Oleskiv, Vasyl

Oleskiv, Vasyl [Олеськів, Василь; Oles'kiv, Vasyl'], b 12 October 1924 in the village of Byshky, Ternopil region, d 17 December 2016 in London, UK. Emigré political leader. He studied at the University of London in 1946–51. In 1946 he became a member of the OUN (Bandera faction) in Great Britain (which he headed in 1955–63), and in 1952 a member of the faction’s general executive. After the death of Yaroslav Stetsko in 1986, he served as acting head of the executive until formally elected leader in 1987–1991 at the Seventh Greater Congress of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. Oleskiv was active in Great Britain and throughout the Ukrainian diaspora in community politics; social, educational, religious, and economic affairs; and publishing. He was among the leaders of various organizations, such as the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations, Ukrainian State Administration, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Ukrainian Former Combatants in Great Britain, Ukrainian Publishers Limited, and Ukrainian Information Service.

[This article was updated in 2020.]