The last hetman of Ukraine, Pavel Skoropadsky (1873–1945), remained in power for only a short time - from April 29 to December 14, 1918. He ruled under the protectorate of Germany, but managed to make a significant contribution to the Ukrainization of the territories under his control, despite the fact that he relied on the support of the German occupation forces. And the decisions made by the hetman concerned not only the military. For example, in August 1918, Skoropadsky issued a law “On the compulsory study of the Ukrainian language and literature, as well as the history and geography of Ukraine in all secondary schools.” Written immediately after the events of 1917–1918. "Memoirs" is Pavel Skoropadsky's honest account of the most important aspects of his work, primarily as commander-in-chief of the 34th Corps of the Russian Imperial Army (later called the First Ukrainian Corps) and later as Hetman of Ukraine. The author emphasizes that he wants to present his vision of those events as he himself understands them, and the assessment of his era is a matter for the future of historical science. In addition, the book includes Skoropadsky's memories of his childhood spent in Ukraine.