Sokil
2006-2024, archival pigment prints, dimensions variable
Attention 1, 2006: A group of “novachky” (young girl campers) stand at attention for a photograph, along with their two “sestrychky” (counselors, but that word translates to sisters). Since the start of Plast, the Ukrainian scouting organization, marching drills and military-like commands are part of each day at camp, often taking place in a field early in the morning to reduce overheating,
Latrine, 2006: All of the buildings at Novyi Sokil Ukrainian scouting camp were built to resemble village homes in Western Ukraine. This building houses flushing toilets and showers, and the space fills with a cacophony of sound at busy points in the day.
Khustka, 2022: This Ukrainian Scout is wearing a “khustka”, or traditional Ukrainian scarf over her T-shirt. The scarf is an important and beautiful symbol of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. I have one in black that is machine printed like in the photo. But historically khustkas are passed down through generations as a sacred item. Often we think of a Ukrainian babushka wearing a scarf on her head.
Novyi Sokil Welcomes You, 2023: All the signage at camp is in Ukrainian, except for the notices by the New York State health inspectors. The signs are stored away each year and well maintained by the stewards of the camp. This sign, along with sunflowers, a traditional symbol of Ukraine, were left behind after a popular Ukrainian folk band visited the camp.
Vatra, 2022: Like other scouts, “Plastuny” (those who participate in Plast) learn how to build “vatras” (campfires) for evening activities. There are designated firepits all over the camp, and all the wood is gathered from the forest.
Nina, 2018: Nina poses for me on the deck of her barracks, showing off her badges she has earned through her summers attending camp. The number eight represents her troop in New York, and she gets new “vidznaky” (swag, or the buttons on the shirt pocket) for each camp she attends. They make a satisfying clinking sound.
Sunday Mass, 2023: Those who are part of Plast are generally Ukrainian Catholics and prayers are sung every morning and evening, and mass is attended weekly. The local priest from Buffalo comes in to give a full mass at the “kaplytsia” (outdoor chapel.) Scouts have to stand the entire time no matter what the weather. They stand “at attention” for certain prayers and can then stand “at ease” for the remainder of the service. There is a lot of movement and rustling from the younger kids but the older scouts have developed stamina.
Kupyl, 2006: My mom attended Novyi Sokil in the 1950s when it first started and remembers having to bathe and swim in the small creek that borders the land. Eventually, a pool was installed that is now salt water and quite nice. Morning swim lessons are always daunting in the cool forest of Western New York, especially for those who are not strong swimmers, but “kupyl” (free swim) in the afternoon is a delight.
Emilia, 2023: Traditional Ukrainian costumery is reflected in crafts and activities at camp, focusing on embroidery and flower wreaths. Here, Emilia hailing from Chicago, poses for me on the deck of her barracks on the final day of camp which includes a performance and traditional scouting ceremonies in their uniforms.
Zelenskyy Way, 2022: This image was made five months after Russia’s full scale invasion into Ukraine. Zelenskyy is a controversial figure amongst Ukrainians, like any leader, but it was important for these scouts to hang this sign in solidarity. There is a lot of waiting and hanging out in between activities, while often times Ukrainian music is also playing in the background.
Time Capsule, 2022 The administration building is the headquarters for the folks running the camp, who are often using their vacation time from work to be there. A list of phone numbers hangs on the wall, some of these people are deceased, some haven’t been to camp in many years, or it’s that pizza place that closed during the pandemic. But they hang there as a testament to the stewardship of a cultural enclave that has kept this place alive.
Plast, 2022: Plast, which is what Arianna’s shirt reads, is an organization that has chapters all over the world. Born during great social and political upheavals in Europe, Ukrainian Plast came into being to fulfill specific national aims, unlike other Scout organizations.
Eirik, 2022: Eirik from the DC area poses for me during Ukrainian Day, when everyone wore their embroidered shirts and did even more Ukrainian things than usual.
Headband, 2018: A scout waits with her special headband to perform a song with her group. Each age group names themselves according to the camp’s theme and compose accompanying lyrics about who they are, usually to popular tunes. For instance, when my group called ourselves the Queen of Hearts, we most definitely sang our Ukrainian lyrics to the tune of Hangin Tough by New Kids on the Block.
Natalya, 2022: I’ve seen Natalya grow up at camp. Her mother and I went to Novyi Sokil together as kids. The pendant on her necklace is the Ukrainian “tryzub”, or trident, that is a visual cue for the support of Ukraine.
Pobidna Tisha, 2017: After lunch there is quiet time, called “pobidna tisha,” where the campers are encouraged to relax in their rooms. This “novak” was just hanging out in the field with his friends enjoying the quiet.
Obeed, 2022 The uniforms create a timeless aspect to the camp. When they are in their street clothes, the era is apparent. So many campers, including myself, flirted and waited in line for lunch, or “obeed,” over many decades.
Old Administration Building, 2023 There are several buildings not currently in use, but were built early on in the camp. One of these is the old administration building, that sits empty and barren with the exact musty dusty smells you might imagine.
Parents Weekend, 2017 Parents and siblings can come visit one Sunday in the three weeks, and after a long display of marching, drumming and performances in the hot sun, the parents take the kids out to a restaurant or to Buffalo’s mall for a taste of the real world. They come back to relive their own camp memories around a big fire.
Velyka Vatra, 2017 It’s customary for the older scouts to spend days building a “Velyka Vatra” (Big Fire) for parent’s weekend. Everyone hopes for dry weather, and sometimes it is covered with a tarp. There is a chant like song that is sung as a scout goes to light the fire: the fire’s burning, the fire’s burning, look at it, look at it! We are Ukrainian Scouts who are singing, who are singing.
Younak, 2022 A teen scout waits for marching drills to commence on the lawn in front of of the latrine.
Oselia, 2022: There is a sense of order that accompanies a military-like sense of conducting daily activities. Groups gather in straight lines and walk from one place to another holding the same structure on the grounds, or “oselia.”. There is chatting and camaraderie and laughing and scolding from the counselors like at any camp, but visually it resembles training for combat, which is why the organization started in the first place: to defend Ukraine against the invading Russians.
Here We Use Only the Ukrainian Language, 2018: The camp is conducted all in the Ukrainian language, and the scouts are publicly rated on their language effort. This giant sign exists as a reminder of why they are there: to spend three weeks immersed in Ukrainian culture. Behind the sign, the older campers are gathering for singing practice. Song and recitation of Ukrainian are often practiced in preparation for evening campfires or when parents come for visitation day.
Prapor, 2022 Raising the Ukrainian “prapor” (flag) every morning is part of the camp’s ritual since the beginning. The campers learn how to properly fold and store the flag, and sing the accompanying songs.
Homesick, 2023: Our generation was shipped off to three weeks of camp in the woods in the 80s and 90s with virtually no contact with our parents. I feel so deeply for the kids who are having a hard time, because this was me for the first several years. Kids are plucked from the deep comfort of their soft beds and screentime to exist in the woods, sometimes struggling to speak Ukrainian. By the end of the three weeks kids usually want to stay after they gain a sense of resilience and belonging.
Pershi Steszi, 2022 As you climb through the ranks of Plast, you can join special troops with different agendas, and you get a special kerchief, like this one. This group of women are part of “Pershi Steszi” (First Trails) and they focus on educating young Ukrainians by leading camps.
Tysovksy and Shevchenko, 2022 The founder of Plast, Dr. Oleksandr Tysovsky, and Taras Shevchenko, the foremost Ukrainian poet of the 19th century and a major figure of the Ukrainian national revival reside in the dining hall annually, looking over the campers as they eat.
Zbirka, 2022: When the shrill whistle sound is accompanied by the shouting of the word, “Zbirka!” it means it’s time to get up and get running to meet up for the next activity. These two friends were waiting together for swimming, ready for anything.
Brama, 2022: Attending Novyi Sokil means hard work and no alone time, especially for the older campers who sleep in tents and focus on pioneering projects. Every year they have to build their “brama” (gate) to their camp that teaches them construction and teamworking skills. When I was there as a teen we were also made to sit watch for two hour shifts in the middle of the night. It was cold and scary, and we generally just had to look out for racoons or kids sneaking off into each other’s tents.
Sportova Ploshta, 2022: There is a huge field on the Novyi Sokil property called the “Sportova Ploshta” (Sports Field). It’s the place where marching often happens, sometimes visitors park their cars off to the sides, but mostly that where a lot of physical activity occurs. For the older scouts, there is no opting out: everyone has to participate.
Ganok, 2023: The porch of the barracks, or “ganok” is a popular place to hang out. It provides shelter when it’s raining, and ample space to spread out if it’s too hot in the sun.
Blue and Yellow, 2022: There is a comfort to showing up to summer camp and having things still be the same, like the fresh smell of the woods, the signage, and shrill sound of the counselor’s whistle demanding you come line up on the lawn. Similar themes, like Ukrainian flag motifs, emerge each year during arts and crafts time.
Manicure, 2023: The counselors are incredibly immersed in their Ukrainian culture at home in the US or Canada and bring their commitment to being Ukrainian with them, and it’s inspiring to the young campers. Here, a counselor got a special manicure before camp with the colors of the Ukrainian flag and the “tryzub” (trident, or Ukrainian coat of arms) that symbolizes a modern Ukraine.
Odnostriy, 2022: The campers don’t wear their “odnostriy” (uniform) all the time, but do change in and out of it several times a day. There is a certain technique to rolling their bandanas that is passed down every summer by the older generations. It involves grasping the triangular bandana at two corners, whipping it around, and using your teeth to pull it straight.
Skoro!, 2022: “Skoro” in this context translates to “quickly!” which is heard constantly from the counselors directed towards the campers. This campers runs in between barracks in front of the site of the large campfire, not yet built.
Znymka, 2022: Every year I take a big group photo, or “znymka,” of the campers. At camp there is a lot of waiting for your peers to be ready for group activities, while the young kids jump on each other and shout and act, well, like kids.
Brachyky, 2018: The male counselors are called “Brachyky” (translated to Brothers in English), and like all the staff, are to act as role models at camp. Here, a nice moment of helping to get that kerchief straight so one’s uniform doesn’t look sloppy, with an onlooking camper in front of the ever present porta potties.
Maya, 2023: Maya having a playful moment while getting ready to go to the pool.
Novachka, 2022: A young scout poses for me on her way back to her barracks. The uniform requires long brown socks, brown shoes, brown skirt or jumper, and the tan blouse. Many troops have a stash of these uniforms they hold onto to loan to campers for the summer.
Bonchuzhna, 2022: The counselors all have different roles, and one of them is called a “Bonchuzhna,” which I don’t believe has a direct translation into English. This is the feminine conjugation for the person who leads all the drills and discipline for the campers. From experience, I always slightly feared them and their toughness. They have the whistle and they try to whip everyone into shape.
Alone Time, 2022: Besides your own cot, or lying down in the warm grass there isn’t anywhere soft to sit at camp. Sometimes, just sitting down is the actual luxury. I remember the mental and physical shift occurring after a few days in the woods, when the mosquitoes ceased to bother me and any log would suffice as a resting spot.
Mosquitoes, 2022 There can’t be camp without mosquito bites.
Braiding, 2022: As a grown up, it’s rare that I am standing around in small groups with such close contact with friends, so I am always interested in how they interact. The girls love to compare heights, braid each other’s hair and just be together.
Ivana Kupala, 2022: Every summer the older campers gather for a night called Ivana Kupala, a summer ritual rooted in Paganism where wreaths are weaved and songs are sung late into the night about love, nature and matchmaking.
Nichna Tisha, 2022: You can imagine the sounds of the woods as the crickets start in and the sounds of sushing and whispering commence.
Breakfast, 2022: The Ukrainian “trizub” (trident) sits proudly on the mantle in the mess hall, with all of the cardboard from the kitchen ready to burn on the next cool and rainy day.
Musical Chairs, 2022: A counselor used his smart phone and blue tooth speaker to lead a heated game of musical chairs, to Ukrainian folk music.
Altar, 2022: The local priest keeps an altar set up during the three weeks of camp. The prayer books are stored within the small building though at times the rain can whip in if its windy. The embroidered tablecloth remains there for praying.
Hug, 2023: The counselors provide so much moral support to the campers in between the marching and singing and traditions. They come in from all over the country, Canada and even Ukraine to work at the Novyi Sokil.
Dusk, 2023: I have visited the camp during the off season and to me, it’s spooky. Something very magical happens during the summer when the land is inhabited by everyone, and the nights are long and colorful and filled with song.
Communion, 2022: Like many Catholics, First Holy Communion is a rite of passage for young Ukrainians. The priest uses a golden chalice and spoon to drop in a wine soaked piece of bread into each person’s mouth.
Please and Thank You, 2023: In front of the kitchen counter where the campers line up for food, a neon sign reminds them to use their manners and say Proshy (please) and Diakuyu (Thank You.)
Novyi Sokil is a Plast summer camp outside of Buffalo, NY, where I spent over twelve formative years and where my family has sent generations of campers since the 1950s. Despite the multiple horrific attempts to cancel Ukrainian culture, the stewards of this camp represent a guiding force in preserving tradition. Through my photographs I study the parcel of land purchased by Ukrainian refugees generations ago so that they would always have a place to convene. It serves almost as a theater set where a changing cast of characters come to immerse themselves in scouting rituals. Attending Plast camp is a rite of passage for young Ukrainians in North America, and like any summer camp, there is fun, friends and bonding. But the tight grasp onto the deliberate, formal, conceptual structure of the scouting rituals, the celebration of the Ukrainian language, and the re-enacting of uniquely Ukrainian customs are part of the fight to hold onto a notion of home, the motherland: Ukraine.
Some history:
In 1912, the Ukrainian Scouting Organization, Plast, was officially formed in the occupied city of Lviv in Western Ukraine. Young boys, spurred by World War One and a newfound freedom, joined Plast and attempted to defend Ukraine against the Red Army. 1918 marked the start of decades of Russian and German occupation where Plast was banned, but continued to operate secretly and illegally. During this time the organization’s fundamental guide, Life in Plast, was written which outlined the laws, regulations, and codes that are still followed today. Plast regained popularity after World War Two, building camaraderie among women and in displaced persons camps as masses of Ukrainians, including my grandparents, re-settled internationally. Eventually, permanent diasporas were established, most of which promoted Plast as an active organization by holding weekly meetings and establishing summer camps.
This is an ongoing project, so more images are available upon request.