Python C++ module exception problem

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C++

Python

Hello, I am working on python extension module. Currently I'm struggling with invalid static global variable HiveError. Here are code snippets:
My extension module header file:

...
#ifdef _DEBUG
#define _DEBUG_BUILD 1
#undef _DEBUG
#endif

#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" 
{
#endif

    #include <Python.h>
    #include <structmember.h>

    static PyObject * HiveError;

#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
...

And this is PyMODINIT_FUNC function initializing HiveError exception:

PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit_pphive(void)
{
    PyObject * module;

    if(!init_type(&PyHive_Type))
    {
        return NULL;
    }

    module = PyModule_Create(&PPHiveModule);

    if (module == NULL || 
        !add_type(module, &PyHive_Type, "Hive"))
    {
        return NULL;
    }

    // init exception
    HiveError = PyErr_NewException("pphive.HiveError", PyExc_Exception, NULL);

    if(!HiveError)
        return NULL;

    Py_INCREF(HiveError);

    if(PyModule_AddObject(module, "HiveError", HiveError) == -1)
        return NULL;

    return module;
}

In above function, HiveError is valid - can be thrown to python code... Then comes python code, which instantiates Hive class and call its method, where I want exception to be throw:
.py code

hive = pphive.Hive(path)
hive.expand()

My expand function:

static PyObject * expand(PyHive * self, PyObject * args)
{
    Py_INCREF(HiveError); // access violation
    return PyErr_Format(HiveError, ""); // throws SystemError: error return without exception set
};

HiveError is NULL in my expand function, why? I've put basically whole code called between exception initializing and expand function.
Any tips, or suggestions where exception might be deleted?