Viktor Leonidovich Pokrovsky () (14 September 1889 – 9 November 1922) was a Russian

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

and one of the leaders of

anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...

counterrevolutionary A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution has occurred, in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "c ...

White Army The White Army, also known as the White Guard, the White Guardsmen, or simply the Whites, was a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and Anti-Sovietism, anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. T ...

during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

Biography

Viktor Pokrovsky graduated from Pavlovsk army cadet and

Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...

aviation military schools. He served in the Russian army during

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as a pilot and was awarded

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...

for bravery.

Russian Civil War

In December 1917, after the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

Kuban Kuban ( Russian and Ukrainian: Кубань; ) is a historical and geographical region in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, the Volga Delta and separated fr ...

Ataman 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 Ukra ...

Filimonov supported the formation of a volunteer unit under the command of Pokrovsky. On 4 and 6 February, his men won two victories over the Bolsheviks at Enem and Georgie-Afipskaia, killing the Bolshevik leaders Iakovlev and Seradze. Kuban Rada promoted him to the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

after a hero's welcome in Ekaterinodar. On 27 February, he was made Commander-in-Chief of the Kuban army. However, on 13 March, the army of 3000 soldiers, accompanied by 2000 civilians, was forced to abandon Ekaterinodar. By the end of March, Pokrovsky combined his forces with the

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (; ), abbreviated to (), also known as the Southern White Army was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920. The Volunteer Army fought against Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists on the ...

during the

Ice March The Ice March (Russian: Ледяной поход), also called the First Kuban Campaign (Russian: Первый кубанский поход), a withdrawal (military), military withdrawal lasting from February to May 1918, was one of the defi ...

. Pokrovsky's men played a key role in the capture of Tsaritsyn and

Kamyshin Kamyshin ( rus, Камышин, p=kɐˈmɨʂɨn) is a city in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volgograd Reservoir of the Volga River, in the estuary of the Kamyshinka River. Its population was Past populations for Kam ...

from the Bolshevik forces in the summer of 1919. Many in the White movement, including military officers, complained about Pokrovsky's penchant to hang prisoners. In September 1918, he had ordered the massacre of 2,500 people near Mayakop, including many Red Army prisoners.

Exile

In April 1920, he emigrated from

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

because general Wrangel did not appoint him to any key positions at his headquarters. In emigration, he settled in

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

and continued anti-Soviet activities. On 9 November 1922 he was killed by the Bulgarian police while resisting arrest in a murder investigation.Svindine, Nicholas & Leonard Mayhew (Trans.) (1973)
''The Treasure of the White Army''
Paris: Éditions Robert Laffont, S.A.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pokrovsky 1889 births 1922 deaths Kuban Cossacks Russian military personnel of World War I Russian World War I flying aces People of the Russian Civil War Perpetrators of the White Terror (Russia) White movement lieutenant generals Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Bulgaria White Russian emigrants to Bulgaria People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Bulgaria

Biography

Russian Civil War

Exile

See also

References