Nikifor Grigoriev
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| Nikifor Grigoriev | |
|---|---|
| 1885–July 27, 1919 | |
 |
|
| Nickname | Ataman Grigoriev |
| Place of birth | Hryhoryivka, Podolia, Ukraine |
| Place of death | Sentovo |
| Allegiance | Green Army |
| Years of service | 1904–1919 |
| Rank | Captain (Imperial Russian Army) Colonel (Ukrainian Army) Division Commander (Red Army) |
| Commands held | 1st Trans-Dnepr Brigade (Red Army) 6th Ukrainian Rifle Division (Red Army) |
| Battles/wars | Odessa, 1919 |
Nikifor Grigoriev (circa 1885 – July 27, 1919) was a Ukrainian insurgent "Green Army" leader during the Russian Civil War. He was commonly known as Ataman Grigoriev; also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv, Matvey Grigoriev, or Mykola Grigoriev.
He was born Nychypir Servetnyk in the village of Hryhoryivka in Podolia. Servetnyk served in cavalry in the region of Kherson and participated in Russo-Japanese War. He eventually rose to the rank of Captain (Штабс-капитан) and russified his surname to Grigoriev.
During the First World War, Grigoriev was awarded the Cross of St. George order for bravery. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, he supported the socialist Ukrainian Central Rada of the Ukrainian People's Republic and was given the rank of colonel in the Ukrainian Army.
In April 1918, he supported the conservative coup led by Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky, as well as the revolt against him by Symon Petliura in November 1918. In early February 1919, Ataman Grigoriev once again switched sides and joined the Bolshevik Red Army against the Ukrainian nationalists and the Russian Whites. Grigoriev was appointed commander of the 1st Trans-Dnieper Rifle Brigade of the Ukrainian Red Army (later expanded to the 6th Ukrainian Rifle Division) and his guerrilla units based in and around Kherson participated in the Russian Red Army's Ukrainian campaign, and capture of Odessa in April 1919. The Bolsheviks subsequently protested the plunder of Odessa by Grigoriev's bands. In May, Grigoriev deserted the Red Army together with his unit and captured the city of Yelisavetgrad (modern Kirovohrad).
Grigoriev was known for his militant anti-Semitism and his men carried out many pogroms against local Jews in the Yelisavetgrad, Cherkasy and Kherson regions, which he controlled in May and June 1919. Grigoriev's uprising was supported by some Ukrainian peasants who were outraged by the Bolshevik policy of "war communism" (including rural confiscation of food), and were also hostile to the White movement (seen as being backed by large land-owners whose estates were taken over by peasants after 1917).
In July 1919, after suffering heavy losses against both Voroshilov's and Dybenko's Red Army and Denikin's White Army troops, Grigoriev escaped to the areas controlled by the anarchist Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine of Nestor Makhno, and offered to join the anarchist forces. His proposition was accepted. However, Grigoriev was mistrusted, and according to Peter Arshinov a decision to get rid of Grigoriev was made by Makhno and his staff. After 3 weeks of common actions against Bolshevik forces, open disagreements between Makhno and Grigoriev emerged during negotiations at Sentovo on July 27, 1919. According to Arshinov Grigoriev had been in contact with Denikin's emissaries, and proposed to join the White coalition against Bolsheviks. This was unacceptable to Makhno — he held a particular hatred of all monarchists and aristocrats since the time of his imprisonment. The White coalition (notably generals Shkuro and Krasnov) also shared Grigoriev's anti-Semitism, unacceptable to Makhno and his numerous Jewish aides. Chubenko, a member of Makhno's staff, accused Grigoriev of collaborating with Denikin (According to Arshinov, Denikin's emissaries were actually captured and executed) and of inciting the pogroms.[1] There are several accounts that give different circumstances of Grigoriev's death. Grigoriev threatened Chubenko and Makhno, drew his gun, and was shot and killed. The accounts of the event differ, and ascribe the final shot either to Chubenko, Makhno, or Makhno's wife Halyna Kuzmenko.[1]
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Ataman of Pogroms Grigoriev (Russian)
- Bio in Russian (Russian)
[edit] References
- П. Аршинов. История махновского движения.
- Нестор Махно. Воспоминания.
- Дневник Г. А. Кузьменко (Издательство Терра, 1996 г., 496 рр. ISBN 5-300-00585-1
