Waldorf News

Pokuttia Waldorf School in Ukraine

By Mykhaylo Mykytiuk for the The Waldorf Community of Horodenka

Not far from the Dniester River, in a picturesque corner of the Carpathian foothills, the small Pokuttian town of Horodenka could almost be overlooked. It’s an average town, like many in Western Ukraine.

One unique element, however, distinguishes Horodenka from its neighboring settlements, and that is Waldorf pedagogy. Little Horodenka has gained fame as a pioneer in Waldorf education in Ukraine and the Western region.

It all started at the dawn of Ukrainian independence, when two young leaders of the Narodniy Movement, a Ukrainian political organization that fought the Communists for the independence of Ukraine, became students of the first All-Ukrainian Waldorf Pedagogical Seminar held in Odesa under the patronage of the International Waldorf Association.

It was there that a fateful meeting with a Ukrainian woman from America took place. Dzvinka Nykorak-Hayda was invited to the seminar as an associate professor of preschool education.

Mrs. Hayda eagerly accepted the invitation, as she had been nurturing for many years a noble idea: to present an advanced pedagogical methodology, when conditions allowed, to her historical homeland. Sincerely believing an independent Ukraine was certain to emerge, she diligently prepared for the realization of her cherished dream.

Mrs. Hayda had graduated from the Waldorf Institute of Mercy College where she studied Waldorf pedagogy, specializing in Early Childhood.  She attained a second degree in Child Development from Madonna University.

Mrs. Hayda gained practical experience working in all levels and positions in Waldorf schools. She was a class teacher, the director of the Waldorf Kinderhouse, as well as director of the early childhood teacher training program at WISM (Waldorf Institute of South Michigan.) Her experience made it possible to organize and teach at the newly formed Waldorf teacher training seminar in Ukraine.

In a small café by the port three people were discussing Waldorf pedagogy. Their plans were bold but realistic and soon to come to life. Firstly, Mrs. Hayda, with the financial and methodical support of her friend, Sally Muir, also a Waldorf teacher, organized the first Ukrainian language teacher training seminar of Waldorf pedagogy in Ukraine.

Mrs. Hayda sought, from different corners of America, Ukrainian-speaking, or not, specialists who would be able and willing to travel to distant Ukraine as trainers.

Ihor Radysh, an experienced Waldorf teacher from the Waldorf school in New York, who came from a family of Halychyny intellectuals, and whose father, a renowned artist, at one time also taught in the Horodenka district, was among the first to respond.

Interestingly, later, when the question of construction arose, Ihor’s brother Volodymyr Radysh, an architect, traveled from Scotland and created the architectural plans, in the anthroposophical style, of the future Waldorf kindergarten free of charge.

John Trevillian, a long-time Waldorf educator from Detroit, Michigan, also agreed to join the seminar teaching staff.

Everything came together, and the seminar began its work. The seminar lasted for three summers and became the basis for the opening of the first Ukrainian-language Waldorf kindergarten, “The Stork’s Nest” in Horodenka.

A donation by Sally and Jim Muir helped to acquire a vehicle for transport. Moreover, the Muirs contributed to the purchase of the buildings for the kindergarten. Mrs. Hayda and Mrs. Muir traveled to Dornach, to the Goetheanum, to request funds for the fledgling school.

This facilitated the purchase of a beautiful building in the very center of the city with the status of a historical architectural monument which served as the premises of the magistracy during the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Waldorf students from Germany spent a summer helping to renovate the building. After major repairs, the question arose of filling and decorating the internal kindergarten space. And here again, the lion’s share of aid came from America.

It is worth noting the fact that Mrs. Hayda single-handedly collected, packed, and sent a huge amount of kindergarten equipment, fabrics, utensils, and all manner of supplies needed for a classroom. One amazing thing that arrived was a comfortable rocking chair.

Mrs. Hayda’s premise was to send an item as a sample and that the Ukrainians will have the knack and talent to replicate it. And that is what they did.

It is worth mentioning that several years later the curator of Waldorf pedagogy in Ukraine, Mikhail Ainer, having personally visited and familiarized himself with the existing initiatives at that time, recognized “The Stork’s Nest” as the foremost Waldorf kindergarten in Ukraine.

The next step in the development of the Waldorf movement in Horodenka was to create a source of stable and robust financing, which would gradually ease their need for philanthropic assistance from foreign friends and allow them to fully and confidently rely on their own strength.

For this purpose, a local supportive family of a father and two sons, who were directly involved in the development of the Waldorf movement in Horodenka, started the craft pottery production “Pokutska Ceramics.”

10% of the income was directed to the development of social initiative and Waldorf pedagogy.

It should be noted: we are not talking about the tax from the profit, which is logical and quite common in the business world, but from the total turnover, after taxes and all other production costs which essentially defies the laws of the business and keeps the business perpetually in the danger zone.

However, as life has shown, such a bold move was justified. Not only did it not hinder production, but on the contrary: in some strange way, it quickly and relentlessly increased its capacity.

Now the Waldorf initiative had its own funds, the income of which, no less was constantly increasing. This allowed the kindergarten to be fully self-sufficient, and to realize the opening of a grade school.

For this purpose, an unfinished property was purchased in the most picturesque corner of Horodenka, the “Chervona” tract, located in the forest park canyon of the local Yamhoriv River, where the elementary and then secondary school classes were opened.

Simultaneously, a Waldorf teacher training seminar was financed.

The construction of the school workshops had also begun, with the intention of making it an educational and craft center for all the Waldorf community throughout Ukraine.

This way, a Waldorf school that does not have the necessary conditions for conducting crafts could come to Horodenka and receive full-fledged training.

All this, the purchase of a building, major repairs, completion of a school building, construction of the first-floor workshops, teacher training, and stable financial support of the school and kindergarten, was now done with independent funding.

Of course, various donations continued to happen, but they were no longer essential. Horodenka’s Waldorf initiative reached self-sufficiency, which allowed us to confidently look into the future and boldly plan out development.

Due to its geographical position, the Pokuttia region is almost outside the theater of hostilities, and being a small cover of civilization, is insignificant in the industrial factor.

It seems to have escaped most of the scourges of war altogether. There are no significant military targets or important industrial facilities here, so the rockets do not attack here.

Therefore, at the beginning of the war, it was natural that for some time, the Pokuttia school in Horodenka became the only operating Waldorf school in Ukraine.

Immigrants came, especially families looking for Waldorf education for their children.

In a short time, the number of students at the school increased by more than three times.

The war undermined a stable, well-established mechanism of financial self-sufficiency. To top it off, the blackouts that covered Ukraine because of missile strikes paralyzed the work of Pokutska Ceramics, and with it, its income.

The initiative was saved from near death by people from Europe and the world over who cared about Waldorf pedagogy, especially the “Friends of Rudolph Steiner’s Art of Education” , a charitable foundation (Freunde der Erziehungkunst Rudolf Steiner).

After some time, Pokutska Ceramics began to gradually emerge from the crisis.

Today, the Waldorf initiative of Horodenka has reached the level of its pre-war financial self-sufficiency, but in the current realities of wartime, this is already catastrophically lacking.

For a school that has more than tripled in size, this is only a third of what is necessary to continue the stable operation of the kindergarten, not to mention the need to accommodate for its growth.

First, there is a need to expand the kindergarten by creating another group, as well as to open a second first grade, which naturally expands the school. An even greater challenge arises with the need to create high school classes, which are already being organized for the next academic year.

Currently, we do not have clear solutions for these outstanding issues. There is only a deep faith that with God’s help, with the selfless goodwill and help of people, and with their own efforts and dedicated work, the Horodenka Waldorf community will be able to overcome this challenge of fate.

If you, or someone you know, would like to help this Waldorf School in Ukraine so it can continue to teach their traumatized children, please contact Dzvinka Hayda at the email address below.

Anything would be greatly appreciated.

It could also be that your school might consider becoming a sister school to the Horodenka Waldorf School.

Please contact Dzvinka Hayda at dzvinbell@juno.com