THE STRUGGLE OF THE SOVIET REPRESSIVE-PUNITIVE BODIES AGAINST UNITS TV 22 «CHORNYI LIS» (THE BLACK FOREST) (1946–1947)

Abstract

Three documents are published in the article: the first one is the special report on the case No. 322 «Chornolisnyky» (Black Foresters) (November 22, 1946) (Sectoral State Archive of the State Security Service of Ukraine, f. 2: department of the struggle against banditry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 2-N department, the fourth department of Ministry of State Security-KGB of the USSR, Description 107 (1954), Case 2, p. 118–122; the second document was the special report on the agency-operative and military operation to eliminate the kurin «Dzvony» (December 13, 1946) (SSA of the SSS of Ukraine, f. 2, d. 107 (1954), case 2, p. 144–149).; the third one is the certificate on the agent case No. 322 «Chornolisnyky (Black Foresters)» (February 13, 1947) (SSA of the SSS, f. 2, d. 90 (1951), case 66, p. 103–108). The published documents are an important source both for the history of the battle way of TV 22 «Chornyi lis» (Black Forest) and for the characterization of the forms and methods of struggle of the repressive-punitive bodies against the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA). The information potential of the published documents is quite large. They show how the Soviet security forces were in possession of the information about the UIA combat units, their structural transformation, size, the territory of activity, management. It was found that, in addition to conducting military-Chekist operations to eliminate the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), the repressive-punitive authorities actively used the agency. In the struggle against the Ukrainian Liberation Movement, it was considered appropriate to file an agency case for each group of more than 10 people (both in the Ministry of State Security and in the Ministry of Internal Affairs) with its full characterization and mandatory presence in the group of agents who developed it. That is why there were agent cases on all OUN units (rayon, district) and UIA divisions, and after the liquidation of the people, who were on file, they were closed and new ones were discovered (mainly with new titles). Soviet law enforcement bodies were careful about the seized documents. Each document was carefully studied and analyzed, and if it was encrypted, efforts were made to decrypt it. Therefore, the contents of the document were used in agent-operative, investigative and judicial practices. From the seized documents, the security forces made comprehensive, consolidated collections that were used as evidence in the conviction of nationalists (in the 1940s – 1950s and even in the 1960s – 1980s), and they also served as training material for future chekists. Keywords: Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA), TV 22 «Chornyi lis» (Black Forest), kurin «Dzvony», «Smertonostsi».