Antoniuk Yaroslav

The Life Story of One of the Founders of Ukrainian Insurgent Army: Mykola Koltonyuk-Yakymchuk

Section: The person in historical context

Abstract: The purpose of the article is to trace the critical vital events of one of the regional leaders of the OUN Mykola Koltonyuk-Yakymchuck (1914-1947). Also, the author aimed to find out his role in the formation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army troops. Methodology and methods. The author used the prosopographic method in order to highlight the complexity of interpersonal contradictions between the Ukrainian Insurgent Army leaders, the severities of the moral choices in the circumstances of World War II. Among the used methods are also biographical, comparative, phycological and cultural ones. Conclusions. The author claims that Mykola Koltonyuk-Yakymchuck played a vital role in the process of organization of the underground Ukrainian Insurgent Army groups in the Volyn and West Polissya regions. This organizational work provided the conditions for the establishment of armed units, which later became the basis of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Mykola Koltoniuk-Yakymchuck was the first commander of the group "Tura". All the vicissitudes of the Ukrainian liberation movement of the 1930s-1940s influenced the life path of Mykola Koltonyuk and ultimately affected his personality formation. Ideological fatigue, dedication and infallibility coexisted with intolerance, suspicion, vengeance, envy. He neglected his own life and did not value other's one. Mykola Koltonyuk was known under the pseudonyms "Shchupak", "Vasyl", "Oleg" and "Danilo" among his brothers in arms. His role in the liberation movement was significant. Thus, in 1940 he worked on the restoration of the OUN hubs in the Lutsk region. He prepared the basis for the creation of the first insurgent troops in Volyn' in early 1943. In summer 1943 he organized and became the leader of the insurgent army group "Tura". Despite the conflict with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army leadership, he did not stop fighting for the independent Ukrainian state until the end of his life.

Keywords: Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Ukrainian Insurgent Army, «Tury» Group.

  Full-text PDF    https://doi.org/10.15407/vuchk2017.01.391     Citation

• Antoniuk Yaroslav (The Branch State Archives of the Security Service of Ukraine, Kyiv)

Cite:
Antoniuk Yaroslav (2017). The Life Story of One of the Founders of Ukrainian Insurgent Army: Mykola Koltonyuk-Yakymchuk. From archives of VUChK–GPU–NKVD–KGB, ( 1 (47)) 391-423. (In Ukrainian). doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/vuchk2017.01.391

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