Ukrainian nationalist Feodor Vovk, who changed his name to Ivan Vovchuk in emigration, saved many Jews from death during the Nazi occupation of Nikopol. His wife Yelizaveta Shkandel, also a member of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, helped him in this. This has been shared by the President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Boris Lozhkin.
Vovk and Shkandel were recognized in 1988 as Righteous Among the Nations by Israel's Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center for saving Jews.
Vovk's story is notable because he was also vice-president of the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council (UHVR) chaired by Roman Shukhevych and Stepan Bandera's deputy in the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).
“The case of Vovk is not unique among the Ukrainian nationalists. Risking their lives, many OUN members sheltered Jews and forged documents, turning them into Ukrainians during the Holocaust,” noted Lozhkin.
He is sure that “as many people as possible, not only in Ukraine, but also abroad, should get to know about the nationalist Righteous Among the Nations. This will help to destroy the myth of Ukrainian anti-Semites and further strengthen relations between Ukrainians and Jews.”
Many of the facts from the life story of Ivan Vovchuk, one of the OUN leaders and a Righteous Among the Nations will be presented for the first time in Oleh Protsenko’s book "National Tribune. The Life and Ideas of Ivan Vovchuk". With the support of the Vovk Foundation, the book is now being prepared for printing by the Phronesis publishing house.
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