AUGB is run by a small team based at the Association’s headquarters building in Notting Hill in London. The team can be contacted by telephone during normal office hours Monday – Friday on 020 7229 8392.
Fedir Kurlak
Chief Executive and member of the Governing Council
Joined AUGB Head Office in 1985 as External Affairs Officer, liaising with media on issues as wide-ranging as Ukrainian political prisoners, the Chornobyl disaster and the implications of perestroika. Appointed General Secretary in 1990.
Fedir is responsible for the day to day running of AUGB and the management of HQ staff. He takes personal responsibility for executor and legacy services to members and for liaison with the Embassy of Ukraine and other external organisations.
Contact: fedir.kurlak@augb.co.uk
Dr Ludmila Pekarska
Curator of the Taras Shevchenko Library and Archive
A graduate of Kyiv’s Shevchenko State University (Department of History and Archaeology). Between 1991-2000 worked as a Special Research Assistant in the Department of Medieval & Later Antiquities at the British Museum, London. Awarded the Whitney Fellowship in 1996 and worked in the Department of Medieval Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Awarded a PhD degree in 1997 for her Doctoral Dissertation “Lost Ukrainian Art Treasures of the 10th-13th centuries”. Her publications include the monograph “Der Silberschatz von Martynovka (Ukraine) aus dem 6-7 Jahrhundert” (Innsbruck 1994, pp. 1-175) and numerous articles in academic historical journals.
Dr Pekarska maintains the library’s unique collection of books about Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora – which is the largest collection in Europe outside Ukraine itself. She maintains links with the British Library and with students and academics researching Ukrainian issues. She has particularly close links with academic institutions and museums in Ukraine. She is also responsible for exhibitions, book launches and other cultural events held at Linden Gardens.
Contact: ludmila.pekarska@augb.co.uk
Oleksa Semenchenko
Editor of Ukrayinska Dumka
Appointed in August 2007 as editor of the only Ukrainian newspaper in Great Britain.
A graduate of the philology faculty of Kyiv’s Shevchenko State University. Awarded a PhD from Leeds University in 2000 for his dissertation on the problems of cultural transfer in Gogol’s “Taras Bulba”. Has lectured on Ukrainian language at both Kyiv and Leeds Universities. Author of many articles about Ukrainian literature and language in Ukrainian and English publications. An experienced journalist who has contributed to a number of publications in Ukraine and other countries.
He is accountable for fortnightly publication of Ukrayinska Dumka and for developing the newspaper to reflect its wide-ranging readership and their interests.
Contact: editor@dumka.co.uk
Anna Mikulin
Office and Membership Manager
A member of the HQ team since 1988.
Anna is the first point of contact with anyone who contacts Head Office. Her wide-ranging responsibilities include:
Contact: anna.mikulin@augb.co.uk (general enquiries and bookshop) or admin@dumka.co.uk (subscriptions and advertising)
Lubomyr Mazur JP
Accounts and Bookkeeper (p/t)
A member of the HQ team since 1990.
Lubomyr is responsible for maintaining AUGB’s accounts and for AUGB bookkeeping, including internal audit of branch financial returns, accounts payable and receivable, Corporation Tax and VAT.
Contact: lubomyr.mazur@augb.co.uk
David White
Manager – Sydenhurst Residential Home
Appointed Manager of Sydenhurst in 2002 and based at the Home in Chiddingfold, Surrey.
David is an experienced care professional qualified to the highest care and care management standards. His career includes regional management for a large national provider of care homes.
As Manager, he is responsible for maintaining Sydenhurst’s high standards of care which currently have the highest possible rating from the Commission for Social Care Inspectorate, for staff management and development (including the recently renewed Investors in People award), and for maintenance and development of the Sydenhurst buildings and estate.
Contact: uksydenhurst@hotmail.com
