The Ukrainian legacy of Osyp Khoma in the United States was extraordinarily significant. Although brief in time, it left a vivid and lasting imprint. The figure of Osyp Khoma unquestionably deserves attention and honor from the entire Ukrainian community.
Osyp Khoma was born on January 22, and today we have an opportunity to remember, honor, and recount the unique life and sporting stories connected both to the United States and to Ukraine. At the same time, we must sadly acknowledge that he was never destined to see or live in a free Ukraine. He was born under occupation, lived under occupation, and passed into eternity in exile. It is painful to realize that his dream never came true. This is how Osyp Khoma spoke about it: “You know, I have traveled so much of the world, seen the North Star and the Southern Cross, know how the sun rises beyond the Urals and what tropical jungles look like, and yet—even though life is not bad here in America—I cannot forget that small, swift Bystrytsia River. Once it drew me out into the world, and now I would give half the world to see Bystrytsia once more. Just to look at our land again and show it to my little Tamarka… Will God allow us to see our land again? I would not want to remain here forever.” Osyp deeply longed to return to Ukraine—an independent Ukraine, for which he fought in the boxing ring, on the battlefield, and in life itself.
The American Period of Osyp Khoma’s Life
The chronicler of Prykarpattia sports Oleh Oleksyshyn wrote about Osyp’s move from ermany to the United States: “In 1949, the Khoma family also received permission to emigrate, moving almost in full to America. Only Osyp had to remain in Germany for some time longer. And only after more than two years was the Ukrainian able to emigrate as well, together with his Latvian wife Dzidra, whom fate had brought into his life in the camps, to the American state of Connecticut.” That “some time,” as it turned out, lasted more than two years. What exactly forced Osyp to remain behind—or who prevented his departure—remains an open question. Perhaps family memories could shed light on this.
In 1951, Osyp Khoma reunited with his family in the United States. In the new country, his daughter Tamara was born, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his life. Osyp found work, became involved in the Ukrainian community, and participated in national and patriotic events, actions, and demonstrations.
Unfortunately, little detailed information has survived about these years of his life in America. However, several important facts are worth noting. In 1957, Osyp received his U.S. naturalization card—six years after arriving in the country, which was likely standard practice at the time. On April 30, 1958, according to multiple accounts, a tragic accident occurred at a hospital in New Haven, where Osyp was undergoing treatment. After surgery on his gallbladder, hospital staff were transporting him on a stretcher by elevator from the operating room to his ward. At that moment, the unimaginable happened: as the stretcher with Osyp was only halfway inside the elevator cabin, the lift suddenly descended. The elevator doors closed and crushed the patient’s chest while he was unconscious under anesthesia. Osyp Khoma died instantly from his injuries at the age of 43. This tragedy still raises more questions than answers. Osyp Khoma was buried at a cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.
Memories of Osyp Khoma Among Ukrainians in the United States
Ukrainian American public activist and human rights advocate Halyna Klymuk-Khomiak recalled: “I remember his funeral. I know his brother’s daughter. I was four or five when he died. Beyond what has already been written, we know little. I do know he was gigantic, and it was difficult to dress him and even find boots for him.” She also shared that a photograph of Osyp Khoma’s gravestone in the United States was sent to her by Lida, the daughter of Platon Khoma, Osyp’s younger brother.
Osyp’s comrade-in-arms, M. Makarenko, wrote in his memoirs: “In the most dreadful times for Ukraine, when two occupiers fought over its lands, our friend Osyp Khoma joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Division to defend his people with weapons in hand. He survived the battle near Brody and later the Soviet concentration camps. But he did not think of himself or his own well-being. A faithful son of Ukraine, he joined the ranks of the UPA to continue the struggle against her enemies. Blessed memory Osyp Khoma was an outstanding and well-known boxer who dedicated his skills to the fight against the brutal occupier…” Makarenko described Khoma as a legendary fighter of the UPA, respected and loved by both soldiers and civilians, known even in hostile Polish and Czechoslovak press as a “giant” who carried a machine gun on his chest and never lay down in battle. He survived the massive raids of 1947 and made a daring raid to Western Europe, where in Mittenwald he reunited with family members who had long believed him dead.
Makarenko continued: “When it seemed that all dangers had passed and death no longer lurked at every step, when after years of struggle he could finally think of himself and raise his beloved little daughter Tamara, the unexpected happened.” What happened next, we already know. Osyp Khoma died prematurely—suddenly and tragically. To survive the hell of war and captivity, only to die so unexpectedly. Was it truly a fatal accident? There is no documentary proof, yet memories and reflections raise the possibility of deliberate interference.
The historical context only deepens these questions. Soviet special services systematically pursued Ukrainian figures abroad. Among those killed by Soviet agents were Symon Petliura in France in 1926, Yevhen Konovalets in the Netherlands in 1938, and Stepan Bandera in Germany in 1959.
Makarenko also described Osyp Khoma’s funeral in New Haven on May 30 as a solemn and massive event attended by former UPA and Division comrades from across the country, as well as nearly the entire Ukrainian community of New Haven and its surroundings.
Osyp Khoma’s memory lives on. Ukrainian newspapers in the United States reported extensively on the tragic death of the renowned Ukrainian.
Friends and comrades bid farewell with words filled with sorrow and pride. As one of them wrote: “Sleep peacefully, dear friend, may the free American land be light upon you.” Osyp Khoma dreamed of returning to Ukraine — it was his greatest desire.
Ukrainian American journalist and athlete Roman Dublianytsia wrote: “Recently, the boxer Osyp Khoma died unexpectedly. This is an irreparable loss for Ukrainian sport… He ended his colorful life path in the USA, arriving in New Haven as a political émigré.”
His longtime friend Oleh Lysiak recalled their first meeting in Munich, describing Osyp as a towering figure with extraordinary strength, kind blue eyes, and a presence that commanded attention—a true Ukrainian giant and symbol of the struggle for freedom.
Lysiak also wrote that Osyp had crossed the Atlantic Ocean 48 times as a sailor and had visited New York 24 times, where he first tried his strength as a professional boxer. He knocked out an American Czech boxer Havlícek at Stanley Gymnasium in Brooklyn, attracting the attention of New York boxing promoters. He was contracted by Boston manager Goodman, and his trainer became former world champion Benny Leonard.
Osyp Khoma had every opportunity to build a brilliant professional boxing career in the United States. Yet history intervened.
War returned him to Europe, to captivity, resistance, and ultimately to exile.
Although Osyp Khoma’s dreams were never fulfilled and he remained forever in the United States, his memory lives on in Ukraine. Ukrainians honor and remember him as a guiding light and an example in the struggle for freedom. In Lviv, the Kryivka restaurant even has a dedicated hall honoring Osyp Khoma.
We truly have much to be proud of—and many remarkable individuals to celebrate.
Author: Oleksii Lyakh-Porodko
