Andriy Mykolaiovych Livytskyi (; 9 April 1879 – 17 January 1954) was a Ukrainian

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

statesman A statesman or stateswoman is a politician or a leader in an organization who has had a long and respected career at the national or international level, or in a given field. Statesman or statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States ...

, and

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

. He was

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile (1948–1954) and the Chairman of the Directory prior to reforming that office into the presidential.

Biography

Andriy Livytskyi was born on 9 April 1879 in Lyplyavo (at the time part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

) into an old

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

family. He finished the ''Gymnasium of Pavlo Halahana'' in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, and later went on to study at the mathematical and juridical faculties of the St. Volodymyr Kyiv University in 1896. In 1897 and 1899 he was held in the

Lukyanivska Prison Lukianivska Prison () is a famous historical prison in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, located in the central Lukianivka neighborhood of the city. It is officially known as SIZO#13 () which is a portmanteau for ''Slidchyi IZOliator'' (). Though the ...

in Kyiv for participation in protests. He was expelled from the university and exiled to Poltava Governorate under the secret surveillance of police for taking part in the student's strike of 1899. After obtaining his university diploma in 1903, he served in the

Lubny Lubny (, ) is a city in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Lubny Raion. It also hosts the administration of , one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: History Lubny is reputed to be one of the oldes ...

Circuit Court, and then, since 1905, he was a barrister of the

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

Court Chamber, and in 1913–1917 an elected judge of

Zolotonosha Zolotonosha (, ) is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast (region) in central Ukraine. Located at around , the city serves as the administrative center of Zolotonosha Raion (district). It hosts the administration of Zolotonosha urban hromada, one ...

uezd An uezd (also spelled uyezd or uiezd; rus, уе́зд ( pre-1918: уѣздъ), p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context () was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, the ...

in the

Poltava Governorate Poltava Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire. It was officially created in 1802 from the disbanded Little Russia Governorate (1796–1802), Little Russia Governorate and had its capital in Polt ...

. In his studential years, he took part in the Ukrainian independence movement, heading one of the organization's bases in Kyiv. From 1901, he belonged to the

Revolutionary Ukrainian Party The Revolutionary Ukrainian Party () was a Ukrainian political party in the Russian Empire founded on 11 February 1900 by the Kharkiv student secret society Hromada. History The rise of the party came about with a successful consummation after o ...

(RUP), heading its regional headquarters in

. He was jailed once again in connections to the revolutionary activities of 1906 and after escaping was imprisoned again in 1907. Since 1917, Livytskyi was a member of the

Central Rada The Central Rada of Ukraine, also called the Central Council (), was the All-Ukrainian council that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputies as well as few members of political, public, cultural and professional organizations o ...

and the ''Peasant Union'' (Ukraine). In the period of the '' Hetmanate'' (1918), he was a member of the Ukrainian National Union, in opposition to the government of

Pavlo Skoropadskyi Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi (; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, who served as the Hetman of all Ukraine, hetman of the Ukrainian State throughout 1918 following a 1918 Ukrainian coup d'état, coup d'éta ...

. Later during the time of the

Directorate of Ukraine The Directorate, or Directory () was a provisional collegiate revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian People's Republic, initially formed on 13–14 November 1918 during a session of the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against th ...

, he was one of the founders of the ''Labour Council of Ukraine'' - the highest governing body of Ukraine. Livytskyi also held positions as the Minister of Justice and the deputy of the ''Rada of National Ministers of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR)'' in 1919, as well as the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the government of Isaak Mazepa in 1919. From 14 October to 18 November 1920 he served as the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Since October 1919, he was in the Ukrainian delegation to

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, where he was working on the formation of the Ukrainian-

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

agreement, which was signed in 1920. After the defeat of the Ukrainian national movement for independence, he was forced to emigrate. From 1920 to 1948, he served as the head of the government of the Ukrainian People's Republic (''UPR'') in exile. After

Symon Petliura Symon Vasyliovych Petliura (; – 25 May 1926) was a Ukrainian politician and journalist. He was the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian People's Army (UNA) and led the Ukrainian People's Republic during the Ukrainian War of Independence, a pa ...

's assassination, he became the head of the Directorate of Ukraine and assumed the post of the ''Chief

Otaman Ataman (variants: ''otaman'', ''wataman'', ''vataman''; ; ) was a title of Cossack and haidamak leaders of various kinds. In the Russian Empire, the term was the official title of the supreme military commanders of the Cossack armies. The Ukrai ...

'' of the Ukrainian People's Republic Army in exile in 1926. Since that time to the time of his death, Livytskyi served as the head of state for the government of the UPR. He lived in Warsaw under constant watch of the Polish police. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Livytskyi cooperated with the Germans, joining the

Ukrainian National Committee The Ukrainian National Committee ( ) was a Ukrainian political structure created under the leadership of Pavlo Shandruk, on March 17 (or March 12), 1945 in Weimar, Nazi Germany, nearly two months before the German Instrument of Surrender, with the ...

in 1945. After the war,he sought to consolidate his political activities and reorganize the government of the UPR in exile. Its first session was opened on 16 July 1948 in

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

, Germany. In cooperation with Isaak Mazepa, he created the ''Ukrainian National Rada'' in exile in 1948 and became the First President of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile. He died on 17 January 1954 in

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

, West Germany, and was later buried in the Waldfriedhof Cemetery in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

and later his ashes were transferred to Ukrainian Memorial Cemetery in Bound Brook in the vicinity of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, United States.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Livytskyi, Andriy 1879 births 1954 deaths People from Cherkasy Oblast People from Zolotonoshsky Uyezd Ukrainian people in the Russian Empire Revolutionary Ukrainian Party politicians Presidents of the Ukrainian People's Republic Heads of government of Ukraine in exile Ukrainian diplomats Members of the Ukrainian government in exile Ukrainian collaborators with Nazi Germany Ukrainian emigrants to Germany Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv alumni