On July 21, 2020, the active Ukrainian public honored the memory of members of the nationalist underground who were shot by the Nazi occupiers and buried in Babyn Yar. At this time, the names of 621 members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists have been established, the most famous of which are prominent Ukrainian poet Olena Teliga, chairman (mayor) of the Kyiv City Council Volodymyr Bagaziy, and editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper "Ukrainske Slovo" (Ukrainian word) Ivan Rohach. The search for the dead in Babyn Yar continues. But, unfortunately, most of the names of Ukrainian patriots who fought against the hated Nazi invaders, we will never know.
A memorial service for the victims and a rally were held near the Memorial Cross to the shot members of the OUN, which is located on the territory of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar". The event was attended by Deputy Director-General of NHMR "Babyn Yar" for scientific work, Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine Andriy Tkachuk, and senior researcher of the Museum "Babyn Yar" Volodymyr Kornelyuk.
The participants of the event also honored the memory of the Ukrainian poet Oleg Olzhych (Oleg Alexandrovich Kandyba), who was born July 21, 113 years ago in Zhytomyr. In 1941-1942, Oleh Olzhych lived in German-occupied Kyiv, setting up an underground OUN network in Ukraine. He also became one of the organizers of the political and public center - the Ukrainian National Council in Kyiv. With the onset of Nazi repression against Ukrainian nationalists, Oleh Olzhych (Kandyba) left the Ukrainian capital and moved to Lviv. In the spring of 1942, he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Board (Provid) of Ukrainian Nationalists (PUN) and Chairman of the Board in Ukrainian lands. After the arrest of Andriy Melnyk in early 1944, he became the Chairman of the OUN PUN. On May 25, 1944, Oleg Kandyba was arrested by the Gestapo in Lviv and imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in a separate block for particularly important prisoners. On the night of June 10, 1944, during another interrogation of Oleg Olzhych (Kandyba) he was murdered by Gestapo executioners.
Speakers, including Andriy Tkachuk, Deputy Director-General of the Babyn Yar Reserve, Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine, expressed the opinion that NKVD agents were involved in the arrest and death of Oleg Olegovich Kandyba (Oleg Olzhych) in the Gestapo. The enemies of the Ukrainians could not allow such a prominent figure of the Ukrainian national movement to live.
After honoring the memory of Ukrainian heroes tortured by Nazi invaders, the participants visited the grave of the Oleh Kandyba's parents Ukrainian writer Oleksandr Oles (Kandyba), and Vira Kandyba in Lukyanivka cemetery, where the priest held a memorial service.
During the event, Ukrainian poet and writer Maria Rys presented her books to the Reserve's library "Babyn Yar".
