Vasyl Sydor


Vasyl Sydor ; born in Spasiv, 24 February 1910; died 14 April 1949 in Rozhniativ Raion – colonel of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, political activist, soldier of the Nachtigall Battalion, commandant of Sotnia 201 Schutzmannschaft auxiliary police, vice-commander of UPA and leader of UPA-West for Eastern Galicia during World War II. Sydor was killed in combat with Soviet troops in the Limnytsia River Valley.

Political significance

On September 1, 1944, Vasyl Sydor as the UPA commander for Eastern Galicia, issued an order to end "mass anti-Polish actions" within the borders of postwar Poland, thereby focusing on resistance rather than ethnic cleansing. Murders of civilians continued, but only in retaliation. From then on, UPA units began concentrating on attacking those who served with the pro-Soviet forces. In 1945 the AK issued a manifesto calling for an end to fighting between Poles and Ukrainians and for cooperation, printed it in 7,500 copies and distributed it in the surrounding villages. At the same time, the leadership of UPA in the region made similar moves aimed at the same goal. After mediation by Catholic and Orthodox clergy, a meeting was arranged in Puszcza Solska between the commanders of both groups. The top commander on the Polish side was Marian Gołębiewski and on the Ukrainian side Jurij Lopatynsky. On the night of 27 May 1946 AK-WiN and UPA conducted their joint operation against the communist forces of UB and NKVD in Hrubieszów. They parted their ways the next morning after a successful attack.