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Suleyman Sulkevych

Suleyman Sulkevych (Matvii Oleksandrovych Sulkevych; 1865–1920) — a lieutenant general, head of the First Crimean Regional Government (1918), a military and statesman. By origin he belonged to the noble gentry family of the Lithuanian Tatars (Lipka Tatars), whose history is closely linked with Crimea.

Overview

On June 5, 1918, the German occupation command (General R. Kosh) entrusted Suleyman Sulkevych with the formation of a regional government on the peninsula. He headed the First Crimean Regional Government (1918), combining the posts of prime minister, acting minister of foreign affairs, and minister of internal, military and naval affairs. In the autumn of 1918, Sulkevych's government began negotiations with Kyiv regarding the accession of Crimea to the Ukrainian State of Hetman Skoropadsky on the terms of autonomy. After the dissolution of the Crimean government, Sulkevych served as chief of the General Staff of the armed forces of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, where in July 1920 he was shot by the Bolsheviks.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Biography and military career: Born July 20, 1865 in the village of Kemeishi, Lida county, Vilna Governorate. Graduated from the Voronezh Cadet Corps (1883), the Mikhailovsky Artillery School (1886), and the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff (1894). Participant in the Chinese campaign (1900–1901), the russo-Japanese and First World Wars. From 1915 — lieutenant general; in 1916–1918 — commander of the First Muslim Cavalry Corps.
  • Leading the Crimean government: On June 5, 1918 received power from General R. Kosh. On June 21 announced the composition of the government. In the government he relied on the Crimean Tatar–German group (Dzhafer Seydamet, Arslan Akhmatovych), which advocated the state independence of Crimea and close ties with the Kurultai.
  • State-building initiatives and negotiations with Ukraine: Declared a course toward engaging broad social strata, rebuilding government institutions, interethnic peace and neutrality. Addressed the Kurultai regarding the creation of the post of state secretary for Tatar affairs. In the autumn of 1918, after the economic blockade, he entered negotiations with Kyiv and signed the draft agreement on the autonomy of Crimea.
  • Service in Azerbaijan and death: From December 1918 — chief of the General Staff of the armed forces of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Initiator of the military-patriotic peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Georgia (July 1919). In May 1920 arrested in Baku by the Bolsheviks and shot on July 15, 1920.