He was one of the most influential politicians of the early '90s: discover the appearance of the grave of Ukraine's Hero, Stepan Khmara.
Stepan Khmara is a well-known Ukrainian politician, political prisoner, public figure, and people's deputy. Throughout his life, he was a dissident, fighting against communism and Soviet authority. For his efforts, he faced imprisonment and exile to concentration camps. Khmara passed away in February of this year.
What else made this prominent public figure and politician memorable is known by "Telegraph".
What is known about Stepan Khmara
The man was born in the Lviv region in 1937. In the underground movement, he edited the socio-political magazine "Ukrainian Herald," which was published by journalist Vyacheslav Chornovil before his imprisonment. Khmara wrote about persecution and repression in the Soviet Union, notably releasing an article titled "Ethnocide of Ukrainians in the USSR."
A figure like Stepan Khmara could not escape the attention of the Soviet elite. In 1975, he was first detained due to "anti-Soviet propaganda," but later released due to lack of evidence.
However, by 1980, evidence of his "Ukrainian nationalist activities" was uncovered in the USSR. The KGB accused Khmara of anti-Soviet propaganda and sentenced him to 7 years in a strict regime camp and 5 years of exile.
1 After serving 7 years, he was released. He then became one of the leaders of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union, which opposed the communist regime. This organization laid the groundwork for the Republican Party, where Khmara became the deputy head.
He participated in the granite revolution organized by students, who demanded that the authorities not sign a new Union Treaty, return conscripts serving outside the Ukrainian republic, nationalize communist property, and conduct new elections on a multi-party basis.
In the early 1990s, the activist was accused of assaulting a police officer, leading to his arrest. This incident became known in history as the "Khmara case." The man was able to be released from prison thanks to an investigation that provided evidence of his unlawful arrest.
Later, Khmara became a people's deputy. In the Verkhovna Rada, he was one of the authors of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, criticized Kravchuk for Ukraine's renunciation of nuclear status, and demanded the withdrawal of Russian Black Sea Fleet troops from the country.
2 He participated in the "Ukraine Without Kuchma" campaign, the Orange Revolution, and the Revolution of Dignity. After the onset of armed aggression in Donbas, he called for the elimination of separatists instead of negotiating in Minsk. He criticized Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kravchuk, Petro Poroshenko, and Volodymyr Zelensky. He holds the title of Hero of Ukraine.
Stepan Khmara's Grave
Stepan Khmara passed away in February 2024 due to cancer. The dissident was 86 years old. He was honored in the Church of St. Nicholas and buried at Baikove Cemetery.
3 In October, damage was done to the photo at Stepan Khmara's grave. This was perpetrated by unknown vandals. The Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists commented that Khmara is feared "both dead and alive."
4 5 Recently, "Telegraph" reported on the appearance of the grave of the famous Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko, which is located in Lviv.