Commemorative Badge Marking the 25th Anniversary of Symon Petliura’s Death

The badge is circular in shape and made of white metal covered with a white film. The central composition, rendered in black, features a cross with a crossbar whose arms taper downward, surmounted by a wreath. In the centre of the wreath is the monogram “СП” (“SP”). The cross is surrounded by a laurel wreath bearing the inscriptions “Симон Петлюра” (“Symon Petliura”), “1926”, “1951”, and “25.5”.

The reverse is fitted with a single-prong pin fastening.

On 25 May 1926, at 2 p.m., Symon Vasylovych Petliura (1879–1926), a Ukrainian public and political figure, journalist, writer, Head of the Directory and Chief Ataman of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, was fatally wounded by gunshots at the intersection of Rue Racine and Boulevard Saint-Michel in Paris. A farewell ceremony for the Chief Ataman took place on 30 May 1926.

The memory of Symon Petliura continued to be commemorated by Ukrainian institutions abroad. In 1932, the Cross of Symon Petliura was established as an award badge. Initially, it was intended for participants in the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921; later, it became the highest state decoration of the Government of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in Exile.

Provenance: Donated to the museum by O. Horodetskyi in 2001.