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Aug 2014 back issue
by Jacob Marcus Balzani Lööv
"In a state of possible military intervention of our Eastern neighbours the competition is an
important support to fitness and patriotic mood of the youth. In addition to skills in combat tactics,
participants will experience life in extreme conditions, the practical knowledge gained will not be
lost and can save lives tomorrow or help colleagues
to emerge victorious from unexpected and dangerous situations."
Each year since 2004, over 300 young men and women from the Young Nationalist Congress (MNK) fight for 60 hours
in the middle of a western Urkainian forest, between the vanished village of Gurba and Antonivtsi where in 1944, the
Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) battled with the Red Army.
The rules derive from Zarnitsa (Summer Lightning) a game commonly played in Soviet times for the military-patriotic
education of young Pioneers (a Sovietic organization similar to Scoutism): two teams have to defeat each other either by
eliminating their opponent or by finding their flag. Despite the intensity of the fight, injuries are minor, punches and
weapons are forbidden. A referee makes sure that no game rules are broken and collects the coloured laces that,
velcroed on the arm, symbolize the lives of the players.
The call on the game's website states: "in a state of possible military intervention of our Eastern neighbours the
competition is an important support to fitness and patriotic mood of the youth. In addition to skills in combat tactics,
participants will experience life in extreme conditions, the practical knowledge gained will not be lost and can save lives
tomorrow or help colleagues to emerge victorious from unexpected and dangerous situations."
Many of the young people attending the game have recently spent time protesting in Maidan.
Two kids observe the paticipants of the Gurba-Antonivtsi game walking the to cemetery to pay respect to Olexandr
Kapinos, former member of party Svoboda, who lost is life at the age of 29 during the clashes of February in Kiev,
which counted more than a hundred deaths. Dunaiv, Ternopil region.
A girl (with the 15th self-defense unit of Maidan logo) places the red velcro strap on the arm of a participant, which
symbolises his life. Three groups compose the game: The Wolves with the red color, The Lions with yellow and The
Blacks with black. While the first two groups, of 150 persons each, compete with each other the blacks are the
saboteurs and attack boths group without competing. They are only 30 persons and their main function is to put stress
on the other group by attacking at night using guerrilla tactics.
Moment of fights between the Lions (left) and Wolfes (right).
Lions training to improve their technique of attack.
Players of the Lion, yellow team, try to immobilize a member of the Wolves (red) to get his arm band which symbolises
his life. Once the life is taken the player has to walk back to the headquarters of the organisers (several kilometres
away) to get a new life.
A couple try to rest during the game.
Girls during a short break.
Attacks from the third team, the saboteurs, makes it almost impossible to sleep during the night. Every quiet moment
during day is then used to sleep,
Players spending a sleepless night around the fire. Fire are usually not lit becasue they can reveal the position to the
enemy team and saboteurs. This was an exception because tents were not used and everybody was completely
soaked.
Players of the yellow team build a barricade "like Maidan" to defend their flag. Smokebombs are usually used during
the fights.
Vasul' Kuruliyk, 88, a veteran of the battle between UPA and Red Army and a priest during the ceremony to remember
its victims. It was between the villages of Gurba and Antonivtsi, in western Ukraine, that in April 1944 the Ukrainian
Revolutionary Army (UPA), with its 5000 soldiers, after being encircled by a largely superior Red Army, managed to
resist and escape.
Advancing into the game the players get more and more tired and every little moment is used to rest.
A morning assembly to receive the orders for the day.
Players spending a sleepless night around the fire.
A girl tries to get dry during a rainy night. Tents are not used because they would make the team slowler.
A player stands under the rain lighted by a nearby fire. Being soaked by rain during the cold night makes it almost
impossible to sleep.
A player from the Lion team (Yellow) threatening the enemies. Players of the yellow team build a barricade "like
Maidan" to defend their flag.
The Lion team provoking the Wolves. The Lions decided to build a barricade to protect their flag.
