The Shot in the Back (, ) is monument in Simferopol, Crimea, funded by Crimean residents and the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU) to commemorate Soviet citizens and Red Army soldiers who were killed by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) members during and after World War II. Standing 3.5 meters high, the monument was installed on Sovetskaya square. It was unveiled on 14 September 2007.
History of the monument The author of the monument is sculptor Evgeni Yablonsky.В Крыму открыт монумент жертвам бандеровцев The monument depicts a female figure holding a wounded man, which is meant to symbolize Soviet citizens and soldiers who were "shot in the back" by Ukrainian nationalists.“U Simferopoli zyavytsia pamyatnyk zhertvam OUN-UPA,” . html.
On the base of the monument is an inscription bearing Soviet-style rhetoric, stating it is "In memory of the victims of the Soviet people who died at the hands of the fascist accomplices – members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and Ukrainian Insurgent Army.”Тимошенко считает, что в отношении ОУН-УПА украинцам лучше исповедовать секуляризм The base of the monument has been repeatedly vandalized.“Krymskie kommunisty vosstanavlivaiut pamiatnik zhertvam OUN-UPA,” October 16, 2006, https://www.unian.net/rus/news/news-169920.html, accessed on September 5, 2008.
Communists played a leading role in the whole preparation of the monument as well as its unveiling ceremony. At the ceremony, the head of the CPU criticized the Yuschenko government's interpretation of the war.“Pamyatnyk zhertvam UPA vidkryto v Symferopoli,” September 14, 2008, http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian/do- mestic/story/2007/09/070914_simferopol_upa_sp.shtml, accessed on August 11, 2008. The unveiling was met with protests by Ukrainian nationalists.“UNP vymahaie zaboronyty sporudzhennia monumenta ‘Zhertvam OUN-UPA’” August 8, 2008, https://unian.net/ukr/news/news-206715.html, accessed on August 11, 2008.
See also Memorial for the victims killed by OUN-UPA (Luhansk) Stepan Bandera monument in Lviv
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