Historical Dictionary of the Russian Civil Wars, 1916-1926

UKRAINIAN CENTRAL RADA, UNIVERSALS OF THE. Derived from the Latin litterae universales, this was the term adopted in the Hetman State of 17th-century Ukraine to describe major governmental proclamations; it was revived by the Ukrainian Central Rada in 1917–1918. The Rada issued four universals, which together had the character of a series of fundamental laws marking the progression of Ukraine from autonomy within Russia to full-blown independence. The First Universal (23 June 1917) was authored by Volodymyr Vynnychenko and declared Ukraine to be autonomous, presaging the formation, five days later, of the General Secretariat of the Central Rada (later the General Secretariat of the Ukrainian National Republic). The other universals were all authored by Mikhailo Hrushevsky. The Second Universal (16 July 1917), engendered by the stalling of Kiev’s negotiations with Petrograd, promised the expansion of the Rada and a new General Secretariat, as well as the formation of Ukrainian military forces, but still paid obeisance to the Russian Provisional Government. The Third Universal (20 November 1917), prompted by the October Revolution, proclaimed the creation of the Ukrainian National Republic and the provisional governance of the General Secretariat, subject to the approval of a Ukrainian Constituent Assembly (set to meet on 22 January 1918), but stopped short of a declaration of independence. The Fourth Universal (9 January 1918) was consequent to the outbreak of the Ukrainian–Soviet War and declared Ukraine to be independent, as well as redubbing the General Secretariat the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian National Republic.

UKRAINIAN COMMUNIST PARTY. Founded at a congress at Kiev on 22–25 January 1920, and popularly known as the Ukapisty, this party had its roots in the fourth congress of the Ukrainian Social-Democratic Labor Party (USDLP) of January 1919, when a group known as the USDLP (Independentists) split away from the main party and advocated a national communist regime in Ukraine, while repudiating both the excessive nationalism of the Ukrainian National Republic and the Ukrainian National Republic Directory and the subservient attitude to Russia of the Moscow-controlled Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU). In August 1919, the Independentists themselves split, with the left faction joining the Borotbists and the remainder going on to found the Ukrainian Communist Party (UCP).

Although it remained a tiny party (never exceeding a membership of 250) and was based on the Russian (or highly Russified) working class of Ukraine’s major cities, the UCP sent a memorandum to the Komintern demanding that the Russian Bolsheviks treat them as equals; however, the party failed to gain membership in the Komintern. Its most prominent member was V. V. Vynnychenko, who organized a foreign representation of the UCP in Vienna in February 1920, but he soon disassociated himself from the party. Under pressure from both Moscow and the Komintern, both of which continued to recognize the CPU, the UCP dissolved itself in January 1925. Many former Ukapisty subsequently joined the CPU and participated enthusiastically in the Ukrainization drive of the late 1920s. However, they suffered disproportionately during the Terror of the 1930s.

ukrainian directory.See UKRAINIAN NATIONAL REPUBLIC, directory of the.

UKRAINIAN FRONT. This Red front was created on 4 January 1919, by an order of the Revvoensovet of the Republic, to combat the forces of the Ukrainian Army, as well as in response to the recent landings at Odessa of chiefly French and Greek forces of the Allied intervention. It initially consisted of the remnants of the former Ukrainian Soviet Army, the 9th Rifle Division, and various border defense units. These were divided into groups facing Poltava, Kiev, and Odessa, which in April 1919 were designated (respectively) the 1st Ukrainian Soviet Army, the 2nd Ukrainian Soviet Army, and the 3rd Ukrainian Soviet Army. On 5 May 1919, the Ukrainian Front was augmented by the attachment to it of the Crimean Red Army.