Why didn't Bandera have a relationship with the Third Reich? Ukrainian nationalists in the Second World War. Ukrainian Nationalists and the Western Front of World War II

During the Great Patriotic War, 5 million 300 thousand citizens of the USSR died at the hands of the Nazis in Ukraine, 2 million 300 thousand people were driven to Germany as slaves. 850,000 Jews, 220,000 Poles, more than 400,000 Soviet prisoners of war and another 500,000 civilian Ukrainians were killed at the hands of Ukrainian nationalists and collaborators. 20,000 soldiers and officers of the Soviet Army and law enforcement agencies were killed.

The beginning of the criminal activity of Ukrainian nationalists was laid on June 30, 1941. The Nachtigall battalion, under the command of R. Shukhevych, broke into Lviv at dawn together with the German advanced units (according to some sources, the Nachtigall special unit captured the Lviv radio station already on June 29) in the first days he destroyed more than 3 thousand civilians in Lvov, whose native language was Polish. In just a week of "cleansing operations" in Lvov, Shukhevych's battalion "Nachtigal" destroyed 7,000 civilians, including the elderly, women and children.

The head of the Uniate (Greek Catholic) Church, Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, on July 1, the day after the occupation of Lvov by the invaders, held a service in honor of the "invincible German army and its chief leader Adolf Hitler" (also after the capture of Kiev by fascist troops on September 23, 1941, Sheptytsky sent Hitler congratulatory letter, in which he hailed the Fuhrer as "the invincible commander of the incomparable and glorious German army"). Sheptytsky blessed the Ukrainian nationalists and personally S. Bandera to fight the Bolsheviks. With the blessing of the head of the Uniates, Sheptytsky, a campaign of mass extermination of civilians was launched by terrorist bandits from the OUN, UPA, Nachtigal and the SS division Galicia.

Bukovinian kuren, created by an Abwehr agent, a member of the Chernivtsi regional branch of the OUN Voynovsky, arrived in Kiev on September 22, 1941, where from September 28 he took an active part in the massacre of civilians at Babi Yar. Of the one and a half thousand punishers, there were about three hundred Germans, the rest were Ukrainian nationalists and collaborators. In total, 350,000 civilians, including 50,000 children, were deprived of their lives in Babi Yar.

From the published archival materials of the Central Administration of the FSB of Russia

(from the message of the head of the 4th Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR Sudoplatov to the deputy head of the 3rd Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR Ilyushin.
December 5, 1942 No. 7/s/97)

“Ukrainian nationalists, who were previously underground, met the Germans with bread and salt / in Dnepropetrovsk, Pereshchepino, Kishenka, etc. / and provided them with all kinds of assistance. The German occupiers widely used the nationalists to organize the so-called "new order" in the occupied regions of the Ukrainian SSR. In an effort to create the appearance of the participation of the Ukrainians themselves in the management of the state apparatus, the Germans put patent traitors of the Ukrainian people at the head of the administrative and municipal bodies organized in the occupied territories.

The post of mayor of the city of Amurnizhnedneprovsk was given to CHERNET-KALENIK. Fedor Ivanovich MANZHELEY was appointed regional judge of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ivan GAVRILENKO was appointed to the post of deputy. The head of the Dnepropetrovsk regional police, the adviser to the Gestapo in Dnepropetrovsk is Ivan Fedorovich GAVRILENKO, ZELENSKY Nikita, a native of the village of Manuilovka, was appointed to the post of chief of the Amurnizhnedneprovsk police. Right Social Revolutionary, then ukapist, who later crawled into the CP / used / U, worked as chief foreman of the plant. K. Liebkhneta in N-Dneprovsk, was expelled from the party, we judge, in 1929 he disappeared from Dnepropetrovsk and reappeared only under the Germans. PETRENKO Savva was appointed headman of the village of Znamenka, N-Moskovsky district, Dnepropetrovsk region. Secretary of the city police in the mountains. Amurnizhnedneprovsk and a Gestapo adviser appointed Daniil REVOL, a native of the village of Manuylovka. Cousin of CHERNET-KALENIK - CHERNET Peter, a native of the village. Manuilovki, former right sr, under the Germans he was the chairman of the "enlightenment" in the village of Manuilov, under Petliura he was a volost headman and organizer of the Petliura units, then he was a member of the UKP, was arrested by the NKVD. Works for the Amurnizhnedneprovsk police…

It should be noted that the Germans, knowing the past of these villages and cities of the Dnepropetrovsk and Poltava regions, the so-called Kishensko-Orelsky district, put them in a privileged position compared to other villages. Having turned the Kishensko-Orelsky region into their stronghold, the Germans, with the help of Ukrainian nationalists, cleared the area of ​​everything Soviet. So, for example, in s.St. Orlik in the spring of 1942, the Germans seized and then shot 60 families of Soviet activists in the forest near the Dnieper River, 45 families were shot in the village of Kitay-Gorod, 35 families were seized in the village of Zhdanovka, Kotovsky district, about 200 families were shot in the village of Nekhvoroshcha families, in Pereshchepino shot about 100 families, and 2 people. - former assistant chief The RKM and the foreman of the collective farm (I don't know their last names) were hanged on the gates of the German commandant's office.

Similar atrocities took place in a number of other villages. After that, the Germans carried out extensive recruitment among the local population for police service in other areas, mainly adjacent to the Samara forests. To combat the partisan movement, the Germans organized punitive detachments from Ukrainian nationalists and sent 150 people to the village of Znamenka, N-Moskovsky district, under the command of PETRENKO Savva to the village of Vasilyevka, Pereshchepinsky district, 100 people.

From February 1942, the Germans began to form a "volunteer Ukrainian national army." To this end, they previously made a re-registration of all those liable for military service from 19 to 45 years old. The recruitment of "volunteers" in the Ukrainian units was carried out in the district centers by military departments, and the formation took place in the cities of Kremenchug, Krivoy Rog, Dnepropetrovsk, Stalino and Mariupol. The recruitment of "volunteers" into the Ukrainian army was carried out by calling the military department of those liable for military service, where they were asked to "voluntarily" join the "Ukrainian national" army, and at the same time it was announced that the latter would protect only the interests of Ukraine. Those who refused for some reason to join the army "voluntarily" were considered by the Germans as unreliable, they were arrested and sent to special concentration camps in the cities of Kremenchug and Dnepropetrovsk. For the training of command personnel in the city of Krivoy Rog and Dnepropetrovsk, officer schools were organized. Cadets in these schools were recruited from Ukrainian nationalists, former. commanders of the Red Army. The teaching staff in the schools consists of German instructor officers. The training of the rank and file of the "Ukrainian army" is carried out by Ukrainian officers who have already graduated from school, under the supervision of German officers. Discipline introduced stick.

From conversations with families and soldiers of the “Ukrainian army”, I learned that the Germans sent the formed Ukrainian units to Western Ukraine and, mainly, to the city of Lutsk. where, allegedly, a "Ukrainian army" is being formed, which will be directed against England. The most reliable “Ukrainian units”, formed from Petliura elements, are used by the Germans to fight the partisans….

Ukrainian nationalists traveled around the villages and agitated the peasants to join "their" army, which would protect their own interests. In the first days of April 1942, when CHERNET-KALENIK left for the village of Podgorodne, Depropetrovsk region, where he tried to convince the Ukrainians of the need for "voluntary" entry into the "Ukrainian" army, he was received by a gathering, consisting of approximately 5 thousand people, very unfriendly, ridiculed and booed. As a result of such a reception, CHERNETA-KALENIK had to quickly retire without finishing his speech. When leaving the village, the boys threw sand and stones at his car.

For insulting their protege, the German invaders shot 400 people. The descriptions for the execution were compiled by the headman of the village. Podgornoye /I don’t know his last name/, a former kulak, a Petliurist, an active ukapist, was arrested several times by the NKVD and the head of the DUB police Ivan - a former Petliurist, a “fork Cossack”. In the village of Znamenka, N-Moskovsky district, repeated attempts by the headman to gather the peasants for a gathering were unsuccessful, the German agitators had to leave with nothing.

CA FSB of Russia. f. 100, op.11, d.7, l. 60-66

To be continued...

Topic: Ukraine during the Second World War (1939 - 1945). Great Patriotic War (1941 - 1945)

Ukraine on the Eve of World War II (1939 - first half of 1941)

August 23, 1939 in Moscow, a non-aggression pact was signed between the USSR and Germany ("Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact"). The treaty was accompanied by a secret protocol on the delimitation of the Soviet and German spheres of influence in Eastern Europe. According to the protocol, the Western Ukrainian lands within Poland and the lands inhabited by Ukrainians in Southern Bessarabia passed into the sphere of influence of the USSR. The transition to the sphere of interests of the USSR of Northern Bukovina was determined by a secret protocol to the new Soviet-German "Treaty of Friendship and the State Border" from September 28, 1939

Taking advantage of the German attack on Poland, parts of the Red Army September 17, 1939. crossed the Soviet-Polish border. Virtually unopposed, Soviet troops seized the lands inhabited by Ukrainians and Belarusians, but stopped at the ethnic border of the settlement of Poles. Officially, the Soviet leadership explained this step by the need to prevent the fascist occupation of Western Ukrainian and Western Belarusian lands. However, such actions meant the entry of the Soviet Union into the world war. The majority of the population of Western Ukraine reacted positively to the actions of the USSR, as they sought to reunite with the Ukrainians living in Soviet Ukraine. For the constitutional registration of the accession of Western Ukrainian lands to the USSR, elections were held in People's Assembly of Western Ukraine. October 27, 1939 The People's Assembly decided to join the USSR and inclusion Western Ukraine to the Ukrainian SSR. In November 1939 This decision was confirmed by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

June 27, 1940 under pressure from the USSR, Romania was forced to withdraw troops from the territory Northern Bukovina and Southern Bessarabia, which were also annexed to the Ukrainian SSR (August 1940).

Thus, most of the Western Ukrainian lands (except for Transcarpathia and Kholmshchyna, Podlyashya, Posyanya, Lemkivshchyna), as well as Northern Bukovina and Southern Bessarabia, were annexed to Soviet Ukraine. The unification of Ukrainians in one state was of the greatest importance, but the process itself took place in gross violation of international law.

On the newly acquired lands, the Stalinist leadership radical political, socio-economic, cultural transformations, aimed at establishing the Soviet system - sovietization. Some elements of Sovietization made it possible for the new government to win the trust of the Ukrainian population: the Ukrainianization of the education system was carried out, free medical care was introduced, part of the land seized from the landowners was transferred to the peasants, an eight-hour working day was introduced in industry.

However, most of the activities associated with Sovietization had a negative impact on the situation of Ukrainians. Part of the leadership positions in the Western Ukrainian lands were occupied by people from other regions of the USSR. The violent collectivization and dispossession. The attitude towards the Greek Catholic Church is getting tougher. The activities of Ukrainian political parties were banned, and repressions began against political figures, primarily OUN members. About 10% of the population (mostly Polish) was evicted to the eastern regions of the USSR.

Obviously, such a policy should have caused discontent and resistance on the part of the population. However, the Soviet regime was doomed to such unpopular measures, since it could not preserve forms of social life in the west of the Ukrainian SSR that were different from other regions of the Ukrainian SSR. Sovietization made the indoctrination of the Western Ukrainian population on which the Stalinist regime in Soviet Ukraine was based almost impossible.

The annexation of the Western Ukrainian lands to the Ukrainian SSR in 1939-1940, despite its violent nature, objectively met the interests of the Ukrainian people, as it made it possible to unite the Ukrainian lands. But the Sovietization policy pursued by the Stalinist leadership was negatively perceived by the Ukrainian population and caused an increase in anti-Soviet sentiments.

V 1939 in the territory Dnieper Ukraine, under the conditions of the totalitarian Stalinist regime, political repressions continued, curtailment of indigenization, national regions were liquidated. Head of the CP(b)U Ya. S. Khrushchev implicitly fulfilled all the requirements of the center. Even the threat of an approaching war not forced the Soviet leadership to weaken the totalitarian regime.

Preparations for the war became the reason for adjusting the plans of the 3rd five-year plan (1938- 1942). Defense spending has increased significantly. It was supposed to speed up the production of modern military equipment, especially tanks of new models. At the same time, the main funds were invested in the development of industrial centers in the east of the USSR, inaccessible to bombardments. The decline in labor enthusiasm of the first five-year plans led to the fact that the Stalinist leadership tightened labor legislation (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 26, 1940). A seven-day working week was established, and penalties for violating labor discipline were increased.

The annexation of Western Ukrainian lands radically changed the system of strategic defense of the USSR, and the Ukrainian SSR in particular. The border fortifications on the old border (URs) lost their importance for the Soviet command and were practically disarmed (some of them were blown up). The construction of fortifications on the new frontier began, but progress was slow. Thus, the defense system was weakened. The actions of the Stalinist leadership were explained by the fact that the Soviet military doctrine assumed that the attacking enemy would be defeated in border battles and further actions would be conducted on its territory. For the same reasons, operations to prepare for a possible occupation were not carried out on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR.

The command of the Red Army believed that it was the Ukrainian SSR that would be the place of the main blow of the German troops, therefore the Kiev Special Military District (commanded by Colonel-General M.P. Kirponos) was equipped with the most combat-ready units, including mechanized corps.

In Ukraine in 1939-1941. active preparations were made for war with Germany. The industry of the republic was able to provide for the warring army, but the miscalculations of the Soviet command weakened the overall readiness of Ukraine for war.

GERMANY ATTACK ON THE USSR.

OCCUPATION OF THE UkrSSR BY THE GERMAN-FASCIST TROOPS

The Stalinist leadership never doubted that Hitler would attack the USSR. The only question was when exactly that would happen. Until Germany conquered Western and Northern Europe, it naturally could not even think of aggression against the Soviet Union. But when, during the spring and summer of 1940, German troops easily captured Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, the threat of an attack by the countries of the Nazi coalition on the USSR became quite real.

December 18, 1940 Hitler signed a secret directive no. 21 codenamed Plan Barbarossa. The strategic basis of this plan was the idea "blitzkrieg"- lightning war against the USSR. The fascist leadership understood that a protracted war against such a huge country as the Soviet Union was futile. Therefore, the plan provided for the defeat of the Red Army during a fleeting campaign for a maximum of five warm months (before the onset of winter cold). At the same time, in order to deceive Stalin and dull the vigilance of the Soviet leadership, Hitler imitated preparations for an invasion of the British Isles. Moscow did not think that the Germans would risk attacking the USSR before the end of the war in the West, and therefore all warnings about the possibility of a German attack on the Soviet Union were dismissed as provocative (they were believed to be inspired by British intelligence in order to quickly draw the USSR into the war against Germany which, of course, was in the interests of the UK).

Stalin's miscalculation in determining the timing of the start of the war had fatal consequences for the Red Army and the entire Soviet people. It was the surprise factor of the attack that became the decisive condition for the catastrophic defeats of the Soviet troops at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War.

At dawn 22 June 1941 Germany and its allies (Italy, Hungary, Romania, Finland) brought down on The Soviet Union struck with unprecedented force: 190 divisions, about 3 thousand tanks, more than 43 thousand guns and mortars, about 5 thousand aircraft, up to 200 ships. The Great Patriotic War began Soviet people against the Nazi aggressors. By invading the USSR, Hitler aimed to realize his long-standing dream of capturing the vast and rich eastern territories, partially exterminating their population, and turning the rest into slaves of the German colonists. Thus, he would be able to take a decisive step on the path To world domination. At the same time, the Nazis wanted to destroy the existing social system in the USSR, the communist ideology.

The attack on the USSR was carried out in three main directions: the army group "North"(commanding - Field Marshal V. Leeb) moved to Leningrad, Army Group "Centre"(commanding - Field Marshal F. Bock) - to Smolensk and Moscow, a army group "South"(commander - Field Marshal G. Rundstedt) - to Ukraine and Northern Caucasus. Moreover, in the directions of the main blows the Nazis had 6-8 times superiority over the Soviet troops located on the western border 170 divisions and 2 brigades (2,680 thousand people).

very important place in the plans of the German command was assigned to the capture in the shortest possible time of Ukraine from its huge raw materials and fertile lands. By this Hitler and his cabal tried to strengthen the economic German potential, create an advantageous platform for quick victory over the USSR and achievements of the world domination. according to plan Barbarossa invaded Ukraine 57 divisions and 13 brigades Army Group South. They were supported by the 4th air fleet and Romanian aviation. 80 divisions of the Kiev and Odessa military districts, transformed after the start of the war, fought against them. v Western (commander - Army General D. G. Pavlov), Southwestern (commander - Colonel General M. P. Kirponos) and Yuzhny (commander - Army General I. V. Tyulenev) fronts. The sea border was covered by the Black Sea Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky.

Defensive battles of summer-autumn 1941.

The first hostilities were extremely bloody. On the second day of the war, in accordance with the directive of the Headquarters of the High Command, Soviet troops went on the offensive in the area Lutsk-Rivne-Brody, where the largest tank battle of the first period of the war took place. It lasted a week (June 23-29, 1941). About 2 thousand tanks were involved on both sides. However, the decision on this battle was made without taking into account the real situation at the front. As a result, the ratio of the losses of the Soviet troops, armed mainly with obsolete equipment, and the enemy was 20:1. In fact, at the initial stage of the war, Soviet troops were left without military equipment: out of 4,200 tanks, only 737 remained. The combat losses of the Soviet side in manpower were almost ten times higher than the losses of the enemy. Tank formations of the enemy, tightly covered from the air by aviation, captured Lutsk, Lvov, Chernivtsi, Rovno, Stanislav, Ternopil, Proskurov, Zhitomir in a matter of days and approached Kiev, Odessa, and other important cities of the republic. On June 30, fighting was already taking place at a distance of 100-200 km from the border.

After the almost complete capture of Belarus by the Germans, the decisive battles unfolded in the Zhytomyr-Kiev direction. An extremely dangerous situation has developed under Kiev. The enemy has thrown a large force here. For 2.5 months ( July 7 - September 26, 1941 (83 days)) with the help of the local population, the Red Army held the defense of the city. However, there was an acute shortage of military equipment. A negative role was played by the leadership of the defense of the capital, primarily seeking to avoid responsibility to the Headquarters. I. Stalin sent a telegram to N. Khrushchev, who headed the defense of the city, in which he warned that in the event of a withdrawal of troops to the left bank of the Dnieper, the leaders of the defense would be punished as deserters. The next day, the commander-in-chief of the southwestern direction S. Budyonny, a member of the military council N. Khrushchev and the commander of the Southwestern Front, General M. Kirponos, convinced the Commander-in-Chief that they would ensure the defense of Kiev, knowing full well that they were unable to do this. What else was left for them? According to the already established tradition, the leadership was reported not the real state of affairs, but what it wanted to hear.

At the end of August, the enemy crossed the Dnieper almost without hindrance and began encircling Kiev. The command of the southwestern direction nevertheless spoke in favor of an immediate withdrawal of troops. However, I. Stalin ordered to keep the city at any cost. This decision had tragic consequences. The German tank troops closed the Southwestern Front along with the headquarters and its commander in a ring. As a result, four armies were defeated, 665 thousand people were taken prisoner. The troops of the front were scattered, enemy planes continuously bombarded the masses of demoralized soldiers, randomly trying to break out of this "cauldron". And yet, at the cost of superhuman efforts, near Kiev, during a long retreat, the Soviet troops managed to detain the enemy for more than two months. Thus, already near Kiev, the disruption of the Barbarossa plan began.

In August, battles unfolded under Odessa, which was attacked by the Romanian divisions. 73 days ( August 5 - October 16, 1941.) continued the defense of the city. Only after fresh German units approached did the Soviet troops leave the city.

In the autumn of 1941 the situation on the Soviet-German front remained tense. By the end of the year, enemy troops occupied almost all of Ukraine, except for the eastern regions of Kharkov, Stalin and Voroshilovgrad regions. The defeat of the German troops near Moscow gave rise to causeless euphoria in the Kremlin. And the formation of several hundred new divisions created the illusion of increasing the combat capability of the Red Army. The Headquarters of the High Command decided in the summer of 1942 to carry out the complete defeat of the Nazi troops. Thousands of soldiers plunged into a bloody adventure. At the direction of I. Stalin, a series of disparate, poorly prepared offensive operations was launched in the spring. Soviet troops on the territory of Ukraine were given the task of encircling and defeating the Donbass grouping of the enemy. Unsuccessful battles were fought for the liberation of Donbass. In May, the troops of the Southwestern Front launched an offensive near Kharkov, which, having successfully begun, soon began to fizzle out. Weak organization, lack of combat experience, lack of military equipment affected. The enemy managed to encircle three armies, more than 200 thousand Red Army soldiers were taken prisoner. The largest grouping of Soviet troops in the south was completely defeated.

250 days lasted defense of Sevastopol (October 30, 1941 - July 9, 1942). And here the heroism of ordinary soldiers and local residents was side by side with mediocre leadership and a frivolous attitude towards human lives. The leaders of the city's defense, deciding that enemy submarines and ships would not be able to break through to the shore due to the storm, did not organize the evacuation of the population. Only a few hundred inhabitants were taken out by planes and submarines. The fate of the rest was tragic. A small part of them broke into the mountains, while the bulk were captured and sent to concentration camps. At the beginning of July 1942 The Crimean front collapsed. The Germans captured the Kerch Peninsula, including Kerch.

In the Red Army, along with the heroism of the soldiers, disorder, panic, and confusion of command were manifested. The lines in the diary of Alexander Dovzhenko are riddled with pain: “All falsehood, all stupidity, all shameless and thoughtless laziness, all our pseudo-democracy mixed with satrapism - everything crawls out sideways and carries us, like a perekatipole, through steppes, deserts. And above all this - "We will win!".

Mobilization activities in 1941 G.

With the outbreak of war, a radical restructuring of the economy was carried out. In the shortest possible time it was necessary to reorient the economy to military needs. Great importance was attached to the evacuation of large enterprises to the east of the USSR. Despite the fact that this was carried out in a tense atmosphere, under systematic bombardment and shelling, the evacuation of the most valuable equipment of 550 largest enterprises of the republic was successfully carried out. The scale of this work is evidenced by the following fact: 9358 wagons were required for the evacuation of the Zaporizhstal metallurgical plant. The property of state farms, collective farms, research institutions, including 70 universities, more than 40 theaters, was exported to the east. All more or less valuable property that could not be exported was destroyed in accordance with the directive of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. So, part of the Dneproges was landed in the air, and many mines were flooded. However, due to the rapid advance of the enemy, considerable reserves of raw materials, fuel, food fell into the hands of the Nazis.

Economically sound implementation of the evacuation and subsequent deployment of production units in new territories, as well as unprecedented labor efforts, contributed to the commissioning of industrial facilities in the shortest possible time. 3.5 thousand large defense enterprises were built in the rear, half of which were evacuated from Ukraine. Most of them began to produce products already in the spring of 1942, and by the middle of the year the military restructuring of the economy was completed. 3.5 million specialists were evacuated from Ukraine. The supply of the army with the necessary equipment, ammunition, etc. was gradually being established. Without vacation, often without days off, people worked in production, working 12-14 hours a day. The most difficult were urgent orders for the front, when, in order to have time to complete the task on time, it was necessary not to leave the shops for weeks. The rear became the citadel of the warring people.

Final occupation of Ukraine

After the defeat of the Southwestern Front, the enemy threw the main forces to Moscow, where September 30 to December 5, 1941. there were heavy defensive battles. On December 5-6, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive, defeating the Germans and pushing them back 100-250 km to the west. The victory near Moscow finally buried Hitler's "blitzkrieg" plan, dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Wehrmacht.

Success near Moscow, contrary to the proposals of military advisers, Stalin decided to take advantage of the development of a general offensive. He gave orders to carry out many private and scattered offensive operations. Poorly conceived and poorly supported logistically, they were all unsuccessful. had tragic consequences offensive near Kharkov troops of the Southwestern Front led by S. Timoshenko and N. Khrushchev in May 1942: three armies were killed, 240 thousand soldiers and officers were captured. The attempt to defeat the Nazis in the Crimea also ended tragically. On July 4, 1942, after a 250-day defense, Sevastopol was captured by German troops.

The defeats in Ukraine dramatically changed the military-strategic situation, the initiative again passed into the hands of the enemy. On July 22, 1942, after the capture of the city of Sverdlovsk, Voroshilovgrad region, the Germans finally occupied the entire territory of the Ukrainian SSR.

The most important reasons for the catastrophic defeats of the Red Army at the beginning of the war were:

1. Miscalculations of the political leadership of the USSR regarding the timing of the attack by fascist Germany. Stalin and his entourage stubbornly
ignored warnings about the direct preparation of aggression
Germany against the Soviet Union. Under the pretext of the danger of provoking war, it was strictly forbidden to take any measures to transfer the border districts to a state of the highest combat readiness. When, finally, Stalin was convinced of the inevitability of war, and a directive was sent to the troops to take appropriate measures, it was already too late.

2. The helpless military doctrine had a detrimental effect on the defense capability of the USSR, according to which, in the event of aggression against the Soviet Union, the enemy army was stopped at the borders, and then, in the course of decisive offensive operations, defeated on its own territory. Such a doctrine had at least two major drawbacks. First, in the combat training of the Red Army, a significant advantage was given to the actions of the troops in the offensive to the detriment of the actions in the defense. Secondly, according to this doctrine, large groups of Soviet troops were deployed on the western borders. Having concentrated large motorized units in separate sectors of the front, inflicting a sudden blow, the fascist troops broke through the defenses and surrounded large formations of Soviet troops. Chaos, disruption of communication between various units, lack of coordination of actions led to heavy losses of the Red Army at the initial stage of the war.

3. The combat effectiveness of the Red Army was significantly weakened as a result of mass repressions against its commanding staff on the eve of the war. During 1937-1938. more than 40 thousand commanders and political workers were repressed, including 1800 generals, three marshals out of five. Military personnel who did not have the appropriate education and experience were nominated for their positions. The consequence of the repressions in the troops was also an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, lack of initiative, the propensity of servicemen to templates, outdated schemes in the performance of their duties.

4. The incompleteness of the process of rearmament of its armed forces had a very negative effect on the defense capability of the Soviet Union. There were developments of the latest types of weapons, which, in terms of their tactical and technical capabilities, significantly exceeded
foreign counterparts, but their introduction into production progressed very slowly.

5. The mistake of the Soviet military command was the disbandment of large mobile mechanized units, the expediency of the existence of which was confirmed by the then experience of warfare. By the way, the presence of such armored "fists" in the composition
The German army gave it the opportunity to make breakthroughs in the defense of the Soviet troops, destroy the rear, surround and destroy large groups of the Red Army.

6. The activities of German sabotage groups, which disrupted communications, exterminated commanders, sowed panic, etc., caused great harm to the Soviet troops.

7. The decision of the Soviet command to dismantle the old defense line, which ended up in the rear after the advance of the Soviet borders to the west, was short-sighted. There was not enough time to create a defensive belt on the new borders.

Nazi "new order". Life of the population of Ukraine in the conditions of occupation in 1941-1944.

Within one year, German troops and their allies occupied the territory of Ukraine (June 1941 - July 1942). The intentions of the Nazis were reflected in plan "Ost"- a plan for the extermination of the population and the "development" of the occupied territories in the East. This plan included, in particular:

Partial Germanization of the local population;

Mass deportation, including Ukrainians, to Siberia;

Settling of the occupied lands by the Germans;

Undermining the biological strength of the Slavic peoples;

Physical destruction of the Slavic peoples.

To manage the occupied territories, the Third Reich created a special Directorate (Ministry) of the occupied territories. Rosenberg headed the ministry.

The Nazis began to implement their plans immediately after the conquest of the territory of Ukraine. First, the Nazis sought to destroy the very concept of "Ukraine", dividing its territory into administrative regions:

Lviv, Drohobych, Stanislav and Ternopil regions (without
northern regions) formed "District Galicia", which was subordinate to the so-called Polish (Warsaw) General Government;

Rivne, Volyn, Kamenetz-Podolsk, Zhytomyr, northern
districts of Ternopil, the northern regions of Vinnitsa, the eastern regions of the Nikolaev, Kiev, Poltava, Dnepropetrovsk regions, the northern regions of the Crimea and the southern regions of Belarus formed Reichskommissariat Ukraine.
The city of Rivne became the center;

Eastern regions of Ukraine (Chernihiv region, Sumy region, Kharkiv region,
Donbass) to the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, as well as the south of the Crimean peninsula, were subordinate military administration;

The territories of Odessa, Chernivtsi, the southern regions of Vinnitsa and the western regions of the Nikolaev regions formed a new Romanian province
"Transnistria";

Transcarpathia since 1939 remained under the rule of Hungary.

Ukrainian lands, as the most fertile, were to become a source of production and raw materials for the "new Europe". The peoples inhabiting the occupied territories were subject to destruction or expulsion. The part that survived was turned into slaves. At the end of the war, 8 million German colonists were supposed to be resettled on Ukrainian lands.

In September 1941, E. Koch was appointed Reichskommissar of Ukraine.

"New order", introduced by the invaders included: a system of mass extermination of people; robbery system; system of exploitation of human and material resources.

A feature of the German "new order" was total terror. For this purpose, a system of punitive organs operated - the state secret police (Gestapo), armed formations of the security service (SD) and the National Socialist Party (SS), etc.

In the occupied territories, the Nazis killed millions of civilians, found almost 300 places of mass executions of the population, 180 concentration camps, over 400 ghettos, etc. To prevent the movement of the Resistance, the Germans introduced a system of collective responsibility for an act of terror or sabotage. 50% of Jews and 50% of Ukrainians, Russians and other nationalities from the total number of hostages were subject to execution. In general, 3.9 million civilians were killed on the territory of Ukraine during the occupation.

On the territory of Ukraine, the Nazi executioners resorted to the mass execution of prisoners of war: in Yanovsky camp(Lviv) 200 thousand people died, in Slavutinsky(the so-called grosslazaret) - 150 thousand, Darnitsky(Kiev) - 68 thousand, Siretsky(Kiev) - 25 thousand, Khorolsky(Poltava region) - 53 thousand, in Uman Pit- 50 thousand people. In general, 1.3 million prisoners of war were destroyed on the territory of Ukraine.

In addition to mass executions, the occupiers also carried out ideological indoctrination of the population (agitation and propaganda), the purpose of which was to undermine the will to resist, to kindle national enmity. The invaders published 190 newspapers with a total circulation of 1 million copies, radio stations, a cinema network, etc. worked.

Cruelty, disdain for Ukrainians and people of other nationalities as people of the lowest grade were the main features of the German system of government. Military ranks, even the lowest, were given the right to be shot without trial or investigation. Throughout the occupation, curfews were in effect in cities and villages. For its violation, civilians were shot on the spot. Shops, restaurants, hairdressers served only the invaders. The population of cities was forbidden to use railway and public transport, electricity, telegraph, post office, pharmacy. At every step one could see an announcement: “Only for Germans”, “Ukrainians are not allowed to enter”, etc.

The occupying power immediately began to implement a policy of economic exploitation and merciless oppression of the population. The occupiers declared the surviving industrial enterprises the property of Germany and used them for the repair of military equipment, the production of ammunition, etc. The workers were forced to work 12-14 hours a day for a meager salary.

The Nazis did not destroy the collective farms and state farms, but on their basis they created the so-called public meetings, or common courtyards, and state estates, the main task of which was to supply and export bread and other agricultural products to Germany.

In the occupied territories, the Nazis introduced various requisitions and taxes. The population was forced to pay taxes for the house, estate, livestock, domestic animals (dogs, cats). The capitation was introduced - 120 rubles. for a man and 100 rubles. for a woman. In addition to official taxes, the occupiers resorted to direct robbery, looting. They took away from the population not only food, but also property.

So, in March 1943, 5950 thousand tons of wheat, 1372 thousand tons of potatoes, 2120 thousand heads of cattle, 49 thousand tons of butter, 220 thousand tons of sugar, 400 thousand heads of pigs, 406 thousand cattle were exported to Germany. sheep. As of March 1944, these figures already had the following figures: 9.2 million tons of grain, 622 thousand tons of meat and millions of tons of other industrial products and foodstuffs.

Among other activities carried out by the occupying power was the forced mobilization of labor to Germany (about 2.5 million people). The living conditions of most Ostarbeiters were unbearable. The minimum dietary allowance and physical exhaustion from excessive work caused disease and a high death rate.

One of the measures of the "new order" was the total appropriation of the cultural values ​​of the Ukrainian SSR. Museums, art galleries, libraries, temples were looted. Jewelry, masterpieces of painting, historical values, books were exported to Germany. During the years of occupation, many architectural monuments were destroyed.

The formation of the "new order" was closely connected with the "final solution of the Jewish question." The attack on the Soviet Union was the beginning of the planned and systematic destruction of the Jewish population by the Nazis, first on the territory of the USSR, and eventually throughout Europe. This process has been named Holocaust.

The symbol of the Holocaust in Ukraine has become Babi Yar, where only 29 -September 30, 1941 33,771 Jews were exterminated. Then, for 103 weeks, the occupiers carried out executions here every Tuesday and Friday (the total number of victims is 150 thousand people).

The advancing German army was followed by four specially created Einsatzgruppen (two of them operating in Ukraine), which were supposed to destroy "enemy elements", especially Jews. The Einsatzgruppen massacred about 500,000 Jews in Ukraine. In January 1942, six death camps equipped with gas chambers and crematoria were set up in Poland (Treblinka, Sobibor, Majdanek, Auschwitz, Belzec), where Jews were taken from the western regions of Ukraine, as well as from other European countries. Before the destruction, a system of ghettos and Jewish residential quarters was created.

The creation of death camps was accompanied by the mass extermination of the ghetto population, of which there were more than 350 in Ukraine. almost all ghettos were liquidated, and their population was sent to death camps or shot on the spot. In general, about 1.6 million Jews died on the territory of Ukraine.

Conclusion. The "new order" established by the Nazis on the territory of occupied Ukraine brought devastation and suffering to its people. Millions of civilians became its victims. At the same time, the Ukrainian lands became the place where the tragedy of the Jewish people, the Holocaust, unfolded.

The Resistance Movement and its currents in Ukraine in the years

Second World War.

From the first days of the occupation, an anti-fascist struggle unfolded on the territory of Ukraine. There were two main currents of the resistance movement: communist(partisan detachments and the Soviet underground) and nationalist(OUN-UPA).

In the Soviet partisan movement, several stages of development can be distinguished.

At the beginning of the war, the main task was to organize the movement, gather forces and develop methods of warfare. Until the middle of 1943, the partisan movement stabilized, and after that it had a constant offensive character.

This development was due to objective reasons.

The military doctrine of the Soviet Union assumed the conduct of a war with little bloodshed on foreign territory. Therefore, guerrilla warfare was considered inappropriate, and in the 1930s. partisan bases in the border areas were liquidated.

The beginning of the war was marked by the rapid advance of the fascist troops across Ukraine, so entire units of Soviet troops ended up behind enemy lines. It was they who became the base of the Soviet partisan movement.

A feature of the partisan and underground movement in Ukraine was that in the first year of the war the actions of partisans and underground fighters were unorganized, there was a lack of trained command personnel and specialists. In 1941, partisans were armed only with rifles, carbines, revolvers, Molotov cocktails. There were few explosives and mines. Most of the partisans seized weapons from the enemy. In the formation of S. Kovpak, captured weapons accounted for 80% of all weapons.

A significant role in organizing the resistance movement was played by Soviet military organizational centers: Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement (TSSHPD) and Ukrainian headquarters of the partisan movement (UShPD, created in June 1942, headed by T. Strokach). Through the work of these centers, the Soviet leadership decided to raise the partisan movement to a higher level and turn it into a nationwide one. Partisan formations operated in Ukraine under the command of S. Kovpak(made a raid from Putivl to the Carpathians), A. Fedorova(Chernihiv region), A. Saburova(Sumy region, Right-bank Ukraine), M. Naumova(Sumy region). The communist and Komsomol underground operated in the cities of Ukraine.

In the decisive year of 1943, the partisan movement intensified significantly. Partisan actions coordinated with the actions of the Red Army. During the Battle of Kursk, the partisans carried out an operation "Rail War" - undermining echelons, railway and highway bridges. In the autumn of 1943, an operation was organized "Concert": enemy communications were blown up and railways disabled. The partisans acted actively, selflessly, organized sabotage, destroyed the invaders, and campaigned among the population.

From the territories liberated from the invaders, partisan detachments and formations carried out bold raids far beyond their borders. A prime example of this is Carpathian raid Kovpak's formation, which fought more than 750 km.

Along with the partisan formations, an active struggle was carried out by underground groups and organizations . Underground workers obtained important intelligence, organized sabotage at enterprises, transport, disrupted agricultural supplies.

Period the greatest rise of the partisan movement falls on early 1944 The liberation of the Right-Bank and Western Ukraine was accompanied by the intensification of the partisan struggle against the Nazi invaders. More than 350 underground organizations operated in Vinnitsa, Zhytomyr, Kamenetz-Podolsk, Kirovograd, Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions.

The resistance movement was also represented by a nationalist movement.

Representatives Ukrainian national movement created their own detachments on the territory of Western Ukraine (in Polesie and Volhynia) - Polissya Sich. They were formed T. Borovets (Bulba), who led partisan actions against the fascist invaders and Soviet partisans.

Representatives of the nationalist movement tried to restore the independence of Ukraine, fighting against the Nazis and against the Soviet troops. The political center of the nationalist movement was the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). Initially, the OUN tried to fight the Soviet troops with the help of the Nazis, but they opposed the OUN because of the organization's national ideas and its desire to create an independent Ukraine. October 14, 1942 OUN created a military organization - Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), led by R. Shukhevych (Taras Chuprinka). The UPA was the most organized military association of the Ukrainian nationalist movement.

In 1943 there was a political evolution of the views of the leaders of the OUN-UPA.

It was decided to fight for an independent state together with other enslaved peoples. Even the question of an alliance with the Soviet partisans to fight the invaders was considered. However, for the most part, the OUN-UPA and the Soviet partisans remained hostile to each other.

In 1944, with the approach of the Red Army to Galicia, the UPA entered into negotiations with the Germans, which ended in a compromise. The German army was supposed to help the OUN-UPA with weapons to fight the Red Army.

Thus, during the Second World War, the formations of the OUN fought for the restoration of Ukrainian statehood, playing the role of a "third force" that protects the interests of the Ukrainian people from two warring parties - the Soviet and Nazi.

After the liberation of Western Ukraine from the Nazi occupiers, Sovietization began. The OUN-UPA actively fought for the rights of the Ukrainian population against the Stalinist regime. In the early 1950s OUN-UPA was defeated.

OUN-UPA during World War II

The second largest organization resisting the occupation regime was the OUN-UPA (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Insurgent Army). It must be objectively admitted that this movement in an insignificant part was directed against the Nazi occupiers. It mainly acted against Soviet power. Repeatedly, OUN-UPA units entered into combat battles with the partisans and, especially, against the Soviet authorities in the post-war period, resolutely resisting further Sovietization of the western regions. Armed detachments and subunits were stationed in the western region, where they had the main base for replenishing their ranks and food supplies, and their leadership was from there.

This movement arose in 1940, when, on the recommendation of the government of the UNR in exile T. Borovets(pseudonym Taras Bulba) illegally moved to Polissya in the Rivne region. There he began the formation of armed units in order to fight against Soviet power, the Sovietization of the region, and local government. He managed to gather a fairly significant number of like-minded people who at one time served in the armed forces of the UNR, Poland, and the USSR. Armed detachments under the command of Bulba, who had previously had the pseudonym Bayda, were formed according to the territorial principle. The head team was at the head of the formation, the entire formation was united into a sich, which was called "Polesskaya Sich". In the region, a regional brigade was formed, in the region - a regiment, 2-5 villages - a kuren, a village - a hundred. The parent team was located in the city of Olevsk in the Zhytomyr region.

The first performances of the "Polessky Sich" date back to the beginning of the perfidious attack of fascist Germany on the USSR. But there were not enough officer cadres, and Bulba was trying to solve this problem by making contacts in August 1941 with the leaders of the OUN, who promised to help with officer cadres. The political manifesto "UPA-Polessky Sich" is published, placed in the press under the title "What is the Ukrainian Insurgent Army fighting for?" The manifesto testified that the "UPA-Polesskaya Sich" set the task of establishing the Ukrainian state, defending the economic interests of the working people.

From the very first days of the Nazi occupation, the UPA detachments were organizationally transformed into the so-called "militia" of Polesie. But the occupiers refused to grant the status of a nationalist armed formation, negotiations between the leadership of the UPA-Sich and representatives of the German military occupation administration did not lead to anything. Before that, there was a confrontation between two branches of the movement - the OUN-Melnikov OUN (M) and Bandera (first OUN (R), and then OUN (B). Initially, the letter "R" meant "revolutionary", then it was transformed into the prefix "Bandera").

As early as the beginning of 1940, there was a split between these branches on the question of tactics and methods of movement. As a result, Bandera killed hundreds of people of the Melnikov wing, the most significant representatives of the nationalist movement were shot by the Bandera security service. This enmity affected the scope of the nationalist movement for a long time.

However, the Bulbovites provided assistance to the Germans only in the initial period of the occupation and later switched to illegal activities. Since the spring of 1942, the armed formations of the Bulbovites have been transformed into partisan formations and are already functioning under the name "UPA", which are fighting both against the fascist invaders and against the Soviet partisans. They carry out attacks on various kinds of military installations, transport communications in the area of ​​Sarn, Kostopol, Rokytny, etc., and finally, the most significant operation in the Shepetovka area (August 1942), as a result of which the Upovtsy captured large military trophies.

There were other military formations of nationalists in Stanislav, Lvov and other western regions. In the fall of 1942, the leadership of the OUN(B) set out to create its own partisan army, which would fight both the German invaders and the Soviet and Polish formations. The formation of the OUN partisan movement begins with the detachment of S. Kachinsky, who operated in Polissya. This detachment was formed mainly from the Ukrainian police, whose members en masse went over to the OUN.

The newly formed military formation also received the name UPA. The official day of its creation is considered October 14, 1942. Over time, the armed formations of Borovets and the OUN (M) joined this partisan army. In the second half of 1943, a single organizational structure was created, a single headquarters, which was moved from Volhynia to the Lviv region. In August 1943, it was headed by R. Shukhevych, pseudonym Chuprinka, who combined the functions of the head of the OUN Central Wire S. Bandera and the commander-in-chief of the OUN-UPA. The OUN-UPA associations function: UPA-"North", UPA-"North West", UPA-"South", as well as UPA-"East" raiding the eastern regions. The purpose of the latter was to cover the eastern regions with the nationalist armed movement. This goal was not achieved.

It should be noted once again that, relying on the nationalist movement in the region, in Lvov, after the occupation by the Nazis of a significant territory of the western regions, and not only the western ones, on June 30, 1941, the government of Ukraine was created. An active nationalist Yaroslav Stetsko is elected its head, which has become, of course, a historical phenomenon. But Hitler did not like this, and he gave the order to liquidate the government. Stetsko was arrested, S. Bandera was sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp as a political leader of the OUN, its other RU leaders and members of the new government. As you can see, the Nazis did not allow an independent government in Ukraine and most resolutely suppressed any attempts in this direction. The invaders were not going to share power on the lands of Ukraine with anyone.

But the military formations of the OUN-UPA existed and acted. They remained after the expulsion of the Nazi invaders from the Ukrainian lands by the Red Army. Detachments of the OUN-UPA entered into hostilities with units and divisions of the Red Army. The lives of soldiers and officers are on their conscience, including the life of one of the most talented commanders of the period of the Patriotic War, the commander of the first Ukrainian front, General Vatutin, who was buried in the park opposite the building of the Supreme Council of Ukraine in the capital of the republic, Kiev.

The OUN-UPA waged a particularly active armed struggle against Soviet power in the western regions in the post-war period. This struggle on both sides was sometimes brutal. Sometimes it escalated into a real civil war. OUN members killed employees of local government bodies, the party and Komsomol apparatus, activists of public organizations, business executives, cultural enlightenment workers, even teachers and medical workers. Thousands of people died at the hands of the OUN-UPA. These figures total more than 40,000 people.

The OUN-UPA also suffered heavy losses. Only for connections with it, relatives of its members, and so on. in the post-war years, about 500 thousand people were deported. The number of members of the OUN-UPA at different times was different, but quite significant. The following figures are given: from 60 to 120 thousand. In total, about 400 thousand people passed through the OUN-UPA during its existence. Many died from among the command staff of the OUN-UPA, ordinary members. In March 1950 in the village. Belogorshcha, Bryukhovychi district, near Lviv, during an armed operation, the commander-in-chief of the OUN-UPA Shukhevych (Chuprinka) was killed. His successor V. Cook then went over to the side of the Soviet government.

V.I. Kravchenko, P.P. Panchenko. Ukraine in World War II (1939-1945). Modern vision, unknown facts. - Donetsk: CPA, 1998.

Liberation of Ukraine from Nazi invaders

1. The beginning of the expulsion of the occupiers from Ukraine

In the course of the general counter-offensive of the Red Army, from the end of December 1942, the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi invaders began. The first to enter the land of Ukraine were the troops of the 1st Guards Army under the command of General V. Kuznetsov, who on December 18, 1942. drove the invaders out of the village Petukhovka Melovsky district in the Lugansk region. On the same day, some other settlements of the Melovsky district were also liberated.

According to the plan of the Headquarters at the beginning of 1943. a powerful offensive of the Soviet troops began in the direction Donbass and Kharkov. The Red Army managed to liberate a number of north-eastern regions of the Donbass and the city of Kharkov, but the enemy launched powerful counterattacks and returned a number of territories of the Donbass and the city of Kharkov under their control. But, despite the setbacks, the strategic initiative remained on the side of the Red Army.

2. Continuation of the offensive of the Red Army in the Left-Bank Ukraine

The Battle of the Kursk Bulge (July 5 - August 23, 1943) was the completion of a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War and World War II. The victory in this battle opened up the opportunity for the Red Army a large-scale offensive along the entire southern direction of the Soviet-German front. August 23, 1943 was released Harkov city, almost completely destroyed by the invaders.

During the Donbass offensive operation (August 13 - September 22, 1943), the most important industrial centers of Donbass were liberated, and on September 8 - Stalin(modern Donetsk).

The command of the Wehrmacht in their plans expected that the river would become an insurmountable obstacle to the offensive of the Red Army. Dnieper, and called the defensive line created by the Nazi troops "Eastern Wall". The troops of the Red Army reached the Dnieper with a front from Kiev to Zaporozhye. On the night of September 21, 1943, the crossing of the Dnieper began - an epic of mass heroism of Soviet soldiers. October 14, 1943 was released Zaporozhye, the 25th of October - Dnepropetrovsk, a November 6, 1943 troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of General G. Vatutin liberated the capital of Ukraine from Nazi invaders Kiev.

3. Offensive operations of the Red Army in 1944. Completion of the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi invaders

At the beginning of 1944, the USSR entered the final period of the Great Patriotic War. The task before the Red Army was final release the territory of the USSR from the enemy troops, the complete defeat of Germany and its allies. The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command decided to inflict main blow against the enemy on the territory of the Right-Bank Ukraine, dismember and defeat his main forces and liberate the entire territory of the Right-Bank Ukraine and Crimea from the Nazi troops.

In the first half of 1944, Zhytomyr-Berdichevskaya, Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya, Nikopol-Kryvorizhskaya, Rivne-Lutskaya, Proskurovsko-Chernovitskaya, Umansko-Botoshanskaya, Odessa offensive operations were carried out on the territory of the Right-Bank Ukraine, during which the cities of Nikopol, Krivoy Rog were liberated , Rovno, Lutsk, Kherson, Nikolaev, Odessa and others. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front defeated the 8th German Army and left on March 26, 1944. To state border of the USSR, transferring hostilities to the territory of Romania - a satellite state of Nazi Germany.

On April 8, 1944, bloody battles for the Crimea began. April 11 Kerch was liberated, April 13 - Simferopol. On May 5, the assault on the Sevastopol fortifications of the enemy began. Particularly fierce battles unfolded on Breather-mountain. After a 9-hour assault, she was already in the hands of the Soviet troops. May 9, 1944 Sevastopol was liberated. May 12 Crimea was completely released from the Nazi troops.

In the summer and autumn of 1944, the liberation of the territory of Ukraine from the Nazi invaders was completed. As a result of the successful implementation of the Lvov-Sandomierz, Yassy-Kishinev, Carpathian-Uzhgorod operations, the Lvov and Izmail regions were liberated by the troops of the Red Army. October 28, 1944 Transcarpathian was liberated Ukraine.

The battle for the liberation of Ukraine, which lasted 680 days, became milestone on the way to victory over Nazi Germany and its allies.

4. Heroes-liberators of Ukraine

The liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi invaders became possible thanks to the bravery, courage, self-sacrifice of the heroes-liberators. Especially cruel and bloody battles took place in the autumn of 1943. during the liberation from the invaders of Kiev. For the Kiev offensive operation, 2438 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of soldiers received high state awards. Among them N. Sholudenko, whose tank was the first to break into Kiev. In 1943-1944. Ukraine was liberated from the invaders by four Ukrainian fronts, which were respectively headed by the famous commanders G. Vatutin, I. Konev, R. Malinovsky, F. Tolbukhin. A significant contribution to the liberation of Ukraine was made by the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, General of the Army G. Vatutin. During the Great Patriotic War, he commanded the troops of the Voronezh, South-Western and I Ukrainian fronts. His troops liberated Kharkov, Kiev, crossed the Dnieper. February 29, 1944 in a skirmish with UPA soldiers, G. Vatutin was wounded, from which he died on April 15. He was buried in Kiev, where a monument was erected to him. Great assistance to the advancing units of the Soviet army, which liberated the Ukrainian lands, was provided by partisan formations under the command of S. Kovpak, A. Saburovaya, A. Fedorov, M. Naumov.

During the war, about 2.5 million Ukrainian soldiers were awarded orders and medals, more than 2 thousand soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, of which I. Kozhedub was awarded this title three times, D. Glinka, S. Suprun, O. Molodchiy, P. Taran. 97 Ukrainian partisans and underground fighters became heroes of the Soviet Union, of which S. Kovpak and A. Fedorov - twice. About 4,000 Soviet soldiers representing 40 nationalities of the USSR were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for their courage and courage shown during the battles for the liberation of the territory of Ukraine.

After the Battle of Kursk, Soviet troops finally seized the strategic initiative and set about liberating Ukraine. In November 1943, Kiev was cleared of the Germans, after which, in the first half of 1944, the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky and Lvov-Sandomierz operations were carried out to liberate territories west of the Dnieper. At this time, the Red Army faced the detachments of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)*.

Liberate Ukraine

After the defeat of the Nazis on the Kursk Bulge in the summer of 1943, the Red Army was rapidly approaching the Dnieper. The Germans hastily fortified their positions. The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) *, one of the leaders of which was Stepan Bandera, was also preparing to repel the offensive of the Soviet troops. For these purposes, a hasty mobilization of the armed wing of the organization was carried out - the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (an extremist organization now banned in Russia).

Its backbone was made up of immigrants from Western Ukraine, who shared nationalist ideas and professed radical anti-Sovietism. Organizationally, the UPA was divided into several subdivisions autonomous from each other: "West" (Lviv region), "North" (Volyn) and "East". The main combat units were battalions (300-500 fighters) and companies (100-150 people), as well as platoons of 30-40 soldiers. They were armed with rifles, machine guns, and even Hungarian tankettes and anti-tank guns.

According to historians, by January 1944, that is, by the time the Red Army began operations in Right-Bank Ukraine, the number of UPA * was about 80 thousand people. Of these, about 30 thousand were constantly under arms, the rest were dispersed in villages and cities and were involved in combat operations as needed.

Units of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Army General Nikolai Vatutin were the first to enter the battle with Bandera. The nationalists initially tried not to get involved in major clashes with the Red Army, preferring the tactics of small attacks.

War on a grand scale

This went on for several months, until on March 27, near the village of Lipki in the Rivne region, Soviet troops surrounded two battalions of Bandera. The battle lasted about six hours. About 400 bandits were killed on the spot, and the rest were pushed back to the river.

When trying to swim across it, about 90 people drowned, only nine people were captured by the Red Army - all that was left of two UPA * battalions. The report addressed to Joseph Stalin said that one of the commanders, nicknamed Gamal, was identified among the corpses.

Another major battle took place two days later near the village of Baskino in the same Rivne region. Bandera detachment of several hundred people was taken by surprise by the Soviet soldiers. The bandits of the UPA * were pushed back to the river and began crossing. And everything would be fine, but on the opposite bank an auxiliary company of Red Army soldiers was waiting for them. As a result, the losses of the nationalists amounted to more than 100 people.

climax

But the largest battle between the Red Army and the UPA * took place on April 21-25, 1944 near the Gurba tract of the Rivne region. The battle was preceded by an attack by Bandera at the end of February on General Vatutin, as a result of which he died. To deal with the armed detachments of the nationalists, the 1st Ukrainian Front, which after the death of Vatutin was commanded by Georgy Zhukov, allocated an additional one cavalry division, artillery and eight tanks.

On the part of the UPA *, detachments of the "North" unit with a total number of about five thousand people took part in the battle. The Soviet troops had a significant superiority, having 25-30 thousand fighters. As for the tanks, according to some sources, there were eight of them, according to other sources, the Soviet command used 15 armored vehicles. There is also data on the use of aviation by the Red Army. Despite the numerical advantage of the Soviet units, on the side of the Bandera there was an excellent knowledge of the area and, to a certain extent, the help of the local population.

The battle itself was an attempt to break through the main forces of Bandera through the front line to the territory controlled by the German army. Continuing for several days, the battle eventually ended in a decisive victory for the Red Army. More than two thousand UPA* soldiers were destroyed, about one and a half thousand were taken prisoner. The losses of the Soviet troops amounted to about a thousand people killed and wounded. Despite the fact that the remaining Bandera were able to break through to the Germans, the backbone of the "North" unit was defeated. This greatly facilitated the task of further liberation of Western Ukraine.

Another major operation against Bandera was carried out by the Red Army at the height of the Lvov-Sandomierz operation. On August 22-27, Soviet rifle and cavalry units raided the fortified points and camps of the UPA * in the Lvov region. More than 3.2 thousand bandits were destroyed, more than a thousand were captured. The Soviet troops got an armored personnel carrier, a car, 21 machine guns and five mortars as trophies.

Bulk War

In 1945, at the last stage of the Great Patriotic War, when the front line had gone far to the west, the so-called battling tactics were mainly used against the "deficits". Its essence was that first reconnaissance in force was carried out in order to call the nationalist forces into open battle. When they were drawn in, the main Soviet forces stepped in. Such tactics were much more effective than searching for armed bandits in the mountains and forests.

Round-up operations were also sometimes carried out on a grand scale. So, in April 1945, a 50,000-strong group under the command of General Mikhail Marchenkov defeated the UPA * forces in the Carpathian region on the line of the new Soviet-Polish border. More than a thousand Bandera people were killed, several thousand were arrested.

After the end of the war, the surviving nationalists finally switched to the tactics of guerrilla warfare. It was possible to put an end to the Bandera underground only by the beginning of the 1950s.

*prohibited organization in the Russian Federation

Impregnated with a right-wing radical variety of quilting, characteristic, alas, not only of Russian imperial chauvinists.

This post expresses "deep sorrow" over the fact that England and the United States "did not agree with Hitler in 1944", and extols the Nazi lackeys from the UVV (Ukrainian Vizvolne Viysko \ Ukrainian Liberation Army - a propaganda phantom, since in reality there is no " Ukrainian army" did not exist on the side of Germany) - the Ukrainian units of the Wehrmacht, which fought against the Anglo-American troops and French partisans, who liberated France from Nazi occupation. That is, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE UPA and fight on THEIR soil in THEIR national army against the occupiers of Ukraine - they preferred to serve in the FOREIGN army of the totalitarian occupying state, which destroyed Ukrainians by the millions, on FOREIGN land, being in the position of disenfranchised mercenaries, defending Buchenwald and Auschwitz and fight against the people who fought for the liberation of Europe.

In principle, here we are dealing with a clear example of a wadded variety of radical nationalism and an ultra-right form of Western phobia. Since a person who takes an anti-American and pro-Nazi position on WWII is no different from a modern Russian fighter against the "damned West", a hater of "Pindostana" and a lover to cry about the "injustice of American hegemony." Anti-Americanism, Anglophobia and Westernophobia in any form turns a person of "right" convictions into burnt cotton wool, from which comes a bitter fragrant smoke of conservatism, archaism and obscurantism.

Shame on you gentlemen. :(

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For the sake of justice.

1. Russian, Belarusian, Cossack, Central Asian and Caucasian collaborators who participated in battles with allies and anti-Nazi resistance fighters in European countries deserve the same condemnation as Ukrainians, although Russians and Caucasians, unlike Ukrainians and Belarusians, did not have their own Third force. The participation of the Russian battalions of the Wehrmacht and the SS in military operations and punitive actions against the Anglo-American troops, as well as French, Dutch, Belgian and Italian partisans is one of the most shameful and shameful pages in the history of the Russian anti-communist movement and the ROA, as part of the future officers and soldiers of the Vlasov army were the commanders of these battalions and their platoons and companies (in particular, the notorious S.K. Bunyachenko). Some of Vlasov's closest associates and future employees of the KONR Armed Forces headquarters (in particular, G. Zhilenkov and V. Malyshkin) were engaged in anti-Allied propaganda in the pro-Vlasov press and Russian volunteer units, which, however, was almost completely curtailed by the time the KONR was created in November 1944.

However, most of the soldiers and officers of the ROA (AF KONR), and employees of the Vlasov headquarters still did not get dirty in these shameful actions.

2. There can be no moral and ethical claims to the airborne troops who died in 1941-1943 on the eastern front, before the creation of the UPA, or who were not able to join it due to the fact that they were stationed far from its combat zone, just like the soldiers of the Russian, Belarusian, Cossack and Caucasian units of the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe.

3. The UVV fighters who went over to the side of the UPA are undoubtedly the national heroes of Ukraine.

4. A significant part of the Ukrainians who served in the volunteer units of the German armed forces in France went over to the side of the French resistance. It was the Ukrainians who took the first place in desertion from the German army among all the peoples of the USSR and the former Republic of Ingushetia, which undoubtedly does them credit - both on the eastern and on the western front.

For example, on August 27, 1944, two Ukrainian battalions at once from the "2nd Russian SS Division" ("Siegling") - which was formed in July 1944, had a mixed Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian composition and was transferred to France in mid-August - went over to the side of the French resistance, which thus appeared two large Ukrainian units with a mixed Ukrainian-French military command, who fought under the Ukrainian national flag: the 1st Kuren (battalion) named after. Ivan Bohun (820 fighters) and the 2nd Kuren named after. Taras Shevchenko (491 fighters). Before they got into the "2nd Russian SS Division", Ukrainian soldiers from the two above-mentioned units served in the 102nd (future Kuren named after Ivan Bohun), 115th and 118th (future Kuren named after Taras Shevchenko) Schutzmannschaft battalions who were poured into the division. In the first half of September, Ukrainians from other parts of the Wehrmacht and the SS went over to the side of these kurens.

In late September-early October 1944, both kurens were disbanded under pressure from the USSR, as open anti-Soviet propaganda was carried out in them, and among the soldiers and officers there were many members and supporters of the OUN Melnyk (the Taras Shevchenko kuren was commanded by a UNR army veteran Negrebitsky - former commander of the 2nd company of the 118th Schutzmannschaft Battalion). Most of the soldiers and officers of both units categorically refused to be repatriated to the USSR and were rescued by their French comrades - 230 Kuren fighters named after. Taras Shevchenko continued to fight for France as part of the French Foreign Legion, the other part integrated into civilian life in French cities liberated from the Nazis. Some soldiers and officers were subsequently extradited to the Soviet side after evidence of their complicity in war crimes in the occupied territories of Ukraine and Belarus (for which there were indeed serious reasons), while some of the criminals managed to avoid extradition, having lived to a ripe old age. Part of the "Shevchenko" and "Bogunov" emigrated to Canada and the United States.

It is curious to note that most of the Russian and Belarusian soldiers of this formation remained on the side of the Germans, took an active part in the battles with the Anglo-Americans and the French, suffered huge losses, and their remnants (about 3,500 people) were included in the 1st division of the KONR Armed Forces (ROA) at the end of 1944.

However, the majority of nationalist-minded natives of the Western Belarusian lands (who were a minority compared to Belarusians from the southeastern and central regions, often pro-Russian, although anti-Soviet), among whom there were many supporters of the BNP (Belarusian Independent Party - the Belarusian analogue of the OUN), followed suit Ukrainians and went over to the side of the French partisans, and later were included in the Anders Army and participated in the liberation of Italy.

In total, in the "2nd Russian SS division" out of 11,600 personnel, Belarusians accounted for about 7 thousand, while by the beginning of September there were practically no Ukrainians left in it. By December 1944, due to the colossal losses and mass transfers of soldiers to the side of the enemy, the composition of the division was reduced to 4400 fighters.

5. About 80,000 Ukrainians fought in the US Army during World War II. There are about 40,000 in the Canadian army. In 1940, thousands of Ukrainians defended France from German aggression. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians fought in the French, Italian, Belgian, Dutch and Czech Resistance (there were especially many Ukrainians among the French partisans).

Ukraine has someone and something to be proud of. Do not dishonor a great nation by glorifying Nazi mercenaries.

Germans and Ukrainian soldiers of the UVV (the second soldier (from left to right) has a yellow UVV chevron on his sleeve)

Fighters Kuren them. Ivan Bohun together with the French partisans

Ukrainians in the Canadian Forces

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ukrainian collaborationism- cooperation of Ukrainian nationalist organizations and individual ethnic Ukrainians (citizens of the USSR, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, as well as emigrants) with Nazi Germany during World War II.

In the case file of the Canadian Commission on War Criminals, as an argument for the entry of a significant number of volunteers from Galicia into the ranks of the SS, it was indicated:

They volunteered to join the division not because they loved the Germans - but because they hated the Russians and communist tyranny.

(meaning the SS Volunteer Division "Galicia", in which over a month and a half of 1943 more than 80 thousand volunteers from Galicia signed up (about 63 thousand from the district of Lemberg, and about 19 thousand from the district of Krakow).

The scale of Ukrainian collaborationism (as well as collaborationism of other peoples of the USSR) was one of the mysteries of the Soviet post-war ideology for a long time. At the same time, according to the data of the German command and estimates of Russian historians, only the number of Ukrainian legionnaires who were part of the armed formations on the side of Germany (Wehrmacht, SS troops, police) was 250 thousand (and was the second largest after the Russians - more than 300 thousand .).

After the start of the Great Patriotic War

The personnel of the Brandenburg 800 regiment, the Roland and Nachtigal battalions took part in the hostilities in the occupied territories of the USSR.

Lvov events in June-July 1941

The involvement of the Nachtigal battalion in the repressions and murders of civilians in Lviv (including the destruction of about three thousand Soviet activists on July 1-6, 1941, the Jewish pogrom and the Massacre of Lviv professors, in particular) remains a debatable issue.

Actions of the OUN (b) in the occupied territory

Since the beginning of the war, the OUN(b) militants on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR were tasked by the OUN(b) leadership to “kill commanders and political officers”, “sabotage the actions of the administration, spread disinformation and sow panic, disrupt mobilization, attack military barracks and garrisons, warehouses and nodes communications, ensure the disruption of telephone and telegraph communications, the destruction of bridges and the creation of blockages on the roads, the destruction of transport. Captured Russians were to be handed over to the German administration or liquidated, while “political officers, communists and NKVDs” were to be liquidated on the spot. The surviving reports of the OUN(b) show that these instructions were carried out with great initiative.

The SD report of the end of October 1941 notes that the OUN (b) activists who arrived on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR (within the borders before 1939), along with the formation of the administration, the police, the destruction of communists and Jews, and others, are actively promoting their ideas. A report from the beginning of November speaks of the negative attitude of the population towards such groups, and their actions cause "unnecessary tension" and "have a negative impact on the authority of the only possible German government." The most active members of such groups were arrested and sent back to the General Government.

"Ukrainian Power", proclaimed on June 30, 1941

In the rear of the advanced units of the German troops, with a group of supporters, the first deputy head of the OUN (b) S. Bandera, Yaroslav Stetsko, arrived in Lvov, where the latter convened the “Ukrainian National Assemblies”, which proclaimed on June 30, 1941 the “Ukrainian State”, which, together with Great Germany planned to establish a new order around the world. J. Stetsko became chairman of the government of the newly proclaimed state (Ukrainian State Board). In July 1941, the "Government" of the "union state" issued a declaration stating:

Ukrainian National Revolutionary Army

Security Service of the OUN in Lviv

Archpriest Father Tabinsky informs us: our police are now carrying out numerous arrests of Jews with the German authorities. Before liquidation, the Jews defend themselves by all means, primarily with money. According to Father Tabinsky's information, among our policemen there are those who release Jews for gold or money, they should be arrested. We do not have any specific data, but we are passing it on to you for your information and future reference.

Glory to Ukraine.

Organization of Ukrainian nationalists.
Main propaganda department.

Since the autumn of 1941, the OUN (b) has been paying attention to filling the Ukrainian auxiliary police with its supporters not only in the west, but also in the east of Ukraine - “Ukrainian nationally conscious youth should enroll in the cadres of the Ukrainian police en masse voluntarily” in Eastern Ukrainian lands. It was the units of the Ukrainian police (4-6 thousand) that became an important part of the formation of the UPA in the spring of 1943.
The Ukrainian militia was widely involved in the destruction of Soviet citizens, and above all Jews, gypsies and communists. So, by the end of the autumn of 1941, these formations took an active part in the destruction of 150 to 200 thousand Jews only on the territory of the Reichskommissariat Ukraine. In 1942 they continued to participate in the extermination of the Jewish population in the western and eastern regions of Ukraine -. They were also part of the guards of concentration camps for prisoners of war and Jewish ghettos.

Ukrainian formations of the security police (Schutzmannschaft)

From among the prisoners of war of the Red Army, representing different peoples of the USSR, and Ukrainian collaborators, not least from the personnel of the Kiev and Bukovina kurens, battalions of the Ukrainian security police (Schutzmanschaft-battalions or "noise") were formed under the numbers 109, 114, , 116, 117 and . Their main purpose was the fight against Soviet partisans.

Especially for the armed struggle against the Belarusian partisans from among the legionnaires "Nachtigall" and "Roland" at the end of October 1941, the 201st Schutzmannschaft Battalion was formed, commanded by Major Pobeguschey (ukr.)Russian, his deputy was Roman Shukhevych. In mid-March 1942, the battalion was transferred to Belarus. Here it became known as a unit of the 201st Police Division, which, together with other brigades and battalions, operated under the leadership of SS-Obergruppenführer E. von dem Bach-Zelewski. On account of the 201st battalion - dozens of burned Belarusian farms and villages.

Other security battalions (202-208), formed in Galicia from Ukrainian Galicians, participated in the executions of Soviet citizens in Zolochev, Ternopil, Satanov, Vinnitsa and in other cities and villages of Ukraine and Belarus.

The 50th Ukrainian security battalion participated in the anti-partisan operation on the territory of Belarus "Winter magic" (German. Winterzauber) in the triangle Sebezh - Osveya - Polotsk , carried out in February - March . During this operation, 158 settlements were looted and burned, including villages burned along with people: Ambrazeevo, Aniskovo, Bula, Zhernoseki, Kalyuty, Konstantinovo, Paporotnoye, Sokolovo.

The 54th Ukrainian police battalion under the command of Major Hannifeld in October 1942, together with the Dirlewanger Sonderkommando, participated in the "pacification of the area" along the Belynichi-Berezino road, and then around Cherven. In 1943, he participated in Operation Cottbus, after which he was included in the 31st police regiment.

The 57th Ukrainian police battalion in May 1943 took part in the punitive operation "Lightning", in particular, in the destruction of the village of Zastarinye, Novogrudok district. All the inhabitants of the village were herded into houses and burned. 287 people and 108 houses were destroyed. The same fate befell the villages of Zapolye and Yatra. By order of Gottberg dated June 24, 1943, the battalion was sent to Baranovichi "to destroy the gangs that appeared there."

Ukrainian battalions participated in the protection of 50 Jewish ghettos and 150 large camps created by the occupiers in Ukraine, as well as in the deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto in July. The Ukrainian police participated in the liquidation of the Jewish population in Chudnov (500 people, October 16, 1941), in Radomyshl and Belaya Tserkov, Ukrainian police destroyed Jewish children. In Dubno, on October 5, 1942, Ukrainian police shot 5,000 Jews.

The attitude of the Ukrainian population to cooperation with the Nazis

With the invasion of German troops and their allies into the territory of the Ukrainian SSR (within the borders until September 1939), the reports of the SD and the "OUN marching groups" note a sharp contrast - if solemn arches were built for the German troops in the former Polish territories, the majority of the Ukrainian population welcomed them as liberators, and in many settlements of Galicia, Soviet power was liquidated even before the Germans entered them, then in the settlements of Soviet Ukraine this practically did not happen. The mood of the Ukrainian population towards the newcomers ranged from apathy to hidden hatred. Only a few supporters and members of various anti-Bolshevik formations and parties of 1917-1921 remaining on Soviet territory languidly supported what was happening. While in a number of regions of Western Ukraine, the local population continued to catch “encircled, communists and Jews” in the forests, in Soviet Ukraine, local residents were executed, who sheltered and assisted the partisans and encircled. In the autumn of 1941, SD reports from the Reichskommissariat "Ukraine" regularly indicated the liquidation of detachments and groups of "Bolshevik partisans" and "Bolshevik agents who infiltrated the administration with the aim of sabotage." Messages from the General Government, among other things, reported that calm had been achieved after the cessation of the active struggle for power between the OUN (b) and OUN (m). With the advent of German troops on the territory of Ukraine, after the start of the war between Germany and the USSR, the Ukrainian liberation organizations, which cherished the hope of obtaining the state independence of Ukraine, in one way or another cooperated at a certain time with German public or military bodies. But soon (at least already in 1942-43) it became clear that the German government turned out to be even worse than the government of the times of the USSR. Great hopes were pinned on the unauthorized proclamation on June 30, 1941 in Lvov by the OUN (b) of the "Act of the Resumption of the Ukrainian State", which renewed the Ukrainian State (in allied relations with Germany) and created the Ukrainian national government (Ukrainian State Board) headed by Yaroslav Stetsko . But this attempt, despite its rather loyal attitude towards Germany, was perceived more than hostilely: already on 07/04/1941, this Act was canceled by the Germans, and Stepan Bandera and Yaroslav Stetsko, after their refusal to revoke the Act, were arrested and deported to Germany, where they kept until 1944 in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. At the same time, in 1941-1943. 621 members of the OUN were shot in Babi Yar, among them the famous Ukrainian poetess Elena Teliga and her husband. Stepan Bandera's two brothers, Alexander and Vasily, died in the Auschwitz concentration camp. The Germans shot many local and village chairmen, who at first were ready to cooperate with them. Also, the first burgomaster of Kiev, Alexander Ogloblin, was removed a month after his appointment to this position - for "excessive" propaganda of Ukrainian national culture, and the second - Volodymyr Bagaziy - four months later the Germans shot him at Babi Yar. The Nazi policy of the German occupation regime was aimed at weakening all potential factors of national independence that could become components of the liberation movement. This was manifested, for example, in the limitation of general education to four grades of school, the reduction of higher levels of education to narrowly specialized practical professions, the suppression of amateur manifestations of the cultural initiative of the Ukrainian population (for example, Enlightenment, the publishing movement), the closure of scientific institutions, libraries and museums, and their robbery, primitivization of the cultural level of the press, theaters, and the like. The weakening of the capacity of the population was achieved by starvation, the restriction of sanitary and medical services, and inhuman treatment of Ukrainian workers deported to Germany (approximately 1.5 million people). ) and Soviet prisoners of war, as well as mass executions of various groups of the population for actual or imaginary support for the resistance movement. Appearing at the beginning of 1942, the UPA chooses the path of resistance to a totalitarian state. The UPA attracts cadres of the OUN (b), Polessky Sich, former collaborators into its ranks, and, over time, turns into a powerful force of resistance in Ukraine.

UPA-OUN(b)

• see also UPA
• see also OUN(b)

The start of negotiations and the establishment of ties between the German side and the OUN-UPA falls on the end of 1943. On January 29, 1944, the commander of the 13th Wehrmacht Army Corps noted that “in recent days, the nationalist gangs have been looking for contact with the German troops” and in the event of “achieving in the negotiations of the consent of the latter to conduct their battles exclusively against the Red Army and the Soviet and Polish partisans, they were allowed to transfer a small amount of weapons and ammunition. This approach was also approved by the command of the 4th Panzer Army, which included the corps. The cooperation of the Germans and the UPA is also confirmed by the reports of the Soviet partisans. Since February 1944, UPA detachments, together with units of the SS Galicia division, have been fighting Soviet and Polish partisans in the territories of the Galicia district.

In March-May 1944, negotiations were held in Lvov between the OUN representative and representatives of the police and SD of the General Government to agree on the details of cooperation. On March 9, 1944, the order of the UPA-North group notes: “Today there is one less enemy. We are fighting against Moscow imperialism, against the party, the NKVD and their servants, who are ready to help every enemy of the Ukrainian people - the Poles.

On April 19, 1944, a meeting of the Abwehrkommandos 101, 102 and 305 of the Army Group "South" was held in Lvov, at which the fact of receiving valuable intelligence information from the UPA and OUN was positively assessed.

At the beginning of 1944, in a message sent to the head of the Werwolf network, SS Obergruppenführer Hans Prützmann, it was noted: “... the UPA systematically sends agents to the occupied enemy territory, the intelligence results are transmitted to Department 1s of the Army Group on the Southern Front.”

By the autumn of 1944, the Germans released S. Bandera and J. Stetsko with a group of previously detained OUN (b) and OUN (m) leaders. The German press publishes numerous articles about the successes of the UPA in the fight against the Bolsheviks, calling the members of the UPA "Ukrainian freedom fighters".

For the supply of weapons and equipment, an air bridge is being organized, through which OUN (b) leaders and German saboteurs are transferred to the areas of operation of the OUN-UPA.

Ukrainians in the paramilitaries of the Third Reich

SS division "Galicia"

14th SS Grenadier Division "Galicia" (1st Ukrainian), which received this name on November 12, 1944 after the liquidation of the Slovak uprising, is known in literature and modern media under the abbreviated name " SS division "Galicia"". Along with the 13th SS division, it is the first SS division to be recruited from "non-Nordic" volunteers from the Galicia district of the Governor General - Galician Ukrainians. The formation of the division took place with the active support of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which sent chaplains to its ranks. An excess of volunteers (from 80 to 91 thousand) made it possible to form the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th SS volunteer regiments and the 204th SS battalion, some of which were later used to recreate the division after it was destroyed near Brody in July 1944. Division units from the autumn of 1943 they participated in the anti-partisan war throughout Europe. In February 1944, two combat groups were formed from the division, sent for anti-partisan operations in the district of Galicia, together with the 4th and 5th regiments of the SS "Galicia", already operating in the region.

In mid-July 1944, the division of the first set was destroyed in the Brody boiler. At the end of September 1944, the combat-ready part of the newly formed division was transferred to the suppression of the Slovak uprising, by mid-October 1944 it was involved in Slovakia in full force. At the beginning of 1945, the division was transferred to the Austro-Slovenian border, where it fought against the Yugoslav partisans. In mid-March, the division was supposed to be disarmed, transferring its weapons to the German unit being formed, but the rapid advance of the Red Army forced it to be transferred to the front, where it operated with the 1st German cavalry corps and, before capitulation, was subordinate to the 4th SS Panzer Corps. In the last days of April 1945, the division formally became the 1st Ukrainian division of the Ukrainian National Army, although it still had its former name on German maps. Between May 8 and 11, 1945, parts of the division surrendered to American and British troops.

Post-war developments

The Ukrainian soldiers of the division who were captured by the British were separated from the Germans and placed in a camp in the vicinity of Rimini (Italy). Due to the intervention of the Vatican, which regarded the soldiers of the division as "good Catholics and devoted anti-communists", their status was changed by the British from "prisoners of war" to "surrendered enemy personnel". When surrendering, the members of the division claimed that they were not Ukrainians, but Galicians, and this fact served as a formal reason for refusing to extradite them, despite repeated requests and demands from the Soviet side. In 1948, in the British zone of occupation, the search for Nazi criminals was stopped, and all forces were thrown into the search for "red spies and agents."

Also at the Nuremberg Trials, members and agents of the SD guilty of war crimes were convicted, regardless of whether they were technically members of the SS or not. The 4-8 regiments of the division, which became the basis of its new formation in the fall of 1944, as well as the 204 security battalion and the 31 SD battalion, which became part of it in 1944-1945, were subordinate to the SS and SD, so their members formally fit this definition.

Personalities

Western Ukraine (District Galicia)

"Melnikovtsy":

• Roman Sushko - commander of the Wehrmacht unit Military detachments of nationalists (German. Bergbauernhilfe, informally Ukrainian legion, also Legion Sushko)

"Banderites":

• Mikola Lebed (Maxim Ruban)
• Roman Shukhevych (Taras Chuprinka)

• Taras Borovets (Taras Bulba)

Naddnipriansk Ukraine (Reichskommissariat Ukraine)

• Alexander Ogloblin - historian, burgomaster of Kiev
• Volodymyr Bagaziy - OUN activist, burgomaster of Kiev
• Mykola Velichkovsky - professor, head of the Ukrainian National Council
• Konstantin Shteppa - professor, rector of KSU during the years of occupation, editor of the newspaper "New Ukrainian word" (Kyiv)
• Ivan Kavaleridze - sculptor, director, employee of the Kiev Council
• Semyon Pidgayny - burgomaster
• Orest Masikevich - burgomaster of Nikolaev, poet, active participant in the Bukovina kuren
• Fedor Bogatyrchuk - chess player, physician, head of the Ukrainian Red Cross during the years of occupation
• Ivan Rogach - publicist, editor of the newspaper "Ukrainian Word" (Kyiv)
• Vsevolod Blumenthal-Tamarin - actor, played in propaganda performances, German radio announcer
• Leonty Forostovsky - mayor of Kiev
• Oleksiy Kramarenko - professor, first burgomaster of Kharkiv
• Alexander Semenenko - lawyer, second mayor of Kharkov
• Pavel Kozakevich - chemist, the last mayor of Kharkov
• Ulas Samchuk - famous writer and publicist, editor-in-chief of the Volyn newspaper (Rivne)
• Pyotr Zakhvalynsky - commander of the Kiev kuren
• F. Borkovsky - Mayor of Poltava
• P. T. Sokolovsky - mayor of Dnepropetrovsk
• Kirill Osmak - President of the Ukrainian Main Liberation Council
• Anatoly Kabaida - Chief of Police in Kiev
• Stepan Sulyatitsky - centurion, employee of the SD.
• Andrey Orlyk - the first commandant of the Kiev police, dismissed from the police and later killed.
• Viktor Domontovich - writer and publicist in occupation and exile, Soviet intelligence officer.
• The brothers Omelyanovich-Pavlenko, Ivan and Mikhail are generals of the UNR army, who during the war years held senior positions in the occupation police.
• Pavlo Shandruk - SS Brigadeführer, head of the "Ukrainian National Committee"

see also

• Soviet-German cooperation in the period before World War II

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Links

• Dyukov A. R.
• (English) (unavailable link)
• Agency for Strategic Achievements
• .

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Notes

1. , .
2. Commission of Inquiry on War Crimes" by Honorable Justice Jules Deschenes, Commissioner - Ottawa, Dec. 30, 1986 - p. 252.
3. Gareev M. A. About figures old and new // Military Historical Journal 1991. No. 4. P. 49.
4. Kirsanov N. A., Drobyazko S. I. The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: national and volunteer formations on different sides of the front // Patriotic history. - 2001., - No. 6. S. 68.
5. Dії "Nakhtigal" and "Roland"// Maslovsky V.I. Whom and against whom did the Ukrainian nationalists fight in the fates of the Other World War? - M., 1999. - S.24. (ukr.)
6. , pp. 115-117, 468 - the Moscow husband is full of nimtsam, zgl[yadno] liquidation. Political instructors and knowledgeable communists and Muscovites liquidated. The same (deshcho better) with parts of the NKVD ..
7. The organization can “adhere to the minds of minds and try to respond to the future needs of Ukraine. Ukrainian nationalists will take an active part in the successive practice in all areas of national life. The OUN is not going - in spite of the provocative news of the shkіdnikіv ukraїnskoi ї pravitel - to the substantive struggle against Nіmechchini. The OUN will be represented in all ways in the wake of unorganized, sensitive reaction, which will allow any political realism and the perceived malaise of the current situation, in the best of times, you can bear the great Ukrainian justice. historical. magazine, 2004. - No. 5. - S. 84−85. - ISSN 0130-5247.
8. "Ukraine under Nazi Rule (1941-1944): Sources and Finding Aids" // Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas, 1997. - vol. 45, no. 1&nr. 2, pp. 85-103, 273-309.
10. the text of the act published in the newspaper Samostiyna Ukraina (Stanislavov) on July 10, 1941
11. , .
12. , S. 215.
13. , .
14. , S. 389..
15. , .
16. International Military Tribunal Volume III p.564 Prosecution Testimony USA-290 (Document 3257-PS)
17. International Military Tribunal Prosecution Evidence US-494 (Document 2992-PS)
18. A.Lytvyn. Ukrainian police battalions on the territory of Belarus // Proceedings of the conference "The Great Patriotic War. History and Modernity". - Lugansk, 2008.- P.60.
19. Martin C Dean. The German Gendarmerie, the Ukrainian Schutzmannschaft and the ‘Second Wave’ of Jewish Killings in Occupied Ukraine: German Policing at the Local Level in the Zhitomir Region, 1941−1944
20. Prusin, Alexander Victor. A Community of Violence: The SiPo/SD and Its Role in the Nazi Terror System in Generalbezirk Kiew
21. Dieter Pohl, Nationalsozialistische Judenverfolgung in Ostgalizien 1941-1944, Munchen 1996
22. Yavorivskiy V. Eternal Kortelis - K., 1988.
23. Die faschistiche Okkupationspolitik in den zeituweilig besetzen Gebeiten der Sowijetunon (1941-1944) (Berlin: Deutscher Verlag der Wissrnschafen, 1991
24. A.Lytvyn. Ukrainian police battalions on the territory of Belarus // Proceedings of the conference "The Great Patriotic War. History and Modernity". - Lugansk, 2008.- P.69.
25. A.Lytvyn. Ukrainian police battalions on the territory of Belarus // Proceedings of the conference "The Great Patriotic War. History and Modernity". - Lugansk, 2008.- P.70.
26. Martin Dean. Collaboration in the Holocaust: Crimes of the Local Police in Belorussia and Ukraine, 1941−1944 - London: Macmillan, 1999.
27. Babi Yar: man, power, history. − Doc. and mat. in 5 volumes. - K., 2004. - T. 1. - S. 91, 138, 140, 260, 261, etc.
29. Jews in Ukraine. Educational materials. − Compiled by I. B. Kabanchik. - Lvov, 2004. - S. 189.
31. Berkhoff K. C. and M. Carynnyk The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and Its Attitude towards Germans and Jews: Iaroslav Stets’ko’s 1941 Zhyttiepys // Harvard Ukrainian Studies, vol. 23 (1999), no. 3/4, pp. 149-184. (English)
32. .
33. , .
34. , .
35. , .
36. Burds, Jeffrey.(English) . // Cahiers du Monde russe, 42/2-3-4, Avril-decembre 2001, pp. 279−320(unavailable link - story) . - p. 291. Retrieved December 15, 2012. .
37. Martovych O. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). - Munchen, 1950 p.20
38. , .
39. , p. 135..
40. (English) . - His Majesty's Stationery Office (1951). - ("Indictment of the International Military Tribunal for the Chief German War Criminals" - London,) - pp. 78−79.
41. The failure to convict those charged and the very slow progress being made in investigating and laying charges in other cases led to renewed accusations that the government lacked commitment in its pursuit of Nazi war criminals. This impression was strengthened when the Minister of Justice said that the department wanted to conclude these investigations by March 1994. -
42. .
43. Littmann, Sol. Pure Soldiers or Sinister Legion. The Ukrainian 14th Waffen-SS Division., Montreal, 2003. ISBN 1-55164-218-2
44. (English) . Parliamentary Political and Social Affairs Division. - a summary of the work of Canadian authorities and justice. Retrieved October 15, 2007. .

An excerpt characterizing Ukrainian collaborationism in World War II

- Mum! I don’t feel like it,” Natasha said, but at the same time she got up.
All of them, even the middle-aged Dimmler, did not want to interrupt the conversation and leave the corner of the sofa, but Natasha got up, and Nikolai sat down at the clavichord. As always, standing in the middle of the hall and choosing the most advantageous place for resonance, Natasha began to sing her mother's favorite play.
She said that she did not feel like singing, but she had not sung for a long time before, and for a long time after, as she sang that evening. Count Ilya Andreevich, from the study where he was talking to Mitinka, heard her singing, and like a pupil in a hurry to go to play, finishing the lesson, he got confused in words, giving orders to the manager and finally fell silent, and Mitinka, also listening, silently with a smile, stood in front of count. Nikolai did not take his eyes off his sister, and took a breath with her. Sonya, listening, thought about what an enormous difference there was between her and her friend, and how impossible it was for her to be in any way as charming as her cousin. The old countess sat with a happily sad smile and tears in her eyes, occasionally shaking her head. She thought about Natasha, and about her youth, and about how something unnatural and terrible is in this upcoming marriage of Natasha to Prince Andrei.
Dimmler, sitting down next to the countess and closing his eyes, listened.
“No, countess,” he said at last, “this is a European talent, she has nothing to learn, this gentleness, tenderness, strength ...
– Ah! how I fear for her, how I fear,” said the countess, not remembering to whom she was speaking. Her maternal instinct told her that there was too much in Natasha, and that she would not be happy from this. Natasha had not yet finished singing, when an enthusiastic fourteen-year-old Petya ran into the room with the news that mummers had come.
Natasha suddenly stopped.
- Fool! she shouted at her brother, ran up to a chair, fell on it and sobbed so that she could not stop for a long time afterwards.
“Nothing, mother, really nothing, so: Petya scared me,” she said, trying to smile, but tears kept flowing and sobs squeezed her throat.
Dressed-up servants, bears, Turks, innkeepers, ladies, terrible and funny, bringing with them cold and fun, at first timidly huddled in the hallway; then, hiding one behind the other, they were forced into the hall; and at first shyly, but then more and more cheerfully and amicably, songs, dances, choral and Christmas games began. The countess, recognizing the faces and laughing at the dressed up, went into the living room. Count Ilya Andreich sat in the hall with a beaming smile, approving the players. The youth has disappeared.
Half an hour later, in the hall, among the other mummers, another old lady in tanks appeared - it was Nikolai. The Turkish woman was Petya. Payas - it was Dimmler, the hussar - Natasha and the Circassian - Sonya, with a painted cork mustache and eyebrows.
After condescending surprise, misrecognition and praise from those who were not dressed up, the young people found that the costumes were so good that they had to be shown to someone else.
Nikolay, who wanted to give everyone a ride on his troika along an excellent road, suggested that, taking ten dressed-up people from the yard with him, go to his uncle.
- No, why are you upsetting him, the old man! - said the countess, - and there is nowhere to turn around with him. To go, so to the Melyukovs.
Melyukova was a widow with children of various ages, also with governesses and tutors, who lived four miles from the Rostovs.
“Here, ma chere, clever,” said the old count, who had begun to stir. “Now let me dress up and go with you.” I'll stir up Pasheta.
But the countess did not agree to let the count go: his leg hurt all these days. It was decided that Ilya Andreevich was not allowed to go, and that if Luiza Ivanovna (m me Schoss) went, the young ladies could go to Melyukova's. Sonya, always timid and shy, began to beg Louisa Ivanovna more insistently than anyone else not to refuse them.
Sonya's outfit was the best. Her mustache and eyebrows were unusually suited to her. Everyone told her that she was very good, and she was in a lively and energetic mood unusual for her. Some kind of inner voice told her that now or never her fate would be decided, and in her man's dress she seemed like a completely different person. Luiza Ivanovna agreed, and half an hour later four troikas with bells and bells, screeching and whistling in the frosty snow, drove up to the porch.
Natasha was the first to give the tone of Christmas merriment, and this merriment, reflected from one to another, grew more and more intensified and reached its highest degree at the time when everyone went out into the cold, and talking, calling to each other, laughing and shouting, sat down in the sleigh.
Two troikas were accelerating, the third troika of the old count with an Oryol trotter in the bud; Nikolai's fourth own, with its low, black, shaggy root. Nikolay, in his old woman's attire, on which he put on a hussar, belted cloak, stood in the middle of his sleigh, picking up the reins.
It was so bright that he could see plaques gleaming in the moonlight and the eyes of the horses looking frightened at the riders rustling under the dark canopy of the entrance.
Natasha, Sonya, m me Schoss and two girls sat in Nikolai's sleigh. In the old count's sleigh sat Dimmler with his wife and Petya; dressed up courtyards sat in the rest.
- Go ahead, Zakhar! - Nikolai shouted to his father's coachman in order to have an opportunity to overtake him on the road.
The troika of the old count, in which Dimmler and other mummers sat, screeching with runners, as if freezing to the snow, and rattling with a thick bell, moved forward. The trailers clung to the shafts and bogged down, turning the strong and shiny snow like sugar.
Nikolai set off for the first three; the others rustled and squealed from behind. At first they rode at a small trot along a narrow road. While we were driving past the garden, the shadows from the bare trees often lay across the road and hid the bright light of the moon, but as soon as we drove beyond the fence, a diamond-shiny, with a bluish sheen, a snowy plain, all doused with moonlight and motionless, opened up on all sides. Once, once, pushed a bump in the front sleigh; the next sleigh and the following jogged in the same way, and, boldly breaking the chained silence, the sleigh began to stretch out one after the other.
- A hare's footprint, a lot of footprints! - Natasha's voice sounded in the frosty constrained air.
– As you can see, Nicolas! Sonya's voice said. - Nikolai looked back at Sonya and bent down to get a closer look at her face. Some kind of completely new, sweet face, with black eyebrows and mustaches, in the moonlight, close and far, peeped out of the sables.
"It used to be Sonya," Nikolai thought. He looked closer at her and smiled.
What are you, Nicholas?
“Nothing,” he said, and turned back to the horses.
Having ridden out onto the main road, greased with runners and all riddled with traces of thorns, visible in the light of the moon, the horses themselves began to tighten the reins and add speed. The left harness, bending its head, twitched its traces with jumps. Root swayed, moving his ears, as if asking: “Is it too early to start?” - Ahead, already far separated and ringing a receding thick bell, Zakhar's black troika was clearly visible on the white snow. Shouting and laughter and the voices of the dressed up were heard from his sleigh.
“Well, you, dear ones,” shouted Nikolai, tugging on the reins on one side and withdrawing his hand with a whip. And only by the wind, which seemed to have intensified against them, and by the twitching of the tie-downs, which were tightening and increasing their speed, it was noticeable how fast the troika flew. Nicholas looked back. With a shout and a squeal, waving their whips and forcing the natives to gallop, other troikas kept up. Root steadfastly swayed under the arc, not thinking of knocking down and promising to give more and more when needed.
Nikolai caught up with the top three. They drove off some mountain, drove onto a widely rutted road through a meadow near a river.
"Where are we going?" thought Nicholas. - “It should be on a slanting meadow. But no, it's something new that I've never seen before. This is not a slanting meadow and not Demkina Gora, but God knows what it is! This is something new and magical. Well, whatever it is!” And he, shouting at the horses, began to go around the first three.
Zakhar restrained his horses and turned his already frosted face up to the eyebrows.
Nicholas let his horses go; Zakhar, stretching his hands forward, smacked his lips and let his people go.
“Well, hold on, sir,” he said. - The troikas flew even faster nearby, and the legs of the galloping horses quickly changed. Nicholas began to take forward. Zakhar, without changing the position of his outstretched arms, raised one hand with the reins.
“You’re lying, master,” he shouted to Nikolai. Nikolai put all the horses into a gallop and overtook Zakhar. The horses covered the faces of the riders with fine, dry snow, next to them there was a sound of frequent enumerations and the fast-moving legs were confused, and the shadows of the overtaken troika. The whistle of skids in the snow and women's screams were heard from different directions.
Stopping the horses again, Nikolai looked around him. All around was the same magical plain soaked through with moonlight with stars scattered over it.
“Zakhar shouts for me to take the left; why to the left? Nikolay thought. Are we going to the Melyukovs, is this Melyukovka? We God knows where we are going, and God knows what is happening to us – and what is happening to us is very strange and good.” He looked back at the sleigh.
“Look, he has both a mustache and eyelashes, everything is white,” said one of the sitting strange, pretty and strange people with thin mustaches and eyebrows.
“This one, it seems, was Natasha,” Nikolai thought, and this one is m me Schoss; or maybe not, but this is a Circassian with a mustache, I don’t know who, but I love her.
- Aren't you cold? - he asked. They didn't answer and laughed. Dimmler was shouting something from the rear sleigh, probably funny, but it was impossible to hear what he was shouting.
“Yes, yes,” answered the voices, laughing.
- However, here is some kind of magical forest with iridescent black shadows and sparkles of diamonds and with some kind of enfilade of marble steps, and some kind of silver roofs of magical buildings, and the piercing squeal of some kind of animals. “And if this is indeed Melyukovka, then it is even stranger that we drove God knows where, and arrived at Melyukovka,” thought Nikolai.
Indeed, it was Melyukovka, and girls and lackeys with candles and joyful faces ran out to the entrance.
- Who it? - they asked from the entrance.
“The counts are dressed up, I can see by the horses,” the voices answered.

Pelageya Danilovna Melyukova, a broad, energetic woman, in glasses and a swinging bonnet, was sitting in the living room, surrounded by her daughters, whom she tried not to let get bored. They quietly poured wax and looked at the shadows of the coming out figures, when steps and voices of visitors rustled in the front.
Hussars, ladies, witches, payas, bears, clearing their throats and wiping their frost-covered faces in the hall, entered the hall, where candles were hurriedly lit. Clown - Dimmler with the mistress - Nikolai opened the dance. Surrounded by screaming children, mummers, covering their faces and changing their voices, bowed to the hostess and moved around the room.
"Oh, you can't find out! And Natasha is! Look who she looks like! Right, it reminds me of someone. Eduard then Karlych how good! I didn't recognize. Yes, how she dances! Ah, fathers, and some kind of Circassian; right, how goes Sonyushka. Who else is this? Well, consoled! Take the tables, Nikita, Vanya. And we were so quiet!
- Ha ha ha! ... Hussar then, hussar then! Like a boy, and legs!… I can’t see… – voices were heard.
Natasha, the favorite of the young Melyukovs, disappeared together with them into the back rooms, where a cork was demanded and various dressing gowns and men's dresses, which, through the open door, received bare girlish hands from the footman. Ten minutes later, all the youth of the Melyukov family joined the mummers.
Pelageya Danilovna, having disposed of the clearing of the place for the guests and treats for the gentlemen and servants, without taking off her glasses, with a suppressed smile, walked among the mummers, looking closely into their faces and not recognizing anyone. She did not recognize not only the Rostovs and Dimmler, but she could not recognize either her daughters or those husband's dressing gowns and uniforms that were on them.
- And whose is this? she said, turning to her governess and looking into the face of her daughter, who represented the Kazan Tatar. - It seems that someone from the Rostovs. Well, you, mister hussar, in which regiment do you serve? she asked Natasha. “Give the Turk some marshmallows,” she said to the bartender who was scolding, “this is not forbidden by their law.
Sometimes, looking at the strange but funny steps performed by the dancers, who decided once and for all that they were dressed up, that no one would recognize them and therefore were not embarrassed, Pelageya Danilovna covered herself with a scarf, and her whole corpulent body shook from the uncontrollable kind, old woman's laughter . - Sachinet is mine, Sachinet is mine! she said.
After Russian dances and round dances, Pelageya Danilovna united all the servants and gentlemen together, in one large circle; they brought a ring, a rope and a ruble, and general games were arranged.
After an hour, all the costumes were wrinkled and upset. Cork mustaches and eyebrows smeared over sweaty, flushed, and cheerful faces. Pelageya Danilovna began to recognize the mummers, admired how well the costumes were made, how they went especially to the young ladies, and thanked everyone for having so amused her. The guests were invited to dine in the living room, and in the hall they ordered refreshments for the courtyards.
- No, guessing in the bathhouse, that's scary! said the old girl who lived with the Melyukovs at dinner.
- From what? asked the eldest daughter of the Melyukovs.
- Don't go, it takes courage...
"I'll go," Sonya said.
- Tell me, how was it with the young lady? - said the second Melyukova.
- Yes, just like that, one young lady went, - said the old girl, - she took a rooster, two appliances - as it should, she sat down. She sat, only hears, suddenly rides ... with bells, with bells, a sleigh drove up; hears, goes. Enters completely in the form of a human, as an officer, he came and sat down with her at the device.
- A! Ah! ... - Natasha screamed, rolling her eyes in horror.
“But how does he say that?”
- Yes, like a man, everything is as it should be, and he began, and began to persuade, and she should have kept him talking to the roosters; and she made money; – only zarobela and closed hands. He grabbed her. It's good that the girls came running here ...
- Well, what to scare them! said Pelageya Danilovna.
“Mother, you yourself guessed ...” said the daughter.
- And how do they guess in the barn? Sonya asked.
- Yes, at least now, they will go to the barn, and they will listen. What do you hear: hammering, knocking - bad, but pouring bread - this is good; and then it happens...
- Mom, tell me what happened to you in the barn?
Pelageya Danilovna smiled.
“Yes, I forgot…” she said. “After all, you won’t go, will you?”
- No, I'll go; Pepageya Danilovna, let me go, I'll go, - said Sonya.
- Well, if you're not afraid.
- Louise Ivanovna, can I have one? Sonya asked.
Whether they played a ring, a rope or a ruble, whether they talked, as now, Nikolai did not leave Sonya and looked at her with completely new eyes. It seemed to him that today only for the first time, thanks to that cork mustache, he fully recognized her. Sonya really was cheerful that evening, lively and good, such as Nikolay had never seen her before.
“So that’s what she is, but I’m a fool!” he thought, looking at her sparkling eyes and a happy, enthusiastic smile, dimpled from under her moustache, which he had not seen before.
"I'm not afraid of anything," said Sonya. - Can I do it now? She got up. Sonya was told where the barn was, how she could stand silently and listen, and they gave her a fur coat. She threw it over her head and looked at Nikolai.
"What a beauty this girl is!" he thought. “And what have I been thinking about until now!”
Sonya went out into the corridor to go to the barn. Nikolai hurriedly went to the front porch, saying that he was hot. Indeed, the house was stuffy from the crowded people.
It was the same unmoving cold outside, the same month, only it was even lighter. The light was so strong and there were so many stars in the snow that I didn’t want to look at the sky, and real stars were invisible. It was black and dull in the sky, it was fun on the ground.
"I'm a fool, a fool! What have you been waiting for until now? Nikolay thought, and, running away to the porch, he walked around the corner of the house along the path that led to the back porch. He knew that Sonya would go here. In the middle of the road stood stacked fathoms of firewood, there was snow on them, a shadow fell from them; through them and from their side, intertwining, the shadows of old bare lindens fell on the snow and the path. The path led to the barn. The chopped wall of the barn and the roof, covered with snow, as if carved from some kind of precious stone, gleamed in the moonlight. A tree cracked in the garden, and again everything was completely quiet. The chest, it seemed, was breathing not air, but some kind of eternally young strength and joy.
From the girl's porch, feet pounded on the steps, a loud creak creaked on the last one, on which snow had been applied, and the voice of the old girl said:
“Straight, straight, here on the path, young lady. Just don't look back.
“I’m not afraid,” Sonya’s voice answered, and along the path, in the direction of Nikolai, Sonya’s legs screeched, whistled in thin shoes.
Sonya walked wrapped in a fur coat. She was already two steps away when she saw him; she saw him, too, not in the same way as she knew and of whom she had always been a little afraid. He was in a woman's dress with tangled hair and a happy and new smile for Sonya. Sonya quickly ran up to him.
"Quite different, and still the same," Nikolai thought, looking at her face, all illuminated by moonlight. He put his hands under the fur coat that covered her head, hugged her, pressed her to him and kissed her lips, over which there were mustaches and which smelled of burnt cork. Sonya kissed him right in the middle of her lips and, holding out her small hands, took his cheeks on both sides.
“Sonya!… Nicolas!…” they only said. They ran to the barn and returned each from their own porch.

When everyone drove back from Pelageya Danilovna, Natasha, who always saw and noticed everything, arranged accommodation in such a way that Louise Ivanovna and she sat in the sleigh with Dimmler, and Sonya sat with Nikolai and the girls.
Nikolai, no longer overtaking, was steadily driving back, and still peering into Sonya in this strange, moonlight, in this ever-changing light, from under the eyebrows and mustaches, his former and present Sonya, with whom he had decided never to to be separated. He peered, and when he recognized the same and the other and remembered, hearing this smell of cork, mixed with the feeling of a kiss, he breathed in the frosty air with full breasts and, looking at the leaving earth and the brilliant sky, he felt again in a magical kingdom.
Sonya, are you okay? he occasionally asked.
“Yes,” answered Sonya. - And you?
In the middle of the road, Nikolai let the coachman hold the horses, ran up to Natasha's sleigh for a minute and stood to the side.
“Natasha,” he said to her in a whisper in French, “you know, I made up my mind about Sonya.
- Did you tell her? Natasha asked, all of a sudden beaming with joy.
- Oh, how strange you are with those mustaches and eyebrows, Natasha! Are you happy?
- I'm so glad, so glad! I've been angry with you. I didn't tell you, but you did bad things to her. It's such a heart, Nicolas. I am so glad! I can be ugly, but I was ashamed to be alone happy without Sonya, Natasha continued. - Now I'm so glad, well, run to her.
- No, wait, oh, how funny you are! - said Nikolai, still peering into her, and in his sister, too, finding something new, unusual and charmingly tender, which he had not seen in her before. - Natasha, something magical. A?
“Yes,” she answered, “you did well.
“If I had seen her the way she is now,” Nikolai thought, “I would have asked a long time ago what to do and would have done whatever she ordered, and everything would have been fine.”
“So you’re happy, and I did well?”
– Oh, so good! I recently got into a fight with my mom about this. Mom said she's catching you. How can this be said? I almost got into a fight with my mom. And I will never allow anyone to say or think anything bad about her, because there is only good in her.
- So good? - said Nikolai, once again looking out for the expression on his sister's face to find out if this was true, and, hiding with his boots, he jumped off the allotment and ran to his sleigh. The same happy, smiling Circassian, with a mustache and sparkling eyes, looking out from under a sable bonnet, was sitting there, and this Circassian was Sonya, and this Sonya was probably his future, happy and loving wife.
Arriving home and telling their mother about how they spent time with the Melyukovs, the young ladies went to their place. Having undressed, but not erasing the cork mustache, they sat for a long time, talking about their happiness. They talked about how they would live married, how their husbands would be friendly and how happy they would be.
On Natasha's table there were mirrors prepared by Dunyasha since the evening. – When will all this be? I'm afraid never... That would be too good! - said Natasha, getting up and going to the mirrors.
“Sit down, Natasha, maybe you will see him,” said Sonya. Natasha lit the candles and sat down. “I see someone with a mustache,” said Natasha, who saw her own face.
“Don’t laugh, young lady,” said Dunyasha.
With the help of Sonya and the maid, Natasha found a position for the mirror; her face took on a serious expression, and she fell silent. For a long time she sat, looking at the row of departing candles in the mirrors, assuming (considering the stories she had heard) that she would see the coffin, that she would see him, Prince Andrei, in this last, merging, vague square. But no matter how ready she was to take the slightest spot for the image of a person or a coffin, she did not see anything. She blinked rapidly and moved away from the mirror.
“Why do others see, but I don’t see anything?” - she said. - Well, sit down, Sonya; now you definitely need it, ”she said. - Only for me ... I'm so scared today!
Sonya sat down at the mirror, arranged the situation, and began to look.
“They will certainly see Sofya Alexandrovna,” Dunyasha said in a whisper; - and you're laughing.
Sonya heard these words, and heard Natasha say in a whisper:
“And I know what she will see; she saw last year.
For three minutes everyone was silent. "Definitely!" Natasha whispered and did not finish ... Suddenly Sonya pushed aside the mirror that she was holding and covered her eyes with her hand.
- Oh, Natasha! - she said.
- Did you see it? Did you see? What did you see? cried Natasha, holding up the mirror.
Sonya didn’t see anything, she just wanted to blink her eyes and get up when she heard Natasha’s voice saying “by all means” ... She didn’t want to deceive either Dunyasha or Natasha, and it was hard to sit. She herself did not know how and why a cry escaped her when she covered her eyes with her hand.
- Did you see him? Natasha asked, grabbing her hand.
- Yes. Wait ... I ... saw him, ”Sonia said involuntarily, still not knowing who Natasha meant by his word: him - Nikolai or him - Andrei.
“But why shouldn’t I tell you what I saw? Because others see it! And who can convict me of what I saw or did not see? flashed through Sonya's head.
“Yes, I saw him,” she said.
- How? How? Is it worth it or is it lying?
- No, I saw ... That was nothing, suddenly I see that he is lying.
- Andrey lies? He is sick? - Natasha asked with frightened fixed eyes looking at her friend.
- No, on the contrary - on the contrary, a cheerful face, and he turned to me - and at the moment she spoke, it seemed to her that she saw what she was saying.
- Well, then, Sonya? ...
- Here I did not consider something blue and red ...
– Sonya! when will he return? When I see him! My God, how I fear for him and for myself, and for everything I am afraid ... - Natasha spoke, and without answering a word to Sonya's consolations, she lay down in bed and long after the candle was put out, with her eyes open, lay motionless on bed and looked at the frosty, moonlight through the frozen windows.

Soon after Christmas, Nikolai announced to his mother his love for Sonya and his firm decision to marry her. The countess, who had long noticed what was happening between Sonya and Nikolai, and was expecting this explanation, silently listened to his words and told her son that he could marry whomever he wanted; but that neither she nor his father would give him blessings for such a marriage. For the first time, Nikolai felt that his mother was unhappy with him, that despite all her love for him, she would not give in to him. She, coldly and without looking at her son, sent for her husband; and when he arrived, the countess wanted to briefly and coldly tell him what was the matter in the presence of Nikolai, but she could not stand it: she burst into tears of annoyance and left the room. The old count began to hesitantly admonish Nicholas and ask him to abandon his intention. Nikolai replied that he could not change his word, and his father, sighing and obviously embarrassed, very soon interrupted his speech and went to the countess. In all clashes with his son, the count did not leave the consciousness of his guilt before him for the disorder of affairs, and therefore he could not be angry with his son for refusing to marry a rich bride and for choosing Sonya without a dowry - he only on this occasion more vividly recalled that, if things had not been upset, it would be impossible for Nicholas to wish for a better wife than Sonya; and that only he, with his Mitenka and his irresistible habits, is to blame for the disorder of affairs.
The father and mother no longer talked about this matter with their son; but a few days after that, the countess called Sonya to her, and with cruelty, which neither one nor the other expected, the countess reproached her niece for luring her son and for ingratitude. Sonya, silently with lowered eyes, listened to the cruel words of the countess and did not understand what was required of her. She was ready to sacrifice everything for her benefactors. The thought of self-sacrifice was her favorite thought; but in this case, she could not understand to whom and what she should sacrifice. She could not help but love the Countess and the entire Rostov family, but she could not help but love Nikolai and not know that his happiness depended on this love. She was silent and sad, and did not answer. Nikolai could not, as it seemed to him, endure this situation any longer and went to explain himself to his mother. Nicholas then begged his mother to forgive him and Sonya and agree to their marriage, then threatened his mother that, if Sonya was persecuted, he would immediately marry her secretly.
The countess, with a coldness that her son had never seen, answered him that he was of age, that Prince Andrei was marrying without the consent of his father, and that he could do the same, but that she would never recognize this intriguer as her daughter.
Blown up by the word intriguer, Nikolai, raising his voice, told his mother that he never thought that she would force him to sell his feelings, and that if this was so, then he would say the last time ... But he did not have time to say that decisive word, which, judging by according to the expression of his face, his mother waited with horror and which, perhaps, would forever remain a cruel memory between them. He did not have time to finish, because Natasha with a pale and serious face entered the room from the door at which she was eavesdropping.
- Nikolinka, you are talking nonsense, shut up, shut up! I'm telling you, shut up! .. - she almost shouted to drown out his voice.
“Mom, my dear, it’s not at all because ... my dear, poor thing,” she turned to her mother, who, feeling herself on the verge of a break, looked at her son with horror, but, due to stubbornness and enthusiasm for the struggle, did not want and could not give up.
“Nikolinka, I’ll explain to you, you go away - you listen, mother dear,” she said to her mother.
Her words were meaningless; but they achieved the result to which she aspired.
The Countess, sobbing heavily, hid her face on her daughter's chest, and Nikolai stood up, clutched his head and left the room.
Natasha took up the matter of reconciliation and brought it to the point that Nikolai received a promise from his mother that Sonya would not be oppressed, and he himself promised that he would not do anything secretly from his parents.
With the firm intention, having arranged his affairs in the regiment, to retire, come and marry Sonya, Nikolai, sad and serious, at odds with his family, but, as it seemed to him, passionately in love, left for the regiment in early January.
After Nikolai's departure, the Rostovs' house became sadder than ever. The Countess became ill from a mental disorder.
Sonya was sad both from separation from Nikolai and even more from that hostile tone with which the countess could not but treat her. The count was more than ever preoccupied with the bad state of affairs, which required some kind of drastic measures. It was necessary to sell the Moscow house and the suburban one, and to sell the house it was necessary to go to Moscow. But the health of the countess forced her to postpone her departure from day to day.
Natasha, who easily and even cheerfully endured the first time of separation from her fiancé, now every day became more agitated and impatient. The thought that so, for nothing, her best time wasted for no one, which she would have used to love him, relentlessly tormented her. Most of his letters annoyed her. It was insulting to her to think that while she lives only by the thought of him, he lives a real life, sees new places, new people who are of interest to him. The more entertaining his letters were, the more annoyed she was. Her letters to him not only did not bring her consolation, but seemed to be a boring and false duty. She did not know how to write, because she could not comprehend the possibility of expressing in a letter truthfully at least one thousandth of what she was accustomed to express in her voice, smile and look. She wrote him classically monotonous, dry letters, to which she herself did not ascribe any significance and in which, according to bruillons, the countess corrected her spelling errors.
The health of the countess did not improve; but it was no longer possible to postpone the trip to Moscow. It was necessary to make a dowry, it was necessary to sell the house, and, moreover, Prince Andrei was expected first to Moscow, where Prince Nikolai Andreevich lived that winter, and Natasha was sure that he had already arrived.
The countess remained in the village, and the count, taking Sonya and Natasha with him, went to Moscow at the end of January.

Pierre, after the courtship of Prince Andrei and Natasha, for no obvious reason, suddenly felt the impossibility of continuing his former life. No matter how firmly he was convinced of the truths revealed to him by his benefactor, no matter how joyful he was at that first time of being carried away by the inner work of self-improvement, which he indulged in with such fervor, after the engagement of Prince Andrei with Natasha and after the death of Joseph Alekseevich, about which he received news almost at the same time - all the charm of this former life suddenly disappeared for him. There was only one skeleton of life left: his house with a brilliant wife, who now enjoyed the graces of one important person, acquaintance with all of Petersburg and service with boring formalities. And this former life suddenly presented itself to Pierre with unexpected abomination. He stopped writing his diary, avoided the company of his brothers, began to go to the club again, began to drink heavily again, again became close to single companies and began to lead such a life that Countess Elena Vasilievna considered it necessary to make him a strict reprimand. Pierre, feeling that she was right, and in order not to compromise his wife, left for Moscow.
In Moscow, as soon as he drove into his huge house with withered and withering princesses, with huge domestics, as soon as he saw - driving through the city - this Iberian chapel with countless candle lights in front of golden robes, this Kremlin Square with snow that had not been driven, these cab drivers and the shacks of Sivtsev Vrazhka, saw the old men of Moscow, who do not want anything and are slowly living their lives anywhere, saw old women, Moscow ladies, Moscow balls and the Moscow English Club - he felt at home, in a quiet haven. He felt calm, warm, familiar and dirty in Moscow, as in an old dressing gown.
Moscow society, everything from old women to children, accepted Pierre as their long-awaited guest, whose place was always ready and not occupied. For the Moscow world, Pierre was the sweetest, kindest, smartest, cheerful, generous eccentric, absent-minded and sincere, Russian, old-fashioned, gentleman. His wallet was always empty, because it was open to everyone.
Benefit performances, bad pictures, statues, charitable societies, gypsies, schools, signature dinners, revels, masons, churches, books - no one and nothing was refused, and if not for his two friends, who borrowed a lot of money from him and took him under their guardianship, he would give everything away. There was no dinner in the club, no evening without him. As soon as he leaned back in his place on the sofa after two bottles of Margot, he was surrounded, and rumors, disputes, jokes began. Where they quarreled, he - with his kind smile and by the way said joke, reconciled. Masonic dining lodges were dull and sluggish if he wasn't there.
When, after a single supper, he, with a kind and sweet smile, surrendering to the requests of a cheerful company, got up to go with them, joyful, solemn cries were heard among the youth. At the balls he danced, if he did not get a gentleman. Young ladies and young ladies loved him because, without courting anyone, he was equally kind to everyone, especially after dinner. “Il est charmant, il n "a pas de sehe", [He is very nice, but has no gender,] they talked about him.
Pierre was that retired chamberlain, good-naturedly living out his life in Moscow, of which there were hundreds.
How horrified he would have been if seven years ago, when he had just arrived from abroad, someone would have told him that he did not need to look for and invent anything, that his track had long been broken, determined eternally, and that, no matter how he turn around, he will be what everyone in his position was. He couldn't believe it! Didn't he, with all his heart, wish now to produce a republic in Russia, now to be Napoleon himself, now a philosopher, now a tactician, the conqueror of Napoleon? Didn't he see the opportunity and passionately desire to regenerate the vicious human race and bring himself to the highest degree of perfection? Didn't he establish both schools and hospitals and set his peasants free?
And instead of all this, here he is, the rich husband of an unfaithful wife, a retired chamberlain who loves to eat, drink and easily scold the government, a member of the Moscow English Club and everyone's favorite member of Moscow society. For a long time he could not reconcile himself to the idea that he was that same retired Moscow chamberlain, the type of whom he so deeply despised seven years ago.
Sometimes he comforted himself with the thought that this was the only way, for the time being, he was leading this life; but then he was horrified by another thought, that for the time being, so many people had already entered this life and this club with all their teeth and hair, like him, and left without one tooth and hair.
In moments of pride, when he thought about his position, it seemed to him that he was completely different, special from those retired chamberlains whom he had despised before, that they were vulgar and stupid, pleased and reassured by their position, “and even now I am still dissatisfied I still want to do something for humanity,” he said to himself in moments of pride. “And maybe all those comrades of mine, just like me, fought, looked for some new, their own path in life, and just like me, by the force of the situation, society, breed, that elemental force against which there is no powerful man, they were brought to the same place as I, ”he said to himself in moments of modesty, and after living in Moscow for some time, he no longer despised, but began to love, respect and pity, as well as himself, his comrades in the fate .
On Pierre, as before, they did not find moments of despair, blues and disgust for life; but the same illness, which had previously expressed itself in sharp attacks, was driven inside and did not leave him for a moment. "For what? What for? What is going on in the world?” he asked himself in bewilderment several times a day, involuntarily beginning to ponder the meaning of the phenomena of life; but knowing by experience that there were no answers to these questions, he hurriedly tried to turn away from them, took up a book, or hurried to the club, or to Apollon Nikolaevich to chat about city gossip.
“Elena Vasilyevna, who never loved anything except her body and one of the most stupid women in the world,” thought Pierre, “appears to people as the height of intelligence and refinement, and they bow before her. Napoleon Bonaparte was despised by everyone as long as he was great, and since he became a miserable comedian, Emperor Franz has been trying to offer him his daughter as an illegitimate wife. The Spaniards send prayers to God through the Catholic clergy in gratitude for having defeated the French on June 14th, and the French send prayers through the same Catholic clergy that they defeated the Spaniards on June 14th. My brother Masons swear by their blood that they are ready to sacrifice everything for their neighbor, and do not pay one ruble each for the collection of the poor and intrigue Astraeus against the Seekers of Manna, and fuss about a real Scottish carpet and about an act, the meaning of which does not know even the one who wrote it, and which no one needs. We all profess the Christian law of forgiveness of offenses and love for our neighbor - the law as a result of which we erected forty forty churches in Moscow, and yesterday we whipped a man who had run away with a whip, and the minister of the same law of love and forgiveness, the priest, gave the soldier a cross to kiss before execution " . So thought Pierre, and this whole, common, universally recognized lie, no matter how he got used to it, as if something new, every time amazed him. I understand the lies and confusion, he thought, but how can I tell them everything I understand? I tried and always found that they, in the depths of their souls, understand the same thing as I do, but they just try not to see her. It has become so necessary! But me, where do I go?” thought Pierre. He tested the unfortunate ability of many, especially Russian people, the ability to see and believe in the possibility of good and truth, and to see the evil and lies of life too clearly in order to be able to take a serious part in it. Every field of labor in his eyes was connected with evil and deceit. Whatever he tried to be, whatever he undertook, evil and lies repelled him and blocked all the paths of his activity. And meanwhile it was necessary to live, it was necessary to be busy. It was too terrible to be under the yoke of these insoluble questions of life, and he gave himself up to his first hobbies, only to forget them. He went to all sorts of societies, drank a lot, bought paintings and built, and most importantly read.
He read and read everything that came to hand, and read so that when he arrived home, when the lackeys were still undressing him, he, having already taken a book, read - and from reading he went to sleep, and from sleep to chatter in the drawing rooms and the club, from chatter to revelry and women, from revelry back to chatter, reading and wine. Drinking wine for him became more and more of a physical and at the same time a moral need. Despite the fact that the doctors told him that with his corpulence, wine was dangerous for him, he drank a lot. He felt completely well only when, without noticing how, having knocked several glasses of wine into his big mouth, he experienced pleasant warmth in his body, tenderness for all his neighbors and the readiness of his mind to superficially respond to every thought, without delving into its essence. Only after drinking a bottle and two wines did he vaguely realize that that intricate, terrible knot of life that had terrified him before was not as terrible as he thought. With a noise in his head, chatting, listening to conversations or reading after lunch and dinner, he constantly saw this knot, some side of it. But only under the influence of wine did he say to himself: “This is nothing. I will unravel this - here I have an explanation ready. But now there’s no time—I’ll think it over later!” But that never came after.