Statement of Russian and foreign NCOs 

On January 22, 2010 the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko declared awarding the title of the Hero of Ukraine to the head of Organization of Ukrainian nationalists (OUN) Stepan Bandera. This solution causes indignation and serious anxiety. 

S. Bandera is directly amenable for mass elimination of West-Ukrainian Jews in summer 1941 by so-called “Ukrainian militia”. On the eve of invasion of Nazi troops into the Soviet Union the Organization of Ukrainian nationalists led by S. Bandera and closely connected with Nazi special services issued an instruction “Combat and activity of OUN during the war” that envisaged persecution of the Jews “both individually and as an ethnic group”. According to the plans contained in this instruction, some of the Jews of Ukraine had to be eliminated and some – imprisoned into special camps. It should be noted that anti-Semitism occupied one of key places in OUN ideology. 

Invasion of Nazis into the Soviet Union permitted OUN led by S. Bandera starting the implementation of its misanthropic plans. In summer 1941 the so-called “Ukrainian militia” created by OUN conducted pogroms of the Jews in 143 human settlements of Western Ukraine accompanied by mass murders. These pogroms were conducted by “Ukrainian militia” both together with units of Einsatz-groups and SS and separately. Dozens thousand Jews became the victims of these pogroms and mass murders. The murders were committed under the slogan advanced by regional leaders of S. Bandera’s OUN: “Nation! You should know! Moscow, Poland, Hungarians, Jews – these are your enemies. Eliminate them!” 

The history of anti-Semitic ideology and practice of S. Bandera’s OUN were studied in detail in the works by historians K. Berkhoff (Netherlands), M. Carynnyk (Canada), D. Pohl (Germany), I. Himka (Canada), A. Kruglov (Ukraine), A. Dyukov (Russia). Basic anti-Semitic documents of OUN were published by Ukrainian historians including those in publications of the Institute of Ukrainian History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. 

Awarding of the title of the Hero of Ukraine to organizer and inspirer of mass murders of the Jews is blasphemous itself. But the fact is even more scandalous that S. Bandera was honored with the highest award of Ukraine on the eve of the international Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust timed to anniversary of liberation of Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz (Oswiencim) by military units of the Red Army. 

One has to state with regret that awarding of S. Bandera is a logical result in a chain of consistent steps of today’s Ukrainian leaders for making heroes of Nazi criminals and accomplices as well as for revision of results of the World War II. Awarding of the title of the Hero of Ukraine to the Nazi accomplice R. Shukhevich, celebration of centenary of Stepan Bandera on the state level – these are just some brightest examples of the fact how consistently today’s Ukrainian authority tries to impose new ideology upon its people. Such actions inevitably lead to increase of anti-Semitic tendencies in Ukrainian society and create conditions for dissemination of xenophobia and racial hatred, to breaches of rights of ethnic minorities and restriction of human rights. 

We are positive that awarding of the title of the Hero of Ukraine to S. Bandera is first of all an insult to the Ukrainian people the representatives of which saved the Jews persecuted by Nazis and their accomplices at the cost of their lives and fought against Nazism in the ranks of the Red Army. 

In this connection we address the future elected president of Ukraine with appeal: 

- to annul the decree of the President of Ukraine No 46/2010 “On awarding the title of the Hero of Ukraine to S. Bandera”; 

- to annul the decree of the President of Ukraine No 965/2007 “On awarding the title of the Hero of Ukraine to R. Shukhevich”; 

- to stop the campaign for making heroes of the units of Organization of Ukrainian nationalists and Ukrainian insurgent army. 
 

Alexander Boroda, president of Federation of Jewish communities of Russia, member of the Public chamber of RF; 

Alexander Brod, director of Moscow bureau for human rights, member of the Public chamber of RF; 

Johan Backman, chairman of European movement “Future without fascism” (Belgium); 

Alla Gerber, president of Fund “Holocaust”, member of the Public chamber of RF; 

Oxana Gouli, president of Association of Russian-speaking women “Sputnik” (Great Britain); 

Boris Grinblat, member of board of administration of Russian association of immigrants (Great Britain); 

Alexander Dyukov, director of fund “Historical memory” (Russia); 

Iosif Koren, co-chairman of Latvian anti-fascist committee; 

Alexander Nikitich, co-chairman of Coordinating council of Russian compatriots; 

Natalia Nikolayeva, executive director of Russian association of immigrants (Great Britain); 

Yevgeny Proshechkin, chairman of Moscow anti-fascist center; 

Leonid Raihman, Latvian human rights committee; 

Arkady Sukharenko, chairman of Council of Jewish communities of Latvia; 

Aron Shneer, historian (Israel); 

Aina Shreefy, charitable organization “Russian circle” (Great Britain).