VOLODIMIR BARABASH - BIOGRAPHY

Volodimir Barabash is the pen name of Michael Barabash. He was born on April 28, 1900 in Hamburg, Germany while his parents, Fred and Martha (Stec) were emigrating from Western Ukraine (then known as Halychyna, part of the Austro-Hungarian empire). When he was two weeks old his parents landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and from here they traveled westward to Manitoba. They settled on a homestead at Seech on the southern boundary of Riding Mountain National Park, approximately 320 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

At the age of ten, he started school in the newly built Seech School and was able to finish grade four before he was compelled by circumstances to leave school and look for work.

Volodimir first went to work for English-speaking farmers from whom he learned the English language. Unfortunately, a rare form of paralysis began to set in when he was sixteen years old and in spite of treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, in 1920, nothing could be done for him.

When Volodimir realized that he would be physically handicapped, he returned to school, firstly to a private college in Teulon, Manitoba and later to Dauphin Collegiate in Dauphin, Manitoba, where he passed grade 10 with honours.

In 1932 he moved to Calgary, Alberta where he worked until 1953 for Dan Skibo in his French-polishing furniture shop. In that year he obtained employment with the Alberta Liquor Control Board and worked there until his retirement in 1965.

Volodimir considered his life in Calgary the most fruitful and creative period of his life. In 1937 he started to write poetry. In 1943-47 he edited a youth monthly "UCY Lore" (Ukrainian Catholic Youth Monthly). He studied philosophy, becoming greatly in Oriental, particularly Hindu philosophy. He attracted a group of creative people who admired him and nicknamed him "Plato". He continued to write poetry, composing some 500 poems and nearly 500 aphorisms. The themes he dealt with were about life in general, a well as philosophy, religion, metaphysics, nature, love, art and humour. A golden thread of his first love, philosophy, meanders throughout his poetry, proclaiming his optimism and love of life.

His poems and aphorisms were printed in numerous papers and magazines, e.g.: in the Calgary Herald, Chronicle Journal, Calgary Albertan, Western Farmer, Leader Magazine, Dauphin Herald, Chronicle Journal of Thunder Bay, Ukrainian Voice, New Pathway and Pracia (Brazil). His writings were mostly in English, although he tried his pen also in Ukrainian. He was a good translator, having translated several chapters of The Ukrainian Canadians:A History by Dr.Mykhailo Marunchak, as well as Canadian Ruthenia (Kanadiyska Rus) by Nestor Dmytriw and a portion of The Stone Cross by Wasyl Stefanyk.

He received many letters of gratitude form famous people, like President Nixon, Mr. and Mrs. P.E. Trudeau, Betty Kennedy, Betty Grable and others, to whom he had dedicated several of his poems.

During his retirement, he traveled a great deal, especially during the glorious autumn. He was a great lover of nature and admirer of Hemingway's writing and philosophy.

Volodimir had suffered many mishaps during his life. In addition to the paralysis which he learned to alive with, he scalded his hands at the age of 28 and almost died. He suffered two severe nervous breakdowns in the 1940's. At the age of 53 he broke his left hip in a fall from bicycle. At the age of 70 he broke his right one, simultaneously damaging his spine. Thereafter he could only get around with the aid of a four-legged walker.

In spite of these misfortunes, he retained his good humour and sense of balance, realizing that there were others still worse off than he and that it was best to endure that which could not be cured. He learned to accept the inevitable.

This philosophy he shared with his friends and young people. He was an incurable optimist, strongly believing that the first and foremost philosophy of life was the living of it. His favourite greeting, "Cheerio, cheerio" was a daily slogan confirming his affirmative attitude to life and people.

The latter years of his life was spent with his nieces: Mary Belza (Dauphin, Manitoba), Tillie Harasymchuk (Thunder Bay, Ontario), Teenie Buternowsky (Seech, Manitoba), Mary Solonyka (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Mary Presunka (Thunder Bay, Ontario) and Nellie Budiwski (Seech, Manitoba). His last years were spent in Winnipeg at the St. Joseph's Nursing Home, where his health deteriorated until he became physically incapacitated. On November 12, 1989 his suffering finally ended. His wish to be buried at the Seech cemetery which was donated by his father to St. Mary's Catholic Church was fulfilled.

On August 28, 1997, a memorial was dedicated to his memory. It was only fitting that memorial should read "Volodimir Barabash - Poet of Optimism".