Historical Context: The Inauguration of the Central Rada

My event is the Inauguration of the Central Rada; the beginning and the
heat of a struggle that would last for the next 100 years in Ukraine, also known as
the breadbasket of Eastern Europe. For centuries, Ukraine has been considered a
breadbasket of the world and even today remains a huge supporter in the grain
industry. The Central Rada was established on March 4, 1917 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
After the Russian Revolution during WWI, Ukraine looked to the idea of
independence as well, following Russia in the chaos that ensued. The original
purpose of the Central Rada was to create a resource of information for the public
to have[3].
It started small, but took root and began to grow into a symbol of power
and nationalism for the citizens of Ukraine. The Rada was an asset for Ukraine as
it helped to reopen schools, create libraries and rebuild its political and cultural
independence and identity. Soon many political parties within Ukraine began to
rise up and speak out about their visions for an independent Ukraine. More and
more thoughts of Ukrainian Nationalism boiled up. The Central Rada gradually
gained control and as they did four Universals were introduced that determined
changing policies, and created legal clarification for the land and citizens within
Ukraine. The third and fourth Universals were a proclamation of independence
for the Ukrainian Peoples Republic. Ukraine then participated and signed the
Brest Peace Treaty with the Quadruple Alliance which was considered the first
peace in this horrible war[1]. This treaty saved the state from becoming a part of
Soviet Russia, as they were desperately trying to break away from the
Bolsheviks. In conjunction with the signing of the treaty, Ukraine agreed to
provide Austria-Hungary and Germany with agricultural products in trade of
military support. In April of 1918, Ukraine officially declared itself a Hetmanate
state. Unfortunately, this did not last long; the thriving short success that this
country felt was brought down with the invasion of foreign troops, social unrest,
and an anti-hetman revolt within the country itself[2].
Ukraine was the hotbed of war, militaristic happenings, and civilian
losses. Ukraine requested help from the Central Powers, who refused because
they felt their energy and resources were more vitally needed on the fronts of
World War I. Eventually, however, they decided it would be in their best interest
to show their power through this act of generosity, but they also desired
Ukraines natural resources. Within the turmoil, Ukraine lost central leadership
and they were unable to hold up their end of agreements and treaties, and the
Central Powers began to realize their mistake. The conflict continued, and the
Central Rada finally collapsed in the spring of 1918, still not ending the war in
Ukraine. The Ukraine was not strong enough to be independent; as a country it
did not have the drive or a clear plan required to maintain and run a nation. After
three more years of fighting, Ukraine almost immediately fell into the hands of

the Soviet Republic, where for years it continued to go through a torturous

demise. It was not until 1991 that the Ukraine finally gained their independence,
but the unrest in Ukraine still continues today[4].
During this time the minority in Ukraine were the Jewish. They
continually got pushed down, out, and apart. The invading Bolsheviks and Polish
separated families, and recruited them to their respective armies. Brothers were
fighting brothers, and families were ripped from their houses. They were seen as
greedy, dirty, and unreliable because of the nature of the jobs they took, tax
collectors. My poem perspective is that of a Jewish man experiencing this
discrimination. The Jewish had no voice even though this had been their
homeland for centuries prior.
I wrote about this event because it is more or less the basis and beginning
of Ukraines civil unrest and instability which 100 years later remains apparent
today. The formation of the Central Rada was an example of Ukraine trying to
become independent and the measures, smart or not, they took to do that. I
wanted to pick an event that was took place in Ukraine, during the midst of
WWI. Although not immediately correlated to the direct fronts of WWI and the
outcome of the great war, it played a large role in Ukrainian history and Eastern
Europe at this time.
A word from the author:
My poem is written in a blues poem form. The blues poem is a relatively
new style of poetry that came from the African American civil rights and slavery
movement. It is a poem that relates to the discrimination and lamentation of a
minority group, namely slaves. Many blues poems were songs handed down
generation to generation in the late 1800s by slaves, but it morphed into
something more as people began to hear them [6]. I chose this form as an ironic
way to showcase the Jewish struggle, because similarities can be seen with that
of the African American struggle. It contrasts a very American issue with a very
European one. The struggles of both are a tragic story of desperate survival, and
for both minorities it was just the beginning of pain that would last for years to
come.
Researching the event, writing and finally creating my poem was one of the
most difficult projects I have ever done. However, I have been introduced and
enlightened into the world of poetry. I struggled with following specific form, as
I wanted to completely create my own poetic art. The blues poem can be found in
many different forms. The specific type I chose had the first two lines of a stanza
end with the same word, while the end word of the third line of the stanza had to
rhyme with the first two words (rhyme scheme: AAa) [5]. In traditional blues style
the first line makes a statement, the second line makes a statement similar to the
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first and the third line creates an ironic idea, contradicting the first two. I did not
follow this exactly, but kept it in the back of my mind as I wrote. I learned a lot
by following a structure though, and now I have the basics I need to write more
poetry in the future.