Oleh Olzhych


Oleh Olzhych was a Ukrainian poet and nationalist leader. Born as Oleh Kandyba, he emigrated from Ukraine in 1923 and lived in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He graduated in 1929 from Charles University with a degree in archaeology. In 1929 he joined the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and became head of their cultural and educational branch.
After the split in the OUN in 1938, Olzhych remained loyal to the Melnyk faction and represented OUN-M in Carpatho-Ukraine as Melnyk's deputy. Olzhych's poetry focused on themes of Ukrainian struggle for independence. He moved to Kyiv in 1941 and was instrumental in the formation of the Ukrainian National Council.
From 1941 to 1944 he directed the activities of OUN-M in Ukraine. He was arrested by the Gestapo for his nationalist activities and subsequently executed.