Rupchan, Peter [Рупчан, Петро; Rupčan, Petro], b 17 June 1883 in Bukovyna, d 17 July 1944 in Endeavour-Usherville, Saskatchewan. Potter. He learned how to craft pottery while working in a factory east of Chernivtsi and then immigrated to Canada in 1905 to join his parents, who had earlier settled in the Saltcoats-Calder area of Saskatchewan. Although he initially intended to farm for a living, Rupchan gradually drifted into making pottery as a cottage industry. In the isolated circumstances of the day, he was forced to construct his own wheel and kiln, develop his own glazes, and find his own clay. He then peddled his wares in the towns and rural areas of east central Saskatchewan together with his brother-in-law. Although his pieces were utilitarian, they were well made. During the latter part of his life, Rupchan began to receive recognition for the artistry of his work. After his death, Rupchan’s pottery pieces started to be regarded a ‘collectibles’ and he was afforded a certain celebrity status. In 1981 the Government of Saskatchewan presented the Ukrainian Museum of Canada in Saskatoon with a collection of 19 Rupchan pieces to be housed as part of its permanent collection. Judith Silverthorne’s biographical Made in Saskatchewan: Peter Rupchan, Ukrainian Pioneer and Potter appeared in 1991 (2nd ed, 2003) and a documentary film based on the book, Rupchan: Spirit of a Prairie Potter came out in 1992.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]