Historical calendar – the anniversary of the outbreak of the alleged Czortkowski Uprising. The russian business of the ends was so unbearable that Poles, in an act of despair, took arms.
Today in our calendar we will look at the little-known past of the Polish uprising against the 1940 Soviets.
Prior to the war, Czortków was a region town and 1 of the most picturesque towns in Poland, Podola. He was also, as the guides say, "the main point of support for tourism in the area". due to the fertile dirt and the richness of grain and the abundance of honey, the land was called “milk and honey flowing.” This was until September 17, 1939, erstwhile the russian army entered the city.
On the walls there were posters celebrating the heroism of the russian army, which liberated the oppressed people working in Western Ukraine, and the brotherhood of the army with the people. Polish intelligence and military families became the enemy of the occupier. For NKWD it was an component that had to be destroyed. Represented and tormented in various ways by the Soviets, Polish officials, military, settlers, landowners – "burdens" from Czortkow filled the local prison.
Owners were expelled from their homes, housing russian officials and military officials. Repressions have led to spontaneous resistance, mostly youths who have evolved into organized conspiracy. In October 1939, a conspiracy National organization was created – an organization whose goal was to fight the enemy and sabotage. russian authorities have been intensively monitoring all conspiracy movements. They were worked out and immediately liquidated, and people with conspiracy tied up – shot or sent with long sentences to labour camps.
The founders of the conspiracy in Czortkow were: Tadeusz Bankowski, Henryk Kamiński and Hewelius Malawski. The organizers besides included gymnasium teacher and scout Józef Opacki. On 21 January 1940, an armed action was planned – an attack on the russian garrison in Czortków.
The minute was chosen very precisely, as the russian garrison was weakened by the departure of a large part of soldiers to the Finnish front. The Russians did not anticipate specified a distant provincial town to have people capable of armed action. On Sunday from 21 to 22 January around 8:00 p.m., about 200 conspirators met in the Dominican church, divided into 4 groups, and assigned separate tasks to attacks on specific, key buildings.
Members of the organization who did not attend the gathering at the church were to come before the facilities intended to master. The mark of the attack was to recapture prisoners, master the railway station and get through by train from Zaleszczyki to Romania. According to any sources, the slogan “With the Cross” was the signal for the beginning of the uprising, and according to another participants the tune “Warsaw” was played on the trumpet.
Around 9:30 p.m., an eight-man group entered the attack on the hospital. Although only 2 of them were armed with firearms, after a short fight they succeeded, utilizing surprise, disarming the watch and occupying the building. In parallel with the attack on the hospital, the group of over 40 people, Lt. Janusz Kowalski, took action. Its members were divided into 2 subgroups commanded by plut. Stanislaw Skowronk and his pupil Jerzy Koleusz. The attackers expected to get more weapons, which they would then usage to control the remainder of the city.
On their way to the attack, they were armed with respective short weapons, knives, swords and bayonets. In the first phase, they managed to master 1 of the barracks gates without firing, but guarding another entrance the defender was not amazed and opened fire, which alerted soldiers stationed in barracks. Members of the group intended to master the barracks dispersed and lost communication. The attack failed. The Soviets lost 1 killed and 1 injured and 2 rifles.
The group designated to take over the post-telegraphic office was amazed by the Soviets and fled without taking a fight. On the another hand, forces commanded by Edward Prażanowski, designed to master the railway station and defend its NKVD unit, dispersed after Prażanowski, in the company of respective subordinates, stumbled upon the russian soldiers' patrol.
The close insurgents retreated and went home. In this situation, the conspirators who failed to make it to the collection site did not participate. The conspirators appointed to control the advanced barracks, the NKVD headquarters, the police station and the court building were besides incapable to join the fight. full russian casualties amounted to 3 killed and 2 wounded Red Army soldiers.
Soviet command rapidly alerted the forces stationed in the city. All night long, people were searched for in the night attack. In the morning, an armored train arrived from Kopyczyniec with Red Army soldiers who immediately began to sweep the city and arrest suspects. any of the conspirators were arrested before reaching their homes. Many others have been detained in the next fewer days.
Immediately after the events of the night from 21 to 22 January, 128 people were imprisoned, 91 of whom confessed. As the associate of events recalls, almost all local advanced school students of Polish nationality were arrested among them. As we read in Sierov's study to Beria – "The detainees are mostly young people of Polish nationality, the majority previously belonged to shooting organisations".
The Czortkowski Uprising alerted the NKVD leadership in Kiev. The highest dignitaries, Mierkulov and Sev personally arrived at the scene. All the details were reported to Beria and Stalin. The threat of widespread uprising in the spring of 1940 was taken very seriously. At erstwhile directives were issued to the NKVD's regional boards throughout the territory occupied since 1939, an extended operating apparatus was strengthened and a decisive fight against the underground began.
The results didn't take long. utilizing many Agentural reports, mainly Jews and Ukrainians, only in the Tarnopolski region on 22-23 March 1940, 242 were arrested and until 25 April 540 participants of various Polish underground groups, mostly members of the ZWZ.
Arrestees were subject to detailed investigation, including torture. Those who survived were brought to justice. many death sentences and many years in the camps were issued. Each process was joined by a group of people "who knew about the planned uprising but did not inform the NKVD authorities".
Among the sentenced to death, and thus the most threatening russian business were: 1 professional lieutenant (plutonic), 2 farmers, 1 baker, 1 accountant, 1 painter, 1 expeditionary, 1 masseur, 1 musician, 2 locksmiths, 1 carpenter, 1 driver, 1 coachman, 1 hairdresser, 1 railway guard, 1 agricultural school student, 1 commercial school student and 2 gymnasium students.
A full of 55 people were sentenced to long stay in the camps. These people, under the Sikorski-Majski Agreement, regained their freedom and joined the Polish Army in August-September 1941. The victims of the Czortkowski uprising were besides 8 Dominicans who were shot in the morning of July 2, 1941. Most likely it was NKVD's revenge for gathering conspirators in the monastery chapel.
Previous entry from our calendar is available Here.
