Symon Petliura was a publicist, writer, journalist, politician and statesman, who led Ukraine's fight for independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was born in Poltava (Ukraine) May 10 1879 and was assassinated on May 25, 1926 in Paris (France) by the Jewish NKVD agent Sholom Schwartzbard. He was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.

During the period of Ukrainian independence in 1918-1920, he was Head of Ukrainian State. He was a member of Ukrainian Central Council, and a member of the Directorate of Ukraine as the Chief of Military Forces.

In 1919 Petliura withdrew to Poland, which had previously recognized him as the head of the legal government of Ukraine. In April 1920, as head of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, he signed an alliance in Warsaw with the Polish government, agreeing to a border on the River Zbruch and recognizing Poland's right to Galicia in exchange for military aid in overthrowing the Bolshevik regime.

In 1924 he settled in Paris, where he directed the activities of the government of the Ukrainian National Republic in exile.