From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andrii Melnyk

Andrii Melnyk or Andrij Melnik (Ukrainian: Андрій Мéльник) (December 12, 1890-November 1, 1964), Ukrainian military and political leader.

Born near Drohobych, Galicia he served in Austro-Hungarian army as a volunteer with Ukrainian Sich Riflemen during the First World War, and was taken prisoner by the Russians in 1916. In captivity became close associate of Yevhen Konovalets and joined the Ukrainian independence movement.

During the Russian Civil War Melnyk supported Symon Petliura and was promoted to the rank of colonel in Ukrainian People's Republic army.

Together with Konovalets, Melnyk founded the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) in 1929. Between 1924 and 1928 Melnyk was imprisoned for alleged terrorist activities by the Polish government. In the 1930s Melnyk re-organized OUN as an underground organization, adopted ideology of Benito Mussolini's fascism and created an armed wing responsible for a number of terrorist acts[1], [2], [3].

After the assassination of Konovalets Melnyk became leader of OUN in 1939 but in 1940 a more radical faction led by Stepan Bandera broke away from OUN. The two rival organizations became known as Melnykites and Banderites. Since 1938 Melnyk was allegedly recruited by German Abwehr [4] and after the German invasion of the Soviet Union he declared his own independent Ukrainian government in Rivne, competing with Bandera supporters for influence in western Ukraine.

Initially a more conservative and moderate supporters of Melnyk enjoyed support from both Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and German authorities such as Erich Koch over the radicals from Bandera's group. Despite this support many of his close associates were killed by Ukrainian Insurgent Army of Bandera between 1941 and 1944. In 1944 Melnyk was briefly imprisoned by the Gestapo during a crackdown against Ukrainian independence movement.

After the war Melnyk escaped to the West and lived in Luxembourg, West Germany and Canada. He remained politically active and headed a number of Ukrainian émigré organizations. He died in Clervaux, Luxembourg at the age of 74.

Members of the last supreme command of the Sich Riflemen. Melnyk is sitting, second from the left.

In late 2006 the Lviv city administration announced the future transference of the tombs of Andriy Melnyk, Yevhen Konovalets, Stepan Bandera and other key leaders of OUN/UPA to a new area of Lychakivskiy Cemetery specifically dedicated to Ukrainian national liberation struggle.[5]

• Andrii Melnyk biography in Encyclopaedia of Ukraine
• "The History we don't know. Or don't care to know?", Zerkalo nedeli (Mirror Weekly), March 29, 2002, available online in English, in Ukrainian and in Russian.