Ukraine marks centennial of Battle of Kruty

KYIV – Solemn ceremonies marking the centennial of the historic Battle of Kruty of January 29, 1918, were held in various cities across Ukraine, including Kyiv, Lviv, Zaporizhia and Ivano-Frankivsk. In Kyiv, where some of the heroes of Kruty are buried at Askold’s Grave on the right bank of the Dnipro River, President Petro Poroshenko and First Lady Maryna Poroshenko laid flowers at the memorial cross honoring the fallen (as seen above). At the Kruty railroad station in 1918, the advance toward Kyiv of a Bolshevik force commanded by Mikhail Muraviev was blocked by a small contingent of some 400-500 men led by Ahapii Honcharenko. The Ukrainian contingent, composed mainly of a student battalion of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen and cadets, faced a force of over 4,000. About half of the Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but they delayed the capture of Kyiv and enabled the Ukrainian government to conclude the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The battle of Kruty is remembered as a symbol of patriotic self-sacrifice. Sources: UNIAN, Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine.