Richard Yary

Born in Rzeszów, Galicia (then part of Austria-Hungary) in present-day Poland, he became one of the highest functionaries of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and a close associate of and advisor to Stepan Bandera.

According to historians O. Kucheruk and Z. Knysh, Yary was of patrilineal Czech and matrilineal Hungarian-Jewish descent[1][page needed](Polish rather than Hungarian (maiden name "Pollack") according to Patrylyak[2]).

In 1912, he completed his studies in the Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt, and commanded a sapper battalion after graduation[4][failed verification].

In 1933 Yary attempted to obtain a post at the Ukrainian Institute founded by hetman Skoropadsky in Berlin (on OUN's behalf), but he could not secure an appointment due to opposition from the Nazi authorities.

This attempt led to a smear campaign in the Polish press that accused Yary and Konovalets of being German agents.

He became an agent of the Special services[citation needed], and was an adviser during the discussions between Y. Konovaletz and the Japanese Military Attache.

[8] After the abrogation by the Nazis of the independent Ukrainian State, Yary left the General Government and from 1942 he lived in the Rumanian-occupied Bukovina.