ГУЛаг Палестины - Лев Гунин

side of the Jewish people, and were waging war against those elements who

incited the unenlightened masses to various excesses against Jews. The

Commander-in-Chief invited the representatives of the Jewish people to a

closer cooperation of both peoples for the good of the Ukrainian State,

for, only with united forces would it be possible to look after the

interests of both peoples, which had always been identical.

The Jewish delegation assured the Supreme Commander that all strata of

the Jewish people, hand-in-hand with the Ukrainian people, would defend

the independent Ukraine, because only a Ukrainian democratic government

could guarantee full rights to the Jews. The delegation asked for

granting of an opportunity to Jewish intellectuals to work toward

strengthening Ukrainian statehood, and for protection of the Jewish

population against the excesses which have taken place as the result of

provocation on the part of various Russian reactionaries and Polish

imperialists who thus wish to discredit the whole Ukrainian cause in the

eyes of Europe.

Petlura pledged himself to apply the severest measures in suppressing the

crimes of the anti-Jewish agitators, and asked the delegation in

particular to exert their influence also upon the Jewish population

behind the battlefront that they should support the Ukrainian Army in its

struggle against the Bolshevists.

(Trudowa Hromada, July 18, 1919.)

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Symon Petliura Decree of Cabinet 18Aug1919 Enemies organize pogroms

The Ukrainian and Jewish peoples both of whom work at the

reconstruction of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, find themselves in

the face of the common enemies who are trying to sow discord and

anarchy in order to destroy the Ukrainian Republic which they hate.

Decree of the Cabinet Council

of the

Ukrainian Democratic Republic.

August 18, 1919.

(Record of the Proceedings No. 171)

The Cabinet Council, after hearing the report of the Minister for Jewish

Affairs, Mr. P.A. Krasny, on the situation as it appeared in connection

with the anti-Jewish pogroms in the Ukraine - particularly in Kiev and

in connection with the reaction of public opinion abroad, resolve as

follows:

The Ukrainian and Jewish peoples both of whom work at the reconstruction

of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, find themselves in the face of the

common enemies who are trying to sow discord and anarchy in order to

destroy the Ukrainian Republic which they hate. For this purpose your

enemies organize pogroms, spin provocative news about pogroms in the

Ukraine so as to exploit them for their people - with the help of the

Polish ruling classes, or of the Denikin reactionaries. In deliberately

lying and provocative reports they are changing arbitrarily the places of

the pogroms which are arranged in the Ukraine by the Bolsheviks and by

the reactionary clique who are in close connection with Denikin's and

Polish reactionary circles' secret plans. In mendacious publications and

in public letters addressed to the leading representatives of European

countries, all these happenings are charged to the account of the

government of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, although its aim is to

suppress vigorously all pogroms.

In view of the fact that such provocations and aims of the Polish and

Denikin reactionaries endanger the struggle for freedom of the Ukrainian

Republic as well as the peaceful coexistence of the peoples of the

Ukraine, the government of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic have set

themselves the most urgent task of doing away with all possibility of

provocations, pogroms or other excesses, and of calling to account all

persons hostile to the Ukrainian State, who are doing the treacherous

pogrom work in the Ukraine.

The Government has decided:

1. To make at once a proposal to the Commander-in-Chief, Petlura that he

issue an order by which all commanders of the respective bodies of

troops, from the lowest to the highest ones, would be called to account

for negligence and tolerating pogrom excesses, and that they would be

immediately arrested as traitors and handed over to a special

court-martial which would impose upon them the severest penalty,

including the death sentence.

2. To issue an order in the name of the Government and in the name of the

Commander-in-Chief to the Ukrainian partisans on the other side of the

battlefront that they also 1. should take a vigorous action against the

instigators of pogroms, 2. fight against particular treacherous pogrom

bands and annihilate them - always remembering that the army of the

Ukrainian Democratic Republic does not tolerate pogroms on its victorious

march and inflicts the severe punishment upon all the guilty ones.

3. To appoint immediately a special government commission with extensive

powers of investigating pogroms and of combating them; the said

commission to be composed of one representative from the following

offices: The Commander-in-Chief, the Inspector General, the Minister of

Justice, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Minister for Jewish

Affairs. The Commission should proceed at once to the frontline to the

area of liberated cities and other places of the Ukrainian Democratic

Republic. The Commander-in-Chief should be advised to order an

authorization with full powers to the Commission.

4. Through inspections, the bodies of troops and the commissioners of the

Ukrainian Democratic Republic should be informed about the foreign

provocative work of the enemies of the Ukrainian Republic, who exploit

the pogrom excesses for their own purposes.

5. By means of a special report from the Prime Minister, to inform the

Directorate of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic of this Decree, and to

manifest the Government's firm determination and effort in the direction

of removing completely any possibility of pogroms in the Ukraine.

6. To issue an appropriate proclamation of the government to the people.

7. The Minister for Press and Information should initiate an intensive

campaign against pogrom arrangers; inform the foreign press and foreign

public about the actual state of affairs, and protest against the

outrageous slandering of the government of the Ukrainian Democratic

Republic.

8. The Minister of Justice should at once take steps that all those who

are guilty of pogrom excesses, i.e. those who already have been arrested

as well as those who may be arrested, should be handed over to a special

court.

9. This Decree is to be made public.

(Ukraina, August 21, 1919.)

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Symon Petliura Army Order No. 131 26Aug1919 Do not stain those deeds

It is time for you to understand that the peaceful Jewish population, their

children and women the same as ourselves have been oppressed and

deprived of national freedom. They can not be alienated from us, they

have of old been always with us and they have shared with us their joys

and sorrows.

Army Order of the Supreme Command

of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic,

August 26, 1919.

No. 131

Officers and Soldiers!

It is time for you to realize that the Jews together with the majority of

the Ukrainian population have recognized the evil of the

Bolshevist-Communist invasion, and know already where the truth lies.

The most important Jewish parties, such as: "Bund", "United Jewish

Socialists", "Poalej-Zion" and "People's Party", have decidedly placed

themselves on the side of the Ukrainian independent state and are working

together hand-in-hand for its good.

It is time for you to understand that the peaceful Jewish population,

their children and women the same as ourselves have been oppressed and

deprived of national freedom. They can not be alienated from us, they

have of old been always with us and they have shared with us their joys

and sorrows.

The gallant army which brings brotherhood, equality, and freedom to all

peoples of the Ukraine should not be lending an ear to various

adventurers and provocateurs who long for human blood. Likewise, the

Army should not be a party to bringing a hard lot on the Jews. Whoever

is guilty of permitting such a heavy crime is a traitor and enemy of the

country and must be thrust out of human society.

Officers and soldiers! The whole world cannot but admire our heroic

deeds in the struggle for freedom. Do not stain those deeds - not even

accidentally - by disgraceful actions and do not bring down burning shame

upon our state in the face of the whole world. Our many enemies,

external as well as internal, are already profiting by the pogroms; they

are pointing their fingers at us and inciting against us saying that we

are not worthy of an independent national existence and that we deserve

to be again forcefully harnessed to the yoke of slavery.

I, your Commander-in-Chief, tell you that this very moment the question

of to be or not to be for our independent existence is being decided

before the International Tribunal.

Officers and soldiers! The judgement on this question rests in your

hands, so decide it by showing an armed fist against our enemies

remembering always that a clean cause demands clean hands. Be sure that

a severe and lawful punishment by a people's court will overtake all

enemies of our country; but remember also that vengeance - often the

result of want of careful consideration - is not the way of the Ukrainian

Cossacks. I most positively order that all those who are instigating you

to pogroms be thrust out of the army, and as traitors to the fatherland

be handed over to the court. Let the court punish them according to

their crimes by giving them the severest lawful penalty.

The Government of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic recognizing the harm

done to the state by the pogroms has issued an appeal to the whole

population of the Ukraine to withstand all attempts of the enemies who

might arouse it to anti-Jewish pogroms.

I command the whole army to obey this appeal and to provide for its

widest dissemination among comrades-in-arms and among the population.

This Army Order is to be read to all division, brigades, regiments,

garrisons and squadrons of the Dnieper and Dniester armies, as well as

the partisan detachments.

The Commander-in-Chief:

Petliura.

The Chief of Staff of the Supreme

Commander:

Junakiv.

F. Pigido (ed.), Material Concerning Ukrainian-Jewish Relations during

the Years of the Revolution (1917-1921): Collection of Documents and

Testimonies by Prominent Jewish Political Workers, The Ukrainian

Information Bureau, Munich, 1956.

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Symon Petliura Appeal to Ukrainian Army 27Aug1919 To sow discord among us

Let the death sentence overtake the perpetrators of pogroms and

provocateurs. I demand the strictest discipline from you so that not even

a hair of an innocent's head be touched.

Appeal of the Commander-in-Chief,

Petlura,

to the Ukrainian Army.

Soldiers of the Ukrainian Army!

The Ukrainian Republican People's Army of the Dnieper and Dniester

territories, now united into one army, is advancing victoriously, is

crushing the enemy, gaining each day new territories of the Ukraine to

liberate them from the Bolshevist brigands, bringing with them freedom to

the Ukrainian people as well as the certainty of happy days of living in

a peaceful and orderly state.

The Bolshevist anarchy and maladministration, the horrible Red terror,

the tyranny of the extraordinary inquiry commission [the Cheka] and of

other criminals for whom there is nothing sacred in life - have sapped

our people's strength to the utmost and have flooded our steppes with

human tears and with streams of blood of the innocent.

Amidst a peal of church bells, with bread and salt, with flowers and

tears of joy the weary, oppressed and pillaged Ukrainian people are

greeting you, their valiant warriors, as liberators from the yoke and

from Bolshevist atrocities, as flesh of their flesh and blood of their

blood.

A might national enthusiasm has seized our people at your entry into

villages and towns, and everywhere a festive reception is awaiting you

and all this has been brought about by you, officers and soldiers of the

Ukrainian army!

You are living now through glorious and never to be forgotten moments of

your life, and together with you all peoples inhabiting the Ukrainian

territory are experiencing the same enthusiasm.

The holy crusade for the liberation of the oppressed, regardless of their

nationality, for the rule of law and order under freedom and democracy

and the independence of our republic - these are the ideals in this

struggle.

The union of all democratic forces of all nationalities in the Ukraine,

standing for the independence of our Republic, and their participation in

the reconstruction of the state will warrant our victory over our

enemies, and will guarantee to us an independent life subject to no one.

Our enemies, however, are not sleeping but only watching our every step

in order to sow discord among us in one way or another, and thus to

frustrate the immediate realization of our people's efforts.

The Bolshevists themselves consider the Ukraine Moscow's inheritance

with the difference that formerly it was the heritage of black Moscow,

now of a Red one.

They see that the end of their rule in the Ukraine is already approaching

because the Ukrainian people themselves have risen against them: but they

do not give up yet their hope of subjugating the Ukrainian masses. By