Ukrainian Youth Association is a centenarian

Bohdan Cherniawski, the chief operations officer for the Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation, has authored a new work tracing the 100-year history of the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) — from its revolutionary roots in Kyiv in 1917, through Soviet repression, preservation in the diaspora, and revival following Ukraine’s independence.

Cherniawski highlights the enduring power of youth-led cultural resistance. 

“CYM, far from being a marginal or nostalgic institution, has played a pivotal role in sustaining Ukrainian national identity and civic agency across regimes, geographies, and generations,” he writes.

The work explores how CYM emerged alongside the opening of Ukraine’s first Ukrainian-language high school, which became a hub of national consciousness. Despite brutal Soviet repression — culminating in the 1930 show trial of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine — the spirit of CYM survived in the diaspora, where the organization experienced a rebirth and became the largest Ukrainian youth movement abroad.

Once Ukraine regained independence in 1991, CYM returned to its roots, playing an active role in national revival and responding to modern challenges — including the 2014 Revolution of Dignity and Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Today, CYM continues to raise new generations of Ukrainians grounded in patriotism and responsibility, keeping national awareness a thriving mission.

Earlier, CYM announced a special program to mark the organization’s 100th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2025.