Professor Luciuk’s book acknowledged as ‘best historical material’ in US

The Best Historical Materials Committee of the Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, has recognized the Enemy Archives: Soviet Counterinsurgency Operations and the Ukrainian Nationalist Movement – Selections from the Secret Police Archives book by Canadian professor Lubomyr Luciuk and Ukrainian historian Volodymyr Viatrovych as ‘one of the Best Historical Materials published in 2022 and 2023.’

McGill-Queen’s University Press in Canada has published this nearly 1000-page English-language book. The compilation, translated by journalist, editor, and researcher Marta Daria Olynyk, features over 150 archival documents spotlighting less-explored facets of Ukrainian-Russian relations. Emphasizing the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, the book incorporates materials from underground structures and the Soviet punitive system, providing insights into the resistance against this insurgent movement.

For many years, Professor Lubomyr Luciuk has dedicated his research efforts to examining the Ukrainian question within the foreign policies of both the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as delving into the challenges faced by Ukrainian migrants in the aftermath of the Second World War, writes Voice of America.

“I am writing to inform you that your publication, Enemy Archives: Soviet Counterinsurgency Operations and the Ukrainian Nationalist Movement – Selections from the Secret Police Archives, has been selected as one of the Best Historical Materials published in 2022 and 2023. … Congratulations on your accomplishment!  We wish you much success in your future research and publications,” wrote Steven A. Knowlton, Librarian for (U.S.) History and African American Studies, Princeton University, Co-chair, Best Historical Materials Committee, in a letter to the book’s authors.

“Enemy Archives provides invaluable information about the Ukrainian nationalist movement from World War II to 1955. The hefty volume contains documents collected by Soviet counterinsurgency groups that were produced by the Ukrainian nationalist underground including propaganda materials and resources that elaborate on the activities and tactics of the underground. Alongside these documents are reports and other records written by the Soviet police in response to the information found in the materials created by the underground. They cover topics such as the Soviet claim that the Ukrainian underground promoted fascism and collaborated with the Nazis,” says Jennifer Brannock, a professor and curator of the rare book department at the University of Southern Mississippi, as quoted by Voice of America. 

The American Library Association recommends Enemy Archives: Soviet Counterinsurgency Operations and the Ukrainian Nationalist Movement – Selections from the Secret Police Archives for academic libraries. “With most of the letters translated into English for the first time, this volume is a valuable resource for researchers looking into the history of the relationship between the Soviet Union and Ukraine,” the ALA wrote. 

The UWC extends sincere congratulations to Professor Luciuk on this honorable and well-deserved distinction!