The Initiation of the Grand Lodge of Ukraine has occurred
UKRAINE
The Initiation of the Grand Lodge of Ukraine has occurred.
On September, 24th, 2005 in Paris, in the Grand Temple the Grand National Lodge of France (GNLF) together with the Grand Lodge of Austria consecrated the Grand Lodge of Ukraine (GLU).
After returning to the work, the chorus of the Worthy Lodge (WL) “Vox Ukraіnae” together with the Brethren from the Russian-speaking WL “Astrea” performed the anthems of France, Austria and Ukraine. After that Grand Worthy Brother (GWB) Jean-Charles Felner, the Grand Master of GNLF, has executed the consecration with the help of GWB Michael Kraus, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Austria (First Grand Guard - Consecrator) and GWB Jean-Claude Tardiva (Second Grand Guard - Consecrator).
Representatives of the friendly countries have taken part in the ceremony, in the person of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Russia (Grand Secretary - Consecrator) and the Assistant of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Poland (Grand Door-keeper - Consecrator), executing the work either in French, or in the one’s native language, according to the Ritual of the Grand Lodge (Emulation).
The part of the Ritual in the Ukrainian language was carried out by GWB Vladimir G. (Grand Hospitalier - Consecrator) and WB Ivan K. (Second Grand Master of Ceremony - Consecrator), for better comprehension of more than thirty Brethren having come from Ukraine because of this event.
After the installation of the Grand Master of the GLU, the latter installed the Deputy Grand Master and the Assistant of the Grand Master. This event was a final chord of the long and patient working of GNLF, the Province of Lutetia, the Brethren of the WL “Vox Ukraіnae” № 117 in the East of Paris, which has been organized with the purpose to keep and transfer the Ukrainian Masonic rituals and traditions, which had existed in Ukraine before the Soviet invasion in 1921-1922, to the following generations.
The Grand Lodge of Ukraine unites five Lodges: the four WL which have been organized and then consecrated by GNLF between 1993 and 2000, namely “Three Columns” № 785 in Kiev, “Phoenix Ukraine” № 1016 in Kharkov, "Kamenyar” (“bricklayer”) № 1232 in Lvov and “the Gold Acacia” № 1309 in Odessa, united in the District of Ukraine in May, 2001, and also the fifth Lodge “Svitlo” ("light"), consecrated by the Grand Lodge of Austria in Lvov.
It is interesting that the WL “Three Columns” has taken a name of one of the numerous Ukrainian lodges, which was organized about two hundred years ago. Now during the works its officers use the necklaces which had been maintained in France, and, in particular, the necklace that formerly was carried by Simon Petlura, the President of the Ukrainian Republic and the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ukraine till 1922.
In the ceremony there were present the foreign delegations from Belgium, Canada (Quebec), Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey and certainly from Austria, which representatives were taking direct part in the Consecration. Many of these Grand Lodges have officially informed that they had recognized or were going to recognize the Grand Lodge of Ukraine.