PERIOD OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

After World War I, Ukrainian Scouting continued to grow. During that period, Ukraine was partitioned among USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Rumania; Plast found a home in all four parts of the country. The fastest growth occurred in the western part of the country, under Polish occupation, but there was also vigorous growth in Transcarpathia (then a part of Czechoslovakia) and in Kyiv, in the Ukrainian SSR (through 1923).

During that period, Plast acquired a number of permanent campsites (particularly in the Carpathian Mountains), and started its own publishing house, which published numerous scouting handbooks, scouting journals and magazines.

The development of the movement was somewhat impeded by the First World War, but Plast continuously gained new members and supporters, particularly during the period of Ukrainian independence, 1918-1920.

UKRAINIAN SCOUTS IN EXILE

Unfortunately, during the late 1920s and the 1930s, the growth of the Plast organization was severely curtailed. In 1923 it was totally eradicated in the part of Ukraine which was incorporated into USSR, and in 1929 it was outlawed in the Polish-occupied portion of Ukraine, where it went temporarily underground. Only in Czechoslovakia (i.e. in Trans-Carpathian Ukraine) Plast continued to develop.

Despite the banning of Ukrainian Scouting in most of Ukraine, Plast was far from dead. The numerous Ukrainian émigrés, in various countries of the world continued to carry on the scout tradition. They formed a Union of Ukrainian Scouts-Émigrés (Spilka Ukrainskykh Plastuniv-Emigrantiv, SUPE), which, despite the very difficult circumstances, continued scouting activities. In particular, SUPE was active in Prague, where the Czechoslovak government was friendly towards Ukrainian scouting.

PLAST DURING -WORLD WAR II

Even during the darkest days of World War II, Plast did not give up, but tried to carry on scouting activities in Ukrainian lands under Nazi occupation —in spite of strict prohibitions by the Nazis, as well as by the Bolshevik regime. But, meanwhile, some former Ukrainian scouts used their knowledge of wood-lore at the service of their country, as partisans against the Nazi occupation.

UKRAINIAN SCOUTING IN DIASPORA

As a result of Second World War, millions of Ukrainians found themselves in exile, first as displaced persons, and later dispersed in many countries of the world. In the "Diaspora," they renewed their work with children, forming scouting units among the exiles. In 1947 they participated in the 6th World Scout Jamboree, in Moisson, France.

All of the separate émigré Plast units were loosely united into one large Plast family, the Congress of Ukrainian Plast Organizations. They "kept carrying the torch", of Ukrainian scouting traditions.

RENEWAL OF SCOUTING IN UKRAINE

The opportunity to renew scouting traditions in Ukraine arrived in 1989, during the period of rapid disintegration of the Soviet Union, known as "perestroika". Even before the collapse of USSR, scouting units started to appear in Ukrainian SSR —at first in Western Ukraine, where the Plast traditions were strongest, and very soon thereafter in Volyn, Kyiv, indeed throughout the whole Ukraine. These units were initiated by young people in Ukraine, with the help from Ukrainian Scouts from the diaspora.

The first attempt to hold a Plast-Scout camp in Ukraine was made in 1989, but ended in a KGB raid on the camp and in brutal beatings and suppression of scouting for a while by the Bolshevik authorities. Scouting enthusiasts, however, did not get discouraged and already in the fall of 1990 an all-Ukrainian congress of Plast was held in Morshyn, in the Lviv oblast (province), where the foundations for a renewed Plast organization of Ukraine were laid.

UKRAINIAN SCOUTING TODAY AND TOMORROW

With some help and encouragement by scouts from abroad, Plast in Ukraine started to grow rapidly after the declaration of Ukrainian independence in 1991. Interest in scouting in the country was enormous, so that the growth sometimes had to be actually held back intentionally, in order to have time to train highly qualified Scoutmasters, to make sure that the Plast members get the best leadership possible.
Today Plast in Ukraine is a large organization, spreading rapidly from West Ukraine to the East and South. It is the only scouting organization, registered on countrywide level in Ukraine, which meets all the necessary qualifications to be an official scout organization of Ukraine. Today it counts over 3,500 members, hundreds of scoutmasters and over 80 units all over Ukraine. It has its own campsites, meeting-halls, press, books, and even its own publishing house ("Lileya'' meaning fleur-de-lis, the world-wide scouting emblem).

Plast has a very bright future in Ukraine today, spreading the scouting idea to thousands of receptive youths and children. The goal of a 100 000 members by the year 2000 seems to be quite attainable.

UKRAINIAN PLAST-SCOUTING IN UKRAINE TODAY

Since the rebirth of Plast-Scouting in Ukraine membership in this Ukrainian Scout organization was always open to all boys and girls, who are citizens or residents of Ukraine without regard to their ethnic background, race, or religion—provided that they take the usual Scout Oath.

Plast is presently encouraging all other scouting organizations, that exist in Ukraine today (local, regional or ethnic/religious minority), to join with Plast into one Plast-Scout Organization of Ukraine, offering each under autonomy within the unified scouting organization of Ukraine.

LINKS TO UKRAINIAN SCOUTING-PLAST