NOVEMBER 29, THE 98TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF KRUTY

the artwork by Yuriy Zhuravel

At the beginning of January 1918 the Kharkiv, Ekaterinoslav and Poltava gubernias (regions) were occupied by the Red Army. It allowed the Bolsheviks to start full-scale offensives towards Kyiv. The Bolshevik headquarter has decided to hold the offencive operation by two groups: the first group should move by the railway line Kharkiv-Poltava-Kyiv; the second group has to move along the route Kursk-Bakhmach-Kyiv. 

On January 25-27 a fierce battle took place at Bakhmach town, during the battle Ukrainian forces were forced to withdraw to Kruty town.

To strengthen the Ukrainian army positions to Kruty were sent the cadets of the Khmelnytsky Cadet School, consisted of four companies (400 cadets and 20 officers), later they were supplemented by the first company (116-130 soldiers) of the Student Battalion (Kurin) of Sich Riflemen and 80 cossacks from Nezhin. A significant part of the cadets had no combat experience, in addition they were poorly armed and equipped.

According to various estimates, the Ukrainian forces in Kruty town were consisted of 420-520 cadets and students, about 16 machine guns, an armored train under command of the sotnik Yartsev and the combat strength of the sotnik Leschenko.

Infographics by the Ukraine Crisis

The Battle of Kruty has lasted for six hours, in this battle the Ukrainian cadets have hold back the onslaught of 4800 soldiers of the Red Army.

The enemy's attack was stopped. After the battle the UKrainian forces made an organized withdraw during which they destroyed railroad lines and bridges, in result of which the Bolshevik defensive operation was stopped for four days.

It is hard to guess what was in the minds and hearts of those young people, who knowingly went to death by following their ghostly ideals. To Ukraine, to the country they saw in dreams.

However, it is easy to guess a thoughts of cowards, thieves and tub-thumpers like Grushevskiy and Vinnichenko as well as their successors of nowadays, who sat in the Parliament and laughed when ordinary Ukrainians called them betrayers.

Every war is sacred - say oriental sages. The blood of heroes is like the blood of Christ. Let us remember those who shed his blood to give the nation a chance for resurrection and eternal life.