Commander of the partisan movement in WWII. Commanders of the partisans of the Great Patriotic War

Let us first give a list of the largest partisan formations and their leaders. Here is the list:

Sumy partisan unit. Major General S.A. Kovpak

Chernigov-Volyn partisan formation Major General A.F. Fedorov

Gomel partisan unit Major General I.P. Kozhar

partisan unit Major General V.Z. Korzh

partisan unit Major General M.I. Naumov

partisan unit Major General A.N. Saburov

partisan brigade Major General M.I.Duka

Ukrainian partisan division Major General P.P. Vershigora

Rivne partisan unit Colonel V.A. Begma

Ukrainian headquarters of the partisan movement, Major General V.A. Andreev

In this work we will limit ourselves to considering the action of some of them.

5.1 Sumy partisan unit. Major General S.A. Kovpak

Leader of the Kovpak movement, Soviet statesman and public figure, one of the organizers of the partisan movement, twice Hero Soviet Union(18.5.1942 and 4.1.1944), major general (1943). Member of the CPSU since 1919. Born into the family of a poor peasant. Participant Civil War 1918-20: headed partisan detachment, who fought in Ukraine against the German occupiers together with the troops of A. Ya. Parkhomenko, fought against Denikin’s troops; took part in battles on Eastern Front as part of the 25th Chapaev Division and on the Southern Front - against Wrangel's troops. In 1921-26 he was a military commissar in a number of cities in the Ekaterinoslav province. In 1937-41, chairman of the Putivl city executive committee of the Sumy region. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, Kovpak was the commander of the Putivl partisan detachment, then a formation of partisan detachments of the Sumy region, a member of the illegal Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine. In 1941-42, Kovpak’s unit carried out raids behind enemy lines in the Sumy, Kursk, Oryol and Bryansk regions, in 1942-43 - a raid from the Bryansk forests on Right Bank Ukraine in the Gomel, Pinsk, Volyn, Rivne, Zhitomir and Kyiv regions; in 1943 - Carpathian raid. The Sumy partisan unit under the command of Kovpak fought in the rear of the Nazi troops for more than 10 thousand km, defeated enemy garrisons in 39 settlements. Kovpak's raids played a big role in the development of the partisan movement against the Nazi occupiers. In January 1944, the Sumy unit was renamed the 1st Ukrainian Partisan Division named after Kovpak. Awarded 4 Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov 1st degree, Bogdan Khmelnitsky 1st degree, orders of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and Poland, as well as medals.

At the beginning of July 1941, the formation of partisan detachments and underground groups began in Putivl. One partisan detachment under the command of S.A. Kovpak was supposed to operate in the Spadshchansky forest, another, commanded by S.V. Rudnev, in the Novoslobodsky forest, the third, led by S.F. Kirilenko, in the Maritsa tract. In October of the same year, at a general detachment meeting, it was decided to unite into a single Putivl partisan detachment. The commander of the united detachment was S.A. Kovpak, the commissar was S.V. Rudnev, and the chief of staff was G.Ya. Bazyma. By the end of 1941, there were only 73 people in the detachment, and by mid-1942 there were already more than a thousand. Small and large partisan detachments from other places came to Kovpak. Gradually, a union of people's avengers of the Sumy region was born.

On May 26, 1942, the Kovpaks liberated Putivl and held it for two days. And in October, having broken through the enemy blockade created around the Bryansk Forest, a formation of partisan detachments launched a raid on the right bank of the Dnieper. In a month, the Kovpakov soldiers covered 750 km. Behind enemy lines through Sumy, Chernigov, Gomel, Kyiv, Zhitomir regions. 26 bridges, 2 trains with fascist manpower and equipment were blown up, 5 armored cars and 17 vehicles were destroyed.

During the period of its second raid - from July to October 1943 - the formation of partisan detachments covered four thousand kilometers in battle. The partisans disabled the main oil refineries, oil storage facilities, oil rigs and oil pipelines located in the area of ​​​​Drohobych and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The newspaper “Pravda Ukrainy” wrote: “Telegrams were flying from Germany: catch Kovpak, lock his troops in the mountains. Twenty-five times a ring of punitive forces closed around the areas occupied by the partisan general, and the same number of times he escaped unharmed.”

Being in a difficult situation and waging fierce battles, the Kovpakovites fought their way out of their last encirclement shortly before the liberation of Ukraine.

During the Great Patriotic War, a people's war was fought in the territories of the Soviet Union occupied by fascist troops, which is partisan movement. We will tell you about its features and the most prominent representatives in our article.

Concept and organization of movement

Partisans (partisan detachments) are considered unofficial persons (armed groups) hiding, avoiding direct confrontation, while fighting the enemy on occupied lands. Important point partisan activity - voluntary support by the civilian population. If this does not happen, then the combat groups are saboteurs or simply bandits.

The Soviet partisan movement began to form immediately in 1941 (very active in Belarus). The partisans were required to take an oath. The detachments operated mainly in the front-line zone. During the war years, about 6,200 groups (a million people) were created. Where the terrain did not allow the creation of partisan zones, underground organizations or sabotage groups operated.

The main goals of the partisans:

• Disruption of the support and communications systems of German troops;
• Conducting reconnaissance;
• Political agitation;
• Destruction of defectors, false partisans, Nazi managers and officers;
• Combat assistance to representatives surviving in the occupation Soviet power, military units.

The partisan movement was not uncontrolled. Already in June 1941, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a directive that listed the main necessary actions partisan In addition, some partisan detachments were created in free territories and then transported to enemy rear. In May 1942, the Central Headquarters of the partisan movement was formed.

Rice. 1. Soviet partisans.

Partisan heroes

Many underground fighters and partisans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 are recognized heroes.
Let's list the most famous:

• Tikhon Bumazhkov (1910-1941): one of the first organizers of the partisan movement (Belarus). Together with Fyodor Pavlovsky (1908-1989) - the first partisans who became heroes of the USSR;
• Sidor Kovpak (1887-1967): one of the organizers of partisan activity in Ukraine, commander of the Sumy partisan unit, twice Hero;
• Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya (1923-1941): saboteur-scout. She was captured, after severe torture (she did not give up any information, not even her real name) and was hanged;
• Elizaveta Chaikina (1918-1941): participated in the organization of partisan detachments in the Tver region. After unsuccessful torture, she was shot;
• Vera Voloshina (1919-1941): saboteur-scout. She diverted the enemy's attention, covering the retreat of the group with valuable data. Wounded, after torture - hanged.

Rice. 2. Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya.

It is worth mentioning the pioneer partisans:

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• Vladimir Dubinin (1927-1942): Using his excellent memory and natural dexterity, he obtained intelligence data for a partisan detachment operating in the Kerch quarries;
• Alexander Chekalin (1925-1941): collected intelligence data, organized sabotage in the Tula region. Captured, after torture - hanged;
• Leonid Golikov (1926-1943): participated in the destruction of enemy equipment and warehouses, and the seizure of valuable documents;
• Valentin Kotik (1930-1944): liaison of the Shepetivka underground organization (Ukraine). Discovered German underground telephone cable; killed an officer of a punitive group who organized an ambush for the partisans;
• Zinaida Portnova (1924-1943): underground worker (Vitebsk region, Belarus). About 100 officers were poisoned in the German canteen. Captured, after torture - shot.

In Krasnodon (1942, Lugansk region, Donbass), the youth underground organization “Young Guard” was formed, immortalized in the film and novel of the same name (author Alexander Fadeev). Ivan Turkenich (1920-1944) was appointed its commander. The organization included about 110 people, 6 of whom became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Participants organized sabotage and distributed leaflets. Major action: setting fire to lists of people selected for deportation to Germany; raid on cars carrying German new Year gifts. In January 1943, the Germans arrested and killed about 80 underground workers.

The village of Uritskoye is memorable because it was the base of a partisan detachment under the command of T. T. Shlemin during the Great Patriotic War. Young partisans fought in this detachment alongside adult partisans.

"Red Pathfinders" of the Uritsk School

The red rangers of the Uritsk school did great job to search for information about the partisan movement in the Uritsky area. A museum was created at the school.

Model of a partisan dugout in front of the museum entrance

After abolition educational institution all exhibits were transferred to the District Administration.

Partisan detachments provided invaluable support to the troops. To lead the partisan front, on May 30, 1942, the Central Headquarters of the partisan movement was created at the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. The Kalinin headquarters of the partisan movement was formed by the same decision. In the vast expanse of the western, German-occupied regions of the Kalinin region, in the rear of the Nazi Army Group North, the people's avengers launched a war on the enemy's transport communications in order to prevent the transfer of manpower, weapons, ammunition, equipment and fuel to the front line, to destroy its garrisons, disrupting the measures of the occupation regime to protect the population remaining in the occupied territory. The theater of military operations was forested, crossed by hundreds of small rivers, lakes, and swamps, many of which were impassable. It had its own strategy and tactics, its own techniques and methods, irresistible and boldly bold, and they led to victory. The first partisan groups and detachments began to operate in the occupied areas of the Kalinin region already in July-August 1941. Despite the brutal occupation regime, the partisan movement gained strength and found support among the people themselves.

The commanders of such formations, regardless of their military rank (it should be noted that it ranged from sergeant to lieutenant colonel) were called brigade commanders.

In total, in the occupied territory of the Kalinin region (within the borders of that time) in the period 1942-1944. 23 partisan brigades operated. Moreover, the entire territory in which they operated, after the expulsion of the Germans, became part of the Velikiye Luki region, and after its abolition in October 1957 - into the Pskov region.

The command of the 31st Rifle Brigade, for example, directly interacted with the detachments of K. P. Marsov “F. V. Zyleva. By the will of fate, both commanders were surrounded in 1941. Repeated attempts to break through the front line to join our troops failed. Both found themselves deep behind enemy lines. Those faithful to military duty decided to switch to partisan methods of struggle.

Pskov partisans go on a combat mission

In the second half of July 1941, a small group of Red Army soldiers along with their commander was surrounded and embarked on the path of partisan warfare. The group melted away after clashes with the Germans. And soon only Pavel Novikov was left alive, who tried hard to find his own people in order to join them. He soon found like-minded people who were ready to take the path of partisan warfare.
The people's avengers attacked enemy garrisons, exterminating the invaders and their accomplices. They blew up bridges, trains and tracks, disabled communication lines, destroyed warehouses with weapons and ammunition, conducted reconnaissance, and maintained contact with the population. All this demoralized the enemy’s rear and constrained his strength.
On February 18, 1942, the command of the Kalinin Front recalled Marsov’s detachment from the rear and connected it with units of the 31st Rifle Brigade. And Marsov himself, after being appointed to the post of chief of staff of the brigade, was ordered to form a joint detachment in our rear, which included the Koldobinsky, Uritsky and Borisoglebsky partisan detachments. The commander of the united detachment was F.V. Zylev, the chief of staff was F.T. Boydin, and the commissar was P.A. Novikov. So in the village of Korotyshevo, Kaldobinsky village council, the partisan detachment “For the Motherland” was created. I kept in touch directly with the 31st Rifle Brigade. The actions of the detachment became known from the memoirs of former Commissar P. A. Novikov at one of the meetings of veterans of the 1st Infantry Division, and then from the essay “Forest Paths” written by him.

Shlemin Timofey Trofimovich Before the war, he was the chairman of the Uritsky village council. With the beginning of the occupation by the German invaders, he was left in a partisan detachment, where he remained until August 1943. Timofey Trofimovich became the organizer of partisan detachments operating in the Velikoluksky and Nevelsky regions. The first detachment of 25 people was commanded by Fyodor Zylev. The second detachment consisted of 75 people. This detachment was commanded by Ermolaev. Timofey Trofimovich himself was the commander of the third created detachment, consisting of 50 people, part of the 11th Kalinin brigade. In mid-February 1942, a united detachment was formed, called “For the Motherland.” Instructions were given to mobilize military personnel of all ages, both into the Red Army and into partisan detachments. Ustin Zakharovich Martynov was also in this detachment. He crossed the front line 6 times, helped Soviet soldiers, and his son Nikolai Martynov and his great-grandmother Praskovya Feoktistovna Volkova provided assistance to both the partisans and Soviet soldiers: they brought them food, delivered weapons, and provided the necessary information.

According to the memoirs of Timofey Trofimovich, the command of the “For the Motherland” detachment, having visited the headquarters of the 31st Infantry Division, received specific tasks: provide the army command with intelligence data and conduct surveillance in the direction of the Opukhliki and Fenino stations, the movement of the Germans along the Nevel-Usvyaty highway, along which manpower, equipment and ammunition were transferred, make ambushes, mine roads. One of the first major operations of the detachment, carried out on behalf of the army command, was the defeat of the German garrison in the village of Lekhovo on the night of March 27-28, 1942.

Map of military operations near the village of Lekhovo. March 28, 1942

A group of partisans on January 2, 1942.

Distribution of medicines among partisan brigade units. 1942

The further fate of the partisan detachment “For the Motherland”, with which the 31st Brigade of the 3rd Shock Army interacted, is as follows: in June 1942, by decision of the Kalinin Regional Party Committee and the Military Council of the Kalinin Front, the detachment was transformed into the 1st Kalinin Partisan Brigade, uniting four detachment with a total number of 472 people. The brigade was constantly growing, and soon there were 2045 fighters. It was disaggregated and the 6th and 7th Kalinin Partisan Brigades were created.
From the command of the partisan detachment “For the Motherland” the fates of only two people are known: the chief of staff F.T. Boydin and the commissar of the detachment P.A. Novikov.
After the war, Fyodor Timofeevich Boydin was a Komsomol member, then for a long time he worked as the first secretary of the district party committee,
Pavel Aleksandrovich Novikov, having been wounded, was treated in one of the Tashkent hospitals. After the war he graduated from college. He became a candidate of historical sciences, associate professor of the department of the Ust-Kamenogorsk Pedagogical Institute.
In 1991, the author of these lines was sent a letter by V.I. Kravchenko, a scout from another partisan detachment - “Death to Fascism.” This is what she wrote: “The partisan detachment was commanded by N.V. Shipovalov, Y.M. Lobitsky was the commissar, and Maksimov was the chief of staff. The detachment began operating in the southeastern part of the area in January 1942. Later he controlled the Velikiye Luki-Nevel highway and railway. Communication was maintained with the 257th Division and 31st Brigade. In August 1942, the detachment was redeployed to the Sebezh region for further fighting behind enemy lines.”
In a letter from the commissar of the 31st brigade, Ya. M. Vershuta, dated 02.20.66, we read: “V. I. Kravchenko was part of the “Death to Fascism” partisan detachment. She was a scout and liaison with other units and military units. She skillfully carried out responsible and difficult command assignments. Currently lives in the city of Velikie Luki... He spends a lot of effort and energy on organizing and holding meetings of veterans - direct participants in the liberation of the city and region. She was awarded two orders of the Patriotic War, medals... Veteran of Labor. He has many honorary certificates."
According to a report addressed to the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army, signed by the brigade commander Gorbunov and its commissar Vershuta, during the fighting, Shipovalov’s partisan detachment delivered over 4,000 shells to the brigade’s warehouse, a large number of cartridges and mines, disrupted the enemy's telephone and telegraph communications 18 times, carried out 24 explosions of railway tracks and 10 explosions of various bridges, blew up six trains, of which one was completely destroyed, and destroyed 240 enemy soldiers and officers.
It is no coincidence that the Council of Veterans of the 1st Rifle Division considers the partisans of the “Death to Fascism” and “For the Motherland” detachments to be their fellow soldiers: they closely interacted with the 31st Brigade of the 3rd Shock Army and jointly fought with the German invaders in the Velikiye Luki and Nevel areas .

Partisan detachments, in the fight against the Nazi invaders, interacted with the 227th separate ski battalion of the 3rd Shock Army.

In 1985, at the invitation of the leadership of the Pskov region, Pavel Aleksandrovich Novikov participated in celebrations dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. He visited the Uritsk school, met with schoolchildren and teachers.

After the war Shlemin T.T. met with the pioneers of the Uritsk and Porechen schools. He told the boys about partisan attacks and sabotage. Based on his stories, the guys wrote a short report on the actions of the partisans.

In the book "Book of Memory" (4th volume) there is"Report of the headquarters of the partisan detachment "Death to Fascism" on military operations in the period from June 10 to July 1, 1942"

The village of Kupuy was the base of the 2nd Kalinin Partisan Brigade. The detachment of Peter Ryndin was the first to settle in Kupuy in May 1942.
On July 6, 1942, in Kupuy, partisan detachments “For the Native Land” (commander P.V. Ryndin) and “People’s Avenger” (commander Lesnikov). They were united into the 2nd Kalinin Partisan Brigade under the command of Georgy Arbuzov, who commanded it until July 29, 1942. The brigade, consisting of two detachments, set out from Kupuy to the Kudevery area of ​​operations. Kupuy was at that time the main partisan base of the brigade. From here the partisans went on combat missions, here they returned from them and, after a short rest, went on new missions.

On September 1, 1942, the 2nd Kalinin Partisan Brigade became part of the 1st Kalinin Partisan Corps. On September 9, 1942, the corps moved from Kupuy to the German rear. At this time, the 2nd Kalinin Brigade was part of the Central Shock Group of the Corps and moved as the Main March Outpost.
When Ryndin P.V. became the commander of the 2nd Kalinin Partisan Brigade, then at that time it had the following numerical strength: middle command personnel - 34 people, junior command personnel - 42 people, privates - 301 people (377 people in total). It was armed with: 4 mortars, 13 machine guns, 13 rifles, 31 pistols.

The local periodicals published articles about the partisan movement:

Novikov, P. Behind enemy lines / P. Novikov // The Path of October. - 1990. - April 26. Memoirs of the commissar of the partisan detachment “For the Motherland” (joined the 1st PBC).
Novikov P. A. This is how the First Kalininskaya was born / P. A. Novikov // The Path of October. - 1969. – August 16, 21, 23, 26.
“We need to create a partisan detachment” // Vedomosti. Pskov-Velikiye Luki. – 2010. - May 26. – P. 8.

The partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War was massive. Thousands of residents of the occupied territories joined the partisans in order to fight the invader. Their courage and coordinated actions against the enemy made it possible to significantly weaken him, which influenced the course of the war and brought a great victory to the Soviet Union.

The partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War was a mass phenomenon in the territory of the USSR occupied by Nazi Germany, which was characterized by the struggle of people living in the occupied lands against the forces of the Wehrmacht.

Partisans are the main part of the anti-fascist movement, the Resistance of the Soviet People. Their actions, contrary to many opinions, were not chaotic - large partisan detachments were subordinate to the governing bodies of the Red Army.

The main tasks of the partisans were to disrupt the enemy's road, air and railway communications, as well as to undermine the operation of communication lines.

Interesting! As of 1944, over one million partisans were operating in the occupied lands.

During the Soviet offensive, partisans joined the regular troops of the Red Army.

Beginning of the guerrilla war

It is now well known what role the partisans played in the Great Patriotic War. Partisan brigades began to be organized in the first weeks of hostilities, when the Red Army was retreating with huge losses.

The main goals of the Resistance movement were set out in documents dating from June 29 of the first year of the war. On September 5, they developed a wide list that formulated the main tasks for the fight in the rear of German troops.

In 1941, a special motorized rifle brigade was created, which played a vital role in the development of the partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War. Separate sabotage groups (usually several dozen people) were specially sent behind enemy lines to replenish the ranks of partisan groups.

The formation of partisan detachments was caused by the brutal Nazi regime, as well as the removal of civilians from enemy-occupied territory to Germany for hard work.

In the first months of the war, there were very few partisan detachments, since most of the people took a wait-and-see attitude. Initially, no one supplied the partisan detachments with weapons and ammunition, and therefore their role at the beginning of the war was extremely small.

In the early autumn of 1941, communication with the partisans in the deep rear improved significantly - the movement of partisan detachments intensified significantly and began to be more organized. At the same time, the interaction of the partisans with the regular troops of the Soviet Union (USSR) improved - they took part in battles together.

Often, the leaders of the partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War were ordinary peasants who did not have military training. Later, the Headquarters sent its own officers to command the detachments.

In the first months of the war, the partisans gathered in small detachments of up to several dozen people. After less than six months, the fighters in the detachments began to number hundreds of fighters. When the Red Army went on the offensive, the detachments turned into entire brigades with thousands of defenders of the Soviet Union.

The largest detachments arose in the regions of Ukraine and Belarus, where German oppression was especially severe.

Main activities of the partisan movement

An important role in organizing the work of resistance units was the creation of the Headquarters of the Partisan Movement (TsSHPD). Stalin appointed Marshal Voroshilov to the post of commander of the Resistance, who believed that their support was the key strategic goal of the spacecraft.

In the small partisan detachments there were no heavy weapons - light weapons predominated: rifles;

• rifles;
• pistols;
• machine guns;
• grenades;
• light machine guns.

Large brigades had mortars and other heavy weapons, which allowed them to fight against enemy tanks.

The partisan and underground movement during the Great Patriotic War seriously undermined the work of the German rear, reducing the combat effectiveness of the Wehrmacht in the lands of Ukraine and the Belarusian SSR.

Partisan detachment in destroyed Minsk, photo 1944

Partisan brigades were mainly engaged in blowing up railways, bridges and trains, making the rapid transfer of troops, ammunition and provisions over long distances unproductive.

The groups that were engaged in subversive work were armed with powerful explosives; such operations were led by officers from specialized units of the Red Army.

The main task of the partisans during the fighting was to prevent the Germans from preparing a defense, undermine morale and inflict such damage on their rear from which it is difficult to recover. Undermining communications - mainly railways, bridges, killing officers, depriving communications and much more - seriously helped in the fight against the enemy. The confused enemy could not resist, and the Red Army was victorious.

Initially, small (about 30 people) units of partisan detachments took part in large-scale offensive operations Soviet troops. Then entire brigades joined the ranks of the spacecraft, replenishing the reserves of the troops weakened by the battles.

As a conclusion, we can briefly highlight the main methods of struggle of the Resistance brigades:

1. Sabotage work (pogroms were carried out in the rear of the German army) in any form - especially in relation to enemy trains.
2. Intelligence and counterintelligence.
3. Propaganda for the benefit of the Communist Party.
4. Combat assistance by the Red Army.
5. Elimination of traitors to the motherland - called collaborators.
6. Destruction of enemy combat personnel and officers.
7. Mobilization of civilians.
8. Maintaining Soviet power in the occupied areas.

Legalization of the partisan movement

The formation of partisan detachments was controlled by the command of the Red Army - the Headquarters understood that sabotage work behind enemy lines and other actions would seriously ruin the life of the German army. The headquarters contributed to the armed struggle of the partisans against the Nazi invaders, and assistance increased significantly after the victory at Stalingrad.

If before 1942 the mortality rate in partisan detachments reached 100%, then by 1944 it had dropped to 10%.

Separate partisan brigades were controlled senior management directly. The ranks of such brigades also included specially trained specialists in sabotage activities, whose task was to train and organize less trained fighters.

The support of the party significantly strengthened the power of the detachments, and therefore the actions of the partisans were directed to help the Red Army. During any offensive operation of the spacecraft, the enemy had to expect an attack from the rear.

Sign operations

The Resistance forces carried out hundreds, if not thousands, of operations in order to undermine the enemy's combat capability. The most notable of them was the military operation “Concert”.

More than one hundred thousand soldiers took part in this operation and it took place over a vast territory: in Belarus, Crimea, the Baltic states, Leningrad region and so on.

The main goal is to destroy the enemy's railway communication so that he will not be able to replenish reserves and supplies during the battle for the Dnieper.

As a result, the efficiency of railways decreased by a catastrophic 40% for the enemy. The operation stopped due to the lack of explosives - with more ammunition, the partisans could have caused much more significant damage.

After the victory over the enemy on the Dnieper River, partisans began to participate en masse in major operations, starting in 1944.

Geography and scale of movement

Resistance units gathered in areas where there were dense forests, gullies and swamps. In the steppe regions, the Germans easily found the partisans and destroyed them. In difficult areas they were protected from the German numerical advantage.

One of the large centers of the partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War was in Belarus.

Belarusian partisans in the forests terrified the enemy, attacking suddenly when the Germans could not repulse the attack, and then also quietly disappearing.

Initially, the situation of the partisans on the territory of Belarus was extremely deplorable. However, the victory near Moscow, and then the winter offensive of the spacecraft, significantly raised their morale. After the liberation of the capital of Belarus, a partisan parade took place.

No less large-scale is the Resistance movement on the territory of Ukraine, especially in Crimea.

The cruel attitude of the Germans towards the Ukrainian people forced people en masse to join the ranks of the Resistance. However, here partisan resistance had its own characteristic features.

Very often the movement was aimed not only at fighting against the fascists, but also against the Soviet regime. This was especially evident in the territory of Western Ukraine; the local population saw the German invasion as liberation from the Bolshevik regime, and en masse went over to the side of Germany.

Participants in the partisan movement became national heroes, for example, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, who died at the age of 18 in German captivity, becoming the Soviet Joan of Arc.

The struggle of the population against Nazi Germany took place in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Karelia and other regions.

The most ambitious operation carried out by the Resistance fighters was the so-called “Rail War”. In August 1943, large sabotage formations were transported behind enemy lines, and on the first night they blew up tens of thousands of rails. In total, more than two hundred thousand rails were blown up during the operation - Hitler seriously underestimated the resistance of the Soviet people.

As mentioned above, Operation Concert, which followed the Rail War and was associated with the offensive of the spacecraft forces, played an important role.

The partisan attacks became massive (warring groups were present on all fronts); the enemy could not react objectively and quickly - the German troops were in panic.

In turn, this caused executions of the population who assisted the partisans - the Nazis destroyed entire villages. Such actions encouraged even more people to join the Resistance.

Results and significance of guerrilla warfare

It is very difficult to fully assess the contribution of the partisans to the victory over the enemy, but all historians agree that it was extremely significant. Never before in history has the Resistance movement gained such a massive scale - millions of civilians began to stand up for their Motherland and brought it victory.

Resistance fighters not only undermined railways, warehouses and bridges - they captured the Germans and handed them over to Soviet intelligence so that they would learn the enemy’s plans.

At the hands of the Resistance, the defensive capacity of the Wehrmacht forces on the territory of Ukraine and Belarus was seriously undermined, which simplified the offensive and reduced losses in the ranks of the spacecraft.

Children-partisans

The phenomenon of child partisans deserves special attention. School-age boys wanted to fight the invader. Among these heroes it is worth highlighting:

• Valentin Kotik;
• Marat Kazei;
• Vanya Kazachenko;
• Vitya Sitnitsa;
• Olya Demesh;
• Alyosha Vyalov;
• Zina Portnova;
• Pavlik Titov and others.

Boys and girls were engaged in reconnaissance, supplied brigades with supplies and water, fought in battle against the enemy, blew up tanks - did everything to drive away the Nazis. Children partisans of the Great Patriotic War did no less than adults. Many of them died and received the title of “Hero of the Soviet Union.”

Heroes of the partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War

Hundreds of members of the Resistance movement became “Heroes of the Soviet Union” - some twice. Among such figures, I would like to highlight Sidor Kovpak, the commander of a partisan detachment who fought on the territory of Ukraine.

Sidor Kovpak was the man who inspired the people to resist the enemy. He was the military leader of the largest partisan formation in Ukraine and thousands of Germans were killed under his command. In 1943, for his effective actions against the enemy, Kovpak was given the rank of major general.

Next to him it is worth placing Alexey Fedorov, who also commanded a large formation. Fedorov operated on the territory of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. He was one of the most wanted partisans. Fedorov made a huge contribution to the development of guerrilla warfare tactics, which were used in subsequent years.

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, one of the most famous female partisans, also became the first woman to receive the title of “Hero of the Soviet Union.” During one of the operations, she was captured and hanged, but she showed courage to the end and did not betray the plans of the Soviet command to the enemy. The girl became a saboteur despite the commander’s words that 95% of the entire staff would die during operations. She was given the task of burning ten settlements, where German soldiers were based. The heroine was unable to fully carry out the order, since during the next arson she was noticed by a village resident who handed the girl over to the Germans.

Zoya became a symbol of resistance to fascism - her image was used not only in Soviet propaganda. The news of the Soviet partisan even reached Burma, where she also became a national hero.

Awards for members of partisan detachments

Since the Resistance played an important role in the victory over the Germans, a special award was established - the medal “Partisan of the Patriotic War”.

First class awards were often given to fighters posthumously. This applies, first of all, to those partisans who were not afraid to act in the first year of the war, being in the rear without any support from the spacecraft forces.

As war heroes, partisans appeared in many Soviet films devoted to military themes. Among the key films are the following:

"Rising" (1976).
"Konstantin Zaslonov" (1949).
The trilogy “The Thought of Kovpak”, published from 1973 to 1976.
“Partisans in the steppes of Ukraine” (1943).
“In the woods near Kovel” (1984) and many others.
The above-mentioned sources say that films about partisans began to be made during military operations - this was necessary so that people would support this movement and join the ranks of the Resistance fighters.

In addition to films, the partisans became heroes of many songs and ballads that highlighted their exploits and carried the news about them among the people.

Now streets and parks are named after famous partisans, thousands of monuments have been erected throughout the CIS countries and beyond. A striking example is Burma, where the feat of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya is honored.

On awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to commanders of partisan formations and partisans of the Leningrad region For exemplary performance of command assignments in the fight against the Nazi invaders behind enemy lines and displaying courage and heroism, and for special merits in organizing the partisan movement in the Leningrad region, to award the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal: Leonid Aleksandrovich Golikov... Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR M. Kalinin Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR A. Gorkin Moscow, Kremlin, April 2, 1944 Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR

In the village of Zuya, in the Vitebsk region, the guys created the organization “Young Avengers”. They helped the partisans and conducted reconnaissance behind enemy lines. In December 1943, near the village of Mostishche, a traitor betrayed her, and the Germans captured her. During one of the brutal interrogations, Zina, seizing the moment, grabbed a pistol and shot the fascist point-blank. The officer who ran in to hear the shot was also killed. Zina tried to escape, but the Nazis overtook her and brutally tortured her.

When fascist troops occupied Shepetivka, Valya Kotik was 11 years old; he had recently become a pioneer. Despite his age, he managed to gain the trust of the underground, and he began to help them. One day Valik and two of his comrades killed the head of the gendarmerie. After this dangerous operation, they had to go into the forest, to the partisans. Once in battle, Valya covered the commander with himself and was seriously wounded, but a few months later he returned to duty. Valya Kotik died in the battle for the city of Izyaslav.

Petya Shepelev, the son of the regiment, reached Germany with the tank crews and returned home with military medals. Petya Shepelev is a Siberian. He was born in the village of Novo-Pokrovka, he is in the village of Novo-Pokrovka, Sargat district, Omsk region. This is one of the few areas. This is one of the few Siberian boys who, by the will of fate, ended up in territory occupied by the Germans. Then our tank crews came to the farm, and Petya Shepelev was enlisted in the technical support company, enrolled in the technical support company... support...

Memory is our history from origins to today. And part of our history, our pain is that blizzard day of December 4, 1942, when, on the orders of a desperate SS officer, who was unable, despite any torture, to obtain from Shura Kober and Vitya Khomenko the addresses of the appearances and the names of the underground fighters, the young scouts.

When the Nazis occupied the village of Kolenetsy, Kyiv region, he was still small, and he could not get to the partisans. He began to act alone and left notes everywhere with the signature “Partisan detachment of Pyotr Zaichenko.” One day a boy was sitting by a fire in the forest, and partisans stumbled upon him. He introduced himself to them as detachment commander Pyotr Zaichenko. Having learned about the detachment, which consisted of one person, they took him in with them. Petya transported weapons across the river, delivered Soviet radio reports, and took part in hostilities. He died in battles near Berlin.

The boy wanted to fly just like his father. When did V.O. begin? war, a boy came to work at the airfield. Experienced pilots sometimes trusted him to fly the plane. One day during air combat the pilot was wounded. Losing consciousness, he handed over control to Arkady and the boy managed to land the plane at his airfield. After that, he was allowed to seriously study flying. One day, from above, a young pilot saw our plane shot down by the Germans. He landed, carried the pilot into his plane and returned to his own under fierce fire. Arkady Kamanin fought with the Nazis until the victory.

Spring 1942. Bora Kuleshin is only 12 years old, but he knows well what war is. The boy persuades the commander to take him on the Tashkent ship. On board the ship, Borya supplies the anti-aircraft gunners with heavy clips of shells, and in the intervals between battles he helps the wounded. Borya spent more than 2 heroic years at sea, on a warship, fighting the Nazis for the freedom of our Motherland.

Sasha Kolesnikov studied in the 3rd grade at a Moscow school. In the fall of 1943, he ran away from home to the front. It was necessary to blow up the bridge across the river, along which combat reinforcements and military equipment were coming to the Germans. The bridge was very heavily guarded; they could not even approach it. But Sasha climbed into a box under the carriage and, driving across the bridge, set fire to the fuse and jumped into the river. The Germans fished him out of the river, tortured him, but achieved nothing, and crucified him on a wooden cross. They hammered nails directly into his hands and feet, and beat him on his fingers with a hammer. But the partisans recaptured it from the Germans. After the war he lived in Moscow.

Leningraders take water from an ice hole In August 1941, the city of Leningrad (as St. Petersburg was called from 1924 to 1991) found itself in a blockade, that is, surrounded by fascist hordes. Daily norm bread in December 1941 for workers, 125 grams for everyone else.

In the summer of 1941, Lara Mikheenko went on vacation to the village of Pechenevo, Kalinin region. This is where the war found her. Lara and her friends went into the forest to join the partisans. She had to carry out very difficult tasks. Pretending to be a beggar, she walked along the roads and villages, finding out the location of the enemy’s military equipment and manpower. She mined the road, and 5 fascist cars exploded on her mines. She participated in operations to blow up trains and bridges. When the Nazis captured Lara, she threw a grenade to destroy the enemies and herself, but the grenade did not explode. The Nazis shot the young partisan.

She was a pioneer partisan liaison for a year and a half. In the winter cold, at night, she made her way to the partisans to deliver not only food, but also very important information. She herself wrote and posted leaflets in her native village of Tarkovichi, Leningrad Region, occupied by the Nazis. And then she was arrested. The girl spent two months in the Gestapo. She was beaten daily and dragged unconscious into a cell. Having failed to obtain a confession from Galya Komlev, she was shot on February 20, 1943.

The small town of Shchors was occupied by the Nazis. Nina Sagaidak could not sit with her hands folded. Gathering their classmates, they began posting leaflets in city squares. Nina received assignments from the partisans. On November 7, Nina’s squad made its way to the radio center, and a clear girl’s voice was heard over the city, congratulating the residents on the holiday. Nina was captured by the Gestapo. They beat her, then they persuaded her, then they brought her home: you see your grandmother, your brother - confess, hand over your comrades and you will be home again. She was silent. She was shot on May 19, 1943.

As soon as the Germans entered the village of Nechepert, Leningrad Region, Nina began helping the partisans. And then she completely went to the partisans and became a scout. Pretending to be a beggar, she entered the village of Gory and looked at everything in detail: where was the headquarters, where was the arsenal, where was the weapons depot. And at night, a partisan detachment, following a report from Nina, defeated the Nazis. The girl accomplished many glorious military deeds. But one day Nina went on reconnaissance and did not return... Nina was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.