Pavlo and Evdokia Shalashny

Pavlo Shalashny (1904-2006)

and

Evdokia Shalashny (1912-2001)

— Edited from articles by Katya Szalasznyj.

Pavlo may be spelt Paul, Paulos, Pavlos, Pavel.

Shalashny may be spelt Szalasznyj.

Early life of Pavlo Shalashny

Pavlo’s beginning was perhaps typical of the uncertain times when records were not always kept. Sometimes, records that were kept were later lost because of wars and other disasters. Pavlo was not sure of his exact date of birth ; and when he would inquire, he would be told : “you were born when Ivan Dudka got married”. That didn’t help much. But somewhere along the way, it was settled that he was born on 25 December 1904. However, by the fact he was named Pavlo, it is truly likely “Ivan Dudka” got married in mid-July, around the Feast-day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (29 June/12 July). (It is a very general Orthodox Christian custom to name a child for one of the saints on or near the date of birth.)

On 25 December, 1904 (officially), Pavlo Shalashny was born in a village near Adamovka Kharkiv Governorate of the part of the Russian Empire which is now independent Ukraine. Adamovka is the village in which Saint John (Maximovitch) was born (8 years earlier). This part of Ukraine was within the "Sloboda" (Cossack Free Zone), and it had not endured serfdom, as had much of the empire.

Pavel had 5 brothers, and in old age, his father went to live in solitude in a cave near the Sviatogorsk Monastery. Prior to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the Sviatogorsk Lavra, now restored, was a focal point of local life. The Shalashny family were, like Pavlo, tall with very good bearing. Some members of their family traditionally served (in the military) at Tsarskoe Selo, the imperial residence about 25 km (15.5 mi) south of the imperial capital, Saint Petersburg.

Pavlo’s life is a testament to the goodness and protection of God, as he and his family survived revolution, 2 famines, 2 world wars with brutal army life, and many displacements.

During the 1930s Pavlo (as many others), already married, was arrested and sent to a Soviet prison camp at hard labour for 6 months. He struggled for a time with bitterness because of the injustice ; but after a time, through prayer the bitterness left him through forgiveness in Christ. He never spoke to his relatives about it, and only those who were present at the time were aware of this. In fact, it was only after his passing that his eldest daughter talked about this time in her father’s life.

 Deedo’s [Grandpa’s] life was full of enigmas.  He was born in an eastern Ukrainian village, ‘when Ivan Dudka 
 got married’, yet he never knew who Ivan Dudka was.  He was sent to the Front in World War II, a soldier 
 without a gun.  By God’s grace, he survived.  He studied mechanics in post-war Germany, yet never drove a 
 vehicle all the years we knew him.

Early life of Evdokia Shalashny

On 8 August, 1912, Evdokia (Pysanka) was born in the Kharkiv Governorate of the Russian Empire.

During World War I, her father, Alexander Pysanka, was taken prisoner of war by the Germans for several years. He returned home afterwards, and by this time he had learned both the German language and good German farming methods. Their home in the village was substantial, serving as a place of hospitality for visiting dignitaries. Her parents, especially her mother Varvara (Bondarenko) Pysanka, were very industrious, raising extra money through sewing and selling food in the market.

However, her family also lived through the Soviet forced collectivisation (1928-1933) with all its hardships, and through the Holodomor (famine) of 1932-1933.

Marriage

During the earlier 1930s, Pavlo and Evdokia were united in marriage (according to civil law : church marriages at that time were frequently impossible).

The Lord blessed them with 5 children : Raia, Taisa, Valentina, Vasil, and Vasil. Their fourth child, Vasil, as an infant, fell asleep in the Lord during their time in Germany, after which their second son, also named Vasil, was born.

World War II : forced labour in Germany

Pavlo (as many others) had been taken with his family during World War II from Ukraine to Germany as an "ostarbeiter", or "Ost-Arebeiter" (a forced-labourer from the east, that is, Ukraine, and one of more than 3,000,000 such labourers).

During World War II, Kharkiv had a population of 700,000. Of these, 120,000 were taken by the Nazi German government as “Ost-Arebeiters” (in fact, slave labourers). It is a miracle that the whole family (including Evdokia’s parents) were taken to Germany, and they survived the war together. In many respects, one can say, they just survived. These were days they didn’t talk about often. Their favourite expression at the time was “thank God we survived one more day”. During the several years of forced labour in Germany, the family lived mostly on turnips and the exterior leaves of cabbage. Evdokia said that most of her hair fell out. Even in this darkness, there were some merciful people, including a farm supervisor. In the strawberry acres, he allowed them to eat any strawberries that were damaged and not suitable for sale. If any worker was searched and found to have a vegetable under his cap, he got a cuff on the head, but wasn’t reported to the Bauer [farmer]. Pavlo remembered the kindness of this man.

Much later, after his repose, Pavlo’s eldest daughter explained :

 Deedo’s [Grandpa’s] life was full of enigmas, from the day of his birth ‘when Ivan Dudka got married’ 
 to being sent to the Front in World War II, as a soldier without a gun.  By God’s Grace, he survived.  
 He studied mechanics in post-war Germany, yet never drove a vehicle all the years we knew him.  Fluent 
 in Ukrainian and Russian, he knew more Spanish than he knew English from their days of living in Venezuela. 
 A formative meeting for the first English-speaking parish in Saskatoon was held in his home in 1975, yet 
 Deedo never learned more than a few words of English.  Yet in Christ all the pieces of the puzzle came 
 together – the pieces of war and the pieces of peace.

After the war

The post-war years in Germany and the liberation of prisoners were remembered by the Shalashnys as bright times. Although they were living in Displaced Persons Camps, there was food including butter, coffee and chocolate, things they could trade with the Germans for farm produce. Coffee was not a beverage they were used to in the camps.

An Orthodox iconostas was set up in a building, and services were held by Orthodox Christian clergy who poured their lives out for the people during this time of very unclear jurisdictions.

Iconostas in a refugee camp in Germany, with Alexander Pysanka

Pavlo studied mechanics, and he learnt to be a truck-driver. Life in the camps tried to approach something of normalcy with everyone sharing what talents they had. Even a piano was found, and young Raisa took lessons.

By God's mercy, the Shalashnys had been spared effects of the western governments' policy of the forced return to Ukraine of many who had escaped, and some who had never lived there. That return meant almost certain death for those who were sent.

Move (exile) to Venezuela

During the next chapter of their lives, Pavel, Evdokia and their children, together with Evdokia’s parents, were able to emigrate from Germany to Venezuela. They had a large family, and Venezuela was one country accepting persons with larger families. They moved to Valencia, a sprawling city, where they lived in hot metal barracks in the beginning. Their first meal was “bread” made from fat, flour and water, topped with a little sugar. The second day after arrival, Pavlo went into the city to try to find work. He managed to get work for a sandal-maker. At the end of the day, he was paid, but he was also released because he had absolutely no experience making sandals. After that, other types of temporary work were found : anything to survive.

Pavlo and Evdokia laboured hard in the intense heat. The Slavic immigrants did not understand the concept of “siesta”, and they worked through the scorching day. Pavlo worked mixing cement by hand, and he learnt concrete work, to the point that near the end of their 10 years in Venezuela, he was building swimming pools as well as taking on other cement work. He once said the intense heat of Venezuela did not allow a person to fall asleep until the wee hours, and then it was time to get up again.

As was then common, he sprayed the bedrooms of their house with “DDT” every evening during those years against insects, and another miracle – none of them got cancer. Their home was on the edge of the city, bordering the wilderness. Wild creatures would visit occasionally, including a giant boa constrictor that moved a whole woodpile when it started travelling.

In Valencia, he and his family were amongst those who helped to form an Orthodox Christian parish in the city. They were part of the Slavic Orthodox immigrant community in Valencia, which included the relatives of Saint John (Maximovitch) and also of Father Sviatoslav Balevich. Father Balevich later served for many decades in Saskatchewan, Canada, at the Moose Jaw Holy Trinity Parish (The Orthodox Church in America).

Their life was centred around the church calendar, with many happy memories of feasts and celebrations. It was largely a Russian parish, with quite a number of Russian aristocracy. Evdokia’s father was one of the church’s "starostas". He was the bell-ringer, and he also made beeswax candles for the church since he was a beekeeper. They built their own home of bricks with their own hands, brick by brick after a day’s work. It was a solid house with sufficient room for all ; and when the time came for them to emigrate again (this time to Canada), their home became the parish nursing-home.

Move to Canada, 1959

In 1959, the family moved to Canada, and to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This came about because their daughter, Raisa, had married Volodymyr Lewicki, in the last days of the refugee camp in Germany. Volodymyr's father lived in Canada, and he sponsored them to immigrate there. In time, Raisa and Volodymyr were then able to sponsor the Shalashnys to immigrate to Canada.

In Saskatoon, Pavlo and Evdokia rejoiced in their freedom and in the fresh, wonderful climate. Like so many, they lived with their daughter at first, then in a small house on Avenue Y, and then they bought a good home on Avenue X North. Pavlo worked in cement for Patrick Pipelines and Calgary Concrete. Evdokia got a job in Saint Paul’s Hospital kitchen, where many newcomers from Portugal and other places found employment. With limited English they managed to hold their jobs for many years. These were happy times. Their daughter, Valentina, and son, Vasil, lived with them, together with Evdokia’s parents. Raisa and her growing family lived nearby. Their other daughter, Taisa, remained in Venezuela where she worked for Aero Postal and later for Viasa Airlines.

Bereavement, 1960

Soon after the arrival in Saskatoon, Evdokia's father, Alexander Pysanka, fell asleep in the Lord.

After the funeral services, his earthly remains were interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Saskatoon.

Pavlo and Evdokia grew a huge garden as they had a double yard. He was a skilled grafter of trees, and he had a practical genius for working in wood and cement. With the “TLC” (tender loving care) that they gave their garden, they were well-known for growing many and often giant vegetables, which they gave away every autumn.

Thus, they lived and worked and retired. Then, they would marvel that in old age, pension cheques were coming regularly ; and to visit a doctor, all they had to do was show their health card (not bring a chicken as was done in Venezuela). Pavlo was a disciplined man in matters of food and drink. He was very moderate, and he continued doing exercises well into old age. In his mid-90s, he still turned his garden with a spade.

Through all their years, they were always active in the Orthodox Christian community in Saskatoon, or wherever they lived.

Pavlo himself was always careful of his health and of his appearance, and he was careful about the needs of others. The fact that he dressed neatly and carefully, and that his posture was always good was an encouragement to other people (besides the good effect of seeing someone who was self-confident). Until his late 90s, Pavlo was taking meticulous care of his garden, and he did exercises (including push-ups) every morning. Every day, his exercises were followed by a “shot” of lemon juice.

Pavlo and Evdokia Shalashny at home in Saskatoon

“Faithful Orthodox Christians” is a phrase that characterized Pavlo and his wife, and it described their family in Saskatoon as well. Love, peace, generosity and hospitality were their hallmarks, although in their own earthy way, they endured each other’s ways as we all must do. “Hlukhii yak pen’” – deaf as a stump ! – was her favourite expression when Pavlo wouldn’t answer her, but in a second, it was forgotten. He was very proud of her multitude of paschas that she would bake and give away every year.

Pavlo and Evdokia with Pascha bread

Founding a new parish, 1975

In 1975, Pavlo and Evdokia's home was one of the meeting-places for the formation of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Saskatoon. English was not their first language ; but their Orthodox Christian Faith took precedence in their lives and they supported their son, Vasil, who was a part of the nucleus forming this parish. Prior, he had served as parish secretary at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Saskatoon. Although Pavlo and Evdokia were members of Holy Resurrection parish, which was English-speaking, they also paid their dues at Holy Trinity Cathedral, and they naturally welcomed visits from the priest and Christmas carollers from there.

 The formative meeting for the first English-speaking parish in Saskatoon was held in his home in 1975, yet 
 Deedo never learned more than a few words of English.  In Christ all the puzzle pieces came together, the 
 pieces of war and the pieces of peace.

Early days of Holy Resurrection Church

Pavlo Shalashny with Oksana Olekshy at Pascha

Over the years, Evdokia’s health worsened. She became unstable on her feet, and thanks to calls to the Saskatoon Fire Department, she was often lifted back into a chair by kind firemen stopping at the house.

Her last 16 months had to be spent at Saint Joseph's Nursing Home, a Ukrainian Catholic nursing home that gave exemplary care.

Bereavement, 2001

On 18 May, 2001, Evdokia Shalashny fell asleep in the Lord in Saskatoon. She reposed at Saint Joseph's Nursing Home.

On Monday, 21 May, 2001, at 7:00 p.m., a Panikhida (Memorial Service) was served by Archpriest Orest Olekshy and others at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Saskatoon.

On Tuesday, 22 May, 2001, at 10:00 a.m., the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Lay-person was served by Archpriest Orest Olekshy and others at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Saskatoon.

After the completion of the services, the body of Evdokia Shalashny was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery (Orthodox section) in Saskatoon. The funeral arrangements were in the care of Coventry Funeral Services.

New home, 2001

Pavlo then joined the household of his son, Vasil. Pavlo comprehended that without his wife, maintaining the house and garden alone would be too much – although his son Vasil did continue to care for the garden anyway. Besides, by this time, he had suffered a minor stroke.

Pavlo had a bedroom off the kitchen, with Home Care attending to his personal needs twice a day. Pavlo fully participated in the life of the home. He was constantly weaving on a small loom at the dining room table, where he made many place-mats that became souvenirs for many. He folded clothes after laundering ; he cared for plants, and he continued to read his Ukrainian newspapers (without glasses). He continued to do exercises while lying in his bed. He also rarely asked for anything (except for thread for the loom). He neither interfered in the household, nor did he impose advice. Humility. Every Sunday afternoon, he watched the Ukrainian Baptist programme on television : an ecumenical element. He was an Orthodox Christian, and this programme let him hear his mother tongue, and refresh his exposure to the Holy Scriptures.

When Saskatchewan turned 100, Pavlo received a Centenarian Medal with an MLA visiting the house. Pavlo was intensely grateful for life in Canada and he expressed it often, chiefly with the phrase : “Thank God for everything”. These words he repeated to the end of his 102 years.

Peacefulness and contentment were his chief traits, with strong love of God, family and community. He was usually silent in his last years, but he was always aware. He was moderate in his eating, and constantly in prayer. Nevertheless, his lively sense of humour appeared repeatedly in jokes during gatherings of the family and friends. His relationship with the Lord was evident in his truly theological expression : “We remember all of our living relatives with a gentle thought, and for the departed – the Heavenly Kingdom”.

By the time he arrived at his last years, he could not hear the Sacred Scriptures being read without weeping. As time passed, his body became weaker, but his heart and spiritual life grew stronger.

Repose, 2006

On 24 July, 2006, in the early evening, Pavlo Shalashny, father, grandfather (Deedo) and great-grandfather peacefully fell asleep in the Lord at Saint Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, after the briefest of illnesses.

On Sunday, 30 July, 2006, at 7:30 p.m., a panikhida (memorial service) was offered at Holy Resurrection Church in Saskatoon.

On Monday, 31 July, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Lay-person was led by the Archpriest Orest Olekshy and the Priest Daniel Guenther at Holy Resurrection Sobor in Saskatoon.

After the conclusion of the funeral services, the earthly remains of Pavlo Shalashny were interred beside his wife, Evdokia, at the Woodlawn Cemetery, (Orthodox Section), in Saskatoon.

The funeral arrangements were in the care of Terry G Michayliuk, Acadia Drive Funeral Chapel.

Vichnaya Pamyat’ ! Memory Eternal ! Memoria Eterna !

Pavlo and Evdokia Shalashny grave-marker

Reflections

Pavlo Shalashny was predeceased by his parents and siblings, by his loving wife, Evdokia, and by his infant son, Vasil, in Germany.

Pavlo was survived by his daughters, Raisa (Walter) Lewicki of Kelowna, Taisa de Mendoza of Caracas, Venezuela ; Valentina (Alfonso) Garcia de Paredes of Aruba ; and his son, Vasil (Katya) Szalasznyj of Saskatoon ; by 12 grandchildren : Helen Fadden of Abbotsford ; George Lewicki of Calgary ; Nadia Lewicki of Saskatoon ; Nicholas Lewicki of Kelowna ; Elizabeth Johnson and Michael Lewicki of Vancouver ; Oxana de Mendoza of Caracas ; Valentina (Savvas) Pissarides of Cyprus ; Mary Carmen (Romeo) Kock of Aruba ; Isabel (Nathan) Licona of Holland ; and Alexander Shalashniy and Anastasia Szalasznyj of Saskatoon ; and by 9 great-grandchildren : Tosha of Fort St. John ; Christopher of Kelowna ; Colton Lewicki of Penticton ; Yakie Ochoa de Mendoza of Caracas ; Laura Cristina, Ana Victoria, Ana Sofia, and Juan Daniel Kock of Aruba ; Spyridon Emmanuel Pissarides, and Andreas Pissaredes of Cyprus.

At the time of his wife’s departure to the Lord in the springtime, lilacs were blooming profusely, and they were all around her coffin. At the time of his own departure at the end of July, there was one single cluster of lilac blooming, and that cluster was placed in Pavlo’s lapel.

In lieu of flowers at the funeral, donations were to be made (and may still be made) to the support organisation for Ukrainian orphans, “NASHI—Our Children”, c/o Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church.

“Faithful Orthodox Christians” is a phrase that characterised Pavlo and his wife Evdokia, and it described their family in Saskatoon as well. Love, peace, generosity and hospitality were their “hallmarks”.

Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, Saskatoon, 1987

References

Original obituary of Pavlo Shalashny

Additional information :

Lemieszewski, Stefan, “Repatriation of Ukrainian Displaced People after World War II”

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Tolstoi, Nikolai, “Forced Repatriation to the Soviet Union : The Secret Betrayal”

Holy Resurrection Orthodox Sobor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (OCA)

Archdiocese of Canada listing for Holy Resurrection Orthodox Sobor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Orthodox Church of America (OCA) listing for Holy Resurrection Orthodox Sobor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada listing for Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Constantinople