The Mazepa Society [Товариство імені Мазепи] – an organisation which brought together individuals from British society with an interest in Ukraine and individuals from the Ukrainian community in the UK. Named after Ivan Mazepa, hetman of Ukraine from 1687 to 1709.
The Society was formed at an inaugural general meeting held on 14 October 1967 in London. Its aims included promoting friendship between the British and Ukrainian people, promoting the interests of Ukrainians in the UK, and disseminating information about Ukraine and Ukrainians among the British public.
The Society’s governing body was its Council, comprising executive officers (chair, vice-chairs, general secretary, honorary treasurer) and additional members. The Society also had a president, vice-presidents and patrons, consisting mostly of British members of the upper classes and politicians.
The initial memberhip of The Mazepa Society consisted mainly of individuals who, in 1967, left the Anglo-Ukrainian Society. The Ukrainian members of the newly-formed Society belonged mainly to the UK Representation of the Ukrainian National Council and the Federation of Ukrainians in Great Britain.
The Society’s activities included maintaining contacts with British political figures and representatives of other Eastern European nationalities, lobbying for the introduction of Ukrainian-language broadcasts by the BBC World Service, actions in support of Ukrainian political prisoners in the Soviet Union, and organising events such as receptions in the British Parliament to mark anniversaries of the proclamation of Ukrainian independence in 1918, and a lecture by the Soviet Ukrainian writer Anatoly Kuznetsov after he was granted political asylum in the UK in 1969. The Society continued to be active until 1985.
The presidents of the Society were Lady Hesketh (until about 1978) and Sir Victor Raikes. The Society was chaired by Auberon Herbert (until 1974) and John Jolliffe.
Bibliography
Tarnawsky, M. H., ‘T-vo im. Ivana Mazepy v Londoni’, Ukrainske Slovo (Paris), 5 November 1967, p. 4
Tarnawsky, M. H., ‘Zahalni Zbory T-va im. Mazepy’, Ukrainske Slovo (Paris), 6-13 April 1969, p. 9
Tarnawsky, M. H., ‘U Brytiiskomu parliamenti’, Ukrainske Slovo (Paris), 15 February 1970, p. 2