Mishka Yaponchik

"Yaponchik" redirects here. For other uses, see Yaponchik (disambiguation).

Moisei Wolfovich Vinnitskiy
Born	October 30, 1881(1881-10-30) Odessa, Russian Empire
Died	July 29, 1919(1919-07-29) (aged 37) near Voznesensk, Kherson Governorate, Ukrainian SSR
Allegiance	Russian SFSR
Service/branch	Red Army
Years of service	1904–1918
Commands held	54th Soviet Revolutionary Regiment
Battles/wars	Russian Civil War

Mishka Yaponchik (Russian: Ми́шка Япо́нчик; born October 30, 1881 in Odessa Russian Empire; died July 29, 1919 in Voznesensk in Ukrainian SSR) was a Odessa gangster, Jewish revolutionary, and Soviet military leader.

Early years

Born as Moisei Wolfovich Vinnitskiy to family of a Jewish wagon-builder Meer-Wolf Mordkoich Vinnitskiy by some records in stanitsa Golta (today is part of Pervomaisk), Mishka was around 4 years of age, Vinnitsky's family moved to Odessa (Moldavanka). Other records state that he was born to a family of a sea-port serviceman (bindyuzhnik)^[1] at the 23 Hospital Street (today Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street) in Odessa (Moldavanka). His mother Doba Zelmanovna has born five sons and a daughter. Upon his birth he received a double name, Moisei-Yakov (Moses-Jacob), as his father. Because of his double name which is an uncommon case in the Russian culture, his second name sometimes being recorded as the paternal name - Moisei Yakovlevich. Sometime in 1897 Mishka lost his father when he was 6. At first he worked at a mattress factory as a trainee, while attending the Jewish school (presumably heder). Later as an electrician received a job at "Anatra" factory. At the time of the Jewish pogroms in October 1905 Vinnitskiy participated in the Jewish self-defense. Later he joined the organization of anarchists-communists Molodaia Volya (Young Will). It was probably during that time he received his famous street name, presumably for the type of his eyes. Another version suggests that he was recognized by this name after he narrated a story to his Odessa's friends about a Japanese gang from Nagasaki that he heard from one Portuguese sailor. In the story he described the Japanese who set up the rules of their "business" and never trespass them. Yaponchik offered his buddies to follow this example as well.

In 1907 he was given a death sentence by hanging for assassination of the chief of Mikhailov police precinct in Odessa V.Kozhukhar,^[1] which later was replaced with the 12 years of a hard labor (katorga). According to a story he made up a special box for boot cleaning where he placed explosives. Usually sitting on the corner of Dalnytska Street and Steep Street he was offering to by-passers the boot cleaning services by which he also was pissing of the chief of the before mentioned precinct. One day however being a little drunk the officer placed his boot on the cleaning box. Mishka after cleaning his boots turned the explosives on and managed to run away leaving his client to face his ultimate end. While serving the detention time, in jail he met with Grigoriy Kotovskiy.

Revolution

During the amnesty issued by the Russian Provisional Government in 1917 Yaponchik returned to the hometown (Odessa) where he organized his gang which to the extent of nearly took control of the city. During the evacuation from the city of the last retrieving Austrian and German forces on December 12, 1918 Yaponchik made a successful raid on the city jail freeing numerous detainees. During the occupation of Odessa by the Entente forces (French, Greeks, and British) in 1919 he cooperated with the Bolshevik underground (including Kotovskiy). Yaponchik was also well acquainted with Lazar Weissbein (Leonid Utyosov) who later became one of the most popular singers in the Soviet Union and vouched for Yaponchik as a humane gangster (avoided killings, sponsored local artists). Once to prevent his banditism he was arrested by the counter-intelligence service (chief - General Shilling) of the Denikin's Volunteer Army. After about half an hour to his place of detention arrived a cavalcade of phaetons and horse driven cabs (prolyotkas) with numerous gangsters holding grenades. Upon request to release Yaponchik the last one exited the building in less than 15 minutes.

Yaponchik is known for his aphorisms such as "Don't shoot in the air - don't leave witnesses", "The most short tongue has the dead", "The dead won't sell off".

After Odessa was taken by the Red Army, some evidences suggest him being in charge of an armored train to defeat the mutinied otaman Grigoriev.

54th Soviet Regiment

In May 1919 he was allowed to form his own military unit for the Soviet forces that fell under the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Army (Soviet forces). The unit was later reformed into the 54th Lenin's Soviet Revolutionary Regiment. Yaponchik's assistant (adjutant) was Meer Zaider, nicknamed Maiorik (as diminutive of Major), who later shot Kotovskiy in 1925 (see Grigoriy Kotovskiy). The regiment consisted of the Odessa's former convicts, anarchist militia, and the newly mobilized students of the Novorossiya University. The Red-Armymen of Yaponchik did not have a uniform, which was not uncommon in many military formations that were drafted by Bolsheviks. Many of them wore boaters and top hats, however almost everyone considered to be honorary to wear what is known as telnyashka (a sailor's shirt).

The regiment was reassigned to Kotovskiy's Brigade under the command of the 45th division led by a Bessarabian Jewish Iona Yakir. In July 1919 Yaponchik's forces were engaged in fight against the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic that often being exclusively associated with Symon Petliura, the Ukrainian national leader who led Ukraine's struggle for independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Yaponchik's men rendezvous with Ukrainians near the town of Birzula (today's Kotovsk) where they were so successful that managed to take the town of Vapnyarka in Podolie (near Vinnytsia, dozens of miles away) securing several military prisoners and trophies. However, after the followed counter-attack the regiment fled and many soldiers deserted it. What happened afterward is covered in mystery. There are some suggestions that the regiment mutinied and after securing couple of trains tried to return to Odessa. Another version of the story tells that the higher command tried to isolate Yaponchik from the rest of his troops and ordered him to head towards Kiev. Yaponchik, however, with a company-size security did not go to Kiev, but rather turned towards Odessa. He was ambushed by Cheka about mile away from the town of Voznesensk and was killed in a clay quarry during the arrest by an uyezd military commissar Nikifor Ursulov on July 29, 1919 at eight o'clock in the morning.^[1][2] His body was covered by sand. Later by the order #296 of the 12th Army Nikifor Ursulov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.^[1]

Popular culture

The Yaponchik's cult of personality was so strong in Odessa that it was used as prototype by Isaak Babel as Benya Krik in his Odessa Tales. The traces of his personality can also be found in the artistic works of Alexander Rozenbaum.

See also

• Monya Artellerist

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Война в цилиндрах
2. ^ Voronkov, Vyacheslav. "Novyie Izvestiya". July 30, 1919.

External links

• The thief in legends
• The king of Moldavanka
• Recollections of Mikhail Vinnitskiy
• Biography of Mishka Yaponchik at Odesskiy.com
• Шкляев, Игорь. "Mishka Yaponchik". Летопись Причерноморья №1. http://www.mycity.kherson.ua/journal/letopis1/yaponchik.html. 
• Utyosov sings about Mishka the Sailor (Russian) (You are the Sailor, Mishka, the Sailor does not weep.)
• Война в цилиндрах

Persondata
Name	Yaponchik, Mishka
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1891
Place of birth	Odessa, Russian Empire
Date of death	August 4, 1919
Place of death	near Voznesensk, Kherson Governorate, Ukrainian SSR