The first Ukrainian political immigration to Sweden followed the events of 1700-1721 Great Northern War. Those were the Cossacks, led by Hetman Pylyp Orlyk, who arrived to Sweden in 1715. In 1716-1719, he and his family lived in the Swedish city of Kristianstad, where modern memorial monument honouring his stay reminds us of those times.
The next wave of Ukrainian immigrants arrived to Sweden in the second half of XIX-early XX century. Those were predominantly women from Galicia, the area that then belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Most of those women returned to their native lands, but some assimilated into the Swedish society.
Significant number of Ukrainians happened to move to Sweden at the beginning of the Second World War. During 1939-1940 Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, many Ukrainians were imprisoned in Finland. In those times, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) founded its organization in Helsinki. Bogdan Kentryzhynskyy became its chairman. The organization activities were focused at providing assistance to Ukrainian prisoners with the simultaneous advocacy and information work.
The new immigrant wave to Sweden was in late years of the Second World War. Then, the approximate number of people of the Ukrainian origin in Sweden was about 2.500. Later some of them moved to the United States, Canada and other countries.
In 1947, the Ukrainian community in Sweden was established in Stockholm. On 6 January 1948, in the city of Flysta, greater Stockholm area, the community held its first general meeting and the first congress of Ukrainians. The name and the charter were approved in the course of the meeting. V.Fedorchuk (1948-1951) was elected the first chairman. Later, the following chairmen of the community were elected: V.Butko (1952), K.Harbar (1953-1978), B.Zaluha (1979-1992, 1994-1998), P.Basarab-Horvat (1992-1994, 1998-1999), I.Sushelnytska (1999-2006), and since April 2006 - L.Koval.
Since its early days, the Ukrainian community in Sweden continues to carry out information and educational activities. Since 1954, throught many decades, the Ukrainian community published "Scandinavian News" - newsletter covering European and Swedish news about Ukraine, its culture and history, in both Ukrainian and Swedish languages. It circulated 1-3 times a year, but discontinued its work due to the lack of funding.
In 1950's, the Ukrainian Information Center under the leadership of Bogdan Kentrzhynskyy was established in Stockholm. Due to its activities, Ukrainian community in Sweden became very proactive. Ukrainian students were united in Ukrainian Academic Club. Exilestudents Central Organization in Scandinavia was established as international refugee union. Student organizations of the Baltic States, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary were among its members.
Several representative offices and organizations established by nationalist and emigree communities were present in Sweden, i.e., the Union of the Liberation of Ukraine (chairman O.Nazaruk), Ukrainian Information Bureau (established in 1916, chairmen V.Stepankivskyy, M.Zaliznyak).
Ukrainian Community of Sweden (Українська Громада Швеції/ Ukrainska Sällskapet i Sverige)
Org.No: 802411-3733
Post-Girot 259380-4
Acting Chairman: Yaroslav Kaspriv
Tel.: +46 762672834
E-mail: [email protected]
Ukrainian Alliance of Sweden (Український Альянс Швеції/ Ukrainska Alliansen i Sverige)
Hyltegården 63
436 34 Askim
Org.No: 802448-2534
Plusgiro: 5 10 39-6
Chairwoman: Tetyana Rep
Tel.: +46 737310094
E-mail: [email protected]
Web-page: http://www.ruslana.se
Ukrainian Institute of Sweden (Український інститут у Швеції/ Ukrainska Institutet i Sverige)
Org.No: 802487-3690
Director: Natalya Pasichnyk
E-mail: [email protected]
Web-page: http://ukrainskainstitutet.se/
Facebook profile page: Ukrainska Institutet i Sverige
Twitter: @UkrInstitutet
Ukrainian Women's Association in Sweden (Українська Жіноча Організація в Швеції/Ukrainska Kvinnoföreningen i Sverige)
Org.No: 802412-1801
Chairwoman: Zoryana Kiktsö
Tel.: +46 739751715
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook profile page: Ukrainska Kvinnoföreningen i Sverigе Українська Жіноча Організація в Швеції
Swedish Cossacks (Шведські козаки/ Svenska kosacker)
IF "Svenska kosacker"
c/o "Sergnes AB"
Lutzengatan 9, 115 20
Stockholm
Chairman: Alexander Erikson
Tel.: +46 762882039
E-mail: [email protected]
Web-page: www.svenskakosacker.se
Nordic Ukraine Forum
Chairman: Alina Zubkovych
E-mail: [email protected]
Web-page: https://www.nuforum.se
Facebook profile page: Nordic Ukraine Forum
Ukrainian community in Gothenburg (Українська громада у м.Гетеборг/Ukrainska sällskapet i Göteborg)
Org.No: 802439-9811
Chairwoman: Oleksandra Tershak Gustavsson
E-mail: [email protected]
Web-page: http://ukrainians.se
Facebook profile page: Ukrainska sällskapet i Göteborg
International Ukrainian School (IUS) was established by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. It provides for comprehensive education and is aimed to ensure the constitutional right of citizens of Ukraine to comprehensive secondary education. Such citizens of Ukraine are those, whose parents are temporarily abroad (hereinafter - citizens), and children whose parents have citizenship of other states (hereinafter - foreigners).
IUS main objectives are:
IUS study process
The main document regulating the educational process at the IUS is the working curriculum, based on standard curricula adapted to distance learning and approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The working curriculum also includes scheduled consultations and examinations.
Teaching process at IUS includes the development of individual training plans in accordance with students' abilities and needs. Usually, studies are carried out externally, in the form of distance learning and with the wide use of new information and communication technologies, via block assignments, videos and lectures, workshops, consultations and final examinations.
Training, consultations, assessment of students' achievements can be done either permanently within the framework of the IUS or on-line (if necessary, when approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in another state).
Admission to IUS
Admission is performed on general basis and in accordance with the rules approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
IUS classes are formed on the basis of population density ratios and according to the number of applications and sanitary conditions for the educational process in agreement signed with the founder.
Enrollment of students is based on the decision by the Admission Board and of the respective decrees by the Director, issued on the basis of personal application (for minors - the application of parents or persons substituting them).
Studies and assessment of students' performance
The content, scope and nature of homework is determined by the teacher and in accordance with sanitary and educational requirements based on individual characteristics of students.
IUS carries out current and final assessments of student achievements in accordance with the criteria approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Students of 4th, 9th, 11th (12th) grades upon the completion of their studies receive the state final certification. Content and form strands of the state final certification in IUS is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Students enrolled in distance learning through external studies of the state are not subject to exempt to the final certification.
The state final examination is held, usually in Ukraine. Its terms are determined and approved by the founder.
Relevant document (report card, certificate) is presented upon the completion of studies.
Students who have not completed their study program or those who have not mastered the study material, are subject to the continuation of their studies upon relevant updates to their individual curriculum is conducted.
IUS cooperates with Saturday and Sunday study centers in Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Spain, Moldova, Portugal, France, Czech Republic and 5-day school in Turkey.
Further information may be found at IUS official page: ukrintschool.org.ua or by the phone number: +38 044 253 85 58, hot-line: +35 050 344-00-44.