THE HUMAN BEING AND WAR: YURII SHEVELOV’S SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

Abstract

his article explores how the prominent Ukrainian scholar Yurii Shevelov understood war as a complex phenomenon, focusing on the spiritual changes that people went through during the Second World War. Shevelov himself, as both a personality and a humanist thinker, held a clear anti-military and anti-war position, which is reflected in his writings. His memoirs are of special importance. They reveal that militarization had become a central feature of Stalin’s totalitarian system, shaping every aspect of life in the Soviet Union. Shevelov also underlined the aggressive nature of Soviet pre-war foreign policy, aimed at expanding the communist empire. He argued that the Soviet vision of warfare was rooted in the essence of Bolshevism and rested on cruelty – not only toward the enemy but also toward its own people.
Between the two totalitarian regimes of Stalin and Hitler, Shevelov chose non-involvement in the Soviet-German war, as neither side served Ukraine’s national interests. He shows, from his personal experience, the tragedy of Ukrainians in Nazi-occupied Kharkiv, where people constantly faced moral dilemmas tied to survival. In particular, Shevelov refused to use his German heritage to protect himself, even though it might have secured safety.
Yet, despite the suffering, national life began to revive – most notably the Ukrainian church, once destroyed by the Soviets. For Shevelov, another important alternative in those years was the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, whose dedication to the national cause inspired his respect.
Later, together with other Ukrainian intellectuals in emigration, Shevelov reflected on the trauma of war and occupation, interpreting the years 1939-1945 through the fate of the Ukrainian person caught in the whirlwind of history.