Kolky Republic was a temporary state composed of five regions of Volyn, measuring approximately 2500 square kilometers, created after being liberated from Nazi Germany in April 1943 by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and resistance fighters in Volyn. The state was named after its capital, the village of Kolky. It was proclaimed on 13 May 1943 and consisted of 40 villages near Kolky. The republic had its own police force, ambulance service, court system and postal system and a counterintelligence unit that allegedly foiled a communist coup. The state also had its own currency, bofon, with banknotes designed by Robert Lisovskyi. On 13 June 1943 Ukrainian inhabitants of Kolky Republic burned Roman Catholic church in Kolky killing about 40 Poles. The Kolky Republic lasted until 4 November 1943, when it was retaken by Nazi Germany using artillery and air attacks. During the German air raids, up to 500 residents of Kolky were killed and the town almost burned to the ground.