We Should Learn Love for the Homeland from These Three Hundred. In Memory of the Heroes of Kruty

On the 29th of January, Ukraine honors the memory of the Heroes of Kruty.

The battle of Kruty on January 29 was one of the episodes of yet another Russian-Ukrainian war (December 1917 - April 1918). For the Ukrainian people, it became a symbol of heroism and self-sacrifice of the young generation in the struggle for independence of Ukraine.

The above- mentioned Russian-Ukrainian war had, as today, a hybrid nature on the part of Russia. Despite public statements in support of the autonomy and self-determination of peoples, the Petrograd Soviet of People's Commissars declared war on the UPR as soon as Ukrainians declared their statehood and tried to get out of the orbit of Russia's influence.

January 29, 1918, the troops of the Ukrainian People's Republic and Russian armed units met in the battle near Kruty. The Ukrainian troops defending Kyiv, with minimal losses fulfilled the task set by the Command. Being in the minority, they gave battle to the enemy, causing significant losses. Thus, the enemy was detained and the control of Kyiv, the capital of the UPR, was retained. The Battle of Kruty allowed to sign the Brest Peace Treaty, the first peace agreement of the First World War, according to which the UPR became a subject of international relations.

Three hundred young dreamers- volunteers traded pens for rifles and died defending their Motherland, gaining freedom and pledging of allegiance to their parents forever.

Today Heroes of Kruty are called the first Ukrainian cyborgs. Their heroic deed inspired today's heroes – defenders of the Donetsk airport, and all the defenders of the territorial integrity and state sovereignty of Ukraine in the 21st century's war against the same Russian aggressor.

Blessed memory and three times GLORY to the ever-living defenders of Ukraine!