Orly Catholic Association of Ukrainian Youth (Католицька асоціяція української молоді «Орли»; Katolytska asotsiiatsiia ukrainskoi molodi ‘Orly’). A Catholic youth association (whose name means ‘eagles’) that was active in 1933–9 in the Lviv archeparchy. Established in the wake of the 1933 Ukrainian Youth for Christ festival, the group functioned under the direct auspices of the Lviv archeparchy until 1937, when it was established as a separate entity. Centered in Lviv, Orly was headed by Andrii Melnyk in 1933–8 and then by Vasyl Hlibovytsky. It had nearly 450 men’s and women’s branches with a combined membership of approximately 30,000. Before 1937 the women’s groups were separately organized and headed by K. Yanovych. The group resembled the Plast Ukrainian Youth Association in several ways and included beginner, junior, youth, and senior levels in its structure. It sponsored summer camps and published the monthly Ukraïns’ke iunatstvo, which had a supplement called Hotovs’ that provided activity materials for small groups.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 3 (1993).]