Partisan movement in Moldova during the Great Patriotic War

The first partisan detachments and underground organizations were formed on June 30, 1941 , during the retreat of the Soviet troops.

Underground and partisan activities in the territory of Moldova began under difficult conditions, but further development was complicated by the following circumstances:

• mobilization into the army or the death of many party activists and supporters of Soviet power in the first weeks and months of the war;
• the evacuation of more than 300 thousand inhabitants ^[1] to the internal regions of the USSR, mainly a friendly population, which reduced the number of supporters of Soviet power in the occupied territory of the republic;
• due to the lack of time for training, the personnel of the partisan detachments and underground organizations formed in 1941 did not have experience working in conspiracy conditions, the skills of partisan and sabotage activities - which led to heavy and unjustified losses, as well as low efficiency of their actions;
• the supply of weapons, equipment, and printing equipment was insufficient; a supply system for partisan detachments was not prepared;
• the absence of large forests facilitated anti-partisan activities and complicated the activities of partisans;
• high population density in the presence in the Right-Bank Moldova of a significant number of residents who collaborated with the occupation authorities ...

The remoteness of the Moldavian SSR from the front line for a long time made it difficult to provide assistance to the partisans operating here from the USSR ^[2] .

The territory of the Moldavian SSR was completely occupied in early August 1941 ^[3] . When retreating to the territory of the republic, several underground district and regional committees, as well as partisan detachments and groups, were left. With the help of the Military Council of the Southern Front , training was organized for the party and Komsomol activists to work behind enemy lines.

In the summer and autumn of 1941, 14 underground organizations and groups (about 200 people) fought in the occupied territories. Actively active underground workers in Chisinau , Cahul , Balti , Tiraspol , Bender .

On August 4, 1941, the chief of staff of the 4th Romanian Army, General Palanjanu, in a memorandum, reported that in many localities " detachments from the local population sympathizing with the Soviets " were fighting the Romanian army: they were organizing riots and sabotage, attacking the rear of the troops, shelling columns, kill scouts and attack small groups of military personnel. In general, during August 1941, the Soviet Moldovan partisans burned down 15 warehouses with ammunition and food, 4 fuel bases and 40 tanks with fuel, destroyed several armored vehicles and several dozen vehicles, killed and wounded several hundred German and Romanian soldiers, and captured 5 light guns, 17 machine guns and more than 500 rifles ^[4] .

In September 1941, a guerrilla movement leadership body was created on the territory of the republic - the Partisan Center, which was headed by A.M. Tereshchenko ^[5] , the center was transferred to the occupied territory ^[6] , however, on September 25, 1941, in the area of ​​the village of Drasliceni, Strasheni district (near Chisinau ), an organizing group of 9 people was discovered and destroyed in a battle with a German punitive detachment. The Secretary of the Center A. M. Tereshchenko, his deputies M. Ya. Skvortsov and P. Ya. Muntyan, liaisons Ya. T. Boguslavsky, S. P. Brukhis, E. S. Grinberg, I. I. Grinman, I. M. Morgenstern and J. M. Maslov.

The absence of a leadership center negatively affected the development of the partisan movement. In the fall and winter of 1941, German-Romanian troops inflicted heavy blows on Moldovan partisans and underground fighters.

In May 1942, the Kamensky regional underground center was created, which through 13 rural underground cells led political work among the population. The activities of underground groups in Chisinau, Bender, Tiraspol intensified.

The main form of guerrilla action was sabotage . Partisan detachments were forced to act at night, and disperse during the day. Based on the experience of partisan raids in Ukraine and Belarus , the Central Committee of the CP (b) M, taking into account the difficulties in the formation and deployment of partisan detachments in the territory of Moldova, decided to create partisan raids.

In October 1942, the Moldavian partisan movement department was created under the Ukrainian headquarters of the partisan movement (USPA), headed by G. A. Grakov ^[7] .

At the end of 1942, an underground printing house was created in Kamenka, which began issuing leaflets ^[8] .

In March 1943, the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) M sent three organizational groups and three commissioners across the front line, tasked with activating the partisan movement in Moldova. At the same time, preparations began for another nine organizational groups ^[9] .

In the spring and summer of 1943, five raiding units of Moldavian Soviet partisans were formed on the territory of Ukraine and Belarus, which were subsequently converted into two partisan formations: the 1st Moldavian partisan unit and the 2nd Moldavian partisan unit ^[10]

• On May 12, 1943, a decision was made to create the 1st Moldavian partisan formation; the formation was completed in June 1943 in the Polessie Region .
• On August 30, the 2nd Moldavian partisan formation was created. With this connection, operating on the territory of the Zhytomyr region , underground workers of Grigoriopol established a connection.

On October 14, 1943, a reconnaissance group of two people was dropped from a Li-2 airplane with parachutes in the area of ​​the village of Novye Gooyany.F. I. Ilnitsky and radio operator A. D. Fedorov with the North-bis radio station), which, with the assistance and assistance of local residents (Maria Pugach from the village of Novye Goian, as well as residents of the railway station Koykovo D. T. and L. A. Perepelitsy) were valid until April 30 1944, when they were arrested in the village of Cimislia by a patrol of the Romanian field gendarmerie. After the arrest, F. Ilnitsky managed to take the gun from the Romanian officer, shoot him and shoot himself, A. Fedorova, on the verdict of the military court of the 3rd corps of the Romanian army, was sentenced to death on June 27, 1944 ^[11] .

By the end of 1943, the Moldavian partisan formations included 14 detachments (over 3 thousand soldiers).

On the territory of Moldova, where there were no natural conditions for the actions of large partisan formations, clandestine organizations and small partisan units operated. At the end of 1943, 15 organizational groups were abandoned in the occupied territories, most of which managed to establish contact with the population and grow into large detachments.

The Moldovan department of USPD took measures to relocate the Moldavian partisan formations operating in Ukraine to the territory of Moldavia in the winter of 1943-1944 from the 1st compound intelligence groups left there. In early 1944, an equestrian group was sent here under the command of Colonel Ya.A. Mukhina . During the 1200-km raid on the rear of the enemy, the group grew up in the partisan detachment "Soviet Moldova" (105 soldiers).

In January - March 1944, 18 partisan detachments and more than 23 partisan groups (over 900 people) functioned in Moldova. In March 1944, detachments of Ukrainian partisans under the command of M.M. were relocated to Moldova. Strukacheva and M.G. Tugusheva.

On March 5, 1944, troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front went on the offensive. As the front line approached, the partisans assisted the Soviet troops, conducting reconnaissance in the interests of the advancing units, acting as guides, striking at the communications of the German-Romanian troops, assisted in the seizure of bridgeheads when the Soviet forces crossed the Dniester , and also fought for the liberation of settlements in cooperation with the Soviet troops.

• So, in March 1944, the detachment "Soviet Moldova" under the command of Y. A. For two days, Mukhina fought with superior enemy forces in the area northwest of Rybnitsa, ensuring the crossing of the 5th Guards Airborne Division across the Dniester ^[12] .
• also, in March 1944, a partisan detachment under the command of M.G. Tugusheva captured a bridgehead from the town of Ataki on the western bank of the Dniester and assisted in forcing the river to one of the formations of the 40th army .
• March 20, 1944. 120 partisans of the raid detachment "Soviet Moldova" under the command of Ya.A. Mukhin with battle occupied the regional center of Kamenka and captured the enemy’s warehouses located here. Later, together with the tank units, the partisans of the detachment occupied several more villages ^[13] .
• March 26, 1944 partisans of the raid detachment "Soviet Moldova" under the command of Ya.A. Mukhin secured the crossing of Soviet troops across the Dniester River near the village of Strointsy, and then for several days they repulsed counterattacks by superior enemy forces ^[13] .
• April 6, 1944 partisans of the raid detachment "Soviet Moldova" under the command of Ya.A. Mukhina, together with Soviet troops, participated in the liberation of the city of Orhei ^[13] .

Towards the end of March 1944, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front entered the Radauti – Pashkani – Orhei – Dubossary line and subsequently went on the defensive ^[12] .

At the end of April 1944, after the liberation of the left-bank regions of the republic, the Moldavian department of USPD was redeployed there from Kiev . In a short time, the department prepared and deployed 6 small partisan detachments (over 130 people) behind enemy lines.

By the summer of 1944, more than 20 partisan detachments and groups were operating in the southwestern regions of Moldova, the total number of partisans was more than 1,200 people (not counting partisan reserves — unarmed resistance participants) ^[14] .

In the summer of 1944, the partisan movement developed directly in the front line in close cooperation with the Red Army. During the preparation of the Iasi-Chisinau offensive operation , the Moldovan Soviet partisans conducted reconnaissance of defensive lines and enemy forces, disrupted communications between the rivers between the Dniester and the Prut, distracted, harassed and kept military units and units in suspense. In general, in July-August 1944, I.E. Nuzhina, I.V. Anisimov and other partisan commanders derailed 8 echelons with manpower and cargo, blew up 1 bridge, burned down 1 ammunition depot, destroyed over 2,000 military personnel and police, over 100 cars and 73 carts, 1 tankette exploded on mines installed by partisans and 2 armored personnel carriers ^[15] .

In the period from June 1 to July 2, 1944, the Ukrainian headquarters of the partisan movement, with the assistance of the command of the 2nd Ukrainian Front and 3rd Ukrainian Front, transferred 7 organizational groups (from 7 to 11 people each) to the territory of Moldova, which subsequently grew to partisan units of 40-45 people each ^[16] .

In the future, the organizing group A.I. Kostelova was replenished by local residents and became the basis of the partisan detachment "For the Honor of the Motherland" (commander A.I. Kostelov), and on the basis of the organizational group of V.P. Aleksandrov, a partisan detachment named after Kutuzov (commander V.P. Aleksandrov, Commissioner V.V. Mozhzhukhin). Substantial assistance to the For Honor of the Homeland and Kutuzov units was provided by the forester of the Babenyashti tract A.I. Manik and his family members, who supplied the partisans with information, products, provided the defeat of the convoy and the capture of 8 German and Romanian soldiers ^[17] .

On July 12, 1944, the commander of the 6th German Army gave the order to intensify the fight against the partisans: the entire operational area of ​​the rear of the 6th Army was divided into sections, each of which had headquarters and "fighter teams" to fight partisans and paratroopers ^{[18 ]}

On August 27, 1944, the territory of the Moldavian SSR was completely liberated from the German-Romanian occupiers ^[19] .

During the period from 1941 to 1944, partisans and underground workers disrupted 27 thousand occupiers and their accomplices, organized the collapse of 309 military echelons , shot down and destroyed 20 aircraft on the ground ^[20] , destroyed 133 tanks and armored vehicles, 60 artillery pieces, 493 motor vehicles ^[21] , 62 railway bridges ^{[22] were} blown up; in addition, they destroyed several military depots and a number of other objects.

In addition, Soviet partisans and underground workers operating on the territory of the Moldavian SSR repeatedly damaged communication lines, however, accurate data on the total length of damaged and disabled communication lines on the territory of the Moldavian SSR is not available ^[23] .

Also, as the occupation authorities noted in the reports, the underground members systematically destroyed the orders, appeals, orders, announcements and campaign posters of the occupation authorities ^[4] .

Partisans and underground fighters of Moldova issued and distributed leaflets and summaries of the Sovinformburo to the population: in 1943, the Kazen underground organization issued up to 5,000 leaflets; in 1944 partisan detachment to them. Frunze issued another 300 leaflets. The 2nd Moldavian partisan formation for the entire period of activity issued 62 thousand leaflets ^[24] .

Partisans and underground members impeded the export of equipment, material assets, and the population from Moldova to Germany and Romania. As a result of the activities of the partisans in July - June 1944, over 40 thousand inhabitants of Moldova were rescued from theft to Germany and Romania ^[25] .

For participation in the anti-fascist struggle in the underground and partisan detachments on the territory of Moldova, Soviet partisans and underground activists were awarded Soviet government awards, two people - V.I. Tymoshchuk and N.M. Frolov - became Heroes of the Soviet Union .

The main forms of activity of clandestine organizations were campaigning, participation in intelligence activities, sabotage and sabotage. Partisan detachments committed sabotage and armed attacks on the enemy.

Combat operations, sabotage and sabotage

• one of the first victories took place in the early days of the occupation in the vicinity of the village of Belyaevka - the partisans attacked a large enemy unit, 130 soldiers were destroyed in battle, two anti-aircraft guns were disabled and 1 machine gun was captured ^[4] .
• On July 15, 1941, in the city of Orhei, underground fighters threw a bomb into a car with German soldiers. As a result, a car was destroyed, 3 more German soldiers were killed and 2 wounded ^[26]
• in the city of Balti on July 12, 15 and 19, 1941, attacks were made on German troops, and on July 30 and 31, 1941, unknown persons fired at the guards of the military workshop ^[4] .
• at the end of August 1941, a military convoy was attacked on a road near the city of Bender ^[4]
• On September 8, 1941, a gendarmerie patrol was destroyed near the village of Kranusheni ^[4]
• in the report of the police department for the city of Chisinau, it is mentioned that on September 18 and 26, 1941, in Boyucani (a suburb of Chisinau), unidentified people fired at the barracks twice ^[4]
• On October 6, 1941, at the Simotene railway station, an underground fighter I. Renlyanu, who got a job as a switchman, arranged a clash of two military echelons and successfully fled the place of sabotage. As a result of the collision, 6 freight wagons were destroyed, 5 German soldiers were killed and 8 wounded ^[26]
• On February 20, 1942, a fuel depot was set on fire at Bendery station, 17 full and 13 incomplete tanks with gasoline burned down ^[26] . Later, on February 27, 1942, a carriage with lubricating oil was burned for the 4th Romanian army ^[4] at the same station, and the next day a train loaded with barrels of gasoline.
• in the first ten days of August 1942, as a result of sabotage, a clash of echelons was organized on the line between Etulia and Ungheni stations ^[26]
• On August 26, 1942, a 12-meter-high wooden railway bridge was burned on the stage between the stations of Etulia and Vulcanesti ^[26]
• in March 1943, at the Bender station, partisans burned a train with gasoline ^[26]
• On May 12, 1943, in Tiraspol, underground fighters burned a food warehouse ^[26]
• in the second half of 1943 the partisans made three raids to guard the bridges across the Dniester River, and also blew up the Rybninsky railway bridge across the Dniester ^[26] .
• in April 1944, the Komsomol partisan group blew up a bridge across the Prut River ^[26]

• “Remember us guys” (USSR, 1971) - a documentary film of the Moldova-Film studio about the activities of an underground organization in Cahul ^[27]

• Moldova in the Great Patriotic War

• Behind Enemy Lines Leaflets of party organizations and partisans of the period of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. M., 1962.
• M.A. The casing. The First Moldavian ... Chisinau, "Cartya Moldovenienasca", 1963. - 160 pp., Ill.
• Moldavian SSR in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941-1945 / call author (S.Ya. Aftenyuk et al.). Chisinau, 1970.
• D.D. Elin. Partisans of Moldova (From the history of the partisan movement of the Moldavian people during the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union) . Chisinau, "Cartya Moldovenienasca", 1974 - 224 pp.
• N.Kh. Tufar. Fighters of the underground (from the history of the struggle of the working people of Moldova against the fascist invaders). Chisinau, 1976.
• Partisans remember. / Sat., comp. D.D. Elin. Chisinau, "Cartya Moldovenienasca", 1980 - 240 pp., Ill.
• Partisan movement in Moldova // World War II, 1941-1945 : Encyclopedia / ed. M. M. Kozlova . - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1985. - S. 535-536. - 500,000 copies.
• S.Ya. Aftenyuk, S.E. Leviticus. Partisans of Moldova during the liberation of the republic from fascist invaders // "Scientific notes of the Chisinau Pedagogical University", 1949, t.1.
• A. Korneev. Bright pages of history (on the partisan movement in the republic during the Great Patriotic War) // "Communist of Moldova", No. 6, 1961.
• I. Leviticus. On the decisive factors and features of the development of the partisan movement in Moldova (1941-1944) // "Communist of Moldova", No. 11, 1975.

• All Soviet people rejoice in the victories of the Red Army