Óêðàèíöû âî 2-é ìèðîâîé âîéíå / Ukrainians in WW2

While researching my own family history I quickly have come to the realisation that before you can find out anything you have to determine what is fact and what is fiction. My mother often talked of her life and the hardships of being displaced and the way in which survival changed many traditional views regarding the Germans and the Russians. What I now know, unfortunately after her death, that to hide the truth and hurt some of what she said was fiction. To find the truth is almost impossible. Her family has been located and spoken with on a social level. Enough evidence has been presented that these family members were in contact with my mother. My father's family is totally different. They do not exist. The details I have, which I once believed to be true, I now question. I understand that survival meant many deceptions were needed. What I can not understand is why after so many years people are unwilling to speak. Every time I seem to come closer to the information people refuse to speak or plead ignorance. The generation of Ukrainians alive today need to realise they are not responsible for what their ancestors needed to do to survive. The bureaucracy needs to realise that if they are culpable they need to make some form of reparation, symbolic or otherwise, and allow those of us who are seeking the truth about ourselves to find our sense of belonging. I read current critics challenge those of us who are relocated Ukrainians to embrace our culture,. May I say that it is not that we are not willing to embrace our culture it is that we are not allowed to by those who know the truth. We do not want a bastardised version of our heritage from a Russian perspective, We want to know the truth.We have a right to know it.We demand to know it. How about we all open up and let us decide whether we can live with it.

Ïåðåâîä ïåðâîãî ïîñòà:

Èññëåäóÿ èñòîðèþ ñâîåé ñåìüè, ÿ áûñòðî ïîíÿë, ÷òî ïðåæäå, ÷åì ìîæíî áóäåò ÷òî-òî íàéòè, íàäî îïðåäåëèòü, ÷òî ôàêò, à ÷òî - âûäóìêà. Ìîÿ ìàòü ÷àñòî ðàññêàçûâàëà î ñâîåé æèçíè è òÿãîòàõ ýìèãðàöèè, î òîì, êàê âûæèâàíèå ïîâëèÿëî íà ìíîãèå òðàäèöèîííûå âçãëÿäû íà íåìöåâ è ðóññêèõ. Ñåé÷àñ (ê ñîæàëåíèþ, ïîñëå åå ñìåðòè) ÿ ïîíèìàþ, ÷òî ìíîãîå èç òîãî, ÷òî îíà ãîâîðèëà, áûëî âûäóìêîé äëÿ òîãî, ÷òîáû ñêðûòü ïðàâäó è áîëü. Íàéòè ïðàâäó ïî÷òè íåâîçìîæíî. Ìû íàøëè åå ñåìüþ è îáðàòèëèñü ê íèì íà ñîöèàëüíîì óðîâíå. Áûëî ïðåäñòàâëåíî äîñòàòî÷íî äîêàçàòåëüñòâ, ÷òî ýòè ÷ëåíû ñåìüè êîíòàêòèðîâàëè ñ ìîåé ìàòåðüþ.
Ïî ñåìüå ìîåãî îòöà âñå ñîâåðøåííî èíà÷å. Èõ íåò. Òå ïîäðîáíîñòè, êîòîðûå åñòü ó ìåíÿ è ïðî êîòîðûå ÿ äóìàë, ÷òî îíè âåðíû, ñåé÷àñ âûçûâàþò ñîìíåíèå. ß ïîíèìàþ, ÷òî äëÿ âûæèâàíèÿ íóæíî áûëî ìíîãîå ñêðûâàòü. ×åãî ÿ íå ìîãó ïîíÿòü - òàê ýòî ïî÷åìó ÷åðåç ñòîëüêî ëåò ëþäè íå õîòÿò ãîâîðèòü. Êàæäûé ðàç, êîãäà ÿ, êàê êàæåòñÿ, ïðèáëèæàþñü ê ïðàâäå, ëþäè îòêàçûâàþòñÿ ãîâîðèòü èëè ccûëàþòñÿ íà íåçíàíèå. Ñîâðåìåííîå ïîêîëåíèå óêðàèíöåâ äîëæíî ïîíÿòü, ÷òî îíè íå îòâå÷àþò çà òî, ÷òî ñäåëàëè èõ ïðåäêè, ÷òîáû âûæèòü. Áþðîêðàòèÿ äîëæíà ïîíÿòü, ÷òî åñëè îíè âèíîâíû, òî îíè äîëæíû îñóùåñòâèòü èñêóïëåíèå â òîé èëè èíîé ôîðìå - ñèìâîëè÷åñêè èëè èíà÷å, è ïîçâîëèòü òåì èç íàñ, êòî èùåò ïðàâäû î ñåáå, îáðåñòè íàøå îùóùåíèå ïðèíàäëåæíîñòè. ß ÷èòàþ ñîâðåìåííóþ êðèòèêó, ïðèçûâàþùóþ óêðàèíñêóþ äèàñïîðó âåðíóòüñÿ ê ñâîåé êóëüòóðå. ß õîòåë áû ñêàçàòü, ÷òî äåëî íå â òîì, ÷òî ìû íå õîòèì âåðíóòüñÿ ê ñâîåé êóëüòóðå - íàì íå äàþò ñäåëàòü ýòî òå, êòî çíàåò ïðàâäó. Íàì íå íóæíà óñå÷åííàÿ âåðñèÿ íàøåãî íàñëåäèÿ èç ðîññèéñêîé ïåðñïåêòèâû. Ìû õîòèì çíàòü ïðàâäó. Ó íàñ åñòü ïðàâî çíàòü åå. Ìû òðåáóåì, ÷òîáû íàì äàëè óçíàòü åå.

Ïîñëåäíåå ïðåäëîæåíèå ìîÿ íå ïîíèìàåò:
How about we all open up and let us decide whether we can live with it.