Russian Shelling Threatens Historic Huliaipole, Endangering Makhno's HQ and Unique Architecture

Historic Huliaipole Under Russian Fire, Endangering Makhno's Legacy

According to Главком: Russian forces are shelling the historic center of Huliaipole, a city of profound significance to the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917-1921 and as the headquarters of Nestor Makhno's Insurgent Army. Although the city remains under Ukrainian control, fighting continues within its boundaries. By November-December 2023, only about 150 people remained in Huliaipole, a stark contrast to its pre-war population of roughly 12,000. The mass exodus began in early March 2022 following the first Grad rocket attacks. Huliaipole is a key site in the history of Ukrainian anarchism and peasant resistance.

Unique Architecture and Cultural Heritage at Risk

Since November 2023, when Russia's active offensive began, the city has been struck by dozens of cluster munitions daily. Huliaipole retains unique late 19th and early 20th-century architecture, which includes:

• commanders' houses
• Makhno's headquarters
• a printing house from the Ukrainian Revolutionary period

Important surviving historical sites include the house where Nestor Makhno lived with his wife Halyna Kuzmenko, and the house of his elder brother Karp, built around the 1880s. Makhno's parental home was burned down in 1918.

Shortly before the full-scale invasion, Karp Makhno's house was purchased to create the "Makhno House" museum space. The city also had two monuments, erected around 2009, which could not be evacuated due to their size, the need for special transport, and the unstable security situation.

Critically, in 2022, activists from the public organization "Huliaipole Antiquities" evacuated all museum collections to safer regions, preserving a portion of the city's cultural heritage. Historian Serhii Zvilinsky, together with this organization, worked on creating the museum space and developing tourist routes aimed at safeguarding Huliaipole's history.

The situation in the city remains tense, and the historic buildings that had survived until 2025 are now under threat of destruction. This poses serious consequences for Ukraine's cultural heritage and the memory of the pivotal events and figures associated with Huliaipole.

"Preserving Huliaipole's historical monuments is important not only for the local community but for all of Ukraine, as this city is a symbol of the struggle for independence and self-determination." - Serhii Zvilinsky

The situation around Huliaipole illustrates the risks facing Ukrainian cultural heritage amid warfare and underscores the need for international support to protect such sites. Continued shelling could lead to irreversible losses for the history and memory of Nestor Makhno and his fight for the rights of peasants and workers in Ukraine.