A
small band of Ukrainian college students stands on a ridge overlooking a trainyard.
Their mission: repel Russian soldiers on their way to attack Kyiv.
The students are vastly outnumbered, outgunned, and have almost no combat experience.
Most of them will die in the conflict to come.
But they are willing to lay down their lives to protect their homeland from the Russian
invasion.
A rifle fires.
The bullet impales itself into the dirt just in front of the students.
The Red Army is here.
It is time to fight or lose everything.
This is the first war between Russia and Ukraine, and it won’t be the last.
As the chaos and destruction of World War I consumes much of Europe, the Russian Revolution
begins.
It is March of 1917; civil war has broken out in St. Petersburg.
The Russian monarchy is overthrown, and for the first time in history, a Communist state
is born.
Ukrainian nationalists closely watch the events in Russia unfold.
This may be the perfect opportunity to gain independence for Ukraine.
With the Russian government in turmoil, less attention is being paid to what is happening
beyond the capital of St. Petersburg.
In the confusion surrounding the restructuring of Russia’s government, Ukraine sets out
to break away from the oppressive grip of Russian control.
It is November of 1917; the Bolsheviks seize control of the Russian government.
They are now the ruling party of the land and will transform the nation into Soviet
Russia under the leadership of Vladamir Lenin..
As the power shifts in Russia, Ukraine splits from the country and forms the Ukrainian People’s
Republic.
The newly independent Ukraine hopes that their succession will fly under the radar as the
Bolsheviks have plenty of other things to deal with at home.
However, this is not the case.
By December of 1917, Russia is amassing forces at the Ukrainian border and preparing to invade,
something eerily similar to the events that are unfolding in modern times.
It appears that Ukraine is just too important for the Bolsheviks to let it go without a
fight.
Although many Ukrainians want independence from Russia, there are Ukrainian Bolsheviks
who want to remain a part of the Motherland.
They send word to St. Petersburg of what is happening in the region and ask for assistance
in squashing the dreams of those who want an independent Ukraine.
The leaders of the newly formed Ukrainian People’s Republic double down on their plans
for freedom and sever all ties to Russia.
On January 22, 1918, the Central Council of Ukraine, also called the Central Rada, formally
declares its independence from Russia to the world.
Obviously, the sovereignty of the Ukrainian People's Republic is not recognized by the
Soviet government.
Instead, they will make the Ukrainians pay for even thinking about trying to leave their
rule.
Russia is about to invade Ukraine for the first time in history.
The Ukrainian People’s Army is the main force standing in the way of the Red Army,
which has been sent to take back the territory for their Soviet overlords.
It is mostly made up of volunteers and former soldiers who fought for Russia in previous
wars but now want their independence.
The Ukrainian People’s Army lacks experienced leaders, which will make repelling the wave
of Red Army soldiers about to crash through their country very difficult.
By the end of January, Russian soldiers have taken Kharkiv and Poltava as well as much
of eastern Ukraine.
There is very little resistance in this part of the country as many people consider themselves
Bolsiviks and welcome the Red Army with open arms.
It’s the people unified in Kyiv and the southern part of the country who will pose
the fiercest opposition to the Russian troops.
However, in order to reach the capital of Ukraine, Russian forces must get past a group
of students who have entrenched themselves in the Red Army’s path to give their allies
enough time to mount a defense in Kyiv.
Time and numbers are not on the student’s side, but they will hold the line or die trying.
There is word that the Red Army is headed towards Kruty railway station in a small town
just outside of Kyiv.
It is here that the students from St Volodymyr Kyiv University and the Ukrainian People’s
University decide to band together and make a stand against the invading Russian forces.
As the college students gather to discuss their strategy, a number of high schoolers
run up to them and ask how they can help.
The older students look at one another nervously.
They know there is a good chance none of them will make it out of the coming conflict alive.
But they need all the help they can get and take the high schoolers with them to defend
the train station.
Almost no one in the volunteer unit has ever fought in a war before, but they make up for
their lack of experience with national pride and dedication.
The students aren’t afraid, but they also know that their situation is dire.
The smoke from the Red Army’s advance can be seen in the distance.
The student’s hearts beat heavy in their chests as they come up with a plan to slow
the Russian’s advance.
They begin preparing for the battle by digging trenches along the ridgeline that overlooks
the rail station.
It’s a good place to make a stand and provides the students with a slight tactical advantage.
As they prepare for battle, there is movement in the trees.
It seems as if the Red Army has gotten to Kruty faster than expected.
The students scramble to grab their rifles.
They dive into the trenches and behind railcars, prepared to fight to the death.
Out of the treeline comes a surprise.
It is not the Red Army but students from another school.
A group of young men from the Khmelnytsky Cadet School and a small number of Free Cossacks
heard of the daring defense that the students were mounting and wanted to join their ranks.
Everyone is thankful to have more help as they know this will be an uphill battle.
Every rifle will make a difference.
Their ragtag force of young untrained soldiers consists of around 400 to 600 troops; almost
all of them are students.
They continue their work of digging in and constructing defenses.
Word reaches the students that the Russian force is around 4,000 men, ten times what
they have gathered at the trainyard.
To make matters worse, the students have a limited supply of ammunition, and many have
never shot a rifle in their life.
The situation is looking more and more dire by the moment.
Those with military experience train the younger students as quickly as possible, but it might
be too late.
On January 28th, a reconnaissance mission reveals that the Red Army is almost at the
volunteer battalion’s doorstep.
Captain D. Nosenko has been put in charge of the group of young men.
He has students hide among armored train cars.
Riflemen are deployed in two trenches that were dug along the railway embankment.
A battalion that is completely made up of students led by Captain Omelchenko is positioned
on the left side of the trainyard.
They are less experienced, and this location could keep them out of harm's way if the Ukrainians
can’t hold the railway station.
The sound of voices is heard coming down the road; dirt kicked up from thousands of Russian
boots rises into the air as they march toward Kyiv.
They have to go through Kruty first, though.
The volunteer unit of students and soldiers will ensure that every step towards their
goal is as miserable as possible.
The Red Army has been battling its way through Ukraine but has yet to meet much resistance.
They have been in several skirmishes, and as the Ukrainian forces retreat, they blow
up bridges and roads to slow the enemy’s advance.
This hasn’t caused many Russian casualties, but it has been an annoyance and provides
vital time for Ukrainian forces to regroup.
Now it is the volunteer force of students turn to try and stop the enemy from reaching
the capital.
The students watch as the Russian soldiers crest the hill.
They are more mature and better trained.
Their gruff faces look as if they were bread to wage war and drink vodka.
The young Ukrainians shake off their nerves and stay focused on the task at hand.
As the Russians approach, the students remain silently still.
They wait until their enemy is in range.
One of the Russian soldiers steps onto the train track, the signal is given, the Ukrainians
open fire.
The Russians scramble for cover.
Many get picked off in the chaos that unfolds.
The Bolshevik soldiers were not prepared for the ambush.
They thought the Ukrainians had retreated all the way back to Kyiv and that they would
not meet resistance until they reached the city.
Eventually, the Russian soldiers regroup and return fire.
They have no idea that they are facing a bunch of students without any military training.
But it doesn’t seem to matter as their lack of experience is not apparent in the heat
of battle.
Russian soldiers are falling left and right.
There are no trenches on their side of the battlefield to hide in.
The Ukrainians are in an excellent position despite being outnumbered.
Rifles continue to fire as smoke from spent shells fills the air.
Russian blood soaks into the ground turning the railroad yard red.
But there are just too many enemy soldiers.
Slowly but surely, the Russians advance forward.
They push the Ukrainian soldiers out of their trenches and force them to fall back.
The two sides have been going at it for five hours before the Russians gain the upper hand.
The volunteer Ukrainian soldiers and students start taking casualties.
A full retreat is ordered but not before the Russian soldiers kill half of the young men
who bravely fought to hold the train yard.
It seemed inevitable that the Ukrainian force would eventually be defeated as they were
vastly outnumbered and outgunned.
But the students fight as long as they can.
They drag their wounded away from the trainyard as the Red Army claims it as their own.
Unfortunately, not all of the Ukrainian students are lucky enough to make it out of the Battle
of Kruty alive.
Over half of them are killed during the heat of battle.
Even worse, 28 students are captured, and their ultimate fate will be a gruesome one.
The Russians torture the young men and question them in hopes that they will reveal information
about other Ukrainian forces in the area.
After they realize that the students don’t know anything of importance, they line them
up along the train tracks to be executed by firing squad.
As the students stand proudly during their final moments on this planet, a soft voice
begins to sing.
It is the country’s anthem.
Others join in song; their voices swell as they sing, “Ukraine is not yet dead.”
Tears trickle down their cheeks from under their blindfolds.
The Russian commander gives the order to get ready.
The students sing louder.
Aim.
They show their defiance by standing tall.
Fire.
The voices are silenced by the bullets of Bolshevik guns.
A week after the heroic stand by the Ukrainian students and volunteers, Russian forces enter
Kyiv.
They are better equipped and have superior numbers compared to the Ukrainian forces.
However, the resistance continues to fight throughout the country.
The people of Ukraine won’t give in to the Red Army or let them take their country without
a fight.
Once the Russians gain control of the region, they quickly try to suppress news from spreading
about the students at Kruty and how bravely they fought.
But the story gets out anyway.
It spreads throughout Ukraine and serves as a battle cry for many as they fight against
the Red Army.
The memory of the brave students at Kruty would never be forgotten.
In the future, a monument would be built near where the battle took place to commemorate
their heroism.
The students and volunteer force that fought at Kruty are not the only ones giving the
Russians problems in Ukraine.
In fact, there is a whole section of the country that is in anarchy, literally.
Nestor Makhno is the leader of an independent anarchist army called the Revolutionary Insurgent
Army of Ukraine in The Makhnovshchina or Free Territory of the country).
Seven million inhabitants in this region no longer answer to a central authority.
When Makhno and his allies gain power, they decentralize society's social and economic
norms and redistribute the land in the area to the peasants.
They also disassemble wealthy estates and repurpose them as communes.
The Free Territory is built on the promise of freedom for the common people.
It seems that this particular idea would not be a threat to Russia as it is similar to
communism, but the Bolsheviks don’t see it that way, nor do they want any part of
Ukraine to remain free.
Initially, the Red Army allied itself with Makhno and his anarchists.
They work together to fight against the Whites, who are another player in the fight for Ukrainian
freedom but back a very different cause.
The White Army is composed of people with many different ideas and belief systems.
What unifies them is their desire to crush communism.
The Whites currently have one main goal: to make sure that Ukraine does not fall to communist
Russia.
The anarchists take communism to the extreme and believe that true communism is only possible
if there is no central state.
On the other hand, the Bolsheviks maintain communism must be controlled by the state
itself.
The Whites want to see both factions destroyed.
This leads the Red Army and Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine to team up and work
together to defeat the Whites.
Once the Whites are subdued, Russia turns their attention to the Free Territory and
attacks.
Blood is spilled on both sides as the anarchists and Russians battle for control over the southern
region of Ukraine.
Forces are falling to the Red Army on all fronts.
It seems that an independent Ukraine is only a dream; they will soon be under Russian control
once again.
But the leaders of the new Ukrainian People’s Republic will not give up.
They have an idea that is so insane that it might just work.
As Ukraine tries to maintain its independence from Russia, the rest of Europe is still engaged
in World War I.
The uprising in St. Petersburg that led to the Bolsheviks coming to power caused Russia
to pull out of the war while they focused on reforming their government back home.
This is what allowed Ukraine to split away from Russia in the first place, but it also
meant that almost all of the Russian military was at the Bolsheviks disposal, and they were
currently using it to retake Ukraine.
So, Ukrainian leaders do the only thing they can think of to try and stay out of the clutches
of Communist Russia.
They ask the Central Powers for help.
It is a difficult choice but given the options between allying themselves with Germany or
surrendering to Russia and losing their newly gained independence, the Ukrainian government
decides to pursue a German alliance.
On February 9, 1918 Ukraine and Germany sign an agreement that states they will work together
to fight against the Red Army.
Ukraine promises to provide Germany with much-needed food and supplies in return for German and
Austro-Hungarian forces helping them fight against the Red Army.
The Central Powers send troops and vehicles to aid the Ukrainian People’s Army in their
battle.
Not only does Germany need food supplies badly, but an independent Ukraine also provides a
buffer between them and Russia.
This will be incredibly beneficial if the Red Army ever decides to rejoin the Great
War or attack from the east.
German and Austro-Hungarian soldiers are much better equipped and trained than the Ukrainian
or Russian forces.
With a surplus of food, resources, and men, they easily push the Red Army back towards
Russian borders.
By March 1st of 1918, the Ukrainian and Central Power forces have retaken Kyiv.
The Russians are losing men quickly.
There are uprisings all across Ukraine.
There is nothing the Bolsheviks can do to regain control in the region.
On March 2nd, two days after the Central Powers help the Ukrainian People’s Army retake
Kyiv, the Bolsheviks sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
This treaty ends hostilities between Russia and Ukraine while also ensuring that the Central
Powers won’t have to worry about the Red Army attacking them along their eastern front.
It also means that Ukraine is now in the German sphere of influence.
They still remain their own independent country, but they are allied with the Central Powers
and must provide food and resources to the war effort.
Even though the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is now signed there are still rogue Bolshevik
forces scattered throughout Ukraine.
Some parts of the country still want to be a part of Soviet Russia.
In April 1918, the Ukrainian People’s Army and the Imperial German Army remove the remaining
Bolshevik forces out of the Donets Basin and Crimea.
Even though there are still Russian sympathizers, there are no longer any organized Red Army
or Bolshevik forces within Ukrainian borders.
This means that Russia's first invasion of Ukraine is over, and they have failed in taking
back control over the region.
The Ukrainian People’s Republic’s gamble to ally themselves with the Cental Powers
has paid off for the time being.
The Red Army was no match for their advanced weaponry and skills.
However, the end of the Great War is looming on the horizon.
And once the Central Powers are defeated, what will become of the young Ukrainian nation?
Not everyone in Ukraine is happy with the alliance with Germany and the other Central
Powers.
Peasant militias start to wreak havoc across Eastern Ukraine in the months following the
alliance.
They are known as “Green Armies,” and their main desire is to be independent from
all other governing bodies.
This includes Russia, Ukraine, and Germany.
At the same time, the anarchist groups in the south start to cause more problems for
the Ukrainian government now that the Red Army has been defeated.
The anarchists do not want to be under Russian control, but they want to be under German
control even less.
Nothing threatens their way of life more than a monarchy.
Then the unthinkable happens for many who believe that communism is the way of the future.
General Pavlo Skoropadsky leads a coup to overthrow the current Ukrainian government.
The worst part for many Ukrainian people is that Skoropadsky is backed by the Germans,
which can only mean one thing.
Upon successfully removing all former leaders from power, Skoropadsky announces that Ukraine
will become more conservative and he will become the monarch of the nation.
In hindsight, this isn’t surprising since the last thing that the Germans would want
on the other side of their boarders is another communist or socialist state.
By installing a monarchy in Ukraine, Germany can use Skoropadsky as a puppet to ensure
that resources keep flowing into their country and that Ukraine will not be a threat in the
future.
The Ukrainian people are furious.
For all intents and purposes, their country has just replaced one form of oppression for
another.
Skoropadsky rescinds all socialist policies, and the country begins to look much more German
than Ukranian.
However, the new government is not willing to formally declare war on any of the Triple
Entente powers of World War I. Instead, Skoropadsky’s policies aim to bring wealth into Ukraine
in a rather sneaky and unconventional way.
He creates a safe haven in the country for members of the Russian upper and middle classes.
As the wealthy flee the Bolshevik government in Russia, Skoropadsky’s government welcomes
them with open arms.
He likely hopes that they will bring some of their wealth with them, and he will be
able to form strong and lucrative relationships by helping wealthy Russians stay safe from
their communist enemies in their former homeland.
Skoropadsky even tries recruiting former Russian soldiers and officers into his ranks.
He knows they are more experienced than most when it comes to warfare, and the fact that
he was formerly a Russian general himself means he has some pull with the men.
He doesn’t want to make Ukraine into a new Russia, but he does want to create a powerful
military to defend his borders from any future attacks.
Unfortunately for Skoropadsky and his supporters, in November of 1918, World War I comes to
an end.
Germany and its allies are defeated.
Without the support of the German Army Skoropadsky knows he will quickly lose power and will
likely be killed for installing himself as monarch over Ukraine.
He flees the country with the rest of the German forces at the conclusion of the Great
War.
Now that Ukraine no longer has the protection of Germany, it becomes very clear very quickly
what Russia will do next.
For the past few months, Vladamir Lenin has been leading the country into a new era.
He is now revered by the majority of Russian citizens as he claims to be driven to do only
what’s best for the Russian people.
And in Lenin’s eyes, this means regaining control of Ukraine.
Almost immediately after Germany surrenders, Lenin launches his Red Army across the border
and into Ukraine once again.
He also launches offensives against other former Russian territories that were taken
by Germany during World War I.
The Russian Army sweeps through the region and reclaims much of the land it lost during
the Great War.
By 1919 the Russians control almost all of Ukraine and capture Kyiv.
They put the formerly exiled Soviet Ukrainian government back in charge of the region.
The Ukrainian People’s Republic is now the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and a
part of Russia once again.
But the Ukrainians are not done fighting yet.
A renewed attempt to dismantle communism is launched from Southern Russia and the Ural
Mountains by the White Army.
Anti-Bolshevik forces in Ukraine begin to rise up.
Anton Denikin leads his Volunteer Army and a part of the White Army known as the Don
Army into central and eastern Ukraine.
He is able to push the Russian forces back..
There is hope for an independent Ukraine once more.
But the Red Army is just too massive.
Slowly but surely, Denikin's forces are defeated and Russia reclaims all of the land they had
lost by 1920.
After the rebellious forces in Ukraine are dealt with, the Red Army turns its attention
towards the Whites.
They ruthlessly slaughter any forces that stand in their way.
To ensure there are no more surprises, the Red Army eliminates anyone even suspected
of cooperating with the Whites or anti-communist forces.
At this point, you are either a devout believer in communist Russia, or you are killed.
People in Ukraine still dream of their independence, but as the years progress, any hope of recliming
their country from Russia fades away.
The Soviet Union becomes stronger and stronger.
World War II breaks out, followed by the Cold War.
From 1919 until 1991, Russia exerted its oppressive rule over Ukraine.
Then on August 24, 1991, Ukraine regained its independence for the first time in over
70 years.
Just over 30 years later, the Russian threat returned.
It had never really gone away but was just lying in wait across the border.
Just like in 1918, the Ukranians are battling Russia for their freedom.
Just like in 1918, Ukraine is seeking help from other countries to fight off the Russian
invasion.
Will history repeat itself and allow Russia to once again envelope Ukraine into its borders?
Or will they be defeated by the Ukranian people with the help of the international community?
Only time will tell.