Kiev Arsenal January Uprising
Encyclopedia
- This is an article about a 20th century Ukrainian uprising. January Rebellion redirects here. For a 19th century Polish uprising, see January UprisingJanuary UprisingThe January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
.
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
organized worker
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
s' armed revolt that started on January 29, 1918 at the Kiev Arsenal factory
Kiev Arsenal factory
State enterprise of a special instrumentation Arsenal , for brevity Arsenal Factory, is one of the oldest and most famous industrial factories of the Ukrainian capital Kiev.-Pre-1918:...
during the Ukrainian-Soviet War
Ukrainian-Soviet War
The Ukrainian–Soviet War of 1917–21 was a military conflict between the Ukrainian People's Republic and pro-Bolshevik forces for the control of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Russian Empire.-Background:...
.
The beginning
January events in Russia and UkraineThe long anticipated Ukrainian Constituent Assembly
Ukrainian Constituent Assembly election, 1918
Elections to the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly were never finished as a result of events in the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the following.-Organization:...
was to be elected on January 9, 1918 where the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s won only 10% of total votes, but the elections were suspended due to the ongoing Ukrainian-Soviet War
Ukrainian-Soviet War
The Ukrainian–Soviet War of 1917–21 was a military conflict between the Ukrainian People's Republic and pro-Bolshevik forces for the control of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Russian Empire.-Background:...
as practically all Left-bank Ukraine
Left-bank Ukraine
Left-bank Ukraine is a historic name of the part of Ukraine on the left bank of the Dnieper River, comprising the modern-day oblasts of Chernihiv, Poltava and Sumy as well as the eastern parts of the Kiev and Cherkasy....
was occupied by the Russian forces in charge of which was Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko. According to the Third declaration (Universal) the Constituent Assembly was planned to meet on January 22, but later was postponed until the end of military conflict. On January 19 the Soviet government dissolved the Russian Constituent Assembly
Russian Constituent Assembly
The All Russian Constituent Assembly was a constitutional body convened in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917. It is generally reckoned as the first democratically elected legislative body of any kind in Russian history. It met for 13 hours, from 4 p.m...
, while just a day prior to that the government state security forces (Cheka
Cheka
Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organizations. It was created by a decree issued on December 20, 1917, by Vladimir Lenin and subsequently led by aristocrat-turned-communist Felix Dzerzhinsky...
) opened fire on a peace demonstration in support of the constituent assembly. On January 22 another peace demonstration in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
was dispersed by a gun fire as well.
Preceding revolutionary events
The Kievan Bolsheviks decided not to waste anymore time and were planning for a revolt to support the invading Soviet forces in the Ukrainian-Soviet military campaign
Ukrainian-Soviet War
The Ukrainian–Soviet War of 1917–21 was a military conflict between the Ukrainian People's Republic and pro-Bolshevik forces for the control of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Russian Empire.-Background:...
. They decided to initiate it once the Soviet forces started to approach the city. That was a certain maneuver to draw away some of the Ukrainian military forces from the front-lines and help the Red Army to advance. The exact the same way were occupied other cities at that time such as Katerynoslav (Dnipropetrovsk), Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv , also known as Nikolayev , is a city in southern Ukraine, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv is the main ship building center of the Black Sea, and, arguably, the whole Eastern Europe.-Name of city:...
, and Yelizavetgrad
Kirovohrad
Kirovohrad , formerly Yelisavetgrad, is a city in central Ukraine. It is located on the Inhul River. It is a motorway junction. Pop. 239,400 ....
(Kirovohrad). The center of the riot was chosen the Kiev Arsenal factory
Kiev Arsenal factory
State enterprise of a special instrumentation Arsenal , for brevity Arsenal Factory, is one of the oldest and most famous industrial factories of the Ukrainian capital Kiev.-Pre-1918:...
. To prevent any riots on January 18 few platoons of the Free Cossacks
Free Cossacks
Free Cossacks was the Ukrainian association volunteer militia units that arose somewhat spontaneously during the decomposition of the Russian Imperial Army in spring of 1917....
confiscated a great amount of weaponry from the factory and arrested several Communist activists. The Kievan Bolshevik's propaganda newspaper, Golos Sotsial-Demokrata, was shut down. Later it was decided to confiscate the coal ore to completely shut the factory.
Organisation of the revolt
On January 28, the Bolsheviks instigated a protest and decided to resist further developments against the factory. With the help of some of the soldiers from the Shevchenko Regiment that were guarding the warehouse of the earlier confiscated weapons they managed to retrieve it back to the factory. After a brief gathering it was decided to start the revolt immediately. The leaders of the revolutionaries became Syla Mishchenko (commandant), Oleksandr Horwits, Mykola Kostyuk, Ipolit Fialek. The city's Bolsheviks Jan Hamarnyk, Andriy Ivanov
Andriy Ivanov
Andriy Vasylyovych Ivanov was Russian-Ukrainian, Communist Party activist.Ivanov was born in a village of Kukshevo, Imperial Russia . In 1905-1907 he has partaken the party work in Vladimir Governorate and Moscow city.Since 1916 he worked at the Kiev Arsenal factory as the party agitator...
, Isaac Kreisberg, and others planning for the uprising until the Red Army would come closer to Kiev, had no other choice, but to follow it. The headquarters of the revolt was established at 47 Velyka Vasylkivska Street. The same night on January 28 several factories together with some of soldiers from the Bohdaniv Regiment, Shevchenko Regiment, Sahaydachny Regiment joined the Arsenal workers in the January Uprising. The goal of the uprising was to encircle the building of the Central Rada (today is the Pedagogical museum) and then force the members of the Rada to resign. Along the way they were joined by other Red Guards
Red Guards (Russia)
In the context of the history of Russia and Soviet Union, Red Guards were paramilitary formations consisting of workers and partially of soldiers and sailors formed in the time frame of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
of Podil and Shulyavka led by Arkadiy Dzedzievski (Left SR) with Makola Patlakh (Bolshevik) and Vasyl Bozhenko at Demiivka.
Bolsheviks
- 1st battalion (kurin) of Sahaidachny Regiment (Syla Mishchenko)
- several units of Bohdaniv battalion (kurin) (Kysel)
- units of Shevchenko Regiment (warrant officerPraporshchikPraporshchik is a rank in the Russian military.-Imperial Russia:Praporshchik was originally a name of a junior commissioned officer rank in the military of the Russian Empire equivalent to ensign...
A.Port) - Red GuardsRed Guards (Russia)In the context of the history of Russia and Soviet Union, Red Guards were paramilitary formations consisting of workers and partially of soldiers and sailors formed in the time frame of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
units of Arsenal factory - Red GuardsRed Guards (Russia)In the context of the history of Russia and Soviet Union, Red Guards were paramilitary formations consisting of workers and partially of soldiers and sailors formed in the time frame of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
units of Demiivka artillery factory (Vasyl Bozhenko)
Central Rada
- Sich RiflemenSich RiflemenThe Sich Riflemen Halych-Bukovyna Kurin were one of the first regular military units of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The unit operated from 1917 to 1919 and was formed from Ukrainian soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, local population and former commanders of the Ukrainian Sich...
battalion (kurin) (Yevhen Konovalets) - Free CossacksFree CossacksFree Cossacks was the Ukrainian association volunteer militia units that arose somewhat spontaneously during the decomposition of the Russian Imperial Army in spring of 1917....
units - Sloboda Ukriane brigade (kish) (Symon Petlyura)
- Hordiyenko Regiment (Vsevolod Petrov)
Revolt
In the morning of January 29 the representative of the Kievan Council of worker and soldier deputies handed over an ultimatum to the Tsentralna RadaTsentralna Rada
The Tsentralna Rada or Central Rada at first was the All-Ukrainian council that united political, public, cultural, professional organizations. Later after the All-Ukrainian National Congress that council became the revolutionary parliament of Ukraine...
to surrender. In return the Rada requested immediate capitulation of the revolutionaries and by the evening the city engulfed in series of skirmishes. The main forces of the mutaneers were concentrated around the factory, although few separate centers existed in Shuliavka neighborhood (based on the recently liquidated Shuliavka Uprising
Shuliavka Republic
The Shuliavka Republic was an early 20th century worker based quasi-government organization in the city of Kiev, now the capital of Ukraine, whose main task was self-defense. The uprising lasted a total of four days, from December 12–16, 1905 and encompassed the territory of the Shuliavka factory...
), Demiivka, and Podil
Podil
The Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
. The revolutionaries managed to overtake the railroad freight station Kiev-Tovarniy and were moving towards the center of the city through Khreschatyk
Khreschatyk
Khreshchatyk is the main street of Kiev, Ukraine. The street has a length of 1.2 km. It stretches from the European Square through the Maidan and to Bessarabska Square where the Besarabsky Market is located....
. The most dangerous were activities in Podil
Podil
The Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
when the mutaneers managed to take the Starokiev police precinct and the hotel Prague (today 36 Volodymyr Street) which were close to the building of the Tsentralna Rada
Tsentralna Rada
The Tsentralna Rada or Central Rada at first was the All-Ukrainian council that united political, public, cultural, professional organizations. Later after the All-Ukrainian National Congress that council became the revolutionary parliament of Ukraine...
. The next day, on January 30, the whole city was paralyzed and went on strike, stopped working the utility services and city's transportation. The Rada had no influence over most of the military units many of which decided not to intrude. The Ukrainian government was only supported by the separate platoons of the Bohdaniv Regiment, Polubotko Regiment, Bohun Regiment, a kurin
Kurin
Kurin is a military term that was established by the cossacks.During the Second World War, the basic combat unit of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army was a kurin...
of Sich Riflemen
Sich Riflemen
The Sich Riflemen Halych-Bukovyna Kurin were one of the first regular military units of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The unit operated from 1917 to 1919 and was formed from Ukrainian soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, local population and former commanders of the Ukrainian Sich...
, and the Free Cossacks
Free Cossacks
Free Cossacks was the Ukrainian association volunteer militia units that arose somewhat spontaneously during the decomposition of the Russian Imperial Army in spring of 1917....
.
Storm of Arsenal
On February 1, the Rada announced that it has full control of the city and asked the workers to cease the strike as the only who suffers the most is the civilian population. It promised to come up with several social-economical reforms in the immediate future. Next day the Sloboda Ukraine Kish (Haidamaky) of Symon Petliura entered the city withdrawing from the attacks of the Colonel Muravyov. Also the Hordiyenko Regiment of Vsevolod PetrovVsevolod Petrov
Vsevolod Petriv was a colonel of the Russian Empire Army ,General and Head of the Staff of the Ukrainian National Republic army, publicist, historian, pedagogue...
was brought to the city from the north front. On February 2 most of the revolt was extinguished except for its main center - the Arsenal factory. On the morning of February 4 the forces of Symon Petliura had occupied the factory after a bloody assault that cost lives of several kish soldiers and workers of Arsenal. Later Soviets would claim that the Petliura forces killed 300 Arsenal's defenders in the yard of the factory.
Afterwards Petliura's resistance was weakened greatly against the besieging Bolsheviks who entered the city on February 4 (occupied Darnytsia neighborhood) and captured the town on 7 February (although sporadic fighting continued for several days afterwards).
Legacy
This event is generally regarded as "classSocial class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
-motivated" by the historians similarly to other workers' movements of Russia
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
at the time.
To commemorate the event, the historic defensive wall of the Arsenal factory bearing the traces of shelling was preserved by Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
authorities on the city's Moscow Street (near the Arsenalna metro station
Arsenalna (Kiev Metro)
Arsenalna is a station on Kiev Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line. The station was opened along with the first stage and is currently the deepest station in the world . This attributed to Kiev's geography where the high bank of the Dnieper River rises above the rest of the city...
). The nearby street named to the event during the Soviet times carried this name (January Uprising Street) until 2007.
The uprising is the subject of a classic film entitled Arsenal
Arsenal (film)
Arsenal is a 1928 Soviet film by Ukrainian director Alexander Dovzhenko. It is the second film in his "Ukraine Trilogy", the first being Zvenigora and the third being Earth ....
(1928) by Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
director Alexander Dovzhenko
Alexander Dovzhenko
Aleksandr Petrovich Dovzhenko , was a Soviet screenwriter, film producer and director of Ukrainian descent. He is often cited as one of the most important early Soviet filmmakers, alongside Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin.- Biography :...
.