The Command of the "Sian" M.D. sent UPA units on a mission
into the Volodava and Bila Pidliaska districts. The officers who accompanied
them - Yaroslav Bilyi ("Milko", "Plastun", "Kryha"),
second-in-command for the Kholm region, Serhiy Martyniuk ("Hrab"),
representative of the Kholm UPA T.V. and a few others - were to inspect
the situation at first-hand and establish contacts with AK units. They
met with little success at first, but finally, on October 24, 1945,
Yaroslav Bilyi ("Kryha") received a letter from Major Wladyslaw
Wawrzak "Pajak", the Polish representative, invi-ting him
to a meeting on October 27. This letter was in reply to one "Kryha"
had sent a month earlier, on September 21, to "the commander of
the Kholm, Volodava and Bila Pidliaska districts."
The meeting took place in the village of Horoshchanka (Horoszczanka),
Bila Pidliaska district. Among the Polish delegates were Major Jan Szatyski-Szatowski
("Burian", "Zagonczyk", "Dziryt"), the
Inspector of the third region, and Major Wladyslaw Wawrzak ("zuk",
"Pajak"), chief of intelligence and counter-intelligence.
The Ukrainian delegates were "Kryha", who introduced himself
as commander of a UPA unit, Ivan Romanechko ("Volodia", "Morozenko"),
chief of the security Bila Pidlaska district and Vasyl Kral ("Chavs",
"Bohun"), commanding officer of the UPA "Halaida II"
detachment.
According to the Ukrainian report, "Dziryt" began the meeting
with a declaration that Poland recognized, without any reservations,
Ukrainian aspirations for an independent country and that the Poles
welcomed wholeheartedly the Ukrainian struggle for freedom. The delegates
then exchanged views on current world events and, in particular, on
developments within their own countries. They spent a considerable amount
of time establishing precise areas of co-operation.
The Polish side was aware of UPA-AK agreements previously reached in
the south, and of the fact that as yet no formal agreement had been
signed by the Polish government and the UHVR. "Dziryt" proposed
a renewal of higher-level talks between the two sides in this region.
He indicated that the first meeting of this kind could well take place
within a month. "Kryha" replied that he would convey this
proposal to his authorities, but said he could give no guarantees since
Bila Pidliaska was quite removed from the Ukrainian center of activity.
Both sides agreed to broaden co-operation based on principles previously
agreed upon in the south. The Bila Pidliaska region was peculiar, however,
in that there were Polish villages within the operational range of both
UPA and WiN detachments. As a result, no line demarcating territorial
spheres of influence could be drawn up. The solution agreed upon gave
the UPA administrative control over Ukrainian-settled areas and the
WiN equal control over Polish areas.
Agreement was also reached on matters relating to administration, exchange
of printed matter, military intelligence and mutual aid in obtaining
provisions, medication and safe-houses. Because units of both organizations
were operating on the same territory, much time was spent discussing
ways of expanding contacts while still guarding against accidents and
police infiltration. The solution agreed upon was to make frequent local
contacts which would enable people on both sides to get to know each
other well. UPA units were granted the right to setup quarters in Polish
villages, but were not allowed to collect food or money.
"Pajak" was interested in expanding military intelligence
deeper into Ukraine. "Kryha" did not consider himself empowered
to make any commitments on this issue, but promised to pass on the proposals
to higher authorities. The Polish delegates expressed misgivings about
UPA offensives in their area, for they felt that these would attract
Soviet police forces and bring about harsh reprisals against civilians.
They advised the Ukrainians to "sit still" and to use the
winter for training. The Ukrainian delegates assured them that they
had no plans to commence any large operations and intended to fight
only if attacked by communist forces.
Yevhen Shtendera, © 1977