Nov. 15, 2025, 6:49 p.m.
(PHOTO: Intent/Natalia Dovbysh)
Ukrainian historian, publicist, politician, public figure and former director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory Volodymyr Viatrovych presented his book on the last commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) Vasyl Kuk in Odesa.
As noted by Int'l's correspondent, the presentation took place in the dark due to the introduction of stabilization blackouts in Odesa as a result of Russian air attacks.
The meeting took place at the Hrushevsky Odesa Regional Universal Scientific Library, and it was not the first time the writer met with Odesa residents. In April 2023, he also presented his books in Odesa and gave an extensive interview to Intent.
In 1944, Vasyl Kuk led the largest battle of the UPA near Hurba. And after the death of Roman Shukhevych in 1950, Cook became the Head of the OUN Leadership in Ukraine, the UPA Commander-in-Chief, and the head of the General Secretariat of the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council (UHVR). In 1954, he was arrested by the Soviet State Security Committee. He spent six years in prison. In 1960, he was released as part of an amnesty. Vasyl Kuk lived for 94 years and secured Ukraine's independence.
Volodymyr Viatrovych is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament of the IX convocation. Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory from March 25, 2014 to September 18, 2019. Chairman of the Academic Council of the Center for Liberation Movement Studies (Lviv), member of the Supervisory Board of the National Museum-Memorial to the Victims of Occupation Regimes "Prison on Lontskoho Street", former Director of the Security Service of Ukraine Archives (2008-2010), editor of the scientific collection "Ukrainian Liberation Movement" (2003-2008). He is a researcher of the history of the liberation movement.
He is working on the book "General Cook. A Biography of the UPA Generation" Volodymyr Viatrovych has been working on for 20 years, studying memoirs of participants in the liberation movement, documents of the OUN and UPA, declassified KGB archives, diaries, and letters of Cook. The book contains archival photographs, photos from media and private collections, and copies of documents published for the first time.
PHOTO: Intent/Natalia Dovbysh
Кирило Бойко