Russian liberation army of General Vlasov national composition. General Vlasov and the Russian Liberation Army
The history of the so-called Russian Liberation Army under the command of General Vlasov is one of the darkest and most mysterious pages of the Great Patriotic War.
First of all, the figure of its leader is amazing. Nominee N.S. Khrushchev, lieutenant general of the Red Army, Andrey Vlasov was taken prisoner on the Volkhov front in 1942. Leaving the encirclement with the only companion - the cook Voronova, in the village of Tukhovezhi, he was given to the Germans by the local headman for a reward: a cow and ten packs of makhorka.
Almost immediately after being imprisoned in a camp for senior military near Vinnitsa, Vlasov goes to cooperate with the Germans. Soviet historians interpreted Vlasov's decision as personal cowardice. However, Vlasov's mechanized corps in the battles near Lvov proved to be very good. The 37th Army under his leadership in the defense of Kiev too. By the time of his capture, Vlasov had the reputation of one of the main saviors of Moscow. He did not show personal cowardice in battles.
Later, a version appeared that he was afraid of punishment from Stalin. However, leaving the Kiev Cauldron, according to Khrushchev, who was the first to meet him, he was in civilian clothes and was leading a goat on a rope. No punishment followed, moreover, his career continued.
There are other versions. One of them says that he was a GRU agent and fell victim to the post-war "showdown" in the Soviet special services. According to another version, he was an active participant in the conspiracies of "marshals" and "heroes". He went to establish contacts with the German generals. The goal was to overthrow both Stalin and Hitler.
In favor of the latest version, for example, Vlasov's close acquaintance with the repressed in 1937-38 speaks. the military. Blucher, for example, he replaced as an adviser to Chiang Kai-shek. In addition, his immediate superior before the capture was Meretskov, the future marshal, who was arrested at the beginning of the war in the case of "heroes", gave confessions, and was released "on the basis of instructions from the directive bodies for reasons of special order."
And yet, at the same time as Vlasov, the regimental commissar Kernes, who went over to the side of the Germans, was kept in the Vinnitsa camp. The commissar went out to the Germans with a message about the presence in the USSR of a deeply conspiratorial group. Which covers the army, the NKVD, Soviet and party organs, and stands on anti-Stalinist positions. A high-ranking official of the German Foreign Ministry Gustav Hilder came to meet with both of them. documentary evidence of two latest versions does not exist.
But let's go back directly to the ROA, or, as they are often called "Vlasovites." You should start with the fact that the prototype and the first separate "Russian" unit on the side of the Germans was created in 1941-1942. Bronislav Kaminsky Russian Liberation People's Army- RONA. Kaminsky, born in 1903 to a German mother and a Pole father, was an engineer before the war and served time in the Gulag under Article 58. Note that during the formation of RONA, Vlasov himself still fought in the ranks of the Red Army. By the middle of 1943, Kaminsky had 10,000 fighters, 24 T-34 tanks and 36 captured guns under his command. In July 1944, his troops showed particular cruelty in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising. On August 19 of the same year, Kaminsky and his entire headquarters were shot by the Germans without trial or investigation.
Around the same time as RONA, the Gil-Rodionov squad was created in Belarus. Lieutenant Colonel of the Red Army V.V. Gil, acting under the pseudonym Rodionov, in the service of the Germans created the Fighting Union of Russian Nationalists and showed considerable cruelty against Belarusian partisans and local residents. However, in 1943, with most of the BSRN, he went over to the side of the Red partisans, received the rank of colonel and the Order of the Red Star. Killed in 1944.
In 1941, the Russian National People's Army, also known as the Boyarsky Brigade, was created near Smolensk. Vladimir Gelyarovich Boersky ( real name) was born in 1901 in the Berdichevsky district, it is believed that in a Polish family. In 1943 the brigade was disbanded by the Germans.
From the beginning of 1941, the formation of detachments of people calling themselves Cossacks was actively going on. Quite a lot of different divisions were created from them. Finally, in 1943, the 1st Cossack division was created under the leadership of the German colonel von Pannwitz. She was thrown into Yugoslavia to fight the partisans. In Yugoslavia, the division worked closely with the Russian Security Corps, created from white émigrés and their children. It should be noted that in the Russian Empire, the Kalmyks, in particular, belonged to the Cossack estate, and abroad all emigrants from the Empire were considered Russians.
Also in the first half of the war, formations subordinate to the Germans from representatives of national minorities were actively formed.
The idea of Vlasov about the formation of the ROA as the future army of Russia liberated from Stalin, Hitler, to put it mildly, did not cause much enthusiasm. The head of the Reich did not need an independent Russia at all, especially having its own army.
In 1942-1944. The ROA as a real military formation did not exist, but was used for propaganda purposes, to recruit collaborators. Those, in turn, were used by separate battalions mainly to perform security functions and fight partisans.
Only at the end of 1944, when Hitler's command there was simply nothing to plug the gaps in the defense with, the go-ahead was given to the formation of the ROA. The first division was formed only on November 23, 1944, five months before the end of the war. For its formation, the remnants of the units disbanded by the Germans and battered in battles that fought on the side of the Germans were used. As well as Soviet prisoners of war. Few people looked at nationality here. The deputy chief of staff Boersky, as we have already said, was a Pole, the head of the combat training department, General Asberg, was an Armenian. Great help the formation was provided by Captain Shtrik-Shtrikfeld. As well as figures of the white movement, such as Kromiadi, Chocoli, Meyer, Skorzhinsky and others. The rank and file, in the circumstances, most likely, no one checked for nationality.
By the end of the war, the ROA formally numbered from 120 to 130 thousand people. All units were scattered over vast distances and did not represent a single military force.
Until the end of the war, the ROA managed to take part in hostilities three times. On February 9, 1945, in the battles on the Oder, three Vlasov battalions under the leadership of Colonel Sakharov achieved some success in their direction. But these successes were short-lived. April 13, 1945, the 1st division of the ROA without special success participated in battles with the 33rd Army of the Red Army. But in the battles of May 5-8 for Prague, under the leadership of her commander Bunyachenko, she showed herself very well. The Nazis were driven out of the city, and could not return to it.
At the end of the war, most of the "Vlasovites" were extradited to the Soviet authorities. Leaders hanged in 1946. The rest were waiting for camps and settlements.
In 1949, less than half of the 112,882 “Vlasov” special settlers were Russians: - 54,256 people. Among the rest: Ukrainians - 20,899; Belarusians - 5,432; Georgians - 3,705; Armenians - 3,678; Uzbeks - 3,457; Azerbaijanis - 2,932; Kazakhs - 2,903; Germans - 2,836; 807, Kabardians - 640, Moldovans - 637, Mordovians - 635, Ossetians - 595, Tajiks - 545, Kirghiz -466, Bashkirs - 449, Turkmens - 389, Poles - 381, Kalmyks -335, Adyghes - 201, Circassians - 192, Lezgins - 177, Jews - 171, Karaites - 170, Udmurts - 157, Latvians - 150, Mari - 137, Karakalpaks - 123, Avars - 109, Kumyks - 103, Greeks - 102, Bulgarians -99, Estonians - 87, Romanians - 62, Nogais - 59, Abkhazians - 58, Komi - 49, Dargins - 48, Finns - 46, Lithuanians - 41 and others - 2095 people.
Today I would like to talk about ROA ( Russian Liberation Army) General Vlasov.
P.S. The article does not justify ROA and does not blame anything. The article was solely made for historical reference. Everyone decides for himself who they were heroes or traitors, but this is part of our history and I think everyone has the right to know about this story.
Russian liberation army , ROA - military units that fought on the side of Adolf Hitler against the USSR, formed by the German headquarters of the SS Troops during the Great Patriotic War from Russian collaborators.The army was formed mainly from Soviet prisoners of war, as well as from among Russian emigrants. Unofficially, its members were called "Vlasovites", after their leader, Lieutenant General Andrei Vlasov.
Story:The ROA was formed mainly from Soviet prisoners of war who fell into German captivity, mainly at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, during the retreat of the Red Army. The creators of the ROA was declared as a military formation created for " liberation of Russia from communism "(December 27, 1942). Lieutenant General Andrei Vlasov, who was captured in 1942, together with General Boyarsky, proposed in a letter to the German command organize ROA. General Fyodor Trukhin was appointed chief of staff, General Vladimir Baersky (Boyarsky) was appointed his deputy, and Colonel Andrey Neryanin was appointed head of the operational department of the headquarters. The leaders of the ROA also included generals Vasily Malyshkin, Dmitry Zakutny, Ivan Blagoveshchensky, and former brigade commissar Georgy Zhilenkov. The rank of general of the ROA was held by a former major of the Red Army and Wehrmacht colonel Ivan Kononov. Some priests from the Russian emigration served in the field churches of the ROA, including priests Alexander Kiselev and Dmitry Konstantinov.
Among the leadership of the ROA were former generals of the civil war in Russia from the White Movement: V. I. Angeleev, V. F. Belogortsev, S. K. Borodin, Colonels K. G. Kromiadi, N. A. Shokoli, Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Arkhipov, as well as M. V. Tomashevsky, Yu. K. Meyer, V. Melnikov, Skarzhinsky, Golub and others, as well as Colonel I. K. Sakharov (formerly lieutenant Spanish army General F. Franco). Support was also provided by: Generals A. P. Arkhangelsky, A. A. von Lampe, A. M. Dragomirov, P. N. Krasnov, N. N. Golovin, F. F. Abramov, E. I. Balabin, I. A. Polyakov, V. V. Kreiter, Don and Kuban chieftains, Generals G. V. Tatarkin and V. G. Naumenko.
Captain V.K. Shtrik-Shtrikfeldt, who served in the German army, did a lot to create a collaborator of the ROA.
The army was financed entirely by the German state bank.
However, there was antagonism between former Soviet prisoners of war and white emigrants, and the latter were gradually forced out of the leadership of the ROA. Most of them served in other, unrelated Russian ROA volunteer formations (only a few days before the end of the war formally attached to the ROA) - the Russian Corps, the brigade of General A.V. Turkul in Austria, the 1st Russian National Army, the Varyag regiment of Colonel M.A. Semenov, a separate regiment of Colonel Krzhizhanovsky, as well as in the Cossack formations (15th Cossack Cavalry Corps and Cossack camp).
On January 28, 1945, the ROA received the status of the armed forces of an allied power that remains neutral in relation to the United States and Great Britain. On May 12, 1945, an order was signed to dissolve the ROA.
After the victory of the USSR and the occupation of Germany, most of the members of the ROA were transferred to the Soviet authorities. Some of the "Vlasovites" managed to escape and get asylum in Western countries and avoid punishment.
Compound:
At the end of April 1945, A. A. Vlasov had under his command military establishment in the following composition:
1st Division Major General S. K. Bunyachenko (22,000 people)
2nd division of Major General G. A. Zverev (13,000 people)
3rd division of Major General M. M. Shapovalov (not armed, there was only a headquarters and 10,000 volunteers)
the reserve brigade of Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) S. T. Koida (7,000 people) is the only commander of a large unit not issued by the US occupation authorities to the Soviet side.
Air Force General V. I. Maltsev (5000 people)
VET division
officer school of General M. A. Meandrov.
accessory parts,
Russian Corps of Major General B. A. Shteifon (4500 people). General Steifon died suddenly on 30 April. The corps that surrendered to the Soviet troops was led by Colonel Rogozhkin.
Cossack camp of Major General T. I. Domanov (8000 people)
group of Major General A. V. Turkul (5200 people)
15th Cossack cavalry corps of Lieutenant General X. von Pannwitz (more than 40,000 people)
Cossack reserve regiment of General A. G. Shkuro (more than 10,000 people)
and several small formations numbering less than 1000 people;
security and punitive legions, battalions, companies; Russian liberation army of Vlasov; Russian security corps Shteyfon; 15th Cossack Corps von Pannwitz; separate military formations that were not part of the ROA; "volunteer helpers" - "hivi".
In general, these formations numbered 124 thousand people. These parts were scattered at a considerable distance from each other.
I, a faithful son of my Motherland, voluntarily joining the ranks of the Russian Liberation Army, solemnly swear: to fight honestly against the Bolsheviks, for the good of my Motherland. In this struggle against a common enemy, on the side of the German army and its allies, I swear to be faithful and unquestioningly obey the Leader and Commander-in-Chief of all liberation armies, Adolf Hitler. I am ready, in fulfillment of this oath, not to spare myself and my life.
I, as a faithful son of my Motherland, voluntarily joining the ranks of the fighters of the Armed Forces of the Peoples of Russia, in the face of my compatriots, I swear - for the good of my people, under the command of General Vlasov, to fight against Bolshevism to the last drop of blood. This struggle is waged by all freedom-loving peoples in alliance with Germany under the general command of Adolf Hitler. I swear to be true to this union. In fulfillment of this oath, I am ready to give my life.
Symbols and insignia:
As the flag of the ROA, the flag with the St. Andrew's Cross was used, as well as the Russian tricolor. The use of the Russian tricolor, in particular, was documented in the footage of the parade of the 1st Guards Brigade of the ROA in Pskov on June 22, 1943, in the photo chronicle of the formation of the Vlasovites in Münsingen, as well as other documents.
A completely new uniform and insignia of the ROA could be seen in 43-44 on the soldiers of the eastern battalions stationed in France. The uniform itself was sewn from grayish-blue fabric (stocks of captured French army cloth) and in terms of cut it was a compilation of a Russian tunic and a German uniform.
The epaulettes of soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers were of the model of the Russian tsarist army and were sewn from dark green matter with a red edging. The officers had one or two narrow red stripes along their epaulettes. The general's shoulder straps were also of the royal type, but the same green shoulder straps with a red piping were more common, and the general's "zig-zag" was depicted with a red stripe. The placement of insignia among non-commissioned officers roughly corresponded to the tsarist army. For officers and generals, the number and placement of stars (German-style) corresponded to the German principle:
In the figure, from left to right: 1 - soldier, 2 - corporal, 3 - non-commissioned officer, 4 - sergeant major, 5 - lieutenant (lieutenant), 6 - lieutenant (senior lieutenant), 7 - captain, 8 - major, 9 - lieutenant colonel , 10 - colonel, 11 - major general, 12 - lieutenant general, 13 - general. The last highest rank in the ROA Petlitsy was also provided for in three types - a soldier's. and non-commissioned officers, officers, generals. The officer's and general's buttonholes were edged with silver and golden flagella, respectively. However, there was a buttonhole that could be worn by both soldiers and officers. This buttonhole had a red border. A gray German button was placed at the top of the buttonhole, and 9mm went along the buttonhole. aluminum galloon.
"Russia is ours. Russia's past is ours. Russia's future is also ours" (gen. A. A. Vlasov)
Press organs: newspapers " ROA fighter" (1944), weekly " Volunteer"(1943-44)," Front leaflet for volunteers "(1944)," Volunteer Herald "(1944)," Nabat"(1943)," Volunteer Page "(1944)," Warrior voice"(1944)," Dawn"(1943-44)," Work », « arable land", weekly" Truth"(1941-43)," with hostility». For the Red Army: « Stalinist warrior », « brave warrior », « Red Army », « front-line soldier», « Soviet warrior ».
General Vlasov wrote: "Recognizing the independence of each people, National Socialism provides all the peoples of Europe with the opportunity to build their own lives in their own way. For this, each people needs a living space. Hitler considers possession of it the basic right of every people. Therefore, the occupation of Russian territory by German troops is not aimed at destruction Russians, but vice versa - the victory over Stalin will return to the Russians their Fatherland within the framework of the New Europe family.
On September 16, 1944, Vlasov and Himmler met at the headquarters of the Reichsfuehrer SS in East Prussia, during which the latter said: "Mr. General, I spoke with the Fuhrer, from now on you can consider yourself commander-in-chief of the army with the rank of colonel general." A few days later, the reorganization of the headquarters began. Prior to this, in addition to Vlasov and V.F. Malyshkin included: the commandant of the headquarters, Colonel E.V. Kravchenko (since 09.1944, Colonel K.G. Kromiadi), head of the personal office, Major M.A. Kalugin-Tensorov, Vlasov's adjutant Captain R. Antonov, supply manager Lieutenant V. Melnikov, communications officer S.B. Frelnh and 6 soldiers.
On November 14, 1944, the founding congress of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia (KONR) was held in Prague, and A. Vlasov was elected chairman. In his introductory remarks Vlasov said: “Today we can assure the Fuhrer and the entire German people that in their difficult struggle against the worst enemy of all peoples - Bolshevism, the peoples of Russia are their faithful allies and will never lay down their arms, but will go shoulder to shoulder with them until complete victory. ". At the congress, the creation of the Armed Forces of the KONR (AF KONR), headed by Vlasov, was announced.
After the congress from Dabendorf to Dalem, the security company of Major Begletsov and the guard of Major Shishkevich were transferred. Major Khitrov was appointed commandant of the headquarters instead of Kromiadi. Kromiadi was transferred to the post of head of Vlasov's Personal Office, his predecessor, Lieutenant Colonel Kalugin, to the post of head of the Security Department.
On January 18, 1945, Vlasov, Aschenbrener, Kroeger met with the Secretary of State of the German Foreign Ministry, Baron Stengracht. A grant agreement was signed German government KONR and his Sun. At the end of January 1945, when Vlasov visited the German Foreign Minister von Ribbenthorp, he informed Vlasov that cash loans were being provided for the KONR. Andreev testified about this at the trial: “As the head of the main financial department of the KONR, I was in charge of all the financial resources of the Committee. I received all financial resources from the German State Bank from the current account of the Ministry of the Interior. I received all the money from the bank by checks drawn by representatives of the Ministry of the Interior Sievers and Ryppei, who controlled the financial activities of the KONR. With such checks I received about 2 million marks.”
On January 28, 1945, Hitler appointed Vlasov Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces. The ROA was treated as the Armed Forces of an allied power, temporarily subordinated in operational terms to the Wehrmacht.
"Telegram of the Reichsführer SS to General Vlasov. Compiled at the direction of Obergruppenführer Berger. From the day this order was signed, the Führer appointed you supreme commander of the 600th and 650th Russian divisions. At the same time, you will be entrusted with the supreme command of all new Russian formations that are being formed and regrouped. It is up to you the disciplinary right of the supreme commander in chief and at the same time the right to be promoted to officer ranks up to lieutenant colonel will be recognized. Promotion to colonels and generals takes place in agreement with the head of the main department of the SS according to the provisions existing for the Great German Empire. G. Himmler".
On February 10, 1945, the inspector general of volunteer formations, E. Kestring, informed Vlasov that, in view of the completion of the creation of the 1st division and the progress made in the formation of the 2nd, he could officially take command of both formations.
The swearing-in parade took place on 16 February in Müsingen. The parade was attended by Kestring, Aschenbrenner, commander of the 5th military division. in Stuttgart Fayel, the head of the polygon in Müsingen, gene. Wenniger. The parade began with a round of troops by Vlasov. Bunyachenko raised his hand in an Aryan greeting and reported. Having finished the tour, Vlasov went up to the podium and said the following: “During the years of joint struggle, the friendship of the Russian and German peoples was born. Both sides made mistakes, but tried to correct them - and this speaks of a common interest. The main thing in the work of both sides is trust, mutual trust. I thank the Russian and German officers who participated in the creation of this alliance. I am convinced that we will soon return to our homeland with the soldiers and officers that I see here. Long live the friendship of the Russian and German peoples! Long live the soldiers and officers of the Russian army! Then the parade of the 1st division began. There were three infantry regiments with rifles at the ready, an artillery regiment, an anti-tank destroyer battalion, battalions of sappers and communications. The procession was closed by a column of tanks and self-propelled guns. On the same day, the Russian Corps announced its entry into the ROA.
The text of the oath of the ROA / Armed Forces of the KONR: “As a faithful son of my Motherland, I voluntarily join the ranks of the troops of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia. In the presence of my countrymen, I solemnly swear to fight honestly to the last drop of blood under the command of General Vlasov for the good of my people against Bolshevism. This struggle is waged by all freedom-loving peoples under the supreme command of Adolf Hitler. I swear that I will remain true to this alliance."
On February 20, 1945, a KONR memorandum was handed over to the deputy representative of the International Red Cross in Germany on protecting the interests of prisoners of war from the ROA if they surrender to representatives of the Western powers. When making contact with the International Red Cross, Vlasov counted on the help of the secretary of the organization, Baron Pilar von Pilahu, a Russian officer.
By the end of March 1945, the total strength of the KONR Armed Forces was about 50,000 people.
On March 24, 1945, at the All-Cossack Congress in Virovitsa (Croatia), a decision was made to unite Cossack troops with sun CONR. Vlasov was also joined by the brigade of Major General A.V. Turkula, who began the formation of regiments in Lienz, Ljubljana and Villach.
Major General Smyslovsky, who headed the 1st Russian National Army, refused to cooperate with Vlasov. Negotiations with General Shandruk on the inclusion of the SS division "Galicia" in the KONR Armed Forces remained without result. The German command did not subordinate the 9th PBR to Vlasov. Major General von Henning, in Denmark. Later, one of the regiments of br. (714th), which has been stationed since February on the Oder front under the command (from the beginning of March) of Colonel Igor Konst. Sakharova (participant in the Spanish Civil War, head of the Spanish branch of the Russian Fascist Party).
To test the combat capability of the Armed Forces of the KONR, on the orders of Himmler, an assault group (505 people) of Colonel I.K. was formed. Sakharov. Armed with SG-43 rifles, MP-40 submachine guns and faustpatrons, the group was put into action on February 9 in the area between Vritsen and Gustebize in the Kyustrin region in order to dislodge Soviet troops from the bridgehead on the western bank of the Oder. The detachment as part of the "Döberitz" division participated in the battles against the 230th division. Commander of the 9th Army Gen. Busse ordered the commander of the 101st Corps, Gen. Berlin and the division commander, Colonel Hünber, "to accept the Russians as friends" and "to behave politically with them very cleverly." During the night attack, the detachment was entrusted with the task of freeing a number of settlements in the area of the 230th division of the Red Army and persuading its soldiers to stop resistance and surrender. During a night attack and a 12-hour battle, the Vlasovites, dressed in Red Army uniforms, managed to capture several strongholds and capture 3 officers and 6 soldiers. In the following days, Sakharov's detachment undertook two reconnaissance in force in the region of the city of Schwedt and participated in repelling tank attack, destroying 12 tanks. The commander of the 9th Army, General of the Infantry Busse, reported on the actions of the Russians to the high command of the German ground forces(OKH) that the Russian allies distinguished themselves by the skillful actions of the officers, and the courage of the soldiers. Goebbels wrote in his diary: "... during the Sakharov operation in the Kustrin area, the troops of General Vlasov fought superbly ... Vlasov himself believes that although the Soviets have enough tanks and weapons, they nevertheless faced almost insurmountable difficulties supplies from the rear. They have a mass of tanks concentrated on the Oder, but they do not have enough gasoline ... ". Gene. Berlin personally awarded the soldiers and officers with Iron Crosses (Sakharov was awarded the Iron Cross 1st class), Vlasov received Himmler's personal congratulations on this occasion. After that, Himmler told Hitler that he would like to have more Russian troops under his command.
On March 26, at the last meeting of the KONR, it was decided to gradually pull all formations into the Austrian Alps for surrender to the Anglo-Americans.
On April 13, the Swiss ambassador in Berlin, Zehnder, announced that the arrival of the Vlasovites in Switzerland was undesirable, because. it could harm the interests of the country. The Swiss government also refused Vlasov personally.
In April, with the task of establishing contact with the allies, Vlasov sent Captain Shtrik-Shtrikfeld and General Malyshkin.
On April 10, the Southern ROA group performed in the Budweiss-Linz region. The 1st division moved here from the Oder front. In early May, she was not far from Prague, where by this time a rebellion had broken out. Chekhir on the radio asked for help.
On May 11, Vlasov surrendered to the Americans and was in the Shlisselburg fortress in the position of a prisoner of war. At 2 pm on May 12, under the protection of an American escort, he was sent to a higher American headquarters, ostensibly for negotiations. The column of cars was stopped by Soviet officers. At gunpoint, they demanded that Vlasov and Bunyachenko, who was with him, get into their cars. American officers and soldiers did not intervene. German historians believe that the deputy of the NSh of the 12th corps american army, Colonel P. Martin, played an important role in this.
ROA officers were shot without trial, and all the rest in battened down freight cars were sent to concentration camps. Those who were not sentenced to death and camp terms, according to the decision of the State Defense Committee of August 18, 1945, received 6 years of special settlement out of court.
In addition to Vlasov, Malyshkin, Zhilenkov, Trukhin, Zakutny, Blagoveshchensky, Meandorov, Maltsev, Bunyachenko, Zverev, Korbukov and Shatov appeared at a closed trial. The court sentenced them to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out on August 1, 1946.
1. Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General Andrey A. Vlasov, former commander of the 2nd Shock Army of the Red Army. Iron Cross (9.02.1945).
2. NSH and Deputy Commander-in-Chief: Major General F.I. Trukhin (08.1946, hanged), former deputy of the NSH of the North Western Front Red Army
3. Deputy NSH: Colonel (since 09/24/1944 Major General) V.I. Boyarsky
4. officer at the Commander-in-Chief for special assignments: Nikolai Aleksan. Troitsky (b. 1903), in 1924 he graduated from the Simbirsk Polytechnic Institute, then the Moscow Architectural Institute. He worked in the People's Commissariat of Education, scientific secretary of the Moscow Architectural Society, deputy scientific secretary of the Academy of Architecture of the USSR. Arrested in 1937, 18 months was under investigation in the Lubyanka. In 1941 he was taken prisoner, until 1943 he was in a concentration camp. Co-author of the Prague Manifesto KONR. After the war, one of the leaders and organizers of the SBONR. In 1950-55. Director of the Munich Institute for the Study of the History and Culture of the USSR. Book author " concentration camps USSR" (Munich, 1955) and a series of short stories.
5. adjutant of the leading group of the Headquarters: Lieutenant A.I. Romashin, Romashkin.
6. commandant of the headquarters: colonel E.V. Kravchenko
7. officer for special assignments: senior lieutenant M.V. Tomashevsky. Graduated from the Faculty of Law Kharkiv University.
8. liaison officer: Nikol. Vladim. Vashchenko (1916 - after 1973), pilot, in 1941 was shot down and taken prisoner. He graduated from propagandist courses in Luckenwald and Dabendorf.
head of the office: Lieutenant S.A. Sheiko
translator: Lieutenant A.A. Kubekov.
Head of the General Department: Lieutenant Prokopenko
head of food supply: captain V. Cheremisinov.
Operations department:
1. Chief, Deputy NSh: Colonel Andrey Geor. Aldan (Neryanin) (1904 - 1957, Washington), the son of a worker. In the Red Army since 1919. He graduated from infantry courses and the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze (1934, with honors). In 1932, he was expelled from the CPSU (b) for a left-Trotskyist deviation, then reinstated. Head of the operational department of the Urals v.o. (1941), was taken prisoner near Vyazma in November 1941, being the head of the operations department of the headquarters of the 20th Army. In 1942-44. member of the Anti-Comintern. Responsible for the organizational activities of the headquarters of the ROA. Chairman of the Union of Liberation Movement Warriors (USA). Member of the Central Bureau of the SBONR.
2nd Deputy: Lieutenant Colonels Korovin
3. head of the subdivision: V.F. Riel.
4. head of the subdivision: V.E. Michelson.
Intelligence department:
Initially, the military and civilian intelligence services were under the jurisdiction of the KONR security department, Lieutenant Colonel N.V. Tensorova. His deputies were Major M.A. Kalugin and b. head of the special department of the headquarters of the North Caucasian v.o. Major A.F. Chikalov. On February 2, 1945, military intelligence separated from civilian intelligence. Under the supervision of Major General Trukhin, a separate intelligence service of the ROA began to be created, and an intelligence department was formed at the Headquarters. On February 22, the department was divided into several groups:
intelligence: chief lieutenant N.F. Lapin (senior assistant to the head of the 2nd department), later - lieutenant B. Gai;
counterintelligence.
enemy intelligence group: Lieutenant A.F. Vronsky (assistant to the head of the 1st department).
According to the order of Major General Trukhin dated 8.03. In 1945, the l / s of the department was, in addition to the chief, 21 officers. Later, Captain V. Denisov and other officers joined the department.
1. chief: major I.V. Grachev
2. head of counterintelligence: Major Chikalov, supervised the operational intelligence of the ROA, since 1945 organized the training of personnel for the military intelligence unit and terrorist actions in the USSR.
Counterintelligence Department:
Chief Major Krainev
Investigation Department:
chief: Major Galanin
Department of secret correspondence:
chief: captain P. Bakshansky
Human Resources Department:
Head: Captain Zverev
Communication department:
head of the office senior lieutenant V.D. Korbukov.
Department of VOSO:
Head: Major G.M. Kremensky.
Topographic department:
Head: Lieutenant Colonel G. Vasiliev. Senior Lieutenant of the Red Army.
Encryption department:
1st head: Major A. Polyakov
2nd Deputy: Lieutenant Colonel I.P. Pavlov. Senior Lieutenant of the Red Army.
Formation department:
1st head: Colonel I. D. Denisov
2nd Deputy: Major M.B. Nikiforov
3. group leader of the formation department: captain G.A. Fedoseev
4. head of the group of formations department: captain V.F. Demidov
5. head of the group of formations department: captain S.T. Kozlov
6. head of the group of the formations department: Major G.G. Sviridenko.
Combat Training Department:
1. Chief: Major General Asberg (Artsezov, Asbyargas) (r. Baku), Armenian. Graduated military school in Astrakhan, commander of a tank unit. Colonel of the Red Army. He left the encirclement near Taganrog, was convicted by a military tribunal and sentenced to death in 1942, which was replaced by a penal battalion. In the first battle he went over to the Germans.
2. Deputy: Colonel A.N. Tavantsev.
head of the 1st subdivision (training): Colonel F.E. Black
3. Head of the 2nd subdivision (military schools): Colonel A.A. Denisenko.
4. head of the 3rd subdivision (statutes): lieutenant colonel A.G. Moskvichev.
Command Department:
Consisted of 5 groups.
1. Chief: Colonel (02.1945) Vladimir Vas. Poznyakov (05/17/1902, St. Petersburg - 12/21/1973, Syracuse, USA). In the Red Army since 1919. In 1920 he graduated from the Kaluga command courses. From 09.20 instructor of the newspaper business of the South-Western Front. In 1921-26. student of the Higher Military Chemical School. From 01.26, the head of the chemical service of the 32nd Saratov sd. In 1928-31. teacher at the Saratov school of reserve commanders. In 1931-32. teacher at the Saratov armored school. In 1932-36. head of the chemical service of the Ulyanovsk armored school. Captain (1936). Major (1937). In 1937-39. arrested, tortured. In 1939-41. teacher of chemistry in Poltava auto- technical school. Since 03.41, the head of the chemical service of the 67th SC. Lieutenant Colonel (05/29/1941). 10.1941 was taken prisoner near Vyazma. In 1942, the head of the camp police near Bobruisk, then at the propagandist course in Wulheide. 04.1943 at the Dabendorf school of propagandists, commander of the 2nd cadet company. From 07.43 chief preparatory courses propagandists in Luckenwalde. In the summer of 1944, he was the head of the ROA propagandist group in the Baltic states. Since 11.1944, the head of the command department of the headquarters of the ROA. On October 9, 1945, he was sentenced to death in absentia. From the beginning of the 50s. taught at military schools of the US Army, worked in the CIA. From the beginning of the 60s. taught at the military aviation school in Syracuse. Author of the books: The Birth of the ROA (Syracuse, 1972) and A.A. Vlasov" (Syracuse, 1973).
2. Deputy: Major V.I. Strelnikov.
3. Head of the 1st subdivision (officers of the General Staff): Captain Ya. A. Kalinin.
4. Head of the 2nd subdivision (infantry): Major A.P. Demsky.
5. head of the 3rd subdivision (cavalry): senior lieutenant N.V. Vashchenko.
6. Head of the 4th subdivision (artillery): Lieutenant Colonel M.I. Pankevich.
7. Head of the 5th subdivision (tank and engineering troops): Captain A. G. Kornilov.
8. Head of the 6th subdivision (administrative and economic and military sanitary services): Major V.I. Panayot.
Russian Liberation Army - ROA. Part 1.
General Vlasov at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War stood on a par with the best commanders in chief of the Red Army. General Vlasov distinguished himself in the Battle of Moscow in the autumn of 1941. By the middle of the summer of 1942, when Vlasov surrendered to the Germans, a large number of soldiers and officers of the Red Army were captured by the Germans. A large number of the population of Ukraine, Russia, the Baltic States and the Cossack formations of the Don Cossacks went over to the side of the Germans. After Vlasov was interrogated by the German Field Marshal Theodor von Bock, the Russian Liberation Army, or ROA, began its life. Andrei Vlasov, together with like-minded people (of course, with the Germans) wanted to start a new civil war on the territory of the USSR.
Meanwhile, the general was one of the favorites of Joseph Stalin. Vlasov first distinguished himself in the Battle of Moscow, when the Red Army created a layered defense on the outskirts of the capital, and then repelled German attacks with counterattacks.
General Andrey Vlasov
On December 31, 1941, a photograph of General Andrei Vlasov was placed on the front page of the Izvestia newspaper, along with other military leaders (Zhukov, Voroshilov, etc.). The very next year, Vlasov was awarded the Order, and later he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. Joseph Stalin gives the task Soviet writers write a book about General Vlasov "Stalin's commander". After this promotion by Stalin, Vlasov became very popular in the country. He receives greeting cards and letters from all over the country. Vlasov often gets into the camera lens.
General Andrey Vlasov
Andrei Vlasov was drafted into the armed forces of the Red Army in 1920. In 1936, Vlasov was awarded the rank of major. The following year, the rapid growth of Andrei Vlasov's career began. In 1937 and 1938 Vlasov served in the military tribunal of the Kiev Military District. He was a member of the military tribunal and signed death warrants.
Vlasov's excellent career was the result of the mass repressions that Stalin carried out in the Red Army as a commander in the mid-30s. Against the background of these events in the country, the career of many military men was very rapid. Vlasov was no exception. At 40, he becomes a lieutenant general.
According to many historians, General Andrei Vlasov was an excellent and strong-willed commander, at the same time he was a diplomat and well versed in people. Vlasov gave the impression of a strong and demanding personality in the Red Army. Thanks to good qualities commander, Joseph Stalin was loyal to Vlasov, and always tried to move him up the ranks.
General Andrey Vlasov
When the Great Patriotic War began, she found Vlasov when he served in the Kiev military district. He, with many commanders and soldiers of the Red Army, retreated to the east. In September 1941, Vlasov left the encirclement in the Kiev pocket. Vlasov left the encirclement for two months, and he retreated not with the soldiers of the Red Army, but with a female military doctor. In those days of the difficult retreat of the Red Army, General Vlasov sought to break through to his own as quickly as possible. Having changed into civilian clothes with a military doctor in one of the settlements, Andrei Vlasov left the encirclement near the city of Kursk by the beginning of November 1941. After leaving the encirclement, Vlasov fell ill and was placed in a hospital. Unlike other officers and soldiers of the Red Army who left the encirclement, Vlasov was not interrogated. He still enjoyed Stalin's loyalty. Joseph Stalin remarked on this occasion: "Why bother a sick general."
General Andrey Vlasov
With the beginning of the winter of 1941, the German units of Guderian were rapidly advancing towards the capital of the USSR. The Red Army in echeloned defense with difficulty resists the Germans. The crisis is about to begin Soviet Union. At that time, the defense of Moscow in the Battle of Moscow was commanded by Georgy Zhukov. To carry out the combat mission, Zhukov specially selected, in his opinion, the best army commanders. At the time when these events took place, General Vlasov was in the hospital. Vlasov, like other commanders, was appointed to the lists of commanders in the battle for Moscow without his knowledge. General Sandalov developed an operation for the counteroffensive of the Red Army near Moscow. The operation for the counter-offensive of the Red Army, when Vlasov arrived at the headquarters, was fully developed and approved. Therefore, Andrei Vlasov did not take part in it. On December 5, 1941, the 20th Shock Army launched a counterattack against the Germans, which drove them back from Moscow. Many mistakenly believe that General Andrei Vlasov commanded this army. But Vlasov returned to headquarters only on December 19. Only two days later he took command of the army. By the way, Zhukov has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction, due to the passive command of the army by Vlasov. After that, the Red Army successfully counterattacked the Germans and Vlasov was promoted. But Vlasov made almost no effort to carry out these events.
General Andrey Vlasov
Many historians seriously argue that Vlasov, even before the start of the war with Germany, was an ardent anti-Stalinist. Despite this, he attended a meeting with Joseph Stalin in February 1942 and was quite impressed by his strong personality. Vlasov was always in good standing with Stalin. Vlasov's army has always fought successfully. Already in April 1942, Lieutenant General Andrei Vlasov, Stalin appointed commander of the 2nd shock army.
General Andrey Vlasov
On April 19, 1942, Vlasov appears for the first time before the 2nd shock army with a speech: “I will start with discipline and order. No one will leave my army just because he wants to leave. The people of my army will leave either with orders for promotion, or for execution .... Regarding the latter, of course, I was joking "
General Andrey Vlasov
At that moment, this army was surrounded and something urgently needed to be done to bring it out of the boiler. The army was cut off by the Germans in the Novgorod swamps. The position of the army became critical: there was not enough ammunition and food. Meanwhile, the Germans systematically and cold-bloodedly destroyed the encircled army of Vlasov. Vlasov asked for support and help. At the beginning of the summer of 1942, the Germans blocked the only road (it was also called the "Road of Life"), along which the 2nd Shock Army was provided with food and ammunition. On the same road, the soldiers of the Red Army left the encirclement. Vlasov gave his last order: to break through to everyone on their own. Together with the breakthrough group, Lieutenant General Vlasov headed north in the hope of breaking out of the encirclement. During the retreat, Vlasov lost his temper and was absolutely indifferent to the events taking place. Many surrounded officers of the 2nd Shock Army shot themselves while trying to take them prisoner by the Germans. Systematically, soldiers from the 2nd shock army of Vlasov left the encirclement to their small groups. The 2nd shock army consisted of several hundred thousand fighters, of whom no more than 8 thousand people escaped. The rest were killed or taken prisoner.
General Andrey Vlasov
Against the background of the encirclement of the 2nd shock army, the anti-Soviet sentiments of General Vlasov escalated. July 13, 1942 Vlasov voluntarily surrendered. Early in the morning a German patrol passed through the village. Local residents told the Germans that a Russian soldier was hiding with them. A German patrol seized Vlasov and his companion. This happened in the village of Tukhovezhi, Leningrad region. Before surrendering, Vlasov communicated with local residents who were in contact with Russian partisans. One of the inhabitants of this village wanted to hand over Vlasov to the Germans, but did not have time to do this. According to local residents, Vlasov had the opportunity to go out to the partisans, and then return to his own. But for unknown reasons, he did not.
General Andrey Vlasov
On July 13, a secret note was brought to the NKVD headquarters, which mentioned that the commanders of the 2nd shock army, Vlasov, Vinogradov and Afanasyev, went out to the partisans and were safe with them. On July 16, they found out that a mistake was made in the message and Vlasov was not with the surviving commanders. And the commander Vinogradov did not leave the encirclement. In search of Vlasov and other commanders, on behalf of Stalin, sabotage detachments were sent to the rear of the Germans. Nearly all search parties perished.
General Andrey Vlasov
Vlasov decided to surrender to the enemy for many reasons. Firstly, he assumed that the Soviet Union was unable to destroy the German army, against the backdrop of the events that took place on the Volkhov front in Myasnoy Bor. He decided that it would be better for him that he would surrender to the Germans. Vlasov planned that after the defeat of the Soviets, he would become the head of the leadership of the conquered country.
General Vlasov was transferred to Germany, to Berlin. In one of the houses on the outskirts of Berlin was the headquarters of Vlasov. The Germans needed this kind of figure from the Red Army. Vlasov was offered to become the head of the army in the liberation from Bolshevism in Russia. Vlasov begins to travel to concentration camps where Soviet soldiers are imprisoned. He begins to create the backbone of the ROA (Russian Liberation Army) from captured Russian officers and soldiers. But not many join this army. Later, in the occupied city of Pskov, a parade of several ROA battalions takes place, where Vlasov takes the parade. At this parade, Andrei Vlasov declares that there are already half a million soldiers in the ranks of the ROA, who will soon fight against the Bolsheviks. But in fact, this army did not exist.
Throughout the existence of the ROA, German officers, and even Hitler himself, treated this formation with disdain and distrust.
General Andrey Vlasov
After the defeat of the Wehrmacht at the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, General Vlasov decides to act actively and decides to offer the Germans to lead the five hundred thousandth army of Russian prisoners of war who will take up arms and stand up against the USSR. After Hitler's meeting with the top command staff of the Wehrmacht, it was decided not to create a combat-ready Russian army of the ROA. Hitler categorically forbade the formation of military units from Russian volunteers, due to distrust of them.
After Vlasov was denied the creation of his army, he was taken under house arrest. During the period of idleness, Vlasov in his residence often indulged in drinking and other entertainment. But at the same time, with the leaders of the ROA, Vlasov planned an action plan for various scenarios. Realizing that nothing could be expected from the Germans in terms of helping to create an army, the leaders of the ROA planned to take refuge in the Alps and hold out there until the Allies arrived. And then surrender to them. That was their only hope at the time. Moreover, Vlasov has already contacted MI6 (British military intelligence). Vlasov believed that having gone over to the side of England, he would fight with the USSR with his army when England entered Europe and started a war with Russia. But the British did not negotiate with Vlasov, considering him a war criminal who acts contrary to the interests of the allies.
In the summer of 1944, Andrei Vlasov marries the widow of the murdered SS man, Adella Billinberg. Thus, he wanted to gain the loyalty of the Germans towards himself. Moreover, he wanted to reach Himmler with this act, who in the summer of 1944 received Vlasov. Hoping for help from the Vlasov formations, Himmler allows the creation of an army for Vlasov. As a result, General Vlasov achieves his goal: the first division of the ROA is formed under his leadership. The preparation of sabotage detachments immediately begins to overthrow the government in Russia. It was planned to carry out terrorist acts on the territory of Moscow against the Soviet government. Vlasov also wanted to create underground organizations in large Russian cities in order to counteract Soviet power.
General Andrey Vlasov
After the creation of his army, General Vlasov moved to the Czech Republic. In November 1944, the first congress of the Committee of the Liberation Peoples of Russia took place in Prague. The Germans, and Vlasov himself, seriously planned that in the event of victory in the war, Vlasov would become the head of the government governing Russia.
But events unfold differently. The Red Army moves west and systematically destroys the scattered German army. Soviet troops approach the borders of Czechoslovakia. Vlasov understood that the only chance for his salvation was to surrender to the Americans.
An incredible number of myths and stereotypes are associated with the history of the Vlasov army, as well as with the personality of General Vlasov. Unfortunately, in last years their numbers are on the rise. However, the problem is that the very phrase "Vlasov movement", if we mean it as a kind of political phenomenon, is, of course, much wider than what is called the "Vlasov army". The fact is that participants in the Vlasov movement can be considered not only military personnel, but also civilians who, to military service had nothing to do with it at all. For example, members of the “assistance groups” of the KONR, which arose in the guest worker camps after November 1944: these are civil servants of the Committee and its institutions, divisions, several thousand people - all of them can be considered participants in the Vlasov movement, but not military personnel of the Vlasov army.
Most often, with the phrase "Vlasov army" we have such an association - the Russian Liberation Army (ROA). But in reality, the ROA was a fiction; it never existed as an operational association. It was an exclusively propaganda stamp that appeared in late March - early April 1943. And all the so-called (or almost all) Russian "volunteers" who served in the German armed forces: freiwilliger, partly Khiva - they all wore this chevron and were considered soldiers of an army that never existed. In fact, they were members of the German armed forces, the Wehrmacht, in the first place. Until October 1944, the only unit that was subordinate to Vlasov was a security company scattered in Dabendorf and Dalen, where the general was actually under house arrest. That is, there was no Vlasov army. And only in November 1944, or rather in October, did a really serious, qualified headquarters begin to be created.
By the way, I must say that Vlasov performed more representative functions in his army. Its true organizer, a man who has managed to achieve a lot over the past six months, was Fyodor Ivanovich Trukhin, a professional General Staff officer, former head of the operations department of the North-Western Front, deputy chief of staff of the North-Western Front, who was captured in the last days of June 1941 . Actually, it was General Trukhin who was the real creator of the Vlasov army. He was Vlasov's deputy for the affairs of the Committee, military affairs, deputy head of the military department.
The true creator of the Vlasov army was General Fyodor Trukhin
If we talk about the structure of the Vlasov army, then it developed as follows: firstly, Vlasov and Trukhin counted on the fact that the Germans would transfer all existing Russian units, subdivisions, formations under their command. However, looking ahead, this did not happen.
In April 1945, the Vlasov army de jure included two Cossack corps: in the Separate Cossack Corps in Northern Italy there were 18.5 thousand combatants, and in the 15th Cossack Corps von Pannwitz without German personnel - about 30 thousand people. On January 30, 1945, the Russian Corps also joined Vlasov, which was not very large in number, about 6 thousand people, but consisted of fairly professional personnel. Thus, as of April 20-22, 1945, about 124 thousand people were subordinate to General Vlasov. If we single out Russians separately (without Ukrainians, Belarusians), then about 450 - 480 thousand people passed through the Vlasov army. Of these, 120 - 125 thousand people (as of April 1945) can be considered Vlasov military personnel.
The certification of servicemen who arrived in the officer reserve was carried out by a qualification commission led by Major Arseniy Demsky. The commission assessed the knowledge, training, professional suitability of former Soviet officers. As a rule, the serviceman retained his old military rank, especially if documents or a prisoner of war card were kept, where it was recorded, but sometimes he was assigned even more high rank. For example, military engineer II rank Alexei Ivanovich Spiridonov served in Vlasov's Main Directorate of Propaganda - he was immediately accepted into the ROA as a colonel, although his military rank did not correspond to this rank. Andrey Nikitich Sevastyanov, head of the logistics department of the Central Headquarters, in general, a unique person in Russian history (we will say a few words about him below), received the rank of major general in the ROA.
KONR meeting in Berlin, November 1944
The fate of Andrei Nikitich Sevastyanov has almost never been the subject of attention of historians and researchers. He was the son of a Moscow clerk or even a merchant of the second guild (versions differ). He graduated from a commercial school in Moscow, after which he studied for some time at the Higher Technical School. Before the revolution, he served in active service in the ranks of the Imperial Army, and left with the rank of warrant officer in the reserve. The First World War began. Sevastyanov immediately went to the front, ending the war in the fall of 1917 with the rank of staff captain. In principle, there is nothing to be surprised here. However, we note that during these three years of the war, our hero received seven military Russian awards, including the St. George Cross of the 4th degree and the Order of St. Vladimir with swords. As far as is known, this is the only case in the history of the First World War when a non-professional officer (Sevastyanov was from the reserve) received seven military orders, including the two highest ones. At the same time, he also earned a serious wound: during the attack of the Austrian cavalry, Sevastyanov was wounded with a blade in the head and spent almost the entire 1917 in the hospital.
In 1918, Sevastyanov went to serve in the Red Army, from where he was fired for anti-Soviet views. For twenty years he was imprisoned, then released. And in 1941, near Kiev, according to one version, he went over to the side of the enemy himself, according to another, he was captured.
In the Red Army, Sevastyanov passed an attestation, his card was in the card file of the commanding staff, but he was never awarded a military rank. Apparently he was waiting. According to one version, he should have been given the rank of captain, which corresponded to a staff captain, but for some reason the chief of artillery of the 21st Army ordered Sevastyanov to wear one rhombus in his buttonholes. It turns out that Andrei Nikitich was captured with the rank of brigade commander, a rank that was no longer there in September 1941. And on the basis of this entry in the ROA, Sevastyanov was certified as a major general.
In February 1945, Andrei Sevastyanov, together with the generals of the ROA, Mikhail Meandrov and Vladimir Artsezo, who served with Vlasov under the pseudonym "Iceberg", was extradited by the Americans to Soviet representatives. In 1947, he was shot by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR.
In April 1945, about 124 thousand people obeyed General Vlasov
If we estimate the size of the officer corps of the Vlasov army, then as of April 1945, it ranged from 4 to 5 thousand people in the ranks from second lieutenant to general, including, of course, white emigrants who joined Vlasov in a fairly compact group. Mostly they were officers of the Russian Corps. For example, military personnel under the leadership of Lieutenant General Boris Aleksandrovich Shteifon, hero of the Erzurum battle of 1916, commandant of the Gallipoli camp, participant white movement. It is worth noting that almost all white émigré officers occupied separate, rather important posts in Vlasov's army.
If we compare the number of Soviet officers who were captured with the number of white emigrants who joined the Vlasov army, then the ratio will be somewhere around 1:5 or 1:6. At the same time, we note that the latter compared favorably with the commanders of the Red Army. It can even be said that the officers of the Russian Corps were more ready for rapprochement with the Vlasovites than the soldiers of the Red Army.
How can this be explained? Partly because the appearance of General Vlasov was psychologically justified in the eyes of white emigrants. In the 30s, all the magazines of the white military emigration (“Sentry” and a number of others) enthusiastically wrote (the theory of “comcor Sidorchuk” was very popular) that there would be some popular commander of the Red Army who would lead the people’s struggle against the authorities, and then we will definitely support this commander, even if he opposed us during the Civil War. And when Vlasov appeared (the first meeting between Vlasov and Major General of the General Staff Alexei von Lampe took place on May 19, 1943 at the house of the former vice-director of the department of agriculture Fyodor Schlippe, Stolypin's ally in agrarian reform), he made a very good impression.
Thus, we emphasize this once again, there were much more white emigrants in the ranks of the Vlasov army than participated in the resistance movement. If you objectively look at the number, then about 20 thousand Russian white emigrants during the Second World War fought on the side of the enemy.
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Soldiers of the Russian Liberation Army, 1944
The “baptism of fire” of the ROA, with the exception of the active hostilities that the formations conducted before they entered the Vlasov army, took place on February 9, 1945. The strike group under the command of Colonel Igor Sakharov, formed from Soviet citizens, volunteers who served in the Vlasov army, and several white emigrants, together with German troops, took part in battles with the 230th rifle division of the Red Army, which took up defense in the Oder region. I must say that the actions of the ROA were quite effective. In his diary, Goebbels noted "the outstanding achievements of the detachments of General Vlasov."
> The second episode involving the ROA, much more serious, took place on April 13, 1945 - the so-called operation "April weather". It was an attack on the bridgehead of the Soviet fortification, the Erlenhof bridgehead, south of Furstenberg, which was defended by the 415th separate machine-gun and artillery battalion, which was part of the 119th fortified area of the Soviet 33rd Army. And Sergey Kuzmich Bunyachenko, a former colonel of the Red Army, major general of the ROA, put two of his infantry regiments into action. However, the terrain there was so unfavorable, and the front of the attack was only 504 meters, and the attackers exposed themselves from the flank under the strong barrage of Soviet artillery of the 119th UR, that success (advance 500 meters, capture the first line of trenches and hold out on it until the next days) achieved only the 2nd regiment. The 3rd regiment under the command of Georgy Petrovich Ryabtsev, who served under the pseudonym "Alexandrov", a former major of the Red Army, lieutenant colonel of the Vlasov army, was defeated.
By the way, the fate of Ryabtsev, who shot himself on the demarcation line in the Czech Republic after the Prague uprising, is very curious. To the first world war he was captured by the Germans, fled, being a non-commissioned officer of the Russian army, to the allies, the French. He fought in the Foreign Legion, then returned to Russia. He served in the Red Army, in 1941 he was the commander of the 539th regiment. He fell into German captivity for the second time, spent two years in the camp, filed a report with the ROA and was enrolled in the inspectorate of Major General Blagoveshchensky.
In the eyes of white emigrants, the appearance of Vlasov was psychologically justified
The 2nd Regiment was led by Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Pavlovich Artemiev, a career cavalryman, by the way, is also a very interesting character. He was captured by the Germans in September 1943. At home, he was considered dead, posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner. After the war, Artemyev avoided forced extradition to the Soviet administration. He died in Germany in the 60s.
But the life story of General Ivan Nikitich Kononov could easily become the basis for a cinematic film or a detective story. Former Red Army soldier, commander of the 436th regiment of the 155th rifle division, Kononov on August 22, 1941, with a rather large group of fighters and commanders, went over to the side of the enemy, immediately offering to create a Cossack unit. During interrogation to the Germans, Kononov stated that he was from the repressed Cossacks, his father was hanged in 1919, two brothers died in 1934. And, interestingly, the Germans retained the rank of major assigned to Kononov in the Red Army, in 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, in 1944 to colonel of the Wehrmacht, and in 1945 he became a major general of KONR. Over the years of service to the Wehrmacht, Kononov received twelve military awards - this is in addition to the Order of the Red Star, acquired at home.
As for the fate of the Colonel of the Red Army, Major General of the KONR Sergei Kuzmich Bunyachenko, there are many ambiguities in it. Bunyachenko was born into a poor Ukrainian family, more than half of which died from the "Holodomor". In 1937, at a party meeting, he criticized collectivization, for which he was immediately expelled from the party. The exception was later, however, replaced by a severe reprimand. In 1942, Bunyachenko commanded the 389th Infantry Division on the Transcaucasian Front and, following the order of General Maslennikov, blew up the bridge in the Mozdok-Chervlenoe section before some of the Red Army units had time to cross it. Bunyachenko was made a scapegoat, sent to court by a military tribunal, sentenced to death, which was later replaced by ten years of labor camps with departure after the end of the war. In October 1942, Bunyachenko took command of the 59th separate rifle brigade, seriously weakened, having lost in previous battles more than 35% of the personnel. In mid-October, in fierce defensive battles, the brigade suffered new losses, and in November it was practically destroyed. This defeat was also blamed on Bunyachenko, who was threatened with another arrest. And then there are two versions of the development of events: according to one of them, Bunyachenko was captured by the reconnaissance group of the 2nd Romanian infantry division, according to the other, he himself went over to the side of the Germans in December 1942 (however, the problem in this case is that that the Germans sent defectors to special camps, and Bunyachenko until May 1943 was in an ordinary camp).
After the Prague Uprising, having disbanded the division on the orders of Vlasov and removed his insignia, Bunyachenko went in a headquarters column to the headquarters of the 3rd American Army. On May 15, 1945, together with the chief of staff of the division, lieutenant colonel of the Armed Forces of the KONR Nikolaev and the head of the divisional counterintelligence, the captain of the Armed Forces of the KONR, Olkhovik, was transferred by American patrols to the command of the 25th Soviet tank corps. Nikolaev and Olkhovik were shot separately, and Bunyachenko was included in the group of officers and generals who were involved in the Vlasov case - he was hanged along with the commander-in-chief of the ROA. At the same time, there is reason to believe that it was Bunyachenko who was subjected to torture during the investigation: the time of the interrogation, judging by the record in the protocol, took 6-7 hours. Sergei Kuzmich was a man of principle, rude, boorish, but collectivization made a very terrible impression on him. In general, it should be noted that it was main reason, according to which the Vlasov movement arose.
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General Vlasov inspects the soldiers of the ROA, 1944
Let's say a few words about the aviation of the Vlasov army. It is known that among the “falcons” of the general there were three Heroes of the Soviet Union: Bronislav Romanovich Antilevsky, Semyon Trofimovich Bychkov and Ivan Ivanovich Tennikov, whose biography is the least studied.
A career pilot, a Tatar by nationality, Tennikov, performing a combat mission to cover Stalingrad on September 15, 1942 over Zaikovsky Island, fought with enemy fighters, rammed a German Messerschmitg-110, shot it down and survived. There is a version that he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for this feat, but his name is not on the list of persons who were deprived of this title. V Soviet aviation Tennikov served until the fall of 1943, when he was shot down and considered missing. While in a prisoner of war camp, he entered the service of German intelligence and was then transferred to the Vlasov army. For health reasons, he could not fly and served as a propaganda officer. Nothing is known about Tennikov's further fate after April 1945. According to the documents of the Main Directorate of Personnel of the Ministry of Defense, he is still missing.
White emigrant pilots also served with Vlasov: Sergei Konstantinovich Shabalin, one of the best aviators of the First World War, Leonid Ivanovich Baidak, who in June 1920 initiated the defeat of the 1st cavalry corps of Dmitry Zhlob, Mikhail Vasilyevich Tarnovsky, the son of a famous Russian gunsmith, colonel of the Russian army, hero of the Russo-Japanese War Vasily Tarnovsky. At the age of 13, Mikhail left his homeland with his family. Lived first in France, then in Czechoslovakia, finished there flight school becoming a professional pilot. In 1941, Tarnovsky entered the service of German propaganda. He was an announcer and editor of a number of programs of the Vineta radio station, developed scripts and hosted radio programs of an anti-Stalinist and anti-Soviet nature. In the spring of 1943, in May, he applied to join the ROA. He served near Pskov in the Guards shock battalion, and then transferred to the Air Force, where he commanded a training squadron.
Why do we focus on Tarnovsky? The fact is that, surrendering to the Americans, he, as a citizen of the Czechoslovak Republic, was not subject to extradition to the Soviet occupation zone. However, Tarkovsky expressed a desire to share the fate of his subordinates and follow them to the Soviet zone. On December 26, he was sentenced to death by a military tribunal. Shot on January 18, 1946 in Potsdam. In 1999 he was rehabilitated by the prosecutor's office of St. Petersburg.
The third Hero of the Soviet Union in the ROA was pilot Ivan Tennikov
And finally, a few words about the ideological component of the Vlasov movement. Briefly state the theses - draw your own conclusions. Contrary to very common stereotypes and myths, most of the Vlasov officers began to cooperate with the enemy after Stalingrad, that is, in 1943, and some joined the general's army in 1944 and even in 1945. In a word, the life risks of a person, if he enrolled in the ROA after 1943, did not decrease, but increased: the situation in the camps had changed so much compared to the first months of the war that only a suicide could join the Vlasov army in these years.
It is known that Vlasov had completely different people, not only in military ranks, but also in political views. Therefore, if during such a terrible war there is such a mass betrayal of captured generals and officers to their own state, the oath, you still need to look for social reasons. During the First World War, the enemy had thousands of officers of the Russian army in captivity, but there was nothing like that, not a single defector officer (except Ensign Yermolenko) was even close. Not to mention the situation of the XIX century.
As for the trial of General Vlasov and other leaders of the ROA, at first the leadership of the USSR planned to hold a public trial in the October Hall of the House of the Unions. However, this intention was later abandoned. Perhaps the reason was that some of the accused could express views in court that could objectively coincide with the moods of a certain part of the population dissatisfied with the Soviet regime.
On July 23, 1946, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks issued a decision on the death sentence. On August 1, General Vlasov and his followers were hanged.
In early September 2009, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, at his meetings, he touched upon disputes regarding the book of the church historian, Archpriest Georgy Mitrofanov, “The Tragedy of Russia. "Forbidden" themes of the history of the XX century.
In particular, it was noted that:
“The tragedy of those who are commonly called “Vlasovites” ... is truly great. In any case, it should be comprehended with all possible impartiality and objectivity. Outside of such an understanding, historical science turns into political journalism. We…should avoid “black and white” interpretation historical events. In particular, the naming of the acts of General A.A. Vlasov - a betrayal, is, in our opinion, a frivolous simplification of the events of that time. In this sense, we fully support Father Georgy Mitrofanov's attempt to approach this issue (or rather, a whole series of issues) with a measure adequate to the complexity of the problem. In the Russian Diaspora, of which the surviving members of the ROA became part, General A.A. Vlasov was and remains a kind of symbol of resistance to godless Bolshevism in the name of the revival of Historical Russia. ... Everything that was undertaken by them was done specifically for the Fatherland, in the hope that the defeat of Bolshevism would lead to the restoration of a powerful national Russia. Germany was considered by the "Vlasovites" exclusively as an ally in the fight against Bolshevism, but they, the "Vlasovites" were ready, if necessary, to resist by armed force any kind of colonization or dismemberment of our Motherland. We hope that in the future Russian historians will treat the events of that time with greater fairness and impartiality than is the case today.”
So, a very authoritative part of the Russian Orthodox Church is ready to forgive A. Vlasov both cooperation with the Nazis, and direct participation in hostilities against the Red Army in the name of the fact that this was done in order to destroy "godless Bolshevism." Let's try to impartially figure out how to interpret the actions of Lieutenant General of the Red Army Andrei Vlasov, and later the commander of the ROA.
Born on September 14, 1901 in the village of Lomakino, now the Gaginsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region, in a peasant family. Russian.
In the Red Army since 1920. After graduating from the commander's course, he participated in battles with the White Guards on the Southern Front. Since 1922, Vlasov held command and staff positions, and also taught. In 1929 he graduated from the Higher Army Command Courses. In 1930 he joined the CPSU (b). In 1935 he became a student of the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze. From August 1937, he was commander of the 133rd Infantry Regiment of the 72nd Infantry Division, and from April 1938, assistant commander of this division. In the autumn of 1938 he was sent to China to work as part of a group of military advisers. From May to November 1939, he served as chief military adviser. Awarded the Order of the Golden Dragon.
In January 1940, Major General Vlasov was appointed commander of the 99th Infantry Division, which in October of the same year was recognized as the best division in the district. For this, A. Vlasov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In January 1941, Vlasov was appointed commander of the 4th mechanized corps Kiev Special Military District, and a month later he was awarded the Order of Lenin.
That is, it can be stated that Andrei Andreyevich made a brilliant military career precisely at the time when the Stalinist regime destroyed tens of thousands command staff Red Army. The "best friend of all the military" did not doubt Vlasov's loyalty and devotion.
The war for Vlasov began near Lvov, where he served as commander of the 4th mechanized corps. For skillful actions, he received gratitude and, on the recommendation of N.S. Khrushchev was appointed commander of the 37th Army, which defended Kiev. After fierce battles, scattered formations of this army managed to break through to the east, and Vlasov himself was wounded and ended up in the hospital.
In November 1941, Stalin summoned Vlasov and ordered him to form the 20th Army, which was part of the Western Front and defended the capital. On December 5, in the area of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (located 27 km from the Moscow Kremlin), the Soviet 20th Army under the command of General Vlasov stopped parts of the German 4th tank army, making a significant contribution to the victory near Moscow. Overcoming the stubborn resistance of the enemy, the 20th Army drove the Germans out of Solnechnogorsk and Volokolamsk. On January 24, 1942, for the battles on the Lama River, he received the rank of lieutenant general and was awarded the second Order of the Red Banner.
G.K. Zhukov assessed Vlasov’s actions as follows: “Personally, Lieutenant General Vlasov is well prepared operationally, he has organizational skills. He copes with the management of the troops quite well. After the successes near Moscow, A. A. Vlasov, along with other generals of the Red Army, is called the "saviors of the capital." On the instructions of the Main Political Directorate about Vlasov, a book is being written called "Stalin's commander."
On January 7, the Luban operation began. The troops of the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front, created to disrupt the German offensive on Leningrad and the subsequent counterattack, successfully broke through the enemy defenses in the area locality Myasnoy Bor (on the left bank of the Volkhov River) and deeply wedged into its location (in the direction of Lyuban). But having no strength for a further offensive, the army found itself in a difficult position. The enemy cut her communications several times, creating a threat of encirclement.
On March 8, 1942, Lieutenant General A. Vlasov was appointed deputy commander of the Volkhov Front. March 20, 1942 commander Volkhov Front K.A. Meretskov sent his deputy A. Vlasov at the head of a special commission to the 2nd shock army (Lieutenant General N.K. Klykov). “For three days the members of the commission talked with commanders of all ranks, with political workers, with soldiers,” and on April 8, 1942, having drawn up an inspection report, the commission departed, but without General A. Vlasov. The dismissed (“seriously ill”) General Klykov was sent to the rear by plane on April 16.
The question naturally arose, to whom to entrust the leadership of the troops of the 2nd shock army? On the same day, a telephone conversation took place between A. Vlasov and divisional commissar I.V. Zueva with Meretskov. Zuev proposed to appoint Vlasov to the post of commander, and Vlasov - the chief of staff of the army, Colonel P.S. Vinogradov. The Military Council of the [Volkhov] Front supported Zuev's idea. So, from April 20, 1942, Vlasov became commander of the 2nd shock army, while remaining deputy commander of the [Volkhov] front. He received troops that were practically no longer able to fight, he received an army that had to be saved. During May-June, the 2nd shock army under the command of A. Vlasov made desperate attempts to break out of the bag.
"TO THE MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE VOLKHOV FRONT. I report: the troops of the army have been conducting tense fierce battles with the enemy for three weeks ... The personnel of the troops are exhausted to the limit, the number of deaths is increasing and the incidence of exhaustion is increasing every day. Due to the cross-fire of the army area, the troops are big losses from artillery mortar fire and enemy aircraft ... The combat strength of the formations has sharply decreased. It is no longer possible to replenish it at the expense of rears and special units. Everything that was taken. On the sixteenth of June in battalions, brigades and rifle regiments only a few dozen remained. All attempts by the eastern group of the army to break through the passage in the corridor from the west were unsuccessful. Army troops receive fifty grams of crackers for three weeks. Last days there was absolutely no food. We eat the last horses. People are extremely exhausted. Group mortality from starvation is observed. There is no ammunition…”
On June 25, the enemy completely completed the encirclement of the army. The testimonies of various witnesses do not answer the question of where Lieutenant General A. Vlasov was hiding for the next three weeks - whether he wandered in the forest or whether there was some kind of reserve command post to which his group made its way. On July 11, 1942, in the village of Old Believers Tukhovezhi, Vlasov was extradited by local residents (according to another version, he surrendered himself) to a patrol of the 28th Infantry Regiment of the 18th Wehrmacht Army.
While in the Vinnitsa military camp for captured senior officers, Vlasov agreed to cooperate with the Nazis and headed the "Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia" (KONR) and the "Russian Liberation Army" (ROA), made up of captured Soviet soldiers.
Vlasov wrote an open letter "Why did I take the path of fighting Bolshevism." In addition, he signed leaflets calling for the overthrow of the Stalinist regime, which were subsequently scattered by the Nazi army from aircraft at the fronts, and also distributed among prisoners of war.
Russian Liberation Army, ROA - military units formed by the German headquarters of the SS Troops during World War II from Russian collaborators. The army was formed mainly from Soviet prisoners of war, as well as from among Russian emigrants. Unofficially, its members were called "Vlasovites", after their leader, Lieutenant General Andrei Vlasov.
The ROA was formed mainly from Soviet prisoners of war who fell into German captivity, mainly at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, during the retreat of the Red Army. The creators of the ROA was declared as a military formation created to "liberate Russia from communism" (December 27, 1942). Lieutenant General Andrei Vlasov, who was captured in 1942, together with General Boyarsky, proposed in a letter to the German command to organize a ROA. General Fyodor Trukhin was appointed chief of staff, General Vladimir Boyarsky was appointed his deputy, and Colonel Andrey Neryanin was appointed head of the operational department of the headquarters. The leaders of the ROA also included generals Vasily Malyshkin, Dmitry Zakutny, Ivan Blagoveshchensky, and former brigade commissar Georgy Zhilenkov. The rank of General of the ROA had a former major of the Red Army and Colonel of the Wehrmacht Ivan Kononov.
Among the leadership of the ROA were the generals of the white army V.I. Angeleev, V.F. Belogortsev, S.K. Borodin, colonels K.G. Kromiadi, N. A. Shokoli, lieutenant colonel A. D. Arkhipov, as well as M. V. Tomashevsky, Yu. K. Meyer, V. Melnikov, Skarzhinsky, Golub and others, as well as Colonel I. K. Sakharov (formerly lieutenant of the Spanish army, General F. Franco). Support was also provided by: Generals A.P. Arkhangelsky, A.A. von Lampe, A.M. Dragomirov, P.N. Krasnov, N.N. Golovin, F.F. Abramov, E.I. Balabin, I.A. Polyakov, V.V. Kreiter, Donskoy and Kuban chieftains generals G.V. Tatarkin and V.G. Naumenko. The army was financed entirely by the German state bank.
However, there was antagonism between former Soviet prisoners of war and white emigrants, and the latter were gradually forced out of the leadership of the ROA. Most of them served in other Russian volunteer formations not associated with the ROA (only a few days before the end of the war formally attached to the ROA) - the Russian Corps, the brigade of General A.V. Turkula in Austria, the 1st Russian National Army, the Varyag regiment of Colonel M.A. Semenov, a separate regiment of Colonel Krzhizhanovsky, as well as in Cossack formations (15th Cossack Cavalry Corps and Cossack camp).
On January 28, 1945, the ROA received the status of the German armed forces. On May 12, 1945, an order was signed to dissolve the ROA. After the victory of the allies and the occupation of Germany, most of the members of the ROA were handed over to the Soviet authorities. Some were shot on the spot by the NKVD, together with the soldiers of the United States and Great Britain, and some were sent for many years to the Gulags of the USSR. Some of the "Vlasovites" managed to get asylum in Western countries, as well as in Australia, Canada and Argentina.
At the end of April 1945, A. Vlasov had the armed forces under his command in the following composition:
- 1st Division Major General S.K. Bunyachenko (22,000 people)
- 2nd Division Major General G.A. Zverev (13,000 people)
- 3rd Division Major General M.M. Shapovalova (not armed, there was only a headquarters and 10,000 volunteers)
- reserve brigade of lieutenant colonel (later colonel) S.T. Koydy (7,000 men) is the only commander of a large unit not extradited by the US occupation authorities to the Soviet side.
- Air Force General V.I. Maltsev (5000 people)
- VET division
- officer school of General M.A. Meandrov.
- accessory parts,
- Russian Corps Major General B.A. Shteifon (4500 people). General Steifon died suddenly on 30 April. The corps that surrendered to the Soviet troops was led by Colonel Rogozhkin.
- Cossack Stan Major General T.I. Domanova (8000 people)
- group of Major General A.V. Turkula (5200 people)
- 15th Cossack cavalry corps of Lieutenant General H. von Pannwitz (more than 40,000 people)
- Cossack reserve regiment of General A.G. Shkuro (more than 10,000 people)
- several small formations numbering less than 1000 people;
In general, these formations numbered 124 thousand people. These parts were scattered at a considerable distance from each other, which became one of the main factors in their tragic fate. However, in fact, all the ROA servicemen who, at the time of Germany's surrender, were outside the zone occupied by Soviet troops, were extradited by the Western occupation authorities to the Soviet side. And it was legally justified. According to international law, persons who previously had Soviet citizenship and, due to various circumstances, took the path of serving the Nazis, took an oath of allegiance to the Motherland and betrayed it, were considered collaborators and traitors subject to extradition.
Separate parts of the Vlasovites were used by the Germans for security service and punitive operations, in particular, the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising, where they were distinguished by cruelty and looting.
The Vlasovites entered the battle against units of the Red Army for the first time on February 8, 1945. On that day, the anti-tank detachment of Colonel I.K. Sakharova achieved partial success in an attack near the town of Nei-Levin on a position occupied by units of the 990th regiment of the 230th Stalinist rifle division. On April 13, two Vlasov infantry regiments attacked the bridgehead held by the forces of the 415th separate machine gun and artillery battalion from the 119th fortified area of the 33rd Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. During the first attack, the Vlasovites occupied the first line of trenches, having achieved success where the Germans could not achieve it for two months. But then, during the battle, the division commander, Major General S.K. Bunyachenko refused to continue unpromising attacks due to the strong artillery cover of the bridgehead from the eastern bank of the Oder. He carefully led the regiments out of the battle, and the fighting qualities of the Vlasovites were mentioned in a positive context in the report of the High Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) dated April 14, 1945.
Among the Vlasov military leaders were regular commanders of the Red Army (5 major generals, 2 brigade commanders, 29 colonels, 16 lieutenant colonels, 41 majors), who had excellent attestations while serving in the Red Army, and even three Heroes of the Soviet Union (pilots Antilevsky, Bychkov and Tennikov ). A number of commanders of the Red Army, having spent from a year to three years in German camps, joined Vlasov after the publication of the Prague Manifesto and the creation of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia (KONR), when no one doubted the outcome of the war. Among them are colonels A.F. Vanyushin, A.A. Funtikov, lieutenant colonels I.F. Rudenko and A.P. Skugarevsky and others. In April 1945, under the legal command of A.A. Vlasov, there were more than 120 thousand people, however, who did not have time to complete the reorganization. The Vlasov army, which arose between November 1944 and April 1945, was armed with 44 aircraft, about 25 tanks and armored vehicles, more than 570 mortars, 230 guns, 2 thousand machine guns, etc.
In early May 1945, a conflict arose between Vlasov and Bunyachenko - Bunyachenko intended to support the Prague uprising, and Vlasov persuaded him not to do this and stay on the side of the Germans. At the negotiations in the North Bohemian Kozoedy, they did not agree and their paths diverged.
In an open letter from A. Vlasov dated March 3, 1943, “Why I took the path of fighting Bolshevism,” he, in particular, wrote:
“I have come to the firm conviction that the tasks facing the Russian people can be resolved in alliance and cooperation with the German people. The interests of the Russian people have always been combined with the interests of the German people, with the interests of all the peoples of Europe.
The highest achievements of the Russian people are inextricably linked with those periods of its history when it linked its fate with the fate of Europe, when it built its culture, its economy, its way of life in close unity with the peoples of Europe. Bolshevism fenced off the Russian people with an impenetrable wall from Europe. He sought to isolate our Motherland from the advanced European countries. In the name of ideas utopian and alien to the Russian people, he prepared for war, opposing himself to the peoples of Europe.
In alliance with the German people, the Russian people must destroy this wall of hatred and mistrust. In alliance and cooperation with Germany, he must build a new happy Motherland within the framework of a family of equal and free peoples of Europe.
With these thoughts, with this decision in the last battle, along with a handful of friends loyal to me, I was taken prisoner.
I was in captivity for over six months. In the conditions of the prisoner-of-war camp, behind its bars, I not only did not change my mind, but strengthened my convictions.
On honest principles, on the basis of sincere conviction, with full consciousness of responsibility to the Motherland, people and history for the actions taken, I call on the people to fight, setting myself the task of building New Russia.
How do I imagine New Russia? I will talk about this in due time.
History does not turn back. I do not call the people to return to the past. Not! I call him to a brighter future, to the struggle for the completion of the National Revolution, to the struggle for the creation of New Russia - the Motherland of our great people. I call him to the path of brotherhood and unity with the peoples of Europe and, above all, to the path of cooperation and eternal friendship with the Great German people.
My call met with deep sympathy not only among the broadest sections of the prisoners of war, but also among the broad masses of the Russian people in areas where Bolshevism still reigns. This sympathetic response of the Russian people, who expressed their readiness to breastfeed themselves under the banner of the Russian Liberation Army, gives me the right to say that I am on the right path, that the cause for which I am fighting is a just cause, the cause of the Russian people. In this struggle for our future, I openly and honestly take the path of an alliance with Germany.
So, the combat general of the Red Army, who personally saw the atrocities of the Nazis on Soviet soil, called on the Russians to "alliance with Germany." At a time when the furnaces of German concentration camps were stoked with might and main by the bodies of his former fellow citizens, A. Vlasov, together with the German special services, developed "cunning" plans for recognizing the ROA as a "belligerent" with neutrality towards the USA and England. Of course, a drowning man clutches at straws, but it's hard to imagine a more insane combination generated by the hopelessness of Hitler's fascism and its henchmen.
On May 12, 1945, A. Vlasov was captured by servicemen of the 25th tank corps of the 13th army of the 1st Ukrainian front near the city of Pilsen in Czechoslovakia while trying to escape to the western zone of occupation. The tankers of the corps pursued Vlasov's car at the direction of the Vlasov captain, who informed them that his commander was in this car. Vlasov was taken to the headquarters of Marshal Konev, from there to Moscow.
At first, the leadership of the USSR planned to hold a public trial of Vlasov and other leaders of the ROA in the October Hall of the House of the Unions, however, due to the fact that some of the accused could express views during the process that "objectively could coincide with the mood of a certain part of the population dissatisfied with the Soviet government", it was It was decided to make the process closed. The decision on the death sentence against Vlasov and others was taken by the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks on July 23, 1946. On July 30-31, 1946, a closed trial in the case of Vlasov and a group of his followers. All of them were found guilty of high treason. By the verdict of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR, they were stripped of their military ranks and hanged on August 1, 1946, and their property was confiscated.
The time has come to return to the beginning of our study and compare Hauptmann Shukhevych and Lieutenant General Vlasov, UPA and ROA. We have already noted that both Shukhevych and most of the UPA fighters were not citizens of the USSR before the war. That is, by definition, they could not change him. Raised on the radical ideology of the OUN, they fought for the Ukraine that corresponded to their ideals. Yes, they collaborated with the Nazis, but who in those days did not dream of an alliance with the invincible Fuhrer? The Germans did not appreciate the opportunities that opened up before them in the event of a formal restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty. But the hopes of the OUN members were quite justified. Another thing is that Hitler would then not be Hitler, but the greatest political strategist. Until the autumn of 1944, the OUN were used by the Abwehr as an auxiliary force in the occupied territory. However, after the liberation of Ukraine, they fought for many years guerrilla war against the Soviet regime, defending their ideals with all the methods available to them. It was a full-scale civil war with heavy losses on both sides. Thousands of Galicians died under the heavy boot of "Uncle Joe", but stopped the fight only after the complete depletion of the sources of replenishment and weapons. As in every civil war there was no right or wrong here. Each side fought for its own vision of Ukraine. Therefore, neither the UPA fighters, nor their commander-in-chief cannot fail to inspire a certain respect. As for their status as a “belligerent”, then this should be recognized for them precisely in a civil war.
The Stalinist commander Andrei Vlasov and his associates, on the contrary, were citizens of the USSR, took the oath of allegiance to the Motherland, being in the ranks of the Red Army. Therefore, they are clearly traitors and collaborators. If R. Shukhevych was devoted to the ideals of the OUN all his adult life, then A. Vlasov, having joined the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks at the age of 29, after the captivity suddenly “saw the light” and desired to fight against “godless Bolshevism”. And on the side of the bloody Hitler, guilty of the deaths of tens of millions of Russians. Therefore, it makes no sense to compare the ideological "credo" of the OUN and Vlasovites: the former had it, while the latter did not. It is significant that if the OUN members fought underground for a long time against Bolshevism, then the Vlasovites immediately after the defeat of Germany surrendered and did not even think about fighting for the “new Russia”.
Concluding our reflections, let us return to “godless Bolshevism” for the declarative, basically, struggle against which the fathers of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad call for the rehabilitation of A. Vlasov. So, before the war, L. Trotsky noted that the most ardent anti-Bolshevik is J. Stalin, who destroyed more communists than Hitler and Mussolini combined. According to the logic of church hierarchs, and the mustachioed "father of all peoples" should be forgiven?
