Person · Czech settlers · Czechs in Ukraine · N0043
Theodor (Fedir) Hejda
Федір (Теодор) Гейда · Theodor (Fjodor) Hejda · 1858–1920
Essence
Theodor (Fedir) Hejda (1858–1920), a native of Plzeň, was a teacher and Orthodox priest among the Czechs of Volhynia. According to Czech Wikipedia he became a priest in Kvasyliv in 1889 and on 16 April that year began holding services in Czech for 94 Orthodox Czechs. The Church of Sts Peter and Paul in Kvasyliv, which according to that article he founded, was consecrated on 10 December 1895. The website volynaci.cz mentions him only at the consecration of the Kvasyliv church on 8 January 1889, as an assistant of the Hlynsk parish and a teacher, so his role differs between the sources.
Timeline
- 25.12.1858Born in Plzeň. [HEJ01]
- 1878Completed a teachers' seminary course in Korostyshiv. [HEJ01]
- 1888–1889Passed theology exams and was ordained (the article is ambiguous on the year: 1888 or 1889, at the church in Hlynsk); in 1889 appointed priest in Kvasyliv. [HEJ01]
- 8.1.1889Consecration of the second Orthodox Czech church in Volhynia in the Kvasyliv school; Hejda present as assistant of the Hlynsk parish and teacher. [HEJ02]
- 16.4.1889According to Czech Wikipedia he began services in Czech for 94 Orthodox Czechs. [HEJ01]
- 10.12.1895The Church of Sts Peter and Paul in Kvasyliv was consecrated; the article regards it as founded by Hejda. [HEJ01]
- 17.1.1920Died in Kvasyliv; buried on the grounds of the church he founded. [HEJ01]
Full research text
Significance
Theodor (Fedir Viacheslavovych) Hejda (1858–1920) was a teacher of Czech origin and an Orthodox priest in Volhynia, tied to the Czech community of Kvasyliv (now a settlement in Rivne Oblast). He illustrates a feature of the Volhynian Czechs, who were mostly Orthodox and had their own churches with services in Czech. [HEJ01; HEJ02]
Life
According to Czech Wikipedia Hejda was born on 25 December 1858 in Plzeň, completed a teachers' seminary course in Korostyshiv in 1878 and, at the invitation of the Czech community, taught in the Rivne area. [HEJ01] He died on 17 January 1920 in Kvasyliv and is buried on the grounds of the church he founded. He married Oleksandra Yunevych and had six children. [HEJ01]
Ukrainian connection
His whole adult life is tied to Volhynia. According to the Czech article he passed theology exams in 1888 and was ordained in 1888 or 1889 at the church in Hlynsk; in 1889 he became priest of the Kvasyliv parish, and from 16 April 1889 he held services in Czech for 94 Orthodox Czechs and urged young people to learn Czech. [HEJ01] The Church of Sts Peter and Paul in Kvasyliv, which according to the article Hejda founded, was consecrated on 10 December 1895 and now belongs to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; the article also lists honours (nabedrennik 1890, skufia 1895, kamilavka 1905) and medals for the 1897 census. [HEJ01]
The website of the Volhynian Czechs reports the consecration of the second Orthodox Czech church in Volhynia on 8 January 1889 in the Kvasyliv school, where Czech services had been held before; Hejda is listed there as present, as assistant of the Hlynsk parish and a teacher. [HEJ02]
Discrepancies in sources
Role in Kvasyliv: Czech Wikipedia calls Hejda the first priest and founder of the Church of Sts Peter and Paul (consecrated 1895), whereas volynaci.cz at the consecration of 8 January 1889 names him only as assistant of the Hlynsk parish and a teacher and adds “bývalý Čech” (“former Czech”); the consecration was performed by Prot. Metelskij. The church consecrated in 1889 in the school and the Church of Sts Peter and Paul of 1895 must be distinguished. [HEJ01; HEJ02]
The year of ordination is ambiguous in the Czech article (1888 or 1889) and the place name is spelled variously; whether Hejda had the Catholic Church's permission is unknown. The Czech article is flagged as needing edits and the volynaci.cz page was read only in part. [HEJ01; HEJ02]
Further reading about this person
A book about this person has not yet been confirmed. Research in library catalogues continues.
Sources
- HEJ01 Czech Wikipedia, article “Theodor Hejda”: birth and death, teachers' seminary in Korostyshiv (1878), ordination 1888/1889, the Kvasyliv parish, first service in Czech on 16 April 1889, the Church of Sts Peter and Paul (consecrated 10 December 1895), honours, family; the article is flagged as needing edits. cs.wikipedia.org
- HEJ02 Website volynaci.cz (Volhynian Czechs), page of the village of Kvasyliv: the second Orthodox Czech church in Volhynia was consecrated on 8 January 1889 in the Kvasyliv school; Fjodor (Theodor) Hejda was present as “pomocník hlinské farnosti a učitel národní školy v Hlinsku” (assistant of the Hlynsk parish and teacher of the national school in Hlynsk), called a “bývalý Čech” (former Czech). Only the first ~100,000 of ~190,000 characters of the page were read. volynaci.cz
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Verification
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Research draft with sources; independent check still pending.
Evidence coverage
Timeline claims assessed: 0 / 7. Claims with verified contradictions: 0.
The score measures coverage of timeline claims by verified sources, not the probability of historical truth. One independent source gives a claim 0.5 points; two or more give 1 point. A disputed claim receives 0. Unassessed claims remain in the denominator.
evidence-v1
How the score is calculated
Each claim shows its contribution to the score and verified current sources. Multiple references may share an origin; context adds no points.
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25.12.1858
Born in Plzeň.
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1878
Completed a teachers' seminary course in Korostyshiv.
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1888–1889
Passed theology exams and was ordained (the article is ambiguous on the year: 1888 or 1889, at the church in Hlynsk); in 1889 appointed priest in Kvasyliv.
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Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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8.1.1889
Consecration of the second Orthodox Czech church in Volhynia in the Kvasyliv school; Hejda present as assistant of the Hlynsk parish and teacher.
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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16.4.1889
According to Czech Wikipedia he began services in Czech for 94 Orthodox Czechs.
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10.12.1895
The Church of Sts Peter and Paul in Kvasyliv was consecrated; the article regards it as founded by Hejda.
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Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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17.1.1920
Died in Kvasyliv; buried on the grounds of the church he founded.
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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How we verify
- DraftResearch draft with sources; independent check still pending.
- Checked automaticallyQuotes mechanically matched to sources; an independent model found no contradictions.
- Two sources (automatic score)Automatic evidence score: key facts rest on at least two independent sources. No person has yet read the whole dossier.
- Confirmed by an editorAn editor confirmed the dossier; the reason is shown on the page. This is not an independent scholarly review.
- Disputed pointsSources disagree; disputed points are marked in the text.
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