Digital Literacy: Exploring Russian and Ukrainian History in Canada

Historica Canada is a charitable organization that offers programs in both official languages that you can use to explore, learn, reflect on our history, and consider what it means to be Canadian.

The history of Russian and Ukrainian people in Canada is older than the country itself. In the 1790s, Russian fur traders operated among the islands of Haida Gwaii and along the Northwest Coast. One hundred years later, on 7 September 1891, Ivan Pylypiw and Wasyl Eleniak landed at Montreal, becoming the first recorded Ukrainians in Canada. Today, Russian and Ukrainian ethnicities rank among Canada’s top 25 most-cited ethnic origins, according to the 2021 census. These two communities are so intricately woven into the fabric of Canadian society that on a typical day they would go unnoticed. These days, however, are not typical. On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to invade Ukraine, placing Russian and Ukrainian Canadians at the forefront of people’s minds. For example, in the months following Putin’s decision, the Canadian government enforced economic sanctions against Russia, and many Canadians across the country raised blue and yellow flags in displays of solidarity with Ukraine. Sanctions against the Russian government, however, quickly evolved into broader restrictions on Russian people. The Canadian Hockey League, for example, banned Russian and Belarusian players from their import draft. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra cancelled a performance by Alexander Malofeev, a Russian piano prodigy, despite his vocal criticism of Putin’s actions. And in Calgary, vandals splashed red paint across the doors of the All Saints Russian Orthodox Church.

In response to this Russophobia and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict more generally, Historica Canada decided to spotlight the history of both communities in this country. While these histories are unique, both groups have made invaluable contributions to Canada and Canadian culture. The first major waves of Russian and Ukrainian immigration to Canada took place in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as Russian Doukhobors escaped persecution and Ukrainian peasants sought better opportunities. In the waves that followed, Russians and Ukrainians continued to find refuge here. For example, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Canadians welcomed Russian Jews escaping their former nation’s antisemitic policies — much in the same way Canada is currently welcoming Ukrainian refugees. However, their new home was not always welcoming. Certain policies prevented the Doukhobors, for example, from living communally, and during the First World War the Canadian government forced thousands of Ukrainian Canadians into internment camps. Despite this, Russians and Ukrainians persevered to make Canada a more inclusive country, not just for members of their own communities but for all Canadians. This digital magazine features five stories of notable Russian and Ukrainian Canadians who worked toward this end. It also includes two timelines that tell the story of each community in Canada. Links to the full-length biographies on The Canadian Encyclopedia are provided throughout.

Illustrator bio: Illustrations for this project were created by Dmitry Bondarenko. Bondarenko lives and works in Toronto’s East End. Born in the USSR to parents of mixed Russian and Ukrainian heritage, his early years were split between dour Moscow suburbs and sunny rural Poltava. In 1992, Bodarenko immigrated to Canada, maintaining a strong connection to both the Ukrainian and Russian sides of his family.