What lands were part of Unr. Ukrainian People's Republic: the first independent state of Ukrainians. Orientation to the Entente and its failure
The territory of Ukraine has been inhabited by people for at least 44 thousand years. The Pontic-Caspian steppe was the scene of important historical events bronze age. Here the migration of the Indo-European peoples took place. In the same Black Sea and Caspian steppes, people tamed the horse.
Later, Scythians and Sarmatians lived on the territory of the Crimea and the Dnieper region. Finally, these lands were inhabited by the Slavs. They founded the medieval state of Kievan Rus, which collapsed in the 12th century. By the middle of the current Ukrainian lands were ruled by three forces: the Golden Horde, and the Kingdom of Poland. Later, the territory was divided by such powers as the Crimean Khanate, the Commonwealth, the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary.
In the 20th century, an independent Ukraine appeared. The history of the emergence of the country begins with attempts to create the states of the UNR and ZUNR. Then the Ukrainian SSR was formed as part of the Soviet Union. And, finally, in 1991, the independence of Ukraine was proclaimed, confirmed at a national referendum and recognized by the international community.
Ancient history of Ukraine
Archaeological excavations indicate that Neanderthals lived in the Northern Black Sea region as early as 43-45 millennium BC. Objects belonging to the Cro-Magnols were found in the Crimea. They are dated to the 32nd millennium BC.
At the end of the Neolithic Ukrainian lands Tripoli culture arose. It reached its heyday in 4500-3000 BC.
With the onset of the Iron Age, the tribes of the Dacians, the ancestors of modern Romanians, passed through the steppes of the Northern Black Sea region. Then nomadic peoples (Cimmerians, Scythians and Sarmatians) settled the lands of Ukraine. The history of these tribes is known not only through archaeological sites, but also from written sources. Herodotus mentions the Scythians in his writings. The Greeks founded their colonies in Crimea in the 6th century BC.
Then the Goths came to the territory of Ukraine and took place in the III-V centuries AD. In the fifth century, Slavic tribes appeared here.
In the 7th century, the state of the Bulgars arose in the Ukrainian steppes. But soon it broke up and was absorbed by the Khazars. This nomadic people from Central Asia founded a country that included vast territories - the Caucasus, Crimea, the Don steppes and eastern Ukraine. The history of the emergence and flourishing is closely connected with the process of the formation of the statehood of the Eastern Slavs. It is known that the title of kagan was borne by the first princes of Kyiv.
Kievan Rus
The history of Ukraine as a state, according to many researchers, begins in 882. It was then that Kyiv was conquered by Prince Oleg from the Khazars and became the center of a vast country. In a single state, the meadows, drevlyans, streets, white Croats and other Slavic tribes were united. Oleg himself, according to the dominant concept in historiography, was a Varangian.
In the 11th century, Kievan Rus became the largest state in Europe in terms of territory. In Western sources of that time, her lands were most often designated as Ruthenia. The name Ukraine is first encountered in documents of the 12th century. It means "land", "country".
In the 16th century, the first map of Ukraine appeared. On it, under this name, Kyiv, Chernigov and Pereyaslav lands are indicated.
The adoption of Christianity and the crushing of Rus'
The first followers of Christ appeared in the Crimea at least in the 4th century. Christianity became the official religion of Kievan Rus in 988 on the initiative of Volodymyr the Great. The first baptized ruler of the state was his grandmother, Princess Olga.
During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, a set of laws was adopted, called "Russian Truth". It was the time of the highest political power of the Kyiv state. After the death of Yaroslav, the era of fragmentation of Rus' into separate, often warring with each other, principalities began.
Vladimir Monomakh tried to revive a single centralized state, but in the 12th century Rus' finally disintegrated. Kyiv and the Galicia-Volyn principality became the territories on which Ukraine later arose. The history of the emergence of Russia begins with the rise of the city of Suzdal, which was the political and cultural center of the northeastern Russian lands. Later, Moscow became the capital of these territories. In the northwest, the Principality of Polotsk became the center around which the Belarusian nation was formed.
In 1240, Kyiv was sacked by the Mongols and for a long time lost any political influence.
Galicia-Volyn principality
The history of the emergence of the state of Ukraine, according to a number of scientists, begins in the XII century. While the northern principalities fall under the rule of the Golden Horde, two independent Russian powers remain in the west with their capitals in the cities of Galich and Lodomir (now Vladimir-Volynsky). After their unification, the Galicia-Volyn principality was formed. At the height of its power, it included Wallachia and Bessarabia and had access to the Black Sea.
In 1245, Pope Innocent IV crowned Prince Daniel of Galicia and granted him the title of King of All Rus'. At this time, the principality waged a complex war against the Mongols. After the death of Daniel of Galicia in 1264, he was replaced by his son Leo, who moved the capital to the city of Lvov. Unlike his father, who adhered to a pro-Western political vector, he agreed to cooperate with the Mongols, in particular, he entered into an alliance with the Nogai Khan. Together with his Tatar allies, Leo invaded Poland. In 1280 he defeated the Hungarians and captured part of Transcarpathia.
After the death of Leo, the decline of the Galicia-Volyn principality began. In 1323, the last representatives of this branch of the Rurik dynasty died in a battle with the Mongols. After that, Volyn came under the control of the Lithuanian princes Gedeminovich, and Galicia fell under the rule of the Polish crown.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
After the Union of Lublin, the Ruthenian lands became part of the Kingdom of Poland. During this period, the history of Ukraine as a state is interrupted, but it was at this time that the Ukrainian nation was formed. Contradictions between Poles-Catholics and Ruthenians-Orthodox gradually resulted in inter-ethnic tension.
Cossacks
The Poles were interested in protecting their eastern borders from Ottoman Empire and her vassals. For these purposes, the Cossacks were best suited. They not only repelled the raids of the Crimean khans, but also participated in the wars of the Commonwealth with the Moscow kingdom.
Despite the military merit of the Cossacks, it refused to grant them any significant autonomy, trying instead to turn most of the Ukrainian population into serfs. This led to conflicts and uprisings.
Ultimately, in 1648, a liberation war began under the leadership of Bogdan Khmelnitsky. The history of the creation of Ukraine has entered a new phase. The state of the Hetmanate that arose as a result of the uprising was surrounded by three forces: the Ottoman Empire, the Commonwealth and Muscovy. A period of political maneuvering began.
In 1654, the Zaporozhye Cossacks entered into an agreement with the Moscow Tsar. Poland tried to regain control over the lost territories by concluding an agreement with Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky. This was the cause of the war between the Commonwealth and Muscovy. It ended with the signing of the Andrusov Treaty, according to which the Hetmanate was ceded to Moscow.
Ruled by the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary
The subsequent history of Ukraine, whose territory was divided between two states, was characterized by an upsurge among writers and intellectuals.
During this period, the Russian Empire finally defeats the Crimean Khanate and annexes its territories. There are also three partitions of Poland. As a result, most of its lands inhabited by Ukrainians are part of Russia. Galicia goes to the Austrian emperor.
Many Russian writers, artists and statesmen XVIII-XIX centuries had Ukrainian roots. Among the most famous are Nikolai Gogol and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Unlike Russia, in Galicia almost the entire elite consisted of Austrians and Poles, and the Rusyns were mostly peasants.
national revival
In the 19th century, a process of cultural revival of the peoples under the rule of large empires - the Austrian, Russian and Ottoman ones - began in Eastern Europe. Ukraine has not remained aloof from these trends. The history of the emergence of the movement for national independence begins in 1846 with the founding of the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood. The poet Taras Shevchenko was also a member of this organization. Later, social-democratic and revolutionary parties appeared that advocated the autonomy of Ukrainian lands.
Around the same time, in 1848, the Golovna Ruska Rada began its activity in Lvov - the first political organization Western Ukrainians. At that time, Russophile and pro-Russian sentiments dominated among the Galician intelligentsia.
Thus, the history of the creation of Ukraine within its modern borders begins with the birth of nationally oriented parties in the middle of the 19th century. It was they who formed the ideology of the future unified state.
World War I and the collapse of empires
The armed conflict that began in 1914 led to the fall of the largest monarchies in Europe. The peoples, who for many centuries lived under the rule of powerful empires, have a chance to determine their own future destinies.
On November 20, 1917, the Ukrainian People's Republic was created. And on January 25, 1918, she proclaimed her complete independence from Russia. A little later, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed. As a result, on November 13, 1918, the Western Ukrainian People's Republic was proclaimed. On January 22, 1919, the UNR and ZUNR were reunited. However, the history of the emergence of the state of Ukraine was far from over. The new power found itself at the epicenter of the civil, and then the Soviet-Polish war, and as a result lost its independence.
Ukrainian SSR
In 1922, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was created, which became part of the USSR. From the moment the Soviet Union appeared until the collapse of the Soviet Union, it ranked second among the republics in terms of economic power and political influence.
The map of Ukraine during this period changed several times. In 1939, Galicia and Volhynia were returned. In 1940 - some areas that previously belonged to Romania, and in 1945 - Transcarpathia. Finally, in 1954, Crimea was annexed to Ukraine. On the other hand, in 1924 the Shakhtinsky and Taganrog districts were transferred to Russia, and in 1940 Transnistria was ceded.
After World War II, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding countries of the UN. According to the results of the 1989 census, the population of the republic was almost 52 million people.
Independence
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine became an independent state. This was preceded by a rise in patriotic sentiment. On January 21, 1990, three hundred thousand Ukrainians organized a human chain from Kyiv to Lvov in support of independence. Parties based on national-patriotic positions were founded. Ukraine became the legal successor of the Ukrainian SSR and the UNR. The government of the UNR in exile officially transferred its powers to the first president, Leonid Kravchuk.
As you can see, the history of Ukraine since ancient times has been filled with great victories, unsurpassed defeats, noble catastrophes, terrible and fascinating stories.
International and internal situation of Ukraine in November-December 1917.
A feature of the social system in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century was the interweaving of monopoly capitalism in industry with numerous remnants of serfdom, in agriculture and an autocratic monarchy, in which virtually the entire population had no political rights. By the end of 1916, the country's economy was completely destroyed by the war, money depreciated and production began to acquire a natural character. The tsarist government introduced the surplus appropriation of peasant farms in order to supply the army and a card system for supplying the population with essential products. At the same time, the embezzlement of state funds reached unprecedented proportions, large-scale production actually stopped, wages for workers were not paid for months.
The February Revolution in Russia in 1917 intensified the struggle of the Ukrainian people for national, cultural, and economic liberation. The organizational center that united all the national-democratic forces of Ukraine was the inter-party political bloc of moderate liberals and social democrats that arose in 1908 - the Association of Ukrainian Progressives (TUP). M. Grushevsky, E. Chikalenko, I. Shrag, D. Doroshenko, S. Efremov, A. Nikovsky, A. Vyazlov, V. Prokopovich and others were members of the TUP.
The victory of the February Revolution and the collapse of the autocracy of the Russian Empire led to the change of authorities and administration in Ukraine. The fall of the monarchy and the creation of the Provisional Government in Kyiv was officially announced on March 1, 1917. The governors were eliminated. Supreme official in the province became the commissar of the Provisional Government, who usually appointed the chairman of the provincial zemstvo council. On the ground, they began to create public committees, which included members of city dumas, entrepreneurs, and the intelligentsia. In Kyiv, a council of united organizations of the city arose. Zemstvo congresses were held, which elected executive provincial committees. In parallel, councils of workers' and soldiers' deputies were created, led by the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. Social and political life has become more active. Old ones were revived, new Ukrainian political parties arose - the Association of Ukrainian Progressives, which was reorganized into the Union of Ukrainian Federalist-Autonomists, Social Democrats, Social Revolutionaries, Ukrainian Peasant Union.
"Enlightenment" revived. Cooperative organizations developed their activities. The Military Council, the Central Ukrainian Cooperative Committee were founded.
However, the most popular in Ukraine on the eve of the revolution were still not national, but all-Russian parties - social revolutionaries, social democrats, cadets. Their program requirements formed the basis for the programs of similar Ukrainian parties.
The task of the Central Rada was proclaimed the unification of all Ukrainian forces. Professor M. S. Grushevsky was elected Chairman of the Rada, Dmitry Antonovich and Dmitry Doroshenko were elected his deputies. The Central Rada issued an appeal "To the Ukrainian people", in which it called for keeping calm, electing new people to self-government bodies, and building a free life.
June 10, 1917 The Central Rada issued its First Universal, which proclaimed the autonomy of Ukraine.
The universal contained a concise summary of the discussion of the problems of Ukraine's self-determination at the First Peasants' Congress, the Fourth Session of the Central Rada, and the Second Military Congress. The main purpose of the First Universal was a direct appeal to all Ukrainians with an appeal "in a difficult time of all state disorder" to independently organize and begin "not a slow laying of the foundations of an autonomous device" in Ukraine.
The Universal noted the desire of the young Ukrainian democracy for freedom, for the creation of a Ukrainian Constituent Assembly by universal, equal, direct and secret voting, for national-territorial autonomy within Russia. The relevant demands of the Central Rada to the Provisional Government were set out in a concise form. The "hope" was especially expressed that all over Russia the landowners', state, royal, monastic and other lands would be transferred to the ownership of the people.
Of central importance was the position of the Universal, which stated that since the Provisional Government did not satisfy the demands of the Central Rada, the Ukrainian people would "govern their own lives." In the Universal, the Central Rada proclaimed itself the spokesman of the people's will and took upon itself "the entire burden of responsibility" in this connection. The universal also called on Ukrainian citizens to come to terms with each other and to come to an agreement with the “democracy of other nationalities”, as well as to eliminate persons and bodies “hostile to Ukrainians” on the ground, but not by violent means, but by re-election.
July 3, 1917 - The Second Universal of the Central Rada was published, in which it was declared that it agreed to wait for the legislative approval of the autonomy of Ukraine by the Constituent Assembly in November 1917.
It was officially declared in the Universal that "Petrograd extends its representative hand to Ukrainian democracy", calls "in agreement with them to create new life”, the Provisional Government recognizes the General Secretariat “as the bearer of the highest regional power” in Ukraine, admits representatives of the Central Rada “to the office of the Minister of War, to General Staff Supreme Commander" to participate in the Ukrainization of the army without violating its combat capability. The composition of the General Secretariat was to be approved by the Provisional Government in agreement with the Central Rada.
The Universal stated that the Provisional Government declared its favorable attitude towards the development of the draft "national-political charter of Ukraine", and the draft on the resolution of the land issue for their submission to the All-Russian Constituent Assembly. The Central Rada proclaimed that, in response to these concessions, it was postponing the issue of autonomy and opposed "the intentions of the unauthorized exercise of Ukraine's autonomy until the All-Russian Constituent Assembly."
Shortly after the publication of the Universal, the Central Rada was forced to accept the “Temporary Instruction for the General Secretariat” issued on August 4 by the Provisional Government, which significantly limited its powers. According to the instructions, the territory under the control of the General Secretariat was limited to 5 provinces: Kyiv, Podolsk, Volyn, Poltava and partly Chernihiv. The Ukrainian government - the General Secretariat - turned into a local government subordinate to the Provisional Government, and the Rada itself was deprived of legislative powers.
On October 25 (November 7), 1917, the Bolshevik coup took place in Petrograd. The first Soviet government (SNK) is formed under the chairmanship of Lenin.
The Bolsheviks, given the great importance of Ukraine, sought to establish control over Ukraine as quickly as possible. In the Donbass, the Bolsheviks came to power peacefully.
November 7, 1917 in Kyiv, the publication of the Third Universal of the Central Rada takes place, in which the proclamation of the Ukrainian People's Republic as an autonomous republic within Russia, but without the power of the Bolsheviks, is announced.
It said: "From now on, Ukraine becomes the Ukrainian People's Republic." Its territory was recognized as land inhabited mainly by Ukrainians. The existing right of ownership to the lands of the landlords and the lands of non-working farms, as well as to specific, monastic, cabinet and church lands was abolished. An 8-hour working day was established. State control over production was introduced. A demand was put forward for allies and opponents to immediately begin peace negotiations. The death penalty was abolished. Measures were taken to strengthen and expand local self-government. It was supposed to ensure freedoms: speech, press, religion, meetings, unions, strikes, inviolability of the person, home. The right to apply national languages, all nationalities were granted national-personal autonomy. On December 27, 1917 Elections to the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly were called.
Thus, the constitutional foundations of the state were laid out, although it remained in a federal connection with Russia. The Central Rada turned to all the peoples of Russia with a proposal to create socialist republics that would be united in a federation of democratic states.
The proclamation of the UNR III Universal was an outstanding historical event that marked the revival of Ukrainian statehood in the 20th century. At the same time, at the request of business circles, an explanation to it was published simultaneously with the Universal, in which all the proclaimed socio-economic transformations were announced only as intentions, which in no way will be carried out by the Ukrainian government in the near future. Strict responsibility was established for the "unauthorized" redistribution of landownership and the implementation of an 8-hour working day.
The Central Rada proclaimed the main directions of its political program:
1) struggle for national-territorial autonomy from 9 Ukrainian provinces and ethnic lands;
2) preparation for elections to the Constituent Assembly in order to resolve the issue of Ukraine's autonomy within the Russian Republic;
3) cooperation with the Provisional Government;
4) granting equal political rights to national minorities.
Simultaneously with the formation of the Central Rada and mass organizations on the ground, there was a consolidation of Ukrainian forces. In the summer of 1917 Ukrainian class congresses were held - a peasant and a worker, whose delegates became part of the Central Rada (after that, the composition of the Rada exceeded 800 people). The Central Rada was also supported by the 1st and 2nd All-Ukrainian Military Congresses, whose delegates declared that they were acting on behalf of “2 million organized Ukrainian soldiers and officers” of the front and rear.
Politics and mistakes of the Central Rada:
1. The liquidation of landownership, church lands were transferred to the peasants without redemption. The solution of the issue of land is up to the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly; plots less than 40 acres are not confiscated.
2. Establishment of state control over industrial products.
3. Establishment of an 8-hour working day.
4. Proclamation of all democratic rights and freedoms
5. Preservation of the rights of national minorities in Ukraine.
6. The conclusion of a general, not a separate peace.
7. Elections to the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly are scheduled
8. Diplomatic recognition of Germany, France, England, Poland and Russia.
Thus, during the spring and summer of 1917. the authority of the Central Rada grew among the broad sections of the Ukrainian population. Ukrainian parties of various political directions united around the national idea of building a Ukrainian state.
The war of Soviet Russia with the UNR. Battle of Kruty.
On the night of October 25-26 (November 7-8, according to the new style), 1917, an armed uprising led by the Bolsheviks took place in Petrograd. The provisional government was overthrown, and power passed to the All-Russian Congress of Soviets and the Council of People's Commissars elected by it - the Council of People's Commissars. The II All-Russian Congress of Soviets proclaimed Russia a republic of Soviets of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies (since January 1918 - the RSFSR). Decrees on land and peace were adopted, a government was formed - the Council of People's Commissars. This uprising engulfed all of Russia. The Bolsheviks met serious resistance only in the Don, Kuban, and especially in Ukraine.
The Bolsheviks proclaimed the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat in order to suppress the resistance of the exploiting classes - the bourgeoisie and landlords. Their coming to power took place under the slogans of social and national justice and equality. The Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia, adopted in November 1917, proclaimed the equality and sovereignty of the peoples of Russia, their right to free self-determination up to secession and the formation of independent states.
In Ukraine, the October uprising was assessed ambiguously by various political currents. The leadership of the Central Rada strongly condemned him and severed ties with the Bolsheviks. Chairman of the Central Rada M. Grushevsky proclaimed that Kyiv would become the center of unification of all democratic forces in the struggle against Bolshevism.
In Kiev, there were three forces that claimed power - the Central Rada, the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, who supported the Bolsheviks, and the headquarters of the Kyiv Military District, which defended the positions of the already defunct Provisional Government. In fact, the headquarters united Russian forces in Kyiv, hostile to both the Ukrainians and the Bolsheviks: officers of the military garrison, Cossacks, cadets, as well as the Russian intelligentsia.
By the end of October, the number of Red Guards in the city reached 3 thousand people, and during the days of the uprising - 5 thousand. The headquarters of the Kiev military district had at its disposal 12 thousand trained and well-armed (unlike the workers of the Red Guard detachments) soldiers and military cadets schools. The Central Rada had about 6,000 troops and negotiated both with the leaders of the uprising and with the headquarters of the military district, trying to avoid a revolutionary development of events.
The uprising in Kyiv began under the influence of the October armed uprising in Petrograd. October 27 (November 9), 1917 at a joint meeting of the Kyiv Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies with the participation of representatives military units, factory committees and trade unions of Kyiv, a resolution was adopted in support of the uprising in Petrograd, the power of the Kyiv Council was proclaimed and a Revolutionary Committee consisting of 10 people headed by L. Pyatakov was elected. The next day, a detachment of cadets and Cossacks surrounded the Mariinsky Palace and arrested the revolutionary committee that was there. On the morning of October 29 (November 11), at a meeting of representatives of factories and military units, a new revolutionary committee was formed, which proclaimed the beginning of an armed uprising. The Arsenal plant became the center of the uprising.
At this time, the Central Rada pulled together units that sympathized with it to Kyiv, occupied government offices, the railway station, post office, telephone, and seized power in the city. The General Secretariat issued an appeal "To all citizens in Ukraine", in which it said that the bloody events "threatened to ruin the achievements of the revolution", and stated that it "would vigorously fight against any attempts to support the rebellions in Ukraine." The Council of People's Commissars was recognized by the government of the central regions of Russia. The Central Rada stepped up preparations for the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly, which was supposed to approve a new social democratic system in Ukraine. At the same time, trying to suppress the Bolshevik resistance in Kyiv, the Central Rada arrested members of the Revolutionary Committee (its chairman, L. Pyatakov, was killed). Gaidamaks and free Cossacks carried out mass arrests, confiscating about 1,500 rifles from the Red Guards. The 3rd squadron, which supported the Bolsheviks, was disarmed, and the Arsenal plant was occupied by military units loyal to the Rada.
The 1st All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets in Kyiv began its work on 4 (17 New Style) December 1917 in the premises of the Kyiv Merchant Assembly. It was convened on the initiative of the Kyiv, Odessa and Kharkov Soviets of Workers' Deputies. By that time, most of the soviets in Ukraine had supported the Bolsheviks, and the latter were counting on the "absorption of the Central Rada by the congress of soviets" and the proclamation of Soviet power. However, Ukrainian democratic organizations were able to organize the arrival of about 2,000 representatives of peasant unions supporting the Central Rada (mainly from the Kiev region) and Ukrainian military units to the congress.
The participants in the Kyiv Congress unanimously expressed no confidence in the Central Rada, recognizing its re-election as inexpedient. In addition, the congress adopted an Appeal to the Peoples of Russia, in which the Council of People's Commissars was accused of ignoring the right of nations to self-determination, suppressing the democratically elected Ukrainian government and unleashing a "fratricidal war in the ranks of democracy."
During the opening of the First All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets on December 4 (17), a telegram signed by Lenin and Trotsky “Manifesto to the Ukrainian people with ultimatum demands to the Ukrainian Rada” arrived in Kiev.
In this manifesto, the Council of People's Commissars announced the recognition of the UNR and its right to secede from Russia, but did not consider the Central Rada to be the plenipotentiary representative of the working people of Ukraine. The Russian Soviet government demanded from the UNR within 48 hours to abandon the formation of the Ukrainian Front, not to allow counter-revolutionary Cossack units to pass through Ukraine from the front to the Don (where the anti-Soviet Volunteer Army was formed), to stop the disarmament of the revolutionary military units and the Red Guard. If these demands were not accepted, the Council of People's Commissars threatened war. At the same time, the ultimatum emphasized that the war would not be waged against the Ukrainian people and their right to self-determination, but against the “bourgeois-nationalist” Central Rada.
The Ukrainian government evasively responded to the ultimatum, setting the terms of the negotiations, first of all, the non-interference of the Council of People's Commissars and the command of the troops in Ukrainian affairs, as well as the provision of financial assistance to the UNR (at least a third of which should be gold). On December 21, the Council of People's Commissars replied that it wanted a peaceful resolution of the conflict, fully recognized the right to free development of peoples, but demanded that the Central Rada clearly express its refusal to support the counter-revolution - the Don ataman Kaledin and "the entire conspiracy of the bourgeoisie and the Cadets." Delegates were sent to Ukraine to negotiate with the Central Rada. However, the Central Rada stated that it stands on the positions of neutrality and non-interference in the affairs of Russia, demanding that the Council of People's Commissars clearly adhere to the right of nations to self-determination.
One of the main reasons for the war between the Bolsheviks and the Central Rada was the fear of the Council of People's Commissars of losing the centers of grain and industrial production in Ukraine.
Because of this, proclaiming the principle of nations for self-determination, the Petrograd government was afraid to actually recognize the state independence of Ukraine, similar to the recognition of the independence of Poland and Finland. The Bolsheviks headed for the absorption of the Central Rada by delegates from the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies and turning it into the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets of Ukraine.
On the other hand, the decisive course of the leader of the Central Rada, M. Grushevsky, towards non-recognition of Soviet power and the unification of all democratic forces to fight the Bolsheviks (immediately after the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd, he proposed making Kiev the center of this struggle, negotiated with Kaledin and Denikin) did not supporters of the Soviet government hopes for the establishment of good neighborly relations with the UNR. The unconditional support of M. Grushevsky for the idea of the Cadets about the inadmissibility of any socio-economic transformations before the decisions of the Constituent Assembly played its role (in particular, the Ukrainian authorities were forced to fight the peasant soviets, guided by the Bolshevik "Decree on Land"). The disillusionment of the peasantry and soldier masses in the Central Rada deprived it of popular support and led to a rapid transfer of power in Ukraine to the Bolshevik soviets.
On December 11-12 (24-25 New Style) December 1917, after the failure of the Bolshevik attempt to take control of the 1st Congress of Soviets in Kiev, in Kharkov, under the protection of the Red Guard detachments, an alternative All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Parts of Peasants' Deputies was held . It was attended by 127 delegates who left the Kiev Congress of Soviets and 73 delegates of the III Extraordinary Congress of Soviets of the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Basin, held in Kharkov.
In total, 82 councils were represented at the congress, mainly industrial centers - Kharkov region, Odessa, Yekaterinoslav, Kyiv and the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog basin (out of almost 300 that existed at that time in Ukraine). Bolsheviks predominated among the delegates, there were practically no representatives of the peasantry.
The Kharkiv Congress of Soviets proclaimed Ukraine a Soviet republic (77 delegates voted against with 13 abstentions), canceling all orders of the Central Rada and its General Secretariat. The congress decided to establish federal relations with the RSFSR, elected the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Ukrainian Soviets. On December 17 (30), 1917, the Bolshevik government of Ukraine was formed - the People's Secretariat, headed by Artem (F. A. Sergeev). At the same time, in the official documents of the Kharkov Soviet government, Ukraine was also originally called the Ukrainian People's Republic.
Thus, along with the right-wing socialist government of the Central Rada that existed in Kyiv, a radical socialist Soviet Ukrainian government arose in Kharkov, which also claimed to lead the process of the state revival of Ukraine.
The Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR immediately recognized the Soviet government of Ukraine and provided it with comprehensive armed and financial assistance. Through armed uprisings of local workers and Red Guards, led by the Bolshevik party center, Soviet power was established in December - January in a number of industrial cities of Ukraine - Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk), Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson, Sevastopol, in the Donbass. However, after the conclusion of the Brest Treaty, German and Austro-Hungarian troops, at the request of the Central Rada, occupied the territory of Ukraine. Since the weakly armed Red Guard detachments could not resist the regular Austro-German army, already in the spring of 1918, Soviet power in Ukraine was suppressed.
In January 1918, the Red Guard detachments in Ukraine already numbered about 120 thousand people. Basically they consisted of workers of large industrial centers. In addition, the Council of People's Commissars sent 32,000 Russian Red Guards and Baltic sailors to the Kharkov government. In early January 1918, the Kharkov Soviet government decided to attack Kyiv.
The Red Guard detachments formed in Kharkov and the Donbass took part in the Kiev campaign, about a quarter of the troops were units sent from Russia.
The rapid advance of the Red detachments was explained by the fact that the 300,000-strong army of the Central Rada went home, disillusioned with the policies of the Ukrainian government. The Ukrainian regiments named after Hrushevsky, Sahaidachny, Bogdan Khmelnitsky and others stationed in the Kyiv region refused to fight against the Bolsheviks. The formations of the Free Cossacks (numbering about 15 thousand people), the battalion of Sich Riflemen under the command of Yevgeny Konovalets (formed from Galician prisoners of war who served in the Austro-Hungarian army), the Gaydamatsky Kosh of Sloboda Ukraine under the command of Symon Petlyura and small detachments remained loyal to the Ukrainian government. consisting of students and high school students of Kiev. The Central Rada was forced to move to Zhytomyr.
January 5 (18), 1918 Ukrainian Soviet troops, supported by Red Guard detachments from the central provinces of Russia, launched an offensive against Kyiv. On the evening of January 15 (28), the Kiev Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, together with representatives of factory committees and trade unions, decided to start an uprising in the city. The city revolutionary committee was elected. The number of Red Guards and army units supporting the Bolsheviks was 6 thousand people. The Central Rada had 8-10 thousand "free Cossacks" and Gaidamaks under the command of S. Petlyura.
The uprising began at 3 am on January 16 (29), 1918. Its stronghold was the Arsenal plant, the commandant of which was appointed battalion commander S. Mishchenko, who crossed over with 450 soldiers of the Ukrainian regiment named after. Sagaidachny to the side of the rebels. Large forces of the Central Rada were thrown to storm the plant. On January 16 (29) and 17 (30) their attacks were repulsed. On January 16 (29), the Arsenals, together with the soldiers of the 3rd air fleet and the pontoon battalion, took possession of the weapons depots, the Pechersk fortress, and took control of the bridges across the Dnieper. On January 17-18 (30-31), the Red Guards advanced towards the city center. The uprising swept the whole of Kyiv. But on January 21 (February 3), the "smoke of death" transferred by S. Petliura from the front entered the city, reinforcing the detachments of "free Cossacks" and Gaidamaks. The position of the rebels deteriorated sharply; "Arsenal" was cut off from the city and subjected to heavy artillery fire. After continuous 6-day battles, the besieged ran out of ammunition and food. On January 22 (February 4), by decision of the revolutionary committee, the arsenalers stopped the fight; some of them secretly left the factory territory to join the Soviet troops advancing on Kyiv. The Gaidamaks who broke into the plant brutally cracked down on the rebels, shooting more than 300 Red Guards, and with them several dozen women and children.
In conditions when the Ukrainian regiments one after another refused to defend the Central Rada, a detachment of volunteers - Kyiv students and high school students in the amount of about 300 people - was sent towards the Red Guard detachments near Kruty. The officers who led them to their positions did not wait for the Red Guards to approach and dispersed. Almost all the volunteers died, having managed to dismantle the railway tracks and delay the advance of the Red Guards for several days. This was the last center of resistance to the Bolsheviks on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Conclusion: The leaders of the Central Rada focused on the autonomy of Ukraine within Russia, so the independence of the national state was proclaimed already when the majority of the population had already supported the policy of the Bolsheviks. The Central Rada was unable to provide strong power, both in the center and in the regions. In fact, the power of the Central Rada and the General Secretariat did not extend beyond Kyiv. In the conditions of the complete collapse of the economy, it was unable to restore order, to ensure the supply of the population with essential goods.
At the same time, the socio-economic transformations that were the main demand of the majority of the population in the revolution (in particular, the redistribution of landed property) were carried out belatedly and only after the appropriate transformations were carried out by the Bolsheviks. As a result, the bulk of the peasantry, who at first supported the Central Rada, lost faith in it and began to support the Bolsheviks. On the other hand, having proclaimed the elimination of private ownership of land in the land law, the Central Rada also lost support from the nationally oriented wealthy peasants who supported it. The general dissatisfaction with the policy of the Central Rada led to the loss of its main social base - peasants, soldiers, labor intelligentsia.
Considering it superfluous to create a regular army, the leadership of the Central Rada was unable to protect itself from Russian aggression. The organizational helplessness of the Central Rada was also seen by the Austro-German occupiers, who became convinced of its inability to fulfill its obligations to supply food and raw materials to Germany.
IV Universal of the Central Rada and the declaration of independence of the UNR, although it was dated January 9, was actually adopted on January 11, 1918 by the Lesser Rada. It stated the complete destruction of Ukraine by four years of war. The Bolshevik army was accused of robbery and violence, and the Petrograd Council of People's Commissars was accused of delaying the conclusion of peace.
Based on this, the Central Rada proclaimed the UNR an independent, independent, free, sovereign state of the Ukrainian people, which wants to live in peace and harmony with all its neighbors.
The Universal confirmed the course for:
An irreconcilable struggle against the Bolsheviks;
Reaching a peace agreement in Brest-Litovsk;
Election of volost and county people's councils, city dumas;
Socialization and transfer of land to the working people without redemption, and forests, waters and mineral resources - at the disposal of the Council of People's Ministers of the UNR;
Transfer of all factories and plants from a military to a peaceful state, an increase in consumer products;
Taking “into their own hands” the most important branches of trade, monopolizing the iron, coal, and tobacco industries;
Establishment of state-people's control over all banks;
The fight against unemployment;
National-personal autonomy;
Convocation of the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly.
The Universal emphasized that the independence of the UNR was proclaimed primarily for signing peace with the Central States. In addition, the proclaimed independence was not absolute, since the resolution of the issue of federal ties with the republics of the former Russian Empire was entrusted in the Universal to the future Ukrainian Constituent Assembly. Thus, in this part, the Universal repeated the program of the Russian Cadets close to M. Grushevsky, lagging behind the development of the revolutionary movement in Ukraine.
Dreams of a "European Ukraine" did not arise yesterday. The “independents” in 1917 also wanted not only to gain independence, but to take a worthy place among European states. And they saw a chance to enter the European arena not as an unknown little animal, coming from nowhere, but as an important ally of Great Britain and France. Therefore, the Central Rada reacted negatively to the start of separate negotiations in Brest-Litovsk. The UNR government was going to fulfill its obligations to the Entente. The military representatives of the allies, who fled from the Stavka, taken under the control of the Bolsheviks, to Kyiv, also encouraged him to do the same.
But dreams do not always coincide with opportunities. The desire to fight among the soldiers of the Southwestern and Romanian fronts was no greater than on other fronts. The All-Ukrainian Rada of Military Deputies, representing their interests, demanded that the General Secretariat immediately begin to resolve the issue of peace. Yes, and the very combat capability of the fronts was a big question. So we had to negotiate.
But even from this it was possible to receive dividends, designating oneself as an independent and influential bidder. On November 23, 1917, Secretary General for Military Affairs S. Petlyura announced the withdrawal of the Southwestern and Romanian Fronts from the Headquarters and the creation of the Ukrainian Front of the Active Army of the UNR. All that was left for Commander-in-Chief Krylenko was to shrug helplessly and send Petliura the text of the armistice agreement "for approval." And the newly-made commander of the Ukrainian Front, Colonel-General Shcherbachev (previously commanded the Romanian Front) himself entered into negotiations with the Austrians and concluded his armistice agreement on November 26.
The Central Rada also refused to participate in the general negotiations, sending its observers to Brest-Litovsk" for information and control, so that a truce is concluded as far as possible in accordance with our platform and not to the detriment of the Ukrainian People's Republic". Fears that the Bolsheviks would act without regard for the interests of national entities were not unfounded. But the Ukrainian delegation did not limit itself to "observation", having held a number of meetings and declaring that the UNR did not consider the delegation of the Council of People's Commissars competent to make peace on behalf of all of Russia .
In turn, the German politicians stated that they had no official information about the proclamation of the UNR and therefore should consider the delegates from the Council of People's Commissars as representatives of all of Russia. On the one hand, this can be seen as a sign of caution - Germany avoided being accused of interfering in Russia's internal affairs. On the other hand, as a hint that the interests of Ukraine will be taken into account only if it officially proclaims itself a separate entity.
Nationalists pushed Ukraine to the same, pointing out that in the event of a peace treaty, the positions of the Council of People's Commissars would be strengthened as a single authority on the territory of Russia.
The Bolsheviks also had a hand in the situation. On December 4, 1917, the First All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets, convened on the initiative of the Bolsheviks, received a "Manifesto to the Ukrainian People" which contained the recognition of the right of the UPR "to completely secede from Russia or ... enter into an agreement ... on federal or similar relations." At the same time, the document in an ultimatum demanded to stop the collapse common front and prohibit the passage through the controlled territory of units leaving the front for the Urals and the Don, where an uprising against the new government flared up.
But they failed to seize the initiative and re-elect the more loyal Central Rada. The ultimatum was rejected. On December 9, the General Secretariat decided to participate in the negotiations as an independent delegation. A note is sent to the belligerent and neutral powers, in which participation in a federal alliance with Russia is called the goal, but in the future. In the meantime, the union has not been created, Ukraine "takes the path of independent international relations" and does not recognize the peace concluded without its participation. By December 11, we decided on the composition of the delegation.
On December 12, 1917, the Ukrainian People's Republic Soviets of Workers', Peasants', Soldiers' and Cossacks' Deputies. On December 17, a government was formed - the People's Secretariat. That destroyed the monopoly of the General Secretariat on the right to speak on behalf of the Ukrainian people. On December 19, the Council of People's Commissars declared the People's Secretariat the sole legal government of Ukraine. They immediately started talking about the need to send representatives to negotiations in Brest-Litovsk.
And the UNR delegation headed by V. Golubovich arrived in Brest-Litovsk on December 22, 1917. And, despite all the previous statements, Germany agreed to start negotiations with it. Moreover, for the sake of this, it was even necessary to postpone the deadline for resuming negotiations with the Russian delegation to December 27.
On December 28, 1917, Golubovich announced the declaration of the Central Rada that the power of the Council of People's Commissars did not extend to Ukraine and the UNR was going to independently conduct peace negotiations. Based on this statement, the Germans managed to get the head of the Soviet delegation, Trotsky, to recognize the delegation of the Central Rada as independent. On December 30, representatives of the Central States announced the formal recognition of the UNR delegation.
Upon his return to Kyiv, Golubovich convinced the Central Rada of the need to declare independence and conclude peace with the Germans. They promised to clear the occupied territories of the Volyn province and transfer the Kholmshchyna and Podlyashye to the UNR (I note that the Germans had not previously shown interest in annexing these lands). As well as provide diplomatic, financial and military assistance.
On January 9, 1918, the Central Rada adopted the IV Universal, which proclaimed " independent, independent, free, sovereign state of the Ukrainian people".
The boundaries of the "sovereign state" IV Universal did not touch - the territorial claims of the UPR were described in the III Universal.
One of the provisions of the IV Universal prescribed "... to conduct the already begun ... peace negotiations with the Central Powers completely independently and bring them to a conclusion, regardless of any obstacles from any other parts of the former Russian Empire, and establish peace".
From the initial idea of continuing the war and preserving Ukraine as an important ally of the Entente, the Rada moved to the exact opposite - a separate peace and reliance on the Central Powers.
A brilliant victory for German diplomacy, which successfully took advantage of the situation. Commander's Chief of Staff Eastern front Major General Max Hoffmann subsequently had certain reasons to declare: - " In fact, Ukraine is the work of my hands, and not at all the fruit of the conscious will of the Russian people. I created Ukraine in order to be able to make peace with at least part of Russia".
1. Prerequisites for the declaration of independence of the UNR. The independence and sovereignty of the UNR were proclaimed by the Ukrainian Central Rada in the IV Universal. keynote of this document was the thesis: "From now on, the Ukrainian People's Republic becomes an independent, independent, free, sovereign state of the Ukrainian people." The Ukrainian Central Rada called on all citizens of the republic to defend "welfare and freedom" in the fight against "Bolsheviks and other attackers."
Basic prerequisites The Declaration of Independence of the UNR were:
The age-old aspirations of the Ukrainian people for freedom and independence;
Traditions of the national liberation struggle;
Long-term anti-Ukrainian policy of the imperial center;
The devastating consequences of the First World War for Ukraine;
The offensive of the Bolshevik troops on Ukraine, which began in December 1917, deprived the leadership of the Central Rada of illusions about the possibility of turning Russia into a democratic federal republic and the autonomy of Ukraine as part of such a republic;
Foreign policy conditions required the participation of the UNR delegation in a peace conference on the cessation of hostilities on the fronts of the First World War; such participation became real only when Ukraine received the legal status of an independent sovereign state;
Just how independent state, as a subject of international law, the UNR could rely on international assistance, including military assistance, to protect itself from outside aggression, in particular from the Moscow-Bolshevik intervention.
2. Adoption of the IV Universal. On January 11 (24), 1918, when the Bolshevik troops, who were rushing to the capital of Ukraine, were already on the outskirts of Kyiv, the Malaya Rada adopted AND V Universal. The final text was developed on the basis of projects by Mikhail Grushevsky, Vladimir Vinnichenko, M. Shapoval.
The following main provisions of the IV Universal can be defined:
a) in the foreign policy sphere:
- The universal obligated the government to complete negotiations with the Central States and conclude peace;
Declared the desire for friendly relations with the neighbors of Ukraine - Russia, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and other countries;
b) in the agricultural sector:
- proclaimed the nationalization (transfer of ownership into the hands of the state) of all natural resources (forests, waters, subsoil, etc.), the elimination of land ownership;
The transfer of land to peasants without redemption was guaranteed by the beginning spring work;
c) in the field of industry:
- the demilitarization of enterprises was proclaimed (the transfer of enterprises to a peaceful track, the production of peaceful products);
The fight against unemployment;
Providing social assistance to the unemployed affected by the war;
The monopoly of the state on the production and trade in iron, tobacco and other goods was proclaimed;
d) in the military sphere:
- the intention was proclaimed after the end of the war to demobilize the army and replace it with the people's militia;
e) in the field of finance:
The establishment of state control over banks was proclaimed;
f) in the field of interethnic relations:
- the right of national minorities to national-personal autonomy was confirmed.
The task was set to convene in the near future Ukrainian Constituent Assembly, who would approve the Constitution of the UNR.
On the day of the proclamation of the IV Universal, Malaya Rada adopted the law on national-territorial autonomy; the right to autonomy was automatically recognized for three large national groups - Russians, Jews and Poles; Belarusians, Germans, Czechs, Moldavians, Tatars, Greeks and Bulgarians could get this right, provided that their petitions in this case collect at least 10 thousand votes.
3. Historical meaning IV Universal of the Ukrainian Central Rada.
For the first time in modern history, the Ukrainian people have reached the most important decision - proclamation of an independent sovereign Ukrainian state, finally breaking off relations with the imperial center and laying the foundations for the next state building.
With the proclamation of the IV Universal autonomism and federalism as part of Russia, Ukrainian socio-political thought is finally becoming a thing of the past.
IV Universal granted a new quality status Ukrainian state; state power has become the only within its own territory, independent of other states.
The Ukrainian Central Rada finally rejected the hesitation and took a radical decision land issue- the main thing for a country in which the rural population prevailed.
The Ukrainian National Movement reaffirmed its democratic character: in the most difficult times for the revolution, the Central Rada continued to defend democratic freedoms, the rights of national minorities (including Russians).
IV Universal contained the constitutional foundations of state building, became a significant step towards building Ukrainian statehood.
Unfortunately, the historic decisions of the Ukrainian Central Rada were taken at a time when the fate of the Ukrainian democratic government had already been decided.
Lessons The Ukrainian national democratic revolution in general and the activities of the Ukrainian Central Rada in particular are very valuable for modern independent Ukraine.
4. Further development of events in Ukraine (January-February 1918). But this important document(IV Universal) was proclaimed too late, when the climax of the Ukrainian national movement had already been passed. At the beginning of 1918, the UCR was losing position after position - in mid-January, Soviet power was established in many cities of Ukraine. The distrust of the people in the ability of the UCR to solve pressing state issues increased, social problems prevailed over the national ones.
4.1. Battle of Kruty . The indecision and inconsistency of the UCR led to the fact that at the climax of January 16 (29), 1918, in the battle near Kruty (the station between Nizhyn and Bakhmach), where the fate of Kiev was decided, she could only count on the bayonets of 420 students, high school students and cadets, most of whom died in an unequal confrontation with the 4,000th Bolshevik army of Mikhail Muravyov.
4.2. Uprising at the Arsenal factory. On January 5 (January 18), 1918, Bolshevik troops launched an offensive against Kyiv. To support this offensive, on January 15 (28) the Kiev Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, which was dominated by the Bolsheviks, decided to start an uprising in the city. The uprising, led by a specially created revolutionary committee, began on January 16 (29). Its stronghold was a factory "Arsenal". The uprising swept the whole of Kyiv.
But on January 21 (February 3), those transferred by Simon Petliura from the front entered the city. "smoke of death" who reinforced the detachments of "free Cossacks" and Gaidamaks. The position of the rebels deteriorated sharply, the Arsenal was cut off from the city and was subjected to heavy artillery fire. After continuous fighting, by decision of the Revolutionary Committee, the arsenalers stopped the fight. Some of them secretly left the territory of the plant to join the Soviet troops advancing on Kyiv. The Gaidamaks burst into the plant and brutally dealt with the rebels, shot more than 300 Red Guards, and with them several dozen women and children.
4.3. The entry into Kyiv of the Bolshevik troops under the command of M. Muravyov. After the uprising at the Arsenal plant was suppressed, the UCR troops failed to keep Kyiv. After a five-day bombardment, on January 26, 1918, the Bolshevik units under the command of M. Muravyov entered the capital of the UNR. The UNR government was forced to relocate to Zhytomyr, and soon to Sarny.
After the capture of Kyiv, N. Muravyov ordered "to destroy all officers, junkers, haidamaks, monarchists and all enemies of the revolution." “Muravyov's troops carried out a massacre in Kyiv, which the city has not seen since the time of Andrei Bogolyubsky,” D. Doroshenko described these events in this way. Various numbers of victims were given: 5,000 or more, 3,000 were shot on the first day. They shot mainly Russian and Ukrainian foremen - those who had a certificate from the UCR, and some public figures. There were cases of extermination of people just because they spoke the Ukrainian language.
4.4. Brest-Litovsk peace treaty. On January 26 (February 9), 1918, the UNR delegation signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with representatives of the Quadruple Union.
The countries of this bloc recognized state independence and independence of the UNR, and its borders with Austria-Hungary were established according to the pre-war delimitations between Russia and Austria-Hungary (along the line Khotyn-Gusyatin-Zbarazh-Brody-Sokal. According to the agreement, almost the entire Kholmshchina and Podlachie were to return to the UNR. The final border with Poland later, a special mixed commission was to determine, taking into account the ethnic composition of the population of the border regions and their desires ...
Signed contract also provided: renunciation of mutual claims for compensation for damage caused by the war; mutual exchange of prisoners of war; mutual exchange of surplus industrial and food products; the establishment of mutual customs privileges and the most favored nation treatment in border trade; establishment of diplomatic relations.
Soviet Russia must immediately conclude peaceful agreement from the UNR, withdraw the Red Guard troops from here and not interfere in the internal life of Ukraine. To restore the power of the UNR, the 450,000-strong occupation Austro-German army entered the territory of Ukraine, which could not be resisted by the 25,000-strong Bolshevik army of Ukraine, together with detachments of volunteers from Petrograd and Moscow.
For the provision of large-scale military assistance to the UNR in accordance with secret agreement, signed in the spring of 1918, Ukraine undertook to supply Germany and Austria-Hungary with a significant amount of food, as well as regularly supply them with iron and manganese ore, etc.
Already in early March 1918, German, Austro-Hungarian and Petliurist troops occupied Kyiv and the Ukrainian Central Rada, the government of the UNR and other government agencies returned here. Until the end of April, the Red Army was driven out from almost the entire territory of eastern Ukraine and Crimea.
The February Revolution of 1917 was perceived by most Ukrainians quite positively. Rallies were held in Kyiv and other cities in support of the Provisional Government, which was then established in Petrograd. All organs of the former, tsarist, power were abolished. New administrative and legislative institutions were needed.
In this situation, the struggle for influence between various political movements begins. The provisional government appointed county and provincial commissars, who were instructed to take power into their own hands. But the local political elite did not agree with this development. Therefore, on March 3 (16 - according to the new style) March 1917, a meeting was convened in Kyiv, in which the leaders of various public associations took part. And the very next day they announced the creation of the Ukrainian Central Rada - a body of representative power independent of the Provisional Government.
The Kyiv political beau monde needed a discussion platform. The Central Rada was supposed to coordinate all national movements and prevent a split in the general ranks. Historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky (1866-1934) became the chairman of the new authority. Although there were many supporters of Ukraine's separation from Russia and the creation of a completely independent state in the Rada, most of the participants in the meeting were in favor of autonomy in alliance with the eastern neighbor. Therefore, on November 7 (20), 1917, the Rada announced the creation of the Ukrainian People's Republic within Russia.
Heated disputes began with Petrograd about the boundaries of the new administrative-territorial entity. Alexander Kerensky (1881-1970) - the head of the Provisional Government - allocated only 5 provinces to Ukraine: Kyiv, Podolsk, Volyn, Poltava and part of Chernihiv. The Rada also considered Kherson, Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk), Kharkiv, and a number of other regions as its jurisdiction.
In 1917, the Bolsheviks had no discernible political influence in Kyiv. All their attempts to establish their power in the capital proved to be fruitless. Therefore, the First All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets took place in Kharkov on December 11-12 (24-25). The delegates proclaimed the creation of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
In addition, in various regions of the country, the following were formed: the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Republic, the Odessa Republic, etc.
The uncertainty of what will happen next, and the political split of the country led to the formation of many administrative-territorial units, most of which existed only nominally. And only the UNR stood out against the general background of declarative statements as a real state.
