“…Get an Order to America”: Vynnychenko’s Letter to Chicherin 1920

Abstract

The letter of the Ukrainian political and public figure, writer Vladimir K. Vynnychenko to the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR Georgy V. Chicherin dated on August 5, 1920. The letter was written during the period of the visit of Vynnychenko to Soviet Russia and Ukraine. It helps to restore the circumstances of the events and the negotiations between Vynnychenko and the Soviet and party leadership. It also helps to understand the motives of the decisions of the Ukrainian leader and characterizes his psychological portrait. Vynnychenko officially appealed to the Soviet Authorities with a request to return to Ukraine in early 1920. In May, he arrived in Moscow and met with Soviet and party leaders (K. Radek, G. Chicherin, L. Kamenev, L. Trotsky). In late June ‒ early July, Vynnychenko traveled to Kharkov for talks with the Soviet Ukraine Leadership. He negatively assessed the results of the negotiations in Moscow and Kharkov and decided to leave Soviet Russia without the permission of the Soviet Authorities. The letter was written after an unsuccessful attempt to leave the country on 3 August. The letter demonstrates the author’s reflections and views on the event that occurred, revealing his plans. The letter can be considered as the evidence that for Vynnychenko it was desirable to emigrate, or alternatively, in the case of failure of this plan, he would go to Kharkov.