Stepan Bandera

Stepan Bandera (1909–1959) was a Ukrainian nationalist leader who headed the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists’ revolutionary faction. His role in wartime violence and his advocacy of Ukrainian independence made him a deeply contested symbol.

Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists: A Ukrainian nationalist organization founded in 1929 to pursue an independent Ukrainian state. Bandera rose within this organization and led its revolutionary faction.
Act of restoration of the Ukrainian state: A proclamation of Ukrainian statehood announced by OUN-B in Lviv on June 30, 1941. The proclamation tested Bandera’s effort to establish a state during Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union.
Andriy Melnyk: A Ukrainian nationalist leader who headed the OUN faction opposing Bandera after the 1940 split. Melnyk’s rival faction embodied the OUN division that shaped Bandera’s leadership.
Bandera cult: The posthumous veneration of Bandera as a symbol of Ukrainian national liberation. Supporters’ commemorations transformed a historical leader into a contested public emblem.
Ukrainian independence movement: Political movements that have sought an independent Ukrainian state across different historical periods. Bandera’s faction was one strand in a broader and politically diverse struggle for independence.
OUN-B: The revolutionary faction of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists led by Bandera after its 1940 split. This faction made Bandera the namesake leader of a distinct OUN branch.
Nachtigall Battalion: A German-trained unit formed largely from Ukrainian nationalists that operated in 1941. Its members’ wartime service is debated in accounts of OUN-B’s relationship with Nazi Germany.
Roman Shukhevych: A Ukrainian nationalist military leader who commanded the Ukrainian Insurgent Army during much of its wartime period. Shukhevych led the UPA while Bandera was imprisoned and later in exile.
Decommunization in Ukraine: Ukrainian policies after 2015 removing Soviet symbols and recognizing anti-Soviet historical figures. Decommunization renewed disputes over official recognition of Bandera and nationalist movements.
Nazi collaboration in Ukraine: Cooperation by individuals and organizations in Ukraine with Nazi Germany during its occupation. The distinction between collaboration, tactical alignment, and coercion is central to assessing OUN-B.

Linked from 3 pages