On May 25, 1926, Ukrainian nationalist leader Simon Petliura was leaving a church on Boulevard Saint-Michel in Paris. A man approached him, pulled out a revolver, and fired six bullets at the former Ukrainian ruler. Arrested by the French police, Schwartzbard explained that he was taking revenge on the Ukrainian nationalists for their massacres of the Jewish population during the Civil War... 

The destruction of Ukrainian Jews in 1918-1920 took on the scale of a true genocide. During this time, more than 1,500 Jewish pogroms occurred in 1,300 settlements. According to various estimates, between 50,000 and 200,000 people were killed as a result of these massacres. Approximately 200,000 people were injured or maimed. Thousands of women were subjected to violence, and approximately 50,000 became widows. 300,000 children were left orphaned. Only Hitler's Holocaust surpassed this scale of mass Jewish annihilation...

Almost all sides in the civil war committed violence against the Jewish population, but Ukrainian nationalists showed particular zeal in this bloodshed. True, Petliura, who headed the regime and army of independent Ukraine, did not personally give orders for Jewish pogroms. But he did nothing to calm his unruly soldiers and commanders. And therefore, he bore direct responsibility for the genocide they committed.

The only force of all those operating in Ukraine at that time that fought against anti-Semitism and pogroms was the Makhnovist movement. The Makhnovists not only conducted consistent internationalist agitation and issued appeals against anti-Jewish sentiments and actions. Makhno punished those who participated in pogroms, and repeatedly ordered the execution of those who conducted anti-Semitic propaganda. He personally (according to some sources) shot Ataman Grigoriev, who organized mass reprisals against Jews under the "left" flag.

Schwartzbard's entire family perished at the hands of Ukrainian nationalists - Petliurists. His father, mother and uncles were cut into pieces, his sisters were raped by the entire battalion and then killed. At first, he sought help from the Bolsheviks, but in vain. In 1920, Schwartzbard emigrated to Paris and there became close to the anarchist emigrants. He published poetry and printed articles in the anarchist press. In one of the cafes, he saw Makhno and asked to introduce them. Samuil told Makhno about the fate of his family. They communicated periodically, were on familiar terms, and Makhno called him Syoma.

In 1926, Schwartzbard came to Makhno at his apartment in the Paris suburb of Vincennes and told him about his intention to kill Petliura, taking revenge on him and, in his person, all Ukrainian nationalists for the bloody and martyric death of his relatives and other Jews. The Bulgarian anarchist Kiro Radev was present during their conversation. Samuil asked Makhno, who had fought many times against the Petliurites, for his blessing. The legendary anarchist commander replied that Petliura certainly deserved to die, but told Schwartzbard that he should not sacrifice his life for such a scumbag. Nevertheless, the avenger had already decided that he would do anything.

The first attempt on his life failed: Petliura was walking with a woman, and Schwartzbard did not shoot so that innocent people would not suffer. The second time, he saw the matter through to the end.

Schwartzbard was put on trial. Ukrainian nationalists were thirsty for his blood. They declared him a "Bolshevik agent" - a favorite accusation in their mouths. But the entire progressive public of the world rose to the defense of the avenger. Public figures and writers collected signatures, rallies were held, workers' organizations, trade unions and Jewish groups organized a collection of funds in support of the accused anarchist.

As Makhno's widow, Galina Kuzmenko, later recalled in the 1960s, "Schwartzbard was an anarchist and knew Makhno, he suffered from tuberculosis, he was a watchmaker. He was part of a Jewish anarchist group, they would gather in a cafe on holidays. Makhno and I would visit this cafe, and that's where we met him. He was a Russian Jew and spoke Russian well. After the murder, the Jewish community, even non-anarchist, helped him a lot. He was defended by the famous lawyer Thorez.

The trial lasted about a year, and such horrific details of the genocide committed by Ukrainian nationalists emerged during it that the court completely acquitted Schwartzbard. During the hearings, Samuil spoke, openly declaring his anarchist beliefs. After that, he continued his simple working life, working as a watchmaker.

Samuel Shvartsbard - Simon Petliura's Liquidator.