Monday 10 January 2011

From the end of 2004 till 2010 there were much popular such slogans as "Poland is Ukraine's lawyer in Europe" or "Poland is Ukrainian friend" on the TV and in the majority of the Ukrainian and Polish newspapers. But the reality showed another side, showed that it was only nice slogans. Ukrainians can name Aleksandr Kvasnievski, the former Polish president, the friend of their country, because he was for good relations between two countries in his speeches and activity, except his speeches about Stepan Bandera. But in general that two slogans "about frienship" weren't truth.
It's not a secret that Poles enjoy to travel in Lviv (Ukraine) and till nowadays many Poles consider that it is or will be Polish city! Poles also very like to visit Lviv with Polish guides and without any Ukrainian guide. Even there is special courses of the guides for Lviv in Lyublin, Eastern Polish city! One of the finest story for Poles is the legend of Lviv date's foundation: that Lviv was founded in 1340 by Polish king Kazymyr Velykyy, but indeed Lviv was founded by Danylo Halytskyy, Halytsko-Volynskyy prince (then king), in 1256. Very much guidebooks about Lviv are publishing in Poland now, just "amazing". Even one guidebook of the best Polish sights, published in the 2006-2007 years in Wroclaw, included Lviv in the list! The Polish newspaper "Gazeta Wyborcza" from December 29th, 2010 wrote very nostalgic article about Lviv and how much it was Polish city and what was a mistake when after the Second World War Lviv became soviet, not Polish. There aren't the words "territory of modern Ukraine" or just word "Ukrainian" in the article, but the article's title is "One atomic bomb - and we'll come back Lviv"!
I remember a program on the Polish TV-channel "TVP1" in 2007 about Polish demonstration against Poland's visit of the Ukrainians, deported during military operation "Visla" of 1947 from their native lands such as Lemkivshchyna, Kholmshchyna etc., former Ukrainian, present Polish territories. There were 70th-80th years old Ukrainians (in the majority) and much younger Polish people, which screamed slogans that it's their land and wishes to go home for that Ukrainians. And that old Ukrainians didn't want to take any land, but only to see the sights of their childhood. So I can't say about all these Polish activities as about friendly steps in the Polish-Ukrainian relations.
And also in European Parliament resolution of February 25th, 2010 was adopted the proposition, initiated by Polish deputates, to deplore the decision 0f the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko about the title of "National Hero of Ukraine" for Stepan Bandera, a leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) because of his so-called collaboration with Nazi. That was Polish lie, because S. Bandera wasn't for Nazi. Lviv's examlpe: Lviv was occupated by Nazi from June 1941 till July 1944. And on June, 30th the OUN proclaimed the Act of the Ukrainian Independence in Lviv. Nazi's power didn't like such Act and many OUN's members were arrested. Then S. Bandera also was arrested ans was sent into concentration camp in Zassenhaus (Sachsenhausen), East Germany, where he were from July 5th, 1941 till September 27th, 1944. And, yes, S. Bandera is Ukrainian hero, but I suppose that Poles (or their majority) not soon (or probably never) will recognize he as a hero. Because he also fought against Polish occupation of Ukraine.
But it's frequent situation in the world - not very good relations between neighbours: such was and such is. I guess it will be better to consolidate contacts in the political and economical sense with another european and world countries, to not concentrate only on the relations with Russia and Poland as it usually is in the state's power of Ukraine.
And I very hope in the best future in Ukraine.

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