Tragedy of September, 1939

Kobrin → Creativity of fellow countrymen → Marchuk Nina Grigoryevna

The story about how the Kobrin 83rd Siberian infantry regiment of Romuald Traugutt died in September of the 39th, protecting Kobrin from nazis. And as unfairly nearly 70 years about it were silent. And only in August, 2008 works on exhumation of remains of burials of the Polish military personnel by belarusky searchers and the Polish archeologists are begun.

I
History of creation of the Kobrin regiment
Kobrin's inhabitants were very much surprised by arrival in the city in December, 1920 of a shooting regiment of the Siberian crew. Especially name. But from now on the shelf was up to the end cast in the lot 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. And history such is.

In 1917 in the territory of Russia from captured parts of the German army allocated the Slavs who were violently at war against Russia, mainly Czechs and Poles who by the end of 1918 received freedom and money. However Poles aspired home. And after long drudgeries on July 1, 1920 the ship with "Siberians" arrived to Gdansk. And in December, 1920 the part of "Siberians" arrived to Kobrin where from local recruits were taken and the service in military belarusky formation as a part of the Polish state began.

II
Events of September, 1939
In the spring of 1939 Poland began to carry out the hidden mobilization, and called up thousands of Belarusians and Ukrainians (fifth part of staff of the Polish army) for military service. When on September 1, 1939 Germany without declaration of war attacked Poland, the part of blow of nazis was assumed by Belarusians and Ukrainians.

On the same day, on September 1, fascist planes appeared also over Kobrin. And on September 11 tanks of Wehrmacht approached Warsaw, on September 13 were at walls of the Brest fortress, on September 14 captured Zhabinka, and on September 15 appeared in Kobrin's vicinities. Tanks were followed by the motorized German infantry. On September 17 Germans appeared on the western suburb of Kobrin where encountered the furious resistance of soldiers of the 83rd regiment of R. Traugutt.

The first "Province" - the suburb of the city fell. It passed from hand to hand more than once. About one hundred Polish belaruskikh infantrymen who there and were buried later in a mass grave were killed in this battle.

At the same time there were fights in the city from Brest, along the highway. The regiment protected the city, the family. But attacks of defenders choked in blood. Germans by the night, having received a reinforcement, seized a battlefield. On both sides died to one thousand people.

All day of the 18th Germans took away the killed and wounded in Germany. Our died infantrymen lay in entrenchments. Live left defensive positions and moved in the southern direction. On September 19 early in the morning Germans entered Kobrin. On September 20 it was authorized to local population to bury the killed. Everything, lying in entrenchments, there also filled up.
And on other end of the area near Antopol in the same night the Soviet prospecting company of the 32nd armored brigade took about 500 Polish soldiers and 32 officers who were in the train prisoner. Privates were disarmed and released, officers were sent to People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs. But there was unforeseen. The unknown Polish group intruded in Antopol at night for September 21 and crushed the Soviet garrison. It was impudent and serious fight in the back of the Soviet army.
And on September 22 Kobrin included Red Army, on the highway from. Birch. But near the bridge through Mukhavets stopped - the bridge was destroyed. In opposite part of the city there were Germans. But somewhere at 16 o'clock on September 22 from left-bank part of the city under a white flag through the pontoon bridge built by Germans to Red Army men the German delegation went. Possibly, conducted negotiations on transfer of the city as at dawn Germans Kobrin left.

Also "cleaning" of a sample of the 39th began: arrests and mass executions of the beaten-off Polish soldiers began. On September 26 near of Mokrana pinsky seamen were shot. In own house near Kobrin shot the general in resignation, the old man Stanislav Dovoyno-Salloguba. In the same place took one more general in resignation prisoner - Leonard Skersky. And such executions and arrests there were thousands …

However we will return to that Polish military personnel who on the night of the 19th, having bypassed Kobrin, moved in the southern direction. About their destiny I was told still by living witnesses of that tragedy near of Podzemenye - P.P. Rybchuk and N. A. Prokopchik.

At that time the woods were filled with bandits - any criminals and the Ukrainian nationalists. Near Kobrin Savva Dronyuk's gang, from local worked. The gang called itself "community defense volunteer squad". These bandits when cunning when forced to disarm beaten off the Polish military personnel and police officers. It lasted weeks two. From hands of bandits died as it became clear today, more than forty people, including three women. As witnesses living still speak, women were "pig-headed". Bandits plundered all of them, and then shot behind the village in a deep ditch, having hardly powdered with the earth.

Staff officers of the 83rd regiment departed from Kobrin of kilometers on five and stopped at a folvarka Rynkovichey, near Bukhovichi, in kilometer from the route (nowadays Brest - Moscow). There also stayed till September 22. And when saw that on the route towards Kobrin tanks with Red Army men move, went there, but halfway were stopped local of "community defense volunteer squad". Several tanks conversation stopped, began. Suddenly someone from bandits incidentally shot and wounded the Red Army man. Then tankmen without analysis began to shoot at unarmed staff officers. And then wounded them bandits finished.

It was seen by two brothers of Matveychuki, and this history was told me. It for that time was for 12 years. They nearby grazed cows and from bushes observed this tragedy. Local then buried the killed at the highway, in a roadside ditch.

The search group last year looked for at the road, but found nothing. But did not find because the roadbed was expanded, and more than once. And already definitely not in a roadside ditch, and under a layer of asphalt those staff officers who with the world met requirements of Red Army that far September, 1939 lie.

III
Excavation of burials
In August, 2008 experts of the 52nd specialized search battalion of Armed forces of Belarus together with archeologists from Poland carried out excavation of burials near the village of Podzemenye that in 20 km from Kobrin, and on a cemetery near the Peter and Paul church of Mr. Kobrin. Now excavation is conducted in city park, once the suburb of the city, under the name "Province". And here that appeared before eyes of searchers.

1. Village of Podzemenye
In a ravine near the village in bush thickets at a depth no more than a meter remains of three women and forty men, by the remained fragments of the Polish uniform - the military personnel and police officers were found.

The unusual way of murder of people is characteristic of this burial. In the beginning they were forced to the knees, approached from a back and shot from top to down. (A gang of murderers the former jailer headed.) As searchers speak, they saw it for the first time though 13 years are engaged in excavation.

Many buttons, counters of the 14th commandant's office, counters of fighters of the 83rd regiment are found. Many sleeves of the Polish and French production of the rifles "Lebel" and "Mauser" are found. Well the Polish lawyer certificate in a firm cover with date of issue remained on June 18, 1936.

Personal belongings are found: a gold watch, two wedding rings with an engraving, other women's jewelry of gold (probably, bandits did not look through). Also one more fact is interesting. One handcuff held down two persons. In total 259 finds, including 12 products from a precious metal are found.

2. A mass grave near church
Here 14 Polish servicemen of the 83rd regiment of R. Traugutt are buried. They were killed in unequal battle with nazis on September 17, protecting the hometown from Germans. Burial happened on September 18. Buried local. The local priest Volsky read the burial service over the dead. The mass grave was dug near the road on an old cemetery in several meters from the Peter and Paul church. As eyewitnesses spoke, brought this military personnel from "Province". It seems that the survived brother-soldiers changed clothes in civil clothes, mixed up in crowd, selected from the died acquaintances and buried them on a Christian ceremony, hoping for eternal rest …

But also these Kobrin burials are unusual too. 14 dead in full fighting equipment put in a mass grave: with engineer shovels, hatchets, rifles, flasks, in helmets. In a grave lowered five boxes with cartridges …

Here searchers found buttons from uniforms, helmets, three counters, next-to-skin silver crosses, a medallion "Mother of God", a post card on which reverse side a name - Vasily Nalivayko, Pinsk.

And still interesting fact. On counters of the military personnel except number of a counter there are still initial letters of belonging to religion: Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Jew.

3. About a mass grave in park
Excavation in park went several weeks, but results were unfavourable. Not because in park there are no burials but because nobody for last 70 years designated their places. And could, even as obliges.

And now we are I with the enthusiast Victor Patsyuk and archeologists of group - we will take in park of all old residents of the city, witnesses of that tragedy. But … there passed 70 years, the park so changed, that solar glade grew with trees, and the reference point was lost. However the hope to find was not lost …

IV
In conclusion
Point of honor of our state - to contain in a decent state all burials not only the soldier and the victims of the last war, but also unknown graves of World War I, ancient cemeteries where our ancestors, our relatives, and also graves of our former enemies lie. Likely, will already be enough to be at war with the dead.

Than we it is worse than Europe? And there graves of the Soviet soldiers in perfect tune though for them they were enemies. It is necessary and in order that it was not a shame when still living relatives of participants of World War II from old notices read places of death of the relatives, and at inquiry our party is ashamed to tell the truth. Such history occurred few years ago in Belsk of Kobrin district when (somewhere 1942-43) local builders investigated burial of Hungarians on adding for construction of new school. Schools - in literal sense - on bones of the dead …

The archeologist of the 52nd battalion Vadim Tomilin, the captain of a battalion Pavel Galetsky took part in excavation in Kobrin. From the Polish side: professor of Torunsky university of N. Copernicus Andrzej Cola with the assistant Matey Dantsevich.

On this earth there was neither gravestone, nor a Christian cross on defenders of the Fatherland and innocently died in that terrible war. Now, after exhumation, remains are buried on a cemetery near the Kobrin church. And in the near future as the Polish side promised, the group of the Polish architects will be engaged in development of the project of a monument. After coordination with the Ministry of Culture of RB this monument will be established. There is a hope that nevertheless the part of remains will be possible to identify and find for relatives of the dead. Especially as the majority of them were local.

* * *

While there was a work on this article, surnames of three counters of the Polish military personnel buried near church were deciphered: this is Zaykovsky, Motyko and the Linden, all Catholics. On the remained surname on a photo under glass there was a daughter of the died serviceman. Negotiations on transfer of remains to relatives for burial on their wish are conducted.

But the most interesting news such. The lady Ariadna Teleman whom in 90 years, the native and inhabitant Kobrina, found on September 5, 2008 the list of seventy-year prescription, with 86 names and surnames of the military personnel of the 83rd regiment of R. Traugutt which are buried in park and who died there in September of the 39th, protecting the city from Germans. She, then still the young woman, with the same enthusiasts as itself, collected names of the dead by poll and managed to keep them till our time. Low to it bow.

We are not abandoned by hope to find a mass grave in park, and we appealed to the Polish side to put a memorable sign on the place of fight of the 83rd regiment. Poles accepted our offer.

Analytical newspaper "Sekretnye Issledovaniya", No. 19, 2008

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