Leaving a legacy

City Centre

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This article was published 05/02/2025 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After more than a decade, Yulia Zmerzla has stepped down as executive director of Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre.

Oseredok was her first job after immigrating to Canada 11 years ago, and she announced she was leaving at the beginning of this month — big news to start off the new year.

She is moving to a position at the Lions Foundation of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, a registered charity which aims to help those in need of accessible medical assistance. She sees it as a new opportunity to help people in a different way.

“I would say (I feel) very optimistic,” Zmerzla said of the career change. “At the same time, it’s not easy. It’s a big chapter that I’m leaving behind. It’s like a little life … I think I’ve been here for a while, in this community, and I am really proud to be Ukrainian, but at the same time, I would like to move on and try something else to develop my career. I think it’s a good time, after 11 years, to do so.”

Zmerzla recently returned from a maternity leave following the birth of her first son in January 2024. She said she will always be close, both physically and in spirit, to Oseredok, which has become the community hub for Ukrainians living in Winnipeg, and said her identity is closely tied to the building at 184 Alexander Ave.

Reflecting on her time at Oseredok, she said the centre has been able to harness the strength of the local Ukrainian community and achieve many positives on a local scale, especially since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

“We’ve done so much that (while) not directly helping Ukraine, was able to support those who were fleeing the war,” Zmerzla said, citing a $1 million renovation to the building’s basement, currently in the final phase of construction.

“This month, we are finishing the basement renovation and this facility will have three big rooms — one is an art school for children, and another will be used for different workshops (as well as) language classes for newcomers, and anything else we can do there, because obviously, like every museum, we have a lack of space,” she said.

The cost was covered by the provincial government and community donations, she said.

“It shows that the community supports what we are doing. And I can say this is the evidence of all the work that has been done,” Zmerzla said.

Oseredok’s museum holds the world’s largest collection of pysanka, the traditional Ukrainian Easter egg — approximately 4,500 are on display. It’s something Zmerzla is very excited about, she said.

Overall, the organization has also seen substantial growth in the last decade, she said, which leaves her feeling proud.

“I’m so happy that during this year, so many fantastic people have joined us and we can learn from them,” she said. “And again, also help them in this way or another. For example, if it’s newcomers who are looking for a job so they can get some experience in Canada.

“Without volunteers, we wouldn’t survive and … our budget, it has grown to over $1 million right now. So it’s been moving, moving, and growing,” she said.

The centre will soon be repairing its elevator and installing an accessibility ramp at its main door, thanks to a recent grant from the Winnipeg Foundation.

“I really hope that newcomers see me as an example that things can happen,” she said. “It’s obviously never easy, especially those who are fleeing the war, but it’s never easy to change your life like (my family) did 11 years ago when we came from Ukraine. But I am grateful to Oseredok and to the community for the opportunity to be a part of this big, big world and having a chance to meet so many great people and also do some good things.”

Oseredok has not yet named a new executive director.