Restless Legacies and Troubled Memories: The Historical Realities of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists

Abstract

The turbulence of Ukraine’s contemporary political climate has resulted in a resurged admiration for the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) whose legacy is marred with accusations of ethnic cleansing, including participation in the Holocaust, subscription to fascist ideology, extended use of political violence, and alignment with Nazi Germany. Apologists for the OUN seek to deny these controversies, deeming them false and de-contextualized Soviet, Polish, and Jewish narratives. Critics of the OUN point to the extensive evidence against the OUN and argue that the opening of the Soviet archives before their subsequent closure only added evidence to their arguments. This thesis seeks to examine the major points of contention and test the validity of these interpretations.