Proskurov is the liveliest city in the Government of Podolia. It has about 50,000 inhabitants, half of whom are Jews. The democratic city administration consisted of 50 city commissaries of whom 26 were Christians and 24 were Jews. The mayor and the head of the assembly of city commissaries were Poles. Kiverchuk, formerly in the service of the tsar, was the commandant. The city was guarded by the militia. But the city administration did not trust them and organized a force of their own, the so-called "ward guard/' At the head of it were mostly Jews. The chief was a Christian by the name of Rudnitzky, his second was Schenkmann, a Jew. Kiverchuk distrusted the defending force "because they were Jewish," and put all sorts of difficulties in their way.
UKRAINE
At a congress of the Bolsheviki of the Government of Podolia, held in Vinnitza, where Petlura resided, (some say that the congress itself was provocatory in character) it was resolved that on the fifteenth of February a Bolshevist uprising should break out in Proskurov. The third Gaidamak regiment which already had experience in the institution of pogroms appeared on the scene. When the rumor spread in the city that an uprising was being prepared, Joffe, a member of the Jewish Labor Bund and presiding officer of a conference of all the socialistic parties of Proskurov, called the representatives of the parties to a consultation, at which members of all the factions including the Bolshevists were present. At this meeting they put in a protest and pointed out that the uprising would lead to a collapse. The communists pointed out that the question had already been settled, that the uprising had already been prepared, that it would break out simultaneously in the whole Government of Podolia, that in Proskurov a part of the garrison would side with the insurgents and that sixteen villages were ready to send them help. On the evening before the uprising, two represenatives of the Bolshevists asked the ward guard what their attitude would be. The president, Rudnitzky, and his associate, Schenkmann, replied that the ward guard was not a party organization, that its exclusive purpose was the protection of the inhabitants and that they would be completely neutral in this case. At the same time Schenkmann pointed out that their attempt was inopportune and that it would inevitably lead to a Jewish pogrom. The answer was that these demonstrations would extend over the whole Government (province), and that a favorable result was assured. Schenkmann then tried to prove to the
Bolshevist staff how senseless the uprising would be, but failed. The insurrectionists arrested Kiverchuk, whom they regarded, not without reason, as a dangerous advocate of the Black Hundred. After he was freed, Kiverchuk said that he, a representative of the city, had been imprisoned by the Jewish members of the ward guard.
The Ataman Semosenko took over the duties of Kiverchuk. The Gaidamak soldiers were again concentrated at the station. Arrests followed in the city. At the station, tables were set for the entertainment of the Gaidamaks, they were treated lavishly and given brandy and cognac. When the entertainment was over Semosenko made a speech in which he described the difficult position of Ukrainia; he spoke of the sacrifices which the Ukrainians offered in the war and pointed out emphatically that the most dangerous enemies of the Ukrainian people and the Cossacks were the Jews, who must be cut down with the sword to save themselves and the Ukraine. He asked the Cossacks to swear that they would fulfill their duty and destroy the Jewish population, but must at the same time swear that they would not rob the Jews of their possessions and property. The Cossacks were led to the flags and took an oath to murder but not to rob. Having drawn themselves up — the regiment band in front and the sanitary corps in the rear — the Cossacks marched to the city along Alexandrovskaya street. Then they divided in groups of five to fifteen men and swarmed out into the adjoining streets, which were inhabited exclusively by Jews. With perfect sang-froid they entered two houses, drew their swords and began to cut down the Jewish inmates without regard to sex or age. They murdered old men, women and infants
UKRAINE