On March 13, a presentation of the book «General Kuk: A Biography of the UPA Generation» by renowned historian and author Volodymyr Viatrovych took place at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. This publication is not merely a biographical sketch of Vasyl Kuk, but a comprehensive chronicle that captures the portrait of an entire era and the fate of a generation that dedicated its life to the struggle for Ukrainian statehood. The high scholarly value of the study has already been confirmed by the professional community – the work won the All-Ukrainian «Book of the Year 2025» award in the «the Past» category and has been officially recognized as a significant contribution to Ukrainian academic biographical studies.
In the process of preparing the book, the author examined a vast amount of archival material, including previously classified KGB documents, which allowed him to view the figure of the commander-in-chief from a new perspective. However, it is the personal aspect that adds particular depth to the publication – Volodymyr Viatrovych personally knew Vasyl Kuk for a long time and considers him his spiritual mentor. Thanks to years of private conversations with the book’s subject, the author was able to document unique testimonies, diary entries, and letters that were previously unavailable to the public, making the account of events exceptionally vivid and detailed.
The event sparked keen interest among the student community, particularly among students from the history and philosophy departments and the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism. During their discussion with the author, the students actively debated General Kuk’s combat and leadership experience, drawing direct parallels with the challenges Ukraine faces today. Such sincere interest among the student community demonstrated the current generation’s keen demand for in-depth expert analysis and the search for historical reference points that help better understand the nature of the modern struggle for liberation.
