Voice of Ukraine

From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 501):

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
Psalm 51:1‭-‬2

History is something that helps us understand current events and avoid the mistakes of the past. There was an event today that made me think.

Today, the President of Poland and the President of Ukraine met in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk to remember the victims of the Volyn tragedy. This is a very sad and sensitive page in the Ukrainian-Polish past, yet it makes me hopeful.

In 1943, when Poland and Ukraine were under oppression (the Nazis and the Soviets took advantage of WWII to expand their territories), an ethnic conflict broke out in the Volyn region between the Ukrainians and Poles, which turned into mutual ethnic cleansing. Some Polish people were collaborating with the Nazis and the Soviet Army (both enemies of Ukraine) in hopes of reclaiming those lands for Poland. In response, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army attempted to eliminate the Polish population (about 15%) in the region. Ukrainians were also killed by Poles (Armia Krajowa) in retaliation. As a result, about 35,000 Polish residents of the Volyn region were killed in a horrible massacre (about 18,000 of them have been identified by name), and the losses of Ukrainians are said to have amounted to several thousand even though no calculations were made in Soviet time. Nowadays, the Polish government qualifies those events as genocide. Ukrainian historians view those events as a tragic part of Ukraine’s struggle for independence and emphasize the importance of honest and unbiased historical research.

The historical past of Ukraine and Poland is complex and tightly intertwined. There were some glorious moments, but there were many painful events as well. This Volyn tragedy has always been a source of tension between Ukraine and Poland, and it was often used to stir up animosity between our nations. However, we see how God gives wisdom to bring healing and reconciliation, even though it takes decades.

Having gained independence, Ukraine officially asked for Poland’s forgiveness for those tragic events. The reconciliation began in 1994 when the countries agreed to preserve historical memorials and burial sites. In 2003, the presidents of Ukraine and Poland asked each other for forgiveness and gave a speech on the need for mutual forgiveness. In 2006, the presidents of Ukraine and Poland announced a reconciliation act. In 2016, the Ukrainian and Polish intellectuals exchanged letters of forgiveness. Today, in 2023, 80 years after the tragedy and almost 30 years after the beginning of the reconciliation process, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, and President Volodymyr Zelensky commemorated the innocent victims of the 1943 Volyn Massacre in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk. While our nations may never fully agree in their assessment of those events, it is incredibly encouraging to see nations taking responsible steps to reconciliation and gracefully granting forgiveness to each other. Instead of dwelling in the past, we see nations cooperating today for mutual benefit in the future.

Poland has shown true brotherly love to Ukraine in the past 16 months. We are grateful for one more sign of solidarity. May the Lord bless our nations with sincere forgiveness and true reconciliation. May it be an example to many today and in the future.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
you will not despise.
Psalm 51:17