The forgotten Kobrin's heroes

Kobrin → Creativity of fellow countrymen → Marchuk Nina Grigoryevna

Our reader Nina Grigoryevna Marchuk from Kobrin district of the Brest region - in the past the journalist, nowadays on pension, the local historian. It sent us the interesting investigation - about destiny of soldiers anti-fascists of Kobrin, the dead in September, 1939. It were to the kobrinchena, protecting the city from the German invaders in the first weeks of World War II as a part of the 83rd Siberian infantry regiment of Romuald Traugutt; nowadays they are unfairly forgotten.

Creation of a Kobrin regiment
Nina Grigoryevna writes: "When in December, 1920 to military unit of Mr. Kobrin there arrived to the constant place of dislocation the 2nd shooting regiment of the Siberian crew, it surprised locals. Especially its name. But from now on the shelf was cast in the lot up to the end with the Kobrin earth. On a regimental banner was in its corners reduced by "Sib", on a breast of the Polish eagle former numbering of the regiment "2nd" and new serial number - 83 was placed".

Regiment history such is. In 1917 in the territory of Russia from captured parts of the German and Austrian armies allocated the Slavs who were violently at war against Russia: mainly, it were Czechs and Poles. The last created the Union of military Poles, after February, 1917 they received a full personal liberty and money. By the end of 1918 they (to only 12 thousand) under command of the Polish officer Valerian Chuma received a task to defend the roads conducting to the east from Novosibirsk. Training in groups was provided, according to the rules accepted in the Polish legions.

In November, 1918 the power in Siberia passed to Kolchak, there arrive allies of Russia - military French mission. Czechs did not direct divisions of other nationalities any more, and command of Poles was carried out by National committee, then the Polish division headed by the colonel Kazimir Rumsha was formed.

Poles sought to return home from now on, however the way through the European part of Russia was blocked by Bolsheviks who saw "bourgeois threat" in the Polish division. Part of a division Bolsheviks could capture, put officers in camp, and punished the privates who refused to enter Red Army of Lev Trotsky unbearable work in coal mines. But the part of a division could leave through Manzhouli and Harbin, and on April 15, 1920 the vessel with one thousand officers and soldiers of the broken division headed for Gdansk - through Singapore and Atlantic.

By this time already war between RSFSR and Poland declined. I will remind that in November, 1918 Germany capitulated, and following the results of the peace treaty sovereignty of the countries created on ruins of the Russian Empire finally was confirmed: it is Finland, the Baltic States, Poland, BNR, UNR, etc. Having waited for capitulation of Germany, RSFSR refuses to recognize results of the peace treaty and perfidiously attacks neighboring countries (though, for example, RSFSR officially recognized UNR). At the end of 1918 - the beginning of 1919 of army of Trotsky overcome the heroic resistance of army of the Belarusian National Republic, occupy Minsk, arrest in public elected Belarusian authorities and occupy three provinces of BNR in structure of RSFSR: Smolensk, Vitebsk and Mogilev.

The government of Poland which too was not wishing to recognize the Belarusian statehood of BNR and insisting on accession of BNR to Poland already from the West attacks our state, entering troops into almost not protected lands - because all forces were thrown against east invader. As a result BNR army was crushed from two parties, and troops of RSFSR and Poland made contact on the Belarusian earth: so the Russian-Belarusian war of 1918-1919 finds nature of the Russian-Polish war. By the way, historians of the USSR deceitfully called it "the Soviet-Polish war" though it is impossible to call it so in any way - because the USSR was created only in 1921 and could not wage any "wars" in three years prior to the creation in any way.

On July 1, 1920 the ship with "Siberians" arrived to Gdansk, on August 14 they found baptism of fire on the Polish earth, having won a victory over the coming troops of RSFSR seeking to liquidate the Polish State.

As Nina Grigoryevna writes, on December 20, 1920 the Siberian crew was transformed to an infantry division. Shelves received numbering and were distributed on garrisons: the 83rd infantry regiment - under Kobrin. Command and a staff of a division was in barracks in Kobrin, the division submitted to command of the district case in Brest.

On it, actually, history of division as Polish comes to an end - and begins since 1920 on 1939 of its history as divisions already Belarusian because for service in the 83rd infantry regiment of Romuald Traugutt recruits from Kobrin were taken. Through service in this, actually, territorial military Belarusian formation as a part of the Polish State there passed the huge number of Kobrin men.

Kobrin's protection against nazis in 1939
Kobrin's inhabitants remember that till 1939 they led rich and happy life - invaders did not come yet. In the spring of 1939 Poland began to carry out the hidden mobilization, about 250 thousand Ukrainians and Belarusians (from their 11-million population in Poland) who made about the fifth part in staff of the Polish Army including about 10 thousand Belarusian officers-reservists were called up for military service. More often Belarusians and Ukrainians were sent to serve in part, deployed on the western borders therefore on September 1, 1939 when Germany without declaration of war attacked Poland, the main part of nazi blow Belarusians and Ukrainians assumed.

In the same day, on September 1, fascist planes appeared also over Kobrin. Targeting of the fascist bombers dropping bombs on Warsaw and other cities of East Poland and the Western Belarus (including Brest and Kobrin) was carried out by a radio beacon from Minsk - according to the arrangement between the USSR and Germany. In several days the part of the recruits mobilized the day before comes back to Kobrin: for them in the Brest warehouses there was neither weapon, nor regimentals.

On September 11 tanks of Wehrmacht approached Warsaw, and on September 13 were already at walls of the Brest fortress. We well know about defense of the Brest fortress in 1941, but practically nothing - about its defense against nazis in 1939. But here paradox: both times the Brest fortress heroically defended from the same 19th tank case of G. Guderian, in 1939 defenders kept it several days and burned many nazi tanks - but at us nobody the nobility wishes names of these heroes.

The advanced tank parts of nazis, having bypassed Brest, captured Zhabinka and in couple of days were in Kobrin's vicinities, then moved to Baranovichi. Tanks were followed by the motorized German infantry.

On September 17 (in day of the beginning of the Soviet occupation) Germans appeared on the western suburb of Kobrin - where encountered furious resistance. Battle was given by the 83rd regiment of Romuald Traugutt. Our reader reports that today several witnesses of those events are still living, we will tell their names further.

Nina Grigoryevna writes:
"The first "Province" - the suburb of the city of Kobrin fell. Having appeared in the center of events, it repeatedly passed from hand to hand. About 200 infantrymen of the 83rd regiment, many among them - local were killed in heavy fighting. At the same time there was a fight and in other part of the city, on a reverse side from the channel of the Check, from Brest, along the highway. The regiment consisting of local guys protected the city, the family. But what could make carbines against automatic machines and machine guns? Attacks of defenders of Kobrin choked in blood, though Germans of success did not reach. And only by the night, having received a reinforcement, Germans seized a battlefield. On both sides about one thousand people died.

All night long after fight Kobrin's inhabitants expected fascists, shivering from this thought. But the shabby Germans developed the tents in the suburbs though tanks and motorcyclists slipped all city and the area in the direction of Baranovichi. Coming back, tanks stopped in the suburbs - at the village Bukhovichi.

Germans wounded after fight took away to Germany. For Bug took away also part of the killed. Our died infantrymen lay in entrenchments. Germans did not render obstacles, and locals began to bury fighters of the 83rd regiment. Those who died in "Province" were buried in park, in a mass grave. Today this anonymous and to nobody the necessary hillock of 60 by 70 meters in size grew with weeds and a grass. But about three old trees near a present dance pavilion are guessed. There is our gratitude: to dance on bones of defenders of Kobrin, the dead from hands of fascists. It is difficult to call normal when the city authorities suit a dance pavilion over a mass grave of the Kobrin soldier.

Those who died near Bona and were buried in their entrenchments. The destiny of this mass grave is even more tragic: when in the 70th building began there, bones were dug the bulldozer and thrown out as garbage. But witnesses are still living, and they can show these mass graves".

Our reader adds that in that September Germans did not manage to take out all the killed as on September 22 Kobrin included troops of the USSR. Germans of the killed put in a mass grave near the highway (opposite to a present bakery), and in the spring of 1940 returned behind bodies, dug out them and in the covered motor vans took away for Bug.

Generally, Germans showed far bigger attention to the dead, than the new authorities of Kobrin.
… The survived Kobrin's defenders left Germans in suburban forests, having broken into groups. Witnesses of those events - P.P. Rybchuk and N. A. Prokopchik, residents of the village of Podzemenye of Kobrin district told Nina Grigoryevna about their future. At that time the woods were filled with any gangs of the criminals and Ukrainian nationalists hating Poland and sympathizing Soviet and fascist allies. Near Kobrin the gang of Savva Dronyuk who called the gang "community defense volunteer squad" worked. These bandits cunning enticed groups of fighters of the 83rd regiment, disarmed them and shot in a ravine on a local cemetery in of Podzemenye that in 15 km from Kobrin. It lasted within about two weeks. From hands of a gang about 70 people died - including also locals whom bandits impudently plundered.

Staff officers of the 83rd regiment managed to depart from Kobrin of kilometers on five, them was the person 7-8. Stopped near Rynkevichey that in kilometer from the route to Minsk. And stayed there till September 22. Having seen that on the route towards Kobrin tanks with Red Army men move, they wished to give up Red Army, but halfway were stopped by community defense volunteer squad from Bukhovichi. They were disarmed and under trunks of rifles led to the highway.

Several Soviet tanks stopped, conversation began. Bandits of self-defense began to demand to shoot staff officers as "belopolyak". Red Army men did not understand a request and made a helpless gesture. Suddenly someone from bandits incidentally shot, tankmen began to shoot at unarmed staff officers. And then silently started motors and left towards Kobrin. All this was seen by two herdboys who sat in roadside bushes; it then was years 12. And only by the evening other men came from Bukhovichi already and somehow covered Kobrin soldiers with earth in a roadside ditch. These witnesses are still living - it is Alexey and Sergey Matveychuki.

Result is as follows: practically all fighters of the 83rd Kobrin infantry regiment died - or in fights with Germans for the city, or from hands of bandits. And ANY of the dead is STILL not buried properly, all lie is unknown to this day either in ditches, or under a dance pavilion, or in other places in Kobrin and around it.

Nina Grigoryevna writes: "Asked to lift from a non-existence these events me witnesses of those of tragic days and those who heard from it from the relatives. We ask about one - let's establish memorable signs on places of burials of soldiers of the 83rd regiment".

Nina Grigoryevna thanks all who helped her with this investigation. And especially: Patenka V. S., Sushchupa A.M., Plisko N. M., Haritanyuka V. I. and others. Our reader finishes the letter with such reference: "The decree of the president of the Republic of Poland in 1994 the Polish State marked out the military personnel the medal "For Participation in Defensive War of 1939". Among them there were also 65 inhabitants of Kobrin. All their surnames are known, but …. But to whom their future is known?"
* * *
Generally speaking, history with the 83rd Kobrin regiment seems to me, to a certain extent, as if "dropping out" of the general course of events of September, 1939. It is known that Germans bragged of the small losses in the Polish campaign, however in Kobrin they suffered essential losses - several hundreds of the killed who could not be taken out at once and took out also in 1940 - the fact unique!

I can offer such explanation. On September 17 soldiers of the 83rd regiment did not know about attack from the East of Red Army yet and therefore were absolutely sure that fascists are going to occupy completely all territory of Poland, including the Western Belarus. And as the regiment was almost entirely created by the territorial principle from Kobrin's inhabitants, soldiers and officers of a regiment solved: let's die - but we will not let fascists in the city. Because them HAD no place to recede - their families were in Kobrin, somewhere it is senseless to run further because the city from all directions is surrounded by Germans.
I do not exclude also that version that soldiers of the 83rd regiment could learn about attack of the USSR - and in that case could wait fondly because of the confusion reigning then that the Red Army, having made contact with Germans, will enter war: the pier, "the USSR goes to save Poland from fascists", "let's hold on couple of days". Such illusion was fed in hopelessness until the last minute by the Polish marshal of E. Rydz-Smigla, having given the order: "With Councils not to engage, show resistance only in case of attempts from their party of disarmament of our parts". The marshal who was not knowing anything about the confidential Protocol of Molotov-Ribbentropa fondly waited that the Soviet troops can engage with the German troops. What in principle could not occur. It is a utopia, a straw. But in our case, I think, at all not it determined the heroic resistance of fighters of the 83rd regiment as because of utter chaos in communication between staffs this order of the marshal quite could not reach a regiment staff: let's remember that Kobrin was still earlier completely surrounded with the German tank divisions, it is absolutely isolated.

Therefore, probably, it is necessary to consider it: the regiment was in a full environment - and chose to itself that way which was prompted by Honour of the soldier: to die - but not to be given. Especially as soldiers literally were at war for the city, for the Homeland, for the families here.

Artem DENIKIN
"Analytical newspaper "Sekretnye Issledovaniya", No. 9, 2007

 

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