The spirit of the Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera lives on in Ukraine and internationally.
As a perennial exercise, a group of cowards once again defaced Bandera’s grave in Munich, Germany, over the weekend, thinking that this somehow will diminish or eradicate the spirit. Your actions only highlight and strengthen the spirit and are a reminder of how strong the Bandera spirit is. If it was not, why would you bother risking sneaking around a cemetery at night to deface a place of rest. Despicable!
A simple message – It won’t work!
Not only is the grave set-in-stone, but so is the Bandera spirit. An erratic splashing of paint or strewing of rubbish around the grave only solidifies the spirit and exposes the crudeness of those involved’.
Bandera and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) then and now promote the aspirations of shaping a nation and being a positive element in building its statehood; likewise, they offer, then and now, Ukrainian nationalism as a positive trait that stimulates identification with one’s nation and support for its interests while providing opposition to those who would endeavour not to allow the nation to determine its destiny. These aspirations are alive and well.
These elements of nationhood, statehood and determining Ukraine’s destiny by demanding territorial sovereignty are very much the DNA of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora.
Are there challenges? Yes, there are – but Ukrainians are united under the banner of building statehood – identity, language, economic development, public and cultural diplomacy and the varied facets of a European nation.
On the cusp of the 30 anniversary of Ukraine’s independence on Aug. 24, we can reflect on the road to independence, the struggles of OUN and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) against two genocidal enemies, the Ukrainian formation of Divizia Halychynna in the forlorn hopes of creating a national army, the political prisoners of the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s who fought with the same aspirations: A free independent and sovereign Ukraine.
Today Russian aggression continues in eastern Ukraine. Some of those fight in Ukraine’s armed forces today say – we are the new UPA. We are fighting for the same aspirations – sovereignty.
The Russian disinformation campaign continues in the hybrid space. A day does not go by without some lewd comment about Ukraine’s aspirations or without the slandering of those who fought for these goals and continue to fight!
We intend to give the scoffers no oxygen!
Was Bandera the only leading light then and now? No. He was one of a myriad number who formed national thinking, even if he did play a major role.
Therefore, to diminish, downplay, ridicule, and accuse Bandera as being a fascist collaborator has no bearing or standing.
In a recent presentation, Ivan Patryliak, a respected historian at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, was asked: “How do you reply to those who accuse Bandera, OUN – UPA or the Halychynna Division as being fascists, collaborators, as being nationalist?
His reply was simple.
To those who make these claims – ask them whether they have the faintest understanding of the meaning of the terms/words they use or whether they simply twist them to suit an argument? You will find the claimants’ responses weak, subjective, unfounded in as much as they have no idea what these terms mean and only regurgitate the propaganda that has been around for years
We should also base our responses on facts, not fiction.
Examinations of the role OUN–UPA were part of the Nuremberg trials. An international commission responded: No case to answer about.
The Duchenne Commission in Canada investigated Ukraine formation Halychynna: No case to answer about.
Both were internationally formed and reputable investigations.
But some don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
The protagonists of the old Soviet system, which forms part of Moscow’s contemporary fake information machine, continue with the same rhetoric.
For those who remember “News from Ukraine” in the 1970s and 1980s, – part-Soviet propaganda machine that tried to influence public thinking in the diaspora, they used the same terms – nationalist, collaborators, bourgeoise nationalism, fascist. In 2021, keyboard cowards are regurgitating the same.
The difference is that getting “News from Ukraine” to be distributed internationally took time because of postage. Today, it’s a one-second press of the send button.
The desecration of graves and memorials, spreading fake news and propaganda to shadow truth, and internationally accepted values have never worked in the long term. They don’t work now.
Sooner or later, the vandals get caught, and the writers are exposed.
Stefan Romaniw is the first vice president of the Ukrainian World Congress and chairman of the Ukrainian World Congress Holodomor Coordinating Committee.
