Nicholas Bolkun
Nicholas Bolkun (birth year unknown – 1930 – 1943 – the year of death unknown) – a little-known Ukrainian poet. Information about him was gathered by Vladimir Fedotov in the studies on Gerasim Sokolenko – Bolkun's friend.
Nicholas was born in the family of Father George Bolkun (priest of the church in Myhlya village – Iziaslav district, Khmelnitsky region) and teacher Olga Mishchuk. It happened, supposedly, in 1906..1908. When the Bolsheviks shut down the church, the family moved to the Vinnytsja where Nikolai entered the Pedagogical Institute (and probably finished it).
At the end of 1930 Nicholas Bolkun taught German at school in the village Mykhniv (Iziaslav district, Khmelnitsky region). In 1939 he married. Wife's name was Olga, she was born in Mykhniv.
When the Soviets in 1941, fled before the Germans offensive, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists began to produce in Zaslav newspaper "Zaslavsky Gazette" (from autumn 1941). Nicholas Bolkun worked in the newspaper, so was familiar with the OUN.
Somewhere in 1st half of the 1942 German fascists caught Bolkun and sent him to forced labor camps in Germany, in Hannover. From there Bolkun wrote letter to Ulas Samchuk (to Rivne). Samchuk received this letter by 16.08.1942 and put in his memoirs.
From Germany Bolkun managed to get, and in 1943 he briefly appeared in Zaslav. From there he went on detachment of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which was based in a forest near village Mikhniv. At this point biographical information about Bolkun stopped abruptly.
His poetic work is represented by several rhymes that were published in Ukrainian publications 1942 – 1944 years: in the women's magazine "Ukrainka" (Kostopil), "Road", the newspaper "Kostopolsky Gazette".
Of course, the Soviet "liberators" did not need such politically dubious poems which were published in "occupational" and journals belonging to UPA fighters. But in independent Ukraine, we must remember this man who in word and deed fought for our freedom.
M.Zh.
"I love the spacious Volyn desert…"
"Evening in the Volyn region…"
\"Diverge ways to the horizon…\"