Ukrainian Communist Party
Encyclopedia
The Ukrainian Communist Party was an oppositional political party
in Soviet Ukraine, from 1920 until 1925. Its followers were known as Ukapists (укапісти, ukapisty), from the initials UKP.
Socialist Sovereigns
The UKP was an offshoot party of the Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party
(SD's) created in January 1920 by former members of the Social-Democrats who prior to that were organized as the group of the independent Social-Democrats (Socialists-Sovereignists in the ). The left-wing split from the party because, unlike it, they adovocated a socialist soviet Ukraine allied with other soviet republics in a European Socialist International. It opposed Russian domination within this envisaged Socialist order as well as Russian domination of Republics formed within the territory of the former Russian empire. It condemned the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine (CP(b)U) criticizing it in its newspaper, Chervonyy Prapor for being subject to the Russian Bolshevik party in Moscow.
Communists
The initial membership of several hundred was made up of Ukrainian Social-Democrat Sovereignists, former left-Ukrainian SRs Borotbists
, and "federalists" from the CP(b)U, like Yuriy Lapchynsky. The Ukapists stood for a Soviet Ukraine with its own communist party separate from the Bolsheviks (renamed in March 1918 Russian Communist Party). In 1923 a faction within the UKP sponsored by the secret police (CHEKA) requested unification with the CPU. On August 27, 1920, then again in 1924, the UKP sent the Comintern
a letter requesting recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian SSR
and the right of Ukrainians to have their own party in the Comintern
. The Comintern, de facto run by the Russian Bolsheviks, answered that the Ukrainian republic as a sovereign state within the USSR was already represented and that therefore UKP should dissolve and unite with CP(b)U. Recent research has shown that on the eve of their dissolution their influence was rising in Kyiv and Katerynoslav provinces.
At its IV congress the UKP formally abolished itself. Some members joined the Bolshevik CP(b)U, including its leader Andryi Richytsky in order to have some influence on Ukrainian politics. Former Ukapists were purged in 1931–34,and then executed or exiled to Siberia.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Soviet Ukraine, from 1920 until 1925. Its followers were known as Ukapists (укапісти, ukapisty), from the initials UKP.
Socialist Sovereigns
The UKP was an offshoot party of the Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party
Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party was the leading party of the Ukrainian People's Republic and was also known as SDPists or Esdeky. The party was reformed in 1905 at the Second Congress of the RUP and was pursuing the Marxist ideology...
(SD's) created in January 1920 by former members of the Social-Democrats who prior to that were organized as the group of the independent Social-Democrats (Socialists-Sovereignists in the ). The left-wing split from the party because, unlike it, they adovocated a socialist soviet Ukraine allied with other soviet republics in a European Socialist International. It opposed Russian domination within this envisaged Socialist order as well as Russian domination of Republics formed within the territory of the former Russian empire. It condemned the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine (CP(b)U) criticizing it in its newspaper, Chervonyy Prapor for being subject to the Russian Bolshevik party in Moscow.
Communists
The initial membership of several hundred was made up of Ukrainian Social-Democrat Sovereignists, former left-Ukrainian SRs Borotbists
Borotbists
The Borotba Party was a peasant based left-nationalist political party in Ukraine. It arose in May 1918 after the split in the Ukrainian Socialist-Revolutionary Party on the basis of supporting Soviet power in Ukraine. Similar to Russian Left-SR it got its name from the central organ of the...
, and "federalists" from the CP(b)U, like Yuriy Lapchynsky. The Ukapists stood for a Soviet Ukraine with its own communist party separate from the Bolsheviks (renamed in March 1918 Russian Communist Party). In 1923 a faction within the UKP sponsored by the secret police (CHEKA) requested unification with the CPU. On August 27, 1920, then again in 1924, the UKP sent the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
a letter requesting recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
and the right of Ukrainians to have their own party in the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
. The Comintern, de facto run by the Russian Bolsheviks, answered that the Ukrainian republic as a sovereign state within the USSR was already represented and that therefore UKP should dissolve and unite with CP(b)U. Recent research has shown that on the eve of their dissolution their influence was rising in Kyiv and Katerynoslav provinces.
At its IV congress the UKP formally abolished itself. Some members joined the Bolshevik CP(b)U, including its leader Andryi Richytsky in order to have some influence on Ukrainian politics. Former Ukapists were purged in 1931–34,and then executed or exiled to Siberia.
See also
- Communist Party of UkraineCommunist Party of UkraineThe Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine, currently led by Petro Symonenko.The party fights the Ukrainian national self-determination by identifying any Ukrainian national parties as the National-Fascist ones The Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine,...
, the reanimated Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine that was recreated in 1993 after the ban on Communists parties was lifted. - Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine, formally constituted in Moscow March 1918 as a sub-unit of the Russian Communist Party. It was banned in 1992 and later re-established.