Mykola Mykhalevych

Mykola Mykhalevych (Ukrainian: Микола Михалевич; 1 July 1843 – 27 November 1922) was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest, popularizer of beekeeping, public figure.

Mykola Mykhalevych
Микола Михалевич
Born	(1843-07-01)1 July 1843 Romashivka, Austrian Empire (now Ukraine)
Died	27 November 1922(1922-11-27) (aged 79) Butsniv, Poland (now Ukraine)
Nationality	Ukrainian

Grave of Mykola Mykhalevych in Cherneliv-Ruskyi

Biography

Mykola Mykhalevych was born on 1 July 1843 in Romashivka (now the Bilobozhnytsia rural hromada, Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine).^[1]

Mykhalevych studied theology in Lviv. In 1866 he was ordained a priest; he served in parishes in Chystyliv, Ternopil Raion, as a staff member at St. George's Cathedral in Lviv, and in 1871–1914 in the parish of Cherneliv-Ruskyi.^[1]

In his last years he lived with the parish priest, dean, and his student Sydor Hlynskyi, in Butsniv, Ternopil Raion, where he died on 27 November 1922. He was buried in Cherneliv-Ruskyi, Ternopil Raion.^[1]

Public activities

He was active in public life. In particular, he initiated the creation of the regional "Tovarystvo ukrainskykh pasichnykiv" in Ternopil (1913). The founder and chairman of the primary branch of the Prosvita in Cherneliv-Ruskyi, he promoted bee breeding and also took care of schooling.^[1][2]

Beekeeping

He established an apiary with more than 100 bee colonies (he conducted observations and experiments), introduced new types of hives, including the "Halytskyi" type. During the World War I, the apiary was destroyed, and only 30 bee colonies were restored.^[1][2]

Contributed to several journals ("Ukrainske bdzhilnytstvo", "Ukrainskyi pasichnyk", "Hospodarskyi chasopys"), published the book "Pasika", which was later reprinted several times.^[1][3]

Commemoration

A street in Ternopil was named after Mykhalevych (1991),^[4][5] and a statue was unveiled in Cherneliv-Ruskyi (2001, sculptor Vasyl Sadovnyk, architect Danylo Chepil; initiator of the construction was Bohdan Rudka). The Ternopil Regional Association of Beekeepers named after him was founded.^[1][6][7]