Ukrainian Diaspora in The United Kingdom - History

History

Although Ukrainians have been present in the United Kingdom since the late 18th century, the first documented evidence of Ukrainians in the UK was confirmed by an entry in the Aliens Register in Salford of J. Koyetsky from Brody, Ukraine in 1897. Some 100 families settled in Manchester prior to WWI and in the post war years a community centre was established. An Information Centre was founded in London and religious and cultural links established with Manchester. In 1931, Bishop Andrey Sheptytsky and Fr Josyf Slipyj, both of whom in turn in later years became head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, made a notable pastoral visit to Manchester. Elsewhere, the first generation of Ukrainian immigrants started arriving in the South-East, in particular, Hertfordshire in 1947 as displaced persons.

After World War II, work-permit schemes issued under the Attlee government recruited Ukrainians to work in the mills of Lancashire and the greenhouses of the Lea Valley. After a short stay in a transit camp in East Anglia, many were brought to a displaced persons camp in Newgate Street Village in Hertfordshire. At the camp, many young people became affiliated to The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, which had its headquarters in London, the association acted as an important support network for those separated from their family and friends.

After the end of WWII, more large numbers of Ukrainians (mainly displaced persons from camps in Germany) arrived in the UK . Ukrainians were integrated into the UK as European Voluntary Workers, while Ukrainian POWs from the Polish and German armies were also demobilised and settled in the major cities of the UK.