VOLYN’43: WHAT IS THE POLISH HISTORIOGRAPHY SILENT ABOUT?

The purpose of this study is to analyze the “white spots” in Polish historiography related to the Volhynia tragedy of 1943 and to refute several established statements by Polish researchers that contradict historical facts. The methodology employed is based on the principles of comprehensiveness, historicism, systematicity, verification, and scientific rigor. Comparative, chronological, biographical, problem-search, and retrospective methods were utilized. A significant contribution of this work lies in its scientific novelty: for the first time in Ukrainian historiography, issues that are (un)deliberately overlooked by Polish historians in their study of the Volhynia tragedy are brought to light. The study reveals the multidimensional causes of the Volhynia tragedy of 1943, including (a) deep-seated social conflicts that had been accumulating for centuries, (b) the influence of imperial, Soviet, and nationalist propaganda, (c) anti-Polish sentiments among the local population due to the discriminatory national policies of the Second Polish Republic, and (d) the chaos of the occupation period. It is noted that the dominant narrative in Polish historiography regarding these events is rooted in the thesis of Professor Grzegorz Motyka, who attributes sole responsibility for the tragic Polish-Ukrainian conflict to the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Furthermore, the analysis highlights the lack of attention in Polish historiography to the genesis of anti-Polish sentiments in Volhynia, which had been shaped over time by the Black Hundred agitation of the Russian Empire, Bolshevik propaganda, and communist narratives during the interwar period. It is also observed that Polish historians often “overlook” the role of external actors such as Nazi Germany and the USSR, whose occupation policies exacerbated the breakdown of social order. These policies led to increased banditry and aggression between communities. The constant shifts in power and the absence of state security institutions during this tumultuous period facilitated the spread of violence at the local level. Keywords: Volhynia’1943, Polish historiography, World War II, Ukrainian-Polish relations, OUN, UPA, Home Army, USSR, Nazi Germany, communist movement, nationalist movement, Grzegorz Motyka, Mariusz Zajączkowski, Andrzej L. Sowa.