15 Facts About Panteleimon Belochub

Panteley Fyodorovich Belochub was born in May 1892 in a family of Azov Greeks in the village of Stary Krym, Mariupol County, Ekaterinoslav Province, Russian Empire.

Panteley's father, Fyodor Panteleimon Belochub, died of tuberculosis when the child was only one and a half months old.

For instance, in January 1915, Panteleimon Belochub earned an award by successfully aiming artillery fire at the advancing Austrian infantry and allowing the Russians to regroup while avoiding losses.

Shortly after the February Revolution of 1917, Panteleimon Belochub was transferred from the front to Tsarskoe Selo as a specialist in the formation of a new artillery battalion.

Viktor Belash, Chief of Staff of the Anarchist Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine under the command of Nestor Makhno, later claimed in his memoir that Panteleimon Belochub joined the RIAU in March 1919.

Quickly rising through the ranks, by the fall of 1919 Panteleimon Belochub commanded the 2nd Horse Artillery Battery, 3rd Ekaterynoslav Corps of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine.

Panteleimon Belochub distinguished himself during the Ekaterinoslav offensive, in the battle against the units of the 2nd Terek Cossack Division, AFSR, near the village of Stepove on November 8,1919, and was wounded in this engagement.

Panteleimon Belochub was arrested by the Makhnovist Counterintelligence along with Polonsky on December 2,1919.

Panteleimon Belochub took part in this operation as an artillery commander.

Panteleimon Belochub remained with RIAU until February 1921, when he and his artillery unit were forced to surrender.

In 1927 Panteleimon Belochub resigned from the local government, focusing entirely on running his own farm.

For instance, Belash claimed that Panteleimon Belochub strongly objected to any reconciliation with the communists.

Panteleimon Belochub held no illusions about the risks of furthering the anarchist cause in the conditions of the Soviet state.

Panteleimon Belochub considered recruitment among the younger generations as irresponsible.

Panteleimon Belochub believed that the struggle had to be carried on by the old guard, who would bring in the new recruits only upon gaining some military success in the new war.