On May 25, 1926, at the corner of Paris's Boulevard Saint-Michel, emigrant Samuel Shvartsbard approached another emigrant, Simon Petliura, and shot him several times at close range with a revolver. After that, he remained at the scene until the police arrived, handed them the weapon, and stated: "I killed the murderer!", thus explaining his act as revenge for the Jewish pogroms.

The trial of Shvartsbard began in October 1927 and received widespread media coverage. He was charged under several articles of the French Penal Code, which could have led to the death penalty. Prominent figures defended him, including physicists Albert Einstein and Paul Langevin, writers Henri Barbusse, Romain Rolland, and Maxim Gorky, politician Alexander Kerensky, artist Marc Chagall, and others. Committees were formed in Paris and New York to support Shvartsbard.

Over 120 witnesses testified about the atrocities that occurred during the pogroms in Ukraine during the Directory period, and all considered Petliura the main culprit. During the Civil War, at least 50,000 Jews fell victim to pogroms in what is now Ukraine. In most cases, such actions were initiated by various Ukrainian "atamans" (25%), but mainly by Petliurites (40%). The prosecution could not present a single case where Petliura took action to prevent or stop the pogroms.

As a result, 8 out of 12 jurors found Shvartsbard not guilty. He was released right in the courtroom, ordered to pay a symbolic material compensation of one franc each to the widow and brother of the deceased.

In Israel, several streets are named after Samuel Shvartsbard. At the same time, streets in Kyiv and many other cities in Ukraine are named after Simon Petliura, monuments and memorial plaques have been erected, and a commemorative coin has been issued. Each country has its own heroes.