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Theact of restoration of the Ukrainian state (Ukrainian:Акт відновлення Української Держави,romanized: Akt vidnovlennia Ukrainskoi Derzhavy) orproclamation of the Ukrainian state of June 30, 1941, was announced by theOrganization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) under the leadership ofStepan Bandera, who declared anindependent Ukrainian state inLviv. The self-proclaimed prime minister wasYaroslav Stetsko, and the head of the Council of Seniors wasKost Levytsky.
The OUN intended to take advantage of the retreat of Soviet forces fromUkraine during theGerman invasion of the Soviet Union that began on June 22. Their leaders thought that their movement had found a new powerful ally inNazi Germany to aid them in their struggle against theSoviet Union. The Ukrainian nationalists began aseries of pogroms against Jews, with many murdered and assaulted. Days after the Germaninvasion and occupation of Lviv, however, the leadership of the newly formed government was arrested and sent toconcentration camps inGermany.
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AfterWorld War I, Ukraine was divided into three parts: most of Central and Eastern Ukraine became theUkrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921. The capital wasKharkiv.
The majority of current Western Ukraine became part of theSecond Polish Republic. This included the city of Lviv, which at the time was the center ofUkrainian nationalist activity.
A small part of current far Western Ukraine, theZakarpattia, became part ofCzechoslovakia.Northern Bukovina belonged toRomania.
For various reasons,[which?] the Ukrainian nationalist movement was more active in Western Ukraine than in Central Ukraine in the inter-war period.At the end ofWorld War I, veterans of theSich Riflemen created theUkrainian Military Organization in 1920 to promote the creation of an independent Ukrainian state. The leader wasYevhen Konovalets.
In 1929, the Ukrainian Military Organization became theOrganization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The first leader was Bohdan Kravciv. The stated goal of the OUN was the creation of an independent Ukrainian State.
In 1940, the OUN suffered a split into two groups - one group supportedAndriy Melnyk (this group became known as the OUN-M, or "Melnykivtsi"), while the other group supportedStepan Bandera (this group became known as the OUN-B, orBanderivtsi). The OUN-B was considered the more radical of the two.[by whom?]
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The OUN realized that an opportunity was available to fulfill their mandated plan: the creation of a new independent Ukraine.
On June 22, 1941, theUkrainian National Committee was created in Kraków, withVolodymyr Horbovy as a president. The UNK published an essay, "Memorial", which outlined the plans of the OUN to declare independence. This essay was met with severe disapproval of the Nazi authorities, and the leaders of the UNK, Horbovy and Bandera, were told to rescind the document. They refused, and made their way to Lviv.
On June 26, 1941, Soviet forces fled from Lviv, and the UkrainianNachtigall Battalion, led by its commanderRoman Shukhevych, entered the city in triumph to cheering crowds of joyful Ukrainians. With the departure of the Soviet Red Army, the OUN set up its headquarters in Lviv, and began to prepare for the big day.
In his memoirsVasyl Kuk said:
On Monday June 30, at 6 p.m. on the second floor of theProsvita building inLviv (Rynok square 10) there was a community meeting. Community members living inLviv and its environs, clergy, leading members of OUN, and members of the Ukrainian underground were gathered. The hall was overflowing with delegates. The meeting was called by the first assistant to the leader of the OUNYaroslav Stetsko to honour the Ukrainian fighters who had laid down their lives fighting for Ukraine. In an intensive speech, he spoke about the political situation which Ukraine was in with the declaration of war, stating that once again this war will take place in Ukraine over these rich lands and that the Ukrainian people cannot stand idly by but must be active and participate. Regarding Germany, he stated that a Union with Germany was only possible if Germany recognized Ukrainian independence and its government. Stetsko read out the Proclamation of Ukrainian independence. Those present listened to the proclamation standing, unanimously endorsed it and sang the Ukrainian national anthemShche ne vmerla Ukraina.[1]
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The Act of Proclamation of Ukrainian Statehood
1. By the will of the Ukrainian people, theOrganization of Ukrainian Nationalists under the direction ofStepan Bandera proclaims the formation of the Ukrainian State for which have laid down their heads whole generations of the finest sons of Ukraine.
The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which under the direction of founder and leaderYevhen Konovalets has undertaken in the past ten years a bloody battle with theMuscovite-Bolshevik enslavers in an energetic battle for freedom, calls all the Ukrainian people not to place down its weapons until all Ukrainian lands are united to form a Sovereign Ukrainian Government.
The Sovereign Ukrainian Government will guarantee Ukrainian people order, unilateral development of all its energies and all its needs.
2. In the western lands of Ukraine a Ukrainian Government is formed, which is subordinate to the Ukrainian National Government that will be formed in the capital of Ukraine –Kyiv.
3. The newly formed Ukrainian state will work closely with the National-Socialist Greater Germany, under the leadership of its leaderAdolf Hitler which is forming a new order in Europe and the world and is helping the Ukrainian People to free itself from Muscovite occupation.[note 1]
TheUkrainian People's Revolutionary Army which has been formed on the Ukrainian lands, will continue to fight with the Allied German Army against Muscovite occupation for a sovereign and united State and a new order in the whole world.
Long live a Sovereign and United Ukraine!
Long live the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists! Long live the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian people, STEPAN BANDERA![2]
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After the proclamation of the Ukrainian state, a government was announced. This government included politicians from various parties, as well as political ideologies. They were:
A Council of Seniors headed byKost Levytsky as president was also formed.[3]
The act of proclamation was broadcast byYaroslav Stetsko over the radio inLviv, which made many believe it was supported by the advancing German troops. The act received immediate support from several Ukrainian church officials such as Metropolitan ArchbishopAndrey Sheptytsky and BishopHryhoriy Khomyshyn of theUkrainian Greek Catholic Church, Metropolitan BishopPolikarp Sikorsky of theUkrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
Apparently convinced that the group of Stetsko had the backing of the Germans, Metropolitan[who?] wrote a pastoral letter in which he exhorted the people to support the newly proclaimed government "the sacrifices which the final attainment of our goals require demand above all dutiful obedience to the just orders of the government which do not conflict with God’s law."Moreover, he declared:
The pastoral letter was read over the radio by chaplain of theNachtigall Battalion Father Hryn’okh the same morning. It appeared to have removed any doubts which may have been lingering in the mind of most prominent Ukrainians in Lviv concerning the origin of the Stets’ko government.[4]
Supporters of Ukrainian independence have been divided in their assessment of the proclamation. Some considered it brilliant, others considered it reckless or even foolish.[5]
The Declaration of Independence took the German authorities completely by surprise, and they saw it as an attempted coup.[6] When Nazi troops entered Lviv, the German authorities told the leadership of the Ukrainian government to disband. However, it did not, and in reprisal the leaders of the government were arrested and interned inSachsenhausen concentration camp. These included PresidentYaroslav Stetsko, andStepan Bandera.
Within two years of the declaration, the Nazis had imprisoned or killed 80% of OUN-B leadership.[7]
By an act of June 30, 1941, the Ukrainian people demonstrated to the whole world and to history that they wished to govern their own lives and that they were ready to defend their right to live freely in their own independent state against the imperialist encroachments of every enemy and under all conditions.
— Mirchuk P.,[8]
