http://www.rubaltic.ru/article/politika-i-obshchestvo/080816-voyna-pamyati/
“War of memory” destroys the Union of Poland and Ukraine
+16 Today, 09:29 • Publ.: ZMAI • Cont.: 2297 • Comm.: 9 • Article Photo: publicdiplomacy.su
In response to the recognition of the Volyn massacre as genocide of the Polish people, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is going to accuse Poland of genocide of Ukrainians. Historical conflict between the two countries threatened to escalate into a full-fledged “war of memory”, which will destroy the strategic cooperation of Poland and Ukraine. A month ago the Polish Sejm, after long hesitation still recognize the Volyn massacre as genocide of poles in Western Ukraine. This decision was difficult for Polish politicians had to choose between historical truth and the development of strategic cooperation with main ally in the East.
Polish policy a few years as I could, tried to avoid this choice. The political line which ruled in 2007-2015 “Civic platform” has been a failure to “transfer” responsibility for the tragedy of the poles in the outlying lands of the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (kresy), laying it on anybody else, except the Soviet Union. Harshly criticized the “Platform” for this position, “law and justice came to power, have started to reproduce the behavior of their predecessors.
Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski came to the initiative, formally called the culprit of the Volyn massacre, the Soviet Union, proclaiming a Day of remembrance and martyrdom kresovyan not July 11, the day of the attack of Bandera 99 Polish villages in 1943, and September 17 – the day of the entry of the red army on the Eastern lands of the Polish Republic in 1939. The Minister of defence of Poland, Anthony Macierewicz said that the Volyn massacre was organized by Russia, and Ukrainian nationalists were agents of the Kremlin, used to organize the genocide of poles. The resolution of 22 July on the recognition of the Volyn massacre to genocide by MPs special attention was paid to the Molotov – Ribbentrop Pact and the Soviet invasion of Eastern regions of Poland as a starting point of the tragedy kresovyan (although in the Western areas of modern Belarus and the Vilnius region of present-day Lithuania was not the extermination of the Polish population, comparable in scale with the Volyn massacre, and in Western Ukraine the invasion of the red army for several years delayed the terror of the OUN-UPA, which the militants Shukhevych and Bandera were preparing against the “Polish element” even before the Second world war).
But, whatever it was, Volyn massacre has been recognized by the Polish authorities as genocide, and on July 11 was proclaimed “a National day of remembrance of the victims committed by the Ukrainian nationalists of the Armenian citizens of the II Polish Commonwealth”. The historic victory of truth over political situation contributed to a number of reasons. First, be clear on the Volyn massacre a few years was one of the campaign promises of “Peace”: having come to power, the party of Kaczynski was forced to do it. Second, kresovyaki – the descendants of the victims banderovskoe of terror – are the most loyal and consistent supporters of the Law and justice party of Kaczynski was forced to discharge his duty to them not to lose their nuclear electorate.
Third, too provocatively behaved Ukrainian allies very painful for the Polish people issue. A few days before the anniversary of the Volyn massacre, July 11, in Kiev was renamed the Moscow Avenue in the prospect of Stepan Bandera. It is clear that the members of city Council wanted a way to spit in the face “klyatyh Muscovites”, but the arrow put them on the East, suddenly flew to the West. The prospect of Stepan Bandera was a slap in the face not so much Russian, how many the Polish society, because the Bandera mass extermination is not Russian, and Polish people. Especially offensive to the poles by the fact that in an endless showdown with Russian “Nebrat” the Ukrainian authorities as inconsequential disregard the feelings of their main allies in Europe.
Anyway, to the recognition of the Volyn massacre as genocide of the Polish people in Ukrainian politics seriously thought about the fact that the glorification of the OUN and UPA, in addition to the “Muscovites”, touches at least one side.
But now Ukrainian politicians are eager to strike back and to accuse the poles to the genocide of the Ukrainian people. Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleg Musiy (Poroshenko Bloc) has submitted to the Ukrainian Parliament a draft decree “on honoring the memory of victims of genocide committed by the Polish government against the Ukrainians in the years 1919-1951”. A former health Minister in the government of Arseniy Yatsenyuk in his draft of the resolution expresses “Polonization, colonization, pacification and physical destruction of Ukrainians” and “the brutal mass killings of Ukrainian citizens living in Eastern parts of Galicia, Volyn and UPA”.
Polish diplomats were quick to call the bill Musiya individual initiative of one member, however, this conclusion is not obvious. After the July resolution of the Polish Sejm, Ukraine’s foreign Ministry has warned Polish colleagues that Ukraine will give a response to this decision. The bills, similar to what was brought by the Deputy from the Lviv region – this is the most symmetric reaction of Kiev.
The next logical step in case of deepening of Polish-Ukrainian historical confrontation in this case is the imposition of long-standing grievances and claims of the Ukrainian people against Poland outside of the XX century and appeal to the ages. A chronicle of oppression, and oppression of the Ukrainians by the poles from the creation of the First Rzeczpospolita in the XVI century and the enslavement of the Ukrainian serfs of the Polish gentry with the subsequent in response of the revolts of the Cossacks. However, to take such step the Ukrainian authorities will not be easy, because the real history of Ukraine is in contradiction with its current politics and ideology. First, the Zaporozhye Cossacks defended their Orthodox faith in the struggle with the imposed poles of the Greek-Catholicism (the Uniate Church), whereas today the most consistent supporters of the Maidan, the Ukrainian authorities and their policies – is the Uniates from Galicia. Second, the stagnation under the Polish pan was for Ukrainians the European choice” of the XVII century, when the Ukrainian people such a choice strongly opposed. But now the image of Taras Bulba in the Ukraine is totally irrelevant.
Thirdly, the struggle with the Polish pans and their “European choice” is over for the Zaporozhye Cossacks Pereyaslav Rada and the decision on joining of Ukraine to Russia. However, in case of deepening the historical conflict with Warsaw, the Ukrainian side may appeal to the spirit of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, beating the ideological inconsistencies in the standard way – rewriting history. Hetman was the prototype of the modern Ukraine and the Zaporozhian host – the forerunners of the UPA, as well as the Bandera fought for Ukrainian national state as “Katsap” and “poles”. The latest in the Volyn region received from the descendants of the Cossacks deserved retribution for trying to deny of free Ukrainians their “independence.” Motion to move “under the high hand of the Russian Tsar of the Orthodox” was a necessary tactical decision Bohdan Khmelnytsky, from which he in a few years abandoned. And the European choice and the Uniate Church has nothing to do with it.
The result of this “combing” of long-standing grievances and claims against Poland, the Ukraine can come to the Polish model of geopolitical positioning. As in Poland, according to the doctrine of Polish nationalism, there are two eternal “existential” threat to the existence of the Polish state, the Germans in the West and Russians in the East, and the ruling Ukrainian nationalists can reach the official proclamation of the eternal threats to Ukrainian statehood “Muscovites” in the East and the “poles” in the West. This can lead to “memory war” between Poland and Ukraine which threatens to erupt because of the glorification of the OUN and the UPA in Kiev and the proclamation of the Volyn massacre genocide in Warsaw.
Strategic cooperation of Poland with Ukraine then it will be possible to put an end, Kiev will lose its main ally and advocate in the European Union. Of course, such development of the situation needs neither Warsaw nor Kiev nor the paternal custody of both capitals to Washington. Last week the Polish media, citing a source in the party “law and justice” reported that the US Ambassador in Warsaw, met twice with representatives of the administration of the President of Poland Andrzej Duda, urging “Peace” not to accept the resolution on recognition of the Volyn massacre as genocide.
Fears of “big brother” is clear: the topic of Volhynia and Bandera can seriously to embroil Poland and Ukraine to destroy their strategic Alliance, and this Alliance is an important component of the us strategy of “containment of Russia” in Europe. More remarkable that in this case the Polish ruling establishment went against the interests of the overseas patron, did not listen to the insistent requests of an American Ambassador and preferred the historical truth of the political situation.
More intrigue in the unfolding situation makes the position of Russia. Last month the Russian state Duma deputies introduced a draft statement on the recognition of the genocide of poles committed by the militants of the UPA in the years 1942-1945 in the West of Ukraine. “The state Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation expresses its sincere condolences to the Polish people in connection with a national tragedy and deep solidarity with the Seimas of the Republic of Poland on the issue of recognition of the crimes of Ukrainian nationalists in Volhynia genocide”, – said in a statement. Recall that the Organization of Ukrainian nationalists, the Ukrainian insurgent army and their current successors like the “Right sector” has already been recognized in Russia, criminal organizations and their activities in Russia is prohibited.
Soon may be totally crazy configuration. Russia, which is considered in Warsaw “existential threat” Poland will support the poles in the struggle for defending the historical truth about the Volyn massacre, and America is considered to be in Warsaw the most important ally and guarantor of Poland’s security, will require the poles to stop speculation about the Volyn massacre and not to quarrel with Ukraine over historical differences.
The easiest way out of this impasse is to convince the Ukrainian party to change the politics of memory and cease to glorify Bandera and Shukhevych responsible for the extermination of from 30 to 100 thousand poles. However, the last year has shown that the current nationalist leadership of Ukraine in this issue is insane and incapable of compromise. So dramatic a choice I have to make Poland’s government: what is more important to him, political situation or historical truth?
Author: Aleksandr Nosovich
Source: http://www.rubaltic.ru/article/politika-i-obshchestvo/080816-voyna-pamyati/ print Version
Source: http://politikus.ru/articles/82078-voyna-pamyati-razrushit-soyuz-polshi-i-ukrainy.html
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