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UKRAINIAN WOMAN OUR ENGLISH COLUMN Jn January the Ukrainians all over the Free World celebrated the 40th anniversary of the re establishment of independence of their homeland. Twoscore years have rolled on since the effulgent day of January 22, 1918, when at the Sophia Square in Kiev the independence of Ukraine was pro claimed. Thousands of Ukrainian people then had welcomed whole heartedly the free Ukrainian Peo ple’s Republic. Soviet Russia, following in Czars’ footsteps, invaded Ukraine, in spite o«f 'the treaty it signed only a short time back. The U k rainian Government and the peo ple had resisted valiantly the stronger enemy for three years. Having finally overcome the U k rainian People’s Republic, red Moscow forced on it its Soviet bolshevik regime bearing the name of “Ukrainian Soviet Soci alist Republic” which, however, has remained as such in name only while in fact it has been treated by red Kremlin as its col ony. The resistance against the en emy of humanity has kept on ever since in various ways. The strife has been growing at intervals more acute or a't times it might have appeared rather quiescent, still that has merely been a smol dering rebellion. In this lengthy struggle the Ukrainian women have played a conspicuous part. They bad al ready participated in the procla mation of independence at Kiev, and thereupon there were 11 Ukrainian women in the first U k rainian Parliament, while the Constitution of Ukraine recogniz ed the general franchise for wo men. The downfall of Ukrainian independence shook deeply the Ukrainian womanhood and drew them into the ranks of freedom fighters who have never ceased and never shall have stopped the resistance against the invader and oppressor, but will continue the struggle abreast of the men. We have seen the Ukrainian women during the course of 40 long years in diverse situations. They have continued to work, as far as it was possible to work con structively under ruinous regime, in the fields that are the sphere of interest for the women every where. They have taken hold of sanitary service and of schools in Ukraine. They have been laying foundations for social care and taking over a large part of the cultural and educational tasks. However, at the same time we have seen the Ukrainian women in the ranks of rcsistants against the bolshevik occupant. The Uk rainian women have fought tak ing active part in revolts until 1924. They served the cause of Ukrainian resistance as scouts, messengers, or leaders of detach ments. They were active in un derground struggles. They like wise were taking Dart in political trials of 1920’s and 1930’s. They had been among those sentenced to prison or execution. They have suffered in many concentration camps in Siberia, Kazakhstan and other remote places of torture. The Ukrainians resisted also in a very determined manner the German Nazi occupation of Uk raine, and the Ukrainian women took a large part in that struggle. There were many hundreds of Ukrainian women in the Ukrain ian Insurgent Army (UPA) who originally fought bravely against Hitlerites, and subsequently against their associates of 1939- 41, the bolshevik occupants. The desperate act of 500 U k rainian women at Kingiri, Ka zakhstan, who all died under the tanks sent against them by NK- VD, is already well known. It is known from the reports of many visitors that the Ukrainian women form the majority of poli tical prisoners in bolshevik con centration camps. It seems odd to read or hear of such deeds of women who nor mally would be interested in quite different activities, like in social care, upbringing of their children, education, arts, literature, or at least in household. For the w o man’s nature is more inclined to constructive work, to create and develop. Only exceptional figures among women have ever been noted as fighters and resistants who sacrificed their lives for the cause near their heart. No doubt, the Ukrainian w o man was not different from other women in civilized countries. But the Ukrainian people have endur ed the enslavement much too long to remain in bondage. And when it took up arms to break the chains, it shall not lay them down until it has won complete victory and joined the Free World as an independent nation. And only then the Ukrainian woman will return to her normal way of life. ^ I he Ukrainian women are mar king every year in February the memory of valiant Ukrainian w o men who gave their lives in the strife of their people for freedom. There have been among them many outstanding figures which are being mentioned in the his tory of Ukraine. These are the he roines of Ukraine that had striven to bring the dawn of liberty to their homeland. L. B . O U R LIFE E dited b y E d ito rial Board P u b lish ed b y th e U krainian N a tio n a l W o m en ’s L ea g u e o f America» Inc. 909 N . F ran k lin S t. P hiladelphia 23, Pa. P h o n e M A 7-7945 Forty Years of Struggle
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