Jews in Wartime Urban Space: Ethnic Mobilization and the Formation of a New Community in Kyiv, 1914-1918 by Larysa Bilous A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Department of History and Classics University of Alberta © Larysa Bilous, 2018 ABSTRACT This dissertation is a case study of wartime Jewish politics and social life Jewish life in Kyiv from 1914 to the end of 1918. The research engages the larger questions of Central and Eastern European history during the Great War in general, and of the Russian Empire in particular—mass mobilization, social engineering, and the emergence of new social and political communities. Kyiv, the capital of the South-Western region of the Russian Empire, was situated in the center of the Pale of Jewish Settlement. During the war, Kyiv was the closest major city to the South-Western front and as such became the transit city for Jews deported for resettlement. Philanthropic activity, developed to aid the Jewish refugees, – the Jewish “home front” – mobilized the Jewish population and significantly democratized communal life. I argue that relief work during the war created a new and officially- sanctioned Jewish public space that enabled the development of a Jewish civil society and established an imagined national community. The wartime turmoil, growing state anti-Semitism, and the activity of Jewish relief organizations all stimulated political activity and furthered the development of a civic collective identity, which enabled an impressive Jewish national movement from 1917–1920. The revolutionary events of 1917 changed Kyiv’s identity and its status in the region. It became the capital city of the Ukrainian state, but also a true Jewish metropolis, the center of regional Jewish political and cultural life. Though the new national freedoms ushered in by the revolution created openings for civic initiatives, it also accentuated the differences between national social groups. The development of the ii Ukrainian national movement compelled Jews to gravitate to Jewish national organizations, staffed by experienced social and political organizers, which enabled the representation and defense of Jewish national interests. However, Jewish political identity was always multilayered. Jewish nationalism as it emerged in 1917 was not fully developed or exclusive of other allegiances. It coexisted with contested loyalties and identities, constantly adapting to local discourses and remaining advantageously fluid. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I arrived in Edmonton in August 2012—the years I have spent here are among the richest and rewarding of my life. My efforts alone, however, were not enough to complete this dissertation. I owe a debt of gratitude to many people who have supported me over the years. First, I would like to thank the History and Classics department at the University of Alberta. In particular I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Heather Coleman, for encouraging me, sharing timely insights, and helping me shape my often discordant ideas and thoughts into a cohesive whole. I must also thank Prof. Zenon Kohut for being a great boss and always encouraging me to keep writing. Among the many others who have inspired and helped me along the way, I would like to thank my committee members Drs. David Marples, Dennis Sweeney, and John-Paul Himka. The good graces of many people and institutions made my research possible. I am deeply indebeted to the staff at the Ukrainian archives and libraries where I collected materials for the dissertation. I am also grateful to Fred Mills and Caroline Lieffers for their reading and editing of my dissertation drafts. I would like to thank my friends, Oksana Vynnyk, Julia Kysla, Oleksii Kachmar, Tom Szostek, Serge Havrylov, Oleksandr Pankieiev, Maksym Motorenko for their friendship, support, and warm-heartedness. They have been wonderful friends and my closest allies for years. I would like to thank the University of Alberta for four years of financial support. This dissertation would never have seen the light of day without the Ivan Lysiak Rudnytsky Memorial Doctoral Fellowship in Ukrainian History and Political Thought, the Dr. Jeanette Bayduza Graduate Scholarship in Ukrainian Studies, the Beryl Steel Graduate Student Travel Award, and the Mary Louise Imrie Graduate Student Award. iv I am also grateful to the Canadian Institute of Ukrainan Studies for generously funding some of my doctoral research. I was fortunate enough to receive the Darcovich Memorial Doctoral Fellowship, the Tatiana Romanyshyn Memorial Graduate Scholarship in Ukrainian Studies, and the Alberta Ukrainian Centennial Commemorative Scholarship. I am grateful to the Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization “Sefer” for the scholarship that greatlyhelped me finish my research. Finally, I would like to thank my closest relatives, for being my family and supporting everything I have done for a very long time. I will be forever grateful to my mum, Olha Bilous, and my late dad, Vasyl’ Bilous, for thier constant support. I will never forget the sacrifices they have made to allow me to succeed academically. v Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... IV ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................................. VIII NOTE ON USAGE ................................................................................................................................ IX INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE. KYIV’S JEWISH COMMUNITY ON THE EVE OF WAR ................................. 20 THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE ...................................................................................................................... 20 THE JEWISH POPULATION OF KYIV. ....................................................................................................... 25 THE JEWISH COMMUNITY: BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY ................................................... 30 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 50 CHAPTER TWO. PRACTICES OF URBAN LIFE IN KYIV DURING THE GREAT WAR ......... 51 BRINGING STATE PATRIOTISM TO THE MASSES ..................................................................................... 53 KYIV’S STREETS AND THEIR INHABITANTS ............................................................................................ 68 THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FACES THE WAR ........................................................................................... 76 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 83 CHAPTER THREE. ANTI-SEMITISM IN KYIV DURING THE WAR .......................................... 84 RIGHTISTS AND ANTI-SEMITISM .............................................................................................................. 86 RIGHT OF RESIDENCE IN KYIV ................................................................................................................ 93 EDUCATION AND NUMERUS CLAUSUS ................................................................................................... 101 JEWS, MOBILIZATION AND THE ARMY .................................................................................................. 108 POGROM MOODS IN KYIV DURING THE WAR ....................................................................................... 115 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................... 126 CHAPTER FOUR. REFUGEES AND EXPELLEES IN KYIV ........................................................ 129 REFUGEES AS A SOCIAL GROUP ............................................................................................................ 130 ENEMY ALIENS AND DEPORTEES ............................................................................................................ 140 JEWISH REFUGEES, EXPELLEES, AND HOSTAGES IN KYIV .................................................................. 146 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................... 167 CHAPTER FIVE. JEWISH RELIEF WORK IN KYIV. .................................................................. 169 THE JEWISH HOME FRONT .................................................................................................................... 170 BROTHERS-JEWS .................................................................................................................................... 192 CALM BEFORE THE STORM .................................................................................................................... 200 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................... 205 CHAPTER SIX. REVOLUTION IN THE JEWISH STREET ........................................................ 208 REVOLUTION IN THE CITY ....................................................................................................................