After the February Revolution of 1917 in the Russian Empire, active national revival began among Ukrainians, including those in Crimea. Before this, Ukrainians on the peninsula lacked organized forms of civic or military life — their Ukrainian identity was often erased, even in official population censuses. By March 1917, the first gatherings of Ukrainians from the local garrison took place in Simferopol. These meetings led to the formation of the Simferopol Ukrainian Community, the revival of the Prosvita society, the publication of Ukrainian-language press, and the initiation of military organizing efforts.

On 17 May 1917, a decision was made to establish the Crimean Committee of the Ukrainian Military Club named after Hetman Petro Doroshenko, to form a separate Ukrainian regiment. This process ran in parallel with events in Kyiv, including the All-Ukrainian Military Congress, which also featured delegates from Crimea and Ukrainian sailors of the Black Sea Fleet. Yurii Tiutiunnyk, an officer of the reserve battalion, played a key role in the regiment’s formation. He created a Ukrainian military club within his unit and became the initiator of the regiment’s organizational structure.

The culmination came on 24 May, when a mass demonstration took place in Simferopol to mark the Shevchenko Day celebration. What began as a cultural event turned into the first act of military self-organization by Ukrainians in Crimea. Over 15,000 people gathered in the city’s central square under blue-and-yellow flags — with songs, slogans, a military parade, and a religious service. The formation of the First Simferopol Regiment named after Hetman Petro Doroshenko was publicly proclaimed, with 25-year-old lieutenant Yurii Hordiiev-Khvylinskyi appointed as its commander. One of the committee’s leaders — likely Yurii Tiutiunnyk — delivered an impassioned speech, ending with a call to decisive action. The square erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Immediately following the rally, newly formed Ukrainian units marched under their national flag to the barracks, seized control, posted armed guards, and began military drills in the Ukrainian language. In effect, the Simferopol garrison came under the control of a Ukrainian military formation. Attempts by pro-Russian elements to disarm them failed — the Ukrainian soldiers were well-organized, armed, and firmly determined.

Ukrainian efforts were also supported by Crimean Tatar soldiers: within just two days, a separate Tatar kurin (battalion) was formed in Simferopol, demonstrating solidarity in the struggle against imperial forces.

In the following months, the regiment played a significant role in the military life of the region — it supported the Crimean People’s Republic, sent delegations to military congresses in Kyiv, and took part in the broader struggle for Ukrainian statehood amid the revolutionary upheaval of the time.