The icon of ukrainian nazis: on the question of the historical assessment of the «heroes» under the protection of the Virgin Mary and their modern admirers

   The study is based on a source analysis (external criticism) of a modern icon of Ukrainian nationalists, on which, under the Protection of the Virgin Mary, among other historical figures, Greek Catholic metropolitans Andrei Sheptytsky and Joseph Slipyi are depicted, as well as the leaders of the OUN-UPA (organizations recognized as extremist in Russia and banned) Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych. A historical assessment of the activities and the presence of these figures who collaborated with the German Nazis on the icon is given. The main emphasis is on the interaction of the depicted «heroes» with the NSDAP, SS, SD and Gestapo, found guilty of crimes against humanity by the International Military Tribunal. In addition to the image itself, which became the reason for writing this article, the source for the study is the forensic investigative documentation of the Soviet state security agencies, during and after the end of the Great Patriotic War, interrogating captured employees of the German special services, Ukrainian nationalists and witnesses to their war crimes. The presence of specific common features in the biographies depicted on the icon of Nazi criminals has been established. The author emphasizes that people who publicly glorify Ukrainian nationalists through an icon are subject to Article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which requires states parties to the Convention to prosecute them.

1. Streletskiy Ya. I. Spetsial’naya voyennaya operatsiya Rossii na Ukraine: ideologicheskiy aspekt [Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine: ideological aspect] // Voyennyy akademicheskiy zhurnal. Military Academic Journal. 2022. No. 4 (36). P. 143–148. EDN: AYRZYB. (In Russ.).

2. Danilenko S. T. Uniate [Uniate]. Moscow, 1972. 223 p. (In Russ.).

3. Vishivanyuk A. V. Osobennosti religioznoy politiki sovetskikh vlastey v zapadnykh oblastyakh USSR v 1939–1941 gg. [The Features of the Soviet authorities’ religious policy in the western areas of Ukraine in 1939–1941] // Vestnik PSTGU II: Istoriya. Istoriya Russkoy Pravoslavnoy Tserkvi. Vestnik St. Tikhon’s University Review. Series II: History. Russian Church History. 2012. No. 2 (45). P. 56–71. EDN: PJBBDZ. (In Russ.).

4. Kondrashin V. V. Dokumenty TSA FSB Rossii o sotrudnichestve ukrainskikh uniatov s natsistami v gody Velikoy Otechestvennoy Voyny [Documents of the Central Election Commission of the FSB of Russia on the cooperation of Ukrainian Uniates with the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War] // Zhurnal rossiyskikh i vostochnoyevropeyskikh issledovaniy. Journal of the Russian and East European historical studies. 2018. No. 2 (13). P. 50–63. EDN: ZDQBDN. (In Russ.).

5. Sushko A. V., Petin D. I. «Vyshlite nam neskol’ko pistoletov i granat...». Obrashcheniye molodykh ukrainskikh natsionalistov iz Sibiri k yedinomyshlennikam OUN–UPA na Ukraine v 1950 g. [«Send us some guns and grenades...»: appeal of young ukrainian nationalists from Siberia to their confederates from the OUN-UPA in Ukraine in 1950] // Vestnik arkhivista. Herald of an Archivist. 2021. No. 1. P. 232–247. DOI: 10.28995/2073-0101-2021-1-232-247. EDN: EPQNHZ. (In Russ.).

6. Sushko A. V. Ukrainskie natsionalisty v Omske: osuzhdeny i reabilitirovany [Ukrainian Nationalists in Omsk: Persecuted and Vindicated] // Noveyshaya istoriya Rossii. Modern History of Russia. 2021. Vol. 11, no. 3. P. 705–722. DOI: 10.21638/11701/spbu24.2021.309. EDN: MZPVHG. (In Russ.).

7. Shebalina E., Vishivanyuk A. Greko-katolicheskaya tserkov’ v period nemetskoy okkupatsii Zapadnoy Ukrainy (1941–1944): otnosheniya s okkupatsionnymi vlastyami i osnovnyye napravleniya deyatel’nosti [The Greek catholic church during the german occupation of Western Ukraine (1941–1944): relations with the occupation authorities and the main areas of activity] // Elektronnyy nauchno-obrazovatel’nyy zhurnal «Istoriya». The Journal of Education and Science «ISTORIYA» («History»). 2022. Vol. 13, no. 6 (116). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840021881-8. EDN: PSMZIK. (In Russ.).

8. Interesnaya ukrainskaya ikona [An interesting Ukrainian icon]. URL: https://serg-slavorum.livejournal.com/331851.html (accessed: 22. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

9. Podrobneye: Svyashchennik-natsist iz PTsU blagoslovlyayet zhestom partii «Svoboda» [Read more: A Nazi priest from the OCU blesses the Freedom Party with a gesture]. URL: https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2021/07/24/svyashchennik-nacist-iz-pcu-blagoslovlyaet-zhestom-partii-svoboda (accessed: 22. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

10. Oleg Tyagnibok, biografiya [Oleg Tyagnibok, biography] // Ukraina.ru. URL: https://ukraina.ru/20231204/1051663543.html (accessed: 22. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

11. Khimka D.-P. Druzhestvennyye vmeshatel’stva: bor’ba s mifami ukrainskoy istorii v XXI veke [Friendly interventions: the fight against the myths of Ukrainian history of the twentieth century] // Istoricheskaya politika v XXI veke. Historical Politics in the 21^st Century / ed. by A. Miller, M. Lipman. Moscow, 2012. P. 421–454. (In Russ.).

12. Mitropolit Andrey Sheptitskiy [Mitropolit Andrey Sheptitskiy] // Geroi Ukrainy. Heroes of Ukraine. URL: http://heroes.profi-forex.org/ru/mitropolit-andrij-sheptickij (accessed: 22. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

13. Mozokhin O. B. Germanskoye vliyaniye na sozdaniye ukrainskikh natsionalisticheskikh organizatsiy v 1920–1940 gg. [German influence on the creation of Ukrainian nationalist organizations in 1920–1940] // Noveyshaya istoriya Rossii. Modern History of Russia. 2023. Vol. 13, no. 3. P. 549–568. DOI: 10.21638/spbu24.2023.302. EDN: GYENVP. (In Russ.).

14. Ukrainskiye natsionalisticheskiye organizatsii v gody Vtoroy mirovoy voyny. Dokumenty. V 2 t. T. 2. 1944–1945 [Ukrainian nationalist organizations during the Second World War. Documentation. In 2 vols. Vol. 2. 1944–1945] / ed. by A. N. Artizova. Moscow, 2012. 1167 p. (In Russ.).

15. Ukrainskiye natsionalisticheskiye organizatsii v gody Vtoroy mirovoy voyny. Dokumenty. V 2 t. T. 2. 1939–1943 [Ukrainian nationalist organizations during the Second World War. Documentation. In 2 vols. Vol. 2. 1939–1943] / ed. by A. N. Artizova. Moscow, 2012. 878 p. (In Russ.).

16. A. A. Zemba. Sheptitskiy v Yevrope Gitlera [Sheptytsky in Hitler’s Europe] // Zhurnal rossiyskikh i vostochnoyevropeyskikh istoricheskikh issledovaniy. Journal of the Russian and East European Historical Studies. 2018. No. 2 (13). P. 98–126. EDN: PPDVRO. (In Russ.).

17. Tsentral’nyy arkhiv FSB Rossii (TSA FSB Rossii) [Central Archive of the FSB of Russia (CA FSB of Russia)]. File: K-72/1/65. (In Russ.).

18. TSA FSB Rossii [CA FSB of Russia]. File: 100/11/ 8. (In Russ.).

19. Mlechin L. M. Stepan Bandera i sud’ba Ukrainy. O chem napomnil kiyevskiy Maydan [Stepan Bandera and the fate of Ukraine. What the Kyiv Maidan reminded us of]. Moscow, 2014. 414 p. ISBN 978-5-227-05276-6. (In Russ.).

20. Cherkasov A. A., Krinko Ye. F., Shmigel’ M. Ukrainskiy natsionalizm v gody Vtoroy mirovoy voyny: priroda i proyavleniya [Ukrainian Nationalism during World War II: Its nature and manifestations] // Rusin. Rusin. 2015. No. 2 (40). P. 98–117. DOI: 10.17223/18572685/40/7. EDN: TXOOQD. (In Russ.).

21. Uymanov V. N. Likvidatsiya i reabilitatsiya. Politicheskiye repressii v Zapadnoy Sibiri v sisteme bol’shevistskoy vlasti (konets 1919–1941 g.) [Uymanov V. N. Liquidation and rehabilitation. Political repressions in Western Siberia in the system of Bolshevik power (late 1919–1941)]. Tomsk, 2012. 564 p. ISBN 978-5-94621-363-9. (In Russ.).

22. «Svyashchennik» PTsU: Tserkov’ priznayet geroyev divizii SS «Galichina» svyatymi [«Priest» of the OCU: The Church recognizes the heroes of the SS division «Galicia» as saints] // SPZh. UOJ. URL: https://spzh.media/ru/news/63994-svyashhennik-pcu-cerkovy-priznajet-gerojev-divizii-ss-galichina-svyatymi (accessed: 20. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

23. Mozokhin O. B. Likvidatsiya organami MGB SSSR lidera natsionalisticheskogo dvizheniya Zapadnoy Ukrainy R. I. Shukhevicha [Liquidation by the USSR Ministry of State Security of the leader of the nationalist movement of Western Ukraine R. I. Shukhevych] // Istoricheskiye chteniya na Lubyanke. Otechestvennyye i zarubezhnyye spetssluzhby. Historical Readings at Lubyanka. Domestic and Foreign Intelligence Services: History and Modernity. Moscow, 2022. P. 280–288. EDN: RSAGJE. (In Russ.).

24. Vasil’yev S. V. Bor’ba s petlyuroshchinoy i banderovshchinoy v 20–50-kh godakh XX veka [The fight against Petliurschina and Bandera in the 20-50^s of the twentieth century]. Moscow, 2024. 240 p. ISBN 978-5-605-07746-6. (In Russ.).

25. TSA FSB Rossii [CA FSB of Russia]. File: № Н-20944. Vol. 3. (In Russ.).

26. Vsya Ukraina – sploshnoy Babiy Yar. O chem izvestno men’she, chem o tragedii v Kiyeve [All of Ukraine is continuous Babi Yar. Less is known about than the tragedy in Kyiv] // Evreyskaya panorama. Nezavisimaya evreyskaya ezhemesyachnaya gazeta. Jewish Panorama. Independent Jewish Monthly Newspaper. URL: https://evrejskaja-panorama.de/article.2021-09.vsya-ukraina-sploshnoj-babij-yar.html (accessed: 15.03.2024). (In Russ.).

27. Zabytyy genotsid: «Volynskaya reznya» 1943–1944 godov : sbornik dokumentov i issledovaniy [Forgotten genocide: «Volyn massacre» of 1943–1944 : a collection of documents and research]. Moscow, 2008. 144 p. ISBN 978-5-903588-09-1. (In Russ.).

28. Proyekt rezolyutsii Seyma Pol’shi o genotside OUN-UPA protiv polyakov v 1939–1947 godakh [Draft resolution of the Polish Sejm on the OUN-UPA genocide against the Poles in 1939–1947] // Informatsionnoye agentstvo REX. REX News Agency. URL: https://iarex.ru/news/36011.html (accessed: 20. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

29. Interv’yu Prezidenta Rossii V. V. Putina Takeru Karlsonu [Interview of Russian President V. V. Putin to Tucker Carlson] // Prezident Rossii. President of Russia. URL: http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/73411 (accessed: 12. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

30. Patriarkh zayavil, chto greko-katoliki uchastvuyut v razzhiganii goneniy na pravoslavnykh Ukrainy [The Patriarch stated that Greek Catholics are participating in inciting persecution of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine] // TASS. TASU. URL: https://tass.ru/obschestvo/18313997 (accessed: 15. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).

31. O prinyatii na 64-y sessii General’noy Assamblei OON rezolyutsii «Nedopustimost’ opredelennykh vidov praktiki, kotoryye sposobstvuyut eskalatsii sovremennykh form rasizma, rasovoy diskriminatsii, ksenofobii i svyazannoy s nimi neterpimosti» [On the adoption at the 64^th session of the UN General Assembly of the resolution «Unacceptability of certain types of practices that contribute to the escalation of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance»] // Ministerstvo inostrannykh del Rossiyskoy Federatsii. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. URL: https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1635907/ (accessed: 14. 03. 2024). (In Russ.).