Poland recalls WWII Ukrainian nationalist killings of civilians

In 1943, Leokadia, a survivor from Hucisko Horodyskie in the Wołyń region, recounts how Ukrainian nationalist forces attacked her village, killing her father and two young sisters. She describes seeking refuge in a school, the subsequent flight to Krzemieniec, and how a Ukrainian farmer later buried the victims while she was taken to an orphanage.

Historian Jan Tomasz Gross, speaking in an interview, emphasizes that both Ukrainians and Poles committed massacres during World War II. He argues that confronting these “horrible periods” is essential for national self‑understanding and collective freedom, urging a truthful narrative of the past.

Both accounts highlight the lingering impact of wartime atrocities on Polish‑Ukrainian historical memory.