The March of Ukrainian Nationalists is a Ukrainian patriotic song that was originally the official anthem of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. The song is also known by its first line "We were born in a great hour" (Ukrainian: Зродились ми великої години). The song, written by Oles Babiy to music by Omelian Nyzhankivskyi in 1929, was officially adopted by the leadership of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists in 1932. The song is often referred to as a patriotic song from the times of the uprising, and a Ukrainian folk song. It is still commonly performed today, especially at events honoring the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and by nationalist organizations and party meetings, such as those of VO Svoboda.
In 1919 with the end of the Polish–Ukrainian War, which resulted in the takeover of western Ukraine by the Second Polish Republic, many former leaders of the Ukrainian republic were exiled. As Polish persecution of Ukrainians during the interwar period increased, many Ukrainians (particularly the youth, many of whom felt they had no future) lost faith in traditional legal approaches, in their elders, and in the western democracies who were seen as turning their backs on Ukraine. This period of disillusionment coincided with the increase in support for the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). By the beginning of the Second World War, the OUN was estimated to have 20,000 active members and many times that number in sympathizers. The song was written in 1929 during the midst of these political events and adopted by the organization's leadership 3 years later.
The March of the Ukrainian Nationalists is written and performed as a military march and a call to arms. The first verse of the song refers to "the pain of losing Ukraine", referring to the short-lived independence of the Ukrainian National Republic from 1917-1921. The republic was divided up among the Soviet Union and the Second Polish Republic. The song also mentions a popular Ukrainian national motto, "A United Ukrainian state... from the San to the Caucasus". This is in line with the Ukrainian irredentist concept of having Ukraine's western border start at the San river in modern-day in western Ukraine and southeastern Poland and its eastern border at the Caucasus Mountains in modern-day Southern Russia.
English Lyrics:
We were born in a great hour,
From the fires of war, and the flames of gunshots,
We were nurtured by the pain of losing Ukraine,
We were fed by anger and malice to our enemies.
And here we walk in the battle of life -
Solid, durable, unbreakable, like granite,
For crying hasn't given freedom to anyone yet,
But whoever is a fighter, he conquers the world.
We don't want neither glory, nor payment.
Payment for us - is the luxury of fighting!
It is sweeter for us to die in battle,
Than to live in bondage, as mute slaves.
Enough of ruins and disagreements for us,
A brother will not dare to go to war against a brother!
Under the blue-yellow flag of freedom
We will unite all of our great people.
A united nation one for us all is that one truth
This is our proud call to all people:
Be faithful to your homeland until death,
For us, Ukraine is above all else!
The glory of fallen fighters leads us into battle,
And the highest order we shall fulfill:
For a "united Ukrainian nation -
Free and strong, from the San to the Caucasus"!
