Foreign intelligence officers have never been deprived of state and departmental awards. In the showcases of the Hall of History of Foreign Intelligence, military and labor awards of our state are widely presented, as well as honorary departmental badges, which marked the activities of the best intelligence officers and which were transferred for eternal storage to the Museum of the History of Intelligence by their closest relatives.
Among these awards there are quite exotic ones: "The Maltese Cross" and the Venezuelan "Order of Francisco de Miranda" with the star of the illegal scout Joseph Grigulevich; Cuban medal "XX Years of Moncada" by a member of the famous "Cambridge Five" Kim Philby; three highest orders of the Mongolian People's Republic of the commander of the Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of Special Purpose (OMSBON) Vyacheslav Gridnev and the Yugoslavian "Partisan Star" in gold, the head of the foreign intelligence of the war period Pavel Fitin.
In the section of the exposition dedicated to the activities of foreign intelligence during the Great Patriotic War, the attention of visitors is invariably attracted by the numerous combat medals "Partisan of the Patriotic War", which enjoyed special respect among the population of our country during the war and post-war periods. What distinguished the Chekists who were the holders of these honorary awards?
AT THE ORIGINS OF THE GUERRILLA MOVEMENT
It is well known that during the Great Patriotic War, a partisan movement was widely developed in the Soviet territory temporarily occupied by the German fascist invaders. Workers, collective farmers, representatives of the intelligentsia, communists, Komsomol members and non-party members, as well as Soviet servicemen who escaped from the encirclement or escaped from enemy captivity, joined the partisan detachments and groups.
On July 18, 1941, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) adopted a resolution "On organizing the struggle in the rear of the German-fascist troops", in which the party organizations and state security agencies were instructed to "create unbearable conditions for the German accomplices, to help create partisan detachments, sabotage fighter groups”. The decree emphasized that the state security organs should play an important role in organizing the partisan movement, combat squads and sabotage groups.
In accordance with this decree, from the first days of the Great Patriotic War, a Special Group under the People's Commissar, headed by the Deputy Chief of Foreign Intelligence Pavel Sudoplatov, began to operate actively in the NKVD. She was engaged in the selection, organization, training and transfer of sabotage and reconnaissance detachments to the rear of the enemy.
In connection with the expansion of the partisan struggle in the occupied Soviet territory in January 1942, as part of the NKVD, a special 4th department was formed on the basis of the Special Group to manage the front-line work of state security agencies on the basis of the Special Group, the head of which was appointed Pavel Sudoplatov, who at the same time also remained the deputy head of foreign intelligence … The backbone of the leadership of the new directorate was made up of current foreign intelligence officers. Lieutenant-General Sudoplatov later recalled: “When selecting Chekists for the posts of commanders of partisan detachments, their past activities were taken into account first of all. First of all, people were appointed with combat experience, who had to not only participate in the partisan war against the White Poles in the 1920s, but also to fight in Spain. There was also a large group of Chekists who fought in the Far East in reserve."
The 4th NKVD Directorate was also entrusted with the tasks of organizing illegal residencies in large cities in the occupied territories, introducing agents into the occupying military and administrative bodies, creating residencies in areas under threat of capture, providing special forces and agents with weapons, communications and documents. …
During the war, 2,200 operational detachments and groups operated in the enemy's rear. The sabotage and reconnaissance units of the NKVD destroyed 230 thousand Nazi soldiers and officers, blew up 2,800 enemy echelons with manpower and equipment, and obtained important military, strategic and political information that was of great importance for the Soviet military command.
GUERRILLA MEDAL
On February 2, 1943, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" of two degrees was established, in the regulation of which it was indicated: "The medal" Partisan of the Patriotic War "I and II degrees are awarded to partisans of the Patriotic War, the commanding staff of partisan detachments and organizers of the partisan movement who showed courage, steadfastness and courage in the partisan struggle for our Soviet Motherland in the rear against the German fascist invaders."
The medal of the first degree was awarded to partisans, the commanding staff of partisan detachments and organizers of the partisan movement for special services in organizing the partisan movement, for courage, heroism and outstanding successes in the partisan struggle for the Soviet Motherland in the rear of the German fascist invaders. In turn, the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" of the II degree was awarded to partisans, the commanding staff of partisan detachments and organizers of the partisan movement for personal military distinction in fulfilling orders and assignments of the command, for active assistance in partisan struggle.
The 1st class medal was made of 925 sterling silver, the 2nd class medal was made of brass. On the obverse of the medal there is a profile picture of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin on the chest. Along the edge of the medal there is a ribbon, on the folds of which there are letters "USSR" in the lower part, and in the middle of them there is a five-pointed star with a sickle and a hammer. On the same ribbon, at the top of the medal, the inscription "To the Partisan of the Patriotic War" is applied, and the inscription "For our Soviet Motherland" is minted on the reverse side of the medal. Ribbon for the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" silk moire light green color. In the middle of the ribbon of the 1st degree medal there is a red stripe; medals of the II degree - blue stripe. The author of the drawing of the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" was the famous Soviet artist Nikolai Moskalev.
In total, more than 56 thousand people were awarded the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" I degree for participation in the partisan movement, and over 71 thousand people were awarded the medal of the second degree. There were many representatives of foreign intelligence among them. Here are just a few examples.
CAVALERS OF THE GUERRILLA REWARD
From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, a prominent Soviet intelligence officer Zoya Ivanovna Voskresenskaya-Rybkina was assigned to the Special Group of General Sudoplatov. She became one of the founders of the first partisan detachment, which initially consisted of only four officers, they were selected and instructed by Zoya Ivanovna herself.
The commander of the detachment was appointed Nikifor Zakharovich Kalyada - a career soldier who fought with the Germans back in the First World War. A former partisan in Ukraine, he was deputy army commander in the Far East in the 1920s. Leonid Vasilyevich Gromov, the former head of the geological expedition on Wrangel Island, was appointed chief of staff of the detachment that did not yet exist. The group also included: as a mechanical specialist - Samuil Abramovich Vilman, who before the war was the head of the illegal residency in Mongolia under the “roof” of the owner of a private auto repair shop, and Lieutenant Konstantin Pavlovich Molchanov, a gunsmith specialist.
The task of the Kalyada group was to create a partisan detachment from local residents of the Velsky, Prechistensky and Baturinsky districts of the Smolensk region.
On July 8, 1941, the group, officially called partisan detachment No. 1 in the Center, drove by truck into the northern forest in the direction of Moscow-Smolensk-Vitebsk.
Soon there were already more than a hundred people in the detachment, mainly from ten districts of the Smolensk region. In the forest Nikifor Zakharovich let go of his beard, for which the partisans called him "Baty". From the history of the Great Patriotic War, the legendary Bati partisan unit is well known, which in 1941-1942 practically restored Soviet power in the area of the Smolensk-Vitebsk-Orsha triangle.
The leaders of the partisan detachment Nikifor Kalyada, Leonid Gromov, Samuil Vilman and Konstantin Molchanov were among the first to be awarded the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" of the 1st degree.
FOR FAITH AND FATHERLAND
Zoya Voskresenskaya-Rybkina, who later also became a recipient of the 1st Class Partisan of the Patriotic War medal, was involved in the creation and deployment of one of the first reconnaissance groups behind enemy lines, which, incidentally, operated under unusual church cover. This is how she recalled it in her memoirs:
“I learned that Bishop Vasily, in the world - Vasily Mikhailovich Ratmirov turned to the military registration and enlistment office, with a request to send him to the front in order to“serve the Fatherland and protect the Orthodox Church from the fascist foes”.
I invited the bishop to my apartment. We talked for several hours. Vasily Mikhailovich said that he was 54 years old. Immediately after the outbreak of the war, he was appointed bishop of Zhytomyr. But Zhitomir was soon occupied by the German invaders, and then he was appointed bishop in Kalinin. He was eager to go to the front and therefore turned to the district military enlistment office.
I asked him if he would agree to take under his guardianship two scouts who would not interfere with his duties as an archpastor, and he would “cover” them with his rank. Vasily Mikhailovich asked in detail what they would do and whether they would desecrate the temple of God with bloodshed. I assured him that these people would conduct secret surveillance of the enemy, military facilities, the movement of military units, and identify spies sent to our rear.
The bishop agreed.
- If this is a serious matter, I am ready to serve the Fatherland.
- In what capacity will you be able to “cover” them?
- As my assistants. But for this they need to prepare thoroughly.
We agreed that I would report to the management and meet the next day.
The head of the group was appointed a foreign intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Mikhailovich Ivanov (operational pseudonym - "Vasko"). The second member of the group was Lieutenant Ivan Ivanovich Mikheev (operational pseudonym - "Mikhas"), a 22-year-old graduate of the aviation school, who since the beginning of the war was the commander of one of the units of the fighter battalion of the NKVD troops.
Vladyka Vasily taught them the divine services in my apartment every day: prayers, rituals, the order of vestments. The group was friendly and successful. On August 18, 1941, she was sent to the front-line Kalinin. They began the service in the Intercession Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, but on October 14 enemy aircraft bombed this church, and the bishop and his assistants went over to the city cathedral."
Soon the Germans occupied Kalinin. Vladyka Vasily turned to the burgomaster with a request to take him and his assistants for allowance. Through an interpreter, Vladyka explained to the local Fuhrer that under Soviet rule he was imprisoned and served his sentence in the North. He emphasized that his main concern is the spiritual life of the flock, he is extremely concerned about it, and his high priesthood obliges him to do this.
The rumor about Vladyka Vasily, who was zealously caring for his parishioners, quickly spread in the city. People were drawn to the cathedral. And the young, stately and handsome assistants of the bishop, distinguished by their modesty and severity of morals, quickly won the sympathy of the local residents.
The reconnaissance group quickly carried out the tasks of the Center. The scouts established contacts with the population, identified accomplices of the occupiers, collected materials on the number and location of German headquarters, warehouses and bases with military equipment, and kept records of arriving enemy units. The collected information was immediately transmitted to the Center through the radio operator-cipher officer Lyubov Bazhanova (operational pseudonym - "Marta"), who was thrown to them with a parachute.
The results of the work of the reconnaissance group were convincing. In addition to the encrypted radio reports transmitted to the Center, Vasko and Mikhas identified two residencies and more than thirty agents left by the Gestapo in the rear of the Soviet troops, and compiled a detailed description of secret weapons depots.
The patriotic feat of Bishop Vasily Ratmirov was highly appreciated. For the fact that he showed courage and did not abandon his flock in difficult times, by the decision of the Synod he was awarded the rank of archbishop. Later, at the direction of Patriarch Alexy, Vladyka Vasily was appointed Archbishop of Smolensk. From Soviet intelligence, Vasily Mikhailovich received a gold watch as a token of gratitude. "Vasko", "Mikhas" and "Marta" were awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor. All members of the group were also awarded medals "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st degree.
"Falcons" for special purposes
In October 1942, State Security Major Kirill Prokofievich Orlovsky was sent to the rear of the enemy at the head of a reconnaissance and sabotage group, which eventually turned into a large partisan special-purpose detachment "Falcons", operating on the territory of Belarus in the area of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The detachment participated in many battles with the German fascist invaders, conducted a number of successful sabotage sabotages in the rear of the Germans to destroy military-industrial facilities and large military echelons of the enemy. In the city of Baranovichi, partisans of the Falcon detachment led by Orlovsky liquidated several prominent Nazi military officials and seized important military documents.
In one of the battles in February 1943, Orlovsky was seriously wounded in his right arm and seriously wounded. However, he continued to lead the combat operation until he led the partisans to safety. The partisan surgeon performed an operation on the commander: his right arm was amputated. There were no pain relievers, the only tool was a hacksaw. But Orlovsky bravely underwent the operation, and three months later he radioed to Moscow: “I recovered. I began to command the detachment. However, the Center insisted on his return to Moscow, but Orlovsky agreed only with the third call, at the end of 1943.
By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 20, 1943, Kirill Orlovsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the exemplary fulfillment of combat missions of the command in the rear of the Nazi troops and the courage and courage shown at the same time. The military merits of Kirill Prokofievich in the Great Patriotic War were also awarded with three Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, and other military awards, including the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st degree.
RADISTKA AFRICA
From the very first days of the Great Patriotic War, an employee of the Soviet foreign intelligence, the Spaniard Afrika de Las Eras, who was in Moscow after completing her work abroad, began to seek to be sent to the front. In May 1942, she graduated from the accelerated courses for radio operators at the 4th department of the NKVD and was sent to the reconnaissance and sabotage detachment "Victors" under the command of Dmitry Medvedev.
On the night of June 16, 1942, the group, which included the radio operator Africa, was dropped with parachutes near the Tolstoy Les station in Western Ukraine. For Africa, active combat work began behind enemy lines, which she later recalled: “Three radio operators left the camp at once to communicate with Moscow. We walked in different directions for 15–20 kilometers, accompanied by soldiers. The work began all at the same time on different waves. One of us conducted a real broadcast, and the other two - to disorient the enemy, as we were constantly pursued by German direction finders. The task of our group of radio operators was to maintain constant communication with the Center. Communication with Moscow has never been interrupted in Medvedev's detachment."
It should be noted that the future Hero of the Soviet Union, the famous illegal scout Nikolai Kuznetsov, also fought in the "Winners" squadron. De Las Heras transmitted his extremely important information to the Center.
Later, the commander of the detachment Hero of the Soviet Union D. N. Medvedev talked about the work of his radio operators behind enemy lines: “We guarded radio operators and radio equipment like the apple of our eye. During the transitions, each radio operator for personal protection was assigned two submachine gunners, who also helped to carry the equipment."
More than once Africa had to participate in the combat operations of the "Winners" detachment, to show courage and courage in the performance of command assignments. She has firmly established a reputation as one of the best radio operators. The certificate that Africa was given upon returning to Moscow, in particular, said: “While in the position of assistant platoon commander, de Las Heras proved to be a skillful commander and a good radio operator. Her radio equipment was always in exemplary condition, and she demanded the same from her subordinates."
For the performance of combat missions and active participation in the partisan movement during the war years, Africa de Las Eras was awarded the Order of the Red Star, as well as the medals "For Courage" and "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st degree.
MOGILEV ILLEGALS
On July 3, 1941, an operational reconnaissance and sabotage group of six security officers headed by the captain of state security Vasily Ivanovich Pudin was sent from Moscow to Mogilev. The group was tasked with preparing for the transition to an illegal position in the event of the capture of the city by the Germans. As soon as we got to Mogilev, the situation at the front became much more complicated. Hitler's troops bypassed the city from the north and from the south, captured Smolensk, approached Yelnya, and threatened Vyazma. The Soviet troops defending Mogilev were surrounded. The difficult situation forced Pudin's group to take part in defensive battles.
The besieged city lost its connection with the mainland. The defenders of Mogilev had only a small portable radio station of Pudin's task force at their disposal. For fourteen days, the scouts informed Moscow about the progress of the defense. And when it became completely impossible to continue resistance, the surrounded garrison on the night of July 26-27, 1941 went to a breakthrough in order to break through the forests and start a partisan war. Pudin's group was in the ranks of the troops that stormed the enemy ring.
Near the village of Tishovka, Vasily Ivanovich was wounded, his left foot was torn off. Waking up only in the morning, he then crawled in the direction of the houses. Local resident Shura Ananyeva hid him in a barn. For five days she and her mother looked after the wounded man. On the sixth day, when the scout started gangrene, Shura took Pudin to the Mogilev hospital on a hunted horse. In one of the corridors of a crowded hospital, he lay for five long months, posing as the driver Vasily Popov (according to legend).
The Nazis did not leave the wounded in peace, conducted night interrogations, trying to find out if the patient was lying. And only by the end of the fifth month, Pudin managed to convince the Nazis of the truth of his legend-biography.
At the end of December 1941, when health allowed the scout to move independently on crutches, he was discharged from the hospital and allowed to live under police supervision in the village of Krasnopolye, not far from Mogilev. There he was sheltered by a local teacher Mikhail Volchkov. Pudin began to shoem up. At the same time, he looked closely at the people around him, studied the situation. Step by step, the scout created an underground battle group.
The first soldier of his group, the teacher Mikhail Volchkov, died at the hands of the traitor, and somewhere far away in German captivity his savior, Shura Ananyeva, was driven away to Germany. However, gradually, reliable assistants began to appear at Pudin. Active actions began: the mines they laid burst, enemy vehicles burned, German soldiers and officers were destroyed.
In August 1942, Pudin managed to establish contact with the partisan detachment of Osman Kasayev. By that time, there were already 22 people in his reconnaissance and sabotage group. It consisted of two girls who worked as translators for the Germans, railway workers, employees of the commandant's office. Then contact was made with the landing group from the mainland, which had a radio. The valuable information collected by Pudin's group was transmitted to Moscow.
Soon a courier from the Center arrived to Pudin, after which the activities of his group became much more active. Vasily Ivanovich himself moved to the partisan detachment, from where he led his fighters. Interacting with the partisan detachments of the Mogilev region, Pudin's group inflicted tangible blows on the enemy's communications, directing Soviet aviation to his important objects. For collecting valuable information about the enemy, Pudin was awarded the Order of Lenin.
However, Vasily Ivanovich's health deteriorated, the crippled leg did not give rest. On July 17, 1943, the scout flew to the mainland, where he underwent a difficult operation. For almost a year, Pudin was treated in a hospital. Then he worked in leading positions in the central apparatus of foreign intelligence. After the end of World War II, he worked as deputy head of one of the foreign intelligence departments. Repeatedly traveled abroad to carry out special assignments. In 1952, for health reasons, he had to retire. He penned several books on the activities of Soviet intelligence officers.
For his great services in ensuring state security, the courage and heroism shown at the same time, Vasily Pudin was awarded two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree and the Red Star, many medals, including the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" I degree.
FROM SPAIN TO MANCHURIA
Stanislav Alekseevich Vaupshasov was called a man of amazing fate and great courage by his comrades and colleagues. Of the nearly 40 years he served in the Soviet Army and the state security agencies, he spent 22 years in the trenches, underground, in the forests, in campaigns and battles.
In 1920, Vaupshasov graduated from the Courses for Red Commanders in Smolensk and was directly involved in combat work in the line of "active reconnaissance". So at that time was the name of the partisan resistance organized by the Intelligence Directorate of the Red Army in the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus, which fell to Poland as a result of the Soviet-Polish war. Especially purposefully and successfully "active reconnaissance" was carried out in the Polesie, Vileika and Novogrudok provinces of Western Belarus.
Soon followed by a two-year study in Moscow at the School of the command staff of the Red Army and service in Minsk. In 1930, Vaupshasov was transferred to work in the state security organs and seconded to the Plenipotentiary Representation of the OGPU in the BSSR.
From November 1937 to March 1939, Vaupshasov was on a special mission in Spain as a senior adviser to the headquarters of the 14th partisan corps of the Republican Army. He personally carried out reconnaissance missions in the rear of the Francoist troops. During the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, he participated in the formation of reconnaissance and sabotage groups, and also directly took part in the battles with the White Finns.
Since September 1941, Vaupshasov took part in the battle near Moscow as the battalion commander of the Separate Special Purpose Motorized Rifle Brigade. At the end of 1941, he was instructed to form a special detachment "Local" for operations behind enemy lines in the vicinity of Minsk. In addition to combat operations - the destruction of enemy garrisons, echelons with troops and equipment, the destruction of railways, bridges - Vaupshasov's task was to maintain contact with partisan detachments and underground groups operating in Belarus, coordinate their interaction and conduct reconnaissance.
For more than two years, Vaupshasov headed one of the largest partisan formations operating in the Pukhovichi, Gress and Rudensky regions of Belarus. The contribution of his fighters to the common cause of victory was great. For 28 months of the war behind enemy lines, they blew up 187 echelons with manpower, military equipment and ammunition. In battles and as a result of sabotage, Vaupshasov's detachment destroyed over 14 thousand German soldiers and officers. 57 major acts of sabotage were committed, of which 42 were in Minsk. Vaupshasov personally participated in the most important operations.
On July 15, 1944, Vaupshasov's detachment united with the Red Army units, and on the next day - July 16 - a partisan parade took place in Minsk, in which he took part.
For the skillful leadership of combat operations to defeat the enemy, the heroism shown during the performance of special missions behind enemy lines, Stanislav Vaupshasov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on November 5, 1944.
After the liberation of Belarus, Vaupshasov worked for some time in Moscow, in the central intelligence apparatus. Then he was sent to the Far East. During the war with Japan, he took part in military operations, and with the coming of peace he led a group to clear the rear in liberated Manchuria. From December 1946, he was the head of the intelligence unit of the Ministry of State Security of the Lithuanian SSR.
The homeland highly appreciated the merits of the outstanding intelligence officer. He was awarded four Orders of Lenin, the Orders of the Red Banner, the Red Banner of Labor, the Patriotic War I and II degrees, many medals, including the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" I degree.
