This week in history

December 12: 1796. Tsar Paul I decreed to establish the Little Russian guberniya (region) consisting of the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Poltava regions.

1988. The An-225 Mriya cargo aircraft made its maiden flight.

December 13: 1893. Writer Mykola Khvyliovy was born.

1918. An uprising broke out in Kyiv against Hetman Skoropadsky’s rule, and the city was taken by the UNR Directory.

1941. In Kyiv, the Nazis began arresting Ukrainian intellectuals, especially active OUN-Melnyk members.

December 14: 1918. Hetman Skoropadsky abdicated in favor of the Directory.

1932. The Soviet Communist Party Politburo condemned Communist organizations of Ukraine and the North Caucasus for “nationalism” as the reason why they could not seize the amount of grain demanded by Moscow.

December 15: 1896. The first Ukrainian documentary films were made.

1932. The Communist Party (bolshevik) of Ukraine Central Committee resolved to ban the delivery and sales of industrial goods in 82 districts which failed to meet bread procurement targets.

December 16. 1637. Rebel Cossacks and peasants led by Pavlo But were defeated by Polish magnate Mikolaj Potocki near Kumeiky.

1920. Soviet troops defeated the main forces of anarchist warlord Nestor Makhno.

December 17: 1991. The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine registered the International Renaissance Foundation.

December 18: 1940. Adolf Hitler approved Operation Barbarossa, the plan to attack.

1942. The seizure of the village of Pivnivka marked the beginning of Red Army’s return to Ukraine.