National Tribune: Legacy of Liberated Nations
In National Tribune, a groundbreaking new book authored by esteemed Ukrainian historian Oleh Protsenko, the curtain is pulled back on the life of Fedir Vovk (Ivan Vovchuk), a towering figure in the saga of Ukraine’s fight for freedom and independence. This riveting book not only resurrects the legacy of Vovchuk but also dismantles decades-old Soviet fabrications that cast Ukrainian nationalists as foes of the Jewish people. Through meticulous research and compelling narrative, National Tribune illuminates Vovchuk’s unsung heroism in saving Jews during the Holocaust, and his role supporting Ukraine against Soviet aggression and forging strong U.S.-Ukraine relations. National Tribune is more than a book; it’s a bold look at history, revealing the intertwined destinies of Ukrainian and Jewish fates, and reshaping our understanding of the Cold War’s shadowy battles and their implications today as Ukraine fights for its survival.
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What They’re Saying
“Oleh Protsenko has written a well-researched, multi-layered, and even-handed history of one of Ukraine’s most fascinating, though insufficiently known, figures—Ivan Vovchuk. But Protsenko has done much more than produce an eminently readable historical account of one man. He has embedded Vovchuk’s biography in detailed histories of 20th-century Ukraine, the organized nationalist movement, and the Ukrainian diaspora. As a result, we come to appreciate Vovchuk’s contribution to Ukrainian history as well as the many large and small ways in which changing contexts and unchanging complexities influenced his life and actions. That is quite an accomplishment.”
– Alexander Motyl, professor of political science, Rutgers University-Newark
“I’ve known about Fedir Vovk for a long time. In 2019, a street in Nikopol was named after him as a part of the Jewish Confederation’s project “The Righteous of My City”. However, general public hardly knows much about the activities of Fedir Ivanovych in the underground and in emigration. Being Bandera’s deputy, Shukhevych’s colleague, and a savior of Jews at the same time—is a destructive combination for the Soviet anti-Ukrainian myth. Therefore, this first biography of him is extremely valuable to us, particularly nowadays.”
– Borys Lozhkin, Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine
“This biography of Ivan Vovchuk provides an opportunity to learn more about one of the notable figures of the Ukrainian nationalist movement, and also to get better comprehension of the twentieth-century history. Impressively, his activity spans southeast and western regions of Ukraine, Germany, and the United States. His life story convincingly dispels numerous stereotypes about our past: “Easterner,” nationalist, Bandera’s comrade, Righteous Among the Nations, and a major force in the public life of Ukrainian in the US.”
– Volodymyr Viatrovych, Researcher of the liberation movement history
“Ivan Vovchuk is strong, energetic, intelligent, morally upright, impressive, humane and multifaceted. The book about him is similar to his character. It is a dynamic kaleidoscope of various eras and fields of endeavor, organizations and institutions, friends and fellows, opponents and foes. Therefore, we have a vivid picture of the life of Ukrainians during the 20th century summarized as follows: liberation struggle, life under occupation, repressions, and emigration.”
– Volodymyr Moroz, Historian, Researcher of the liberation movement