Union of Ukrainians in Poland

The Union of Ukrainians in Poland (Związek Ukraińców w Polsce, ZUwP) is a Ukrainian social organization that brings together Ukrainians living in Poland. It was founded in 1990 and is the legal successor of the Ukrainian Social and Cultural Society (Ukraińskie Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne), which had been established in 1956. The organization works to preserve the cultural identity of the Ukrainian community in Poland and to develop good-neighbourly contacts and cooperation between Poland and Ukraine. The Union has been active in historical and commemorative matters. In 1995 its Main Council submitted a bill to the Sejm granting combatant rights to members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army who had been imprisoned in Stalinist times, and also called for the Polish state to compensate victims of Operation Vistula. On 25 January 1995, the Sejm Commission on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites concluded a cooperation agreement with the Union, setting criteria for commemorating Ukrainians, including that memorial sites should be linked to actual burial places and that inscriptions on plaques and monuments must be bilingual and must not offend Polish feelings. In 2007 a ZUwP delegation asked the Institute of National Remembrance to recognize "Polish crimes committed over the years against the Ukrainian nation"; according to Jan Żaryn, the IPN did not accept the request, calling it an attempt to impose a particular version of history. As a result of the Union's efforts, Przemyśl councillors decided to exchange the Dom Ludowy building in Przemyśl for the Garrison Club building, then owned by the State Treasury, with the intention of later transferring it to the Union. On 21 March 2011 the Ukrainian House building in Przemyśl was returned to the Ukrainian community, with the Union buying the property from the State Treasury for a symbolic sum — 1% of the building's value. The Union's sixth congress also appealed to the authorities of Lviv to support the Polish community there in its long-standing efforts to obtain a suitable building. Within the Union's structures, the Association of Ukrainian Political Prisoners of the Stalinist Period (Stowarzyszenie Ukraińców-Więźniów Politycznych Okresu Stalinowskiego) has operated since 1990, with its seat in Koszalin and Józef Myca as chairman. The Union's leadership has included Mirosław Skórka as president since 2021, with Andrzej Komar as vice-president of the main board, Mirosław Kupicz as secretary, and Roman Biłas, Stefania Łajkosz and Katarzyna Polewczak as board members.

The Union of Ukrainians in Poland (Związek Ukraińców w Polsce, ZUwP) is a Ukrainian social organization uniting Ukrainians living in Poland. It was founded in 1990 and is the legal successor of the Ukrainian Social and Cultural Society (Ukraińskie Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne), which was established in 1956. The organization's stated goals are to act for the preservation of the cultural identity of the Ukrainian community in Poland and to develop good-neighbourly contacts and cooperation between Poland and Ukraine. In 1995 the Main Council of the Union submitted a bill to the Sejm granting combatant rights to members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army who had been imprisoned in Stalinist times. In the bill the Union also demanded that the Polish state pay compensation to victims of Operation Vistula. On 25 January 1995, the Sejm Commission on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites concluded a cooperation agreement with the Union of Ukrainians in Poland, defining criteria for commemorating Ukrainians. The resolution agreed that memorial sites should be connected with the actual place of burial, and that inscriptions on plaques and monuments must be bilingual and must not offend the feelings of Poles. The initiative was supported by all present, including representatives of the Union of Ukrainians in Poland. In 2007 a delegation of the Union approached the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) to have it recognize "Polish crimes committed over the years by Poles against the Ukrainian nation". According to Jan Żaryn, however, the IPN did not accept this request, stating that it constituted "imposing one's own version of history". As a result of the Union's activities, Przemyśl councillors decided to exchange the Dom Ludowy building in Przemyśl for the Garrison Club building, which had until then been the property of the State Treasury, in connection with its later transfer to the Union of Ukrainians in Poland. On 21 March 2011 the Ukrainian House building in Przemyśl was returned to the Ukrainian community — the Union of Ukrainians in Poland bought the property from the State Treasury for a symbolic sum, 1% of the building's value. The sixth congress of the Union also appealed to the authorities of Lviv to support the postulates of the Polish community in that city regarding the transfer of a suitable building for its needs, which that community had been unsuccessfully seeking for many years. Within the structures of the Union, the Association of Ukrainian Political Prisoners of the Stalinist Period (Stowarzyszenie Ukraińców-Więźniów Politycznych Okresu Stalinowskiego, Spiłka Ukrajinciw-Politwjazniw Stalinśkoho Periodu) has been one of the organizations operating since 1990. Its seat is in Koszalin, and its chairman is Józef Myca. The board of the Union has included Mirosław Skórka as president since 2021, Andrzej Komar as vice-president of the main board, Mirosław Kupicz as secretary of the main board, and Roman Biłas, Stefania Łajkosz and Katarzyna Polewczak as members.

• 2021

  Mirosław Skórka became president of the Union.

• 2011

  On 21 March, the Ukrainian House building in Przemyśl was returned to the Ukrainian community; the Union bought it from the State Treasury for 1% of its value.

• 2007

  Delegation requested the Institute of National Remembrance to recognize "Polish crimes" against the Ukrainian nation; request not accepted.

• 1995

  Main Council submitted a bill to the Sejm on combatant rights for imprisoned UPA members and compensation for Operation Vistula victims.

• 1995

  On 25 January, cooperation agreement concluded with the Sejm Commission on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites.

• 1990

  Union of Ukrainians in Poland founded as legal successor of the Ukrainian Social and Cultural Society.

• 1956

  Ukrainian Social and Cultural Society established, predecessor of the Union.

1. 1Union of Ukrainians in Polandwikidata.org
2. 2Związek Ukraińców w Polscepl.wikipedia.org