In administrative matters Proskurov was governed by the military commandant Kiverchuk and the commissar Taranovich. The former was in the military service even under the tsar, but the latter was a former schoolteacher. The town was defended by militia, which was primarily subordinate to the commandant. The municipal government, not wholly trusting the militia, organized a guard of its own, called the "ward-guard." At the head of this guard stood a Central Bureau, having as its president the Christian Rudnitzky and as vice-president the Jew Schenkmann. Since the municipal guard consisted mainly of Jews, it did not at all enjoy the favor of the commandant Kiverchuk, and he made all sorts of difficulties for it.
Even under the tsar there were on hand in Proskurov not only all the legal parties, but also the illegal ones. It goes without saying that social-political life in Proskurov was greatly enlivened after the fall of tsarism. — Under the Hetman the representatives of the socialist parties in Proskurov, and especially the bolsheviks, were repeatedly subjected to repressive measures. With the fall of the Hetman and the accession of Petlura's regime, the bolshevik units in Proskurov continued to exist, but illegally. But, as a whole, all the socialist groups in Proskurov, not excluding even the bolsheviki, formed a common front, headed by the Bund member Joffe.
PROSKUROV:
About three weeks before the Proskurov massacre, the following event took place. It proved fatal for Proskurov.
Convention of Bolsheviki in Vinnitza
A convention of the bolsheviki of the government of Podolia took place in Vinnitza, Petlura's own capital. It lasted two days and its sessions went off without interference, though it carried resolutions for the raising of a bolshevik revolt throughout the government of Podolia, naming February 15 as the day of the uprising. The circumstance that this convention was not interfered with caused some persons to assert that it was summoned with the knowledge of the Petlura regime, with provocatory intent. But unprejudiced investigations lead to the conclusion that there was no provocation in the case, and that the convention went off all right, owing to the poor state of organization, and consequently deficient information, of the Petlura regime. It is pointed out that the bolshevist uprising took place only in Proskurov, whereas in other places in the government of Podolia, even at the station Zhmerinka, where there are nearly 7,000 railroad workers, no attempts were made at an uprising. In this respect also reasons are seen for believing that there was no revolt in the other places, because at the head of the bolshevist organizations in those places were more intelligent people, who saw that the moment was not suitable for a revolt.
In Proskurov, on the other hand, the heads of the bolshevist units were too young and heedless. But, besides, there was one material circumstance which prompted the bolsheviki of Proskurov to begin their uprising. In Proskurov were quartered two regiments, the 15th Bielgorod and the 8th Podolia, which were definitely bolshevik in tendency.
Appearance of the Ataman Semosenko at Proskurov
Some ten days before the pogrom in Proskurov, there appeared a brigade of "beyond-the-rapids" ' (Zaporozhsky) Cossacks of the Ukrainian republican army, commanded in the name of the head Ataman Petlura by the Ataman Semosenko. With this brigade appeared also the 3rd Gaidamak regiment. Both brigade and regiment, according to Semosenko's announcement,
UKRAINE
had come from the front for a rest and to perform garrison duty in Proskurov. On February 6 Semosenko sent to the printers a proclamation in which he announced that he was assuming the duties of garrison-commander, and in that capacity forbade any unauthorized meetings and gatherings in the city. He warned that any agitation against the existing regime would be punished according to the laws of wartime. All instigations to a pogrom were also forbidden, and anyone caught in the act of instigating one was to be shot on the spot.