Nestor Makhno, whose biography is still of interest to historians, – the legend of the Civil War. This man went down in history as Father Makhno, that is how he signed many important documents. You will learn interesting facts from the life of the leader of the anarchist movement from this article.
Nestor Makhno: biography, family
To understand exactly what events were predetermining in the fate of the legend of the Civil War, it is worth paying attention to the first years of the life of the leader of the anarchists.
Makhno Nestor Ivanovich, whose brief biography will be described in this article, was born in a village called Gulyaipole, which is now located in the Zaporozhye region, and earlier it was Yekaterinoslav province.
The future leader of the rebel peasants was born on November 7, 1888 in the family of cattleman Ivan Rodionovich and housewife Evdokia Matreevna. According to one version, the real name of the hero of our story is Mikhnenko.
The boy's parents, while raising 5 children, were still able to educate their offspring. Nestorafter graduating from a parochial educational institution, from the age of seven he already worked as a laborer for his fellow villagers, who were richer. A few years later, he worked as a worker in an iron foundry.
The start of the revolution
Nestor Makhno, whose biography began to change dramatically with the beginning of the revolution, was enrolled in a group of anarchists in 1905, which was seen more than once in gang wars and terrorist operations.
In one of the skirmishes with the police, Nestor killed a law enforcement officer. The offender was caught and sentenced to death for committing such a daring crime. Nestor was saved only by the fact that at the time of the trial he was still a minor guy. The death pen alty was replaced with 10 years of hard labor.
A young criminal ended up in Butyrka prison.
Time not wasted
It should be noted that Nestor Makhno, whose biography received a new round, did not waste time in prison in vain. He actively began to engage in self-education. This was facilitated not only by communication with experienced cellmates, but also by the rich library at the correctional facility.
When he got to prison, the young criminal demanded that he be placed with prisoners serving a sentence for political reasons. The anarchists who are part of the circle of cellmates finally shaped his attitude towards the vision of the future life of the country.
After release
The February Revolution of 1917 helped Nestor to be released ahead of schedule. Inspired by the knowledge gained, Makhno goes toto his homeland, where he soon heads the Committee for the Salvation of the Revolution.
According to the callings of the members of the Committee, the peasants had to completely ignore all orders of the Provisional Government. They also initiated a decree on the division of land between peasants.
Despite the above actions, Makhno perceived the October Revolution with conflicting feelings, because he considered the Bolshevik government to be anti-peasant.
Military showdown: who wins?
When the Germans occupied Ukraine in 1918, the head of the anarchists led his own rebel detachment, which fought both against the German occupiers and against the Ukrainian government, headed by Hetman Skoropadsky.
Becoming the leader of the rebel movement, Nestor Makhno, whose biography began to acquire new interesting facts, was very popular with the peasants.
After the fall of Skoropadsky's power, which was replaced by the Petliura government, Makhno concludes a new agreement with the Red Army, where he undertakes to fight against the Directory.
Feeling himself the sovereign master of Gulyai-Pole, Nestor Makhno often initiated the opening of hospitals, workshops, schools and even a theater. The idyll was broken by Denikin, who captured Gulyaipole with his troops. The hero of our story was forced to start a guerrilla war.
With his military actions, Makhno helped the Red Army prevent the penetration of Denikin's troops into Moscow. When the latter were completely eliminated,The Bolsheviks declared Makhno's army outside the law. He has already played his part.
General Wrangel wanted to take advantage of this. He offered cooperation to the chieftain of the anarchists, but Makhno refused. When the Red Army, trying to defeat Wrangel, felt the need for Makhno's help, the Bolsheviks again offered him another agreement. Nestor Makhno agreed to this.
During the above military events, Makhno, considering one of the orders of the red command a trap, ceased to obey. This caused the Bolsheviks to begin liquidating his partisan detachments.
Fleeing from his pursuers, in 1921 Nestor Makhno, whose brief biography has again undergone changes, crossed the Romanian border with a small detachment of like-minded people.
Last years of life
Makhno fled abroad with his fighting wife Agafya Kuzmenko. The Romanians, without thinking twice, handed over the fugitives to the Polish authorities, who eventually deported them to France.
The last years of his life Makhno lived in poverty, working as a laborer. While living in Paris, Nestor produced several propaganda pamphlets. His family life was also unhappy, he and his wife lived separately for a long time.
The head of the anarchists died at the age of 45 from tuberculosis. Buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
