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TheSich Riflemen Halych-Bukovyna Kurin(Ukrainian:Галицько-буковинський курінь Січових Стрільців,romanized:Halyćko-bukovynśkyj kuriń Sičovych Striĺciv) was one of the first regular military units of theUkrainian People's Army.The unit operated from 1917 to 1919 and was formed from Ukrainian soldiers of theAustro-Hungarian army(Ukrainian Sich Riflemen) and local volunteers.
| Sich Riflemen Kurin | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1917–1919 |
| Country |  West UkraineUkraine |
| Allegiance | Ukraine |
| Branch |  Ukrainian People's Army |
| Type | Battalion |
| Role | infantry |
| Size | up 20,000 (1919) |
| Garrison/HQ | ChernivtsiandKyiv |
| Nickname(s) | Sich Riflemen |
| March | Oi u luzi chervona kalyna |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Yevhen Konovalets Andriy Melnyk Yuriy Otmarstein Ivan Rogulsky others |
The firstkurinwas formed inKyivon 13 November 1917. Commanded by Col.Yevhen Konovaletswith his chief of staffAndriy Melnyk,the Sich Riflemen had up to 25,000 men at their peak, including artillery, cavalry, reconnaissance and machine-gun units and defended the government of UNR against theBolshevik insurrectionin the capital and later against the regularRed Armyforces thatadvanced into Ukraine in 1918.When Kyiv was recaptured in March 1918, the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen guarded government buildings in the capital and maintained order in the city. The unit later expanded to include two infantry detachments, a cavalry unit and an artillery battery. With the establishment of theHetmanateofPavlo Skoropadsky,the Sich Riflemen refused to serve him and were disarmed by the German forces that supported the hetman.
Soldiers from the unit joined other forces, notablyPetro Bolbochan's 2nd Zaporozhian Regiment, and attempted to reestablish themselves under the new command. In August 1918, Skoropadsky finally allowed a partial re-establishment of tSich Riflemen inBila Tserkva.The new unit consisted of 1,200 men and was divided into an infantry regiment, an artillery battery and a technical unit. In Bila Tserkva, the Sich Riflemen led the revolt against hetman Skoropadsky, with their ranks expanding to 11,000 by November 1918. Later the Dnipro and Black Sea divisions also joined the unit. In November 1918, with new recruits, the ranks of the Sich Riflemen swelled to 25,000. They played a crucial role in the establishment of theDirectorateunderSymon Petliura.In December, the unit captured Kyiv and was subsequently divided into smaller units.
Different detachments of SIch Riflemen fought against advancing Bolshevik armies in Ukraine. Together with the Directory, the unit retreated from Kyiv when it wasrecaptured by the Bolsheviks.The Sich Riflemen also fought on different fronts against GeneralDenikin'sWhite Russianforces. In 1919, the unit took heavy losses in combat and later fromtyphus.On 6 December 1919, the Sich Riflemen were finally demobilized. Some former soldiers were interned by thePolish army,otherscontinued to fightin smaller detachments in Ukraine.
See also
editLiterature
edit- Orest Subtelny.Ukraine. A history. University of Toronto Press. 1994.ISBN0-8020-0591-8.
- Paul Robert Magocsi. The Roots of Ukrainian Nationalism: Galicia As Ukraine's Piedmont. University of Toronto Press. 2002.ISBN0-521-81988-1.
- Sich Riflemen during the January Uprising.Ukrayinska Pravda(Istorychna Pravda). 6 April 2012