Petro Jacyk Central & East European Resource Centre

09/23/2026

Yesterday, together with the Munk School CEES at the Munk School we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Petro Jacyk Programme for the Study of Ukraine!

Here are some of the books about this brilliant Ukrainian-Canadian philanthropist that will tell you his incredible life story, especially the one by John Lawrence Reynolds (second slide), which is available at Robarts!

The inscription on one of the Ukrainian-language biographies, written by Jacyk himself, reads:
“On the rare coincidence of the publication of this book at the opening of this Centre in my name. With gratitude to the Lord.” November 29, 1994.

This book was one of the first books donated to the PJRC.

08/21/2026

✨️📚 A new school year is just around the corner! Stop by the PJRC to explore our refreshed Free Books Display and find your next great read. We also have dust jacket covers available for anyone looking for materials for creative projects.

07/09/2026

06/06/2026

The PJRC mourns the passing and celebrates the life of a friend of the University of Toronto Libraries. Professor Potichnyj was a tremendous contributor to the UTL, regularly donating books to the circulating collection in Robarts, and most significantly establishing the Peter J. Potichnyj Collection in Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Ukraine at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto. This collection was officially opened nearly thirty years ago, in Spring 1997, with a reception at the Petro Jacyk Central and East European Resource Centre.

Celebrate the life of Dr. Peter Potichnyj, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Markey-Dermody Funeral Home.

04/17/2026

Spring is here!
And that means that the latest edition of the PJRC update is here too!
Keep an eye out for this 17th edition around Robarts , or come pick up a copy at our desk on the third floor.

Only while supplies last, so be sure to get your copy!

Read online here: https://archive.org/details/pjrc-update-spring-2026-web/mode/2up

04/01/2026

The PJRC team wishes everyone a very happy Easter!

Here is a sample of some of the beautiful books on Easter themes we have from 🇭🇷🇩🇪🇵🇱🇺🇦🇨🇿🇱🇹

03/27/2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇿
This week’s post showcases a unique item we found in the stacks!

Printed in 1834, this three-volume travelogue follows the journey through Central Asia of Sir Alexander Burnes (cousin of Scottish poet Robert Burnes). Burnes, shown here wearing traditional Uzbek clothing, travelled throughout the region as a diplomat and translator until his assassination in Kabul in 1841.

His engravings are priceless depictions of the region, such as the image of the giant ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan, destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.

Just one of the treasures found by chance in the Robarts Stacks!