still want to be in the EU?

[stepanstas]

Originally Posted by AkMike

I looked thru your information and talked with my wife about Banderas.
I think that since history is wrtten by the victor and the views of the vanquished are forgotten... This explains the vast difference.
My wifes take on him is that he was doing what ever was needeed to have an indenendant Ukraine. Did he work both sides of the table? Probably. Did it work? Not back then, but Ukraine is independant now..

Was he a hero? That would depend on what side of the table you sit on!

Look at what is written about Bennidect Arnold in the USA and then find a source from Britan or Canada.
Very different takes on the same man and the same actions.
Heck, I have an ancestor that is honored by both sides of the American Revolution. Go try to figure that one out. He's buried in Canada so that tells me he chose to finish out his days there.

Rumors are easy to spread, but hard to disprove. Soviet Russia linked Bandera to something that everyone is clearly against. Now anyone who supports him is seen as evil. Fact is Bandera stood for an independent Ukraine and if it were not for him, I think that things would be different. I don't know if there was and what kind of relationship there was (if any) between Bandera and the Nazi's, but one thing is for sure, he stood for his country. And trying to declare independence right in between Germany and Russia could not have been easy, but he did it.

[Zbyszek]

Yes, Ukrainians had full right to proclaim Bandera a hero and the world had full rights to expres its negative feelings about it. There are bitter questions, though: do Ukrainians lack real, strong heroes so they are obliged to search through "reserve cadres"?
I deplore that similar things happen from time to time in my country, luckily, at local scale, where some politicians want to bury communist past at all cost and they decorate cruel anti-communists guerillas with post-mortal honours in spite of their record of evil left behind.

[IreneLviv]

There is a plenty of sources open today - documents, memoirs - about the then events and Bandera's activities - read them to make your own opinion about him.
I was quite amazed today to see a crowd of football fans who just arrived from Kharkiv ( Eastern Ukraine) to Lviv to attend a football game - marching to Bandera Monument and holding a rally near it - beating the drum and thundering out 'Bandera is our hero!'

[stepanstas]

Originally Posted by IreneLviv

There is a plenty of sources open today - documents, memoirs - about the then events and Bandera's activities - read them to make your own opinion about him.
I was surprised today to see a crowd of football fans who just arrived from Kharkiv to Lviv to attend a football game - marching to Bandera Monument and holding a rally near it - beating the drum and thundering out 'Bandera is our hero!'

My grandfather lives about 3 or 4 streets away from the monument and there is not a day he doesn't not walk there to stand by him.

[IreneLviv]

But the monument itself is very bad . It stands in a wrong place and does not blend in with the site - both Bandera's opponents and supporters agree that this is the worst what has been created in Lviv throughout last years!

[stepanstas]

Originally Posted by IreneLviv

But the monument itself is very bad . It stands in a wrong place and does not blend in with the site - both Bandera's opponents and supporters agree that this is the worst what has been created in Lviv throughout last years!

Agreed, it could be better. Weren't they planning something for the surrounding area?

[stepanstas]