Rzhepetsky, Antin

Rzhepetsky, Antin [Ржепецький, Антін; Ržepec'kyj], b 1 September 1868 in Kyiv, d 6 December 1932 in Nice, France. Civic and political leader. He was a bank director and a member of the Kyiv Municipal Council before the Revolution of 1917. During the First World War he managed the operations of a committee for aiding refugees. As finance minister in the Hetman government (May–December 1918) he helped to develop the Ukrainian monetary system and to strengthen the karbovanets. In negotiations with Germany he defended Ukrainian economic interests and argued for Ukraine’s right to the Crimea, but at the same time he opposed the Ukrainianization of the administrative system and favored Ukraine’s federation with Russia. When the Hetman government was overthrown, he was arrested by the Directory of the Ukrainian National Republic but was eventually released.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]