UKRAINIANS IN FINNO-SOVIET WAR
Ukrainian units fighting on the Finnish side, were formed in 1940 in Suomi. Volunteers were taken from captured Soviet soldiers and equipped with Finnish and Soviet arms. Uniform was that of the finnish army with black flieger caps, although in many cases some would still wear Soviet uniforms and wear Mazepynka (Ukrainian Bergmutze). A Trident badge would be worn on top of the caps and some soldiers had diagonaly slashed blue and yellow shield. Blue and yellow armbands were not worn, because same armbands were already used by the Swedish volunters.
Some Ukrainian volunteers with their commander in Suomi
Commander organizer of the Ukrainian
units in Finland Yuri Gorlis-Gorsky
Although very little is known about the number and location of Ukrainian volunteers in Finland, more is known about the commander of the unit - Yuri Gorlis-Gorsky. Born on January 14th 1898 in Poltava region, Eastern Ukraine. Fought in WWI, was an oficer in UNR army, participated in the famous Winter Campaign of 1920. As Ukraine was overrun by the Bolsheviks, Yuri continued to fight in a underground unit. Was captured and about to be executed, but managed to escape and continue on with the fighting. Captured again in 1922, but this time, the court could not prove his guilt and he was released. Under order of Ukrainian underground, joins the CHEKA and becomes a counter-agent. Captured again in 1924 but managed to evade trial by pretending to be mentally unstable. Escapes from Kherson Pshychiatriacal hospital in 1932 and through Moscow and Belarus he reaches Western Ukraine (under Poland) and settles in Lviv. Troughout the 1930’s he established himslef as successfull writer. In 1938 he joines the fight for Carpathian Ukraine against the Hungarian invaders and as the conflict was over, travels trough Asia Minor, North Africa and reaches France. As he was about to leave for Canada, he descided to stay firmly believing in liberation of Ukraine by Germans. When the war erupted in Finland, he travels there to combat the Soviets, and after the war head the Ukrainian broadcast centre in Berlin. By 1942 Yuri travels back to Ukraine and settles in Rivne - the capital of Reichskommisariat Ukraine as a journalist. With the Soviet advances, he moves back to Lviv and with the end of the war escapes to Germany. Killed by Soviet agents in Neu Ulm on Septermber 27th, 1946.