Lonhyn Tsehelsky
Encyclopedia
Lonhyn Tsehelsky was a western Ukrainian lawyer, journalist and political leader who served in the Austrian
parliament, who became Secretary of Internal Affairs and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs within the government of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, and who was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
.
in Kaminka-Strumylova, Austrian-ruled Galicia in 1875. After completing a law degree at the University of Lviv, where he founded a Ukrainian student organization, he became involved in Ukrainian politics, organized agrarian strikes of Ukrainian workers in 1902, edited the largest Ukrainian-newspaper (Dilo) and in 1907 was elected to the Austrian parliament and to the Galician Diet
in 1913. When the first world war began he helped to organize the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, a Ukrainian unit within the Austro-Hungarian Army.
. Despite the anti-Russian nature of many of his writings, Tsehelsky recommended that the government of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic consider Soviet proposals for cooperation against Poland as long as the Bolsheviks recognized Ukrainian sovereignty. He argued that Ukraine could turn either to the West or to the East and that the former option was impossible because it would mean an alliance with Poland which he considered to be "imperialist" and "reactionary" while the Bolsheviks were not necessarily so. Ultimately Tsehelsky's ideas were rejected because the western Ukrainian leadership did not want to upset relations with the Western Allies.
, a union of 20 Ukrainian organization within the United States. He died in Philadelphia in 1950. His great-grandson Oleh Tyahnybok
is also a politician in Ukraine.
were traitors and that Ukrainian history consisted of a constant struggle of Ukrainian atttempts at autonomy in opposition to Russian attempts to impose centralization.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
parliament, who became Secretary of Internal Affairs and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs within the government of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, and who was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
Established in 1940, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Inc. today unites some 20 Ukrainian organizations and over 75 branches throughout the United States. A 37-person, elected, volunteer Board of Directors governs the UCCA in conjunction with a 73-member National Council made up of...
.
Life under Austria
Tsehelsky was born into a priest's familyWestern Ukrainian Clergy
The Western Ukrainian clergy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church were a hereditary tight-knit social caste that dominated western Ukrainian society from the late eighteenth until the mid twentieth centuries, following the reforms instituted by Joseph II, Emperor of Austria...
in Kaminka-Strumylova, Austrian-ruled Galicia in 1875. After completing a law degree at the University of Lviv, where he founded a Ukrainian student organization, he became involved in Ukrainian politics, organized agrarian strikes of Ukrainian workers in 1902, edited the largest Ukrainian-newspaper (Dilo) and in 1907 was elected to the Austrian parliament and to the Galician Diet
Diet of Galicia
The Diet of Galicia was the regional assembly of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, which was part of Austro-Hungary. The Galician diet was a unicameral assembly composed of 150 deputies, which was presided over by a marshal or a vice-marshal that were appointed by the emperor. The...
in 1913. When the first world war began he helped to organize the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, a Ukrainian unit within the Austro-Hungarian Army.
Activities During the Struggle for Independence
When western Ukraine became independent he became Secretary of Internal Affairs and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs within the government of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic. In December he was one of the signers of the treaty uniting the Western Ukrainian People's Republic with the Ukrainian People's RepublicUkrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:...
. Despite the anti-Russian nature of many of his writings, Tsehelsky recommended that the government of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic consider Soviet proposals for cooperation against Poland as long as the Bolsheviks recognized Ukrainian sovereignty. He argued that Ukraine could turn either to the West or to the East and that the former option was impossible because it would mean an alliance with Poland which he considered to be "imperialist" and "reactionary" while the Bolsheviks were not necessarily so. Ultimately Tsehelsky's ideas were rejected because the western Ukrainian leadership did not want to upset relations with the Western Allies.
Exile
In 1920 he was sent to the United States as a diplomatic representative of the Western Ukrainian government and settled in Philadelphia, where he edited the Ukrainian newspaper Ameryka. Tsehelsky was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of AmericaUkrainian Congress Committee of America
Established in 1940, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Inc. today unites some 20 Ukrainian organizations and over 75 branches throughout the United States. A 37-person, elected, volunteer Board of Directors governs the UCCA in conjunction with a 73-member National Council made up of...
, a union of 20 Ukrainian organization within the United States. He died in Philadelphia in 1950. His great-grandson Oleh Tyahnybok
Oleh Tyahnybok
Oleh Yaroslavovych Tyahnybok is a Ukrainian right-wing politician and former parliamentary of Verkhovna Rada. He also is the leader of All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom", a former candidate to the President of Ukraine, and a deputy of the Lviv Regional Council....
is also a politician in Ukraine.
Political Theories
In 1902 Tsehelsky published Rus’-Ukraïna i Moskovshchyna-Rosiia (Rus-Ukraine and Moscow-Russia) which had a significant impact on Ukrainian ideas in both Galicia and in Russian-ruled Ukraine. In this book he highlighted differences that he claimed existed between Ukrainians and Russians in order to show that any union between the two peoples was impossible. Tsehelsky claimed that Ukrainians historically wanted self-rule, while Russians historically sought servitude. Tsehelsky wrote that Ukrainians who opposed Ivan MazepaIvan Mazepa
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, from 1687–1708. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter I's intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him...
were traitors and that Ukrainian history consisted of a constant struggle of Ukrainian atttempts at autonomy in opposition to Russian attempts to impose centralization.