(In this publication we use photographs restored with the help of a neural network. The restored images may contain elements generated by the neural network. Therefore, we also publish the original photographs.)
The hero of our article today, being a true Ukrainian nationalist, fought not only for the Far Eastern Ukraine but also for the Ukrainian People’s Republic, for which he was awarded the Order of Symon Petliura. His life path was full of upheavals and various trials; nevertheless, Pavlo’s iron will to achieve the creation of an independent Far Eastern state and his faith in the Ukrainian people never faded.
Pavlo Yakhno, an outstanding personality and a distinguished representative of the Ukrainian people, was born on October 1, 1898, in the Ukrainian village of Khorol, which is now located in Primorsky Krai. His family lived modestly: his father was a priest, and his mother was a housewife.
Pavlo was the second son and was named after his father. In addition to him, the family had an older brother and four younger sisters. His parents moved from the Chernihiv region to Primorsky Krai two years before the birth of their children.
From early childhood, Pavlo showed a strong inclination toward learning and possessed leadership qualities that remained with him throughout his life. Despite his father’s persuasion, Pavlo refused to follow in his footsteps and chose his own path in life.
After graduating from the higher primary school in 1917, Pavlo Yakhno began working as a postal and telegraph employee. In the same year, he joined the Ukrainian community in Novokyivske (now the settlement of Kraskyne in Primorsky Krai), where he worked as a secretary. During those revolutionary years, the slogan “Everyone to the defense of Ukraine!” was popular among Far Eastern Ukrainians. Therefore, in 1918 Pavlo Yakhno, together with other volunteers, went to Kyiv, where he joined the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.
He took part in the Anti-Hetman uprising at the end of 1918.
After returning to his homeland in Primorsky Krai in 1919, Pavlo Yakhno became a participant in the insurgent movement against both White and Red russia.
In 1920, Pavlo Yakhno joined the Ukrainian Revolutionary Headquarters in Vladivostok under the leadership of Yurii Hlushko (Mova) and took the position of commissioner of the Ukrainian Far Eastern Secretariat in Primorsky Oblast. Pavlo also became a member of the council of the Prosvita society in Primorsky Krai and served as secretary of the Ukrainian National Committee in Nikolsk-Ussuriysk (now the city of Ussuriysk in Primorsky Krai).
In addition, Yakhno was a member of the local council of the Union of Ukrainians and the Union of Ukrainian Youth.
Having an excellent ability for learning languages, besides Ukrainian and Russian, Pavlo also independently mastered Japanese and English, and also had a good command of Polish.
Unfortunately, the patriots of the Far East were unable to withstand the pressure of the Red occupiers, and in November 1922 Pavlo Yakhno, along with other leaders of the Far Eastern Ukrainians, was arrested by the Bolsheviks and held in custody in Chita prison. However, in 1923 Pavlo carried out a risky escape and managed to reach Manchuria.
After settling in Harbin, Pavlo Yakhno found work as a driver at an auto exchange and also joined the Ukrainian Political Center of Harbin.
As an act of revenge for Pavlo’s escape and his active political activity, in 1926 Chekists detained his relatives, including his parents, brother, and sisters. The fate of the entire family, except for his father, who died in Vladivostok prison in 1927, remained unknown. Pavlo himself believed for the rest of his life that all members of his family had been killed.
Despite this heavy loss, Pavlo remained unwavering in his devotion to the Ukrainian people. In recognition of his service and active work, on November 15, 1933, Pavlo Yakhno was elected administrator of the Ukrainian National House in Harbin. He also became a co-owner and organizer of the newspaper “Manchurian News” (Manzhurski Visti) and served as its editor from 1932 to 1937.
Thanks to his knowledge of Japanese and English, Pavlo also worked in the diplomatic sphere, providing support to Ukrainians in China, Japan, and Australia, and he carried out the duties entrusted to him with great success.
Here is what one of the Far Eastern Ukrainians, who later moved to Canada thanks to Pavlo Yakhno’s help, wrote about that time and Pavlo’s work:
“Yakhno was a true Ukrainian, the truest of anyone I knew. All Ukrainians arriving in Harbin knew that if you needed help, Yakhno was the one who would always provide it. He himself lived with his wife in a small room, while the other two rooms he gave for temporary residence to Ukrainians. Yakhno constantly knocked on the doors of the Japanese and Polish consulates, obtained documents for every Ukrainian, and collected money for their relocation. All the money he personally earned at the auto exchange, Pavlo gave to the needy, while he himself ate only rice and bread.”
In September 1945, Pavlo Yakhno became the target of a Chekist special operation: he was abducted and taken to Khabarovsk, where on September 13 he was officially arrested and later sentenced to ten long years under Articles 58-4 and 58-13 of the RSFSR Criminal Code.
Here are the recollections about Pavlo Yakhno’s work at that time, from a classified witness in the criminal case against him:
“Yakhno is one of the leaders of the Ukrainians in Manchuria, closely cooperating with the Japanese and the Poles, involved in preparing saboteurs to carry out espionage and sabotage activities on the territory of the Soviet Far East.”
It is documented that from 1954 to 1955, Yakhno served his sentence in the 43rd penal zone at Anzoba station near Bratsk in Irkutsk Oblast. After that, Pavlo Yakhno’s trail disappears, and his fate remains a mystery. According to some accounts, he perished in the camp. Others claim that he managed to escape to Australia, where he lived until the age of 70 before passing away. There are also testimonies from several Ukrainians in Canada who reportedly saw and even communicated with Pavlo Yakhno in Canada in 1961. According to their accounts, Yakhno avoided contact with official representatives of Ukrainian organizations abroad, fearing capture by Soviet intelligence services.
On May 13, 1992, by decision of the Russian Prosecutor’s Office, Pavlo Yakhno was rehabilitated. However, the materials of his criminal case remain classified and are stored in the archives of the FSB Directorate in Khabarovsk.
Although we do not know for certain how or when Pavlo Yakhno’s life ended, one thing is clear: Pavlo Yakhno is one of the true heroes of Green Ukraine (Zeleny Klyn) and serves as an example for all Far Eastern Ukrainians who chose the path of resistance against Moscow’s occupation.
Volodymyr Dubovskyi, leader of the movement “Green Ukraine (Zeleny Klyn) — My Homeland” and co-founder of the Alliance “Unity of Ukrainians of the Historical Lands.”
