HISTORICAL MEMORY: BATTLE NEAR KRUTY
29 January 2014
Battle near Kruty is one of important subjects in modern Ukrainian historical memory, which has already long ago stopped being perceived as a common historical event. This battle is the historical image that has the important meaning for Ukrainian collective memory and Ukrainian identity.

On 27, January, 1918, they received the support from Kyiv – 1 sotnia (115-130 persons) from newly formed students’ kuren of Sich Riflemen. The sotnia consisted of volunteers – students from Ukrainian national university, St. Volodymyr Kyiv university, high school students from senior classes in Ukrainian gymnasiums.
Ukrainian troops took a defensive position near station Kruty, having received the tactic task not to let the enemy to enter Kyiv.
The general command of troops, concentrated at the station, was carried out by head in the 1st military school sotnik F. Tymchenko. His headquarters was located in the troop train, which stood at the station. On the left from railway bank there was the students’ sotnia and warriors of kuren “Smert”, on the right – young men from military school. On the right there were 1st, 2nd and 3rd youth sotnias from B. Khmelnitskyy 1st Ukrainian military school – in total almost 180 master sergeants and young men. 4th youth sotnia – 60 cadets – was in the reserve at station.
The locomotive with railway platform, at which there was cannon, arrived to station Kruty from Kyiv on the day before battle. The commander of this cannon was master sergeant in B. Khmelnitskyy regiment S. Loschenko. In total in Kruty there were almost 420 students from gymnasiums and young men. They had in service 8-10 machineguns and one cannon on railway platform.
Soviet command concentrated the significant forces against them: so-called Poltava column of the 1st “army” by P. Yegorov, 2nd “army” by R. Berzin and subunits from the 3rd “army” by Kudynskyy. They had in service over 5 thousands 600 bayonets. 1st Petrograd mixed detachment came from Oleksandrivsk to help these troops during battle. Thus, Soviet troops prevailed over the defenders of Kruty by some times in quantity.
In the morning on 29, January, 1918, 6 thousand Bolshevik detachment of Red Guard at the head with P. Yegorov started the attack to Ukrainian positions. Machineguns of students and young men shot very well. Cannon of S. Loschenko shot to the rears of enemy disposition. Soviet troops suffered from significant losses. Soldiers from Siberia returned back and protested, refusing to go for a new attack. Bolshevik lines, losing the killed and the wounded, persistently moved forward. The new detachments were replaced by units that moved back to the rears. Gradually the defenders had few cartridges. Then sotnik A. Goncharenko ordered S. Loschenko to catch up with the train and to take cartridges to positions. The locomotive with cannon platform left the front. Having noticed it, Bolsheviks again started the attack.
The machineguns of students and young men stopped shooting – they were quickly damaged in the frost. During that time Petrograd Red Guard from the 1st Petrograd detachment, as well as Zamoskvoretsk and Tver Red Guards bravely attacked the right flank, where there were young men. The ironclad train by sailor Polypanov came to the battle field and became closely shooting station Kruty. Under such circumstances sotnik Averkiy Goncharenko ordered students and young men to retreat. But the right and left flank were divided by railway bank, along which the enemy ironclad train was going. Thus, only sotnias of the 1st Ukrainian military school received the order about retreat in time.
The battle lasted until the evening. Some attacks were fought off.
The battle losses were almost 300 killed, wounded, captives and missed in action. In particular, 36 master sergeants, students and pupils of high school were taken as prisoners by Bolsheviks. Many people from Red Guard were killed; however, there are no exact data about their losses. Commander A. Goncharenko ordered to come back to troop train, which was waiting in the distance of 2 km.
B. Khmelnitskyy 1st Ukrainian military school and the rest of Students’ sotnia retreated to station Bobryk, where on 30, January, 1918 they joined to Haidamaks kosh from Slobodska Ukraine S. Petliura.
Retreating, a part of students’ sotnia was surrounded. Young men desperately attacked, however the forces were not equal. One chota (platoon) of students in the twilight lost the road and arrived to station Kruty, already occupied by Red Guard. 27 captive students and pupils of high school, including sotnik Omelchenko, a bit later were shot at station Kruty.
Due to decision by Ukrainian Central Rada, dd. 19, March, 1918, the bodies of students-warriors were moved to Kyiv and solemnly buried at the cemetery “Askoldova mogyla”.