The story of how the Ukrainian nationalists at the World War II, the UPA brings together nations against the Soviet Moscow

70 years ago in Volyn was held the first conference of captive nations of Eastern Europe and Asia. Nationalists have become to internationalists. And called for Caucasians, Belorussians and Tatars to the joint fight against the Bolsheviks.

 

In August 1943 in Kozova district of Ternopil region was held the Third Grand Congress of the Organisation of the Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) in the Ukrainian lands. At this congress was confirmed by line of nationalists on creation of massive rebel militias (UPA) and adopted a program of open armed struggle against "Two occupiers-imperialists - the Third Reich and the Soviet Union".

Also the participants of the Third Grand Congress of the OUN was adopted a number of documents concerning the necessity of democratization and modernization of the political and ideological foundations of the OUN to make them understandable and acceptable for a wide membership, including for the elements of independence of the Dnieper in Eastern and Southern Ukraine. At this Congress Roman Shukhevych was finally approved as chairman of OUN Bureau and as Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

At that time UPA under the command of Shukhevich extended its military action at all Halychyna, Volhynia, in part - even Dnieper, in the UPA battalions fought many nationalists, representing other nations who were also enslaved by the Soviet authorities.

In Reports of military clashes of UPA from the early to middle of 1943 was mentions of activity of national brigades also:

“…June 25, 1943, for three days of fighting of UPA detachment under the command of commander "Kruk" near Terem in Volyn region, was completely destroyed the division of Stalinist guerrilla robbers, that are longer were harassing the civilians, particularly distinguished division of Georgians”

“…In August 1943 Division of UPA in which included also nationalists Uzbeks, Georgians and Russians has destroyed in battle with the Germans in Mlynivska districts of Rivne region 60 German soldiers, who robbed the villages”

“…04.29.44 year, in the great battle between divisions of UPA and NKVD troops near the village Zaliznitsa, was participated and defined national divisions under the command of comandes Yastrub. In this battle the enemy lost 240 killed”

And then a few months after the Third Grand Congress of the OUN , namely 21-22 November 1943, in terms of strict secrecy under the auspices of UPA, which operated under the political leadership of the OUN were held first conference of the captive nations of the Eastern Europe and Asia.

It was such a meeting of political and military leaders and soldiers of UPA, representing various nations, enslaved by the Soviet Union, in order to develop and strengthen the nationalist movements of different nations on the whole territory of the USSR and combine their efforts in the fight against a common enemy - Moscow Bolshevism.

The Conference of enslaved nations of Eastern Europe and Asia, which took place in the territories controlled by UPA,in Rivne region - in the villages Buderazh, Illyashivka and Batkivtsi - brought together from different departments of UPA 39 representatives of 13 nations, "oppressed by the Soviet USSR empire".

Among them, 6 Georgians led by "Karl", 6 Azerbaijanis (head of delegation - "Fuzuli"), 5 Uzbeks ("Shymrat"), 4 Armenians ("Antrant"), 4 Tatarians ("Tukai"), 2 Belarusians ("Drujny"), 2 Ossetians ("Aram"), Kazakhs ("Dezhkman"), Cherkes ("Dzhigit"), Kabardinian ("Baksan"), Chuvash ("Skvortsov"), Bashkir ("Kaharman").

Also at the conference came five Ukrainians - representatives of the UPA and OUN on the Ukrainian lands.

Among them: Member of the Bureau of the OUN - Rostislav Voloshin, Member of the OUN - Yakiv Busel, referent of propaganda of regional leadership of the OUN SthEUL (South-eastern Ukrainian lands) in Dnipropetrovsk - Omelian Logush, first UPA Chairman - Dmitry Kachkovskiy, OUN activist Catherine Mieszko (Logush).

In addition to the official delegates, Roman Shuhevich - commander in chief of UPA , head of OUN on Ukrainian lands also came to the conference.

Omelian Logush (pseudo - "Yevhen", "Ivaniv", "Stepaniv") later recalled:

“Convening of this conference sought persistently by the representatives of the revolutionary underground in southern and eastern Ukraine, who worked in areas with a large number of national minorities or in the neighborhood with territories of other nations, oppressed by Moscow.

In Volyn this thing was urgent by the fact, that in parts of the UPA some soldiers was non-Ukrainians, in addition was some individual national divisions - Azerbaijani, Georgian, Uzbeki.

Taras Chuprynka (Roman Shuhevich), recognizing all the plausibility of the theoretical concept of the common front of nations, oppressed by Moscow, was interested at once to practical side. He was interested especially, is there are real opportunities to extend rebel actions in other enslaved nations, and how can UPA help in this case:

“We chose the right path. From today our struggle for independence is not separated struggle of one nation, now it is revolution in Eastern Europe and Asia for the freedom of all enslaved nations and a new way in this part of the world”

(Journal "Liberation Road", 1970, p. 3 (264.) - P. 347-349)”

That Omelian was the one who continued to negotiations on neutrality and cooperation OUN and UPA with Hungary in December 1943 - January 1944.

“Conference participants adopted a resolution and proclamation, in which, in particular, expressed the need to "establish a joint committee of the nations of Eastern Europe and Asia, which will coordinate all national-revolutionary forces of those nations will produce a single line of struggle against a common enemy, a common tactic in the struggle and at the appropriate time make the call for simultaneous uprising of all enslaved nations”

At the conference has been formed the Committee of Enslaved Nations, whose functions included the formation of national insurgent armies, associations and organizations of national political forces in their places of residence and the land of Ukraine, where they was threw by war.

In practical terms UPA called for the liberation struggle of other nations who were enslaved not only by Moscow but also by Berlin - as in the German army and police or auxiliary police of the German administration in Ukraine were many non-German element, natives of the Caucasus, Tartarians, Turkmens and others.

Such calls to the East was published on languages of the nations whom they were addressed. Agitation on language and script of the Eastern peoples was printed by UPA-South - probably in the printing of Odessa.

In the resolutions regarding political assignements The Conference of the serviled nations of Eastern Europe and Asia confirmed that only national revolutions of enslaved nations would stop fool military massacre and give stable peace to the world.

‘New international system lieth upon the rule of political rights of every nation will give them all of the opportunities for cultural and economic development. In system of the national states provides person’s freedom still exploited by imperialism prison system.

It was confirmed in the Conference’s appeal:

‘…the modern war was started and continued by imperialist’s elite of Moscow and Berlin, National Socialists of German and Russian Bolsheviks. The reason of war is which of the imperialist’s click should continue enslave and exploit nations of Europe and Asia.

Imperialists decide that it isn’t enough stolen lands, stolen riches, injured nations, they want spread their empires and squelch more stronger enslaved nations and involve to the same burden other nations.

To aspire for those destroying purposes, imperialists conscripted by force all healthy element enslaved and oppressed nations and sent them to the front of war.

Millions children of Ukraine, nations Caucasus, Central Asia, and Nadvolzhya of Ural are now in the trenches, giving their lives for their oppressors. At the same time in the rear the NKVD terrorizing their families and torture them ...

To put through this system could only in the merciless effort against the imperialist’s elite by national revolution.

In the effort against common oppressors - the Stalin’s and Hitler’s imperialism – we need united front of all nations of the East led by their national leaderships ...’

It becomes obviously that among leaders and memberships of a wide national liberation movement that was in 1943 under OUN(b) and UPA protection as an irregular army of a stateless nation, there was a volte-face.

This is a deep turning point in understanding not only of nationalism but internationalism - a phenomenon whose meaning has been distorted by propaganda and practice of Russian Bolsheviks.

As a result of liberation and state-building program OUN have disappeared items on national exclusivity, partocracy and authoritarianism.

 

Characteristically, a political ageing of Ukrainian nationalist movement took place in the most intense revolution armed struggle. The process of democratic development occurred even among critical debate, but without conflict confrontation.

This development - and then deep turning point - was very organic, acquired experience of active underground and rebel actions OUN and UPA together with representatives of other nations which were enslaved in the Soviet Union.

This change is in the atmosphere of realization and the Conference documents of enslaved nations of Eastern Europe and Asia, which took place in Volyn exactly 70 years ago, in November 1943.

And this change is, so to say, an expression of the international ambitions of Ukrainian Nationalists

From the PI: UPA cosider Russian people the same oppressed by Bolsheviks as other nations of the USSR. And wanted fraternal relations of independent Ukraine and Russia. Read more in the brochure ‘Our attitude to the Russians’