Roman Shukhevych honored as national hero on anniversary

Young men dressed in military uniforms marched holding torches in Kyiv, to mark the achievements of Shukhevych, who was the founder and leader of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army also known as UPA.

Shukhevych (4) died in combat with Soviet special interior units near Lviv in 1950. In 2007, he was posthumously awarded the title “Hero of Ukraine”, the country’s highest honor.

Celebrations of the anniversary took place in Kyiv and Lviv.

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Celebrations were also held in Lviv, where people dressed in military uniforms of various ages, including the UPA uniforms (3) and traditional Cossack dress (5).

The anniversary celebration comes amid a controversy surrounding a recent resolution by the European Parliament to revoke a posthumous “Hero of Ukraine” award to Stepan Bandera, another leader of the independence movement. The European Parliament said Bandera was “a Nazi collaborator,” a statement that outraged many in Ukraine and led to a petition for the parliament to revoke its resolution.

During his recent visit to Russia President Viktor Yanukovych said he plans to revoke awards to Bandera and Shukhevych by May 9.