8/30/26 - The Dynamics of the Ukrainian Diaspora: From the Old Country to Ulster County

The Ukrainian story in America is one of the great untold immigration narratives — waves of people who left their homeland under pressure of poverty, political upheaval, and persecution, and found their way to communities across the United States, including to places that might seem surprising. Ulster County is one of those places. Since the early 20th century, Ukrainian families have been putting down roots here — building churches, cultural centers, and institutions that have kept their heritage alive across generations. Soyuzivka Heritage Center in Kerhonkson, established in 1952 by the Ukrainian National Association, has been the heart of that community for more than seventy years. And today, as Ukrainian refugees continue to arrive in the wake of Russia's ongoing invasion, that community is growing and transforming once again.

In this program, historian Matthew Zumchak traces the full arc of Ukrainian immigration to the United States — who came, when, and why — bringing that national story home to Ulster County and the Hudson Valley. From the early waves of economic migrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, to the displaced persons who arrived after World War II, to the political refugees of more recent decades, the Ukrainian community in Ulster County reflects every chapter of that larger journey. This program is also a timely one: Ulster County recently became the first county in the United States to establish a Sister Community partnership with a region of Ukraine — a living reminder that the story of arrival, belonging, and solidarity is never finished.

About the Presenter

Matthew Zumchak is a historian and public history researcher whose work focuses on 20th century Ukrainian immigration to the United States, with particular attention to the communities that took root in upstate New York. A 2025 graduate of SUNY Brockport, where he studied under Dr. Elizabeth Masarik, his research began with a deceptively simple question — why did Ukrainian immigrants settle in seemingly unlikely places like Elmira, New York? — and opened into a broader examination of the dynamics of diaspora communities across the region. He presented his research at the New York History Conference in 2026, where his presentation The Dynamics of the Ukrainian Diaspora drew the attention of the Ulster County Historical Society. His long-term goal is a career in public history — bringing the stories of immigrant communities out of the archive and into the hands of the people whose families lived them. This program is a meaningful step in that direction.

Thank you for supporting local history and community programming!