Pihuliak, Yerotei

Pihuliak, Yerotei or Pihuleak, Hierotheus [Пігуляк, Єротей; Pihuljak, Jerotej], b 17 October 1851 in Novi Mamaivtsi, Chernivtsi county, Bukovyna, d 9 October 1924 in Chernivtsi. Political and civic figure; brother of Yustyn Pihuliak. He was one of the leaders of Bukovyna’s Ukrainian populist movement and National Democratic party. As a member of the Bukovynian provincial diet (1890–1918), the Austrian parliament (1898–1918), and Bukovyna’s Provincial Executive and School Council he defended the interests of the Ukrainian community and Ukrainian Orthodox church. Thanks to his efforts Bukovyna’s Ukrainian Orthodox were granted religious equality with the Romanians on the eve of the First World War. Pihuliak was elected the first president of the People's Home society in Chernivtsi (1884) and president of the Ruska Besida in Bukovyna (1884) and the Ruthenian Council (1885) there. He participated in the Ukrainian takeover in Bukovyna in November 1918. He contributed articles on cultural and religious affairs to Bukovyna’s Ukrainian and German press and wrote two brochures in German on the religious question (1909, 1914), as well as some poetry and prose.

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