ACTIVITIES OF COLONEL E. KONOVALETS’ SERGEANTS SCHOOL OF THE UPA IN KOLOMYIA LAND (FROM THE PERSONAL EVIDENCE OF COLONEL FEDIR STEPANOVYCH ALIAS «KROPYVA»)

Abstract

For an unbiased interpretation of the history of the Ukrainian people’s struggle for independence it is necessary to conduct versatile studies on the activity of Ukrainian liberation movement, particularly, on its personnel structure. Cadres play the most important role in any organization. Consequently, the clarification of the peculiarities and possibilities of their preparation makes up an important scientific problem. The article provides the protocol of the interrogation of colonel Fedir Stepanovych, whose nom de guerre was «Kropyva» («the nettle») and who was the organizer and the first head of Colonel E. Konovalets’ Officer School of the UPA in the Hutsul region. It should be underlined that the aforementioned document is an important source for a complex research of Ukrainian liberation movement in general and the peculiarities of preparation of master sergeants (starshyn) and staff sergeants (pidstarsshyn) specifically. The published protocol clarifies the question of functioning of master and staff sergeants schools of the UPA in MD-4 «Hoverlia». F. Stepanovych’ own evidence describes the officer school’s disposition place, strength, the names of administrative staff, programs, productivity of work. Besides, it gives the general information on the administrative staff of the OUN and UPA in Stanislaviv land.

There is no separate complex research on the functioning of centres of preparation of commanding and rank-and-file staff of the UPA’s MD-4 «Hoverlia». That is the reason why this article purposes to provide the available information on the peculiarities of functioning of master sergeants (starshyn) and staff sergeants (pidstarsshyn) schools in MD-4 «Hoverlia».

In the territory of Karpatskyi Krai (the Carpathian area of OUN) the shortage of master sergeants (starshyn) and staff sergeants (pidstarsshyn) cadres was acute. This problem was solved by both enrolling of persons who served in the armies of other states and by the independent preparation of such. For that purpose separate training courses were organized in accordance with independently developed programs to prepare commanding and rank-and-file staff. On the whole, master and staff sergeants training lasted from one to four months. Their instructors were those who had previous military experience. In addition, the UPA sergeants schools which absorbed the skilled staff of instructors who began intense training differed qualitatively from the rest. After the decision to organize military preparation for a number of OUN members the OUN leadership took to carrying it out. It is found out that there functioned 14 master and staff sergeants schools in the Karpatskyi Krai territory

Hence, for the Ukrainian insurgents, combating for the restoration of their own state, the provision of their structures with professional cadres was a priority task. This question was solved by organization of their own training courses, under the supervision of skilled insurgents who had earlier participated in military service in the armies of other states and received direct fighting experience. Almost ten years of the Ukrainian liberation movement’s opposition to the Soviet punitive system became a bright acknowledgement of the effective work of training structures in MD-4 «Hoverlia».