Biobibliographical Indexes of Researchers as a Source of Studying the Activities of the OUN-UPA and Determining the Legal Status of Their Participants

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to compare the results of the activities of scientists and lawmakers regarding the recognition and definition of the national liberation movement and the legal status of its participants on the example of the activities of the OUN and the UPA. Research methodology: the principles of historicism, objectivity, systematics and comprehensiveness were applied, as well as – general methods of scientific research – analysis, synthesis, and comparison. Scientific novelty: for the first time, an attempt was made to show the conformity of the laws of Ukraine, in particular, “On the legal status and commemoration of fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century”, to the results of scientific research on the recognition and the definition of the Ukrainian liberation movement of the 1920–1950 years and the legal status of its participants. Conclusions. A complete inconsistency between the results of the scientists' scientific research was revealed, which is reflected in the personal indexes concluded in their honour, and the law of Ukraine “On the legal status and commemoration of the fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century” regarding recognition and definition of the Ukrainian liberation movement of the 1920–1950 years and of the legal status of its participants. Contrary to the research of scholars, local historians at the legislative level, members of the OUN, soldiers of the UPA and other nationalist organisations of the 1920s-1950s were recognised as fighters not for an independent sovereign and cathedral Ukrainian state, but for the independence of the Ukrainian SSR, against which they waged an uncompromising struggle. After all, in the second half of 1991, the Ukrainian SSR was officially renamed Ukraine, and the independent state – the Republic of Ukraine, according to the Constitution of Ukraine of 1996, was not created. This also explains the absence of a definition of the liberation struggle or resistance movement in the mentioned law of Ukraine.

Keywords: personal indexes of researchers, national liberation struggle, OUN-UPA, sovereign Ukrainian state, the law of Ukraine “On the legal status and commemoration of the fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century”, the Republic of Ukraine.