Voice of Ukraine

From Euromaiden Press (Text/photo: Maryna Mirzaeva https://www.facebook.com/maryna.mirzaeva):

Good morning World! Good morning Ukraine!

I’m one of the many women who enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I’m not a warrior by profession, but a warrior by spirit. Perhaps this is one of the key traits that prompted me to enlist. I was a researcher and writer in civilian life and worked on a book entitled “Women of Freedom”, stories about women in the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) underground and in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). They performed a variety of tasks, from combat to organizational and auxiliary.

As a researcher of the Ukrainian liberation struggle, I often dreamed of being at the forefront of historical events, just like my heroines. And so it happened on February 24, 2022.

The black-and-white photos show Mariya Rovenchuk-Labunka, call sign “Iryna”, an OUN member who organized the underground movement in Zakerzonia (territory beyond the Curzon line) and performed different organizational tasks in hundreds of UPA units. Her main feature, like that of most participants in the Ukrainian liberation movement, was her versatility.

We know that Russia is waging war not only to gain more territory, but also to completely absorb Ukraine. Ukrainians and others who believe that they can ignore this war are sorely mistaken. Those who believe that others will come here with weapons and win this war for us at the cost of their own lives are nothing but hypocrites. Each and every Ukrainian must become a fighter. Each one of us should fall asleep and wake up thinking: “Moscow must be destroyed!” The ranks of the Armed Forces must be replenished. Volunteers must be constantly supported. We must say “No!” to Russian info crap, including in culture and language.

This war is historic. It will decide the fate of our nation. This was something that the OUN and UPA fighters understood 100 years ago. We must understand this today. And finally, we must stop indulging in illusions, thinking that it will end soon and won’t cost us much blood.

“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!”

Text/photo: Maryna Mirzaeva https://www.facebook.com/maryna.mirzaeva