Ivanna Maszczak: A Century of Resilience from Gulag to London
Ivanna Maszczak, who passed away at the remarkable age of 100, endured a harrowing seven-year sentence in a sub-arctic Siberian labor camp during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Her crime? Supporting the Ukrainian independence movement under Soviet rule. After her release, she immigrated to the United Kingdom, where she forged a vibrant new existence in London, becoming a beloved figure in both her local community and the Ukrainian diaspora.
Early Life and Arrest
Born in the village of Krupets, Ukraine, Ivanna was the daughter of Osyp Przepiórski, a Greek Orthodox priest, and Iryna Marenin, a teacher. Raised in a creative household filled with music, poetry, and lively discussions, she attended school in Sokal and graduated from the Ukrainian State Trade College in 1943 during the German occupation. Following World War II, under Soviet control, she was forcibly resettled to Poland's Olsztyn region in 1947.
In 1948, Soviet security forces arrested her for collaborating with the Ukrainian underground movement. She received a sentence of 10 years of hard labor at the notorious Magadan gulag in Kolyma, a remote location approximately 10,000 kilometers away. Over seven grueling years, she faced torture and unimaginable hardships before being released in 1955 after Stalin's death.
Rebuilding in Britain
After her ordeal, Ivanna began working in a library in Kentrzyn, Poland, and completed a librarianship course in Gdynia. In 1965, she visited a friend in London, where she met fellow Ukrainian Wolodomyr Maszczak, a newspaper administrator. He proposed just five days after their meeting, and they married that same year, settling in London permanently.
Initially employed as a clerk at Barclays Bank, she soon returned to her passion for libraries, working at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain. She lived her entire UK life in a third-floor flat in Notting Hill, west London, where she became a local celebrity and a respected member of the Ukrainian community. She maintained her cultural ties through the Association and worship at the Ukrainian Catholic cathedral in Mayfair.
Artistic Legacy and Personal Strength
Upon retirement, Ivanna discovered a talent for painting, creating delicate and beautiful scenes, including depictions of traditional wooden churches from Ukraine. She also authored two volumes of memoirs: Roads from the Past in 2010 and Love and Pain in 2024.
Despite enduring immense suffering, she never succumbed to self-pity, often describing her experiences as "just one of those things that happened." Instead, she focused on the joy of life, displaying unwavering dignity, warmth, and a sharp sense of humor that endeared her to friends of all ages. Her independence and refusal to bend to others' wills were hallmarks of her character.
Wolodomyr passed away in 2012. Ivanna is survived by two nieces, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and creativity that spanned continents and decades.
