Bura, Nikita [Mykyta Bura, Микита Бура] – teacher, active participant in political, community and church affairs; born on 31 March 1896 in the village of Velykyi Oleksyn, Rivne county, Volyn gubernia, Russian Empire (now Rivne raion, Rivne oblast, Ukraine).
Nikita Bura
During the First World War Bura served in the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UNR). In 1920 he completed his studies in education, and in 1920-1924 taught in a school near Rivne (at that time part of Poland). From 1922 he served in local government, and was mayor of the Rivne gmina. He was a founder member (in 1931) and general secretary (until 1936) of the Volyn Ukrainian Association. In 1930, 1935 and 1938 he was elected to the Sejm (Diet) of the Polish Republic, as a member of the Non-Party Bloc for Co-operation with the Government. In 1938-1939 he was vice-president of the Ukrainian parliamentary representation of Volyn.
In August 1943 Bura arrived in the UK from the Middle East with a group
of Polish Armed Forces (Anders Army) personnel. He maintained ties with the
Polish Government abroad in London, and also served as office manager for
the chief Orthodox chaplain to the Polish Armed Forces in the UK, archbishop
Sava Sovetov. In August 1945 he became head of the temporary executive of
the Association of Ukrainian Soldiers in the PAF. In January 1946 he was
elected first president of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain,
and re-elected in the following year. In 1947 he was a member of an
initiating group for the establishment of the Ukrainian Autocephalous
Orthodox Church (UAOC) in the UK, and in August of the same year was
appointed to its Church Council. In 1948 he emigrated to Canada.