FALSE: A monument to Slavko Lutsyshyn, who fought on the side of the German Nazis, was erected in Ternopil

Claims that Myroslav Lutsyshyn, who was commemorated with a monument in Ternopil in 2015, fought in the SD (SS Security Service) are being spread online. As proof, a photo of a “Posthumous Mention” is provided, indicating his involvement in Nazi activities. The authors refer to a publication by Myroslava Berdnyk.

This is false. There is no documented proof of Myroslav Lutsyshyn’s involvement with the German army. Instead, there are testimonies from people on his street that he may have been involved with the OUN underground. The “Posthumous Mention” was forged.

Slavko (Myroslav) Lutsyshyn was a native of Ternopil, the youngest soldier of World War I. At the age of seven, during the evacuation of the city, he got lost and was picked up by soldiers of the 3rd Austro-Hungarian Army. The boy was taken to a military field hospital, where he began helping the wounded as an orderly. Slavko served on the Russian and Italian fronts and received the imperial award, a military decoration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 2015, a monument was erected for him in Sopilche Park with the inscription: “To the youngest soldier of World War I.”

The deputy mayor of Ternopil, Oleksandr Smyk, explained the motives for erecting the monument: “The monument is being placed at a time when soldiers are returning from the Anti-Terrorist Operation, and new memorial plaques are being unveiled in memory of the Heroes. Therefore, it is important to remind Ternopil residents that we have our own Ternopil history connected with this boy. At the age of seven, he became a soldier in the Austro-Hungarian army and went through almost five years of war. Thus, erecting such a monument also carries an element of patriotic influence.”

Among the materials available in open sources, there is no evidence of Slavko Lutsyshyn’s involvement with the German army during World War II. It is known that he was shot in 1943 at the age of 35. A local historian who lived on the same street as the Lutsyshyn family and knew them personally reported that he may have been involved with OUN activities.

In an interview with Suspilne, history PhD candidate Serhii Tkachov said: “He (Myroslav Lutsyshyn — ed.) studied at Lviv University, became a medic, and was involved in political activities. He was killed in the center, where the clock now stands. Smoke grenades were even thrown to escape.”

The post includes a photo of the “Posthumous Mention”, styled like material from a contemporary newspaper. We could not find this image online, the only source that published it was a Russian media outlet. Moreover, the text of the mention contains a number of errors suggesting probable falsification:

• the date of death is listed as October 7, sixth hour, whereas Polish researcher-chronicler of Ternopil, Czesław Blicharski, gives a different date and time — October 9, 1943, seventh hour;
• it states that he worked in the SS, which seems odd; such activity was usually not publicized;
• the phrase “здвиг громадянства” (shift of citizenship) sounds unnatural in Ukrainian;
  it mentions that German police representatives bid farewell to him, an unusual detail for a “Posthumous Mention”.

The post claims that the information came from Myroslava Berdnyk’s Telegram channel. However, since the beginning of the war in 2014, she has systematically spread narratives aligned with Russian propaganda. In particular, she denied the Holodomor and claimed it was organized by Ukrainian nationalists, justified the beating of Maidan participants, supported the occupation of Crimea, and spread calls for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In 2016, a criminal case was opened against her. After the full-scale invasion, her rhetoric remained unchanged: she accused Ukraine of a humanitarian catastrophe, called the proclamation of Ukraine’s independence a tragedy, etc.

Previously, we already debunked the fake that claimed a Ukrainian delegation at negotiations in Istanbul wore SS insignia.