Red Army Research Articles

About Historical and Cultural Significance Sad Monument in Komsomolsky Park of Vladikavkaz

The Unified Register of Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation includes a monument of regional significance - the mass grave of the Bolsheviks who died in August 1918. The address of the monument: Vladikavkaz, Komsomolsky Park. The purpose of the proposed article is to characterize the historical circumstances of the appearance of a mass grave, to determine the historical and cultural significance of this monument. In the spring of 1918, Vladikavkaz became the capital of the Terek People’s Republic, which became part of the RSFSR. The Cossack-Peasant Congress in Mozdok on July 3-6, 1918, decided to “cleanse the people’s power” from the Bolsheviks. The battles that unfolded on the streets of Vladikavkaz were called the August events of 1918. Among the victims were five Bolsheviks who were captured and shot, and then buried in a mass grave: F. G. Kamalov, I. N. Nikitin, F. I. Serobabov, S. Ya. Shmulevich, Ognev. The more influential Bolsheviks who were arrested in those days remained alive. Severe verdict handed down to five shot requires explanation. As far as one can judge, the attitude towards them was predetermined by their previous actions and statements. The social behavior of F. G. Kamalov and S. Ya. Shmulevich was characterized by left-wing political radicalism. F. I. Serobabov was the organizer of power structures and the chief of staff of the Red Army units. I. N. Nikitin is an experienced party leader. Ognev is a young trade union leader. It can be assumed that in the eyes of their opponents, these five were united by left-wing radical convictions and uncompromisingness in the choice of methods of political struggle. The tragic outcome of the arrest was predetermined by their established political image. Memorial monuments play an important role in preserving the historical and cultural identity of the society. The mass grave is a monument to the terrible price that the people pay for their historical maturity. Not to repeat past mistakes in new socio-political collisions - this is the main point of preserving the historical and cultural heritage associated with the revolutionary era of the early 20th century.

Reparations Withdrawals Of Metallurgical Equipment in Central and Eastern European Countries at Final Stage of Great Patriotic War (1944—1945)

This article is dedicated to the lesser-known aspects of Soviet policy regarding the compulsory seizure of industrial equipment in territories liberated by the Red Army from the fascist bloc states in 1944—1945. Based on an analysis of decrees by the State Defense Committee, the principles of interaction between representatives of industrial People’s Commissariats and military authorities in liberated territories are revealed, with the aim of dismantling and transporting the most promising industrial assets back to the USSR for the needs of restoring the country’s metallurgical complex. The paper provides examples of property disputes among leading economic entities — the industrial People's Commissariats of the USSR — over the right to dismantle industrial facilities for their own benefit. It also sheds light on the activities of Special Assembly Managements under the People’s Commissariat for Construction of the USSR and their authority in the process of seizing industrial assets in territories freed from German control in Eastern Europe. Using the case studies of non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy enterprises located in territories of fascist bloc countries (Germany, Hungary) liberated by the Red Army, typical approaches to organizing the compulsory dismantling of their equipment are analyzed. The research conducted vividly demonstrates the significance of reparations seizures of industrial equipment in Eastern Europe for the modernization and recovery of the USSR’s metallurgical complex during 1944—1945.

Surveillance Reports of National Units of the Red Army Political Departments in 1918–1920

While surveillance as a mechanism of political control was a common prac-tice of states even before the First World War, the introduction of the Political Departments to the Red Army in 1918–1920 was a completely new historical-military phenomenon. Surveillance reports submitted by the commissars of the political departments had to provide an overview of the attitudes of soldiers, progress in political education, and the condition of various military aspects, such as the supply of uniforms. Next to nothing is known about surveillance reports compiled by these institutions in national units of the Red Army. This paper summarizes the instructions for compiling surveillance reports, their implementation, and what was actually reported by the Political Departments of Estonian and Latvian national units of the Red Army.

EXPERIENCE IN TRAINING COMBAT RESERVES OF FIELD UNITS OF THE RED ARMY DURING THE CIVIL WAR (1918-1920)

The article is devoted to the study of the historical experience of training combat army reserves in the system of reserve military units of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War from among the untrained conscripted citizens. A comparative analysis of the activities of Commissariats for Military Affairs (Military enlistment offices) and bodies of the front and army command for training and coordination of the Red Army units and units formed from them is carried out. Based on the analysis of scientific publications and periodicals, the author reconstructs in detail the reasons for the ineffective work of these military administration bodies to create a system of training mobile reserves during the period of active armed confrontation of revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces from the early 1918 to mid-1919. At the same time, turning to archival materials, which have been put into circulation for the first time, it is possible to reveal the methodology for the formation of reserve units by natives of one province.

Оборона перевалов Бзыбского хребта (август – сентябрь 1942 г.)

The article is devoted to the confrontation between the Soviet and German troops on the passes of the Bzyb Range in August – September 1942. As is known, by this time the Wehrmacht forces had suffered serious de-feats from the Soviet armed forces near Moscow, Rostov, and Tikhvin. The confrontation took a protracted character, so, planning the summer campaign of 1942, the German command decided to seize the most im-portant economic areas in the south of the USSR. The battle for the Caucasus included both the capture of the region’s passes and access to the Black Sea. It was precisely such fights that became the catalyst for the emer-gence of special mountain rifle detachments of the Red Army and NKVD troops, which turned the situation in the highlands in our direction. When writing the article, the authors used archival documents from the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Podolsk, Moscow Region, Russian Federation), published on the “Memory of the People” portal (pamyat-naroda.ru), as well as the works of foreign, Soviet and Russian researchers.

The Red Army's Offensive in the Sychevsky Direction
 during Operation «Mars»

The article is devoted to the offensive of the Red Army in the Sychev direction during Operation «Mars» in November-December 1942.
 This offensive was one of the bloodiest battles among all the private diversionary battles of Operation «Mars». It was here, northeast of Sychevka, that the troops of the 20th Army, focusing on the mass use of tanks reduced to tank corps, tried to cut the Sychevka-Rzhev railway, which would inevitably lead to the fall of
 Rzhev. However, the enemy, who had guessed the plan of the Soviet command, took serious measures to organize anti-tank defence, for the first time applied new effective means of combating Soviet tanks. This allowed him to achieve superiority over the Soviet tank corps, which tried in vain to break through the heavily fortified German positions. The positional deadlock formed near Sychevka became victorious for the enemy (he defended Sychevka and the railway to Rzhev).
 For the Red Army, the battles near Sychevka turned into great losses. Tactically, the troops of the 20th Army did not achieve their goal and did not fulfill their combat mission. However, operationally, they fought fierce battles exhausting the enemy throughout the operation, requiring constant reinforcements from him.
 As a result of Operation «Mars», the Red Army shackled huge enemy forces, including reserves that never fell under Stalingrad. In this regard, she successfully fulfilled her strategic task, contributing to the defeat of the Germans on the Volga.

Wider die Verfinsterung politischer Begriffe, oder: Theologische Ethik im Deutschen Herbst. Ein unveröffentlichtes Vorlesungsmanuskript Traugott Kochs vom 20.10.1977

Abstract In 1977, the terror of the Red Army Faction (RAF) reached its climax during the so-called German Autumn. A few days after the liberation of the Lufthansa plane „Landshut“, the Protestant theologian Traugott Koch, who was teaching at the University of Hamburg at the time, took the opportunity of a lecture hour to offer the students present ethical-theological orientation in view of the recent events. The manuscript of this interesting contemporary document is published here for the first time in public. An introduction places Koch’s remarks in the contemporary debate context.

Combat Training of Personnel of the Moscow Military District units in 1934-1940

The author analyzes the indicators reflecting the level of combat training of the units of the Moscow Military District in 1934-1940. There is considered the organization of the training process of units as one of the main components of effective military training. The data collection on the level of training of the Red Army personnel and headquarters commanders in the framework of tactical and marksmanship training is studied. The source base of the work was the office documents stored in the Russian State Military Archive. It is concluded that in the course of implementing the process of combat training of the Moscow Military District units, some progress was made. In particular, individual training of soldiers and small units increased; the results of shooting improved. At the same time, there were constant problems, such as the organization of the training, the shortage of qualified personnel, as well as the level of tactical training.

SOCIALIZATION OF FAST ARABIC READING METHODS FOR SANTRI AN-NIKMAH INSTITUTE HICIRAC IN CAMBODIA

Cambodian Muslims experienced depopulation After the Civil War when the Red Army led the Government. Along the way, with the permission of Allah SWT, Muslims are now starting to develop themselves and their religion. Of the eight hundred thousand Muslims, in 2020, the millennial generation will dominate. The Cambodian Muslim community needs assistance from fellow ASEAN countries, such as Indonesia, to develop Islamic educational institutions. Even though they are a minority, they enjoy the freedom of worship, built mosques, prayer rooms and Islamic Schools, and even formed an institution specifically for Muslims called HICIRAC (Highest Council for Islamic Affairs Cambodia). The new millennial generations who dominate Cambodia's Islamic society are their hope for a glorious future and the glory of Islam; they will be a milestone in the development of Islam in Cambodia, so they need to be provided with fast learning methods and speedy learning to read the Holy Qoran. They were educated at the An-Nikmah Institute, a superior and flagship Islamic Education Institution owned by HICIRAC. The socialization of the Saminyyah method is a small effort dedicated to enriching various ways of Al-Quran and Islamic education for the Cambodian Muslim community.

THE MYTHOLOGICAL SPACE OF GOOD AND EVIL IN “THE YELLOW PRINCE” BY VASYL BARKA

To analyze the representation of the Holodomor in Vasyl Barka’s novel “The Yellow Prince”, it is beneficial to draw upon the concepts of artistic universes and mythological studies. In particular, Franz Boas’s notion of mythological universes as source material for the creation of new universes can provide valuable insights. Based on this concept, the apocalyptic motifs of the novel “The Yellow Prince” might be considered a unique author’s attempt to interpret the traumatic experience of the Holodomor. In this case, the biblical eschatology serves as the key to understanding the entire scale of the tragedy and the essence of the crime against the Ukrainian people.
 After analyzing the structure of the novel, drawing parallels with biblical motifs and codes, and noting the most prominent biblical allusions, it becomes evident that the writer constructs his own apocalyptic model of the world, which shows no specific Comings of the Antichrist and Christ as they both are presented collectively. The writer’s dichotomy between the ‘sacred’ and the ‘profane’ contrasts the harmonious, traditional Ukrainian village with the godless Bolshevik regime. The first mode, embodied by the Katrannyk family, functions around the church as a sacred center and a treasury of Christian values. Therefore the process of collectivization and the destruction of the temple disrupts its organic existence, leading to death. Those who strive to preserve their right for the sacred must be prepared to fight, even at the cost of their lives.
 Both the church Chalice-Grail and the martyred peasants represent the collective Christ. The source of evil, in its turn, lies within the hierarchical system of the Bolshevik forces of evil. This system ranges from the symbolic image of the Yellow Prince as a collective Antichrist to radical evil embodied by demonized and dehumanized representatives of the Soviet government and banal evil manifesting itself in unconscious peasants who, due to a lack of understanding, also become accomplices in the crimes. Thus, the evil appears in the novel as a series of negative and demonic images embodied in characters, symbols, and details existing at various hierarchical levels. All these elements serve as a comprehensive representation of the profane.

The Epoch that Did Not Happen. The Poem of the Perished and Its Relationship to History

It is difficult to exclude the expression of socialist realism in Lithuanian literature because of a deep coup d’état of intellectual values caused after the Soviets occupied Lithuania in 1940, in a System collapsing and masking political facts. Then, a year later, when the German occupation started, all the horrors of the Soviet occupation revealed their reality, the grip of censorship fell, and a call to the nation began... At that time, Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas (1893-1967) created a poem which would become a great historical exception from the poetry of the Soviet era, which, after the return of the Red Army in 1944 “folded its wings” against propaganda and censorship legitimising the occupation, and against the introduction of the dogma of socialist realism in literature. The fate of Putinas’ poem became exceptional, breaking destinies by circulating in the underground and remaining anonymous, as the author could not name himself for the sake of survival in literature, spreading from the partisans’ movement to the American Lithuanian press. It is worth taking note of three factors: a) the relevance of the courage of the poem’s insights, which are constantly reborn at the non-end of the story; b) the controversy of the relationship between the poem and the author in the era of “socialist realism” and the uncertainty of that era, which penetrated even the life of a famous writer, fearing the openness of historical truth, c) significance of the creation date of the poem “Vivos plango. Mortuos voco” (1943), its spontaneous spread, concealment of authorship and the circumstances of its returned relevance in the present, which speak of its phenomenon, overshadowing the ineffectiveness of the “socialist realism” introduced by the Soviets in the context of Lithuanian literature.

Features of the organization of dental care in besieged Leningrad

Not much information is available about the provision of dental care during the Great Patriotic War, and publications concerning dental care in besieged Leningrad are even limited. All dental care during the war in the country was mainly aimed at treating wounds on the face. On the home front, dental care was provided to workers and employees working in the defense industry. Therefore, medical and sanitary units were created at large defense enterprises, which included closed hospitals, polyclinics, and outpatient clinics. Three frontline evacuation hospitals were located in the clinics of the Military Medical Academy, where the doctors and entire medical staff of the academy worked. The chief dentist of the Red Army, David Abramovich Entin, and the chief dentist of the navy, Vladimir Mikhailovich Uvarov were primarily responsible for the organization of dental care and specialized assistance to servicemen with maxillofacial wounds. The hospitals were formed based on the clinics of the 1st Leningrad Medical Institute, including clinics for maxillofacial surgery. At the 2nd Leningrad Medical Institute during the blockade, extremely urgent problems related to combating scurvy developed. The Central State Institute of Traumatology named after Professor R.R. Vreden, where A.A. Limberg and his colleagues worked, occupied an important place in the provision of surgical and orthopedic care in besieged Leningrad. Dental care in besieged Leningrad was provided as part of medical and preventive institutions. As of November 1, 1942, dental outpatient clinics of Vasileostrovsky, Volodarsky, Kuibyshevsky, and Petrogradsky districts were successfully functioning. After the end of the siege in 1944, active work began on the restoration of the city. During the reconstruction of the city, the number of new medical institutions has also increased. In the autumn of 1944, the construction of the second clinical base of the State Institute for Further Training of Physicians was completed, in which the clinic of reconstructive maxillofacial surgery was located. The problem of the health of people who survived the blockade of Lenin remains relevant today, many decades later. Numerous publications have been devoted to generalizing the experience of treating wounded with maxillofacial injuries in combat conditions.

„Oddziedziczanie” dziedzictwa

“INHERITING” HERITAGE: REMOVAL OF SOVIET MONUMENTS IN THE BALTIC STATES The aim of this article is an analysis of the process of removing the Soviet monuments including the objects commemorating the Red Army and those glorifying the Soviet regime, which were created during the occupation of the Baltic states by the USSR. After the spontaneous process of destroying the monuments and their removal in the 1990s, many of them remained in public spaces of the sovereign states. In recent years, due to Russia’s occupation of Crimea (2014) and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine (2022), the governments of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have taken active steps to dismantle monuments that are a symbol of Russian imperialism and falsification of history. The author draws attention to the process of heritage management, in which certain meanings are accepted and reinforced, while others are marginalised and rejected. Gregory Ashworth’s heritage paradigm will be used to analyse the research topic, according to which heritage is a process of selective acceptance or rejection of elements of the past in response to the current social, political and economic needs.

Nablyudenie voennoj kontrrazvedki za dejstviyami vysshego komandnogo sostava Krasnoj armii v hode boevyh operacij 1941–1945 gg.

The article analyzes an important element of the control of the Soviet military counterintelligence over the top command staff of the Red Army - monitoring the actions of the command in combat conditions. Two approaches are identified that manifested themselves in the activities of counterintelligence during the war: traditional (exposing) and constructive. The author divided the supervisory functions of military counterintelligence into two blocks: control of the army (behind the army) and control “within the army". The issues of the need for informing, its quantitative and qualitative characteristics are considered. The degree of influence of counterintelligence information on the actions of military leaders on the decision-making on personnel changes is considered.

Global Revolution Starts with Palestine

This article examines the development and history of the alliance between the Japanese Red Army (JRA) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). It draws upon Arabic and Japanese sources such as memoirs like those penned by JRA leader Shigenobu Fusako, the 1971 propaganda film Sekigun PFLP sekai sensō sengen (Red Army/PFLP: Declaration of World War), statements by the PFLP and the JRA, and interviews conducted by the media with members of the JRA. The article traces the development of the JRA's ideology, how it came to view Palestine as the center of global revolution, and the logics underpinning the need for direct action by its members for the liberation of Palestine. The JRA's militancy represented a hitherto unseen aspect of support for Palestine rooted in anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism, and anti-capitalism outside the strictures of mainstream leftist action.

THE 14TH INFANTRY DIVISION OF THE SOUTH-EASTERN FRONT IN OCTOBER-DECEMBER 1919

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to investigate the general nature and the main content of combat operations of the 14th Infantry Division, as well as the party-political work of its command to fulfill the combat tasks in the period from September 1919, when the division joined the newly formed Southeastern Front of the Red Army, and up to the forcing of the Don and the beginning of active combat operations on its right bank (December 1919).
 Method and methodology. The general methodological approach to the research is based on the basic principles and methods of scientific and historical cognition. The priority scientific methods in this study were the general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, classification, analogy, as well as methods of historical analysis (descriptive, comparative-historical, logical, retrospective, method of frontal analysis of archival materials).
 Results. The results of the research showed that the 14th Division of the 9th Army of the Southeastern Front was able to recover from its almost complete defeat in early October 1919. It continued to fulfill the tasks on its section of the front. In the life of the division there was a place for party-political work. Going on the offensive to the Khoper River, the division with its actions restrained the enemy forces. Having accomplished the task, the division from the beginning of December went on the active offensive to the Don River. Having forded the Don River, the division continued the offensive on the right bank.
 The scope of applicability of results. The results of the research can contribute to a more in-depth study of the Civil War in the period from October to the end of December 1919.

ON THE USE OF THE EXPERIENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF SERVICE AND COMBAT TASK BY THE TROOPS OF THE NKVD OF THE USSR IN THE YEARS OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE TROOPS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The article deals with the service and combat activities of the troops of the NKVD of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War. The authors of the article note that the NKVD troops made a significant contribution to the overall victory of the Soviet people over fascism in the Great Patriotic War. The article analyzes the organizational structure of the troops of the NKVD of the USSR, their legal status, the tasks performed, shows the shortcomings in the organization of the activities of these troops, which significantly affect the effectiveness of their service and combat use. The article also notes that the recruitment of barrage detachments was carried out not by the military personnel of the NKVD of the USSR, but at the expense of the Red Army, the troops of the NKVD of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War performed both internal and external functions of the Soviet state, which were expressed in the fight against banditry, desertion and crime in the rear of the fronts of the active army, as well as in direct participation in hostilities with the Nazi invaders. The authors come to the conclusion that the positive experience of the service and combat use of the troops of the NKVD of the USSR must be used in the conditions of modern reality in the practical activities of state law enforcement and military bodies, establishing a legal status corresponding to their purpose.

SNIPER MOVEMENT OF THE NKVD TROOPS OF THE USSR OF THE LENINGRAD FRONT DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR

The article discusses the formation and development of the sniper movement in the troops of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs of the USSR of the Leningrad Front during the Great Patriotic War, as well as its role in the destruction of the enemy and the deblockade of Leningrad. The requirements of regulatory documents for the professional qualities of a Soviet sniper are indicated, compliance with which allows a well-aimed shooter to complete the assigned tasks for their intended purpose. The order of actions of a sniper at the front is revealed, as well as accounting for the combat achievements of a sniper in destroying enemy manpower. Service and combat documents aimed at moral and material stimulation of the development of the sniper movement in the troops of the NKVD of the USSR of the Leningrad Front are analyzed. The authors show the importance of rallies and combat training to the front in the training of snipers of the NKVD troops. The article also notes the effectiveness of the extermination of the enemy during such internships, provides a review of the Red Army command on the combat activities of NKVD snipers at the front. Based on the historical facts of the successful use of snipers by the NKVD troops of the Leningrad Front, the authors come to the conclusion about the significant role of the sniper movement in the destruction of enemy manpower near Leningrad and the breakthrough of the blockade of the hero city.

Stalin’s Empire in the Fight Against the Ukrainian Insurgent Movement at the Final Stage of the Second World War 1944–1945): The Role of the Red Army

This article, based on a wide array of archival documents, presents the anal­ysis of military confrontation between the Stalinist Empire and the Ukrainian insurgent movement in Western Ukraine. Special attention is paid to the role of the Red Army, which, in addition to joint military punitive operations together with the NKVD itself resorted to organising anti-insurgency military measures and took an active part in such activi­ties aimed at destroying the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukraiinska povstanska armia – hereafter UPA) and the underground Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (hereafter – OUN) using such measures as deportation and resettlement of the local population from the front-line zone, military mobilisations and repressions against the families of UPA members. The author concludes that the war of the Red Empire against the Ukrainian na­tional liberation movement embroiled significant masses of civilian population into its merciless millstones, which led to its barbarisation, so this war by its nature and devas­tating consequences can be considered in essence as the genocidal extermination of the Ukrainian people.

Stalino imperijos kova su Ukrainos sukilėlių judėjimu paskutiniajame Antrojo pasaulinio karo etape (1944–1945): Raudonosios armijos vaidmuo

This article, based on a wide array of archival documents, presents the anal­ysis of military confrontation between the Stalinist Empire and the Ukrainian insurgent movement in Western Ukraine. Special attention is paid to the role of the Red Army, which, in addition to joint military punitive operations together with the NKVD itself resorted to organising anti-insurgency military measures and took an active part in such activi­ties aimed at destroying the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukraiinska povstanska armia – hereafter UPA) and the underground Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (hereafter – OUN) using such measures as deportation and resettlement of the local population from the front-line zone, military mobilisations and repressions against the families of UPA members. The author concludes that the war of the Red Empire against the Ukrainian na­tional liberation movement embroiled significant masses of civilian population into its merciless millstones, which led to its barbarisation, so this war by its nature and devas­tating consequences can be considered in essence as the genocidal extermination of the Ukrainian people.