Articles about Kobrin: 1917 - 1941

Kobrin in 1920

The fire of World War I which broke out in July, 1914 later burned a year the pernicious breath Kobrin district. In two weeks prior to approach of the front evacuation of the population far inland began. By order of military command after the leaving inhabitants the left villages ruthlessly were burned. From Kobrin to Masalsk sent to the Kaluga province archives of establishments and employees with their families by trains, and on each family it was allowed to take away no more than ten poods of property. Overwhelming most of city petty bourgeoises, generally hereditary zemlerob, joined with the supplies loaded with house good, kids accompanied by cows mournful wagon trains of the refugees who dammed the highway and country roads conducting on the East. Only one layer of citizens — the numerous Jewish population which solidary remained on familiar spots and soon comfortably adapted to new conditions did not take part in this mass outcome.

Since summer of 1918 as a result of the signed Brest peace contract first thin streams of the refugees who are most strongly suffering from nostalgia shy floated on the West. Courageously overcoming incalculable difficulties and obstacles, this stream more and more amplified every month. Alas, coldly met native places of returnees. Instead of the left housing the majority found the ashes which grew with a tall weeds. It was necessary to be restricted in the escaped houses yes sheds here and there and with own hand to construct primitive temporary barracks in which quite often it was necessary to drag for years miserable existence.

As for the government, after capitulation on the western front of vilgelmovsky Germany boastful invaders hasty cleaned up "na faterlyand", and their power for short time passed to petlyurovets who soon, in turn, were forced to give way to Poles. So during this period the situation in Kobrin district looked. Meanwhile on the western front events fraught with large consequences were developed.

As the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Grabsky, the government of the revived Poland opened the heart decided later that it is necessary to use in every possible way created unique environment. Germany appeared the lost war which is extremely weakened as a result of and heavy consequences of external and civil war were negatively reflected in Russia in not smaller degree. Due to accession of Belarus and Ukraine Poland expanded eastern primordial-Polish frontiers ("Kerzon's line"). Having brought thus the population to 70-80 million, Poland could consider itself in the future as more confident in the relation of both western, and east neighbor.

Proceeding from such concept, in April-August, 1919 the Polish troops occupied overwhelming part of Belarus and part of Ukraine. It became possible because the main forces of Red Army were engaged at more important fronts of civil war menacing to the existence of the young republic of Councils.

The incited and comprehensively supported by Entente powers which transferred to Poland a huge number of the military property which remained after terminated in the west of war, Polish government persistently rejected numerous peace proposals of the Soviet party. Having signed the allied contract with the petlyurovsky authorities and having concentrated in the east 150-thousand army to which 65 thousand Red Army men resisted, Pilsudsky undertook on April 25, 1920 the general approach as a result of which Minsk and Kiev were taken. However this progress was short-term, and already on May 26 the Red Army took the offensive, having freed on June 12 Kiev and on July 11 Minsk.

However the panic retreat often adjoining on flight of Poles had extremely negative consequences for the Red Army developing approach which advanced parts came off the bases of supply. Shortage of ammunition and food was sharply felt. Eyewitnesses of those events in Kobrin remembered, the how exhausted, semi-barefoot Red Army men in very torn regimentals on a string greedy ate freshly dug beet with a rifle and asked whether "it is far to Arshava".

Those days 33 Red Army men who appeared at the village Polyatichi made attempt with one rifles to take the Polish armored train after unsuccessful attempt to blow up the railway bridge. All daredevils were mown by machine-gun fire and buried in a mass grave on the next military cemetery.

On July 30 parts of Red Army entered Kobrin. Already next day the district revolutionary-military committee to which all completeness of the power in the city and the county passed was organized. The commander of one of military units Pavel Efimovich Horoshilov headed committee (the general subsequently). The serviceman Kuliyev and the Kobrin inhabitant Bartenbaum, the secretary — the local teacher Vladimir Karlovic Karlitsky became his members. Took place revky in the house of the former treasury (the building of the former music school). In 1959 on a wall of the house the memorial board with the corresponding text was strengthened. For maintenance of an order in the city the militia from 30 volunteers under the command of F. I. Fedosyuk was created. The local activist Pavel Nikolaevich Kuresha, subsequently the dead in camp was appointed the commandant of the city. The so-called Politburo (district ChK) which member was the native of the village Lepesy Dmitry Nikiforovich Levchuk was at the same time founded. Subsequently he became the prominent Ukrainian poet, Falkovsky wrote under a pseudonym. It is shot in 1934.

Originals of the first orders of a revkom whose main task, naturally, along with urgent organizational issues, was an every possible assistance to the coming army are stored in the museum of Suvorov. Restoration of a broad gage railway track on a site Kobrin-Gorodets was prime business. All able-bodied population was for this purpose mobilized. In the middle of August in army Horoshilov to the place of whom Kosterin with group of companions was sent from Minsk was recalled.

Employees of a revkom and its departments actively were engaged in the organization of normal life of the population. In the county volrevkoma, rural committees and committees of the poor were created. It was necessary to do urgently harvesting and preparation of fodder for a cavalry in landowner manors which owners ran with the Polish troops. In ranks of Red Army volunteers were called. However on reorganization of life of the people in a new way the destiny released not enough time that visible results appeared. Soon Kobrin became for three weeks the front city.

In decisive fight for Warsaw on August 14 owing to set of adverse conditions the Red Army suffered defeat and was forced to recede. Already on August 19 Brest was left. However further advance of the opponent managed to be suspended for three weeks on the line of Radvanichi-Bulkovo-Zhabinka-Kamenets. After heavy fights Kobrin was evacuated on September 12. Revk moved to Drogichin, at that time entering the Kobrin County. Then after evacuation to Gomel it was finally liquidated on October 17, 1920.

Nowadays remind mass graves of Red Army men in a number of places of the area of the fights happening on fields of Kobrin district in July-September, 1920. So, in. Bogs are buried 13 fallen. In Polyatichakh, besides 33 Red Army men who died in July days remains 67 more "neznany zholnezha of army bolshevitsky" as it appears in Polish on one of gravestones are based. In the mid-twenties here reburied been killed in September battles which initial graves were scattered in different places. Three mass graves with 8, 12 and 30 Red Army men are on an extensive military cemetery of World War I that on the suburb of of Tevli. There were such burials on military cemeteries and villages Borodichi and Gaykovka, however, from them did not remain also a trace.

A. Martynov

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