Collection consists of Oleksandr (Oles') Iasenyts'kyi's letters to his cousin Maria Dyhdalevych, who lived in the United States, and his family photographs. There are also several letters from his sister Mariia Iasenyts'ka also addressed to Maria Dyhdalevych.
Letters from 1959 to 1960 were sent from the forced settlement in Karaganda; letters from 1961 to 1980 were sent from village Dymivka, L'viv Region. Oles' Iasenyts'kyi family photographs feature himself, his wife, and their son Myron. There are also postcards featuring views of Kyiv and Kaniv.
This collection is of particular historical and research value, as there is little information available about Iasenitsky's biography, especially about his time at the settlement in Karaganda and the early years following his return to Ukraine. The letters and photographs in this collection fill that gap and shed light on previously unknown aspects of Oleksandr Iasenitsky's life.
Oleksandr (Oles') Iasenyts'kyi (May 14, 1914-1980?), lawyer, member of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). In 1932 he was arrested by Polish authorities for distributing OUN leaflets calling on Ukrainians to join the organization, he was released in 1937. In 1945 he was arrested by Soviet authorities and in February 1946 was sentenced to 20 years of hard labor and with deprivation of rights for five years. Iasenyts'kyi served his sentence in Karlag with subsequent forced settlement in the village of Aktas, Karaganda Region. He was released on March 3, 1956, and rehabilitated by the Lviv Regional Court on February 9, 1993.
This collection has no restrictions.
Single reproductions may be made for research purposes. It is the responsibility of the user to secure permission for publication or use from the appropriate copyright holder.
Source of acquisition--Olha Della Cava. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--2026.
The letters addressed to Maria Dyhdalevich, a cousin of Oles' Iasenyts'kyi, and were donated to the archive by her daughter, Olha della Cava.
(In 2026, while searching for biographical information, a 2025 post by local historian Ivan Drabchuk about Iasenits'kyi was found on Facebook. A printout of this post is kept in the collection's file and is available upon request).
Materials are arranged in chronological order.
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Oleksandr (Oles') Iasenyts'kyi Letters and Photographs; Box and Folder; Bakhmeteff Archive, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
The collection was processed and finding aid written by Katia Davidenko in 2026.