Dmytro Klyachkivsky
Encyclopedia
Dmytro Klyachkivsky (4 November 1911 - 12 February 1945) was a colonel of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), first head-commander of the UPA-North. He was, according to Polish and American historians, responsible for ethnic cleansing of Poles from Volhynia
.
(at the time in the Austrian province of Galicia) as a son of a bank clerk. He completed his secondary studies and entered the Law faculty of the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwow
. A member of the OUN, he served in the Polish Army and worked in the service sector in Stanislawow
from 1934 until 1939 as chair of a committee of the Ukrainian sport organization Sokil in Zbaraz.
After joint Nazi and Soviet attack on Poland, Western Ukraine
was occupied by the Soviet Union
(see Polish territories annexed by the Soviet Union). Klyachkivsky was arrested by the Soviets (NKVD
) in Lviv
, and sentenced to death which was commuted to 10 years incarceration. He escaped from the Berdychev Prison in July 1941.
He was a member of the Directorate of the OUN in Lviv, the regional leader of OUN from January 1942, a member of the leadership of OUN and the first commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army from 1943. He was given the rank of Major and made the regional commander of UIA-North in 1944.
in modern-day western Ukraine in the years 1943-1945. It was his directive, issued in mid-1943, that stipulated the extermination of the entire Polish population across the province. One Ukrainian Insurgent Army commander who opposed it was threatened by Klyachkivsky with court-martial
.
Evidence of his actions was found in SBU archives by Polish historian Władysław Filar
and was published in 2000 year in his book "Before action Wisla, there was Volhynia". It was an order addressed to the commanders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Volhynia. This secret directive stated:
in January 1945 near the settlement of Orzhiv in the vicinity of Rivne
. He was posthumously awarded the title of Colonel of the UIA and UIA Gold Cross of Military Honors First Grade.
Massacres of Poles in Volhynia
The Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia were part of an ethnic cleansing operation carried out by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army West in the Nazi occupied regions of the Eastern Galicia , and UPA North in Volhynia , beginning in March 1943 and lasting until the end of...
.
Biography
Klyachkivsky was born in the city of ZbarazhZbarazh
Zbarazh is a city in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zbarazh Raion , and is located in the historic region of Galicia....
(at the time in the Austrian province of Galicia) as a son of a bank clerk. He completed his secondary studies and entered the Law faculty of the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwow
Lviv University
The Lviv University or officially the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine...
. A member of the OUN, he served in the Polish Army and worked in the service sector in Stanislawow
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
from 1934 until 1939 as chair of a committee of the Ukrainian sport organization Sokil in Zbaraz.
After joint Nazi and Soviet attack on Poland, Western Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
was occupied by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(see Polish territories annexed by the Soviet Union). Klyachkivsky was arrested by the Soviets (NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
) in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, and sentenced to death which was commuted to 10 years incarceration. He escaped from the Berdychev Prison in July 1941.
He was a member of the Directorate of the OUN in Lviv, the regional leader of OUN from January 1942, a member of the leadership of OUN and the first commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army from 1943. He was given the rank of Major and made the regional commander of UIA-North in 1944.
Massacres of Poles in Volhynia
Dmytro Klyachkivsky is regarded by Polish and American historians as the initiator of the massacres of Poles in VolhyniaMassacres of Poles in Volhynia
The Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia were part of an ethnic cleansing operation carried out by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army West in the Nazi occupied regions of the Eastern Galicia , and UPA North in Volhynia , beginning in March 1943 and lasting until the end of...
in modern-day western Ukraine in the years 1943-1945. It was his directive, issued in mid-1943, that stipulated the extermination of the entire Polish population across the province. One Ukrainian Insurgent Army commander who opposed it was threatened by Klyachkivsky with court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
.
Evidence of his actions was found in SBU archives by Polish historian Władysław Filar
Władysław Filar
Władysław Filar - soldier of 27th Home Army Infantry Division, Polish historian, professor.Born in Iwanicze Nowe in Volhynia, Ukraine, then under Polish administration...
and was published in 2000 year in his book "Before action Wisla, there was Volhynia". It was an order addressed to the commanders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Volhynia. This secret directive stated:
Death
Klyachkivsky died in battle against the forces of the NKVDNKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
in January 1945 near the settlement of Orzhiv in the vicinity of Rivne
Rivne
Rivne or Rovno is a historic city in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Rivne Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Rivne Raion within the oblast...
. He was posthumously awarded the title of Colonel of the UIA and UIA Gold Cross of Military Honors First Grade.