Abstract
The article examines the Crimean aspect of the Ukrainian liberation movement. The program and ideological documents of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists regarding their vision of the role and place of Crimea in the geopolitical strategies of the future independent Ukrainian state are analyzed. The second part of the article is devoted to the deployment of Ukrainian nationalist structures on the Crimean peninsula, the peculiarities of their work under German occupation and relations with certain national groups, including the Crimean Tatars. Even in the interwar period, the ideologues of Ukrainian nationalists developed geostrategic concepts in which Crimea occupied a key place, as a certain outpost of the Black Sea region, which under no circumstances can be inferior. Accordingly, these documents proved the ideas of historical and physical-geographical unity of mainland Ukraine with the Crimea from the times of Kievan Rus, the Cossacks and modern history. In the future vision, Ukrainian nationalists viewed Crimea as the main base of the Ukrainian navy and Ukrainian merchant navy. The issue of the Navy and Crimean ports occupies a special place in these documents. Ukrainian nationalists were able to begin to implement their plans and implement their own ideas during the German-Soviet war. As early as the beginning of July 1941, the first OUN marching groups moved to the central Ukrainian lands, from where they planned to seize all ethnic Ukrainian lands, creating their own bodies of power and administration, and Crimea was one of their key destinations. Respectively, the OUN (B) and the OUN (M) created special «Crimean» marching groups, which were to move directly to the peninsula. In November 1941, the first OUN groups managed to enter the territory of the Crimea. At that time there was a split in relations between the German occupation regime and Ukrainian nationalists, German repressions against members and supporters of the OUN began in the summer of 1941, so marching groups to the Crimea were under threat of exposure and physical destruction. Simferopol became the center of OUN activity in Crimea. Separate OUN structures were also established in Dzhankoi, Yalta, and other cities on the peninsula. Under persecution by the Gestapo and the SD, Ukrainian nationalists were still able to gain a foothold in the Crimea and begin systematic organizational work, which consisted of established networks of sympathizers and agents, volunteer and cultural structures. This article will be of interest to those who are interested in the activities of the Ukrainian liberation movement, OUN groups and the history of Crimea during the German occupation.
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