ThisDayInHistory

The Battle of Kruty, Cherhihiv Governate took place on 29 January 1918.
As 4,000 Bolsheviks commanded by Mikhail Muraviov advanced toward Kyiv, a small contingent of 500 young men was hastily organized and sent to the front. It consisted mainly of young students from the Student Company of Sich Riflemen, a company of the Khmelnytsky Cadet School, and a Haidamaky (Free Kozak) detachment.

The Ukrainian troops attempted to block the Bolshevik advance on the capital at Kruty, a railroad station 130 km northeast of Kyiv. In a bitter 6-hour battle about half of the Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but their resistance delayed Muraviov’s capture of Kyiv and enabled the Ukrainian government to conclude the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

The battle is commemorated every year as a symbol of patriotic self-sacrifice and is immortalized in numerous literary works.

In early 2012, a monument was erected at Askold’s Grave in Kyiv to commemorate the sacrifice and patriotism of these young students.

The mural depicted is located at 111-113 Velyka Vasylkivska St. in Kyiv. Artist: Andrey Palval