New York events recall Akcja Wisla tragedy and formation of UPA (12/07/97)

New York events recall Akcja Wisla tragedy and formation of UPA

by Bohdanna T. Pochoday

NEW YORK - A series of Ukrainian commemorative events took place on October 17-26 in New York City to recall three historic anniversaries: the 55th anniversary of the formation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the 50th anniversary of the raids by certain divisions of the UPA and the 50th anniversary of the forcible deportation of ethnic Ukrainians by the Polish Communist government, commonly known as Akcja Wisla.

Committee for commemorations

It was on February 22, during a meeting of numerous Ukrainian community organizations from the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, that an executive committee was formed for the express purpose of preparing a commemorative program honoring these tragic anniversaries and its fallen victims and heroes. The committee members were: Barbara Bachynsky (Ukrainian National Women's League of America), president; Lev Futala (Society of Soldiers of the UPA), Marie Duplak (Organization for the Defense of Lemkivschyna) and Julian Kotlar (Association of Veterans of the UPA), vice-presidents; Zenia Brozyna (Plast), corresponding secretary; Joseph Trush (Ukrainian American Coordinating Council), recording secretary; Bohdanna T. Pochoday (Ukrainian American Bar Association), treasurer; Michael Kowalczyn (United Ukrainian American Relief Committee), Stepan Woroch (Ukrainian Medical Association of North America), Alexander Bilewicz (Association of Veterans of the UPA) and Wolodymyr Janiw (Ukrainian National Aid Association), members.

Requiem services

Commemorations of the 1947 anniversary had commenced earlier in the year with requiem services in various Ukrainian Baptist, Catholic and Orthodox churches throughout the United States, remembering those who had died or suffered during this tragic period. Ukrainians worldwide were asked to unite in spirit with Ukrainians in Poland on Sunday, May 11. (Not all parishes, however, were able to heed this plea, in part due to the fact that this was Mothers' Day in the United States and other church events already had been planned.)

Educational conference

The second commemorative event prepared by the executive committee was an educational conference, for the express purpose of reviewing the history of, and new information about, the formation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and Akcja Wisla. Attracting a capacity audience of approximately 140 people, the conference took place on Saturday, October 18, at the Shevchenko Scientific Society in New York City.

The panel participants at the conference included Prof. Stepan Zabrowarnyj from Szczecin, Poland, Prof. Volodymyr Serhiichuk from Kyiv and Maj. Petro Sodol. As president of the executive committee, Mrs. Bachynsky greeted the audience and turned over the conduct of the three-hour conference to Prof. Volodymyr Stojko of New York.

Prof. Stojko commenced the conference discussions with a review of the motivations for the formation and activities of the UPA and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) during the World War II period. In particular, Prof. Stojko commented on the formation of Soviet and partisan groups in the Volyn region of Ukraine, the German occupation and the Soviet partisans' activities that led to the formation of the UPA. It was explained that OUN leaders had assigned Serhii Kachynsky to form the first company of the UPA, after reviewing the need and desire for partisan activities.

The UPA is deemed to have been officially formed on October 14, 1942. In November 1943 the general staff of the OUN reformulated itself as the general army staff of the UPA. This staff was headed by Taras Chuprynka (Roman Shukhevych), who took on the role of leading UPA battles. In December 1943 partisan groups, including the division of Bulba Borovets and Melnyk supporters of the OUN, folded into the UPA structure in view of the emerging need to create military formations.

Prof. Zabrowarnyj, an economics professor at Szczecin University in Poland, elaborated on the atmosphere and motivations existing in Poland during the 1939-1949 period. He referred to Akcja Wisla as a totalitarian act and classified it as genocide. Prof. Zabrowarnyj summarized the illegal operation as a forcible relocation of over 1,000 Ukrainian villages to lands taken by the Poles from Germany, whose primary purpose was the complete denationalization and Polonization of the Ukrainian populace. The Jaworzno concentration camp, only a few miles from the infamous Auchwitz death camp, was formed as part of the process of this forcible deportation. Over 4,000 members of the Ukrainian intelligentsia - men, women and children, religious and teachers were sent there.

An additional aspect of this annihilation process was Poland's control over the assets of Ukrainians and the destruction of many libraries, churches and other evidence of Ukrainian life - all in an attempt to cover the government's criminal acts.

Prof. Zabrowarny, also focused on the difficult lives of Ukrainians in their relocated Polish territories. Contact with the West, especially the Ukrainian diaspora, was deemed to be sufficient to cause additional problems for the deported Ukrainians. Ukrainians were stereotyped by the Poles as being nothing more than "bandits" who deserved their fates. Over the years, some members of the Polish intelligentsia have acknowledged the criminality of this treatment of Ukrainians, including Akcja Wisla.

Prof. Serhiichuk, a historican and professor from Kyiv, was the third panelist at the conference. Prof. Serhiichuk was able to demonstrate and explain to the audience some recently accessible top-secret documents, including those signed by Nikita Khrushchev from formerly secret USSR archives, which elucidate the Soviet Union's role, or the lack thereof, in Akcja Wisla. Prof. Serhiichuk pointed out that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty of August 23, 1939, was critical to the fate of western Ukrainians.

Finally, Maj. Sodol of New York, author of several works on the UPA, portrayed the UPA's organizational structure from the very beginnings of its formation to 1947. He was able to provide specifics about the commanders and head counts of various divisions, companies and brigades.

The speakers assumed that the audience of approximately 140 people, predominantly persons over age 55, had experienced or already knew the basic facts being discussed. Unfortunately, this part of Ukraine's tragic history is little known to the younger generation - not to mention Ukrainians from central and eastern Ukraine.

A late afternoon luncheon respite was partaken by the attendees of the conference upon its conclusion. The participants also had an opportunity to purchase books written by some of the speakers and others on the UPA and Akcja Wisla.

Commemorative concert

The New York community was given an opportunity to listen to and view several renowned Ukrainian artists on Sunday, October 19, at The Cooper Union in New York City. The concert, organized by the executive committee, was attended by approximately 600 individuals of a mature age - two-thirds of capacity. As in the case of the conference, there were very few persons in the audience under the age of 30, with a majority of the concert-goers in the retired category.

The concert performers included world renowned pianist Alexander Slobodyanik, tenor Volodymyr Grishko, soprano Alexandra Hrabova and the Promin vocal ensemble under the direction of Bohdanna Wolansky. The concert opened with Volodymyr Kurylo's recitation of "Molytva za Poliahlykh" (Prayer for the Fallen).

A unique video montage titled "Glory to the UPA - Bow to Victims of Akcja Wisla," prepared by Petro Bokalo, was shown in the first half of the concert, providing a striking visual effect for the audience.

For a change of pace, the audience was also treated to a dance solo titled "Strakhittia Viiny" (The Horrors of War) performed by Andriy Cybyk of the dance studio of Roma Pryma Bohachevsky.

(For a complete account of the concert, see Helen Smindak's story on page 9.)

"1947" photo and document exhibit

In addition to the conference and the concert, a unique exhibit, titled "1947," was on view in New York City on October 17-26 at the Mayana Gallery. This exhibit, which included photographs and documents from the 1947 period, as well as the Jaworzno concentration camp, was prepared by the Association of Ukrainians of Zakerzonnia based in Toronto. Unique in its nature and a rarity, due to the scarcity of documents and photos available from that time period, the display complemented the other commemorative events.

Unfortunately, only a small group of individuals availed themselves of this rare opportunity. On opening night, Friday, October 17, approximately 30 people came for the viewing - compared to the hundreds who had attended the same exhibit in Toronto.

These events concluded the commemoration of the three anniversaries in the New York metropolitan area. During the planning of these commemorative events, the executive committee had received some donations from individuals and organizations, but the committee has not been able to collect sufficient funds to pay all expenses. Any individual or organization wishing to make a tax-free donation may send a check payable to the order of "UPA-Wisla" to: Bohdanna T. Pochoday, UPA/Wisla Treasurer, 4-G Avon Court, Chatham, NJ 07928.

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