75th Anniversary -Ukrainian Genocide-Holodomor Commemoration Committee - Chicago |
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March 5, 2008
To: Smith Park Advisory Committee
From: Chicago Committee to Commemorate Ukrainian Genocide-“Holodomor” 1932-1933
________________________________________________________________
The Ukrainian American community in Chicago has been a vital part of the City for over 100 years and in the last 20 has seen a significant growth due to a new wave of immigration, the
renovation of Ukrainian Village and Bucktown on the near west side. It is continually contributing to the beautification of that entire area as well as the ongoing expansion and
beautification of Smith Park. It has held its neighborhood together in the past without joining the flight to the suburbs, as its core includes magnificent churches, two museums,
schools, youth organizations, and the largest credit union in the State of Illinois. We are proud to say that over 200,000 Ukrainians currently reside in the Chicagoland area.
The year 2008 marks the 75th Anniversary of the deliberate starvation of over 10 million Ukrainians in the years 1932-1933, and Ukrainians throughout the world are taking the initiative
to tell the world of this horrific part of its history.
Accordingly, this year the Ukrainian American community in Chicago, represented by the “Chicago Committee to Commemorate Ukrainian Genocide/”Holodomor” 1932-1933”, is
making plans to memorialize the tragedy by hosting exhibits in various public venues, co-celebrating Mass at the Holy Name Cathedral in November with our brethren in Ukraine, and
planning a designated and perhaps a more lasting “Memorial/Commemorative” garden in a small area of Smith Park as shown on the preliminary sketch.
The intent is to create an area of privacy and solitude which would blend into the balance of the park area without interfering in its main recreational functions. The NW corner shown on
the sketch is an area which we believe to be sufficiently remote and unobtrusive to afford the sense of privacy and yet not be disturbing in any way to the main function of the park.
The conceptual sketch indicates a small open-air commemorative pavilion with benches for peaceful reflection and comfort which is separated from the main public sidewalk by a
simple low lying fence to discourage entry from the street side and encourage entry from the park side. The concept also indicates 10 newly planted trees (species TBD), each tree
symbolically representing 1 million people who died in Ukraine’s tragedy. The concept would call for the use of large natural “commemorative” boulders (approx. 4 ft. to 5 ft. in size) as
supports for brass plates stating the memory of the event.
Circulation around this approximate 40 ft. x 50-60 ft. “garden” would be accommodated by the use of natural stone pavers as indicated on the concept sketch. All other areas would be
filled with natural grass to match the surrounding areas of the park and any existing tree/s would not be disturbed.
OVERALL SITE PLAN COMMEMORATIVE GARDEN METALWORK & BENCH SAMPLE COMMEMORATIVE BOULDER SAMPLE
SMITH PARK is bordered by Grand Avenue,
Campbell Street, Rockwell Street and Huron
Street just west of Ukrainian Village in Chicago
To: Smith Park Advisory Committee
From: Chicago Committee to Commemorate Ukrainian Genocide-“Holodomor” 1932-1933
________________________________________________________________
The Ukrainian American community in Chicago has been a vital part of the City for over 100 years and in the last 20 has seen a significant growth due to a new wave of immigration, the
renovation of Ukrainian Village and Bucktown on the near west side. It is continually contributing to the beautification of that entire area as well as the ongoing expansion and
beautification of Smith Park. It has held its neighborhood together in the past without joining the flight to the suburbs, as its core includes magnificent churches, two museums,
schools, youth organizations, and the largest credit union in the State of Illinois. We are proud to say that over 200,000 Ukrainians currently reside in the Chicagoland area.
The year 2008 marks the 75th Anniversary of the deliberate starvation of over 10 million Ukrainians in the years 1932-1933, and Ukrainians throughout the world are taking the initiative
to tell the world of this horrific part of its history.
Accordingly, this year the Ukrainian American community in Chicago, represented by the “Chicago Committee to Commemorate Ukrainian Genocide/”Holodomor” 1932-1933”, is
making plans to memorialize the tragedy by hosting exhibits in various public venues, co-celebrating Mass at the Holy Name Cathedral in November with our brethren in Ukraine, and
planning a designated and perhaps a more lasting “Memorial/Commemorative” garden in a small area of Smith Park as shown on the preliminary sketch.
The intent is to create an area of privacy and solitude which would blend into the balance of the park area without interfering in its main recreational functions. The NW corner shown on
the sketch is an area which we believe to be sufficiently remote and unobtrusive to afford the sense of privacy and yet not be disturbing in any way to the main function of the park.
The conceptual sketch indicates a small open-air commemorative pavilion with benches for peaceful reflection and comfort which is separated from the main public sidewalk by a
simple low lying fence to discourage entry from the street side and encourage entry from the park side. The concept also indicates 10 newly planted trees (species TBD), each tree
symbolically representing 1 million people who died in Ukraine’s tragedy. The concept would call for the use of large natural “commemorative” boulders (approx. 4 ft. to 5 ft. in size) as
supports for brass plates stating the memory of the event.
Circulation around this approximate 40 ft. x 50-60 ft. “garden” would be accommodated by the use of natural stone pavers as indicated on the concept sketch. All other areas would be
filled with natural grass to match the surrounding areas of the park and any existing tree/s would not be disturbed.
OVERALL SITE PLAN COMMEMORATIVE GARDEN METALWORK & BENCH SAMPLE COMMEMORATIVE BOULDER SAMPLE
SMITH PARK is bordered by Grand Avenue,
Campbell Street, Rockwell Street and Huron
Street just west of Ukrainian Village in Chicago
"HOLODOMOR"- Ukrainian term for "death by starvation" Ukrainians refer to the Genocide of 1932-1933 as the Holodomor. The term "genocide" was not introduced into language until 1947. |
UGFF-USA, Inc. 2008
