Nick Heath
British anarchist-communist and thorough documenter of the international anarchist movement.
The Greek Makhnovists
A short account of the role of the Black Sea Greeks in the Makhnovist movement.
Greeks had settled along the north coast of the Black Sea in what is now Ukraine and Crimea from at least the 5th Century BC. At the time of the Revolution of 1917 there were around 180,000 of these Pontic Greeks in the region.
Minnig, Albert (1911-1968)
A short biography of Albert Minnig, Swiss anarchist volunteer in Spain
Albert Minnig came from a Swiss working class family, like that of his slightly older cousin Louis Walther. The fathers of their families made a living through poaching and illegal fishing, and were seen as “pirates”. Getting into trouble with the law was a common occurrence for Albert.
Ivanyuk (?-1921)
A short biography of Ivanyuk, independent-minded Makhnovist commander, who died in the last major battle of the movement.
On 26 August we fought another battle…in which we lost our dearest fighters and comrades, Petrenko-Platonov and Ivanyuk”. Nestor Makhno, quoted in the History of the Makhnovist Movement, Piotr Arshinov.
Social origin and educational level of the chief Bolshevik leaders in 1917
A questionnaire filled in by Bolshevik leaders in 1917 reveals their social origin and educational level:
| Name | Profession of father | Studies |
| Antonov-Ovseenko | Officer | Higher |
| Bukharin | Mathematician | ,, |
| Bubnov | ? |
Pravda, Simeon (Batko Pravda), 1877-1921
A short biography of Simeon Pravda, one of the most colourful of the Makhnovist commanders
Simeon Pravda was born into a family of farm-hands in Lyubimovka near Alexandrovsk. He became an anarchist-communist from 1904, and took part in armed actions against the Tsarist regime. He worked on the railway as a coupler at Gaychur station in 1905,and it was there that he was involved in an accident that led to the loss of both his legs.
Zhivoder, c.1883-1920
A short biography of Zhivoder, a revolutionary sailor who moved from Bolshevism to anarchism.
From Bolshevism to Makhnovism
Zheleznyakov, Nikolai Grigorievich (1893-1918/1919)
A short biography of Nikolai, the far less well known brother of the anarchist Anatoli Zheleznyakov.
The other Zheleznyakov
1920: The Sapozhkov Uprising and the Army of Truth
A short account of the uprising led by Sapozhkov against the Communist government in 1920.
Alexander Sapozhkov came from a peasant family in Novouzensk county of Samara province. During the First World War, he graduated from the school of ensigns, rose from private to lieutenant and was awarded the medal of Knight of St. George. In 1917 he became a Left Socialist-Revolutionary and took an active part in the revolution in Saratov province.
Brova, Mikhail or Brava aka Batko Brova, ?-1921
A short biography of Mikhail Brova, Makhnovist commander, anarchist communist and associate of Maslakov
Mikhail Brova was born into a peasant family in the village of Novogrigorevka, in the Ekaterinoslav province of the Ukraine. From early childhood, he worked as a mechanic–locksmith at the station at Avdeevka Yuzovsky.
The Brothers Parkhomenko: a tale of the Russian Civil War
The story of the Parkhomenko brothers, symbolic of the fratricidal struggle of the Russian Civil War
Alexander Parkhomenko is known to older Russians through the pages of the novel by Vsevelod Ivanov and the 1942 film of the same name. He was paraded as one of the great heroes of the Russian Civil War, alongside other partisan leaders like Chapaev (who also had a book and film dedicated to him). He led a Red Army detachment against the Makhnovists and eventually was killed by them.
