More than 200 people gathered in Kyiv on Jan. 29 for a torch-lit procession to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Kruty in 1918. The battle, between a small force of the short-lived Ukrainian People’s Republic and a much larger Bolshevik force that was marching to capture Kyiv, resulted in the deaths of about half of the 400-strong Ukrainian force, many of whom were students.
During the event in Kyiv, there was a historical reenactment of the battle. The five-hour long battle itself ended in defeat for the Ukrainian forces. Among Ukrainian nationalists the battle is viewed to this day as a significant event in Ukrainian resistance to Russian domination.
