History and Contemporaneity of Ukrainian National Movement Discussed at the Regular Conference In Ostroh

February 02, 2009

On 30 January All-Ukrainian scientific conference Ukrainian National Movement: History and Contemporaneity dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the foundation of Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the centenary of Stepan Bandera was held in Ostroh Academy National University.

Vice-Rector for Studies and Scholarly Activities of Ostroh Academy, professor Petro Kraliuk, Ostroh town mayor deputy Oleksandr Korniichuk, Head of Ostroh district Council Inna Hvizda, Head of All-Ukrainian Society “Svoboda” Oleh Tiahnybok, Head of Ostroh district organization “Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists” Yaroslav Kal’ka, member of OUN–UIA Veteran Brotherhood Yevhen Zholobniak, and Stephan Bandera’s grandson, journalist Stephan Bandera greeted the participants during the plenary meeting.

Chair of the Department of History, professor Volodymyr Trofymovych, Chair of the Department of International Relations of Kyiv University of Slavic Studies, PhD, professor Ihor Illiushyn, Chair of the Department of the History of Strategy and Intelligence of the National Academy of Security Service of Ukraine, PhD, professor Dmytro Vedenieiev, professor of the Department of Economic Theory and History of National Agricultural University (Bila Tserkva), PhD, professor Halyna Starodubets and others delivered their reports.

Later the presentation of book Life and Activity of Stephan Bandera: Documents and Data (compiler and managing editor being M. Posivnych). Simultaneously, the exhibition of UIA uniform was organized in the Assembly Hall.

During the conference the participants of contest Ukrainian National Liberation Movement: To the 80th anniversary of OUN and centenary of Stephan Bandera (initiated by Deputy Head of World Federation of Ukrainian Female Organizations, well-known public figure among Ukrainian diaspora Natalia Danylenko) were presented their awards. The first prize for the best research work was won by the student master’s program in history Vitalii Bondarchuk, and the fifth year student Andrii Stryzhak won the second prize. Petro Kraliuk presented cash reward to the winners.

“The matter is that many decades the activity of OUN leader, Stepan Bandera, as well as the organization itself, either was concealed or distorted or adulterated. Only when Ukraine declared its independence Ukrainain historians who lived in the former Soviet Union started to recreate these heroic and at the same time dramatic pages of our nation. This is Ukrainian history. That is why it is rather important for us to understand these pages blood-consecrated by the previous generations, the best fighters for freedom and independence in Ukraine. Today the historical study puts a lot of efforts in order to fill in all the gaps in the history of Ukrainian national liberation movement. Our conference proves it”, claimed Chair of the Department of History of OANU, professor Volodymyr Trofymovych.

It is planned to issue collected articles and scientific reports, which will be useful for historians and all interested in Ukrainian national liberation movement.