On this site, on the slope of Mount Berezovachka, six Ukrainian insurgents built an underground bunker in the autumn of 1953. This hideout served as a temporary refuge for freedom fighters who continued to resist the Soviet regime after World War II.
The bunker went down in history as the last stronghold of the legendary Colonel “Hrom” — one of the leaders of the Ukrainian underground movement. On May 17, 1954, it was surrounded by NKVD troops. Inside were three insurgents: Hrom himself, his wife Olha, and their liaison known by the alias “Ruzha” — Hanna Popovych.
Realizing there was no chance of escape, Colonel Hrom and Olha took their own lives rather than be captured. The bunker was then bombarded with grenades. “Ruzha” — the sole survivor — was captured by Soviet security forces.
This place stands as a symbol of the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian resistance, the tragedy of their choices, and the price paid for freedom. Today, the bunker remains a silent witness to those events, preserving the memory of the heroes who never surrendered.
