Lisovi Chorty
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Lisovi Chorty (Ukrainian Лісові Чорти, English Forest Devils) - 3rd Kurin’ (fraternity) for Starshi Plastuny (Rover Scouts) and Senior Scouts in Plast - National Scouting Organization of Ukraine.
"Lisovi Chorty" known fully as Velyke Plemya Lisovykh Chortiv ("The Great Tribe of Forest Devils") was founded by a troop of Scouts from Lviv, Ukraine in 1922. The official date of founding is July 22, 1922.
Historically, the Plast fraternity "Lisovi Chorty", like Plast itself, was built on the principles of Scouting, and from its founding to the time that Ukrainian Scouting was band by the Polish government in 1930 which led to the "underground" Scouting movement, "Lisovi Chorty" were active in political and civil organization, as well as military service.
"Lisovi Chorty" members took an active role in the attempt to gain Ukrainian independence during the second world war. They subsequently immigrated to countries where a large Ukrainian diaspora population can currently found: Australia, Argentina, England, United States of America, Canada, France and Germany. There "Lisovi Chorty" took to community and Plast work, building a strong foundation for future generation of Plastuny (Ukrainian Scouts) in the diaspora. After the break up of the Soviet Union and the formation of an independent Ukraine, there was a rebirth of Plast in Ukraine and the fraternity "Lisovi Chorty" occurred in the cities of Lviv, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, as well as others.
Today, there exist seven official groups of "Lisovi Chorty" in Argentina, USA, Canada and Ukraine as well as a large number in other countries. The fraternity is made up of members in various field: professors, economists, politicians, soctors, architects, artists, teachers, engineers and others. Among the most famous members are UPA General Roman Shukhevych, politician Andriy Pyaseckyy, economist Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, last president of UNR in exile Mykola Plavyuk, writer Vasyl Karkhut, Priest Hlib Lonchyna, and civil and political figure Stepan Okhrymovych.