Draft:Oksana Popovych

Oksana Popovych - member of the national liberation movement, member of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Helsinki Group (UHG).

'I am a Ukrainian nationalist by conviction, I was a member of the OUN. I'm not an artist, I'm not a scientist, and – I have to disappoint you – I'm not even an average woman, because I don't have a family of my own. Most often, such people are called losers...'

Family
Oksana Popovych was born on February 2, 1926 in the village of Zhukov, Stanislav region (now Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ukraine). His mother, Olena Novodvorska, was a teacher from the family of writer Les Martovych. She worked at a school in the village of Zhukiv for about 20 years, but later, after the closure of the Ukrainian school, she was transferred to the village of Strilche, Horodenka region. So in 1939, the family moved to the city of Horodenka, where Olena worked as a school principal.

Oksana Popovych's father, Zenon-Marian Popovych, was the head of the post office and took part in the Lystopadovyy Zryv (November Breakdown) in 1918. After the Poles came to power, he was arrested and imprisoned for 6 months. After that, during the occupation of Western Ukrainian lands, he was unemployed, but he was an educator, conducting cultural and educational work among the peasants.

Among Oksana's relatives is also Ivan Novodvorsky, who was a Sich Rifleman, then served in the Ukrainian Galician Army, but in 1940 he was arrested and died in exile. Also, among Oksana's relatives is Hnat Stefaniv - Commander of the Ukrainian Galician Army, General of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

Thus, the family became an important part of the formation of Oksana Popovych's worldview and position: 'So we have such a family – both the military and teachers... I knew a lot of things from a young age. After all, I grew up in an intelligent, nationally conscious and spiritually rich family.'

Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists
Oksana studied at the gymnasium in Horodenka. After the 'Bolsheviks' came to the city in 1939, many students were arrested, so Oksana, along with four other children, decided to join the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) Youth until the age of 18. Within the Youth, they studied a lot, getting acquainted with the rules of conspiracy, the history of Ukraine, Ukrainian literature, and underwent ideological and military training. As Oksana Popovych recalls: 'I traveled to the villages and taught others what we were going through... Who was a courier, who was responsible for ideological training, who was responsible for the history of Ukraine, who was responsible for military training, and I was engaged in the Youth network and commanded everything, because I was a 'rayonova' (district officer).'

In 1944, Oksana took the oath and joined the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. A difficult period of Oksana's life began. In January 1945, Oksana Popovych was arrested by the Soviet army in the village of Ispas in the Kolomyia region with insurgent literature: 'I had only a bag, and in that bag there were all sorts of essays, in particular, about sanitary training. And that courier also gave me 'shtafety', so I put them in my pocket. These 'shtafety', that is, notes, clandestine mail. And here they come in. I quickly threw the 'shtafety' into the snow, but I couldn't throw the bag, because it was big.'[1] During the search and investigation, Oksana resorted to deception to cover up other members and protect the Organization. As Oksana notes, she was convicted only for what was found in her personal belongings and on the basis of what she said, and she told a lie: ‘And it was a complete lie: that I was from Berezovo Vyzhnyi, that I went to church, and I don't know who those girls are. I was asked if there were 'banderivtsi' in Berezovo Vyzhny, and I said that there are, a lot. We were taught to say so that they would not go there. 'Are there any guns?' – 'Yes,' I say. I fantasized on purpose so that they wouldn't go there. They wrote it down – and that's it. I wrote down a different last name. And I was condemned by that name, I served my sentence with it, and I returned here with it.'

In July 1945, under the fictitious name Petrushak Varvara Petrivna, she was sentenced by the Military Tribunal of the 'Narodnyi komisariat vnutrishnikh sprav' (NKVD) troops to 10 years in prison with loss of civil rights under Articles 54-1a ("Treason against the homeland") and 54-11 ("involvement in a counter-revolutionary organization") and to 3 years with confiscation of property in accordance with points a and b of Article 29 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR. On the way to the place of serving her sentence, Oksana made an attempt to escape, due to which she was wounded in the chest and right leg. Appropriate treatment was not provided. Besides, the woman also had typhus.

Later, Oksana served her sentence in the camps of Vorkuta for hard labor. Most of all, she hammered permafrost at a construction site (even despite being wounded) and she worked in the forest. In 1955, Oksana Popovich was transferred to exile in Krasnoyarsk, where she worked in a brickyard until the era of Khrushchov and the abolition of exile.

Thus, released in August 1956, she returned to the village of Manyava, Solotvyno region, to her sister. In Solotvyn, she studied at an evening secondary school, which she graduated from in 1960, because she did not have a document on education beforehand. During this period, Oksana was already able to regain her real name and surname. Also, after her return, she was able to undergo a medical examination and certain treatment, as well as receive a disability of the second group.

Even despite her health problems, Oksana Popovych continued to work (as an accountant at Energozbut in Ivano-Frankivsk) and conduct patriotic and educational work.

Samvydav and the second arrest
Despite facing challenging life experiences, Oksana Popovych continued her struggle. Since 1959, she has been distributing samvydav literature, including the works of I. Dziuba, V. Moroz, the magazine 'Ukrainskyi Visnyk' and others. In addition, she worked to support political prisoners, raising funds, supporting families, and signing declarations. For example, in 1969, Oksana Popovych was among the signatories of the statement of 16 former political prisoners addressed to the Head of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR, directed against the practice of convictions in prison, entitled 'Znovu kamerni spravy?'.

On March 22, 1974, residents of Horodenka were arrested, accused of anti-Soviet propaganda. One of the detainees was a former member of the OUN, 48-year-old dispatcher of the sugar factory N. Hutsul, who, as Oksana Popovych recalls, betrayed her. Since 1972, the above-mentioned group has been supplied with anti-Soviet literature by Oksana Popovych. The investigation established that they secretly exchanged forbidden literature: ‘Reportazh iz zapovidnyka imeni Berii', 'Khronika suprotivu', 'Serеd snihiv', 'Novyi klas' 'Moisei i Datan', 'Internationalizm chy rusyfikatsiia?', zhurnal 'Ukrainskyi visnyk'.

Due to her illness, Oksana Popovych's case was considered separately from the case against Mykola Hamula, Mykola Hutsul and Roman Haiduk. 'I just had my second operation. They put such a nail in the leg, and then pulled it out. They discharged me and they came right in the morning. October 2, 1974.'[1] At the time of her arrest, Oksana was already on crutches and had been on a hunger strike for 48 days. The verdict in the court case of Oksana Popovych was pronounced on January 14, 1975 under Article 62 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR for 8 years of strict regime camps and 5 years of exile, recognized especially dangerous recidivist (Article 26 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR). At a closed court hearing in Ivano-Frankivsk, which lasted from 10 to 14 January 1975, O. Popovych pleaded guilty to the charges under Article 62 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR. However, she openly stated to those present at the trial that she did not repent of what she had done.

Oksana Popovych served her sentence in the village Barashevo, Mordovia, in a womenʼs camp. There she also found other women political prisoners: Iryna Senyk, Iryna Kalynets, Nadiia Svitlychna, Stefaniia Shabatura. As a disabled person, Oksana Popovych refused to work, but together with other political prisoners, she actively participated in protests and continued to fight even there. Among such actions were hunger strikes, for example, on the Day of the Political Prisoner, or in connection with the anniversary of the beginning of repressions in Ukraine in 1972, when she demanded the release of Ukrainian political prisoners and an end to persecution for their national beliefs. As Oksana Popovych recalls, they were force-fed: 'They fed us so forcefully, impudently. Men came and shoved that hose into my mouth. And you couldn't fight back, because they are so strong, they are five healthy men.'

Oksana Popovych, together with other political prisoners, also supported the appeal to the Holy See, the World Council of Churches, governments and parliaments of the states that signed the Helsinki Accords about violations of elementary human rights in the USSR.

On February 3, 1979, while in captivity, Oksana Popovych became a member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group. According to her words, Oksana Meshko enrolled those who were serving sentences in the Group, and Oksana Popovych did not deny participation: 'I have nothing against it – if it is necessary, then it is necessary.'[1] Due to strict censorship, this process was carried out cautiously - 'it was necessary to write in some Aesopian language. So that censorship does not notice.'

In May 1981, Oksana Popovych was brought to Ivano-Frankivsk for a short period of time for 'prophylaxis', where she met with her sister and mother. However, already in July she was exiled to the village of Molchanovo, Tomsk region. As a disabled person, she did not work, but she did not receive any assistance from the state, surviving on the support of family and friends from Ukraine. Oksana also refused to apply for oblivion: 'They wanted to release me as soon as possible, if I wrote a statement to Shcherbytsky, and I said: 'I won't'.. "For me to write to Shcherbytsky? 'No, it won't.'

During Oksana Popovychʼs stay in captivity, she, along with other political prisoners, was petitioned at the international level. Such evidence is the information leaflets created and distributed by the Committee for the Protection of Ukrainian Political Prisoners in the USSR among the British public with a call for active action in support of prisoners (Yuriy Shukhevych, Lev Lukyanenko, Mykola Rudenko): 'WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP. Ask your M.P. to raise (or support) their case in the House of Commons, or if you are an active Trade Unionist, raise your voice in their defence from the Trade Union Platform. Organize a petition on behalf of those unfortunate people, or write directly to the Russian Embassy to protest (13, Kensington Gardens, London, W8 4QR). Write a letter to a newspaper. . . More and more people, including prominent politicians and even some Trade Unions lately, are beginning to speak up, but they need to be encouraged, write to show them that they are not alone. By helping the people of Eastern Europe to safeguard their freedom, you will be safeguarding your own. A just peace can only be achieved through the freedom of all nations and of the individual.'

After serving a total of 24.5 years in captivity, Oksana Popovych, who was released on October 2, 1987, returned to her mother in Ivano-Frankivsk. There, together with Vyacheslav Chornovil, she became a founding member of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional branch of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union (UHU). She was elected treasurer. However, after the transformation of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union into the Ukrainian Republican Political Party, Oksana Popovych refused to participate.

During her lifetime, Oksana Popovych was rehabilitated on both convictions, and posthumously by the Decree of the President of Ukraine of November 8, 2006 she was awarded the Order "For Courage" of the first degree. Oksana Popovych died on May 22, 2004.