Національно-організаційна робота СВУ серед полонених офіцерів-українців російської армії в Австро-Угорщині, 1917 – перша половина 1918 рр. (за матеріалами українських архівів)

The article analyzes the main directions of national-organizational work of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine (the ULU) among Ukrainian officers from the Russian army who were prisoners of war in 1917 and the first half of 1918. Through the efforts of the ULU representatives in the camps, Ukrainian (“Little Russian”) theatrical and choral groups, libraries, reading rooms, and various educational courses were established. Ukrainian periodicals and books began to arrive in the officers’ camps, which led to significant transformations in their worldview. The ULU activities among the officers were intensified after the fall of the tsarist regime, when it became possible to establish separate stations (camps) to hold those Ukrainian officers. Thus, communities of Ukrainian officers were formed in Josefstadt and Klein München, consisting of officers with Ukrainophile sentiments who had already made their choice in favor of Ukraine. As a result, some Ukrainian officers managed to shed the remnants of “Little Russian identity” in their consciousness, dedicating themselves to the cause of serving Ukraine. The emergence of independent Ukraine became another ‘watershed moment’ for this category of Ukrainian officers. In March 1918, they began to enlist in the “Grey Coats” Division, which was formed from Ukrainian prisoners of war in Austria-Hungary. Their patriotic feelings became one of significant factors in the development of the armed forces of Ukraine during the period of the Ukrainian people’s struggle for independence from 1917 to 1920.