Yuriy Tyutyunnyk

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Yuriy (Yurko) Yosypovych Tyutyunnyk (Ukrainian: Юрій Тютюнник; 20 April 1891 in Budyshche, Pendivsky district, Zvenyhorodka county, Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire (currently Zvenyhorodka Raion, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine) – 20 October 1930 in Moscow, Soviet Union) was a general of the Ukrainian People's Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) during the Ukrainian–Soviet War.^[1]

Early years

Yuriy Tyutyunnyk was born on 20 April 1891, to a peasant family, former serfs Yosyp and Maryna, in the village of Budyshche, near Kyiv. His older cousins, Levko and Ananiy Shevchenkos were the organizers of the Free Cossacks, later joining the UPSR. Only five out of nine children in his family reached adulthood. Tyutyunnyk finished his primary education at the village school and later at an agrarian school in Uman. He was married and had two daughters.

Military service in World War I

Tyutyunnyk was drafted into the

Later Tyutyunnyk was offered command of the 6th Siberian battalion by the regimental command, but because he was interested in military strategy, the army suggested he undertake formal military studies. Tyutyunnyk successfully took entrance tests to the 1st Kyiv gymnasium, but soon he was sent to the Caucasus where he finished a military school in Gori (today in Georgia). After completing his studies, he was again offered command of the 6th battalion, which was still actively fighting during the war. Tyutyunnyk was wounded a second time, and after recuperating, he was sent to Simferopol, where he joined the 32nd Auxiliary battalion.

Revolution

With the coming of the February Revolution, Tyutyunnyk's military acumen caught the attention of Alexander Kerensky, who was in Crimea at the time. Kerensky offered Tyutyunnyk command of the Headquarters of Odessa Military District, however, Tyutyunnyk did not place much faith in the future of the Provisional Government, and declined the post. In the Spring of 1917, he participated in the creation of the 1st Simferopol Regiment of Hetman Doroshenko.

Tyutyunnyk left for

Ukrainian–Soviet War

In the Autumn of 1917, Tyutyunnyk organized a unit of "

Tyutyunnyk remained undaunted by the failure of the campaign, and participated in the planning of the Second Winter Campaign.^[1] This campaign took place in 1921, and although there were some early victories, it ultimately ended in failure. The unit was overrun, and over 300 soldiers were executed by the Red Guard near Zhytomyr. Tyutyunnyk, together with a small number of soldiers, escaped.

Soviet Ukraine and execution

After Second Winter Campaign Tiutiunnyk illegally settled in Lviv, which was then part of the Second Polish Republic. On March 26, 1923, former VVR head Mykhailo Doroshenko called upon Tiutiunnyk to return to Soviet Ukraine. On the night of June 17, 1923, Tiutiunnyk was arrested after crossing Dniester.^[2] The Soviet government invited him to work cooperatively, and he agreed, lecturing at the School of Red Commanders [uk] in Kharkiv. Later he co-wrote a movie script for the film "Zvenigora" by Alexander Dovzhenko^[3] He also played himself in an anti-Symon Petliura propaganda film, "P.K.P. (Pilsudski Bought Petliura)".^[4] .

Later, however,

Family

Tyutyunnyk's family was secretly transferred by the Cheka from abroad to Kharkiv, then after the death of Yurii they lived in Kuban until 1932. The further fate of Tyutyunnyk's family is unknown.

• Wife: Vira Andriivna Tyutyunnyk
• Children: two daughters

Tyutyunnyk in popular Ukrainian culture

Through playing himself in various movie films, Tyutyunnyk created an image of himself as a dashing revolutionary in popular Soviet Ukrainian culture. This image was captured in verse by the Ukrainian writer

References