Nikifor Grigoriev - Revolutionary Period

Revolutionary Period

In April 1918, he took part in the conservative coup d'etat led by Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky which earned him the rank of Colonel. In summer of that year he revolted against the Hetman State and created his own insurgent army. He joined another revolt in November that year which was organized by Directoria. In December Grigoriev participated in the military campaign against the Russian forces of the South. During that campaign he took Mykolaiv, Kherson, Ochakiv, Oleshki. Before capturing Mykolaiv he overran the forces of already defeated Hetmanate of 545 soldiers. He occupied Mykolaiv on December 13 and appointed himself the city commissioner struggling against the city council. Grigoriev was appointed a commander of the Ukrainian Kherson Division of the Southern group of Otaman Hrekov until January 29, 1919, later the 1st Trans-Dnipro Rifllemen Brigade (~6,000 men) of the 3rd Trans-Dnipro Riflemen Division. He was later forced out of those cities by the Entente forces (Greeks) (see The Entente intervention in Russia). During this time Otaman Hrekov participated in the negotiations with The Entente forces to ally against the Bolsheviks. Grigoriev did not approve that and was especially upset when Vynnychenko was forced out of the office leading Petliura to head the Directoria Committee later on February 13. On January 29, 1919 Grigoriev sent a letter to the headquarters of the Zaporizhia Corps in Kremenchuk (a week after the arrest of Petro Bolbochan):

On January 25, 1919 Petliura ordered him and Otaman Huly-Hulenko to join the South-Eastern group against the Armed Forces of South Russia near Alexandrovsk and Pavlohrad. Grigoriev decided to ignore that order. He had not intentions to fight against the White forces as well as the forces of Makhno who operated in the area and were in the opposition to the Direcotria. Since that time he systematically ignored all the orders that were coming from the Headquarters of the Ukrainian Army. The similar situation was taken place throughout the Ukrainian Armed Forces at that time. Otaman Osmolov sent him telegram to stop his disobedience. On January 30 Grigoiev sent a representative to the Yelizavetgrad revkom claiming to be the Chairman of the Soviet Emissaries. He also sent a telegram to the revkom of Alexandrovsk with an approval for the actions of the Soviet Bolshevik Left-SR government of the Ukrainian SSR.

In the beginning of February 1919 Grigoriev attaked the Katerynoslav Kosh of Colonel Kotyk whom he captured as well. Later he sent a telegram to the Red Kharkiv informing that he caught the cat (implying to Colonel Kotyk). The Ukrainian Command immediately announced him outlaw warranting every citizen of the Republic to kill the deserter. On February 2 Blakytny-Ellansky arrived to Znamenka to organize the Soviet Ukrainian National government with the help of Grigoriev, but later were telegraphing back to Moscow not to hurry with the coalition of the Otaman due to possible infidelity. Grigoriev, nonetheless, continued his attacks onto the Ukrainian armies and effectively stormed Kryvyi Rih and Yelizavetgrad causing the Republican forces to withdraw out of the Central Ukraine to Podolia.