UPA CHRISTMAS BATTLE, BIRCHA, JANUARY 7, 1946
The end of World War II did not stop the Polish-Ukrainian conflict, which began in 1942 in Kholmshchyna, turned over to Volyn in 1943, and to Galicia in 1944. The conflict, whose victims were thousands of people from both sides and which was attended by a military units of the both nations, has quickly acquired the features of war, a local war into the World War II. Persistence of both sides of the conflict impacted on its continuing after the German occupation.
Zakerzonnya, a region mostly populated by Ukrainians, which was included into the Polish state became a scene of dramatic conflict between Ukrainians and Poles. The main reason of beginning the hostilities were attempts of the Polish government to get rid of the Ukrainian population on this region through deportations, repressions and killings of Ukrainians.
In spring of 1945 Ukrainian villages Zawiya, Sereditskaya and Pashov were annihilated by the fighters of Polish military formations. March 3, the Polish soldiers attacked the village Pawlokoma, according to various sources from 366 to 500 Ukrainians became victims of this attack. In response to mass ethnic cleanings of Ukrainian population in Zakerzonia the UPA held several actions against the Polish population on the territory of Ukraine. Against the background of above mentioned actions the probability of further conflict escalation in the region was very high, it could gain the scale of mass conflict. However, it was stopped after negotiations between the representatives of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (the UPA) and the Polish Army (Armia Krajowa) on 29 April 1945 in Selisky, in result of which was signed an agreement of truce and further cooperation in the fight against the Soviet army.
However, the truce with the Polish soldiers doesn't guarantee peaceful life for Ukrainians in Zakerzonian region. In the autumn of 1945 in attempts to accelerate the process of deportation the Ukrainian families from their native lands the Polish government involves its army. Tortures, killings and terror - in these words we can describe this period. In defence of the locals came the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which also includes itself a numerous volunteers from Zakerzonia, who rose against ethnic terror. Despite the huge military superiority of the enemy, during several months in 1645 the initiative was on the side of the Ukrainian nationalists, they controlled significant part of the region. Main forces of the Polish communist government were concentrated in a number of fortified towns. Bircza was one of such "strongholds," from here the Polish soldier carried out its regular attacks on the Ukrainian villages.
On January 1, 1946 an unit of the Polish troops broke into Lyahava village, populated by Ukrainians. In result of this attack 9 residents of the village aged from 16 to 40 years were shot near the village school. One of the executed was burned.
Next day more than 300 Ukrainians were thrown out from their homes in Monastyrets village. In the morning of January 6, before the Orthodox Christmas the Polish troops from Bircha attacked the Ukrainian village Dobre.
Such anti-Ukrainian actions of the Polish garrion from Bircha town couldn't remain unnoticed for the UPA commanders in Zakrezonia. At the end of 1945 the Ukrainian soldiers committed two attacks on the town.
The most successful was the first operation, carried on night of October 23 by a small group by Pavlo "Pruta" Vatsyk. Then the UPA soldiers have broke through the enemy defenses, burst into the town, destroyed the military barracks and liberated all imprisoned Ukrainians.
After such the UPA military success the Polish army was forced to strengthen its positions in Bircha, therefore, a sudden attack was the only option for the Ukrainian soldiers. Next attack was planned to the Ukrainian Christmas.
A quote from the report of UPA group: "The action was specifically planned at the time, when the Poles could not expect for this. Our task was to destroy the enemy's fortifications and throw the Polish forces out from the town."
In general, four companies of the UPA were involved in the assault operation - the hundred (company) "Udarnik 4" leaded by Volodimir "Burlaka" Schigelskiy; the hundred "Udarnik 7" leaded by Grigoriy "Lastivka" Yankivskiy; the hundred "Udarnik 2" leaded by Dmytro "Orskiy" Karvanskiy, who replaced the wounded company commander Mikhailo "Gromenko" Duda; the hundred "Udarnik 6" leaded by "Yar" (the company commander's name is unknown).
The operation was leaded by kurinniy (the UPA military rank) Mikhailo "Konik" Galiyo. On the evening of January 6 he addressed a speech to the soldiers. He said: "On this Christmas Eve our goal is to go and finish our action of revenge to Bircha, we must destroy that hostile nest and those bastards, who burn the Ukrainian villages (he pointed towards burned Ropa village), who kill innocent people, elders, women and children, who didn't even allow the Ukrainians to celebrate the Christmas Eve in peace! Today they will pay for their iniquity, for spilled blood of Ukrainian people, for our fallen brothers! Instead of the Ukrainian Christmas carols they will hear a shots of our machine guns and explosions of our grenades! Glory to Ukraine!"
The offensive was held by two groups from eastern and western part of the town. The first group's task was to draw the enemy's artillerists attention, that would help the second group to break into the town. The offensive was held by two groups from eastern and western part of the town. The first group's task was to draw the enemy's artillerists attention, that would help the second group to break into the town. Instead a numerous fortification Bicha was surrounded by numerous bunkers with a machine gun (tobruk). During the assault operation the group, leaded by Volodimir Schigelskiy has managed not only to draw attention of the enemy's artillery, they also captured a number of bunkers and entered the eastern part of the town.
However, the balance of power was unequal, the Polish forces prevailed by personnel (1,500 Polish soldiers and the NKVD company) and number of weapons and benefits of fortifications. The battle lasted till the morning, on 8 am the UPA soldiers received an order to withdraw. Then the Ukrainian forces had not enough of munitions for many hours of battle and heavy artillery to storm the fortifications.
In spite of unsuccessful result of the Christmas operation, the UPA continued quite successful activities on protection the Ukrainian population in the region. The communist government of Poland managed to suppress the Ukrainian resistance in Zakerzonia only after a year. The last act of that Ukrainian-Polish conflict was notorious operation "Vistula" in the spring of 1947, held by the USSR and the Polish army during which 482 thousand Ukrainians were deported from their native land to the territory, controlled by the Soviet Union.
Zakerzonnya, a region mostly populated by Ukrainians, which was included into the Polish state became a scene of dramatic conflict between Ukrainians and Poles. The main reason of beginning the hostilities were attempts of the Polish government to get rid of the Ukrainian population on this region through deportations, repressions and killings of Ukrainians.
In spring of 1945 Ukrainian villages Zawiya, Sereditskaya and Pashov were annihilated by the fighters of Polish military formations. March 3, the Polish soldiers attacked the village Pawlokoma, according to various sources from 366 to 500 Ukrainians became victims of this attack. In response to mass ethnic cleanings of Ukrainian population in Zakerzonia the UPA held several actions against the Polish population on the territory of Ukraine. Against the background of above mentioned actions the probability of further conflict escalation in the region was very high, it could gain the scale of mass conflict. However, it was stopped after negotiations between the representatives of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (the UPA) and the Polish Army (Armia Krajowa) on 29 April 1945 in Selisky, in result of which was signed an agreement of truce and further cooperation in the fight against the Soviet army.
However, the truce with the Polish soldiers doesn't guarantee peaceful life for Ukrainians in Zakerzonian region. In the autumn of 1945 in attempts to accelerate the process of deportation the Ukrainian families from their native lands the Polish government involves its army. Tortures, killings and terror - in these words we can describe this period. In defence of the locals came the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which also includes itself a numerous volunteers from Zakerzonia, who rose against ethnic terror. Despite the huge military superiority of the enemy, during several months in 1645 the initiative was on the side of the Ukrainian nationalists, they controlled significant part of the region. Main forces of the Polish communist government were concentrated in a number of fortified towns. Bircza was one of such "strongholds," from here the Polish soldier carried out its regular attacks on the Ukrainian villages.
On January 1, 1946 an unit of the Polish troops broke into Lyahava village, populated by Ukrainians. In result of this attack 9 residents of the village aged from 16 to 40 years were shot near the village school. One of the executed was burned.
Next day more than 300 Ukrainians were thrown out from their homes in Monastyrets village. In the morning of January 6, before the Orthodox Christmas the Polish troops from Bircha attacked the Ukrainian village Dobre.
Such anti-Ukrainian actions of the Polish garrion from Bircha town couldn't remain unnoticed for the UPA commanders in Zakrezonia. At the end of 1945 the Ukrainian soldiers committed two attacks on the town.
The most successful was the first operation, carried on night of October 23 by a small group by Pavlo "Pruta" Vatsyk. Then the UPA soldiers have broke through the enemy defenses, burst into the town, destroyed the military barracks and liberated all imprisoned Ukrainians.
After such the UPA military success the Polish army was forced to strengthen its positions in Bircha, therefore, a sudden attack was the only option for the Ukrainian soldiers. Next attack was planned to the Ukrainian Christmas.
A quote from the report of UPA group: "The action was specifically planned at the time, when the Poles could not expect for this. Our task was to destroy the enemy's fortifications and throw the Polish forces out from the town."
In general, four companies of the UPA were involved in the assault operation - the hundred (company) "Udarnik 4" leaded by Volodimir "Burlaka" Schigelskiy; the hundred "Udarnik 7" leaded by Grigoriy "Lastivka" Yankivskiy; the hundred "Udarnik 2" leaded by Dmytro "Orskiy" Karvanskiy, who replaced the wounded company commander Mikhailo "Gromenko" Duda; the hundred "Udarnik 6" leaded by "Yar" (the company commander's name is unknown).
The operation was leaded by kurinniy (the UPA military rank) Mikhailo "Konik" Galiyo. On the evening of January 6 he addressed a speech to the soldiers. He said: "On this Christmas Eve our goal is to go and finish our action of revenge to Bircha, we must destroy that hostile nest and those bastards, who burn the Ukrainian villages (he pointed towards burned Ropa village), who kill innocent people, elders, women and children, who didn't even allow the Ukrainians to celebrate the Christmas Eve in peace! Today they will pay for their iniquity, for spilled blood of Ukrainian people, for our fallen brothers! Instead of the Ukrainian Christmas carols they will hear a shots of our machine guns and explosions of our grenades! Glory to Ukraine!"
The offensive was held by two groups from eastern and western part of the town. The first group's task was to draw the enemy's artillerists attention, that would help the second group to break into the town. The offensive was held by two groups from eastern and western part of the town. The first group's task was to draw the enemy's artillerists attention, that would help the second group to break into the town. Instead a numerous fortification Bicha was surrounded by numerous bunkers with a machine gun (tobruk). During the assault operation the group, leaded by Volodimir Schigelskiy has managed not only to draw attention of the enemy's artillery, they also captured a number of bunkers and entered the eastern part of the town.
However, the balance of power was unequal, the Polish forces prevailed by personnel (1,500 Polish soldiers and the NKVD company) and number of weapons and benefits of fortifications. The battle lasted till the morning, on 8 am the UPA soldiers received an order to withdraw. Then the Ukrainian forces had not enough of munitions for many hours of battle and heavy artillery to storm the fortifications.
In spite of unsuccessful result of the Christmas operation, the UPA continued quite successful activities on protection the Ukrainian population in the region. The communist government of Poland managed to suppress the Ukrainian resistance in Zakerzonia only after a year. The last act of that Ukrainian-Polish conflict was notorious operation "Vistula" in the spring of 1947, held by the USSR and the Polish army during which 482 thousand Ukrainians were deported from their native land to the territory, controlled by the Soviet Union.
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| A memorial to victims of those events was established in Sokilniky village, Lviv region. |
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