Honcharenko’s Sanctuary

Honcharenko’s Sanctuary. . Along the ridge behind this panel lies a 52-acre parcel of historical significance. This farmstead known as “Ukraina” was the home of Ukrainian patriot, writer, and publisher Father Agapius Honcharenko. He and his wife Albina lived here for 43 years during their exile from Ukraine. Born in Kiev in 1832, Honcharenko attended Kiev Theological Seminary and entered a monastery at 21. He was appalled by the Church’s suppression of peasants while the monks lived in luxury. This lead him to dedicate his work to the overthrow of the feudal system in the Russian Empire. His writings and activities earned him his revolutionary reputation among government officials. Among freedom fighters and patriots, he was respected around the world. Honcharenko faced many hardships including arrest warrants and death threats, forcing his escape to New York. In 1867, while being stalked by Czarist police, he moved to San Francisco. Finally in 1873, he was tracked to the west. Honcharenko sought sanctuary on the remote farm they purchased in the Hayward Hills. For decades, they quietly tended their orchards, while Honcharenki remained a champion of the underclasses. He died in 1916, a year after Albina’s death., Russian Translation: , “Ukraina” - участок фермы и места погребения украинского патриота и сослал ортодоксального священника Агапиуса Хончаренко (1832-1916) и его жену Альбину. Хончаренко был первым национально сознательным украинцем, который прибудет в Соединенные Штаты. Он издал первую американскую газету на русском и украинском языках, Геральде Аляски, от 1868-1872. Он написал первую книгу для образовательного использования Родных Жителей Аляски. После перемещения здесь из Сан-Франциско в 1873, Он продолжал издавать политическую литературу, которая была ввезена контрабандой в Царскую Россию. Хончаренко был видным ученым, гуманитарный, и ранний чемпион для прав человека.