UPA Day: history and interesting facts

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2 min

14 Okt. 2023

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UPA Day: history and interesting facts

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Ukraine

Inhaltsverzeichnis

What should you know about UPA?
Did the UPA cooperate with Nazi troops?
Why does Poland have a negative attitude towards the UPA?
Interesting and little-known facts about the UPA
Graphic artist Neil Hasevich

The UPA was an organization that played an important role in the history of Ukraine. Learn more about key historical facts and dive into the country's historical past

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On October 14, 1942, by decision of the OUN (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists), the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was created - a military-political formation that operated in Ukraine during 1942-1960. The main goal of the liberation movement was to protect the civilian population of Ukraine from the abuse of the German occupation authorities and to oppose the bloody Soviet regime.

The UPA were the only ones in the world who fought simultaneously against the Nazis and the USSR during the Second World War.

On this day, we will recall a short history and tell interesting facts about the UPA.

What should you know about UPA?

The UPA advocated the creation of an independent and independent Ukrainian state, which should include all ethnic Ukrainian lands. They planned an uprising after Nazi Germany and the Communist USSR had exhausted each other in a bloody war.

The commander-in-chief of the UPA from 1943 to 1950 was Roman Shukhevich, and from 1950 to 1954 - Vasyl Kuk.

Thanks to the unique abilities of the commanders, it was possible to create a large military force with guerrilla tactics. In 1944, the UPA numbered about half a million people. All the weapons in the UPA were trophies - Soviet, German, Hungarian and even Austrian (since the First World War).

The UPA included Ukrainians, Jews, Russians and many fighters of other nationalities.

One of the last battles of the UPA was the fight against the troops of the NKVD in order to block the Soviet military convoys that were going to Hungary to suppress the anti-communist uprising of 1956.

Since 2015, UPA soldiers received the status of fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century, and in 2018, a law was passed granting UPA soldiers the status of combatants.

Did the UPA cooperate with Nazi troops?

Throughout history, Soviet propaganda vilified the UPA as a structure that cooperated with Nazi Germany. Even in 2014, according to the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia, the UPA was recognized as an extremist organization.

However, the German occupation leaders, in particular Erich Koch, wrote about the anti-German activities of the UPA.

According to the documents, attacks by UPA units on German military units continued until 1944. The armed conflict between the Germans and the UPA is described in detail in the report of the Soviet partisans.

Why does Poland have a negative attitude towards the UPA?

In Poland, a negative attitude toward the UPA prevails. The Institute of National Remembrance of Poland believes that the UPA and other nationalist units are involved in the deaths of about 100,000 Poles in 1943-1944. Based on SBU documents, it was established that in Western Ukraine, Polish losses amounted to 30,327 people and 240 destroyed settlements, while numerous losses among the Ukrainian population were also observed - 16,523 and 115, respectively.

Also, during this period, not only the UPA, but also German punitive units and police, in whose ranks served Ukrainians and Poles, as well as Soviet partisans, operated in Volyn.

The issue of the Volyn tragedy is still not resolved and remains painful, especially for the Polish side. In 2016, the Polish parliament qualified the actions of UPA soldiers against the Polish population in Volyn as genocide.

Interesting and little-known facts about the UPA

A unique young generation

The existence of the UPA is the greatest phenomenon in Ukrainian history, because the average age of UPA members was 18–22 years. This generation was raised by Ukrainians who survived the Soviet terror, famines, repressions, mass murders, torture, quartering of people in NKVD prisons in the period from 1917 to 1930. It was the UPA that saved the population of Western Ukraine from mass terror and complete destruction by the communist regime headed by Stalin.

Perfect organization

The UPA stood out as an impeccable organization, many historians studied and continue to study the UPA as an ideal example of an underground organization. The Ukrainian insurgent army had a clear structure, schedule, subordination and discipline. For example, drinking alcohol (without the commander's permission) was punished by firing squad.

Nicknames

All the rebels had several pseudonyms for a reliable conspiracy. Most of them are derived from the names of animals, birds, plants, and objects.

Underground printers

Despite the paper shortage, between 1948 and 1952, 350,000 copies of leaflets, brochures, books and other illegal literature were printed in the UPA's underground printing houses. Some of the publications were addressed to Ukrainian youth, they urged not to join the Komsomol and not to be assimilated. The books also talked about the history of Ukraine, revealed the essence of the Stalinist regime and criticized Marxism.

Weapons in exchange for products

In 1942–1944, it was possible to exchange weapons for products from Hungarians and Germans. Certain tariffs were established: one hand grenade was valued at one chicken egg, a machine gun or rifle at a whole chicken, a hand machine gun at a piglet, a mortar at several sacks of potatoes.

Due to the support of the peasants, the UPA was well supplied with food.

Own currency

The UPA had its own money with national symbols, which were called bofons - the name was transformed from the phrase "combat fund". They were issued to the population for products, food, etc. A total of 500 varieties of buffoons were produced in the period 1939–1954.

Love in UPA

80% of UPA fighters were unmarried, although sometimes insurgent weddings were held. The wedding certificate indicated the day it took place and the encrypted names of the newlyweds.

Women in the ranks of the UPA mainly worked in communications. The most famous of them are Halyna Didyk, Kateryna "Moneta" Zarytska and Marta Gai.

Epidemics and poison in the fight against UPA

The Soviet special services specially spread serious infectious diseases in the places where the UPA rebel units were most concentrated. Ampoules with typhoid bacteria were delivered to the black market, where the rebels bought medicines, which were sold as a medicine against the disease. They also used the sleeping drug "Neptun-47", which was added to drinks, the poisonous gas "Spetspreparat-28" (tubes of them were put in the insurgents' mail), the nerve-paralytic gas "Typhoon" (let in through the ventilation shafts of "hideouts").

Hideaways

Shelters are special structures underground with ventilation holes, where the rebels lived, armories, hospitals, printing shops and even sewing shops were located. They were built in the forest and "disguised" in village houses.

An incredible fact - some UPA soldiers came out of their hiding places already after the declaration of Ukraine's independence in 1991. That's how Ya. Halashchuk left the shelter built in his sister's house in Tlumachi, Ivano-Frankivsk region, in August 1991.

Graphic artist Neil Hasevich

Nil Hasevich is one of the most legendary and interesting personal UPA. He studied at the Warsaw Academy of Arts, won several prizes at local art exhibitions.

From 1943 until his death in 1952, he collaborated with the UPA, created a lot of propaganda posters. In fact, Khasevych was the head of all UPA printing houses.

Roman Shukhevych's burial place is still unknown

The disposal of the body of UPA commander Roman Shukhevich became an important secret task for the Soviet authorities. Many years have passed, and his burial place is still unknown.

Since 2015, UPA soldiers have the status of fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century. In 2018, a law was passed granting UPA soldiers the status of combatants.

We remind you! russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to an unprecedented wave of interest in Ukraine among foreigners. Read more about what is being googled abroad about Ukraine and what are the most popular queries in search engines in our previous article.

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