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According to Constitution, the supreme power
belonged to the All-Ukrainian Congress of
Councils and to the All-Ukrainian Central
Executive Committee (AUCEC) in the period
between congresses. The AUCEC was headed
by G. Petrovsky. The Council of People’s
Commissars was headed by H. Rakovsky.
April, 9 1919 Another change of government. S.
Ostapenko’s government resigned in Rivne.
B. Martos headed the composition of the
Council of People’s Ministers.
April, 12 1919 The USSR Council of People’s Commissars
(CPC) adopted the decree of grain
appropriation in Ukraine\e, which meant that
power is passed to forcible methods of grain
purchase; it was taken from peasants by force.
The bread-grain detachments were sent to
villages of Ukraine. They consisted of
workers of Moscow and Petrograd. By July,
1919 there were nearly 46 thousand of such
detachments, the market exchange between
the city and the village was cancelled; the
bloody fight for grain started, which
Communists considered a constituent part of
class struggle as a necessary condition of the
socialist revolution victory. The decree of the
bread-grain appropriation was a constituent
part of “the war Communism” policy.
April, 29 1919 The endeavor of coup d’etat by “otaman” V.
Oskilok, the commander of Volyn’ UPR army
group. With support of right parties, he
proclaimed himself “The Chief Otaman”. All
ministers and some members of Socialist

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