On Pribuzhskaya's earth

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So we established a direct connection with guerrillas of the Brest region. Among those who met us there was a commander of a platoon M. Gadzhayev, the commander of office of investigation I. I. Adamenko, guerrillas G. Orlov, Kotov and others.

The come guerrillas from group of Shchors the battallion commissioner Sergey Egorovich Egorov headed. It somehow at once drew our attention to itself(himself). Low growth, black attentive eyes and a glance, on fairly worn jacket an award of the Red Star which it as we knew then, was awarded for the courage and heroism shown in fights with belofinna in 1939-1940.

Sergey Egorovich was a garrulous, sincere person, is skillful to talk to any guerrilla. At the end of April the regional committee of party and the company accompanying it met near Vygonovsky lakes all group of Shchors. The lieutenant from far Tataria Pavel Vasilyevich Pronyagin ordered it. This person in army clothes with a pleasant timid smile first seemed to me excessively silent and sluggish. However the first impressions were wrong. Than learned it more, more it to us was pleasant to those. The quiet, judicious, knowing the business commander of group pleased all. The guerrillas long ago knowing it spoke about it as about the person exclusively cool, noted that composure did not abandon Pronyagin and in fight that it never bowed to either bullets, or shells. In group all loved and respected Pavel Vasilyevich, saw in it the competent, strong-willed and capable commander. The lieutenant Pronyagin successfully carried out not one combat operation. It is no casual to it it was entrusted to order the joint groups which crushed in September, 1942 large enemy garrison in the city settlement of Kosovo.

The group of Shchors was the largest in the area - totaled more than seven hundred people, had good arms. It was also a pas the first time the basis for underground regional committee of party.

ON THE BREST REGION

The spring of 1943 was early. By the end of April of a meadow became covered by violent greens. In a magnificent dress the woods put on. It seemed, the nature welcomed us on the State of Brest region.

The huge camp of group of Shchors was stretched along an edge of high harmonous pines. Between trees equal ranks the tents built from bark were built. To these simple dwellings shchorsovets hospitably accepted also us.
We who arrived from the East wanted to know a lot of things about life and fighting affairs of guerrillas of group of Shchors. Not less attention was shown also by them to us, on much asked.

Comparing a situation in the Minsk and Polesia regions to a situation in the Brest region, we could not but note that here guerrillas had to be at war in more difficult conditions. They therefore did not linger long on one place, and led, as they say, a nomadic life. Where the group only did not visit! He fought near Ruzhanami and Telekhans, near Baranovichi and Slonim, near Ivanovichami and Pinsk. Held fight and near Starobin. Especially difficult it was necessary to guerrillas in a winter icy cold. If in the Minsk and Polesia regions groups were able to be located in settlements, then here all of them time were in the wood because there were no extensive guerrilla zones.

I happened to talk to many people from group of Shchors. From their elephant learned that this group tempered in battles made many large combat operations. Already then I heard many panegyrics about such guerrillas as Ivan Sery, Mikhail Merzlyakov, Ivan Marinyaka, Alexander Zhuravlev, Andrey Leontyev, Nathan Liker, Mikhail Chernykh, Muraddin Gadzhayev, Kopstantnn Kazakov, Ivan Shmyrev, Nikolay Vaganov, Nikolay Postnov, Pavel Kolomiytsev, Anatoly Stepanov, Ivan Tereshenkov and many, many others …

S.Kh.Arzumanyan

… The underground regional committee of party set for itself the task to strengthen discipline in guerrilla groups, even higher to lift their fighting capacity, to achieve further development of the guerrilla movement on the Brest region.

Reorganization of group of Shchors was the first practical step on the way to this purpose. Formed four groups of it: of Suvorov, of Budenny, a name Kotovsk and of Shchors. Here also the company accompanying regional committee joined. I was left in a reserve of force staff and carried out its personal errands.

The areas dispersed in different areas, groups quickly grew at the expense of local population and soon became large combat units.

… The underground regional committee of party and force staff started implementation of the plan. First of all it was required to learn what strengths of guerrillas are available v_Kobrin, Antopolsky, Zhabinkovsky, Brest, Maloritsky, Divinsky, Domachevsky districts. In this extensive territory, according to our assumptions, groups and groups of national avengers conducted military operations. But how many them what number as they are armed, nobody specifically could tell. The anti-fascist committee operating in northern part of the area due to the lack of radio station could not capture the influence the southern and southwest areas …

… Investigation of the considerable territory of Divinsky, Maloritsky, Brestky, Domachevsky, Antopolsky, Kobrin and Zhabinkovsky districts was coming …

… In Antopolsky district visited group of Zhdanov, Kobrinskom - group of Chapayev. Memorable was a meeting with blasting group which was ordered by Konstantin Myachikov. This the black-eyed, looking like the Tatar young fellow won fame of the excellent demolition man. Its group spent days and nights at the railroad, had more than one and a half tens enemy echelons lowered under a slope on the account.

Went forest tracks and on the open district, through the villages which escaped from the German robbery and the farm. There were many warm meetings and conversations with people. Men and women vividly were interested in situation on the Soviet-German front, with horror told about atrocities of Hitlerites, with tears in the eyes showed the letters sent them by the family from fascist Germany.

It was impossible to read this short news of the people exhausted in slave bondage without nervousness. In one letter which came from Hanover I read such words: "To us red roosters often fly. Dump eggs". It was not difficult to understand sense of these lines. They said that the city of Hanover often is exposed to bombardment by the Soviet aircraft. In the same letter there were also such words: "I heard that in our Brest woods many wolves divorced. Be not afraid of them. These are good, useful wolves". Our Soviet young man stolen violently to Germany rejoiced to scope of the guerrilla movement in native places, to the fact that the people did not incline the head before fascist hordes, took up arms.

Near the village of the Bog of Kobrin district still from a distance noticed four people armed with submachine guns. One of them, in a black leather jacket, the highest among all, considerably limped, leaned on a crutch in the right hand. It was as it became clear then, the commander of group of Chernaka Sergey Sergeyevich Shikanov. Accompanied by companions it went on airfield of Pinsky partizanky connection from there to take off to be treated on the Continent.
S. S. Shikanov told us that his group is in the old rural wood. For the commander there was a commissioner L. P. Zelenin. Our conversation with Sergey Sergeyevich was short. Twenty stood minutes and dispersed. He did not tell about himself much, a little about what also we managed to ask him. Only later the former brother-soldiers of Shikanov told me a lot of remarkable of his difficult biography of military years.

The machine-gun company of the lieutenant Shikanov was among those divisions which assumed the first blow of fascist hordes. Machine gunners densely covered a battlefield with enemy corpses, however and suffered heavy losses.

It was ordered to company to cover retreat of our parts from Brest, and it, bloodless, but not lost fighting spirit, persistently clung to each plot of the native earth, with firmness reflected an impact of the enemy. Heavy fights were sustained by fighters and commanders near the Red Yard, in the shebrinsky, bulkovsky, old rural woods. They got to an environment, but fulfilled the duty up to the end. And then the lieutenant addressed fighters with words:

- From now on our group appears guerrilla group. Let's exterminate fascist evil spirits of a pas to the Pribuzhsky earth.
This the courageous and quite justified in those conditions decision was made in the night of June 28, 1941. Without exaggeration it is possible to tell that Shikanov became the commander of one of guerrilla groups, the first on the Brest region …

… It was decided to build airfield near the village Svaryn. This district from the West and the East was covered with large forces of guerrillas. That it is even more reliable to protect it from Hitlerites, Sikorsky ordered to groups of Shchors and a name Kotovsk of the korechensky woods to be relocated under Divin …

… When regular landings of planes from the Continent on our guerrilla airfield were adjusted, the special person who would be responsible for receipt of goods, delivered from Moscow was required. Sikorsky assigned these duties to the commander of a commandant's platoon, the oldest guerrilla of group of a name Kotovsk Grigory Belyakov.
This harmonous, athletic addition of the person well knew nearly in all groups of the Brest region. He fought with fascist chasteners near Ruzhanami and the Birch, Lunints and Drogichin, Brest and Divin. And everywhere showed unprecedented bravery and courage.

Grigory Belyakov perfectly got along with the case charged to him. The planes arriving from the Continent unloaded immediately, did not linger on an airfield of any excess minute.

So, Svaryni was fated to become that village from where the underground regional committee of party and force staff kept in a continuous communication with Moscow, with the Central and Belarusian staffs of the guerrilla movement. Svaryn all of us for fun began to call the second Moscow …

The guerrilla movement on the Brest region, as well as in all temporarily occupied regions of the country, had really international character. In our crew as a part of groups separate platoons and companies of the Polish and Czechoslovak patriots worked. In total them there were about three hundred people.

To me fighting affairs of a company of Poles led by the lieutenant Zbilyut were especially remembered (Yura). This young and vigorous man in the summer of the forty third year organized small guerrilla group, developed military operations in Zhabinkovsky and Kobrin districts. Yura was well familiar with Vasilisa Semenovna Selivonik - the active underground worker, and then the guerrilla. Having met this brave woman, he declared to her:
- Our people want to be at war together with you.

So the small guerrilla group of Zbilyut totaling first 70 people became a company of group of Chernak.
With the former commander of a company V. Ya. Zbilyut I keep in close connection also now. Wojciech Yanovich is an engineer. Lives and works in the city of Wroclaw.

The Ossetian, come to group of Chernak, it was decided to send to combat operation at once. It pursued two aims. The first of them - to crush a police station in the village of Ozyata, the second - to check how yesterday's legionaries sincerely in the desire to be at war on the party of guerrillas.

The Ozyatsky garrison consisted approximately from 30 politsayev, armed three manual and one easel machine gun, automatic machines and carbines. It settled down at school which building was strengthened by bags with sand. To tie open fight in close proximity to such large enemy garrisons as in Kobrin and Zhabinke, was risky. It was necessary to work with cunning.

In one of summer days 1943 of 30 guerrillas disguised as the German form, left the old rural wood. They bypassed bogs the village of Ozyata, got out to the road in three kilometers to the east of it, cut phone line on columns here, made toilet and moved to the village, holding the direction to school. Police officers first ran, began to fuss, but, seeing that it is the German platoon, were calmed down … As a result – 9 police officers with the raised hands. The others were killed. Having assembled the weapon and ammunition, they moved from the village. Locals, observing from shelters, were perplexed how it could happen that Germans interrupted the politsayev in broad daylight?

… Investigation reported that large forces of fascist troops from Brest, Kobrina. Malorita are pulled together to the old rural and chernyansky woods, the Hungarian division approached the northern coast of Dneprovsko - the Bugsky channel. It made direct contact with one of guerrilla crews of Pinsky connection which was ordered by Mikhail Gerasimov, with groups of a name Kotovsk and of Shchors of Brestky connection. Skirmishes with the enemy of groups of the name Frunze and of Chernak near Brest became frequent. The groups of Voroshilov, of Zhukov operating behind the railroad Brest - Kovel fell into a difficult situation.

… The fascist aircraft, despite careful masking, strenuously bombed our airfield and a medical unit, many guerrilla groups. Air Egyptian vultures precisely bombed. At anybody the fact that the German command uses the espionage data received from the mean traitor Leontyev did not raise doubts.

The opponent occupied all adjacent from the North to the Dnieper and Bugsky channel of the village. And among them Settlement, Lyakhovichi, Kubnik, Belin, Adam's, Zhuravsk. From underground workers it became known that Hitlerites intend to force the channel and to strike blow in the direction of Divin. In this blow the enemy hoped to deprive of guerrillas of airfield, Divin's taking to hold down and if it is possible then and to destroy the large forces of guerrillas operating in this area. And forces were really considerable there. Along with Gerasimov's crew and groups of Shchors and a name Kotovsk under Svarynyyu the road crews of Yazykovich which arrived from the East led by Vasily Afanasyevich Veligin and of Flegontov under Ivan Vasilyevich Zhokhov's command began to be deployed.

Having considered the developed situation, the major P. M. Kovalsky authorized force staff gave the order to groups of a name Kotovsk and a name of Shchorsag to crew of Flegontov strongly to defend on the southern coast of the Dnieper and Bugsky channel, not to allow advance of the opponent to Divin.

Along this water boundary throughout seven-eight kilometers entrenchments, the message courses were dug out, in many places earth-and-timber emplacements are built.

Enemy troops, having a superiority in strength in manpower and equipment, made several persistent attempts to be transported on the southern coast of the channel. But all its attempts broke against courage and firmness of guerrillas. Groups kept strongly in spite of the fact that against enemy artillery, mortars and tanks they could oppose only light shooting weapons and one-edinstvepnuyu anti-tank gun.

In multi-day fights with guerrillas fascist parts suffered considerable losses. Having convinced that to them not so just to break defense of our crews and groups, they for some time stopped fruitless attacks. The time of relative calm came. From that and other party only prospecting sorties were made, from time to time there was a firefight.

However, having tightened additional forces, the opponent again all power fell upon the guerrillas defending along the channel. In a strip of defense of groups of Shchors, a name of the Kotovsk and commandant's platoon of crew of Stalin he forced the Dnieper and Bugsky channel. Soon data came to a staff of crew: groups of a name Kotovsk, of Shchors are taken away on other attacked site, and the commandant's platoon receded, having left barefaced the left flank of crew of Gerasimov.

Having learned about it, I at once gave the order to the commander of group of Kanukova to prepare in a campaign for the channel. It was necessary to overcome distance not less than 50 kilometers.

The group of the name Frunze coped with the task set for it. Sudden and resolute attack of the opponent rejected for the channel, situation was redeemed.

It became clear a bit later that groups of a name Kotovsk and of Shchors stand kilometers in four from Svaryni. In the middle of February situation on Dneprovsko - the Bugsky channel was stabilized again. Two of our groups and a commandant's platoon took former places of defense. Together with Gerasimov's crew they continued to defend heroically on the channel nearly a month more. In total fights at this water boundary lasted more than two months.
The group of the name Frunze on the channel staid weeks day. Then it came back to the borisovsky wood. I as obliges was late for several days in the staff of crew standing under Svarynyyu, and then left in the groups deployed near Brest. On the road decided to stop in the village Povit. In this big village which is near Divin, guerrillas always found warm welcome at local population. We stopped for rest at one priest by the name of Moroz. The choice of the apartment was not casual. The frost actively kept in contact with guerrillas. Besides considered that its apartment is on smaller suspicion at our enemies. However it turned out that I was mistaken.

When we agreed with the priest about a lodging for the night, his daughter Lyudmila declared:

- I will go to spend the night to the girlfriend.

Nobody attached to her words significance. Why and really not to go to the girl if their house is occupied by strangers.

Approximately in an hour after Lyudmila left the house, in Poviti the platoon of guerrillas from group of Chernak appeared. The daughter of the priest did not know about it. The commander of a platoon Ivan Gubenko, having been to me, reported that his fighters come back from a task. Reported also that with their platoon there is a party organizer of group Maria Proshina. I told the commander of a platoon that it had the people on rest and before the dawn sent investigation towards Divin.

Early in the morning, as well as it was agreed, Gubenko sent intelligence agents towards Divin, but they did not drive off and hundred meters from Poviti as came across an enemy ambush. Intelligence agents at once came back. Having listened to their report, I right there lifted group of the guerrillas accompanying me. We prepared for fight.

- But where platoon? What disappointment that I did not specify to his fighters of a certain place for a lodging for the night!

On the road conducting from Divin to Povit frequent gun and machine-gun firing was heard. It was in the dark difficult to distinguish the people attacking Povit, but the team in Russian reached us:
- Forward, forward!

I ordered to the orderly Slukin to jump immediately on a horse to school, believing that fighters of a platoon gathered there. Slukin soon came back. Reported:

- The person 25 together with Gubenko go here. Where Proshin, it is unknown. I well understood that bandits (it were the Ukrainian nationalists), believing that the guerrilla small group, only several people, aimed to catch us live. An exit for us, in essence, was not. Ambush circle. It was only necessary to defend, shoot back to the last boss. For this purpose it was also necessary to gather together. Let's act it is separate - we will be quickly interrupted. Was afraid also for destiny of the party organizer.

I got onto a horse and together with the orderly under whistle of bullets rushed off to school. But Proshina was not there. Near the building there was only a horse put to the vehicle. And on the vehicle as I already knew from Gubenko, there was our battallion mortar.

With great difficulty we managed to take out a mortar from under firing. Came back to the house of the priest. There almost all fighters of a platoon managed to gather. They desperately beat off from pressing them from the different parties of bandits.

On the houses occupied by the Ukrainian nationalists, our mortar opened fire. And this fire turned an issue of the combat. Bandits, apparently, decided that to us large forces of guerrillas to the aid ripened, and in a disorder receded, having thrown the killed and wounded. Among the killed there was a commander hundreds.

When fight ended, we on the fringe of the forest meters in two hundred from school found five killed guerrillas. Among them there was also Maria Ivanovna Proshina. It became clear that with group of fighters she intended to break from an environment. But they did not manage it. All of them to uniform were mown by enemy bullets.

Up to the end to show under what circumstances an assault on Povit by the Ukrainian nationalists was committed, it is necessary to address the facts taking place much later of the described events.

Late fall 1944 to me on the apartment the person in clothes of the priest came into Brest. I at once recognized him. It was that, the priest well familiar to guerrillas from Poviti. Having greeted, he without any, as they say, prefaces declared:

- My Lyudmila was a traitor. It it gave you that night when you spent the night at me. It was felt that it was difficult for old man to pronounce these words. It honestly helped guerrillas, and his native daughter secretly from it was connected with a gang of nationalists. And now he, the father, spoke about it.

The same year in the matter of Liudmila Moroz at me conversation with the investigator took place. Then it asked me such question:

- Whether it is known to you where there was Liudmila Moroz that night when you spent the night at the priest?

- Spent the night at the girlfriend.

- Now she will tell you where she was and what did...

In an office where we sat, entered Liudmila Moroz who was under examination. When the investigator asked it to repeat indications, she told:

- To any girlfriend I did not go then, and at once went to the nationalists disappearing in the wood and reported that in our house the commander of crew of Stalin spends the night with several fighters. Nationalists considered that you already in their hands. Your rescue was that we did not know about stay in Poviti many other fighters. Only after her words I really understood what danger hung over us that disturbing March night.

From left to right: M. Kanukov is the worker of a staff of Stalin, S.H. Arzumanyan is a commander of crew of Stalin, G. N. Kityan is the chief of a staff of crew of Stalin.

 

… As crews of Stalin, of Flegontov and of Yazykovich turned into expeditious submission of command of the 70th army, the commander of a division set specific objectives for us: to crew of Stalin to work together with regiments of the 160th shooting division, to crews of Yazykovich and of Flegontov with the 38th division. The colonel devoted us in the plan of the forthcoming operations of Red Army on this sector of the front. It was in that in blow to Brest to come into the back of all large group of the German troops defending in Belarus.

… Left on bogs and the woods in our guerrilla zone. Occupied the village of Pavlopol, Novoselka. Our 1223rd shooting regiment hardly constrained an impact of enemy troops near Divin. The crossing, important for a regiment, through the small rivulet at the village the Shouting was held by only one company. Here the help to parts the group of Chernak was sent to a pas …

On March 25 the opponent after strong artillery preparation developed approach on all sector of the front occupied by two of our divisions. Especially heavy fighting ran high around defense of the 1st rifle battalion of the 38th division and groups of Chernak. Dense enemy chains six times attacked our soldiers and guerrillas, and every time unsuccessfully. Each attempt of Hitlerites to break our defense cost much to them. So in fruitless attacks for the enemy there passed the whole day.

At the village the Shouting to two platoons by the Hitlerite it was fished to be transported on the southern coast of the channel defended by our fighters and guerrillas. The commander of group Kozyrov resolute counterattack overturned the opponent and again redeemed situation.

On March 27 the enemy troops supported by large forces of tanks and heavy artillery led approach to us from two directions at once - on Kobrin Highway - Divin and Mokrana - Divin. Fascist command hoped to cut our two divisions and guerrilla groups from the main forces, and then to destroy them. But again at them nothing left. Since morning to a half of day the 38th and 160th divisions, groups of the name Frunze and Chernaka constrained a mad impact of superior forces of the enemy, and then received the order to depart on new boundaries …

Arzumanyan, S. H. On the earth of Pribuzhskaya / Page X. Arzumanyan//Earth flared: memoirs / page X. Arzumanyan. – Minsk: Belarus, 1974. – Hl. 2. – Page 126 – 127, 130, 133, 165, 169, 198, 199, 223-228, 230-231. The author, the commander of crew of Stalin, tells about fighting and intelligence activities of guerrilla groups and crews in the area, including and in Kobrin district. 

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