Real, truthful, not fictitious, sickly sweet independence is always obtained through struggle. There is no other way: the living history is quite far from sentiments and proves that truly in-depth, revolutionary changes in the life of the nation and society are acquired by means other from idealistic fraternization of “all with everyone” and result in a harsh conflict of interests. For part of the society is logically sticking to the old system, unwilling to have any revolutions, especially when namely this kind of choice is under agenda, whereas the time of empty pseudorevolutionary declarations is passing away. The situation turns all the more tragic when the external forces brutally interfere in the course of events.
Namely such a tragedy unfolded on Ukraine’s territory in January of the bloody 1918. The high-ranking political leaders of the newly risen Ukrainian People’s Republic, the ultimate and complete independence of which (according to the fourth Universal, published by the Central Council) was declared with fatal procrastination, only on January 22, 1918 (in politics, it is very important to get rid of illusions in time), turned out to be incapable of defending the fragil national freedom. They were unable to do so above all because the Left leaders of the Central Council, without doubt real patriots of Ukraine, believed sincerely (and naively) in the efficiency of the mythical “socialistic” solidarity with the Left Lenin government of the Red Russia. And the reality appeared extremely cruel: the Bolshevik empire, a heir of the Romanovs empire, was as much ardent enemy of Ukraine’s independence as the preceding tsars, taking practically in early 1918 the position of “united and indivisible” state (under the deceitful slogans like “the proletarians of all countries, unite”). So, arms rather than arguments were used to resolve the conflict (it was the time of the intervention of Bolsheviks). Hrushevsky, Vynnychenko, and other Ukrainian leaders turned out to be unprepared for this.
But 300 young and passionate Ukrainian boys were ready for this, as they understood that they had to defend their Fatherland, with arms if needed, which meant that they had to be ready to give their lives for it. They were boys of 17-22, mostly students who studied in Kyiv, with only a few of them having military experience. The young Ukrainians accomplished with credit the task that was set before them (which was to delay the Bolshevik troops under Muravyev’s commandment that were approaching Kyiv); the role of the young professional officer Averkii Honcharenko who headed the kurin of the young warriors, deserves a special tribute. Most of them were killed on the battlefield, at the station Kruty in Chernihiv oblast, but the heroes managed to delay the advance of the intervents to the Ukrainian capital (Kharkiv) at least for one or two days.
Patriotic tradition of the annual commemoration of the Heroes of Kruty on January 29 has been established over the years of independence. Of course, it is also important on what specific level will this glorious anniversary be marked this year (official, party, or exclusively civic). But it is incomparably more important whether (and to what extent) the young generation of Ukrainians, which is entering life at this very moment, in the time of the rule of cynicism, demagogy, and cold reckoning, when personal interests are placed above everything else, will learn the tragic lesson of the Heroes of Kruty: you should fight for your freedom.
