By Bohdan Cherniawski
May 4, 2025
On May 4, 1915, the thunder of artillery and rifle fire faded across the slopes of Mount Makivka in the Carpathian Mountains. For six days, the mountain had been a battleground between the Imperial Russian Army and the defending forces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, bolstered by an extraordinary unit—the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (Січові Стрільці). The battle, though one among thousands in the chaos of World War I, became a foundational episode in the military and national awakening of the Ukrainian people.
Though the Austro-Hungarian army ultimately ordered a tactical withdrawal, the stand made by the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen halted the Russian offensive and prevented a breakthrough into Hungary. More than that, Mount Makivka became a crucible for Ukrainian national consciousness, a symbol of courage, and a touchstone for the emergence of a distinct Ukrainian military tradition.
The Strategic Context: Eastern Front in Crisis
In early 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was faltering under the weight of aggressive Russian offensives. The Eastern Front stretched across vast terrain, and the Russian Army had made alarming gains in Galicia. Russian high command eyed the Carpathian passes as gateways to Hungary, the agricultural and economic heart of the empire. A successful penetration here could sever Austria from its allies and tilt the balance of the war.
Against this backdrop, the defense of Mount Makivka—located in present-day western Ukraine—took on vital importance. Assigned to hold this terrain was the 55th Austro-Hungarian Infantry Division, which included two battalions of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen. Though nominally under Habsburg command, these Riflemen were not fighting for an empire, they were fighting for the honor and future of the Ukrainian nation, long suppressed by partitioning powers.
The Ukrainian Sich Riflemen: Volunteers with a Vision
Formed in 1914, the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen were the first organized modern Ukrainian military formations since the Cossack era. Composed largely of young Galician volunteers—students, educators, intellectuals, and laborers—their mission was clear: to prove that Ukrainians could organize, fight, and lead as a nation.
Under the command of Colonel Yosyp Vitoshynskyy, the Riflemen brought discipline, strategic acumen, and a fierce sense of identity. Among their ranks stood Second Lieutenant Olena Stepaniv, a woman whose leadership in the trenches of Makivka would make her the first female officer in the modern Ukrainian army. Her service marked a historic moment—not only for Ukraine’s military evolution but also for the emerging role of women in liberation movements across Eastern Europe.
The Battle Unfolds
The assault on Mount Makivka began on April 29, 1915. Russian forces launched a frontal attack, relying on sheer numbers and brute force rather than maneuver or strategy. The Ukrainian Riflemen, entrenched and prepared, repelled the initial wave with discipline and intimate knowledge of the rugged terrain.
A second, more intense assault followed on April 30. Again, the Russians were thrown back, suffering heavy casualties. Frustrated by repeated failure, the Russian command summoned reserves from across the front in preparation for a final, all-out offensive.
The third and decisive assault came during the night of May 3–4. Under the cover of darkness, the Russians launched a ferocious attack. Intense, close-quarters combat raged in the trenches. The defenders held as long as possible, but by dawn, under the threat of encirclement and exhaustion, Austro-Hungarian high command ordered a tactical withdrawal.
Yet the Russian offensive had been broken. Nine days later, Russian forces withdrew from Mount Makivka, their advance permanently blunted.
Human Cost and Immediate Outcome
The Ukrainian Sich Riflemen paid dearly for their stand. Forty-two were killed, 76 wounded, and 35 taken prisoner. But their valor cost the Russian Empire far more: over 3,000 killed and more than 100 captured. Though a tactical retreat, the battle was a strategic triumph. The advance on Hungary was halted. The Carpathian line held. The myth of Russian invincibility in the mountains was shattered.
Birth of a Ukrainian Military Tradition
The Battle of Mount Makivka marked the emergence of the Ukrainian military ethos—a tradition of courage, resilience, and self-determination. For the first time in generations, Ukrainians fought under their own banners, commanded by their own leaders, in defense of their own people.
The Riflemen were transformed into national icons. Their sacrifice was immortalized in songs, poems, and folk memory. The stirring anthem “Oy u luzi chervona kalyna” (Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow), inspired by their struggle, became a rallying cry for generations of Ukrainians in battles yet to come.
The heroism of Olena Stepaniv resonated powerfully as well. Decorated for valor, she defied convention and became a beacon of both patriotism and progress. In postwar years, she would go on to shape Ukraine’s intellectual and civic life, a living symbol of national pride and resistance.
From Makivka to Independence
The legacy of Makivka did not end in 1915. Many of its veterans went on to serve in the Ukrainian Galician Army (UHA) during the Ukrainian War of Independence (1917–1921). Their experience in battle provided critical leadership and tactical expertise during the struggle to establish an independent Ukrainian state in the wake of imperial collapse.
Makivka planted the seeds of unity among Ukrainians—west and east, civilian and soldier, man and woman. It proved that Ukrainians were ready to lead their own destiny, not simply be pawns of foreign powers.
Even during the long decades of Soviet repression, when Ukrainian identity was denied and resistance criminalized, the story of Makivka survived—whispered in family homes, preserved by the diaspora, and kept alive in forbidden songs.
Commemoration and Modern Reflections
In 1998, after nearly a decade of renewed independence, a memorial of 50 crosses was erected on Mount Makivka to honor the fallen Riflemen. Each cross stands for a life sacrificed—not merely for a hilltop, but for the future of a nation.
Today, the battle is honored in Ukrainian schools, military academies, and remembrance ceremonies. For the modern Ukrainian armed forces, the stand at Makivka is not just history—it is heritage.
And in the face of Russia’s 21st-century aggression, including the 2014 annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbas, and the full-scale invasion of 2022, the symbolism of Makivka has never been stronger. Ukrainian soldiers see themselves as heirs to that mountain stand—defenders of sovereignty in an unbroken chain of resistance against imperial tyranny.
Conclusion
The Battle of Mount Makivka was more than a clash on a remote Carpathian peak—it was the moment when Ukraine’s military soul was forged. In the mud and blood of Makivka, the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen showed the world—and themselves—that they were not merely subjects of empires, but soldiers of a nation.
Their stand turned a tactical retreat into a strategic and symbolic victory. It proved that a people long divided and suppressed could fight with unity, purpose, and discipline. From this crucible emerged a military identity rooted not in conquest, but in defense of freedom, dignity, and national destiny.
Over a century later, in the face of new invasions and familiar threats, Ukrainians still draw strength from that stand. Makivka 1915 was not the end of a battle—it was the beginning of a legacy. It was the battle that forged Ukraine’s military soul, and its fire still burns in every soldier who defends Ukraine today.