In Memory of Olena Teliha and Her Comrades

February 21, 2025

On February 21, 2025, the Ukrainian public honored the memory of the Ukrainian poet, public figure, and member of the OUN, Olena Teliha. Eighty-three years ago, the poet was executed by the Gestapo. Along with the luminous memory of this outstanding patriot, her comrades were also commemorated—members of the nationalist underground who were executed by Nazi occupiers and buried in Babyn Yar.

To date, the names of 621 members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, who were executed by the Nazis in occupied Kyiv between 1941 and 1943, have been established. Among the most well-known are Volodymyr Bahaziy—the head (mayor) of the Kyiv City Administration; Ivan Rohach—the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper “Ukrainske Slovo”; and Mykhailo Teliha, the bandurist, comrade, and husband of the poet. The search for those who perished in Babyn Yar continues. However, sadly, the names of the majority of Ukrainian patriots who fought against the hateful Nazi invaders will likely never be known.

The commemoration began with the laying of flowers at the monument to Olena Teliha and continued with a requiem rally held by the memorial cross dedicated to the executed OUN members, located within the National Historical Memorial Reserve “Babyn Yar.” The event was attended by Vadym Melnyk, the first deputy general director of the reserve; Andriy Tkachuk, the deputy general director for scientific work at the reserve and an honored cultural worker of Ukraine; as well as reserve staff Mykhailo Hutor, Iryna Myzak, and Volodymyr Korneliuk.

The speakers, including Andriy Tkachuk, noted the significant role played by auxiliary groups of the OUN and their supporters in organizing the rescue of Kyiv residents from starvation and the cold during the first months of the occupation. In fact, they were the ones who set up feeding stations for city residents who were left without food supplies—supplies that had been removed or destroyed by the retreating Soviet authorities (in some cases, drowned in the Dnipro River). Moreover, after Bolshevik sabotage and arson of buildings on Khreshchatyk and adjacent streets, thousands of central city residents were left homeless just before the onset of winter. Ukrainian activists, who had joined the occupation city administration, took it upon themselves to help Kyiv residents find shelter. Soon, the civic activities of Ukrainian nationalists in rescuing the people of Kyiv would be used as an accusation against them for their subversive work against the Nazi Reich. Arrests and executions, primarily of OUN members and leading activists, would soon follow.

The selfless actions of Olena Teliha and her comrades are undoubtedly an example of sacrificial service to their people. This heroic legacy continues to inspire the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as they fight against the bloody Russian aggressor for the freedom and independence of our Ukrainian state and nation.