Evolution of the OUN

The history of the OUN in the postwar period merits a separate discussion and is too complex to be fully incorporated within this study. At the end of the Second World War, the emigrant OUN-B used the name: the Foreign Sections of the OUN (Zakordonni Chastyny OUN or ZCh OUN).

In February 1954 after a prolonged internal dispute between the so-called “orthodox” followers of Bandera and the revisionists, a breakaway group formed from the ZCh OUN, based on a joint leadership (Lev Rebet from the Bandera faction and Mykola Lebed' as the head of the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council) and called “dviikari” (OUN-Z). The split derived from attitudes toward the 1943 Congress, moderating the views of the OUN-B. Bandera's faction became known as the revolutionaries or OUN-R. In 1957 and 1959, KGB agents assassinated Rebet and Bandera respectively. Mel'nyk, whose faction also used the name “solidarysty” (OUN-S), was left untouched. H. V. Kas'yanov writes that all three wings of the OUN began to develop in different directions after the war. The OUN-B reverted to ideological dogmatism after expelling the revisionists; the dviikari adopted democratic nationalism without abandoning some ideological declarations; and the OUN-M, which published its newspaper Ukrains'ke slovo in Paris, revived after a period of stagnation and was to subsequently become active in Kyiv. In 1992, the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists (KUN) was created in Kyiv by the OUN-R/OUN-B in Ukraine on the initiative of Roman Zvarych (Ukrainian Minister of Justice in the Yushchenko administration) and Slava Stets'ko, the widow of Yaroslav Stets'ko.⁶⁴ Some of the contentiousness and disputes that had been manifest in the Diaspora were soon transferred to Ukraine. A leader of the Ukrainian Republican Party noted in late 1992 that KUN wished to retain for itself the exclusive representation of what was termed “Ukrainian nationalism” while regarding those proto-nationalist organizations not sharing OUN-B ideology as “democ- rats-traitors.” This author refuted this conception by referring to the important role played in the creation of an independent Ukrainian state by his own party, the Rukh, and the Association of Ukrainian Youth.

In a subsequent article he also remarked that nationalism was not confined to noisy rhetoric but involved with concrete activities for the well-being of the people.⁶⁵

The transferal of the headquarters of the OUN-B to Kyiv did not prove to be a decisive event, which is indicative of the marginal impact of the Bandera group on Ukrainian politics and Ukrainian political thought. After Stets'ko died in 2002, the leadership of the OUN-B/OUN-R devolved to Andrii Haidamakha in Brussels, and thus once again it became a Diaspora organization. The KUN and OUN-B/OUN-R split and went their different ways. The intolerance of the OUN-B has been its undoing, as well as its evident reluctance to cooperate with other organizations that are at least similar in spirit, such as the Rukh and the Ukrainian Republican Party. Ironically, the OUN-M, which arguably has been less effective in the Diaspora, has been better organized in Ukraine. According to Taras Kuzio, the Olzhych Foundation, affiliated with the OUN-M, published throughout the 1990s the popular monthly journal Rozbudova derzhavy, a revival of the magazine of the same name published by the (united) OUN in the 1930s. The OUN-M newspaper, Ukrains'ke slovo, transferred its headquarters from Paris to Kyiv after Ukraine became independent, and has taken an active part in some of the key debates on the war years, and in general has been a far more effective organ than its Bandera counterpart, Shlyakh peremohy.⁶⁶ The key issue here is the failure of the OUN-B-OUN-Z to propagate its version of the past as the key inheritance of the modern state. In this respect it has clearly failed, and its influence within Ukraine does not match its effectiveness outside its native land. One source puts the matter succinctly:

Every generation has its struggle and its heroes. Every generation has its victories and its defeats. Our victories occurred on 16 July 1990, 24 August, and 1 December 1991. They are forever engrained in the annals of Ukrainian history, and they cannot be sacrificed for the sake of any idea or organization, however “real” and “sincere” they may be, because they belong to the whole people and the whole nation.⁶⁷

To what extent the perspective of the OUN and the UPA as the main representatives of the Ukrainian liberation movement has pervaded political thought in Ukraine is debatable.

Certainly it is in a more favorable position than the SS Division Halychyna, which has as yet failed to find a positive place in the historical narrative, largely because there appeared to be alternatives to fighting in a German formation, and perhaps also because of its almost immediate destruction in the conflict that followed. The key question is whether nationalists could overnight be transformed into democrats, and largely because of the forthcoming defeat of their would-be patrons (at least at the outset of the war), the German army and occupation regime. It has proved hard to separate the change in political outlook from the transformation of the military situation. However, there is another issue to be considered. Arguably the largest stumbling block to a changed perception of the OUN and its military counterpart, the UPA are the events of the summer of 1943 in Volyn', namely the conflict with the Polish population, a topic that has elicited quite frenzied debates and the intervention of political leaders such as Viktor Yushchenko. It is to these issues that we will now turn.

Notes

1 The NKVD (Narodnyi komissariat vnutrennikh del: the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs) was created on 10 July 1934 on the basis of the former OGPU (Unified Main Political Administration) and originated with the formation of the CHEKA (the Committee to Combat Counter-Revolution and Sabotage) by Lenin in December 1917. From February- July 1941 it was divided into two independent organizations, the NKVD and the NKGB USSR, but with the outbreak of war it again became a single commissariat under L. P. Beria until April 1943 when the two were once again divided. In March 1946 it was renamed the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of the USSR, and on 5 March 1953 a single, more powerful MVD USSR was created through the merging of the MVD and MGB (Ministry of State Security). The NKGB was renamed the Ministry of State Security (MGB) in March 1946. During the period under review it was led by V.

N. Merkulov (1943-46) and V. A. Abakumov (1946-51).

2 Mykola Porovs'kyi, “Konvoi korovu z soboyu ne veze...” Visti z Ukrainy, No. 27 (1991): 1.

V. I. Maslovs'kyi, “Shcho na ‘oltari svobody'? DekiFka utochen' shchodo viiny ‘na dva fronty,' yaku vela UPA, ta skil'koma nevynnymy zhertvamy oplachuvavs' tsei propa- handysts'kyi mif,” Komunist Ukrainy, No. 7 (July 1991): 70-71.

These were local forces coerced into fighting against the insurgents.

Maslovs'kyi, “Shcho na ‘oltari svobody'?” p. 72.

Ibid., pp. 72-73.

“Terror enkavedysts'kykh harnizoniv,” Samostiina Ukraina, No. 85 (September 1992): 3.

Ivan Bilas, “Protystoyannya: aktsii represyvnoho aparatu totalitarnoho rezhymu proty natsional'no-vyzvol'noho rukhu ukrains'koho narodu,” Literaturna Ukraina, 22 October 1992, p. 7.

Ibid.

Ivan Bilas, “Protystoyannya: aktsii represyvnoho aparatu totalitarnoho rezhymu proty natsional'no-vyzvol'noho rukhu ukrains'koho narodu,” Literaturna Ukraina, 29 October 1992, p. 7.

Ibid.

“Emhebisty u formi UPA,” Samostiina Ukraina, No. 45 (1992): 3.

Bohdan Pasichnyk, “Provokatsiya vyvirenym metodom,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 4 May 1995, p.

Viktor Koval', “Ukrains'ka povstans'ka armiya: dovidka Instytutu istorii AN URSR dlya Komisii Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy z pytan' bezpeky vid 1 lypnya 1991 roku,” Ukraina i svit, No. 35 (18-24 September 1996): 9-10.

M. V. Koval', Ukraina v Druhii svitovii i Velykii Vitchyznyanii viinakh (1939-1945 rr.) (Kyiv: Vydavnychyi dim ATternatyvy, 1999), pp. 304-305.

Yaroslav Lyal'ko, “Vony povernuly nam muzhnist' i natsional'nu hidnist',” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 12 September 1996, p. 2.

Koval', Ukraina v Druhii svitovii i Velykii Vitchyznyanii viinakh, pp. 304-308.

Ibid., p. 310.

Stanislav Kul'chyts'kyi, “Ukrains'ki natsionalisty v chervono-korychnevii Yevropi (do 70- richchya stvorennya OUN,” Istoriya Ukrainy, No. 5 (February 1999): 6-7.

Ivan Krainii, “Ostanni z pidzemnoho bunkera,” Ukraina moloda, 15 November 2002, p.

5. Koval', “Ukrains'ka Povstans'ka Armiya,” Ukraina i svit, No. 36 (25 September-1 October 1996): 10.

It is highly unusual to have a higher figure of dead than wounded in a military conflict, which casts suspicion on the authenticity of these figures.

Koval', Ukraina v Druhii svitovii i Velykii Vitchyznyanii viinakh, p. 305.

M. Buhai, “Deportatsii naselennya z Ukrainy,” Ukrains'kyi istorychnyi zhurnal, No. 11 (1990): 21-25.

Oles' Lernatovych, “Svityt' zoreyu nadiya,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 24 January 1991, p. 4.

Roman Pastukh, “Orhanizator hulahivs'koho pidpillya,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 15 June 1991, p. 2.

Bohdan Pavliv, “I perevernem zaharbnyts'kyi svit: spomyn chlena OUN,” Literaturna Ukraina, 15 October 1992, p. 7.

Ibid.

Yaroslav Demchyna, “Dolyna smerti,” Za vilnu Ukrainu, 16 February 1995, p. 2.

Tetyana Kharchenko, “Mizh povstantsiamy i chervonymy partyzanamy nemaye niyakoho antahonizmu,” Ukraina moloda, 20 July 2003, p. 5.

See, for example, Wolf-Dietrich Heike, The Ukrainian Division “Galicia,” 1943-45: a Memoir (Toronto: The Shevchenko Scientific Society, 1988); Taras Hunczak, On the Horns of a Dilemma: the Story of the Ukrainian Division Halychyna (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2000); Michael O. Logusz, Galicia Division: the Waffen SS 14th Grenadier Division 1943-1945 (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2000); and the very unsympathetic Sol Litt- man, Pure Soldiers or Bloodthirsty Murderers? The Ukrainian 14th Waffen-SS Galicia Division (Toronto: Black Rose Books, 2003).

[http://encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages\G\A\GaliciaDivision.htm]. K. Doroshenko, “Pamyatnik fashistskim prikhvostnyam,” Pravda Ukrainy, 25 May 1991, p.

See, for example, John-Paul Himka, “A Central European Diaspora under the Shadow of World War II: The Galician Ukrainians in North America,” Austrian History Yearbook, 37 (2006): 19.

Yurii Pryhornyts’kyi, “Ivan Oleksyn: Use zhyttya borovsya za Ukrainu. Dyviziya ‘Halychyna’.

Yak tse bulo,” Literaturna Ukraina, 18 June 1992, p. 3.

Ibid.

Vasyl Veryha, “Im prysvichuvala velyka ideya.... Dyviziya ‘Halychyna’, yak tse bulo,” Lit- eraturna Ukraina, 25 June 1992, p. 3.

Ibid.

Heike, The Ukrainian Division ‘Galicia'.

Yuri Pryhornyts’kyi, “Shcho ikh velo u dyviziyu?” Literaturna Ukraina, 14 January 1993, p. 6. Oksana Snovydovych-Mazyar, “To chy byly vony kolaborantamy?” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 8 June 1993, p. 2.

Yaroslav Yakymovych, “Z zhertovnym styahom ikh zvytyah,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 21 August 1993, p. 4.

Strictly speaking, this was the 50th anniversary not of the 1st Ukrainian Division of the UNA, but of the SS Division Halychyna, in its original form.

Danylo Kulnyak, “Esesivs’ka chy ‘Persha ukrains’ka?” Z pryvodu odnoho yuvileyu,” Ukraina moloda, 3 September 1993, p. 10.

Ibid.

Ihor Fedyk, “Vystoyaly; prorvalysya!” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 14 July 1994, p. 2.

Vasyl Sirs’kyi, “Knyha, yaka vymahaye dyskusii,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 29 July 1994, p. 2. “Ishly u bii za svoyu peremohu,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 7 August 1993, p. 4.

Mykhailo Yatsura, “Professor Kubiiovych i Dyviziya ‘Halychyna’,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 30 September 1995, pp. 1-2.

Ivan Haivanovych, “Ne nazyvaite ‘SS’!” Ukraina moloda, 30 January 2001, p. 4.

Ivan Krainii, “Za shcho voyuvala dyviziya ‘Halychyna’?” Ukraina moloda, 7 February 2001, p. 10.

Kost’ Bondarenko, “Istoriya, kotoruyu ne znaem ili ne khotim znat’?” Zerkalo nedeli, 29 March-5 April 2002.

M. Yurkevych, “Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists,” Encyclopedia of Ukraine, online edition; [http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?AddButton=pages\O\R\Organizationof UkrainianNationalists.htm].

Maslovs’kyi, “Shcho na ‘oltari svobody’?” p. 68.

Petro Duzhyi, “Vede nas v bii bortsiv polehlykh slava,” Za vil'nu Ukrainu, 4 February 1993, p. 2.

Koval’, “Ukrains’ka povtsans’ka armiya,” Ukraina і svit, 18-24 September 1996.

Koval’, Ukraina v Druhii svitovii i Velykii Vitchyznyanii viinakh, p. 155.

Kul’chyts’kyi, “Ukrainski natsionalisty v chervono-korychnevii Yevropi,” pp. 6-7.

I. I. Il’yushyn, “Natsional’no-vyzvol’ni prahnennya ukrains’kykh ta pol’s’kykh samosti- inyts’kykh syl za chasiv Druhoi svitovoi viiny,” Ukrains'kyi istorychnyi zhurnal, No. 1 (2003): 94-95.

Serhii Stepanyshyn, “Nationalist Internationalism: The Conference of the Captive Nations of Eastern Europe and Asia was held sixty years ago,” The Day Digest, 9 December 2003 [http://www.day.kiev.ua/261419/].

H. V. Kasyanov, ¹Tdeolohiya OUN: istoryko-retrospektyvnyi analiz,” Ukrains'kyi istorychnyi zhurnal, No. 2 (February 2004): 30; and information provided to the author by Dr. Taras Kuzio in a letter of 19 August 2006.

Ivan Demyanyuk, “Natsionalizm: shlyakh do derzhavnosti chy do ruiiny,” Samostiina Ukraina, No. 46 (12 December 1992): 3; No. 47 (19 December 1992): 3; and No. 48 (26 December 1992): 3.

Taras Kuzio, letter to the author, 19 August 2006.

Borys Hayevs’kyi, Fedir Kyrylyuk, and Mykola Obushnyi, “Pravda i domysly navkolo “naukovo natsionalizmu,” Osvita, 22 June 1994, p. 8.

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Source: Marples David R.. Heroes and Villains: Creating National History in Contemporary Ukraine. udapest—New York: Central European University Press,2007. — 363 p.. 2007

Evolution of the OUN

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