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Vasyl Ivanys

Vasyl Ivanys was a Ukrainian Kuban military and political figure, acting Kuban Military Ataman in 1920, and the author of memoirs about the stay of Kuban Cossacks in Crimea and their relations with the regime of Petro Wrangel.

Overview

Vasyl Ivanys headed the Kuban government delegation and acted as ataman during the crisis of the anti-Bolshevik forces in Crimea in 1920. On 4 August 1920, in Sevastopol, on behalf of the Kuban People's Republic, he signed the "Agreement between the Ruler and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the South of russia and the Atamans and Governments of the Don, Kuban, Terek, and Astrakhan." In his memoirs, Ivanys left valuable testimony about the difficult relations between the Kuban Cossacks and the command of the "White movement," the pro-Ukrainian stance of part of the Kuban Cossackry, and the large-scale evacuation from the peninsula.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Signing of the Agreement of 4 August 1920: In Sevastopol he signed an agreement with P. Wrangel that proclaimed the independence of the Cossack state formations but transferred operational command and foreign relations to Wrangel. Ivanys defined this agreement as a temporary unconstitutional act forced by circumstances.
  • Assessment of the situation of the Kuban Cossacks in Crimea: He described the situation of the 4.5–5 thousand Kuban Cossacks on the peninsula in 1920 as extremely difficult ("like a poor son-in-law living with a bad father-in-law") because of the distrust and Wrangel's ban on pro-Ukrainian activity.
  • The Evacuation of 1920: According to Ivanys's testimony, during the November evacuation from Crimea on 126 ships, 15 thousand Kuban Cossacks departed, part of whom in emigration turned to the government of the UNR with a request to join the Army of the UNR or to receive Ukrainian passports.