From Moscow to Brest

Large forests in the new area of dislocation of crew were not. We made small transitions from the village to the village. Did a stop for five-ten days and - to other village. In the Brest region we visited Habovichakh, Belsk, Pavlopole, the Robin, Doropevichakh, Novoselkakh, Osse and other settlements of Maloritsky, Divinsky and Kobrin districts. Combat operations were performed mainly on railway lines by Brest-Minsk, Brest-Kovel, Brest-Pinsk and on "varshavka".

To the village Habovichi arrived on Friday. There was a good sunny day with small frost. Habovichi on both sides of the main road connecting Brest and Kobrin to the remote regional center Divin were stretched. On Sunday morning on the village the sound of the church bell urging to visit believers the God's temple was distributed. We noticed that many families do not go to church. It turned out that in the village there are a lot of Baptists who, as we know, do not recognize church ceremonies and church services. We meet men and guys of military age. We talk to them and we find out why they did not go neither to army, nor in guerrillas.

- We are Baptists. Under the law of our belief it is impossible to take a rifle in hand and to kill the person.

- Well, and if fascists kill your father, mother, your children? What, you will quietly watch at it?

Are silent, hang the heads.

- Tomorrow, - the commander continues, - we will give you rifles and will go to beat with us fascists.

- Our belief forbids to beat the person even if he and the enemy.

To propagandists it was necessary to lead patiently and persistently discussions with them about what big harm is done by Baptism when the sea of human blood flows. Fascist cannibals give themselves for religious people too. In the mornings and to evenings they diligent pray, and then kill, burn thousands of innocent women and children.

The leaflets printed in our marching printing house in hundreds scattered on all Divinsky, Maloritsky and Kobrin to areas, got to Brest and Pinsk, in Kamenets-Kashirsky. Tensely our printing workers in days when the operation "Concert" was performed worked. It was addressed railroad workers.

When near Belsk and Habovich divisions the Magyar appeared, we immediately directed to them an appeal to turn the weapon against fascists. We very much wanted to visit Novoselkakh, those Novoselkakh where there was in the thirties a revolt of the Belarusian peasants who were in situation deprived of civil rights against cruel operation, national oppression. In memory of many inhabitants memories of this event were fresh.

Propagandists with reports of Sovinformburo went home to have a talk about events on fronts. We led the same discussions also in villages Hodynichi, Doropevichi, the Robin, the Entertainment, Olkhovka and Verkholesye which settled down in a poluversta from a highway Brest-Vlodava and in seventeen kilometers from the city of Kobrin where there was a strong German garrison. Inhabitant Verkholesya Olga Yushchuk, risking to be arrested by Hitlerites for communication with guerrillas, offered the spacious house for carrying out general meeting.

In four hundred meters from a highway Kobrin - Vlodava, not far from the small village of the Entertainment, stood the farm. In a blue lodge there lived the family Haritonyukov: the head of the family, low, with clever acute eyes, forty-year-old Vasily Ivanovich Haritonyuk, his wife Maria Leontyevna and the old woman mother. Two sons - nineteen-year-old Andreyka and the teenager Vanya - houses did not live. Andreyka went to guerrilla group of the name Frunze and seldom visited home. Vanya was guerrilla coherent and often came to the farm. The blue farm was the place of a secret appearance our coherent, intelligence agents. Through the farm there passed the distant guerrilla tracks going to Bug and further across the territory of Poland. As soon as war began, Andreyka and Vanya hid the radio receiver on an attic of the house. Here on this receiver Vasily Ivanovich also listened to a voice of Moscow, wrote down or orally transmitted reports through sons. For this reason residents of neighboring villages and numerous farms were so well informed on situation on fronts.

Once, when on the farm Vasily Ivanovich, his mother, the wife and the younger son Vanya who the day before came from guerrilla group listened to the radio receiver in the house, on the highway the group of fascists unexpectedly appeared. Vasily Ivanovich with the son managed to disappear in the wood. But the receiver was not managed to be removed. In the house there were mother and the wife. Three chasteners entered the house and began to install a telephone. Maria Leontyevna did not become puzzled, she covered the receiver with a dirty rag, managed to take out it and to hide in bushes. Then Vanya transferred this radio receiver to more reliable place, and it served for a long time.

Our crew received important data on garrison of the opponent from Haritonyukov. These data gave us the chance in due time to solve artful plans of the enemy. In the blue farm guerrillas received also necessary medicines which were got by Vasily Ivanovich through the familiar doctor in Kobrin.

According to the recommendation of an underground district committee of Komsomol of Wan with five friends created Komsomolsk - youth group which carried out diversions on the highway. For one night Komsomol members burned three small bridges between Verkholesyem and Olkhovka. Another time dug over the highway.

Every time, passing on the highway, fascists fired at the farm as it was distinguished with the blue paint from a melkolesye and was well visible. At retreat of Hitlerites in the house Haritonyukov men were not - went to the wood. There was Maria Leontyevna and the seventy-eight-year-old grandmother. Having surrounded the farm and having carefully searched, Hitlerites set fire to the house. Maria Leontyevna managed to escape from paws of brutal soldiers and to escape. They threw the grandmother into the burning house and locked an external door. Soon Hitlerite swells left. The grandmother, smelling oats, choking in a smoke, broke glass and with great difficulty crept out outside.

Guerrillas of our crew struck more and more telling blows to the enemy. In ten days prior to New year they lowered six military echelons under a slope. Seven engines, more than fifty cars and platforms with military equipment and military property were put out of action, about three hundred fifty fascist soldiers and officers are killed and wounded …

In the village of Petka that is absolutely close from Kobrin, our intelligence agents faced enemy investigation. After short firefight fascists got away in garrison, having lost two killed. Another time the commander of investigation of group of Litvinov Grisha Stashkevich and the intelligence agent Budnik caused a stir. Near Habovich they detained the suspicious person, but did not search it and brought on the next farm to discover his personality. Stashkevich entered the house, having left Budnik detained under protection. The stranger managed to escape in the direction of the channel. Stashkevich, having heard Budnik's shout, his firing, ran out from the house and started catching up with the fugitive. On a belt in water having overcome the channel, it pursued the fugitive. That managed to run over a haystack and, having admitted Grisha of meters on fifteen, began to shoot from the revolver. In spite of the fact that the enemy was in shelter, Stashkevich a tag automatic turn struck it. Command thanked Stashkevich officially …

At the beginning of January on the instructions of command of crew the group of underground workers Komsomol members of the village of Entertainments led by Vanya Haritonyuk cut trees, Kobrin-Malorita throughout about a kilometer arranged blockages on a highway, burned bridges on this road. Communication with Kobrin garrison was interrupted for long time …


In February, 1944 command of Kobrin garrison sent a battalion for preparations of products. Fascists moved on Habovichi Road - Divin. Flegontovtsa decided to give battle to "suppliers". We knew time of their exit, their force and arms. Groups took positions: "Boeva" - in Habovichakh, of Litvinov - near the village Rukhovichi, the 44th - from South side of the road in the direction to the village of Belsk. The drifting snow swept. Fighters not movably lay on snow in maskhalata. There passed hour, another. Moroz allowed to feel, hands, legs grew numb. And "suppliers" everything did not appear.

- Whether not in vain we sit? - fighters asked.

But here intelligence agents informed that from Kobrin the column moves. The command to prepare for fight is given. Fascists, masking a roadside bush, approached Habovicham. Hitlerite swells already absolutely close. And here the alarm rocket rose. The team was distributed: "Beat fascists!" Zastrekotali automatic machines, machine guns cracked, grenades were torn. Fire squall fell upon the enemy from three parties. Machine gunners of the 44th group Volodya Petrusha and Gennady Eshinsky mowed with cross fire of Hitlerite swells.

"Boeva" a resolute impact beat out enemy soldatnyu which managed to rush into the village. The group of Litvinov beat fascists from the flank and the back, barring it a way of withdrawal on Kobrin. The fascists pressed to the earth tried to organize backfire, but did not sustain and, having suffered heavy losses, hasty departed. Guerrilla groups remained in Habovichakh.

In two days Hitlerites made the second attempt to break through to Divin. And again, having received repulse of guerrillas, they returned with anything to garrison. There passed six days – and for the third time the battalion of the enemy strengthened by armored cars and artillery moved in the direction Habovich and Divina. Command of our crew, considering big superiority of the opponent in equipment, decided not to engage and depart in the wood.

In two fights at Hitlerites was many killed and wounded. Guerrillas captured a lot of weapon …

Smirnov, N. V of the Brest region / N. Smirnov//From Moscow to Brest / N. Smirnov. – Minsk: Belarus, 1971. – Page 112-124. The author, the participant of cavalry raid Moscow – Brest on backs of Hitlerite invaders, including also Kobrin district, shares the memories. 

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