During her visit to Australia, Chair of the National Council Olha Herasymiuk met on August 4 with Cardinal Mykola Bychok, Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne, who serves Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania. The discussion primarily focused on preserving the memory of Ukraine’s history, including the safeguarding of documentary archival heritage.
Mykola Bychok presented the museum collection established at the church in Melbourne. The museum preserves valuable artifacts – items once taken abroad by those fleeing the communist regime. These historical testimonies have found a new home here, safeguarded from being lost following the passing of their original owners.
At present, numerous documents require expert handling – review and organization. His Eminence Mykola Bychok has already enlisted the support of archival specialists from the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv. Oleh Turiy, Director of the Institute of Church History at UCU and a member of the National Committee for the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, is working alongside colleagues to organize the archival materials.
The National Committee for the Memory of the World Programme was established under the auspices of Ukraine’s National Committee for the Information for All Programme (IFAP), chaired by Olha Herasymiuk. Its mission is to address issues related to the preservation and registration of Ukraine’s cultural heritage and national archives.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok is a member of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, appointed by Pope Francis.
