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    Studio portrait of USS officer (khorunzha) Olena Stepaniv, c. 1914–1915

    Studio portrait of Olena Stepaniv in the uniform of a khorunzha (junior officer) of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (USS). The eight-pointed star insignia on the collar tabs marks USS officer rank; the mazepynka cap bears a central cockade. The tunic collar is decorated with traditional Ukrainian embroidery. The photograph was likely taken in Lviv during her period of active service (1914–1915), before her capture by Russian forces near Bolekhov in May 1915.

    Depicted:Place: Lviv / Galicia / Austria-HungaryOriginal: Public domainRestoration: All rights reservedReference to: Original
    Olena Stepaniv
    Postcard portrait: 'Khorunzha Olena Stepanivna. Ukrainian Sich Riflemen', c. 1915
    Postcard portrait: 'Khorunzha Olena Stepanivna. Ukrainian Sich Riflemen', c. 1915A sepia-toned patriotic postcard portrait of Olena Stepaniv from the First World War period. The upper portion bears a printed Ukrainian inscription: 'Khorunzha Olena Stepanivna. Ukrainian Sich Riflemen.' She is shown in USS uniform: a mazepynka cap with cockade, a tunic with embroidered collar; on her chest are her decorations: on her left (the viewer's left) — the silver Austro-Hungarian Medal for Bravery awarded on 10 November 1914 for her role in the Carpathian Campaign; on her right — the insignia of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen. Likely published in Lviv c. 1915 for patriotic distribution. The original is held by the Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum) in Vienna, inv. no. 2010_42_738_104.
    Studio portrait of Olena Stepaniv with saber and decoration on her sleeve, in USS uniform, c. 1914–1915
    Studio portrait of Olena Stepaniv with saber and decoration on her sleeve, in USS uniform, c. 1914–1915Full-length studio portrait of Olena Stepaniv in the uniform of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen: a mazepynka cap with cockade, a tunic with breast pocket, breeches with puttees, and high lace-up boots. She stands with arms crossed on her chest, her right hand resting on an officer's saber stood vertically on the floor. A decoration ribbon is visible on her left sleeve — likely the silver Austro-Hungarian Medal for Bravery she was awarded on 10 November 1914 for her role in the Carpathian Campaign. The backdrop is a studio curtain on the right and a wicker chair on the left. A photographer's stamp is visible in the lower-right corner.
    Full-length studio portrait of Olena Stepaniv with a saber, in USS uniform, c. 1914–1915
    Full-length studio portrait of Olena Stepaniv with a saber, in USS uniform, c. 1914–1915Full-length studio portrait of Olena Stepaniv in the uniform of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen: a mazepynka cap with cockade, a tunic with breast pocket, breeches with puttees and boots. In her right hand is an officer's saber. The backdrop is a painted studio scene with a balustrade and park architecture. Likely taken in Lviv in 1914–1915, during her active service with the USS before her capture by Russian forces in May 1915.
    Postage stamp featuring Olena Stepaniv
    Postage stamp featuring Olena StepanivPostage stamp featuring Olena Stepaniv — part of a series dedicated to prominent Ukrainian women and figures of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen.
    USS Officers on Mount Makivka: Zenon Noskovskyi, Olena Stepaniv, Ivan Chmola, Osyp Yarymovych, Sofia Halechko
    USS Officers on Mount Makivka: Zenon Noskovskyi, Olena Stepaniv, Ivan Chmola, Osyp Yarymovych, Sofia HalechkoOfficers of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen on Mount Makivka: Zenon Noskovskyi, Olena Stepaniv, Ivan Chmola, Osyp Yarymovych, and Sofia Halechko. Mount Makivka (Skole Beskids, Carpathians) was the site of the USS battle against Russian forces in April–May 1915, in which Olena Stepaniv participated and for which she received the silver Medal for Bravery.
    Funeral of Olena Stepaniv at Lychakiv Cemetery, July 13, 1963
    Funeral of Olena Stepaniv at Lychakiv Cemetery, July 13, 1963The funeral of Olena Stepaniv at Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, July 13, 1963. She died of cancer on July 11, 1963, in Lviv.
    House at 11A Kozatska Street, Lviv, where Olena Stepaniv lived after the camps
    House at 11A Kozatska Street, Lviv, where Olena Stepaniv lived after the campsHouse at 11A Kozatska Street, Lviv, where Olena Stepaniv lived with her son Yaroslav Dashkevych after her return from the Mordovian camps. Photograph from the 1960s.
    Olena Stepaniv with her son Yaroslav Dashkevych, 1958
    Olena Stepaniv with her son Yaroslav Dashkevych, 1958Photograph of Olena Stepaniv with her son, historian Yaroslav Dashkevych (1926–2010), taken in 1958, after her release from the Mordovian labor camps (1949–1956).
    The return of Olena Stepaniv from Russian captivity, 1917
    The return of Olena Stepaniv from Russian captivity, 1917Photograph taken during the return of Olena Stepaniv from Russian captivity (Tashkent → Europe) in July 1917.
    Olena Stepaniv with a wounded officer in Tornio during her return from captivity, summer 1917
    Olena Stepaniv with a wounded officer in Tornio during her return from captivity, summer 1917Olena Stepaniv with a wounded officer in Tornio (then the Finnish-Swedish border station on the prisoner-exchange route) during her return from Russian captivity, summer 1917.
    Front page of an Austrian periodical featuring Olena Stepaniv after her return from captivity
    Front page of an Austrian periodical featuring Olena Stepaniv after her return from captivityFront page of an Austrian periodical with a photograph of Olena Stepaniv during her return from Russian captivity (1917). The document illustrates the attention her story received in the European press.
    Russian newspaper clipping 'Baryshnya-Ofitser' about the capture of Olena Stepaniv
    Russian newspaper clipping 'Baryshnya-Ofitser' about the capture of Olena StepanivClipping from a Russian newspaper headlined 'Baryshnya-Ofitser' ('The Lady Officer') — a report on the capture of Olena Stepaniv by Russian forces near Bolekhov on May 17, 1915. The document reflects the resonance her story had in the Russian press.
    Portrait of Olena Stepaniv by Osyp Kurylas
    Portrait of Olena Stepaniv by Osyp KurylasPainted portrait of Olena Stepaniv by Ukrainian artist Osyp Kurylas (1870–1951), who himself served in the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen and created numerous portraits of the riflemen and the USS gallery.
    Olena Stepaniv at the USS Kosh in Pisochna over the Dniester, September 1917
    Olena Stepaniv at the USS Kosh in Pisochna over the Dniester, September 1917Olena Stepaniv (left) at the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen training camp (Kosh) in Pisochna on the Dniester, September 1917, shortly after her return from Russian captivity.