THE EARLY YEARS

Jacob Maydanyk was born on October 20, 1891, into a poor peasant family in the Galician village of Svydova, Chortkiv County, in what is now known as Western Ukraine. He was the third eldest of 10 children – five boys and five girls[1]. His parents, Matvij and Ksenya Maydanyk, did not own their land; Maydanyk’s father farmed for an Austrian landlord, and his mother cared for the large family.

Although statistically, the village of Svydova was in one of the poorest counties, Jacob and his family were lucky. They lived along Imperial Highway 25 - the primary route between the cities of Chernivtsi (74 Km South) and Lviv (225 Km to the north). A train station, post office and a mail sorting depot connected them to the world. Jacob was also within walking distance (3km) of Tovste where he attended a public school. The town was also home to a Jewish boy’s school, a synagogue, and one of the largest Greek Catholic churches in the area. In addition, the Tovste library and a Prosvita reading room provided access to literature, music, and theatre – which greatly influenced his career. The primary languages spoken in the area were Ukrainian and Polish, and young students were also expected to take German language classes starting in grade 2[2].

ARTS SCHOOLING

After completing primary school in Tovste (c 1905), Maydanyk attended ‘gymnasium’ [3] in Kolomyia. It was a more prosperous environment and brought him into direct contact with the secular intelligentsia[4]. Jacob was then expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a farmer. However, there was virtually no more land available and very little reward for hard labour. Maydanyk once commented:

“My parents helped me financially to attend gymnasium but couldn’t give me any further assistance, and as I couldn’t get suitable work of any kind, except to go out and do “feldwerk,” I had no other choice than to seek a better life.” (Ewanchuk 1977, 201)

In response to his situation, Jacob made other plans. He was determined to be an artist and enrolled in a textile-ornamenting academy in Rakszawa, Poland, near Krakow (Kuchmij T1/S2). He also apprenticed under an iconographer, preparing him with valuable skills that later came in handy to help him survive financially.

Unfortunately, Maydanyk soon ran out of money. After one year of training, he returned briefly to Svydova, then set out for Canada to get his share of the ‘quick riches’ that he’d heard could fund his dream to study in Paris (Kuchmij 1983). In retrospect, the lessons Maydanyk received in Poland were the only formal art training he ever had.

A NEW LIFE IN CANADA - LABOURER & TEACHER

In April of 1911[5], as a 19-year-old single man, Maydanyk followed his father and younger brother Vasyl to Canada [6]. He travelled with a fellow gymnasium student John Radychek. On June 7, 1911, they sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, on the Montezuma and landed in Quebec City later that month. Maydanyk and Radychek then travelled to Winnipeg via the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Luckily, they did not have to stay at Immigration Hall. The first nights after the long journey were spent with Radychek's relatives. The next day, they immediately looked for work.

"The only address of importance we had was that of the editor of Робочий народ [Robochi narod], Myroslav Stechishin. We dressed nicely as benefit members of the intelligentsia and soon found his place of work. Stechishin gave us advice - he said, "Boys, here in Canada, there's not a great demand for students who do not know the English language...so earn money and get used to a new country...get signed up for extra-gang work". (Ewanchuk 1981, 202).

The young men followed Stechishin’s advice. During their first spring in Canada, they worked for the CPR on an ‘extra-gang’[7] laying rails across the Canadian prairies. Later that summer, Maydanyk worked as a farmhand near Brandon, MB. However, hard labour did not suit his nature and skills (Kuchmij 1983).

In the fall of 1911, once the harvest was over, Maydanyk was accepted into the Ruthenian Training School (RTS), a Ukrainian teacher’s seminary in Brandon, MB. The school’s purpose was to teach the students English and train young bilingual Ukrainian teachers to fill positions in the new schools built in rural Canadian communities.

During Maydanyk’s years at RTS, James Thomas Cressey was the principal, and his teachers were Jacob Truthwaite Norquay (nephew of Manitoba Premier John Norquay 1878-1887), Albert Wareham, and Peter Karmenski. Maydanyk recalled that the students were all male, and the teacher he admired most was Mr. Karmenski, who taught Ukrainian literature and history. The cohort of fellow students and RTS alums with whom he associated greatly influenced Maydanyk’s future. Through a network established at RTS, he forged close relationships with future Ukrainian-language newspaper publishers and businessmen such as Paul Krat[8] and Taras Ferley[9].

Immigration statistics show that, during the early 1900s, rural communities in Canada were growing exponentially. Maydanyk and fellow graduates were guaranteed teaching positions in one of the many small rural communities popping up across the prairies (Martynowych 1991). The possibility of a steady income appealed to Jacob. He also enjoyed working with immigrant students and their families by teaching English and helping them adjust to a strange new environment.

In 1914, Maydanyk graduated from RTS and began working to pay back the government for his tuition costs. He taught for six years in several one-room schoolhouses in rural Manitoba. In the 1916 Canadian census, Jacob Maydanyk is registered as a School Teacher living in Rossburn, MB (19 Km due west of Olha, MB and 22 km Northwest of Oakburn (313km NW of Winnipeg). Records before the census indicate that he also taught in the Icelandic community of Gimli at St. John Kant S.D. No. 1242 (five miles north of Oakburn, MB), then transferred to Olha School in 1916 (D16).

Life as a teacher was not easy, especially for young men without families. Nevertheless, Maydanyk was dedicated to teaching and helping the community. In interviews with Yaroslav Lozowchuk and Michael Ewanchuk, he shared anecdotes of learning to cope with immigrant children of many nationalities and ages, plus tales of evening sessions when he taught their parents English and basic math skills. As a pioneer teacher, Maydanyk also took on the role of community leader – trying to solve some of the social problems of the day. He actively participated in community meetings, sometimes travelling several hours by train to hear a popular activist speak about social issues. He was also motivated to advocate in writing for social change [10].

Later in life, Jacob Maydanyk drew inspiration from his past work as a labourer, teacher, and community volunteer and incorporated those stories into his 1930 comic book Вуйкова книга [Vuikova Knyha - Uncle’s Book].

ICONOGRAPHY & PROVIDENCE CHURCH GOODS

In 1914, with the onset of WWI, many Ukrainian Canadians found themselves ostracized due to prior connections to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and perceived alliances with Germany. Considered to be 'enemy aliens' and a threat to national security, the community was traumatized by the internment of over 6000 of its men, women, and children - "...not because of anything they had done, but simply because of their heritage" (Luciuk). As a result, education in the Ukrainian language was no longer tolerated in Canadian schools. As a result, many RTS graduates, including Maydanyk, found their pay was drastically cut, and some positions were terminated. (Kuchmij T8S15).

To make ends meet, Jacob Maydanyk fell back on his skills as an iconographer. However, in the government's eyes, he was no longer fully employed with the cutback in teaching hours. Like many unemployed single male Ukrainian immigrants during the war, Maydanyk was considered a threat to national security. In 1918, on a brief trip to Winnipeg, Jacob was identified as an "enemy alien"[11]. As a result, he was arrested and threatened with internment. Luckily, on the third day of his incarceration, an armistice was declared, and he was released (Kuchmij, T8/S15).

Upon return to Rossburn, he proposed to Katherine Maksymczuk. They married in Winnipeg on his birthday, October 20, 1919 (Manitoba Vital Statistics), then returned to Rossburn to contemplate their future.

During his early years in rural Manitoba, Jacob met the newly appointed Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Nykyta Budka[12]. Jacob often hosted the Bishop when he visited the 'colonies' [13], and in return Bishop Budka facilitated several major religious commissions for Maydanyk (Kuchmij T3/S5). Records dating as far back as 1912 acknowledge Maydanyk as the artist of icons and interiors for several rural Manitoba churches (Ewanchuk; Kowcz-Baran; Stepchuk). It was a skill that he could fall back on, and at some point following WWI, he began a regular commute to Winnipeg to work part-time for a French religious-goods firm.

In 1920, Bishop Budka encouraged Maydanyk to move permanently to Winnipeg to open Providence Church Goods (Kuchmij 1983), It was first located at 884 Main Street, Winnipeg. He moved the business several times for better rent and location. Then, in 1926, Maydnayk moved the business to 590 Prichard Street and acquired a small printing press so that he could print promotional material for the church goods store. He also began printing his newspaper insert called Вуйко [Uncle]. For one year, also printed the Canadian Rusyn newspaper and returned a favour to Bishop Budka by printing a French-language newspaper for the Roman Catholic Eparchy (Kuchmij T6/12).

In 1929, once again, on the recommendation of Bishop Budka, Maydanyk purchased a new space at 579 McDermot Street, right in the heart of “Newspaper Row”. The area was home to Winnipeg’s three major English newspapers: the Manitoba Free Press, the Winnipeg Evening Tribune, and the Winnipeg Telegram (Manitoba Historical Society 2018) (D128). At least ten other ethnic and religious printing houses were also located in the same area, serving the Icelandic, Swedish, German, Ukrainian, Polish, Italian, Norwegian, Croatian, Mennonite and Jewish communities (Bowling and Hykawy 1974). Unfortunately, the deed to Maydanyk’s building did not have a clear title, and Providence Church Goods and the publishing company “Vuiko” were forced to move again, this time to 824 1/2 Main Street. Maydanyk enjoyed managing the store at the Main Street location, noting that “different people, educated people, writers and musicians often frequented the store”. Surrounded by people from all walks of life, he stayed connected to the world. (Kuchmij T6/12)

During the 1920s, religious artwork was in high demand.

In 1922, Bishop Budka blessed Maydanyk’s first mail-order catalogue, validating his work in the eyes of the many new congregations established across Canada. As commissions increased, Jacob took on several apprentices to keep up with orders. He also wore the hat of agent and intermediary between Ukrainian church congregations and his group of artists, including Leo Mol, Olga Moroz, and Theodore Baran, who eventually transitioned to represent themselves and became individually known for their work. With this stable of immigrant artists, Maydanyk began to supply icons to Ukrainian communities in the diaspora, filling orders from across the Canadian prairies and as far away as Australia and Argentina (Kuchmij 1983; Pawlowsky 1997; Rotoff 1990).

Between 1913 and 1945, Maydanyk contributed his talents as an iconographer to at least twenty churches in Manitoba, including Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in Winnipeg. As the business grew, Maydanyk relocated the store seven times[14]. Finally, in 1956, he opened at 710 Main Street (directly across from the old Royal Alexandra Hotel on Higgins and Main). The shop was on the main floor, and a large studio was conveniently above. Providence Church Goods remained there until 1979 when Maydanyk finally closed the doors and retired. For additional information about his religious artwork, go to Supported by His Faith.

CARICATURES AND COMICS

Jacob Maydanyk enjoyed writing and illustrating humorous and satirical pieces. His literary and artistic talents blossomed as a student at the RTS in Brandon where he explored the meanings of assimilation and integration within a Canadian context, and flexed his secular voice on the pages of the press.

He began cartooning in 1912 when the school principal, James Thomas Cressey, noticed Maydanyk’s artistic skills and encouraged him to submit caricatures of Clifford Sifton and Provincial Minister of Education G. R. Coldwell to the local Conservative party-backed newspaper (Ewanchuk 1981, 204). This opportunity led to Maydanyk’s first published editorial cartoons for the Brandon Daily Sun, an English-language newspaper. He later contributed a few pieces to the competition – The Brandon Times, but the connection was quickly curtailed when the principal threatened to expel him. At that time, J.T. Cressey supported the Conservative party. Moreover, with an upcoming election, he did not want Maydanyk’s illustrations to increase the readership of the Liberal-backed Brandon Times within the Ukrainian Community (Ewanchuk 1976, 00:14:20).

Maydanyk complied – he did not want to lose his steady income. Moreover, he was proud of the fees for his cartoons. They ranged between $.50 and $1.00 each and were collected weekly (00:15:00). It was a far cry more than the $.05 per letter that his friends received weekly as scribes or readers (00:10:36). Maydanyk contributed sporadically to the Brandon Daily Sun until he graduated from RTS in 1914.

It was during his time at RST that Maydanyk created his iconic character Вуйко Штіф Табачнюк [Uncle Shtif Tabachniuk/Uncle Steve Tobacco]. The character materialized following a class exercise based on a translation assignment of a letter referencing a man named Stephan Tabachniuk (Cheladyn 2019b). All the students in the class created written pieces based on the same character (see Maydanyk’s World of Humor for a detailed summary). Maydanyk chose to submit his illustrations and text to the newspaper Novyn in Edmonton, AB. His work was accepted and included in Ілюстрований Калєндар Новин –1915 [Illustrated Calendar Novyn – 1915]. The 9-page section featured Maydanyk’s new characters - Uncle Shtif Tabachniuk, his wife Iavdokha, their son Nicholas (Nick), and daughter Kateryna (Katie). The caricatures illuminated a series of fictitious letters between Uncle Shtif and his wife, appearing under the pretence of actual correspondence between Canada and the homeland (Cheladyn 2019b). The submission is iconic in that it marks the first appearance of his comics character Uncle Shtif Tabachniuk. A historical account of the creation of Uncle Shtif appears in the section - Uncle’s Book - History.

Maydanyk’s section in the 1915 almanac Novyn was extremely popular; however, he was not credited or paid for contributing to that Ukrainian publication. As a result, Maydanyk claimed to have shunned the Ukrainian press for a few years, supplementing his teacher’s pay by painting churches and only submitting comics to the English language press (Ewanchuk 00:31:12). However, contrary to what he told Ewanchuk, records show that within a year of his submission to Novyn, Maydanyk contributed anew to the Ukrainian community press in Winnipeg. He couldn't help himself. Cartooning made Maydanyk famous. It also positioned him financially in favour of peers and community leaders, who were often editors of Ukrainian-Canadian publications and turned to Maydanyk to visualize the social commentary on their pages.

The demand for Maydanyk’s narratives and illustrations quickly gained momentum. In 1915, the 2nd edition of his stage play, “Manigrula,” was published as a small booklet[15]. In 1916, he illustrated the cover of Калєндар Канадийського Русина – 1916 [The Canadian Ruthenian Almanac – 1916]. In the same publication, Maydanyk also authored a new Uncle Shtif story titled Ксьондз [The Priest] (74), illustrated two articles (85; 104), and contributed the opinion piece Социялїсти [Socialists] (185). It marked the beginning of an era of severe social commentary from the author/illustrator. It would seem that he was on a roll with the Uncle Shtif narratives and his mission to support community advocacy for individual rights and respect.

A COMIC BOOK

Jacob Maydanyk lived on the cusp of an emerging literary genre of graphic narratives that became known as comic books. By the 1920s, comic strips were popular in mainstream newspapers. Seeing the growing popularity, in 1929, Jacob decided to try it out himself. Most significant in Maydanyk’s cartooning career is his comic book Вуйкова книга [Uncle’s Book]. The 84-page comic book was released in 1930. Maydanyk was the sole author and illustrator. The collection of never-before-published comic strips showcased 30 of Maydanyk’s hand-drawn, black and white, inked comic strips featuring Uncle Shtif Tabachniuk. He also introduced a new character, Nasha Meri, who appeared in 29 additional strips dedicated to stories about the life of a young, single Ukrainian Canadian woman living in urban Winnipeg.

Best defined as a graphic memoir, the narratives are reflexive and chronicle Maydanyk’s experiences in the context of the first two waves of Ukrainians who immigrated to Canada. Through his main characters, we learn how Maydanyk, his friends, and his family dealt with instances of isolation, prejudice, assimilation, and other cultural nuances that coloured the lives of newcomers. Readers could relate, and subsequently, Uncle Shtif and Meri became folk heroes and popular figures in Ukrainian language almanacs and newspapers across Canada and abroad. Uncle’s Book is one of the first comic books published in Canada in any language, predating other contenders for the honour. Further information about his life as a cartoonist is detailed in Maydanyk’s World of Humor, Motivated by Morals, and Uncle’s Book - History.

As a student at RTS, Maydanyk forged close relationships with future Ukrainian-language newspaper publishers. Through those connections, he began to self-publish yearly almanacs. In 1917, Maydanyk began creating content for his first almanac of humour. Later that year, Winnipeg-based businessman and publisher Frank Dojacek[16] offered to print and distribute, Гумористичний калєндар Вуйка на рік 1918 [Uncle’s Humorous Almanac for the year 1918]. It was a self-published work inspired by the character Vuiko Shtif and intended to become an annual almanac of humour. The periodical featured short stories, jokes, and comics that poked fun at life as a Ukrainian immigrant. This almanac included Maydanyk’s first sequenced illustrations with lyrics to a folk song as the text. They could be considered his first attempt at comics[17].

In addition to his work, Maydanyk also invited contributions from other authors and illustrators. Subsequent issues with humorous content were released in 1925, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, and 1959. Jacob also co-edited the weekly comics insert “Вуйко [Uncle]” for Канадійський фармер [Canadian Farmer] from 1927 to 1929 (D6). Again, in addition to his pieces, Maydanyk relied on contributions from his circle of friends. The content was similar to the almanac, but the layout took on a tabloid format.

Between 1914 and 1975, Maydanyk also contributed editorial cartoons and illustrations to 39 different periodicals distributed by a variety of publishers, including Точило [Tochylo - The Grind], Веселий друх [Veseli Drukh - The Happy Friend], Провідник – Калєндар Канадійских Українців [The Leader - Calendar of Canadian Ukrainians] published by St. Raphael’s Immigrants Welfare Association of Canada, and Canadoon, published by his friend Dmitrij Farkavec (1983).

FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

Details about Jacob Maydanyk’s family and community life are sparse. What is known was gleaned from the audio interviews with Halya Kuchmij, Yaroslav Lozowchuk, and Michael Ewanchuk.

Jacob Maydanyk came to Canada as a single man; his girlfriend remained behind waiting for his return. Unfortunately, during WWI, his village was heavily damaged, and the two lost track of each other. Jacob never did get a chance to revisit family and friends in Svydova.

While teaching near Rossburn, MB, Jacob met Katherine Maksymczuk; and they were married on October 20, 1919, in Winnipeg. The Maydanyk’s then moved permanently into the city in 1920 to their first home in Winnipeg’s North End at 798 Mountain Ave. Their son Eney was born shortly afterward, followed by sisters Alicia (1922) and Murial (1925).

Jacob Maydanyk was dedicated to his Ukrainian Catholic faith. As a friend to Bishop Budka, he and Katherine began regularly attending services at Sts. Vladimir and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Parish, which was designated as the Bishop’s cathedral. The Maydanyks supported the church even after the Bishop returned to Ukraine. In 1940, Jacob was commissioned to paint the wall icons in Holy Ghost UCC located in North West Winnipeg, at 40 Ada Street.

Jacob and Katherine ran Providence Church Goods together. Jacob oversaw the front end as an agent, artist, and instructor. In 1956, Eney became manager, and his wife Myrtle was a clerk (Henderson Directory). Eney and Myrtle continued to work at the church goods store until moving to Vancouver with their family in the 1960s. They had two sons – Jay and Murray. Alicia married Stephen Koroby and moved to Vancouver with their children – Kathy, John, and Sue. Murial married a chemist and moved to his job placement in South Africa[18]. After their children moved out independently, Jacob and Katherine relocated to a home on the city’s edge at 1360 Henderson Highway.

Most Ukrainian church congregations were established by that time, and the church goods business slowed to a crawl. Jacob and Katherine let the staff go and began to fill orders themselves. Then, after the passing of Katherine, on September 17, 1978, Jacob found he could no longer keep up the business on his own. He closed the doors of Providence Church Goods in 1979.

Maydanyk also supported the Ukrainian cultural community by providing artwork for various secular organizations. In 1977, Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (honoured him with an art exhibit. Dr. Robert Klymasz opened the exhibit, which included landscapes and portraits in oils, small icons, one comic strip, several book illustrations, and many of his original pen and ink caricatures – including the iconic image of Uncle Shtif Tabachniuk.

With the Providence Church Goods closing, Maydanyk no longer had access to the studio he had above the store. In his last few years, he befriended fellow Ukrainian artist Dmitrij Farkavec, and the two of them frequented Farkavec’s studio 150 km southeast of Winnipeg in Piney, MB. Farkavec taught Maydanyk how to work with enamels on copper plates, and the two began to collaborate on several images, which, unfortunately, were never completed. Maydanyk and Farkavec also shared a love of satire. As a result, they collaborated on publishing Canadoon – a contemporary magazine that reimagined Maydanyk’s earlier almanacs. Filled with jokes, short stories, and one-panel cartoons illustrated by Maydanyk, the contents satirized the most recent wave of immigrant experiences - portraying three generations of Ukrainian Canadians now living in Canada.

Between 1977 and 1982, Farkavec took the opportunity to interview Maydanyk for his MA Thesis. The focus was on the satirical perspective of Maydanyk’s stories and the controversy that had developed over the years between Maydanyk and author Steven Fodchuk[19]. The friendship between Farkavec and Maydanyk was somewhat like that between an artist and mentor. The two spent many hours together until Jacob’s passing.

Maydanyk was also very close to author and historian Michael Ewanchuk. Ewanchuk grew up in Gimli, MB[20]; they met when Maydanyk was a teacher at Gimli School. Following his service in the Canadian Air Force and career as a teacher, Ewanchuk busied his retirement years by writing and publishing memories of the early Ukrainian pioneers. One of his earliest interviewees was Jacob Maydanyk. Several of those stories ended up in Ewanchuk’s books. In Maydanyk’s Last Will & Testament, funds were earmarked for publication fees for Ewanchuk’s future books, acknowledging their close friendship.

Jacob Maydanyk died June 3, 1984, and was buried next to his wife at the Elmwood Cemetery in Winnipeg. His passing did not go unnoticed. The artist-iconographer-cartoonist was acknowledged in English and Ukrainian newspapers across Canada and the United States[21]. Although he is gone, his work and experiences live on as memories, embodied on the walls of churches and especially in the lives of his comics characters Uncle Shtif Tabachniuk and Nasha Meri.

Sources