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Petro Struve

Petro Struve (1870–1944) was a russian economist, philosopher, editor, politician, and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Aleksandr Kryvoshein under General Petro Wrangel (1920).

Overview

Petro Berngardovych Struve was one of the leading russian intellectuals and publicists of the early twentieth century. In the summer and autumn of 1920, in Crimea, he headed the Department of Foreign Affairs (in effect the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in the Government of South russia under General Petro Wrangel. In this capacity he sought to secure international recognition of the Wrangel government and to attract the support of the Western powers.

In Sevastopol, in the autumn of 1920, he held a personal meeting with Levko Chykalenko, a member of the Ukrainian delegation (arranged by Struve's personal secretary, Petro Savytskyi). During the conversation, Chykalenko conveyed to Struve greetings from his former students — the Ukrainian figures Valentyn Sadovskyi and Oleksandr Kovalevskyi. Struve himself appeared as a restrained "realistic politician," noting that the possibility of a lasting understanding between the Whites and the UPR would depend on the balance of forces and the international situation.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Minister of Foreign Affairs (1920): Headed the diplomatic service of the Wrangel government in Crimea.
  • Audience with Levko Chykalenko: Received the Ukrainian delegate in Sevastopol, mentioned his Ukrainian students (V. Sadovskyi, O. Kovalevskyi), but expressed a restrained and pragmatic stance regarding an alliance with the UPR.
  • Emigration: After Wrangel's defeat he evacuated to Europe; he lived in France, where he died in 1944.