The Bolshevik propaganda machine produced a large number of myths and legends that were far from the historical truth, but which helped establish the misleading principles of builders of communism and at the same time sever whole peoples from their historical roots, thus securing those in power against national revolutions.
A most vivid example of such propaganda myths was the creation of the repulsive image of men of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrayinska Povstanska Armiya or UPA). In fact, the term UPA was never used, replaced by the derogatory Bandera followers and the notion is still associated with that of a villain, cutthroat, murderer, Nazi lackey, bourgeois nationalist, and anti-Soviet criminal in the minds of those lacking true historical knowledge and still using the Soviet political vocabulary. This propaganda falsehood was readily believed, since most people living in Ukraine and other Soviet republics knew practically nothing about UPA’s struggle in Western Ukraine against both Nazi and Bolshevik invaders. Bandera adherent became a most offensive term and those in the east of Ukraine and in Russia still call everybody in Western Ukraine Banderite. True, the obsequious Kremlin propaganda architects got carried away, so anyone coming from the west of Ukraine was awe-inspiring in Russian eyes (in fact, this author’s Western Ukrainian parentage spared him the horrors and humiliation of traditional Soviet army bullying in the years of conscription).
Fear of Banderism prevents a number of Ukrainians revising their views even now by acquainting themselves with true historical facts and finally acknowledging the simple fact that UPA men deserve as much respect from the Ukrainian state as all those veterans of the so-called Great Patriotic War (as people were taught to call World War II, because Lenin had denounced World War I as the Imperialist War and got out of it — Ed.). That they were not thugs but heroes who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of their native land from the aggressors. A story about the Conference of the Captive Nations of Eastern Europe and Asia (its sixtieth anniversary was recently marked in Rivne oblast) must be another step toward the official recognition of UPA veterans at the official level, thus refuting yet another myth about their national isolation and their hatred of all non-Ukrainian nations.
The OUN leadership and UPA command decided to convene a conference of peoples suffering under the Soviet imperial yoke in November 1943. It was not a difficult task, considering that among the UPA men were not only Ukrainians, but also Georgians, Azerbaijani, Tatars, Ossetians, Poles, Czechs, Belarusians, Kabardinians, Jews, Russians, Kazakhs, and Circassians. They were united by opposition to the Stalin and Hitler regimes.
The difficult part was arranging the conference so neither Moscow nor Berlin could stymie that large-scale project, and so the risk of losing ranking OUN-UPA figures could be reduced to a minimum.
To disinform the enemy, the conference was alleged to be scheduled somewhere in the forest, in the vicinity of Zhytomyr. It was done with such skill that both the German and Soviet special services believed it. For years no one even in Ukrainian organizations abroad knew about the actual site of the conference. The latter was actually held in Buderazh, a village in Rivne oblast. The place was chosen because the area was controlled by numerous UPA units under the command of Petro Oliynyk (alias Enei, or Aeneas). Moreover, the village had a large school providing sufficient audience. 39 delegates arrived, representing 13 nations: six Georgians led by a man known under the alias of Carlos; six Azerbaijanis led by Fizul; five Uzbeks led by Shimrat; four Armenians led by Antrant; four Tatars led by Tukai; two Belarusians led by Druzhny; two Ossetians led by Aram, a Kazakh under the alias of Dzhekman. The Circassians were represented by Dzhigit, Kabardinians by Baksan, Chuvash by Skvortsov, and Bashkirs by Kagarman. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Rostyslav Voloshyn, member of the OUN leadership (aliases: Stetsenko, Pavlenko, Horbenko, and Levchenko), Yakiv Busel of Rivne oblast, member of the OUN leadership in charge of training, and publicist; Omelian Lohush from Halychyna, in charge of propaganda; UPA’s first Commander Dmytro Kliachkivsky (alias Klym Savur); prominent OUN figure Kateryna Meshko from Dnipropetrovsk. In addition to the official delegates, the conference was attended by UPA Commander-in-Chief Roman Shukhevych (alias Taras Chuprynka).
The Conference of the Oppressed Peoples of Eastern Europe and Asia was called to order at 9 a.m. on November 21. Yaroslav Voloshyn presided and gave the floor to the Georgian Carlos. Eyewitness accounts have it that he approached the podium, banged his machinegun on the table and declared, “Here we forge the will of the peoples enslaved by Red Moscow. We shall fight for their freedom to the last man!” The delegates met their Georgian comrade in arms’ statement with a standing ovation.
Ukrainian was the working language of the conference, since all delegates understood it perfectly well. However, most non-Ukrainians spoke in Russian and this was no obstacle in achieving perfect understanding and served as yet further evidence of the OUN-UPA leadership’s tolerant approach.
After extensive discussions, a commission was elected the next day to draft a resolution and a message of the conference. It read, in part, “The Conference considers it necessary to establish a Joint Committee of the Nations of Eastern Europe and Asia to coordinate all the national revolutionary efforts of these peoples, to work out a single strategy to combat the common enemy, a single tactic, and when the time comes, to call for a simultaneous rebellion by all the captive nations.” The delegates also urged making every effort to prevent the export of bread to Germany and appealed to the Red Army men and ethnic battalions. The conference ended with a choir from Dermany performing a number of UPA and Ukrainian folk songs.
Even though the conference was held in Buderazh in the strictest of secrecy, its importance is hard to overestimate. For the first time a unity of peoples as an alternative to the Soviet Union was declared here. Conceived in Buderazh, this idea was further implemented by the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations set up in the West. It was long headed by Yaroslav Stetsko, and after his death by Yaroslava Stetsko. It played its role in the fall of the Soviet empire.
Fortunately, their selfless endeavors have not been forgotten in Rivne oblast. A scholarly conference was held in Rivne a couple of weeks ago, in commemoration of the conference in Buderazh. The delegates were greeted by Svitlana Bohatyrchuk-Kryvko, Deputy Mayor of Rivne. The main paper was read by Hury Bukhalo, candidate of science in history. A memorial sign was unveiled by the school in Buderazh, on the site of the Captive Nations conference held sixty years ago, followed by a solemn meeting.
Another page of Ukrainian history was opened.
