ПОВСЯКДЕННЯ ПОЛОНЕНИХ СТАРШИН-УКРАЇНЦІВ У ТАБОРІ КАССІНО, ІТАЛІЯ ОЧИМА ІЛЮСТРАТОРІВ ТАБОРОВИХ ВИДАНЬ (1919 – ПЕРША ПОЛОВИНА 1920 РР.)

Abstract

The article examines the daily life of the Ukrainian officers (elders) imprisoned in the Camp of Cassino (Italy) in 1919 – the first half of 1920. It deals with illustrated materials published by the camp editions. The community of Prisoner Ukrainian officers has a special place in the history of Ukrainian captivity in Italy. It is determined by the level of national consciousness of its members, and those significant achievements in the field of culture and education that were made due to their morality and active citizenship. Living in the conditions of camp and being almost completely isolated from the national life of Ukraine, the Prisoner Ukrainian elders managed to organize the work of schools and educational courses. They organized a choir, orchestra and amateur theater. They celebrated national Ukrainian holidays as well. Most of the Prisoner Ukrainian elders were ready to give their assistance to the UNR in its fight against the Bolshevik Russia by joining the national army. The camp press vividly reflected the national self-consciousness of the Prisoner Ukrainian elders. It contributed to the unity of camp prisoners and helped them to overcome strength to overcome the difficulties of everyday life. The production of the camp editions, such as «The Prisoner» magazine and its satirical-humorous appendix «Lazaroni», faced a lot of problems. The editions were produced manually in the amount of one (or several) copies of each issue. Nevertheless the camp editions met the prisoners’ demand for information effectively. They also performed an extremely important functions of mobilizing and educating the prisoners.The author emphasizes that the camp press was highly important not just for the prisoners, but for the whole Ukrainian community in Cassino. It contributed significantly to preserving the Ukrainian national identity and supported the idea of Ukraine’s independence.