Svoboda (newspaper)
Svoboda is the oldest existing Ukrainian newspaper and the most widely read in the Western world.History
Svoboda was founded in Jersey City, New Jersey on 11 September 1893 by Father Hryhoriii Hrushka. On February 22, 1894, the Ukrainian National Association adopted the newspaper as its organ. It became a bi-weekly newspaper on 1 March 1894, a tri-weekly on 8 August 1914, and a daily on 3 January 1921. Svoboda served as a 'mouthpiece" for Ukrainians in North America, and played an important role in the discussing and solving of immigrant difficulties. Prior to the establishment of Ukrainian-Canadian periodicals, it was the only Ukrainian-language newspaper of any note in Canada but was banned by the country during World War II for its pro-German sympathies.
Outside of North America, Ukrainians in Brazil, Galicia, and Bukovyna also subscribed to it. It provided a channel of communication for those of the intelligentsia concerned with emigration of Ukrainian peasants and life in the New World; they used the paper to guide them into improved lifestyles and conformance to the ideals of European civilization. Through a program of enlightenment, Svoboda promoted the establishment of Ukrainian schools as well as the learning of Ukrainian language and history.
Its peak circulation was approximately 18,000.
