Ukranian Exhibit on Professor Granovsky

The Immigration History Research Center Archives is pleased to announce the opening of the Alexander Granovsky Papers, and is hosting an exhibit of selections from the papers of Professor Granovksy which reflect his lifelong work with Ukrainians in the United States and the diaspora.

Granovsky worked tirelessly to further knowledge of Ukrainian culture and heritage, and his collection provides a wealth of information to today’s researchers.

The exhibit is on display outside of the IHRC&A suite, Andersen Library 311, from June through August 31, 2014. Visitors are welcome to the exhibit whenever the Andersen Library building is open, and access to the papers for researchers is available in the Reading Room by appointment made through ihrc@umn.edu.

Read more about the papers in the finding aid. Records documenting Granovsky’s work as a professor with the University of Minnesota can be found in the University Archives. And, explore digitized materials through UMedia Archive.

Estonian visitors 

Recently, two archivists from the National Archives of Estonia in Tallinn arrived at the Immigration History Research Center Archives (IHRCA) to help us with processing Estonian American collections. Processing means to arrange collections, and then describe them in finding aids, enabling researchers to view detailed information about the materials comprising these collections.

Estonian language skills are essential when working with historical records created by Estonian Americans who used the Estonian language for their record keeping. Thus, a successful project has been in place since 2009 where the IHRCA hosts visiting colleagues from Estonian archives, namely the Rahvusarhiiv (National Archives). Aside from these two institutions, partners in this successful collaborative project include the Estonian Archives in the USA (Lakewood, New Jersey) and the Baltic Heritage Network.

As a result of the work during the previous five years, more than 300 collections of personal papers and organizational records received by the IHRC Archives from the Estonian Archives in the USA (Lakewood, New Jersey) have been processed and descriptions provided in English.

This year, Birgit Nurme, who was here as a member of the first team in 2009, and her colleague Pille Aguraiuja focused on records documenting the activities of numerous Estonian American congregations and other organizations in the past 60 years, as well as a large set of materials pertaining to the life of Estonian refugees in the Displaced Persons camps following World War II.

Thank you Ms. Aguraiuja and Ms. Nurme!