Bud’te!: z dorohovkazu Oleha Kandyby [Be!: Oleg Kandyba's Guiding Light]

[Munich]: Kultura, 1946. Illustrated wrappers. Item #817

24 pages ; 21 cm. Text in Ukrainian. A good copy with light wear, foxing, spotting and several little chips on the last pages.

From the book's preface: In his final years, Oleg Kandyba (O. Olzhych) aspired to document his revolutionary experiences for the benefit of political-revolutionary audiences. Regrettably, circumstances prevented this endeavor. Nevertheless, Kandyba's entire literary legacy embodies a profound revolutionary spirit, both in terms of his pivotal role within the revolutionary movement and the content of his work, characterized by its heroic essence.

Committed exclusively to the grand idea of the Ukrainian national revolution, Oleg Kandyba did not divert his spiritual energy towards limited cultural production or utopian moralizations. Instead, he strove with unwavering determination to establish the citadel of Ukrainian Statehood on tangible grounds. His work, whether poetry, programmatic articles, or underground appeals, transcends mere words, bearing the highest political significance and unwavering authenticity.

The select opinions of Oleg Kandyba presented in this collection will serve as a guiding light for the reader.

Oleh Olzhych (pseudonym of Oleh Kandyba) was a Ukrainian archeologist, poet, and nationalist leader. Born on July 21, 1907, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, he emigrated to the United States in 1923. Olzhych earned his archeology degree from Prague's Charles University in 1929 and played a role in founding the Ukrainian Research Institute in America.

In 1929, Olzhych joined the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and later the OUN (Melnyk faction). He held various leadership positions and contributed to underground activities in Ukraine until his arrest in May 1944. Despite enduring brutal torture, he remained steadfast in his resistance, ultimately losing his life in Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

As a poet, Olzhych followed Neoclassical traditions, focusing on historical themes and Ukraine's right to independence. His poetry, marked by its strength and lack of sentimentality, called for heroic action and duty fulfillment. His significant essays included "Revoliutsiia rve kaidany" (Revolution Breaks the Chains) and "Dukh ruiny" (The Spirit of Ruin), addressing Nazi crimes in Ukraine and internal discord among Ukrainians, respectively.

Price: $200.00