The Spirit of the Ukrainian Struggle
1914–1918
World War I
Ukrainian Sich Riflemen
The trilogy Blizzard is one of the most significant works of prose by Roman Kupchynskyi, which depicts the events of World War I and the participation of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen in it. Through imagery and plotlines, the author depicts not only the combat operations but also the inner world of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen—their doubts, hopes, camaraderie, and the shaping of national identity. The title symbolizes the chaos and hardships of war, which temper the characters spiritually. By combining documentary realism with artistic generalization, the novel creates a comprehensive picture of a generation’s historical experience.
Roman Kupchynskyi (1894–1976) was a poet, prose writer, publicist, composer, and one of the most prominent members of the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, which he joined at the outbreak of World War I. He took part in fierce battles, notably on Mount Makivka, and later fought in the ranks of the Ukrainian Galician Army during the National Liberation Movement. After the defeat, he was interned in the Tuchola prisoners of war camp in Poland. He later studied at the universities of Vienna and Lviv, was actively involved in the literary and artistic life of Lviv, and after emigrating, continued his cultural activities in Europe and the United States.
1914–1918
World War I
Female Voice
The memoir On the Eve of Great Events: Personal Experiences and Thoughts (1912–1914) is an important document of its time, in which Olena Stepaniv captures the prewar mood and the sense of anticipation of major historical changes. The author focuses not only on external events but also on the inner experiences of a whole generation living on the brink of war. The text combines a personal perspective with a broader socio-historical context and highlights the role of women in the national liberation movement. The memoirs serve as valuable testimony to how Ukrainian youth in the early 20th century reflected on the idea of statehood and their own responsibility for the country’s future.
Olena Stepaniv (1892–1963) was one of the first female officers in Ukrainian history to serve in the military, commanding a platoon in the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen and the Ukrainian Galician Army. Even before World War I, she was actively involved in civic activities, a member of the Plast organization, and organized youth and sports initiatives, and she received medical and military training. Stepaniv was part of a generation that saw the upcoming European conflict as an opportunity to fight for Ukraine’s independence. During the interwar years, she was devoted to academic and teaching work in the field of geography, and after the Soviet regime came to power, she faced repression and went through Stalin's prison camps. Her life path became a symbol of women's participation in Ukraine's struggle for liberation.
The 1920s
The National Liberation Movement
A poetry collection titled Stylet and Stylus (1925) became one of the key works in the development of Ukrainian émigré poetry during the interwar times. Alongside a historiosophical interpretation of Ukrainian history, the texts reveal the foundations of a “philosophy of action” ideologically linked to the concepts proposed by Dmytro Dontsov. For Malaniuk, the word ceases to be merely an aesthetic gesture—it takes on the function of an impulse to action. His poetry affirms an active, heroic mode of being, where culture and the word are meant to serve not contemplation but the making of history. This is how Malaniuk significantly influenced the formation of the modern Ukrainian literary canon, endowing it with a distinct existential and voluntarist dimension.
Yevhen Malaniuk (1897–1968) was a poet, essayist, publicist, and one of the leading figures of the Prague School. He began his military career in 1915 as a cadet at the First Kyiv Military School and later fought in World War I. During the National Liberation Movement, he served as a senior officer in the General Staff of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and as an aide-de-camp to General Vasyl Tiutiunnyk. After the defeat of the Ukrainian revolution, he ended up in internment camps in Poland, where he became involved in the active cultural life of the Ukrainian diaspora. His creative work was a response to the dramatic experience of losing statehood and the search for a new Ukrainian identity.
1939–1945
World War II
Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and Ukrainian Insurgent Army
Memoirs Through the Laughter of Iron is an important record of the struggle of the Ukrainian underground resistance during World War II and the postwar years. In his book, Stepan Stebelskyi recreates the daily lives of the insurgents, their combat operations, the atmosphere of constant danger, and at the same time, the inner resilience and sense of humor that helped them endure extreme circumstances. The title symbolically combines the severity of war (iron) with the human capacity for irony and psychological resistance (laughter). The text is distinguished by its documentary style, emotional intensity, and attention to the details of underground life, making it a valuable source for understanding the Ukrainian liberation movement of the mid-20th century.
Stepan Stebelskyi (1914–1949) was one of the most outstanding commanders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA), whose military prowess combined courage, strategic thinking, and exceptional discipline. In his role as commander of the Udarnyky-5 company and head of the Makivka tactical sector, he became renowned for his effective guerrilla operations and for improving the system of bunkers called kryivkas. He was particularly distinguished in the battle near Leshchava-Horishnia in 1944, where, despite being wounded, he himself destroyed a Soviet tank. He was killed in action in 1949, leaving us his valuable memoirs.
The 1990s
Volunteer Movements
Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian People's Self-Defence
The book Ukrainian People’s Self-Defense: First Bullet Whistle. The War in Transnistria, 1992 is an overview of the early days of the Ukrainian volunteer movement and the atmosphere surrounding the first post-Soviet conflicts, when some Ukrainian youth viewed independence not as the end of the struggle, but merely as the beginning of a new phase of confrontation with Russia. The author describes the formation of the Ukrainian People’s Self-Defense movement, its participation in one of the conflicts in the post-Soviet space, the military training, and the camaraderie among those who joined the volunteer movements.
Valerii Palchyk (b. 1972) is a member of the Ukrainian National Assembly - Ukrainian People's Self-Defense, an organization that played a pivotal role in the evolution of the Ukrainian volunteer and nationalist movement in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Its members shaped the image of the volunteer soldier, for whom participation in combat was not only a political choice but also a continuation of the tradition of the Sich Riflemen, the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. They viewed their experience of participating in conflicts in the post-Soviet space—in Transnistria, Abkhazia, and Chechnia—as part of the anti-imperialist struggle. After 2014, a significant number of former members of the organization joined the defense of Ukraine in the war against Russia.
