1891–1938
Yevhen Konovalets
First leader of the OUN
Colonel of the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and commander of the Sich Riflemen. After the defeat of the independence struggle he led the underground Ukrainian Military Organization, and in 1929 became the first leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).
Key accomplishments
- Co-founder and commander of the Sich Riflemen in Kyiv (1917–1919)
- Co-founder and leader of the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO, 1920)
- Head of the Leadership of Ukrainian Nationalists (from 1927) and first leader of the OUN (1929–1938)
Who he was
Yevhen Konovalets was born in the village of Zashkiv near Lviv and studied law at Lviv University. During the First World War he served in the Austrian army and was taken prisoner by the Russians. After the revolution of 1917, together with other Galicians in Kyiv, he formed the Sich Riflemen, which became one of the most combat-ready units of the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic. He commanded it with the rank of colonel.
His story
After the defeat of the Ukrainian struggle of 1917–1921, Konovalets did not stop fighting. In 1920 the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO) was founded with his participation, and he became its leader. In 1929 he became the first leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). From exile he coordinated an underground network and sought international support for Ukrainian independence.
On 23 May 1938 he was killed in Rotterdam by explosives disguised as a box of chocolates. According to information made public later, the assassination was carried out by NKVD officer Pavel Sudoplatov.
Debates and assessments
The UVO, and later the OUN, waged an underground struggle against the Polish authorities, including by terrorist methods: political assassinations, attacks and expropriations. The OUN’s ideology, integral nationalism, was authoritarian in character. Konovalets sought support from foreign governments and intelligence services, including those of Germany and Lithuania. At the same time, according to the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine, he warned against excessive enthusiasm for underground and terrorist activity. The organization’s ideology and methods are still a subject of debate among historians.
Why it matters today
Konovalets is a key figure of the Ukrainian national movement between the world wars. He linked the military experience of the independence struggle of 1917–1921 with an underground political organization that shaped many later events.
