Turning the pages back... June 15, 1946 (06/11/06)

Turning the pages back...

June 15, 1946

It was sixty years ago on June 15, 1946, that The Weekly carried an article that was featured in the Toronto Evening Telegram on the secret Ukrainian Army's clashes with the Red Army.

The article begins by telling of the approximately 500,000 men and women who have been fighting for an independent Ukraine - apparently a reference to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The article cited the Rev. Leo Buchak, representative of the Presbyterian Church, who said, "The Russian government knows about this 'secret' army, but they are unable to prevent its growth."

Ultimatums were presented for the surrender of the Ukrainian army to the Russian government, underlining that they were not going to be punished, arrested or sent to concentration camps.

The article continues by noting the spy networks that were on the rise at the time. Surprisingly, the article noted that young Russian men, dissatisfied with the Russian form of government, had joined the Ukrainian effort as spies in the Red Army.

The Rev. Buchak was optimistic that the success of the Ukrainian effort, but knew it would take time for things to change. He also commented that, if the Russians wanted to, they could have exiled the entire western Ukrainian population to Russia and Siberia, and replaced the Ukrainian population with ethnic Russians, but it would be a difficult task.

The progress of the Ukrainian army was briefly mentioned in the article, mostly about its seizure of government-controlled farms and its nighttime maneuvers. In addition, the Rev. Buchak could not explain how the Ukrainian Army was getting financing and equipment, but said that the army was growing into something very powerful, with its expansion into Poland.

The Rev. Buchak, who had come to America with his family approximately one year earlier, said that conditions in Ukraine were completely controlled by the Russian government, with only the bare essentials being provided. This has fostered an active black market, where people sell their furniture for food; when the furniture is gone, the people may face famine, he commented.

Source: "Secret Ukrainian Army Fighting Reds," The Ukrainian Weekly, June 15, 1946, Vol. XIV, No. 22.

| Home Page |