MYKHAILO SOROKA IS A MORAL SYMBOL OF FIGHTERS FOR FREEDOM OF UKRAINE 1940–1980S

Abstract

A study of the history of the Ukrainian national liberation movement of the 20th century involves explaining not only global processes and milestones, but, crucially, the role of specific figures in this movement in the context of real-time political circumstances and social changes. The proposed article is based on a sufficiently wide source base, first of all, on documents of the Soviet special services, mostly unpublished. The author considers his task to show the spiritual and ideological integrity of the character of Mykhailo Soroka, his high intelligence, thorough education, European thinking, his leadership qualities, firmness in defending his views and ignoring the insidious KGB temptations, a talent of the organizer, tolerance in comradely relations, self-initiation to the majestic prospect of creating an independent democratic Ukrainian state. An important component of M. Soroka's personal life was his marriage to a well-known member and regional leader of OUN Kateryna Zarytska. A brief account of her unique biography fails to outline the multifaceted nature and tragedy of this person's selfless. However, it clearly illustrates the anti-humanity of the Bilshovyk-communist regime. M. Soroka's speech at the trial of 1953 in Syktyvkar deserves special attention. It was an indictment of the Soviet regime. He stressed that every nation has the right to a dignified life with "full freedom of conscience, thought, speech and assembly." Moreover, he can get it only in an independent state. Soroka considered the ancestry of disobedience and a sense of justice as an instrument of achieving this aim. He stated that "if we are not attacked, we certainly do not need to defend ourselves." Keywords: Soroka, Zarytska, arrest, court, detention, OUN-North, uprising, independent Ukraine, rehabilitation.