Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev
Encyclopedia
Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev (August 22, 1898 - December 14, 1954) was one of the leaders of the Soviet partisan movement in western Russia and Ukraine
.
Medvedev was born in Bryansk
in a steelworker's family. During the Russian Civil War
he joined the Red Army
and in 1920 he joined the All-Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks). Between 1920 and 1935 worked in the Cheka
, OGPU and the NKVD
in Soviet Ukraine.
In 1936 Dmitry Medvedev was sent as a NKVD intelligence agent abroad. In 1938 he returned to the Soviet Union
and was appointed the head of the NKVD department of Norillag
, a GULAG
labor camp
in Norilsk
. Few months later Medvedev was fired from NKVD officially for "unjustified closures of criminal investigations" against political prisoner
s of the GULAG.
In 1939 Medvedev retired and settled in the Moscow
region.
In the summer of 1941, a few days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was re-instated as a NKVD officer and sent to his native Bryansk
region to organize underground resistance
behind enemy lines.
Between September 1941 and January 1942 Medvedev successfully organized guerrilla units
in Bryansk, Smolensk
, Oryol
and Mogilev regions.
During the spring of 1942 Medvedev was given a new assignment - to organize partisan units deep behind the enemy lines in the Nazi-occupied Ukraine.
In June his guerrilla unit, named Pobediteli (The Victorious), was air-dropped into Zhytomyr
region of Ukraine. Between June 1942 and March 1944 Medvedev's units operated in Rivne
and Lviv
regions and in about 120 engagements and "liquidated" up to 2000 German soldiers and officers including 11 generals and other high-ranking officials. The wartime activities of the Medvedev group in occupied Western Ukraine focused on sabotage
, assassination
s and espionage
against the Wehrmacht
.
Medvedev's personal initiative was to organize a secret hiding place for 160 rescued Jewish women, children and elderly saved from Jewish ghettos. After the Red Army
entered Western Ukraine in the spring of 1944 the Medvedev underground units became part of the regular army.
On November 5, 1944 Medvedev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union
title and the Gold Star
medal.
After the war, the retired, and now legendary, partisan became the author of several books including It Happened Near Rovno. (1948) His memoirs were dedicated to the story of his war-time partner - Soviet intelligence agent Nikolai Kuznetsov
.
Dmitry Medvedev died in Moscow in 1954.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Medvedev was born in Bryansk
Bryansk
Bryansk is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Moscow. Population: -History:The first written mention of Bryansk was in 1146, in the Hypatian Codex, as Debryansk...
in a steelworker's family. During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
he joined the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and in 1920 he joined the All-Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks). Between 1920 and 1935 worked in the Cheka
Cheka
Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organizations. It was created by a decree issued on December 20, 1917, by Vladimir Lenin and subsequently led by aristocrat-turned-communist Felix Dzerzhinsky...
, OGPU and the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
in Soviet Ukraine.
In 1936 Dmitry Medvedev was sent as a NKVD intelligence agent abroad. In 1938 he returned to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and was appointed the head of the NKVD department of Norillag
Norillag
Norillag, Norilsk Corrective Labor Camp was a gulag labor camp set by Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia and headquartered there. It existed from June 25, 1935 to August 22, 1956....
, a GULAG
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
labor camp
Labor camp
A labor camp is a simplified detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons...
in Norilsk
Norilsk
Norilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located between the Yenisei River and the Taymyr Peninsula. Population: It was granted city status in 1953. It is the northernmost city in Siberia and the world's second largest city north of the Arctic Circle...
. Few months later Medvedev was fired from NKVD officially for "unjustified closures of criminal investigations" against political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s of the GULAG.
In 1939 Medvedev retired and settled in the Moscow
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
region.
In the summer of 1941, a few days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was re-instated as a NKVD officer and sent to his native Bryansk
Bryansk Oblast
Bryansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Bryansk. Population: 1,278,087 .-History:...
region to organize underground resistance
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
behind enemy lines.
Between September 1941 and January 1942 Medvedev successfully organized guerrilla units
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
in Bryansk, Smolensk
Smolensk Oblast
Smolensk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its area is . Population: -Geography:The administrative center of Smolensk Oblast is the city of Smolensk. Other ancient towns include Vyazma and Dorogobuzh....
, Oryol
Oryol Oblast
Oryol Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Oryol. Population: -Geography:It is located in the southwestern part of the Central Federal District, in the Mid-Russian Highlands. Kaluga and Tula Oblasts border it in the north, Bryansk Oblast is located to...
and Mogilev regions.
During the spring of 1942 Medvedev was given a new assignment - to organize partisan units deep behind the enemy lines in the Nazi-occupied Ukraine.
In June his guerrilla unit, named Pobediteli (The Victorious), was air-dropped into Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr Oblast
Zhytomyr Oblast is an oblast of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Zhytomyr.-History:The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on September 22, 1937....
region of Ukraine. Between June 1942 and March 1944 Medvedev's units operated in Rivne
Rivne Oblast
Rivne Oblast is an oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Rivne. The area of the region is 20,100 km²; its population is 1.2 million...
and Lviv
Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv.-History:The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on December 4, 1939...
regions and in about 120 engagements and "liquidated" up to 2000 German soldiers and officers including 11 generals and other high-ranking officials. The wartime activities of the Medvedev group in occupied Western Ukraine focused on sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
, assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
s and espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
against the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
.
Medvedev's personal initiative was to organize a secret hiding place for 160 rescued Jewish women, children and elderly saved from Jewish ghettos. After the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
entered Western Ukraine in the spring of 1944 the Medvedev underground units became part of the regular army.
On November 5, 1944 Medvedev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
title and the Gold Star
Gold Star
The Gold Star medal is a special insignia that identifies recipients of the title "Hero" in the Soviet Union and its communist allies, and several post-Soviet states.-Soviet origin:...
medal.
After the war, the retired, and now legendary, partisan became the author of several books including It Happened Near Rovno. (1948) His memoirs were dedicated to the story of his war-time partner - Soviet intelligence agent Nikolai Kuznetsov
Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov
Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov was a Soviet intelligence agent and partisan who operated in Nazi-occupied Ukraine during World War II. He used several pseudonyms during his intelligence operations: e.g...
.
Dmitry Medvedev died in Moscow in 1954.
External links
- "War Hero Dmitry Medvedev"
- It Happened Near Rovno — Dmitry Medvedev's Memoirs