Adolf Hitler's World War II Eastern Front military headquarters near Vinnitsa (Ukraine)

Führerhauptquartier Werwolf was the codename used for one of Adolf Hitler's World War II Eastern Front military headquarters located in a pine forest about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of Vinnitsa in the central Ukraine that was used between 1942 and 1943. It was one of a number of Führer Headquarters throughout Europe, and the most easterly ever used by Hitler in person. The name is derived from Werwolf, which is German for werewolf. The naming scheme is in accord with other code-names given to Führerhauptquartiere during the Second World War, such as Wolfsschanze. Several were named for Hitler himself, whose nickname was Wolf, an old German form of Adolf.

The complex was located in a pine forest between the villages of Stryzhavka and Kolo-Mikhailovka on the Kiev highway. It was built between December 1941 and June 1942 under top secret conditions. The Wehrmacht had its regional headquarters in Vinnytsia, and the Luftwaffe had a strong presence at their airbase in Kalinovka, about 20 km away. Hitler's accommodation at Werwolf consisted of a modest log cabin built around a private courtyard with its own concrete bunker. The rest of the complex consisted of about 20 wooden cottages and barracks and up to three "B" class bunkers, surrounded by ring of barbed wire and ground defensive positions connected by underground tunnels. A couple of observation points were set up on platforms in the oak trees surrounding the pine forest. The area was surrounded by a defensive strip of bunkers, anti-aircraft guns and tanks, as well as anti-tank ditches and minefields. There was a tea house, a barber shop, a bathhouse, a sauna, a cinema and even an open swimming pool for the inhabitants' use. Although this pool was primarily intended for Hitler, he never once swam in it. The facility also contained a large vegetable garden organised by the German horticultural company Zeidenspiner to provide Hitler with a secure supply of food. Two artesian wells supplied the site with water, and the site had its own power generation facilities. The bunkers were constructed by Organisation Todt using local Ukrainian workers, forced labour but mainly Russian prisoners of war. Many of the workers were subsequently murdered to maintain secrecy of the site. During his Eastern campaign, Adolf Hitler lived mainly at FHQ Wolfsschanze (near Rastenburg, Poland). He stayed at FHQ Werwolf only three times:

• 16 July to 30 October 1942.
• 19 February to 13 March 1943.
• 27 August to 15 September 1943.

Plans in Ukraine to open a museum at the ruins of a bunker used by Hitler during World War II have provoked concerns it could become a shrine for neo-Nazis. The decision by local authorities in the centrally located city of Vinnitsa to turn the site of the Wehrwolf bunker into a tourist attraction has caused so much controversy that President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych requested on a recent visit to Vinnitsa that the matter be settled in a local referendum. Originally, the museum had been due to open in May 2012 to coincide with the commemoration of victory over the Nazis. But communist and socialist party activists opposed the idea, arguing that the creation of such a museum would be tantamount to spreading Nazi propaganda.

Qatari, UAE military to participate in Sea Breeze 2012 in Ukraine

KYIV, July 2 , 2012 (UKRINFORM). Representatives of the Armed Forces of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will take part in the Sea Breeze 2012 maneuvers in Ukraine, a UKRINFORM reporter learned from the Ukrainian Embassy in the UAE on Monday. "In accordance with the invitation of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, the UAE Command decided to send its observers (4 officers) to participate in the international exercise Sea Breeze 2012 in Ukraine. A similar decision to send a military observer in Ukraine to attend the Sea Breeze 2012 Sun has been taken by the Command of the State of Qatar," the Ukrainian diplomatic mission said. A reminder that the international naval exercise Sea Breeze 2012 will begin July 9 and will last for a month. Participating in the maneuvers will be 500 military from 16 countries and about 19 ships, 3 submarines, 7 planes, 8 helicopters and other military equipment and modern weapons.

City self-government flag comes back to Kyiv from Stockholm for the first time after a 360-year absence

May 31, 2012 (THE DAY WEEKLY DIGEST).
A total of 21 items, including ancient seals and parchment pictures, a flag and an armorial, are part of the exhibit “Old Kyiv Self-Government Relics” which was recently opened at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Many of them are being displayed in Kyiv for the first time. What really astonishes one is the scope of the exhibit. According to the organizers, eight institutions, including museums, archives, and libraries, from five countries – Sweden, Germany, Russia, Poland, and Ukraine – took part in preparing the event.
“It was planned to hold about 350 events as part of the 1,530th anniversary celebrations, but this exhibit is of special importance because some relics are coming home after a long absence,” Kyiv’s Mayor Oleksandr POPOV says. “We would like as many people as possible, especially the younger generation, to see these unique things.”
The oldest relic exhibited is a Kyiv seal that dates back to the first half of the 16th century. This rarity, furnished by the Sheremetievs family museum, is being displayed for the first time in public. What is also coming back to Kyiv from Stockholm after a 360-year break is the city self-government flag kept at Sweden’s State Trophy Collection.
One of the most valuable artifacts, which, incidentally, came from Germany, is Georg Ortenburg’s Armorial of 1602-04 (part of Conrad Gruenenberg’s Wappenbuch, 1408). The massive paper manuscript comprises 20 drawings and about 2,000 coats of arms, including the oldest known picture of Kyiv’s coat of arms.
Also among the exhibited items there is a plaque from the burial place of Kyiv Burgomaster Ivan Skazka, dated 1647. The exhibit also displays two unique documents: the rescript of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on appointing Danylo Polotsky as Kyiv vogt (reeve), dated June 20, 1667), and the rescript of Peter I on approving Dmytro Polotsky’s appointment as Kyiv vogt under the decree of Hetman Ivan Mazepa.
There also are such important historical sources as copies of mid-17th century drawings by Abraham van Westerfeld, a participant in the military campaign of Lithuania Hetman Janusz Radziwill. Among the other mementos of that period are sketches of Cossack flags from Radziwill’s archive, which were captured in 1651 in Kyiv and are currently stored at the Russian National Library. The German Ambassador to Ukraine, Hans-Juergen Heimsoeth, said in his welcoming address:
“This exhibit proves that, from the 15th century onwards, Kyiv was deeply involved in European history and enjoyed medieval self-government. This shows European traditions in Ukraine’s legislation and governance.”
The Swedish Ambassador, Stefen Gullgren, also emphasized the importance of such exhibits as a factor of integration and cooperation:
“We have been fruitfully cooperating with Ukraine, including the National Historical Museum, for many years. On the whole, it is 15 years of cooperation between Swedish and Ukrainian academics. A profound study of history is of paramount importance because it contributes to a better understanding of the present day. And it is important that we are the masters of history, not the other way round.”

The terminal B of Boryspil International Airport was opened on 28 May 2012

KYIV. On Tuesday, May 29, the terminal D of the State Enterprise Boryspil International Airport will receive the first charter flight. Airlines that carry out regular transportations will shift their flights to the terminal in the next two months. In particular, according to Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Borys Kolesnikov, Lufthansa airline will start using the terminal D since August 1, 2012. The terminal D, construction of which began on 24 March 2008, was opened on 28 May 2012 with an initial capacity of 15 million passengers per year. The terminal's departure zone consists of 61check-in counters, 18 control points, 28 passport control booths. The terminal is equipped with moving walkways, ramps, elevators and escalators for passengers with disabilities.

NATO concerned over selective application of justice in Ukraine

KYIV, May 21, 2012 (UKRINFORM). Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Chicago said they are concerned by the selective application of justice in Ukraine and 'what appear to be politically motivated prosecutions', according to the Chicago Summit Declaration, issued on Sunday, May 20, the Washington-based UKRINFORM correspondent reported.

“Noting the principles and commitments enshrined in the NATO-Ukraine Charter and the ANP, we are concerned by the selective application of justice and what appear to be politically motivated prosecutions, including of leading members of the opposition, and the conditions of their detention,” says the instrument.

With this in mid, the leaders of NATO member states encouraged Ukraine to address the existing shortcomings of its judicial system to ensure full compliance with the rule of law and the international agreements to which it is a party.

“We also encourage Ukraine to ensure free, fair and inclusive Parliamentary elections this autumn,” reads the Chicago Summit Declaration.

Wikipedia founder to visit Ukraine first

KYIV, May 12, 2012 (UKRINFORM). The founder of Wikipedia and member of the Board of Trustees of Wikimedia, Jimmy Wales, for the first time will visit Ukraine. He will be a special guest of the 5th "Zavtra.UA" Youth Forum of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation's scholarship program to be held in Kyiv on May 12-14, the Foundation's press office said in a press release. "He will meet the scholarship holders of the “Zavtra.UA" program by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, and deliver a speech at the ceremony of awarding the Forum to be held Monday, May 14," reads a statement. Jimmy Wales will deliver a lecture about the Internet and the future for Internet entrepreneurs, diplomats, students and graduates of leading universities of Ukraine and the winners of the scholarship programs of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

Ukraine marking May Day

KYIV, May 1, 2012 (UKRINFORM). The First of May is celebrated as the feast of international solidarity of working people in 142 countries of the world, including Ukraine. Its history started on May 1, 1886, when American workers staged a strike to demand an eight-hour workday. The event ended in bloodshed. In July 1889, the Paris Congress of the Second International, in memory of the Chicago workers' strike, decided to hold annual demonstrations on May 1. The first time this day was celebrated in 1890 in Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, USA, Norway, France, Sweden and some other countries.
According to Wikipedia, on May 1, 1990, the Soviet leadership and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union last time got to the rostrum of the Mausoleum to greet the official May Day demonstration. The Ukrainians traditionally use May 1 to hold rallies and demonstrations and put forward political demands.
 In Ukraine, May 1 and 2 are public holidays each year. Activities to celebrate the International Workers' Day are also planned in Kyiv today, in particular, by the party United Leftists and Peasants. The march Attack on Working People's Rights will be held in the capital city by independent trade unions and left-wing non-parliamentary organizations. Rallies to mark the International Workers' Day will also be held in many regions of Ukraine.

Fifty States to Attend Moscow Missile Defense Conference

April 26 (RIA Novosti)  BRUSSELS.

Participants from 50 countries will attend a missile defense conference in Moscow on May 3-4, Chief of the Russian General Staff, Army Gen. Nikolai Makarov said. “There will be more than 150 participants from 50 states,” Makarov told journalists in Brussels on Wednesday after the NATO-Russia Council meeting. “NATO’s 28 member states have confirmed their participation.”
The conference, to be held by the Russian Defense Ministry, will also be attended by representatives of China, South Korea, Japan, the CIS and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) countries. The proposed U.S.-led missile shield in Europe remains a major source of tension between Russia and the United States, and the Kremlin has threatened to deploy tactical weapons close to Europe if it is not made full partner in the scheme. 

Members of Thai delegation explore the combat opportunities of a main battle tank Oplot manufactured in Ukraine

KYIV March 20, 2012 (Ukrinform) Ukraine's state-controlled arms exporter, hopes to expand the supply of the new main battle tanks Oplot, Ukrspecexport acting director general Vadym Kozhevnikov told reporters at a training ground in the town of Honcharivske, Chernihiv region, where the combat vehicle was demonstrated to a Thai delegation, currently on a visit to Ukraine. The contract worth USD 250 million for the supply of the Oplot tanks to Thailand was signed September 1, 2011; 49 tanks and two BREM trucks are expected to be delivered to Thailand.

Read more about the Oplot tank at http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-84

History Enthusiasts Reenact Battles of World War II

February 2, 2012 (Worldwide News Ukraine) Ukraine’s capital hosted this week an impressive attraction, the International Reenactment Festival On the Armor of Victory on illuminating the economic, industrial, and scientific distinctions of World War II.
In the spring of 1944, the Red Army commenced a profound counterattack on the plains outside of Kyiv, obliterating and removing the German military’s occupation of the area. That attack was reenacted at this week’s festival. According to Vladyslav Taranets, a reenacting Commander of the Red Army, “Our reenactment has the purpose of reconstructing the events of spring 1944, when the Red Army started their massive counterattack against the Germans. "

“The most important moments of this battle happened here in Ukraine, which led to the removal of the Germans by the Red Army all over the territory of Ukraine by the end of spring 1944,” he noted. “The cold and snowy weather conditions that we have today are identical to those in 1944, which lets us experience our reenactment very close to the real battle of 68 years ago. For the reenactment we’re using a large amount of military ammunition and people who demonstrate their skill very well.”

The majority of the participants in the Reenactment Festival Na Brone Pobedy have more than just a love for history, but a passion for the equipment, weapons and machinery involved. One participant, reenacting as an American soldier, stated, “I started my hobby collecting military items when I was ten years old, then it was playing with other kids who lived on my street, and now - war reenactments. When it comes to our weapon and military cars it is a very interesting and complicated hobby at the same time. Most of the spare parts we order come from abroad, which can be rather expensive. Some of our items we fabricate with our own hands and some are one hundred percent authentic…As far as the machine guns, holsters, and uniforms, they are entirely authentic from 1942. It gives such a rush of adrenalin to participate at this battle – just to live one day in this condition gives unbelievable feelings.”

WNU Photos/Andriy Semeniuk
You can see a video (english language) shooted in Kyiv during the festival at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0XXbnO87W_M

To see more pictures click on
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/153379

Sweden is getting closer to Ukraine.

Within the frame of EUROPE IS OUR HOME project the Santa Lucia holiday has been selebrated for the first time in Poltava on December 13th. In Poltava there is only private school where pupils study history and culture of Sweden. Not long ago they initiated Swedish language course for pupils. Mostly they have taken part in the celebration that taken place in Poltava Art Gallery. Wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head, Santa Lucia walked at the head of a procession of girls, each holding a candle. Some of those who participated the holiday have been to Sweden recently. They prepared an exhibition of photos taken in Sweden to bring this still mysterious and little-known country closer to Ukrainians.

Seven Wonders of Ukraine

December 2, 2011 (UNIAN) Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest announces results of online voting Mykola Tomenko, chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine: Castles, Fortresses, Palaces contest, has announced the results of an online voting for the final determination of winners of the competition. The TOP10 included
1. Akkerman Fortress (Bilhorod-Dnistrovsk) in Odesa region,
2. Vorontsov Palace in the Crimea,
3. Kamianets-Podilsky Fortress in Khmelnitsky region,
4. Upper Castle in Lutsk, Volyn region,
5. Metropolitan Palace in Chernivtsi,
6. Kachanivka Palace in Chernihiv region,
7. Khotyn Fortress in Chernivtsi region.

Tomenko said that after the awarding ceremony a brochure will be published "Seven Wonders of Ukraine: Ukraine - a Country of Miracles," to be available in several languages. Next year, organizers of the event as part of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest plan to determine the TOP 10 parks in the country.

Defense Ministry to receive two upgraded Su-25M1 planes

KYIV, November 23, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Two Su-25M1 planes, which were modernized at the state-owned MiGremont enterprise, will be transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force, the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has reported. The permanent place of the deployment of the aircraft will be the 299th Assault Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, which received two Su-25M1s and a Su-25UBM1 in 2010.

KYIV, November 10, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Ukraine regards with understanding the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which should ensure the transit of additional volumes of gas produced in northern Russia, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boiko has said.

"We regard with understanding the construction of Nord Stream, realizing that additional volumes of gas that will be produced at the Shtokman field and on the Yamal Peninsula require additional transit flows," he said.

At the same time, Boiko said that the Ukrainian gas transport system would remain the most economically attractive route for Russian gas transit to Europe.

"Our national interests correspond to the position that our gas transport system should be operated at full capacity. And we are demonstrating the reliability of our gas transport system, as well as its potential and economic attractiveness, to all of our European partners and Russian colleagues," Boiko said.

As reported, on November 8, the leaders of Germany, Russia, France and the Netherlands launched the first line of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which was completed in June 2011. This line is expected to transport 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The second section of the pipeline, which is almost 70% finished, is to be commissioned next autumn.

Ukraine is the largest supplier of Russian gas to Europe. Gazprom's plan on gas transit through Ukraine this year is 102.7 billion cubic meters, of which over 99 billion cubic meters will be supplied to Europe.

Ukraine, NATO discuss issues about cooperation concerning general European anti-missile defense system

September 9, 2011 (UNIAN). Ukraine and NATO discuss issues about cooperation concerning general European anti-missile defense system. According to an UNIAN correspondent, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Dirk Brengelmann said this at the news conference in Kyiv today. "I realized at an early stage that Ukraine is interested in this," said Dirk Brengelmann. He noted that he discussed this issue with officials of the Administration of the President of Ukraine. “We noticed that there is a great interest from the side of our Ukrainian colleagues concerning anti-missile defense system”, underlined Dirk Brengelmann. At the same time, according to his words, NATO and Ukraine should discuss details cooperation in this direction.

Ukraine to start demarcation of border with Russia from Chernihiv region

KYIV, August 29, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Ukraine and Russia can begin the demarcation of the state border in September 2011. Such a conclusion was made by the Ukrainian-Russian interstate commission.

The border demarcation will start from Chernihiv region. The first border pillars on an over 2,000-kilometer-long border will appear in the village of Senkivka. As reported, on June 4, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko said he expected the demarcation of the Ukrainian-Russian border to start in the second half of 2011. The joint Ukrainian-Russian demarcation commission held its first meeting in December 2010.

The commission began its work on the basis of an agreement on border demarcation, which was signed in May 2010 and which foresees the demarcation of the border in line with the agreement of January 29, 2003. Ukraine and Russia have no disputable issues concerning the land border.

Over 5,000 opposition activists protest former PM Tymoshenko's arrest on Independence Day

Over 5,000 demonstrators, many of them wore traditional Ukrainian white embroidered shirts, attempted to march on the president's office in Kiev, but were held back by police in riot gear who flooded the city's center. Smaller groups of protesters were later allowed onto the capital's main avenue. Tymoshenko's abuse-of-office trial and arrest this month on charges of contempt of court have galvanized Ukraine's notoriously fragmented opposition. Wednesday's rally attracted a broad spectrum of government critics opposed to President Viktor Yanukovych's government and a trial they see as selective prosecution meant to bar Tymoshenko from upcoming elections.

Tymoshenko issued an appeal from jail, urging unity among the opposition. She vowed that current authorities will be prosecuted for what she called the crimes they are committing today. Five years from now, "real, and not political, prisoners will be in jail; today we know their names," she said in a letter posted on her website. "Happy holiday, my dear ones! This is our holiday! We will prevail, we will win! I promise!" she wrote.
She was arrested Aug. 5 on charges of contempt of court as part of a trial in which she stands accused of violating official procedures when signing a natural gas import contract with Russian in 2009. Tymoshenko denies all the charges, and the United States and European Union have condemned the arrest and trial as politically motivated. Yanukovych says the criminal cases against Tymoshenko and a number of her senior allies are part of a government effort to fight corruption. Tymoshenko's arrest has threatened the prospects of Ukraine's integration with Europe, but Yanukovych maintained Wednesday that Ukraine was on a pro-Western course. "Our history is inseparably linked with modern Europe," Yanukovych said in a statement on his website. "For centuries the best sons and daughters of Ukraine have dreamt of an independent country which is based on freedom, humanity and democracy. And their dreams have come true." Ukrainian lawmakers declared the Soviet republic independent on Aug. 24, 1991, days after a failed hard-line Communist coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

Ukraine's voters overwhelmingly approved the decision in referendum that December, and it became independent later that month when Gorbachev resigned and the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
http://www.newser.com/