Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) -- Australia

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HISTORY UKRAINIAN YOUTH ASSOCIATION
"CYM"

Taking advantage of this time Ukraine declared its independence in January 1918 and started to rebuild the nation. Ukrainian students from highschools and Universities were very active in the rebuilding, especially in the education of the masses.

Unfortunately, the Ukrainian government was largely composed of socialists who identified strongly with their bolshevik brothers in Russia; and convinced the government to disband the Ukrainian Army, indicating it to be of no necessity. They said that at a time of need the older brother 'Russia' would come and defend Ukraine.

The Bolsheviks came into Ukraine and spread the word of proletariat revolution and supposed equality for peasants.

In opposition to their propaganda, patriotic Ukrainian students distributed pamphlets and ran discussion groups about independence for Ukraine. They also made up posters which called on previous army personnel and young men to join a Ukrainian army in aid of their nation's freedom rather than supporting communism.

In January 1918 not long after the proclamation of Independence, the Bolsheviks started advancing on Kyiv. On the 29 January, the battle of "Kruty" occurred 120 kms south east of Kyiv. 250 youth and three hundred men valiantly defended the road to Kyiv against 6000 Bolsheviks. All except for 27 were killed, the 27 being taken prisoners and shot the next day.

In order to control the hearts and minds of the Ukrainian Youth the Bolsheviks established a new youth organisation, "KOMSOMOL" - Communist Association of Youth. This organisation instilled in its young members hatred of anything anti-communist or Ukrainian. They degraded anything Christian, and in schools their members had a role to squeeze out any patriotic youth from formal positions as well as scare them enough to ensure that they would not want to undertake any anti communist activities. In addition, without the endorsement of Komsomol, it was difficult if not impossible to enter higher studies or obtain a good job.

Under the leadership of the respected patriotic academics Serhij Yefremov and Volodymyr Durdukivskyj, 20 year old Mykola Pavlushkov started to organise Ukrainian Youth with the aim of bringing together like minded youth who believed in the freedom of Ukraine and were ready to fight for this ideal.

In May 1925, in Kyiv, Mykola Pavlushkov formulated a program for the Ukrainian Youth Association - SUM with a main aim of preseving the freedom of Ukraine as well as fostering the growth of good Ukrainian citizens. Together with M. Pavlushkov, the first members of SUM were Boris Matushevsky, Diordor Bobyrya, Hryhorjj Slobodianyk, Peter Nychytaylo and Yurij Vynyhradov.

The members of SUM prepared a great deal of Ukrainian patriotic literature and distributed it to students & the community. Members were also active against collectivization.

Because the Bolsheviks would not countenance any opposition, SUM had to be organised conspiratorially on a system of groups of fives. In each group each member had to organize another group of five who were unknown to others. Each person also had a pseudonym so that any disclosure would not put other people at risk.

In the spring of 1929 mass arrests and killings commenced in Ukraine of anyone suspected of anti Bolshevik activities and in 1930 the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was also decimated. Pavlushkov, Yefremov and Matushevsky were also arrested.

In 1930, in Kharkiv, the Russians put on a massive show trial against 45 members of SUM and SVU(the adult nationalist organisation), Pavlushkov was sentenced to death but this was commuted to exile and isolation on the island of Sokolovky in far northern Russia where he was tortured and shot in 1937.

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