Colonel who succeeded Konovalets at the head of the OUN and led its Melnykite faction (OUN-M) after the split
Born in Austrian Galicia, he volunteered for the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen in the First World War and was captured by the Russians. After escaping he served in the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic as chief of staff and rose to colonel. In 1920 he co-founded the Ukrainian Military Organisation (UVO), which later formed the OUN in 1929. After the NKVD assassinated Konovalets in 1938 he was chosen to lead the OUN; after the 1940 split he directed the OUN-M and pursued collaboration with Nazi Germany. Arrested by the Gestapo in 1944 and held in Sachsenhausen, he led the OUN-M in exile until his death.
Activities and affiliations
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1918–1920
Ukrainian People's Republic state institutionsChief of staff of the Ukrainian People's Army
Military command -
1929–1964
Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN)Main
Political and party leadership- Leader of the OUN and of the OUN-M1938–1964