Про чисельність повстанців у воєнній окрузі 4 "Говерля" (1944-1949)

Abstract

У статті вперше на основі аналізу раніше недоступних архівних матеріалів досліджується одне з найскладніших питань у вивченні розвитку національного визвольного руху – чисельність повстанців у ВО-4 “Говерля”. Показано динаміку у зміні кількості українських націоналістів. Автором встановлено, що найбільших втрат українському визвольному руху було завдано під час “великої блокади”, у той час його чисельність скоротилася практично наполовину. Доведено, що у 1946 р. розформовуються основні повстанські з’єднання та переводяться до збройного підпілля. Однак, упродовж 1947-1949 рр. продовжували діяти відділи УПА у ТВ-21 “Гуцульщина” і ТВ-24 “Маківка”.

В статье впервые на основе анализа ранее недоступных архивных материалов исследуется один из самых сложных вопросов в изучении развития национального освободительного движения – численность повстанцев в ВО-4 “Говерля”. Показана динамика в изменении количества украинских националистов. Автором установлено, что наибольшие потери украинскому освободительному движению были нанесены во время “большой блокады”, в то время его численность сократилась практически вдвое. Доказано, что в 1946 г. расформировываются основные повстанческие соединения и переводятся в вооруженное подполье. Однако, в течение 1947-1949 гг. продолжали действовать отделы УПА в ТВ-21 “Гуцульщина” и ТВ-24 “Маковка”.

In the article for the first time it is attempted to uncover one of the most difficult questions in the study of the development of the Ukrainian national liberation movement, videlicet, – the insurgents’ number in Military District (hence – MD) – 4 “Hoverla”. In order to specify their total number, which is far from being an easy task, an analysis of the previously inaccessible archive materials have been made by the author. The problems in concerning the totaling under question are caused by both the lack of an integral complex of the respective sources and the exacting conspiracy, which put under a ban the divulging of actual military personnel number of the unit and subunit. Besides, the dynamic nature of the guerilla and insurgent phenomena brings about the additional hardship of the specification of the aforementioned MD’s military personnel number. It is possible to estimate the approximate figures over a period of time only. However, even these figures could significantly differ in a brief space of time (especially before and after “the great blockade”). The documents of the underground work, which would adequately characterize the quantitative indicators of the insurgents are absent, whereas the remaining sporadic ones are too fragmentary and disembodied to provide an integral picture. On the other hand, the materials of the party and repressive-punitive organs give a certain chance. The party documents are the most contradictory. What concerns the documents of the repressive-punitive organs, they are more reliable in this respect, because they are basically less politized. That is why the author was conditioned to rest on his own calculations which, given their relative inexactitude, nonetheless, present orienting numerical characteristics of the insurgents acting on the territory of MD-4 “Hoverla”. In the article the dynamics of the change of the Ukrainian nationalists’ quantity, as well as the tendency to decreasing of the insurgents’ number with time has been shown. According to the author’s calculations, in November, 1944, on the territory of MD-4 “Hoverla” there were enacted 52 Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA) companies, which – accounting for the fact that each consisted of some 150-180 man – will make up nearly 7800-9360 fighters. Accordingly, by January, 1945 there were 51 companies, that is 7650-9180 men; by autumn 1945 there were 26 units (each numbering from 40 to 60 men), which totaled some 2350-2960; by summer 1946 there functioned 23 units and 10 subunits (each counting from 40 to 60), that totals some 1320-1980; by January 1948 in action there still were 3 units in tactical division (TD) (“Hutsulshchyna” (“The Hutsul Land”) and 5 units in TD – 24 “Makivka” (the mountain’s name). Taking into consideration, that the strength of each unit varied from 40 to 50, the UIA members are estimated as many as 320-400. In 1949 there remained in action a some 20 men strong group in TD-21 “Hutsulshchyna” headed by P. Melnyk, and a like some 20 men strong subunion 479 (belonging to union 91) in TD-24 “Makivka”. All that enables the following prйcis: MD-4 “Hoverla” was the most numerous in the structure of the UIA-West and functioned the longest in comparison with the other similar bodies.