Ivan Sergeychik
Encyclopedia
Ivan Sergeichik was a Belarus
ian Soviet NKVD
-official and military commander.
in Minsk, Belarus.
on the Eastern Front
, Belarus got heavily engaged in Soviet partisan
war
fare. By mid-1941, about 60 independent partisan detachments and groups were operating in the occupied territory of Belarus. They comprised 25-40 men each and were sub-divided into 2-3 combat units.
The lack of coordination among small detachments, their low morale
, anarchy within those units, and incidents of looting
of food and clothing lead to alienation of the generally supportive local population. To alleviate these problems the Central Committee drafted thousands of NKVD service members and created the network of 1,200 Communist Party cells within partisan detachments. In April 1942, by the resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belorussia (CC CP(B)B), the special courses were formed in the Vladimir
region. These courses came to be known as Special Belarusian Training [Особый белорусский сбор], as the cadets were mostly Belarusians. That initiative has considerably improved discipline and cleaned the situation. In May 1942, Ivan Sergeychik was sent to Vladimir where he underwent extensive special operations, psychological warfare and explosives training to prepare him for the future covert operation.
In September 1942, Ivan Sergeychik was parachuted into the forest somewhere in the region of Bogushevsk, Vitsebsk voblast
and as a political commissar
joined Sozonov Detachment #41 that was a part of the 1st Vitsebsk Partisan Brigade.
To document his activity he kept a diary. His diary covered a period between 19 September 1942 and 27 July 1943. Throughout this period, his detachment actively participated in various diversions including placing improvised explosive device
s along the roads and railroads; ambushed individual German units and involved in direct battles with regular German army. As a result of the direct confrontations with the German troops, 376 German soldiers and officers were killed and 314 were wounded. Throughout this period, the placement of the IEDs along the railroad tracks destroyed nine train engines, destroyed and damaged 135 cars with hundreds of German troops, heavy equipment and supplies. The detachment destroyed about half mile of railroad tracks and created transportation delays on the Smolensk line for 108 hours total. The detachment routinely destroyed communication lines and telephone poles.
By September 1941, Belarus was occupied by the Army Group Centre
of the German Wehrmacht
. The Vitsebsk and Mahilyow regions, the major part of the homel Region, the eastern districts of the Minsk Voblast and some districts of the Polesia Voblast
were under administrative control the rear section of the group.
The German administrative activity on the occupied territories was the continuation of their military campaign. German administration attempted to create such conditions for the local population that excluded possibility for the locals to conduct any business, communicate with the partisan detachments or allow partisans to infiltrate the occupied localities.
Germans set up special "restricted" areas where locals could only be permitted if accompanied by the German soldier. Special boards and markings clearly demarcated such zones and areas. The local population was allowed to be within those zones only under special permits for a short and limited period.
outbreak, in July 1943 Ivan Sergeychik was evacuated to Moscow and after his recovery he resumed his duties working for NKVD
. He was awarded multiple Soviet awards for his participation in the partisan campaign.
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian Soviet 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....
-official and military commander.
History
From November 1931 through March 1935 he worked for the State Political Directorate(OGPU) and from March 1935 through November 1937 he worked as special prosecutor for NKVDNKVD
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 Minsk, Belarus.
World War II
Shortly after the outbreak of the World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, Belarus got heavily engaged in Soviet partisan
Soviet partisans
The Soviet partisans were members of a resistance movement which fought a guerrilla war against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II....
war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare. By mid-1941, about 60 independent partisan detachments and groups were operating in the occupied territory of Belarus. They comprised 25-40 men each and were sub-divided into 2-3 combat units.
The lack of coordination among small detachments, their low morale
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
, anarchy within those units, and incidents of looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
of food and clothing lead to alienation of the generally supportive local population. To alleviate these problems the Central Committee drafted thousands of NKVD service members and created the network of 1,200 Communist Party cells within partisan detachments. In April 1942, by the resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belorussia (CC CP(B)B), the special courses were formed in the Vladimir
Vladimir
Vladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...
region. These courses came to be known as Special Belarusian Training [Особый белорусский сбор], as the cadets were mostly Belarusians. That initiative has considerably improved discipline and cleaned the situation. In May 1942, Ivan Sergeychik was sent to Vladimir where he underwent extensive special operations, psychological warfare and explosives training to prepare him for the future covert operation.
In September 1942, Ivan Sergeychik was parachuted into the forest somewhere in the region of Bogushevsk, Vitsebsk voblast
Vitsebsk Voblast
Vitsebsk Voblast or Vitebsk Oblast is a province of Belarus with its administrative center being Vitebsk .As of a 2009 estimate, the voblast has a population of 1,230,800...
and as a political commissar
Political commissar
The political commissar is the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and organisation, and loyalty to the government of the military...
joined Sozonov Detachment #41 that was a part of the 1st Vitsebsk Partisan Brigade.
To document his activity he kept a diary. His diary covered a period between 19 September 1942 and 27 July 1943. Throughout this period, his detachment actively participated in various diversions including placing improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s along the roads and railroads; ambushed individual German units and involved in direct battles with regular German army. As a result of the direct confrontations with the German troops, 376 German soldiers and officers were killed and 314 were wounded. Throughout this period, the placement of the IEDs along the railroad tracks destroyed nine train engines, destroyed and damaged 135 cars with hundreds of German troops, heavy equipment and supplies. The detachment destroyed about half mile of railroad tracks and created transportation delays on the Smolensk line for 108 hours total. The detachment routinely destroyed communication lines and telephone poles.
By September 1941, Belarus was occupied by the Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
of the German 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:...
. The Vitsebsk and Mahilyow regions, the major part of the homel Region, the eastern districts of the Minsk Voblast and some districts of the Polesia Voblast
Polesia Voblast
Polesia Voblast was an administrative division in Soviet Belarus. It was created on January 15, 1938. It included territories of eastern Polesia and consisted of 15 raions. Center of Polesia Voblast was town of Mozyr....
were under administrative control the rear section of the group.
The German administrative activity on the occupied territories was the continuation of their military campaign. German administration attempted to create such conditions for the local population that excluded possibility for the locals to conduct any business, communicate with the partisan detachments or allow partisans to infiltrate the occupied localities.
Germans set up special "restricted" areas where locals could only be permitted if accompanied by the German soldier. Special boards and markings clearly demarcated such zones and areas. The local population was allowed to be within those zones only under special permits for a short and limited period.
Exit
Because of a malariaMalaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
outbreak, in July 1943 Ivan Sergeychik was evacuated to Moscow and after his recovery he resumed his duties working for 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....
. He was awarded multiple Soviet awards for his participation in the partisan campaign.