Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US

The Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US (Ukrainian: Наукове Товариство ім. Шевченка в Америці, NTSh-A) is a Ukrainian-American scholarly institution incorporated in 1948 in the state of New York. It traces its intellectual lineage to the Shevchenko Scientific Society founded in 1873 in Lviv, Ukraine (then part of Austria-Hungary), which until its dissolution by the Soviets in 1939 served as the preeminent Ukrainian scholarly society. The Society's headquarters is located at 63 4th Ave in New York City, housing offices, lecture halls, a specialized library, archives on Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora, and an art collection. It maintains chapters in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Boston, and cooperates with other national Shevchenko Scientific Societies in Australia, Canada, Poland, Slovakia, Western Europe, and since 1989 with the renewed Lviv-based society in Ukraine. The Society organizes and sponsors scholarly conferences, colloquia, symposia, and weekly public lectures. It is an affiliate member of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), the Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN), and a consortium of greater New York scholarly institutions involved in Ukrainian studies. Its publishing program includes the Bulletin (Бюлетень) and the multi-volume Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora, as well as the Zapysky NTSh series. The Society also administers grants and scholarships, and has established the Shevchenko Emergency Fund to support scholars, writers, and artists affected by Russia's war against Ukraine. As of 2011, the Society had nearly 500 members, including 130 full members, 47 corresponding members, and 3 honorary members. Its presidents have included Mykola Chubaty, Roman Smal-Stotsky, Matviy Stakhiv, Osyp Andrushkiv, Yaroslav Padokh, Leonid Rudnytsky, Larysa Onyshkevych-Zaleska, Orest Popovych, Hryhoriy Grabowicz, Halyna Hryn, and Vitaliy Chernetsky (from December 2024). Notable members include Leontiy-Lyudomyr Dmokhovsky, Lubomyr Romankiw, Andriy Khraplyvy, Timothy Snyder, Serhii Plokhii, and Hryhoriy Grabowicz.

The Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US (NTSh-A) was incorporated in 1948 in the state of New York, but its roots lie in the Shevchenko Scientific Society founded in 1873 in Lviv, Ukraine (then Austria-Hungary). That original society became the preeminent Ukrainian scholarly institution until its dissolution by the Soviets in 1939. After World War II, many of its members emigrated, and at a congress in Bavaria in 1947 they revived the society. Due to the migration of displaced persons, four national centers emerged: in the United States (from September 29, 1947), Canada (1949), Australia (1950), and Western Europe (based in Sarcelles, France). The US branch was formally incorporated in 1948. NTSh-A took up the scholarly and publishing mission of the mother society, representing free Ukrainian scholarly thought during the 50-year postwar era of Soviet captivity in Ukraine. It preserved the section-based membership structure and added over 50 volumes of Zapysky NTSh to the treasury of Ukrainian studies. Significant contributions were made through the "Library of Ukrainian Studies" series and the popular "Ukrainian Archive" volumes with local history and memoir materials about western Ukrainian regions. Dedicated members included Mykola Chubaty, Roman Smal-Stotsky, Matviy Stakhiv, Hryhor Luzhnytsky, Vasyl Lev, Osyp Andrushkiv, Roman Osinchuk, Yaroslav Padokh, Vasyl Lentsyk, Leonid Rudnytsky, and Maria Fisher-Slyzh. A major research and publishing project of NTSh-A is the Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora, USA, published in four volumes between 2009 and 2020, containing 4,520 entries plus a volume with addenda and errata. Volume 1, Book 1 (A-K) with 1,942 entries appeared in 2009 (edited by Daria Markus and Vasyl Markus); Book 2 (L-R) with 1,256 entries in 2012 (edited by Vasyl Markus); Book 3 (S-Ya) with 1,322 entries in 2018 (editor-in-chief Orest Popovych; co-editor Oleksander Luzhnytsky; technical editor Vasyl Lopukh; language editor Vasyl Makhno). Book 4 (addenda and errata) is in preparation. The Chicago chapter was founded in 1958, held its first conference in 1959, and in 1962 published a scholarly collection as volume 173-1 of Zapysky NTSh. It participated in the 100th anniversary of NTSh in 1973, the 30th anniversary of NTSh-A in 1978, and numerous conferences in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as in the preparation of the Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora (editor Dr. Vasyl Markus). As of 2011, NTSh-A had nearly 500 members (493 as of May 21), including 130 full members, 47 corresponding members, and 3 honorary members. The society's main center in New York is the largest among NTSh centers abroad, with its own building housing offices, library, archives, and conference facilities. Chapters operate in Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Boston. One of its flagship conference projects is the annual Shevchenko Scholarly Conferences. The society systematically supports strategic publishing projects in Ukraine in the field of objective Ukrainian studies. Presidents of NTSh-A have included Mykola Chubaty (1947-1952), Roman Smal-Stotsky (1952-1969), Matviy Stakhiv (1969-1974), Osyp Andrushkiv (1974-1977), Yaroslav Padokh (1977-1990), Leonid Rudnytsky (1990-2000), Larysa Onyshkevych-Zaleska (2000-2006), Orest Popovych (2006-2012), Hryhoriy Grabowicz (2012-2018), Halyna Hryn (2018-2024), and Vitaliy Chernetsky (from December 2024). Notable members include Leontiy-Lyudomyr Dmokhovsky, a professor of virology at Columbia and Texas universities and pioneer in viral oncology; Lubomyr Romankiw; Andriy Khraplyvy; Timothy Snyder; Serhii Plokhii; and Hryhoriy Grabowicz.

• Shevchenko Scientific Society founded in Lviv, Ukraine (then Austria-Hungary).

• Original society dissolved by the Soviets.

• US branch of the Shevchenko Scientific Society established.

• Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US incorporated in New York State.

• Chicago chapter founded.

• First Chicago chapter conference held.

• Chicago chapter publishes scholarly collection as volume 173-1 of Zapysky NTSh.

• Participation in the 100th anniversary of NTSh.

• 30th anniversary of NTSh-A celebrated.

• Cooperation renewed with the Lviv-based Shevchenko Scientific Society in Ukraine.

• Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora, USA, Volume 1, Book 1 (A-K) published.

• Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora, USA, Volume 1, Book 2 (L-R) published.

• Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora, USA, Volume 1, Book 3 (S-Ya) published.

• Vitaliy Chernetsky becomes President.

A leading Ukrainian-American scholarly institution dedicated to Ukrainian studies and diaspora scholarship.

• Bulletin (Бюлетень)

  Periodical publication of the Society; issue No. 61 published in 2026.

• Zapysky NTSh (Записки НТШ)

  Scholarly series; over 50 volumes added by NTSh-A.

• Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora, USA

  Multi-volume encyclopedia published 2009-2020, with 4,520 entries.

• Library of Ukrainian Studies (Бібліотека українознавства)

  Book series contributing to Ukrainian studies.

• Ukrainian Archive (Український Архів)

  Series of volumes with local history and memoir materials about western Ukrainian regions.

1. 1Shevchenko Scientific Society – Наукове Товариство ім. Шевченкаshevchenko.org
2. 2Mission and History – Shevchenko Scientific Societyshevchenko.org
3. 3Contacts – Shevchenko Scientific Societyshevchenko.org
4. 4Annual Reports – Shevchenko Scientific Societyshevchenko.org
5. 5Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Наукове товариство імені Шевченка у США – Wikipedia (Ukrainian)uk.wikipedia.org