Requirements

Editorial Board

Contacts

V. Prokopov, PhD in History, Senior Lecturer

Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University, Dnipro, Ukraine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2021.149.11


ALCOHOL IN THE OUN AND UPA COMMUNITY IN ZAKERZONNIA (1944–1947)


Abstract. The article deals with the attitude towards alcohol among the members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Zakerzonnia region 1944-1947. The issue of everyday practices of alcohol consumption is investigated. The article is based on wide base on sources mostly personal origin, the memoirs and diaries of UIA’s companies. A brief review of historiography and historical sources are represented also. The author starts with telling about few theoretical remarks about methods of military-historical anthropology. Historical anthropology is related to the existential problems of man, because it contains and takes into account the world of individual experiences and actions during the military actions.

The author stressed that alcohol consumption in the OUN and UIA community was under rather strict disciplinary supervision. Alcohol could be consumed in small doses with the permission of the commander in exceptional situations or on major holidays – at Christmas or Easter. Various holidays not always could be held with a little alcohol. However it is explored that the commanders of UIA, in many ways, ignored the rebels' alcohol consumption, if it did not exceed the permissible norms. It was explored that in the community of the Ukrainian liberation movement in Zakerzonnia there were cases of deviant behavior based on alcohol consumption. It was emphasized that at the institutional level, the OUN and the UIA in Zakerzonnia really struggled with drunkenness and severely punished them. Many options for punishment for alcohol are also scrutinized here, including the death penalty or beating with sticks.

The author concludes that in a military environment in the horrors of hostilities and the constant stress of guerrilla warfare that surrounded the combatants, alcohol could indeed be a compensatory and relaxing tool. It is observed that alcohol was consumed more often by soldiers of UPA units than by OUN members. This was due to the different number of insurgents and underground fighters and their different roles in the liberation movement.

Keywords: UIA, OUN, Zakerzonnia, everyday life, underground, rebels, insurgents, Poland, war-historical anthropology.

Submitted: 25.05.2021

Download Full Text

References:

  1. Archive of the Center for Liberation Movement Studies, f. Onishkevich folder 72-2, f. 0000154.

  2. Archive of the Center for Liberation Movement Studies, f. Onishkevich, folder 77, f. 0000043.

  3. The Branch State Archive of Security Service of Ukraine, f. 65, file. С–9108, vol. 12, sh. 45–56. Letter from "Bird" to "Nechay" from 14.07.1947. http://avr.org.ua/index.php/viewDoc/25238/

  4. Borets Yu. (1986). With the best. London: Ukrainian publishers ltd. [In Ukrainian].

  5. Borets Yu. (1971). UPA in whirlpool of combat. London: Ukrainian Youth Union Publishing House. [In Ukrainian].

  6. Mirchuk P. & Davydenko V. (Eds.) (1957). In the ranks of UPA. A collection of the memories of former soldiers of the Ukrainian insurgent army. New York “Dnipro”. [In Ukrainian].

  7. Havryshko M. (2015). Gender Aspects of Sexual Morality in the OUN and the UPA in 1940-1950. Ukrainian Liberation Movement, 20, 200–213. [In Ukrainian].

  8. Havryshko M. (2016). Men, Women and Violence in the OUN and UIA (UPA) in the 1940–1950’s. Ukrainian historical journal. 4. 89–107. [In Ukrainian].

  9. Galasa V. (2005). Our life and struggle. Memoirs. Lviv: MS Publishing House. [In Ukrainian].

  10. Harasymiv I. (1999). From youthful dreams into ranks of the UPA (Memoirs of an UPA Squadron Leader). Vol. 29. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  11. Gromenko M. (2000). In the great raid. Lviv: Atlas. [In Ukrainian].

  12. Guk B. (1996). Zakerzonnia. Memoirs of soldiers of the Ukrainian insurgent army. Vol. 2. Warsaw: Tirsa. [In Ukrainian]

  13. Guk B. (1997). Zakerzonnia. Memoirs of soldiers of the Ukrainian insurgent army. Vol. 3. Warsaw: Tirsa. [In Ukrainian]

  14. Guk B. (1998). Zakerzonnia. Memoirs of soldiers of the Ukrainian insurgent army. Vol. 4. Warsaw: Tirsa. [In Ukrainian].

  15. Dmytryk I. (1992). Notes of a Ukrainian insurgent (In the forests of Lemko region). Lviv: Chervona Kalyna. [In Ukrainian].

  16. Dubnytskyi-Kilko S. (2004). Ukraine was defended in a foreign land: memories of Zakerzonnia. Ternopil: Jura. [In Ukrainian].

  17. Il’nyts’kyi V. (2016). The OUN Carpathian region in Ukrainian liberation movement (1945–1954). Drohobych: Posvit. [In Ukrainian].

  18. Yovyk I. (1995). Undefeated army. Kyiv: MP "Lesya".

  19. Kyrychuk Yu. (2003). Ukrainian national movement of 40-50 years of the XX century: ideology and practice. Lviv. [In Ukrainian].

  20. Kordan A. (2006). One Bullet in the Clip. Memoirs of a Soldier of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Toronto; Lviv, [In Ukrainian].

  21. Kryvutskyi I.( 1999). Where silver-plated Sian float. Kyiv: Brama. [In Ukrainian].

  22. Lyko I. (2002). At the edge of a dream and reality. Memoirs of revolutionary. Vol. 37. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  23. Potichnyj P. & Lyko I. (Eds.) (2001). UPA Tactical Sector 26th “Lemko”: Lemkivshchyna and Peremyshl regions: Documents and Materials. Vol. 33. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  24. Potichnyj P. & Lyko I. (Eds.) (2001). Lemkivshchyna and Peremyshl regions: Political Reports: Documents. Vol. 34. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  25. Potichnyj P. (Ed.) (2003). UPA Tactical Sector 28th „Danyliv”: Kholm and Pidliashshia Regions: Documents and Materials. Vol. 39. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  26. Potichnyj P. (Ed.) (2004). UPA Tactical Sector 27th “Bastion”: Liubachiv, Tomashiv and Yaroslav Regions: Documents and Materials. Vol. 40. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  27. Potichnyj P. & V’iatrovych V. (Eds.) (2001). Memoirs of the UPA Soldiers and Members of the Armed Underground in L’viv and Liubachiv Regions. Litopys UPA. Library. Vol. 4. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  28. Nata Lenko. (1999). On the border land (memories from Zakerzonnya). Kyiv: Publication of the magazine "Memory of Centuries". [In Ukrainian].

  29. Nestor Y. (2015). Borsch in the Bandera style. Gastronomic culture of the "forest army". Historical Truth. https://www.istpravda.com.ua/articles/2015/02/2/147149/. [In Ukrainian].

  30. Prokopov V. (2017). Leisure and holidays of participants of the movement of the OUN and UIA in Zakerzonnia 1943-1947. Dnipropetrovsk University bulletin. History & archaeology series. 1. 88–95. [In Ukrainian]. DOI: 10.15421/261710

  31. Prokopov V. (2015). Material aspect of everyday life of members of the OUN and UPA movement in Zakerzonnia (1943–1947). Humanitarian Journal. 3–4. 127–138. [In Ukrainian].

  32. Rusnachenko A. (2002). The people are upset. National liberation movement in Ukraine and national resistance movements in Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia in 1940-50's. Kyiv: Pulsary Publishing House. [In Ukrainian].

  33. Senyavskaya E. (1995). 1941–1945. Front generation. Historical and psychological research. Moscow: Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences. [In Russian].

  34. Senyavskaya E. (2002). Military-historical anthropology as a new branch of historical science. Military-historical anthropology. Yearbook. 17–28. [In Russian].

  35. Senyavskaya E. (2006). Opponents of Russia in the wars of the twentieth century: Evolution of the "enemy image" in the minds of the army and society. Moscow: Russian political encyclopedia. [In Russian].

  36. Senyavskaya E. (1999). Psychology of war in the twentieth century: the historical experience of Russia. Moscow: Russian political encyclopedia. [In Russian].

  37. Senyavskaya E. (1997). Man in the War. Historical and psychological essays. Moscow: Institute of Russian History RAS. [In Russian].

  38. Stebelskyi S. (2000). Through the laughter of iron. Vol. 30. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].

  39. Tsiapka D. (1975). The forest aflame! Memoirs of UPA soldier. London: Ukrainian publishers ltd. [In Ukrainian].

  40. Sergiychuk V. (Ed.). (2004). Ukrainian shift. 1939–1947. Vol. 1: Zakerzonnia. Kyiv: Ukrainian issued union. [In Ukrainian].

  41. Chorna V. (2016). Memoirs of an UPA soldier from Lubachiv region. Litopys UPA. Series “Events and People”. Book 33. Toronto-L`viv. Chronicle of the UPA Publishing. [In Ukrainian].