Teens of war. The stories of young Ukrainians who were 13-year-old to fight the UNR troops

At the time of this battle, the author of these lines had 13 years. Video of the day, along with the compatriots, which was met with a similar fate during the struggle for the Ukrainian People's Republic of 1918-1920, Shmorgun got to Czechoslovakia. There in Prague in the Plast camp in 1924 he made an autobiography. This document and the biography of three more peers by Vladimir have been preserved in the Central State Archives of Higher Authorities and Management of Ukraine (CDOVOV).

“Some took an example from their older brothers, who served in the Ukrainian army, some were running away from home because he dreamed of becoming a hero, showing himself in military service. They were attracted to weapons, Cossack clothing - wide pants, a hat with a slot, - comments on the biographies of Scientist Natalia Hryhorchuk. - But whatever the reasons, these children remained in the military units and thus were not only witnesses of numerous battles, but also direct participants.

Basically, minor children became flags, juries, often went into reconnaissance, brought out the wounded. At the same time, they made their duty bravely, showed volitional qualities, transferred cold and hunger. Some teenagers, under the influence of adults, were aware of the causes of the liberation movement before entering the army and were nationally conscious. ” Shmorgun Vladimir, born in 1905 on March 5 at the farm of Mikhailovsky Glukhiv district in Chernihiv region.

The guy went to the army for his older brother, which he wrote: "[…] The revolution exploded, and I do not care. When a brother from Chernihiv came soon. Already ended [the paramedic] school, and in such wide pants that I was already scared! But I immediately thought why I did not have such pants and hats with a slot like he had then. I started asking him to take me to the army. He swayed.

I was glad when I heard such beautiful words from my brother [and] then to ask what the army wearing such pants. He says that in Ukrainian, in free Cossacks. He was home to home, but he did not sleep all night: because there were red pants and a hat with a slot. " Soon the dream of a teenager came true in Hlukhov. "The sergeant gives me those pants, a hat, and says," Dress. There will be a Cossack once.

" I am a thought and now the Cossack, but small - I had 13 years old, - Shmorgun wrote in an autobiography. - [in Putivl] Colonel Vakulenko said a small speech. Then I knew who I am, and what we should fight for, and with whom, then it became clear to me that I was a Ukrainian. " In the spring of 1919, a teenager was captured by Polish captivity in Rivne.

In order to avoid the work of the order, he joined the centurion of Vergelis, who was transported to Lutsk together with the head of the Ukrainian army. "And only they said to gather at the station, then he put me in a bag, took me on his shoulders, and carried it to the station. He brought me, put me in the wagon. When the Poles of the elders were rotated, I only sat in the bag had nothing to breathe until the Poles came out of the wagon.

Then I got out of the bag, I sat in the wagon already the deed, ”Vladimir depicted his adventures. In Lutsk, the young Haidamak had to find enterprise. “They were allowed to eat well, but there was nothing to stand for. Then I began to think where to get the Polish stamps to buy. And he thought: on Saturday he went to one Jew, flooded the stove, swept, and the samovar put. For this he received 3 m. [Polish stamps]. I bought tobacco 1 ½ m. Started selling 12 pcs. 1 mp, and everywhere was 10 per 1 m.

, To make me more people buy. I have earned 60 stamps. I bought lingerie from the mountain, sweet and everyone jumped. And the cigarettes sold further. " Then the teenager got to the camp in the Polish town of Lanzut. There they began to form new Ukrainian units for a joint campaign with the Polish army against the Bolsheviks. “We were taken to the bathroom through Sundays, they were given a beautiful, all the same. Then I stopped trading cigarettes, and I already walked with the Cossacks.

The division was very good, was discipline, well fed. At the head of the division was Mr. General [Marco] Bezruchko. The barracks had cleanliness and order, and there was also order outside the barracks. I have not been in the way in the 6th Division, I don't know if I have to be and ever. " A young fighter wrote about a hike to Kyiv with the Poles: “The road was very fun, because everyone was only dreaming that our Golden -domed Kyiv was visible in its capital.

[…] We pass through a large Vasylkovskaya street. People threw us beautiful flowers, candies, cigarettes, and shouted: "Glory to Ukraine. " I was very pleased that I am going to my capital now […]. We came to the barracks, it was 5 pm. We came to us, we began to ask where we came from, that we were so good to get, and was order in the division. A few days later, we took all the guards in the city that were in Polish hands.