Victor Yushchenko in Chicago: Ukrainian Identity, Historical Memory, and Intergenerational Dialogue
From discussions at the University of Chicago and meetings with American experts to a packed hall at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art — the four-day visit of the third President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, to Chicago combined international diplomacy, education, culture, and live communication with the Ukrainian community.
From October 29 to November 1, 2026, the third President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, was on a working visit to Chicago. After meetings in the state of Missouri, he continued his program in one of the largest centers of the Ukrainian diaspora in the USA, where for decades, community, cultural, and educational institutions have been formed, maintaining connections with Ukraine even during times of statelessness. The visit program covered leading academic institutions, international analytical centers, American business, and the Ukrainian community. The main topics were the future of Ukraine, international security, energy independence, education, and the preservation of national identity.
On October 29, Viktor Yushchenko visited the University of Chicago, where over 450 students, including Ukrainians, listened to his speech. On the same day, he participated in a public discussion, What Lies Ahead for Ukraine, with representatives of the Harris School of Public Policy. The discussion focused on the prospects of the Ukrainian state, international support, and its place in the European security system. Special attention was paid to the development of partnerships between Ukrainian and American educational institutions. The next day, October 30, a round table was held at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, dedicated to international security and the consequences of Russian aggression. During a visit to the American energy company Invenergy, issues of restoring Ukraine's energy infrastructure, implementing modern technologies, and opportunities for attracting American investments were discussed. Another point of the program was the Latin School of Chicago, where Yushchenko met with students and teachers. The conversation concerned freedom, human dignity, and the responsibility of the young generation for the future of a democratic society. On October 31, the President also visited the Obama Presidential Center, where the preservation of historical and institutional memory was discussed. However, the most emotionally intense part of the four-day program was the meeting with the Ukrainian community.
On Saturday, October 31, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) in Chicago hosted Viktor Yushchenko and his wife Kateryna Yushchenko. The meeting was titled "Ukrainian Identity — it is Resilience!" Even before the program began, it was clear that many people were interested in the event, as the hall was filled to capacity. The numerous presence of young people was particularly striking. Students, young families, and representatives of community organizations came to hear the President, whose political activity is associated with significant events in modern Ukrainian history. Among those present were the Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago, Kostyantyn Vorona, Bishop Benedict, representatives of Ukrainian community and cultural organizations, clergy, press, and American friends of Ukraine. The President of the Institute, Motrya Melnyk, welcomed the guests and introduced the Yushchenko couple. The meeting was moderated by Maria Klymchak. The meeting was given a unique flavor by the master of korovai art, Oksana Klyuyko, who presented Viktor Yushchenko with a handmade and masterfully decorated korovai.
Thus, the Ukrainian community of Chicago welcomed the guest according to an ancient Ukrainian tradition. Viktor Yushchenko spoke for almost two hours. His narrative covered several centuries of Ukrainian history, from the origins of statehood to the modern struggle for independence. He linked historical events with questions such as why it is important for Ukrainians to know their past and what role language plays in forming a nation.
These reflections gained particular resonance in the context of
the current war, when in the occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian authorities are trying to destroy cultural heritage. Kateryna Yushchenko translated the speech for American guests. For the President's wife, Chicago is a hometown where the community's history is part of her personal biography. During her husband's speech, Kateryna Yushchenko sat next to several American guests who did not speak Ukrainian and translated his story into English for almost two hours.
Viktor Yushchenko, along with his wife Kateryna, presented the Institute with a painting that the third President of Ukraine painted himself. For the institution, which for 55 years has been introducing the American public to Ukrainian art, this gift will complement the collection of contemporary artists. After the speech, a question-and-answer session began. There were significantly more people willing to address the President than the schedule allowed. Yushchenko was in no hurry to leave the hall. He continued to answer questions and communicate with those present for a long time. Meanwhile, a friendly reception was already underway in the neighboring room, where participants exchanged impressions of what they had heard. The buffet was prepared by the chefs of the "Velour" restaurant.
The meeting with Viktor Yushchenko once again demonstrated the Institute's ability to unite different generations of Ukrainians around topics important to modern Ukraine. Young people listened to stories about events that preceded their birth but directly affect their present. Perhaps, many years later, they will tell their children how in the fall of 2026, in Ukrainian Chicago, they listened to the third President of Ukraine, asked him questions, and discovered little-known pages of their people's history. The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art expresses sincere gratitude to the Heritage Foundation of First Security Federal Savings Bank and the Selfreliance Foundation for supporting this event, and to photographer Petro Kovtun for the historical photographs. Another point of Viktor Yushchenko's visit program was a visit to the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago. This meeting also had an interesting historical continuation.
During the 2004 presidential elections, over five thousand Ukrainians in Chicago voted for Viktor Yushchenko. Symbolically, among the members of the election commission was a young student from Loyola University, Kostyantyn Vorona, the current Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago. Twenty-two years later, they met again in different roles — the third President of independent Ukraine and the Ukrainian diplomat who today represents the state in the city where he once participated in organizing historic elections. Thus, personal biographies unexpectedly intertwine with the history of Ukraine, and Chicago once again becomes a meeting place for the past and present.
Special thanks to the Polish Family Foundation for assisting in organizing Viktor Yushchenko's meetings in Chicago and establishing contacts with American partners.
Photo by Petro Kovtun
