The trials in Warsaw and Lviv made Bandera famous among Ukrainians in Poland and the diaspora. Both trials transformed the leader of the homeland executive of an ultranationalist terrorist organization into an important symbol of the Ukrainian “liberation movement.” Young Ukrainians in the Second Polish Republic followed every day of the trial and admired Bandera while reading the reports in the newspapers in groups and discussing them. Bandera became known as a national revolutionary who fought for Ukrainian independence. Fascism, which the OUN had already adopted in the early 1930s, became an important element of the “liberation struggle.” By the performance of fascist salutes and the treatment of Bandera as the leader of a movement that sought to “liberate” the nation and establish a state, the defendants suggested that, after “liberation,” the Ukrainian state would become a fascist dictatorship. In his speech, Bandera pointed out that the OUN was determined to sacrifice “thousands of human lives” to realize the aims of the movement. The idea of being ready to sacrifice “thousands of human lives” and to exercise mass violence became integral elements of the agenda of the movement.[642]
For the creation of the Bandera cult, both trials were very significant. Neither trial was a show trial but they were political trials, during which several political issues were discussed by proxy, such as to which state the mixed territories (Volhynia and eastern Galicia) should belong, and the role of the OUN in Polish-Ukrainian relations. The Warsaw trial, due to the extensive and vivid reports in almost all Polish and Ukrainian newspapers, drew considerable attention to the Ukrainian situation in Poland, and to the young nationalist terrorists who attempted to “liberate” their nation. Its echoes were heard in many other countries, including Germany, Italy, Lithuania, and Czechoslovakia, whose governments either supported the OUN financially or cooperated with it.[643] The reports about the Lviv trial in such Polish newspapers as Gazeta Polska were less extensive and sensational, but the Ukrainian and Polish papers in Lviv, such as the Lwowski Ilustrowany Express, also published some striking articles like “The Tactics of the OUN ‘Bigwigs’” or “Drunken Party from OUN Funds as Encouragement and then as Award for the Murder of Bachyns’kyi.”[644] Some scenes from the Lviv trial made a strong impact on contemporary Ukrainian nationalist discourses. These included Bandera’s speech on 26 June 1936, the fascist salutes, and the moment when Bandera entered the courtroom, in which all the public allegedly rose to their feet, emulating the behavior of the defendants, who had stood up to greet their Providnyk.[645] In an article that appeared on 21 June 1936 in Ukraїns’ke slovo, the OUN ideologist Stsibors’kyi called the young OUN members on trial “bandery [Banderites].”[646] The trials also entered Ukrainian folk culture, which at this time was very popular among Galician Ukrainians. One of the songs about Bandera said:
Nineteen thirty five is passing, Trydtsiat’ p’iatyi rik mynaie,
We went through it my ioho mynaly
When the verdict was announced Iak v Varshavi v trybunali
In the court in Warsaw prysud vidchytaly
Where twelve Ukrainians, De dvanadtsiat’ ukraїntsiv,
Great heroes, Velykykh heroїv,
Who wanted to attain Shcho khotily zdobuvaty
Freedom for Ukraine. Ukraїni voliu.
Among these heroes Pomizh tymy heroiamy
Are also women, Ie takozh divchata,
Hnatkivs’ka and brave Ie Hnatkivs’ka i Zaryts’ka,
Unwavering Zaryts’ka. Vidvazhna, zavziata.
The first hero is Bandera. Pershyi heroi—to Bandera,
The second is called Lebed’, Druhyi Lebid’ zvet’sia,
They are not afraid of handcuffs, Vony kaidaniv ne boiat’sia,
They are laughing at handcuffs. Z kaidaniv smiiut’sia.
The twelve were sentenced Tykh dvanadtsiat’ zasudyly
By the cursed Poles. Poliaky prokliati.
They will be followed by other Na їkh mistse pryidut’ inshi
Unwavering heroes. Heroї zavziati.[647]