The personality and activities of the leader of Ukrainian nationalists Stepan Bandera cause a lot of controversy. Some historians and researchers consider him an ardent fighter for the idea of Ukraine's independence. Others are Hitler's accomplice.
The beginning of the way
Stepan Bandera was born in western Ukraine (these areas were part of Austria-Hungary at the beginning of the 20th century). It happened in 1909 in a village called Ugryniv. Banderas were a large family. Stepan's father served as a priest, had a higher education (faculty of theology of Lviv University). The mother was also an educated woman.
The Bandera family belonged to the intelligentsia. They were often visited by educated people, many with a clear civil position, public figures. The atmosphere in the house was imbued with the spirit of Ukrainian patriotism. Love for Ukraine and the desire to fight for its freedom to the end Stepan Bandera was instilled literally from an early age.
He studied at a classical gymnasium. From the 4th grade I went to work as a tutor. Starting from adolescence, Bandera was a member of all sorts of youth organizations and nationalist circles. In 1927 he passed the exams at the Lviv Polytechnic School, which he did not manage to finish due to his first arrest in his life.
The Polish authorities, who controlled the territory of Western Ukraine at that time, rightly suspected Bandera of belonging to the Ukrainian military organization. He has indeed been an ardent activist of it since 1928. A little later, Stepan Andreevich also joined the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. Over time, he became its main ideologist.
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Fight for the independence of Ukraine by any means
For Stepan Bandera, it didn't really matter with whom to fight for the independence of Ukraine. Initially, Bandera was persecuted by the Polish authorities. In 1934, Stepan was arrested for terrorist activities and sentenced to death.
The execution was changed to life. As a result, Bandera served only 3 years (1936-1939). Freedom suddenly came from the Nazis who attacked Poland in 1939. After 2 years, he was arrested by the German authorities. The motive is the attempt by Bandera and other OUN activists to proclaim the independence of Ukraine.
In 1939, Western Ukraine was ceded to the USSR (the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact). The Bandera sisters were exiled to Siberia, and their father was shot (1941). Brothers Stepan about the same time ended up in a Nazi concentration camp (in 1942 they were beaten to death).
This cup did not pass Stepan Bandera himself. For nationalist ideas, the Germans sent him to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, from where they released - which in itself is already nonsense - in the fall of 1944. Supporters of the theory of Bandera's betrayal believe that he agreed to cooperate with the German special services and repeatedly visited the places where the Red Army was deployed as a saboteur. From that moment on, Stepan Andreevich completely plunges into the activities of the UPA, as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army was abbreviated.
Last years
The main idea of the UPA was the proclamation of the independence of Ukraine. She fought against fascists and Bolsheviks, invaders and partisans. Some modern researchers believe that by his actions Stepan Bandera harmed more than helped the UPA. He split the ranks of the organization, often sacrificing common interests in favor of personal ambitions.
Others believe that in that situation of the occupation of the fascists on the one hand and the Bolsheviks on the other, Bandera simply had no choice but to fight hard by any means against both enemies. In any case, after leaving the concentration camp, he, as an enemy of the Soviet Union, had to emigrate. Bandera was not lucky enough to visit his homeland again, and he began working abroad for British intelligence. He was constantly pursued by the military police.
Stepan Bandera finished his life in Germany, in Munich. Agents of the Soviet special services constantly monitored all movements of the Ukrainian nationalist and accomplice of Nazi Germany. They have repeatedly tried to organize the assassination of the OUN leader. The assassination attempt in 1959 was successful. On October 15, on the threshold of his Munich apartment, Bandera was shot by KGB officer Bogdan Stashinsky (during the murder, a special weapon was used, loaded with an ampoule with potassium cyanide).