"The Ukrainian herald" - a journal of the ukrainian resistance (1970 - 1972)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to do the research on the self-published underground journal “The Ukrainian Herald” as a factor and component of the struggle of the Ukrainian national movement in the 1970s and the 1980s. The methodological basis of the research was concrete historical, comparative historical and analytical methods. The principles of objectivity, historicism, multi-factoriality have been used. The scientific novelty: the reasons for creating the journal, the peculiarities of the formation of the editorial team, the conditions for preparing and publishing the journal have been studied, as well as the programme objectives and content of “The Ukrainian Herald” have been analyzed. The Conclusion. In the course of the conducted research, it has been determined that under the conditions of a total control and persecution by the Soviet special services, Viacheslav Chornovil managed to create and publish an underground self-published journal. At all stages of the publication of the journal, he followed a strict conspiracy: starting from the collection of information, processing of editorial materials, publishing of the “signal copy”, reproduction and distribution. The meticulous means of the conspiracy allowed him to publish the journal for a relatively long period of time under the existing socio-political circumstances. The danger of exposing the publishers of the journal forced V. Chornovil to select a limited number of assistants carefully. The optimally created organizational structure of “The Ukrainian Herald” nevertheless counted a significant number of people. In the 1960 s and 1970 s no other underground editorial offices of the Ukrainian publications had such a number of functional employees. The members of the publishing team effectively performed their tasks, and during the arrests and interrogations, they did not reveal their or V. Chornovil's involvement in the production of the journal.

Viacheslav Chornovil successfully organized the distribution channels of the journal. In particular, he established the illegal transportation of “The Ukrainian Herald” across the Soviet border to the West. Due to the fact that the journal was reprinted abroad in large numbers, the readership of “The Ukrainian Herald” “Herald” grew greatly. Its materials objectively, thoroughly and relatively quickly provided the public both in the middle of the country and outside the country with information about the activities of freedom fighters and the repressions of the authorities. “The Ukrainian Herald” turned into an extremely effective tool for the Ukrainian national movement's information war with the Soviet regime.