The Ukrainian People's Army (), also known as the Ukrainian National Army (UNA) or by the derogatory term Petliurivtsi (, ), was the army of the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...

(1917–1921). They were often quickly reorganized units of the former

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

and newly formed volunteer detachments that later joined the national armed forces. The army lacked a certain degree of uniformity, adequate leadership to keep discipline and morale. Unlike the Ukrainian Galician Army, the Ukrainian People's Army did not manage to evolve a solid organizational structure, and consisted mostly of volunteer units, not regulars.

History

Creation: Military congresses

When the

Tsentralna Rada The Central Rada of Ukraine, also called the Central Council (), was the All-Ukrainian council that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputies as well as few members of political, public, cultural and professional organizations o ...

() came to power in Ukraine in spring of 1917, it was forced to promptly put together an army to defend Ukraine against the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

. Nearly all units of the newly created army were detached from the

. On March 29, 1917 the first organization of military forum the Ukrainian Military Club was organized at the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

on the initiative of Mykola Mikhnovsky. Also during 1917 there were three All-Ukrainian Military Congresses that elected their representatives to the Central Rada. After the first such congress that took place on May 18–21, 1917 in

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, the Ukrainian General Military Committee was created.From Bogdanivtsi to the Rebel Army. A brief history of the Ukrainian armed forces in 1917-1921

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...

(6 December 2018) The committee was placed in charge for creation and restructuring of the army. The head of the committee was elected the future first General Secretary of Military Affairs, Symon Petlyura. The next congress, defying a ban placed by the

Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government was a provisional government of the Russian Empire and Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II on 2 March, O.S. New_Style.html" ;"title="5 ...

, took place on June 18–23, 1917 in Kiev. At this congress the 1st "Universal" of the Central Rada was read and the first elections to that institution took place. The last congress took place on November 2–12, 1917 and also in Kiev. Due to the civil unrest that was initiated by the

across the country also known as the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

the congress took longer than its predecessors as it was interrupted for a few days in order to create the first Ukrainian Regiment for the Defense of Revolution (headed by Colonel Yuri Kapkan). The main requests of the congress were proclamation of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, full Ukrainization of army and navy, and an immediate peace treaty. At the time, the Central Rada did not see the need for a

standing army A standing army is a permanent, often professional, army. It is composed of full-time soldiers who may be either career soldiers or conscripts. It differs from army reserves, who are enrolled for the long term, but activated only during wars ...

, reinforced by conscription. Instead, a ' Free Cossack' concept (which was no different from a

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

) was introduced and ratified in November 1917. Only when the

invaded the

, in December 1917, was the need for a regular standing army appreciated. The new organization was to include; eight infantry

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

and four cavalry divisions. But these plans were never realized, as the Rada was overthrown in a coup led by Pavlo Skoropadsky, who brought the Hetmanate to power in Ukraine. A temporary peace treaty with the Bolsheviks was also signed on 12 June 1918. Grushevskiy parad

After taking power, the Hetmanate government established its own plans for a standing army. These were to consist of 310,000 military personnel divided into eight territorial corps, with an annual budget of 1,254 million karbovantsi. However, this army did not develop beyond the organizational stage, due to many

dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...

movements and gross unpopularity of the Hetmanate amongst

peasants A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising f ...

and civilians. In November 1918, the Directorate came to power in Ukraine, bringing with it yet another vision for the structure of the army. During this time, most units simply crossed from the Hetmanate to the Directorate with little organizational change occurring.

War of Independence

The Bolsheviks first invaded the Ukrainian People's Republic in January 1918. After several weeks of battle, the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

overwhelmed the fairly small Ukrainian force, and took

on February 9. This forced the Central Rada to seek help from the

Central powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After signing the

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria), by which Russia withdrew from World War I. The treaty, whi ...

, the Ukrainian Army was to receive assistance in fighting the Red Army. A

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

- Austrian

Operation Faustschlag The Operation Faustschlag or (), also known as the Eleven Days' War, was a Central Powers offensive in World War I. It was the last major offensive on the Eastern Front. Russian forces were unable to put up any serious resistance due to the ...

offensive removed the Bolsheviks from Kiev in early March, and the Rada government returned to the capital. In April, the Red Army was forced to completely retreat from Ukraine, and a peace treaty was signed.100 years ago Bakhmut and the rest of Donbass liberated

(18 April 2018)Germany Takes Control of Crimea

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the '' New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Hi ...

(18 May 1918)War Without Fronts: Atamans and Commissars in Ukraine, 1917-1919
by Mikhail Akulov,

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, August 2013 (page 102 and 103) The German/Austro-Hungarian victories in Ukraine were due to the apathy of the locals and the inferior fighting skills of Bolsheviks troops compared to their Austro-Hungarian and German counterparts. In December 1918, after the Directorate's coming to power, the army reached its peak at an estimated 100,000 recruits. These armed forces proved to be neither battleworthy nor well-organized. At the time most of

Pavlo Skoropadskyi Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi (; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, who served as the Hetman of all Ukraine, hetman of the Ukrainian State throughout 1918 following a 1918 Ukrainian coup d'état, coup d'éta ...

Ukrainian State The Ukrainian State (), sometimes also called the Second Cossack Hetmanate, Hetmanate (), was an Anti-communism, anti-Bolshevik government that existed on most of the modern territory of Ukraine (except for Western Ukraine) from 29 April to 14 ...

forces changed sides and joined the Directory. In January 1919, Ukraine declared war on

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

, after the latter established a provisional government in

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

, proclaiming the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

. Simultaneously, the

West Ukrainian People's Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic (; West Ukrainian People's Republic#Name, see other names) was a short-lived state that controlled most of Eastern Galicia from November 1918 to July 1919. It included major cities of Lviv, Ternopil, Kolom ...

had taken

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

, thereby beginning a war with the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

. In January 1919, the Ukrainian People's Army and the Ukrainian Galician Army united, after the

had been completely occupied by Polish forces, and Kiev by Soviet forces. Symon Petlyura became the commander in chief of the new Ukrainian Army; this improved the order and discipline in the army.The Army and Independence

The Ukrainian Week ''The Ukrainian Week'' (, ) is an illustrated weekly magazine and news outlet covering politics, economics and the arts and aimed at the socially engaged Ukrainian-language reader. It provides a range of analysis, opinion, interviews, feature p ...

(12 April 2013) Special inspectors with wide authority were introduced, similar to Bolshevik commissars. The army grew as 35,000 soldiers of central Ukraine were joined by 50,000 Galicians. Having this force, the army of the UNR launched a successful raid on Kiev and

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

in August 1919. But eventually the united armies suffered severe casualties in their suicidal war against the

Polish army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

, Denikin's

Whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

and the Bolsheviks. An epidemic of

spotted fever A spotted fever is a type of tick-borne disease which presents on the skin. They are all caused by bacteria of the genus '' Rickettsia''. Typhus is a group of similar diseases also caused by ''Rickettsia'' bacteria, but spotted fevers and typhus a ...

contributed to this defeat. Therefore, Ukraine signed an armistice with the Entente and later with Poland in May 1919. After failing to capture Kiev on their own, the Ukrainian army signed the Treaty of Warsaw with Poland, in April 1920. Under the treaty, Ukrainian forces fought side by side with Polish forces against Soviet Russia and other Ukrainian 'Red' movements (Denikin, the Germans and the Entente had long since been expelled from Ukraine). Following a decisive failure in the Kiev offensive, Ukrainian presence only decreased in the seesaw Polish-Soviet war. Until finally the newly founded Soviet Union and Poland signed the

Treaty of Riga The Treaty of Riga was signed in Riga, Latvia, on between Poland on one side and Soviet Russia (acting also on behalf of Soviet Belarus) and Soviet Ukraine on the other, ending the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921). The chief negotiators of ...

on March 18, 1921, ending the war. The small remnants of the Ukrainian People's Army either resorted to

guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...

or joined the Polish Army.

Structure

The headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed forces was called the General Bulawa. The original structure of the army, as designated by the

, planned to organize an optimistic eight infantry corps and four cavalry divisions. But these plans were never realized due to the internal struggle for power in Ukraine. Instead, the army was hastily formed of various armed volunteer units and " Free Cossacks". But in May 1919 (long after the Directorate assumed power), the Ukrainian people's army was forced to reorganize after its manpower dropped from 100,000 to 15,000 in just five months of warfare with

. According to then Ukrainian politician Volodymyr Vynnychenko, this dramatic decrease in manpower occurred mainly because of communist propaganda. The new, semi-organized structure was made up of five brigade-sized "army groups" and a large number of Free Cossacks: *

Sich Riflemen The Sich Riflemen Halych-Bukovyna Kurin () was one of the first regular military units of the Ukrainian People's Army. The unit operated from 1917 to 1919 and was formed from Ukrainian soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army (Ukrainian Sich Riflem ...

, which were disbanded in late 1919 (5,000 servicemen) *Zaporizhtsi group (3,000 servicemen) *Volynska group (4,000 servicemen) * Udovychenko's regiment (1,200 servicemen) * Tyutyunnyk's group (1,500) In May 1920 in the middle of the Polish-Soviet War, the army was once again forced to reorganize, after its strength more than doubled in size. The new structure included: six

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

and one

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

division. Each infantry division was to have three

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

s armed with

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

, a cavalry

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

and an

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

regiment. The single cavalry division had six mounted regiments. The formation of six reserve brigades was also attempted, but this was only partially successful. The reinforcement brigades were later made into an under strength, two brigade machine gun division. Thus, the structure was, as follows: *1st Infantry ''Zaporizhska'' Division *2nd Infantry ''Volynska'' Division *3rd Infantry ''Zalizna'' Division *4th Infantry ''Kyivska'' Division *5th Infantry ''Khersonska'' Division * 6th Sich Rifle Division *1st Machine Gun Division *1st Cavalry DivisionAbbott, p 19, 20

Ranks and insignia

Following the reformation that took place among the Ukrainian military units the older Russian rank structure and insignia were dropped and replaced with those of the Hetmanate times. Most notable is the introduction of the rank of Otaman that replaced the General ranks of the Russian army. The army headquarters became known as the General Bulawa. The military representative in the

Directorate of Ukraine The Directorate, or Directory () was a provisional collegiate revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian People's Republic, initially formed on 13–14 November 1918 during a session of the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against th ...

, Symon Petliura was given the rank of the Chief Otaman. The new position was introduced by the former Russian General and later Otaman Oleksander Hrekov. Ranks (in descending order) since end of 1917: ;General ranks #Otaman Frontu #Otaman Armii #Otaman Korpusu #Otaman Divizii #Otaman Brihady ( Brigadier general) ;Other officers #Polkovnyk (

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

) # Osavul ( Lieutenant colonel) #Kurinny (

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

) # Sotnyk (

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

) #Pivsotenny (

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

) ;Enlisted #Bunchuzhny ( Company Sergeant) #Chotar ( Platoon Sergeant) #Royovyi (

Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

) #Kozak (see

Cossacks The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic languages, East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borde ...

) Ranks have altered in June 1918, but only for officers: ;General (Heneral) #Heneralnyi Bunchuzhnyi (

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

) #Heneralnyi Znachkovyi (

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

) #Heneralnyi Khorunzhyi ( Major general) ;non-General #Polkovnyk (

) #Viyskova Starshyna ( Lieutenant colonel) #Sotnyk (

) #Znachkovyi (

) #Khorunzhyi ( 2 Lieutenant)

Main military formations (UPR)

* 1st Ukrainian Corps, former 34th Russian Corps * 2nd Sich Zaporozhian Corps, former 6th Russian Corps * Kurin of Sich Riflemen (not to be confused with the Austrian military formation of

Ukrainian Sich Riflemen Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (; ) was a Ukrainian unit within the Austro-Hungarian Army during the First World War. Scope The unit was formed in August 1914 on the initiative of the Supreme Ukrainian Council. It was composed of members o ...

), formed out of the Austrian prisoners of war interned in Russian concentration camps ** Cavalry Regiment of Sich Riflemen * Khmelnytsky Cossack Regiment (Bohdanivtsi) * Polubotko Cossack Regiment (Polubotkivtsi) * Zaporizhian Corps ** 1st Zaporizhian Infantry Regiment (Hetman Doroshenko IR) ** 2nd Zaporizhian Infantry Regiment ** 3rd Zaporizhian Infantry Regiment (Hetman Khmelnytsky IR) ** 3rd Haidamaka Infantry Regiment ** 1st Zaporizhian Regiment of Haidamaka Cavalry (Kosh Hordienko Cavalry) ** 1st Zaporizhian Engineer Regiment ** 1st Zaporizhian Artillery Regiment ** 1st Zaporizhian Auto-Armor Division ** Cavalry-Mountainous Artillery Division ** Zaporizhian Air-Floating Squadron ** (1 Cavalry Regiment of Black Zaporizhians) * Free Cossacks ** Ukrainian Steppe Division (Anti-Bolshevik revolutionary-military unit) * Ukrainian Marines ** 1st Hutsul Marines Regiment ** 2nd Hutsul Marines Regiment ** 3rd Marines Regiment * (Gray-Coats) * * ** Black Haidamaka Kurin ** Red Haidamaka Kurin * 3rd Iron Riflemen Division ** Sich Riflemen Light Artillery Regiment ** Don Cossack Regiment (mounted) * 20th Pavlohrad Cavalry Regiment * 6th Sich Division (former 2nd Division) * Kiev Insurgent Division of Yu.Tyutyunyk *

Ukrainian Navy The Ukrainian Navy (), is the Navy, maritime force of Ukraine and one of the eight Military branch, service branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The naval forces consist of five components: surface forces, submarine forces, Ukrainian Naval ...

Ukrainian People's Republic Air Fleet The Air Fleet of the UPR was the air force of the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1917–1921. Aircraft Fighters * Morane-Saulnier Type Nm (3) * Sikorsky S-16 * Nieuport 11 C.1 ''Bebe'' * Nieuport 17 (3) *Nieuport 21 (2) * Nieuport 23 (7) *Nie ...

Main military formations (WUPR)

* Ukrainian Galician Army ** 1 Galician Corps ** 2 Galician Corps ** 3 Galician Corps

List of generals

* Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Borys Bobrovskyi (1868 – 1918), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant General Nikolai Bredov (1873 – 1945), Lieutenant General of the former Imperial Russian Army (brief period in 1918) * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Serhiy Diadiusha (1870 – 1933), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Fedir Kolodiy (1872 – 1920), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Pavlo Kudriavtsev (1873 – 1921), Lieutenant Colonel (Voyskovoy Starshina) of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Mykola Koval-Medzvetskyi (1868 – 1929), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Antin Maslinyi (1865 – 1929), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Oleksandr Mykhailiv (1868 – ????), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Nikolai Volodchenko (1862 – 1945), Lieutenant General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik) General Oleksandr Vyshnivskyi (1890 – 1975), Sub-Lieutenant (Podporuchik) of the former Imperial Russian Army * Lieutenant (Poruchik/Znachkovy) General Petro Yeroshevych (1870 – 1945), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Sergei Delvig (1866 – 1944), Lieutenant General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Oleksiy Galkin (1866 – 1941), Lieutenant General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko (1878 – 1952), Colonel of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Pavlo Shandruk (1889 – 1979), Sub-Lieutenant (Podporuchik) of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Oleksandr Udovychenko (1887 – 1975), Stabskapitän of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Andriy Vovk (1882 – 1969), Sub-Lieutenant (Podporuchik) of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Mykola Yunakiv (1871 – 1931), Lieutenant General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Oleksandr Zahrodskyi (1889 – 1968), Stabskapitän of the former Imperial Russian Army * Colonel (Polkovnyk) General Viktor Zelinskyi (1864 – 1940), Major General of the former Imperial Russian Army * Full (Bunchuzhny) General

Alexander Ragoza Alexander Frantsevich Ragoza (; 20 June .S. 8 June1858 – 29 June 1919), also known as Oleksandr Frantsevych Rohoza (), was a Russian Empire, Russian General of the Infantry (Imperial Russia), general of the infantry during World War I, a ...

(originally Oleksandr Rohoza; 1858 – 1919), General of the Infantry of the former Imperial Russian Army (in 1918)

Ukrainian Military Cemetery

The Ukrainian Military Cemetery in

Aleksandrów Kujawski Aleksandrów Kujawski (until 1879: ''Trojanów'', 1879–1919: ''Aleksandrów Pograniczny'') is a town in north-central Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the seat of Aleksandrów County, as well as of Gmina Aleksandrów Kujawski ( ...

is the final resting place of 17 soldiers of the Ukrainian People's Army who were interned in Aleksandrów Kujawski internment camp in December 1920 and died during their stay there (before the camp was disbanded in the autumn of 1921). The cemetery is located on Narutowicz Street in Aleksandrów Kujawski. It was entered into the register of historic monuments on 7 June 1995. The cemetery was established during the camp's existence by other interned individuals. In 1921, donated a piece of land adjacent to the barracks of the internment camp for this purpose. On July 24 of the same year, the officers in the camp organized a collection among the internees to fund the establishment of the cemetery and the erection of a monument. They collected 20,000 Polish marks, which enabled them to tidy up the graves and prepare a design for the commemorative burial mound. The internees themselves carried out the cleaning and construction of the monument. According to a description of the burial mound made shortly after its construction, it appeared as follows:

''On the mound, a black Zaporozhian cross was erected. In the center of the cross was placed the
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
– the trident, and on its arms, an inscription in Ukrainian: 'To the fighters for the freedom of Ukraine, officers and soldiers of the 4th and 6th Divisions'. On the other side, there was an inscription: 'Pro Ukraine libertate mortuis' and in Polish: 'To the heroes of the fight for the freedom of Ukraine, 4th and 6th Ukrainian Divisions – 1921'.''

On the front slope of the mound, the internees placed a red sandstone plaque with an inscription in Ukrainian: ''Chaj woroh znaje, szczo kozaćka syła/szcze ne wmerła pid jarmom tyrana/szczo kożna stepowa mohyła/ce wiczna niepimszczena rana'' (English: ''Let the enemy know that the Cossack strength has not yet died under the yoke of the tyrant, that every steppe grave is an eternal, unavenged wound''). During the interwar period, the Ukrainian cemetery in Aleksandrów Kujawski became a significant site for annual religious services and patriotic ceremonies, gathering emigrant communities from across the

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

and

Kuyavia Kuyavia (; ), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three traditional parts: north-western (with th ...

regions. The cemetery, often referred to by Ukrainians as the "Cossack Grave", was a symbol of remembrance for the Ukrainian struggle for independence. On 29 May 1927, for the first time, a memorial service was held at the cemetery in honor of Symon Petliura, a prominent Ukrainian leader. The service was conducted by Father Stefan Rudyk from the . From that year onwards, services in memory of Petliura and other deceased participants in the Ukrainian fight for independence became a tradition in Aleksandrów Kujawski, attracting Ukrainians from the entire region. These ceremonies were often followed by commemorative academies. In 1930, the "Cossack Grave" was renovated by a group of emigrants under the supervision of M. Czocha. In 1932, for the first time, the ceremony honoring Petliura was combined with the celebration of the anniversary of the revival of the Ukrainian army. Viktor Babicz, a participant in the 1939 ceremonies, recalled:

''We would arrive for the morning mass at the local Orthodox church, which on that day could not accommodate all the faithful. People came to Aleksandrów Kujawski from all possible directions. Around ten o'clock, everyone would gather around the market square. Here, units of former soldiers of the Ukrainian People's Army began to form. Commands and orders from the senior officers could be heard. The Ukrainian Military Cemetery was well-maintained and decorated with flowers.''

Post-war history of the cemetery

After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Ukrainian emigrant communities in Kuyavia and Pomerania, including those in Aleksandrów Kujawski and

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

, became dispersed. As a result, the cemetery was abandoned after 1945. The initiative to restore the cemetery was taken up in the spring of 1991 by Emilian Wiszka and Colonel Szymon Smetana, with the support of local authorities, particularly the mayor of Aleksandrów Kujawski, Zdzisław Nasiński, and his deputy, Stanisław Krysiński. Between April 1992 and the spring of 1993, cleanup and restoration work was carried out. The original fencing was restored using the remaining posts, and a new commemorative plaque was created with the original inscription in the same font. The work was performed by the

-based company ''Nekropolis''. The project was overseen by the and the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland, with Sławomir Mąkowski leading the coordinating committee. The renovated cemetery was officially reopened on 12 June 1993 with an ecumenical service attended by Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic clergy. The service included Catholic Bishop Bronisław Dembowski of

Włocławek Włocławek (; or ''Alt Lesle'', Yiddish: וולאָצלאַוועק, romanized: ''Vlatzlavek'') is a city in the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship in central Poland along the Vistula River, bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park ...

, Greek Catholic Metropolitan Jan Martyniak of Przemyśl and Warsaw, Orthodox Archbishop Szymon Romańczuk of

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

and

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

, and Lutheran Pastor Jerzy Molin. The independent Ukrainian government was represented by the Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland, Hennadiy Udovenko, and Minister of Defense Volodymyr Mulawa. In his speech, the mayor of Aleksandrów Kujawski emphasized the importance of commemorating shared history in the context of European integration. , chairman of the Union of Ukrainians in Poland, spoke about the necessity of reconciliation between the two nations to prevent future conflicts. Since that year, an ecumenical service has been held at the cemetery every first Saturday in June.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Ukrainian Encyclopedia

Ukrainian Armies 1914-55 By Peter Abbott, Oleksiy Rudenko (google books)
{{Authority control Ukrainian People's Republic Ukrainian military formations Anti-communist organizations Disbanded armies Military history of Ukraine Military units and formations of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1921