Makivka

Makivka. A mountain (958 m) in the Carpathian Mountains near the town of Slavske. At this site the first major battle of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (USS) took place, on 29 April–2 May 1915. The USS victory against the overwhelming forces of the Russian army raised the morale of the Ukrainian people and established the reputation of the USS as an elite fighting force. After the struggle for independence (1917–22) the battle was commemorated annually with pilgrimages to the site and memorial services. This tradition was rekindled in Ukraine in 1989.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 3 (1993).]