic achievements, in 1972 Roman Rakhmanny received the first award of the Union of Ukrainian Journalists of America. In 1973 he was awarded the Shevchenko Medal by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. In 1992, on the 100^th anniversary of Ukrainian settlement in Canada,he was listed among the 100 most distinguished Ukrainian Canadians and was awarded an honorary citation and a medal by the Ukrainian Canadian Committee.

Roman Rakhmanny is the author of numerous books, including Krov іchornylo (Blood and Ink, 1960), Budivnychyi pershoyi Ukrainskoyi NarodnoyiRespubliky (The Builder of the First Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1966), Napiatdesiatii paraleli (On the Fiftieth Parallel, 1969), Ne slovom yedynym (Not By Word Alone, 1971), Chervonyi smikh nad Kyevom (Red Laughter Over Kiev, 1971), Vohon і popil(Fire and Ashes, 1974), Vohni samostiynoyi Ukrainy (Fires of an Independent Ukraine, 1978), In Defense of the Ukrainian Cause (1979), Derzhavnytska slava UPA (The State-Building Glory of the UPA, 1982), Dmytro Dontsov і Mykola Khvylovy, 1923-33 (1984).

The three-volume work entitled Ukraina atomnoho viku (Ukraine of the Atomic Age, 1987-91), encompassing the journalistic works of Roman Rakhmanny, attracted the attention of large numbers of politicians, scholars, journalists, and publicists. It was widely reviewed and critics noted that the body of Rakhmanny’s writings enriches “the theory and practice of world journalism, and is an instrument for researching life and predicting the development of socio-political thought in the contemporary world.” For this work in March, 1994, Roman Rakhmanny received Ukraine’s highest award, the Shevchenko State Prize.

A selection of Roman Rakhmanny’s essays and articles entitled Rozdumy pro Ukrainu (Meditations on Ukraine) was published in Kyiv in 1997. In late 1999 a Ukrainian translation of his doctoral dissertation entitled Literary-ideological trends in Western Ukraine, 1919-1939, was published in Kyiv under the title:Literaturno-ideolohichni napriamky v Zakhidnii Ukraini, 1919-1939 roky.

Bibliography:Marunchak, M. Biohrafichnyi slovnyk do istorii ukraintsiv Kanady, Winnipeg, 1986. Komenchuk, Ya. “Ukrainska publitsystyka v otsintsi krytyky:[Otsinka zhurnalistychnoyi pratsi R. Rakhmannoho] Vyzvolnyi shliakh, 1985, No. 10. Bedrii, A. “Perlyny ideolohichnoyi і politychno-istorychnoyi publitsystyky,” Vyzvolnyi shliakh, 1989, No. 8. Zaborskyi, D. “Publitsyst mysli і sertsia,” Literaturna Ukraina, 20 January 1994.

(Source:L. Snitsarchuk, in Ukrainska zhurnalistyka v imenakh (A Biographical Dictionary of Ukrainian Journalism), Lviv, 1998, 5^th ed., Natsionalna Akademiya Nauk Ukrainy (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, V. Stefanyk Library in Lviv, the Research Center for Periodicals. Editor:M. M. Romaniuk.