A Life Dedicated to Ukrainian Heritage: Theodor Ernst (Fedir Ernst) Theodor Richard Eduard Ernst, known as Fedir Ernst after embracing his Ukrainian identity, was a figure whose life embodied the turbulent fate of cultural preservation in the 20th century. Born on November 9, 1891, in Kyiv – then part of the Russian Empire – into a family of German colonists, Ernst’s journey began amidst a complex tapestry of national awakenings and imperial control. His early education laid the groundwork for a profound dedication to art history, initially at the University of Berlin (1909-1910) before cont…