Medzvetskiy [Koval-Medzvetskiy, Medzvetskiy-Koval] Nikolay Opanasovich General data:
05.02.1868 - 10.09.1929
Place of birth: Nizhcha Kropivna village, Haysin county, Podolsk province, Russian Empire (now Nemirovsk district, Vinnitsa region, Ukraine)
Studied in: Moscow Infantry Junkers College, Russian Empire (1891); Imperial Military Academy of the General Staff, St. Petersburg City, Russian Empire (1901);
Key interests: astronomy, geodesy
Biography:
He was born on February 5, 1868 in the Nizhcha Krypyvna village of the Haysynsky district of the Podolsk province of the Russian Empire (now it is the village of Nemyrivsky district of the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine).
According to the record made in the metric book of the Church of the Mother of God, Mykola was born in the family of Orthodox Opanas Yakovych Medzvetskyi, a caretaker of the post office, and Elizaveta Georgieva, a Lutheran.
He studied at the 4th-grade Mogilev-Podilskyi real school, and then at the Zhytomyr gymnasium, which he graduated in 1889.
He graduated from the military school courses at the Moscow cadet school in 1891, receiving the rank of second lieutenant and was assigned to the 2nd sortie battery of the Novogeorgiiv fortress artillery, and in 1901 (according to other data in 1899), where he served until 1896 Then he graduated from the Geodetic Department of the Academy of the General Staff.
After graduation, he was sent by the head of the astronomical station to Chardzow (now the city of Turkmena-bad, Turkmenistan).
During 1905-1909, he was an assistant to the head of the geodetic department of the General Staff of the Russian Empire. On December 6, 1907, he became a colonel. From 1911 to 1917, he was the head of the military topographic school in St. Petersburg. In 1913, he received the rank of major general. He was awarded all orders up to St. Stanislaus 1st degree, as well as in 1917 the Order of the Romanian Crown 1st degree. Knight of the Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree in 1902, Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree in 1905, Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd degree, December 6, 1910, Order of St. Volodymyr, 3rd degree, December 6, 1913, of the Order of St. Stanislav, 1st degree, on January 1, 1915.
From the spring (according to other data, from November 24) of 1917, he was the chief of the Kyiv Military Topographic Station. He was also a private associate professor at Kyiv State University.
Since November 1917 (according to other data since December 23, 1918) he became the head of the Main Geodetic Department of the General Staff of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Subsequently, he became a member of the commission for the organization of military education. Carried out military and political assignments of the Directory of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Since the end of 1919 (according to other data, from March 19, 1920), he was a member of the Military Council of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Since April 29, 1920, he was the temporary acting chairman of the Military Council of the Ukrainian National Republic.
He made a lot of efforts to build the Ukrainian state cartographic and geodetic service.
However, during the short period of its activity, the cartographic department of the administration only managed to reissue in 1918 a few maps that were previously issued by the Russian military topographic service.
Also in 1920, he gave lectures at the Kamianets-Podilsky joint youth (military) school.
On October 5, 1920, he received the rank of lieutenant general and worked in the Ukrainian military mission in Warsaw City.
During 1921-1922, he was a member of the Ukrainian government in exile. Since 1922, he worked at the astronomical observatory of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and later managed it. In the same year he was invited to the Mining Academy in Krakow, later became a corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences. He also participates in the work of the Ukrainian Military Historical Society,
founded in August 1920 p., which, along with other issues, dealt with the collection and preservation of documents.
During the Easter holidays of 1923, he organized a solemn parade of the Mounted Division of General O. Almazov in Lobzów city(a suburb of Krakow city).
In the last years of his life, he worked in the Warsaw Bureau of Weights and Measures, conducted gravimetric observations in Gdynia, Kartuzy, and Warsaw.
He died on September 10, 1929 in Warsaw City.
According to the decision of the first meeting of the Central Council of the Simon Petliura Cross on May 10, 1937 in Warsaw, he was posthumously awarded the Simon Petliura Cross.
Main publications:
1. Kowal-Medzwecki M. Komparator geodezyjne Glownego Urzåndu Miar. — Warszawa, 1929.
2. Kowal-Medzwecki M. Wyznaczenie przyspieszeniasily cezkosci
w Gdyni, Kartuzach ³ Warszawie w r. 1926. —Warszawa, 1928.
3. Kowal-Medzwecki M. Pomiar bazy warszawskiej w r. 1924 //„Przegląd Mierniczy”, 1925
4. Kowal-Medzwecki M. Wyznaczenie azymutu astronomicznego bazy warszawskiej Ożarów-Białuty //„Przegląd Mierniczy”, 1926
Sources:
1 Íåçàáûòûå ìîãèëû, Ðîññèéñêîå çàðóáåæüå: ò.1
ò.1 À; Á; Â; Ã
2 «Êðåñò Ñèìîíà Ïåòëþðû» - îòëè÷èÿ Ãîñóäàðñòâåííîé ÖÅÍÒÐÀ ÓÍÐ â èçãíàíèè//Î.Ñ.Êó÷åðóê
3 Êîëÿí÷óê Î., Ëèòâèí Ì., Íàóìåíêî Ê. Ãåíåðàë³òåò óêðà¿íñüêèõ âèçâîëüíèõ çìàãàíü. Ëüâ³â, 1995-286ñ.
4 Òèí÷åíêî ß. Óêðà¿íñüêå îô³öåðñòâî: Øëÿõè ñêîðáîòè òà çàáóòòÿ. Ê., 1995.
