Slutsk uprising 1920. Slutsk armed uprising. How the “unafraid Belarusians” shot at the commissars. National movement in Minsk region

How the Slutsk uprising in Belarus took place and how it ended in 1920

Supporters of the Belarusian People's Republic in front of the battle flag. Photo: Wikipedia

On November 27, in the Belarusian town of Slutsk, a rally organized by the local opposition party “Belarusian Popular Front” (BPF) was held dedicated to the so-called “Heroes Day” in memory of the armed uprising in this city in 1920. Local nationalist groups have been celebrating this day since 1992, considering it one of the main symbols of how Belarusians have always defended their territory from Russian encroachment. Lenta.ru remembered what stands behind the date November 27, 1920 in the history of the republic.

Struggle for independence

Today among Belarusian historians there is no consensus on whether the Slutsk uprising was a real attempt to fight for the independence of the Belarusian People's Republic declared in 1918. This fact is due to the fact that for many years the topic of various kinds of riots in the first years of the formation of Soviet power in the territory of the former Russian Empire was, if not banned, then at least avoided. This attitude towards one’s own history ultimately gave rise to an ambiguous perception of the events of that period in the Slutsk district, ranging from a negative assessment to the exaltation of the heroes who staged the first independent armed uprising for the independence of the Belarusian lands as part of the “Belarusian-Russian war of 1920.” Moreover, the events of those years are indeed ambiguous, which makes them the most suitable tool for creating new historical myths of modern Belarus.

In order to understand what really happened then in Slutsk, it is necessary to remember that it was a period of serious upheavals that were the consequences of the First World War and the collapse of the Russian Empire. Civil War and the growth of banditry, the policy of “war communism” announced by the Bolsheviks in 1918, which saved the Red Army and the urban population from starvation, but put the peasant population on the brink of survival, foreign intervention - all this, to one degree or another, left its mark on the events in Slutsk district on the eve of an armed uprising. The picture was also complemented by the reigning confusion in the Belarusian national movement, in which there was no consensus on how and, most importantly, with whom Belarusians need to build their independence. However, perhaps main reason what happened in 1920 can be considered Soviet-Polish war, the main events of which unfolded on the territory of modern Belarus.

Voluntary associations of nationalists have become more active in the republic
It is known that Poland, revived after the First World War, initially set itself the task of restoring its territories within the 1772 borders of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Having begun military operations against Soviet Russia in February 1919, Polish troops quite quickly advanced deep into the former western regions of the former Russian Empire, where by that time the process of creation was already in full swing. nation states. From the very first days, in the territory that came under the control of the Poles, a policy of polonization was carried out, which caused an extremely negative reaction from both the local intelligentsia and the ordinary population. Moreover, the resistance at that time was led by local Bolsheviks and socialist revolutionaries. It is interesting that the latter had little in common with the Russian Socialist Revolutionaries and headed the nationalist wing of the resistance, the center of which in the Belarusian lands at that time was Slutsk. Here the Slutsk Committee of the Belarusian Party of Socialist Revolutionaries was formed, which united the majority of supporters of the Belarusian People's Republic (BPR), declared back in 1918 with the assistance of the German occupation authorities. In fact, the Belarusian Socialist Revolutionaries did not recognize either Polish power or the power of the Bolsheviks, and therefore it was they who came up with the idea of ​​convening a congress in Slutsk that would confirm the power of the BPR in the district.




Congress and resolution

It is necessary to understand that the district itself, as well as the city, at that time were actually on the front line, periodically moving from the Bolsheviks to the Poles and back. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that until the outbreak of hostilities in November-December 1920, the future leaders of the rebellion spoke out a lot against the “occupation” by the Bolsheviks, but practically did not speak out against the seizure and occupation of the territory of western Belarus by the Poles. This fact only confirms the widespread opinion among Soviet historians that the Slutsk uprising only superficially resembled a “struggle for independence”, but in fact was inspired by Poland and, ultimately, supported by it. The last straw for local nationalist groups was the signing of a preliminary peace treaty on October 12, 1920, according to which new state borders were drawn up. The demarcation line passed through the territory of modern Belarus in such a way that almost the entire Slutsk district was to go to the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR), which was perceived by local Socialist Revolutionaries as a sign to action.

Belarusian nationalists said that the Treaty of Riga is not binding for the Belarusian people, and called for “by all means and means to continue the struggle for an independent Belarusian People's Republic with all its enemies.” At the same time, none of those who declared the struggle for independence had a clear plan of what to do. Opinions varied from calls for cooperation with the Bolsheviks to the need to ask Poland for help. When it became clear that the Polish troops would soon begin to withdraw, the nationalists intensified their activities, realizing that they would not have a second chance. After the Poles transferred civil power in the city and district to the Belarusian National Committee of Slutsk in early November 1920, the white-red-white flags of the BPR were raised there. It is noteworthy that, having formally not allowed the Belarusians to create army units, citing the terms of the Treaty of Riga, the Polish military authorities turned a blind eye to their formations.

On November 15, the start of the Slutsk District Congress was announced, in which over 100 people took part. Considering who organized the congress, it was not surprising that a resolution was proclaimed at it, which declared the territory of the district to be part of the BPR, protested against the “Bolshevik occupation” and welcomed “sister Poland”. Here it was decided to form BPR troops, and the Slutsk Rada, a permanent body of regional power, was elected, which immediately protested to the Polish government against the transfer of the Slutsk district to the Red Army. Trying to give significance to its activities, the Rada issued a declaration on November 21, which called on the peasantry to fight “for an independent Belarus within its ethnographic borders” and for the “interests of the peasantry.” “The Belarusian Council of Slutsk, fulfilling the will of the peasantry, who entrusted it with the protection of the independence of our Motherland Belarus, declares to the whole world the basic demands of the Belarusian peasantry: Belarus must be a free, independent republic within its ethnographic borders; announcing this and being the spokesman of the will of the people, the Slutsk Rada declares its desire to firmly stand for the independence of its native Belarus and protect the interests of the peasantry from violence from foreign invaders; if necessary, the Slutsk Rada will defend itself even by force of arms, despite the numerical superiority of the enemy. We believe that our cause is a just cause, and the truth always wins,” the document noted.

"Reaching for Moscow"

At the same time, loud statements about their rights to speak on behalf of the entire population of the county, according to a number of researchers, were far from the true state of affairs. For example, according to the Polish “Report of the Slutsk Povet for January 1920,” “Orthodox peasants (...) believe that soon the “Polish gentlemen” will leave here, and then a peasant-Orthodox paradise will come, and the Catholic Panamas will be “covered”.” . In addition, as the same report says, but only for February, “young people are leaning predominantly towards Moscow,” and “the Orthodox population, especially former officials, can't come to terms with modern conditions, and therefore they are drawn not only to Moscow, but also sigh for the Bolsheviks - “it’s always theirs.” Thus, it is reckless to say that the majority of residents of the county were in favor of the BPR. Apparently, the population was forced to reckon with several thousand armed people, but in fact they sympathized with the Bolsheviks or White Guards, and therefore, ultimately, did not take an active part in the rebellion.

Be that as it may, however, the Slutsk Rada managed in a few days to form from volunteers the 1st Slutsk Riflemen Brigade of the troops of the Belarusian People's Republic, consisting of two regiments. The backbone of these units was the “Belarusian police,” created earlier to maintain order in Slutsk and the district. However, to assert that serious conflicts began between these military units and the Red Army units after the withdrawal of Polish units. fighting, is also quite difficult.

Indeed, according to available documents, the Slutsk regiments opposed the Red Army. But data on losses and the scale of hostilities indicate that these units were unable to provide any serious resistance to the Red Army. After withdrawing together with Polish troops from Slutsk, the Belarusian brigade settled in an area from the town of Semezhevo to Vyzna, about 20 kilometers long. On November 27, near the village of Vasilchitsy, the first skirmish between the “rebels” and a detachment of the Red Army took place, which can only be called a serious battle with a big stretch: the Bolsheviks retreated, losing three people killed, three more were wounded, and one Red Army soldier was captured. For a month, the brigade held a fifteen-kilometer neutral zone, the entry of Soviet units into which required coordination with the Polish side. There was no real resistance to the occupation of the eastern part of the district by the Red Army, and everything came down to semi-partisan actions.



On November 27, Belarusian nationalists celebrate “Heroes Day”

When, in the second half of December, a real attempt was made to start a fight for the territory, it led to the natural defeat of the brigade. Ultimately, at the end of December, the rebels no longer had ammunition, and their ranks were noticeably reduced, while the Red Army managed to gain a foothold in the territory allocated to it under the terms of the peace treaty. On December 28, the Slutsk brigade crossed the Lan River into territory controlled by Poland, which marked the end of what many in Belarus today call the Slutsk uprising. The officers and soldiers of the brigade were disarmed and interned, first in a temporary camp in the town of Sinyavka (now the Kletsk region of Belarus), then in a camp in Bialystok, and from the beginning of March 1921 in a camp in Doroguska (near the Polish Chelm). They were released only in May 1921 after the ratification of the final peace treaty signed in Riga on March 18. As a result of the Peace of Riga state border between Poland and the BSSR was slightly changed in favor of Poland precisely on the territory of the Slutsk district.

Historical memory

Were those events really such an important milestone? Today it is even doubtful whether what happened then can be considered an uprising, since, in fact, in the district there was no government against which it would be possible to rebel at that time, and the fighting took place in the form of raids from neutral or Polish territory . Despite this, in the nationalist circles of Belarus there has been precisely this interpretation of the events of 1920 for decades, which can be confirmed by impartial historical facts almost impossible. Books have been written and filmed about the Slutsk uprising, which is still more correctly called an “armed uprising.” documentaries and come up with memorable events. But in popular memory this event, which by the standards of that time was quite ordinary, did not become for the majority of Belarusians a symbol of their struggle for independence.

Thousands of Belarusian volunteers have already fought for the independence of their homeland since 1918. However, it was at the end of November 1920 that the first large-scale military operation of an entire independent formation of the Belarusian armed forces took place - the Slutsk uprising.

Prerequisites

The year 1920 was ending. Poland, helped by thousands of Belarusians and Ukrainians, repulsed the Bolshevik army's attack on Warsaw, returned lost Polish territories and occupied a significant part of Belarus.

In Riga, the Polish and Soviet delegations on October 12, 1920 concluded a preliminary peace treaty, according to which Polish chauvinists, supporters of unitarianism and opponents of Józef Pilsudski’s federal line, deliberately gave Central Belarus to the Bolsheviks in order to more conveniently assimilate Western Belarus.

“... Poland itself abandoned the eastern regions. Belarusians will not understand us, because we ourselves... without asking the Belarusians, divided their country. However, Grabsky, who led the negotiations behind the delegation, came to the conclusion that Poland must once and for all free itself from this “Belarusian ulcer,” the builder of the Red Church wrote indignantly Edward Voinilovich.

Leaflet of Belarusian nationalists

The agreement aroused the indignation of representatives of the Belarusian People's Republic, who adopted a resolution on October 20, 1920, which noted that “the RSFSR and Poland, having no common borders and mercilessly devastating Belarus until now, fighting on its territory, now considered it possible to decide the fate of the Belarusian peopleand dispose of its lands without the participation of its representatives, ignoring the fair claims of the Belarusian people and their legitimate government, did not allow its authorized delegation to participate in the negotiations.”

Belarusian nationalists said that the Treaty of Riga is not binding for the Belarusian people, and called for “by all means and means to continue the struggle for an independent Belarusian People's Republic with all its enemies.”

Homeland of heroes

Even before the First World War, Slutsk district was one of the main areas of activity of the Belarusian national movement.Belarusian communities and circles worked here, from here they sent delegates to the congress of Belarusian party and public organizations in 1917, and from here representatives went to the First All-Belarusian Congress.

Organized Radoslav Ostrovsky in 1917, the Belarusian gymnasium in Slutsk.

“Three years later, the students of this gymnasium represented selected young personnel for the Belarusian military movement,” the historian noted in his work “Soldiers of the BPR” Oleg Latyshenok.

Members of Slutsk culturally - educational society"Paparats-kvetka." Slutsk, 1920

Even during the Bolshevik occupation in the spring of 1919, when the combined Slutsk battalion was formed in the city, Belarusian nationalists soon subjugated it, and therefore the Bolsheviks chose to simply disband it.

In March 1919, an anti-Bolshevik bomb exploded in Slutsk. peasant revolt which was suppressed. During the Polish occupation, the Belarusian Socialist Revolutionaries, the main local political force, were preparing an anti-Polish uprising in Slutsk.

When the Soviets came in the summer of 1920 and refused to sign the declaration on the formation of the BSSR, the Belarusian Social Revolutionaries demanded a severance of ties with Soviet Russia and the creation Belarusian army.

Polish troops reoccupied Slutsk on October 11, 1920, and on October 18, when the fighting stopped, the front line ran 25 km east of the city. At the same time, the most anti-Bolshevik-minded Belarusian nationalists returned to Slutsk, who closely collaborated with General Stanislav Bulak-Balakhovich.

The Riga Peace Agreement caused indignation among the majority of politically active residents of Slutsk. Soviet Russia and Polish chauvinists divided Belarus.

Therefore, when the Slutsk Congress took place in mid-November, which was attended by more than 100 delegates from Slutsk and 15 volosts, the delegates decided to form troops of the Belarusian People's Republic. The Slutsk Rada, a permanent body of regional government, was elected.

The congress declared Slutchina part of the BPR and decided to defend its land with arms in hand. Even supporters of negotiations with the Bolsheviks protested against their intention to occupy the Slutsk district and stated that Slutsk wants to become part of an independent Belarus.

First. Slutskaya

The organization of the armed forces of the BPR in Slutsk was in charge of: 31-year-old Pavel Zhavrid, who graduated from Vilna in 1917 military school; captain Anastas Antsipovich and the lieutenant Jan Macelja.

Thanks to their work, including even during the Polish occupation, the First Slutsk Brigade of BPR troops arose. As of November 22, the brigade included the 1st regiment, Slutsky, and the formation of the 2nd regiment, Grozovsky, began.

Anastas Antipovich became the brigade commander, Captain Pyotr Chaika was appointed commander of the 1st regiment, and Captain Lukas Semenik. The bulk of the officer corps were local residents with experience of the First World War.

Slutsk women wove the flag of the 1st Slutsk Streltsy Regiment

According to Polish intelligence According to reports, the Belarusian regiments had 3 battalions, each of which had three companies, writes Oleg Latyshenok. There were also to be two reserve regiments. Belarusian sources do not mention reserve regiments, but they report a different composition of combat regiments - for example, the 1st Slutsk Streltsy Regiment, according to this information, consisted of 4 battalions.

The brigade also had a separate cavalry detachment: even during the dominance of machine guns and rapid-fire artillery, mounted units could be very useful due to their mobility, although they were usually used in battle as infantry. They were also indispensable for reconnaissance.

The counterintelligence of the Belarusian brigade was headed by a lieutenant Anton Mironovich.

The brigade also had its own military school under the command of lieutenant Fedor Danilyuk, a field hospital, a military court, camps and a weapons workshop were created.

The total number of the brigade reached 4,000 people, most of them were Sluch residents, but also partisans and defectors from the Bolsheviks from the neighboring Bobruisk district. Given the lack of uniforms, the characteristic clothing of the soldiers became a home-sewn uniform made of homespun fabric: a French jacket and riding breeches, as well as a hat with earflaps made of hare fur.

There were enough weapons for about half of all volunteers. The newly born brigade could not defend Slutsk, but it was possible to try to get stuck in the 15-kilometer neutral zone between the Bolsheviks and Poles.

To battle!

The Rada of Slutsk and the headquarters of the 1st Slutsk Brigade retreated from the regional capital and stopped in Semezhevo, continuing work on creating an army.

The affairs of the military press were handled by the Belarusian officer Makar Kostevich, the author of the poem “We will come out in close ranks,” which was set to music by Vladimir Teravsky and in this form became the anthem of the BPR. Appeals to citizens, peasants, Red Army soldiers, leaflets with Maxim Bogdanovich’s poem “Pursuit” and the anthem “From time immemorial we have been sleeping” were published.

Makar Kostevich (pseudonym Makar Kravtsov), died in Bolshevik captivity in 1939

The soldiers of the Slutsk brigade took their first battle on November 27 - a day that is deservedly celebrated to this day as the day of the Slutsk uprising.

A department of the 6th company of the Slutsk Regiment of Streltsy, led by Second Lieutenant Kernozhitsky, during reconnaissance in the area of ​​​​the villages of Bystritsa, Veremeychiki, Vasilchitsy and Chernogubovo, collided with the Soviet military department. The Slutsk people captured a prisoner. Another battle took place near Vasilchitsy. One Belarusian was wounded, the Bolsheviks lost three killed, three wounded, one captured and were forced to retreat.

The fighting quickly flared up along the entire front occupied by the Belarusian brigade.

5th company of the Slutsk regiment, led by a second lieutenant Klishevich occupied the villages of Lyutovichi and Dashnovo, and captured 5 enemy soldiers. The 7th and 8th companies fought with the Bolsheviks for the village of Mokhnevichi. On November 30, fighting took place in the Uzhitsa area in Bobruisk district.

The Slutsk regiment occupied the front from Semezhevo to Vyzna. The Grozovsky regiment fought on the line from Vyzna to Kopyl.

On the first day of fighting, the betrayal of the commander of the 1st Slutsk Regiment, Captain Seagulls- a lieutenant colonel was appointed in his place Gavrilovich, and in place of the brigade commander Antsipovich, accused by the Social Revolutionaries of an inappropriate political line, - Captain Anton Sokol-Kutylovsky.

In the first days of December, the Bolshevik authorities decided to carry out a large-scale military operation against the Slutsk people - the headquarters of the 16th Soviet army forces of the 8th and 17th rifle divisions, as well as special units of security officers.

The Belarusians resisted fiercely, but the Soviet units, thanks to the support of artillery, had overwhelming firepower. In addition, the Belarusian brigade had limited supplies of ammunition and quickly found itself almost out of ammunition. There was not enough food and medicine for the wounded and typhoid patients.

On December 6, a battle took place near Jadchitsy, in which the Belarusians had to retreat. The next day, Belarusian troops left Semezhevo.

However, battles with the Bolsheviks continued. On December 10, the Sluch residents occupied the villages of Novoselki and Krivoselki, in a night battle from December 11 to 12 they took the village of Starino, and the next night they recaptured Semezhevo, where they captured a large amount of ammunition.

However, the firepower and numerical superiority of the Bolsheviks forced the Belarusian soldiers to retreat again. From December 17 to 18, the Belarusians again recaptured Semezhevo, then Vyzna, but could not gain a foothold, and once again lost ground.

Only on December 28-31, the last 1,500 soldiers of the Slutsk brigade crossed the Polish-Soviet border and laid down their arms.

Belarusian activists near the monument in Mittenwald in 2012. Photo: svaboda.org

Heroes Day

“In a modest period of time, Slutsk soldiers managed to form combat units of the Belarusian army, which, inspired by love for the Fatherland, were able to unfavorable conditions to wage a difficult and intense struggle against a stronger enemy,” wrote the historian, professor Anatoly Gritskevich.

11 years after the uprising, the first ceremonial ceremony will take place celebrating it anniversary It’s not in vain that this tradition still lives on.

It was on November 27 that not individual small partisan and rebel detachments, not individual volunteers, but an entire military formation of a newborn independent The Belarusian army launched an armed uprising for the independence of the Motherland. This day became the day of baptism of fire for the Belarusian regular army of modern times.

In 1948, the first monument to the participants of the Slutsk armed uprising was erected - this happened thanks to the efforts of Belarusian patriots in exile, near the German city of Mittenwald.

During the collapse of the USSR, when the celebration of significant dates in national history became possible again, the anniversary of the uprising began to be celebrated in Belarus.

November 27 was called Heroes' Day - and although the uprising ended tragically, this day shines in history Belarusian army no less glory than the victorious battle of Orsha.

Alexander Gelogaev,

On this day in 1920, in the vicinity of the city of Slutsk, the first battles of participants in the Slutsk armed uprising with units of the Red Army began.

Under slightly different historical circumstances and different authorities, today Belarus could celebrate Heroes Day at the national level. Now it is celebrated unofficially by only a small number of Belarusian patriots. November 27, the Day of Heroes, for Belarus is somewhat akin to the Ukrainian Day of Remembrance of the Heroes of Krut. On this day in 1920, in the vicinity of the city of Slutsk, the first battles of participants in the Slutsk armed uprising with units of the Red Army began. A obviously losing situation with personnel and weapons, tragic fate participants and long decades of silence - the Slutsk uprising has enough parallels with the Battle of Kruty.

By the way, armed resistance to the advancing units of the Red Army in November-December 1920 in Slutchina in historical literature And school textbooks called differently. In the textbook on the History of Belarus for 2012, one paragraph is allocated to this event under the heading “ Additional material”, which states that, despite the definition of these events by historians as an “anti-Bolshevik uprising,” what happened was just “an attempt by anti-Soviet forces to organize it.” And historians of the Belarusian emigration, instead of “uprising,” introduced the definition “Slutsk zbroyny chyn.” Which took hold in the patriotic Belarusian environment.

However, the famous Belarusian writer Seviaryn Kwiatkowski approached the issue of historical memory most radically: “Why is it not the specific word “uprising” that is used to define “Slutskaga zbroynaga chynu”, but the abstract “chyn”? Because the uprising is an internal matter. And there people defended their state, that is, they repelled outside intervention. It’s just that at the end of the 1980s, historians did not dare to give a specific definition - “Belarusian-Russian war of 1920.”

Briefly about what happened. After major defeat The Red Army near Warsaw in August 1920, which for the Poles remained in memory as the “Miracle over the Vistula”, the Bolsheviks rolled back, giving the Poles almost all the lands that had only recently been conquered from them. Both sides are running out of strength, and on October 12 a truce is signed in Riga. Under the terms of the agreement, the Slutsk district was divided almost in half between the Poles and the Bolsheviks. However, the Poles advanced noticeably further in their counteroffensive and were preparing to leave the territories ceded to the Soviets. Here's what it looks like on the map.

Black lines show the borders of states and Soviet republics, including the Soviet-Polish border established on October 12, 1920. Red lines show the actual position of the front. Green - the borders of the Belarusian People's Republic and the borders of the Slutsk district declared in 1918. Blue - modern borders Belarus.

A buffer zone is also being established along the front line, from which the parties undertake to withdraw troops. The Soviets were to withdraw their units east of the front line, while the Poles, on the contrary, were to withdraw west to the new border. Slutsk thus found itself in the neutral zone for some time. And here the most interesting things begin in the district.

On November 10, Makar Kravtsov, the author of the words of the anthem of the Belarusian People's Republic (BPR) “We will go out as school rads,” writes that in Slutsk, civil power passed to the Belarusian National Committee, the “white-red-white” flag of the BPR is being developed in the city, detachments of the People’s Republic have been created a police force of 5,000 people, and parts of the Poles still in the city do not interfere with this.

On November 14-15, the Belarusian Congress of Slutchina takes place, which elects the Belarusian Rada of Slutchina. It is considered a temporary authority on behalf of the BPR in the district. In a matter of days, the First Slutsk Rifle Brigade of the BPR troops was created with a total number of 4 to 7 thousand volunteers (data from contemporaries vary - ed.). Both the intelligentsia and a huge number of local peasants, including those who had previously deserted from units of the Red Army, joined the Belarusian army.

On November 24, following the Poles, the Belarusian Rada and the First Slutsk Brigade leave the city and move to the border to the town of Semezhevo.

Yurka Listopad, a member of the Belarusian Rada of Slutsk and a participant in the Uprising, later recalled these first days: “It is difficult to describe this withdrawal of Belarusian troops from Slutsk. The entire highway for thirty-five miles was covered with heaps of young people with bags on their shoulders, running from the Muscovites to the Belarusian army. So a week later the First Slutsk Brigade had seven thousand soldiers, but only eight hundred rifles. However, despite the lack of weapons, the brigade took up a position sixty miles long.”

On November 27, the first military clashes with the advanced detachments of the Red Army began. The head of the Operational Headquarters of the BPR troops, Captain Boryk, reports: “... our departments drove the Bolsheviks out of the village of Vasilchitsy. Bolshevik losses: 3 killed, 3 wounded, 1 captured. We have 1 seriously wounded. We captured a lot of rifles and cartridges (...) In the battle near the town of Kopyl, 1 was seriously wounded, 12 Red Army soldiers were killed.”

And on November 29, the funeral service for the first killed volunteers is already held in the Semezhevo church. The name of one of them has survived to this day - this is Volodka Pilip from the town of Starobin. He died from a wound received in the first battle near Kopyl on November 27. A correspondent for the Grodno newspaper “Belorusskoe Slovo” writes heartfelt lines of the report: “...Fresh Christmas trees were placed near the coffins, the coffins were covered with Belarusian national banners. Paying their last respects to the fallen fighters, soldiers, peasants and women hold candles in their hands. There is a guard of honor near the coffins. The sounds of a funeral service float, the sobs of women are heard.

The funeral service has ended... The coffins are lifted onto the shoulders of officers and soldiers and carried from the church to the cemetery. The first rows of the funeral procession approach the prepared graves, where a National flag. The sounds and words of the Belarusian national anthem floated in the frosty air; the anthem changes to the bravura tune of the “Belarusian Marseillaise” with its “running from the executioner’s land” (it is believed that the song “We slept in hell” appeared in 1905-07 among the revolutionary-minded peasantry in Slutchina - ed.).

Sad... No - sad and joyful. These are the first victims in this liberation action that we so bravely began. These are the first victims of what we all make. Only here did each of us understand even more deeply the height and holiness of the idea that brought us to selfless struggle. And although, perhaps, the fate of today’s victims awaits us all, we will never shy away from torture and death in the struggle for the independence of our dear Mother Belarus.”

Banner of the First Slutsk Regiment. Coloring page of an old photograph from 1921

The significance of what is happening in Slutsk district for Belarusians can also be revealed by the fact that Belarusian patriots in those days called the Uprising nothing more than the “Belarusian Front.” Here is a newspaper article about the banner transferred from Grodno for the First Slutsk Riflemen Regiment of the BPR troops: “A delegation of Belarusian women arrived at the Belarusian front, which brought a banner for the First Belarusian Riflemen Regiment. The banner reads: “To those who were the first to rise up and go to die, so that Batkivshchyna would live.”

And here’s how a Belarusian Word journalist shares his mood after reading a letter from an unknown patriot that came to the editorial office: “Before me lies a bunch of letters received from the front. In ecstasy from the powerfully revealed power of the people, one Belarusian nationalist, an intellectual, himself a military man at heart, writes: “I still can’t come to my senses - it seems that I’m in a big whirlpool that throws fountains of water uphill, under the clouds, which in its drops paints strange images of the future of our dear Fatherland.”

An interesting fact: during the battles, the Bolsheviks confused the BPR troops and the army units of General Stanislav Bulak-Bulakhovich, who operated nearby and were in constant contact with the leadership of the Slutsk uprising. Quite a few of the “Balakhovites” fought in Slutchina. Constantly moving from one diverse unit to another is generally distinguishing feature those years. White officers with a skull and crossbones on their cockades from the army of “Father” (as the peasants called Bulak-Bulakhovich) and Belarusians from small towns with white-red-white stripes on their sleeves, who had no love for white officers, could fight shoulder to shoulder.

They were united by a common enemy. Here is an excerpt from the operational intelligence report of the 16th Soviet Army from the areas occupied by the rebels: “The cockade of the soldiers of the Belarusian Rada is a skull with crossed bones, on the sleeves there is a national white ribbon, in the middle there is a red one, some of the seasoned Balakhovites wear crossed ribbons on the chest and on the inscription on the sleeve: on a red background in black letters “Beat the Jews, save Russia” and on a white background in red letters “Land and freedom for the peasants.”

Flag of the army of General Bulak-Bulakhovich, reconstruction

Military operations continued. One of the organizers of the Belarusian Congress of Slutchina and an active participant in the Uprising, Sergei Busel, recalls: “Every day the rebels carried out raids on Bolshevik detachments, captured prisoners and military equipment. Often captured political instructors were not sent to headquarters, but were shot on the spot. Once, rebel intelligence captured a company of Red Army soldiers in the village of Kozhushki, killed the political instructor and left the village.

The next morning, having learned about this, the Bolsheviks with a large detachment surrounded the village, drove all the people out onto the field, placed machine guns in front of them and demanded to hand over those related to the Belarusian rebels. The peasants were silent. Then the Bolsheviks began to select from the crowd those who were suspicious by their faces and took them aside. A terrible cry and crying of children arose. In the end, the Bolsheviks probably got tired of listening to this heartbreaking concert, they grabbed the first two people they came across, shot them and calmly left the village.”

However, it was not possible to suppress the Uprising with punitive measures. Moreover, Belarusian Red Army soldiers en masse went over to the side of the rebels. As soon as the Bolsheviks noticed this trend, the situation changed not in favor of the rebels. International units, which were considered one of the most brutal units in the Red Army and fought only for monetary reward, were deployed to fight them. Participants in the events recall the appearance of armed Kyrgyz, Tatars, and Chinese in Slutchina.

The turning point occurred on December 19. The day before, Belarusian units occupied the town of Vyzna. The Reds suffered heavy losses. Only 140 people were captured. Having brought up the Chinese, the Red Army drove the rebels across the Polish-Soviet border within a week, where they were disarmed and temporarily placed in internment camps.

This is how Yurka described these leaf fall last days uprising: “The Muscovites sent three divisions of troops to the front, consisting of yellow-skinned people. They launched an offensive along the entire front, so that the rebels simultaneously gave them both Semezhevo and Vyzna. During the retreat from Semezhevo there was such an incident: one rebel soldier got tired while running away; then he turns to the Muscovites and sings:

“Ad-ve-ku we spali” (sings “Belarusian Marseillaise” - ed.) and at this time shoots, retreating backwards. Thus, the headquarters of the Belarusian troops moved from the village of Moroch to Zaostrovechye, and the soldiers no longer held the front and followed the headquarters without any order. It is no longer possible to fight the Muscovites, since after such failures the spirit of the soldiers has fallen, there is nothing to eat, and there are many other troubles. The Rada of Slutchina, after consulting with the military, decided to move to Polish territory.”

The last detachment of rebels left for Polish territory on December 31, 1920. True, there were several hundred people left on Soviet territory who did not want to leave. Dividing into groups, they continued for some time. guerrilla warfare with the Bolsheviks and died.

The fate of those who went to Poland is no less tragic. The Poles handed over some of the participants in the uprising to the Bolsheviks. Some were released to all four directions within Poland. Many subsequently returned to their homes, where arrest awaited them.

Perhaps the most amazing story was that of the commander of the First Slutsk Brigade, Anton Sokol-Kutylovsky. Born into the family of a Belarusian nobleman, before the Slutsk uprising he managed to fight on the fronts of the First World War near Vilnius and Galicia, on the Don and in Estonia in the White Guard armies of Denikin and Yudenich, and even served the Bolsheviks in the Slutsk military commissariat for two months until he deserted.

During the Uprising, he first took command of a battalion in the First Slutsk Regiment, and then became the commander of the entire Slutsk Brigade with “temporary dictatorial powers.” After the rebels left for Polish territory, he became an Orthodox priest near Novogrudok.

He suspended his priestly ministry only after the annexation of Western Belarus to the USSR in 1939. He got a job as a construction technician in Baranovichi. He was arrested by the NKVD in April or June 1941 and immediately placed on death row. However, the outbreak of war saved him from execution - he managed to escape from a prison that was burning after a German bombing on the night of June 23-24, 1941.

During German occupation collaborated with the Germans - was an inspector of Belarusian schools. Together with the retreating Germans, he reached Berlin, where on April 18, 1945 he was appointed battalion commander of the 30th SS Grenadier Division, which was also called “Belarusian No. 1”. On April 30, he surrendered with her to the advancing American troops, who had already handed him over to Soviet units.

This time, Sokol-Kutylovsky was saved from execution by too long an investigation. The sentence was announced only in 1948 - 25 years in prison. Before that, in 1947, the USSR abolished death penalty. However, “at the request of the workers” it was reintroduced in 1950. After nine years of imprisonment, in 1957, he was released under an amnesty. The former commander of the Slutsk uprising first lives with his cousin in Belarus, and then moves to the Polish city of Szczecin, where his wife and daughter lived. There he died in 1983 at the age of 92.

The most apt definition of all these people who rose up in the 1920 Uprising was given by the Belarusian historian Anatoly Sidorevich. In his opinion, these were “the last unafraid Belarusians.”

Clip of the Belarusian group “Dzetsyuki” for the song “Boys-Balakhoitsy”, dedicated to the Slutsk uprising:

The Slutsk armed uprising of 1920 - an event in our history more than 90 years ago - still causes controversy and diametrically opposed assessments. Its next anniversary, marked in Sluchchina with a procession and rally on November 26, 2016, became the reason for a heated discussion on the website of the Kurier newspaper.

It must be admitted that the argumentation of commentators was based more on emotions and a free interpretation of the few facts that have reached us. This gave me an opportunity to meet with Slutsk resident, the author of a book recently published in Minsk.

I’ll immediately make a reservation that during the conversation the emphasis was placed on the reasons for such different approaches to assessing the event called “Slutsk armed uprising.” And at the same time we tried to find out what happened in Slutchina in November back in 1920.

Today, the Slutsk uprising is considered by researchers from at least three evaluative positions. You have worked with many documents and sources. Which one is closer to the truth?

Let me start with the fact that the events of 1920 were hushed up for a long time by official Soviet historians and power structures. In fact, they became known to the general public not very long ago, and the documents that have reached us are not enough to unambiguously answer many questions. In addition, the perception of the Slutsk uprising has already acquired ideological assessments and cliches.

Some researchers view it as an anti-Soviet rebellion with elements of banditry, others see in it a clear Polish provocation directed against Soviet Russia, others believe that it was a manifestation of a national democratic movement with the goal of self-determination of Belarus.

If we are objective and rely on documents, then an anti-Soviet orientation is clearly visible in the events in Slutchina - by that time the Slutchina people already had an idea of ​​what surplus appropriation was, and they had no desire to return to it.

The Polish influence cannot be ignored. The occupation authorities carried out aggressive propaganda, pushing the population of Slutsk district to speak out in favor of transferring this territory to Poland. There were also supporters of movement in this direction.

On the other hand, a significant part of Slutsk residents did not accept either Soviet or Polish power: they did not want Poles, but they were afraid of the Bolsheviks. The exponent of this position was the Belarusian National Committee of Slutchina, which was dispersed in 1918 by the Bolsheviks and restored its activities under the Poles. He carried out a variety of work among the population of the district, without openly speaking out against the Poles.

Many participants in those events hesitated, could not decide who to support, who to follow.

All these groups were represented at the Slutchina congress, which took place on November 14-15, 1920. Perhaps there were no representatives of the Bolsheviks, since the district military revolutionary committee was located in Starye Dorogi. The 17-member Belarusian Rada of Slutchina, elected at the congress, reflected all these views.

Looking ahead, I note that when the Slutsk events reached an active stage, those who were not averse to improving their financial situation appeared in the ranks of their participants - here you have the bandit element. But he was by no means dominant.

- Nevertheless, despite the difference in views, Slutchina’s congress was able to develop a common position.

The congress, after much debate, adopted an appeal in which it welcomed the Rada of the Belarusian People's Republic and declared that “it will devote all its strength to the restoration of its Fatherland. The Congress categorically protests against the occupation of our native lands by foreign raids and against the self-proclaimed Soviet power, like the Knorin government and others that were created in Belarus... We, devoting all our strength and life to the cause of building our Motherland, appeal to the whole world and the Union of Peoples for help in creating our military force. We sincerely welcome our sister Poland.” This document clearly states that the Slutsk congress chose the path of independence of Belarus, determined by the Belarusian People's Republic. It is impossible to deny this.

Another thing is that disagreements between members of the Slutchina Rada have not gone away. It included Belarusian Socialist Revolutionaries, supporters of General Bulak-Balakhovich and the idea of ​​cooperation with the Poles, as well as representatives of neutral groups. This largely explains the slowness and lack of coordination in the Rada’s actions. In addition, there were absurdities in the relationship between the officers of the 1st Slutsk Rifle Brigade of the BPR troops and the Slutsk Rada itself. All this, without a doubt, accelerated the defeat of the Slutsk armed uprising.

There is an opinion that the armed uprising was doomed to failure. Therefore, there was no point in rising to this fight...

From today’s perspective, this is all clear and understandable to us. And it was not easy to understand that socio-political situation. The lack of reliable information further aggravated the situation. Even members of the Slutchina Rada and military leaders did not have a complete understanding of the real balance of power.

The defeat of the Red Army near Warsaw and its retreat played a significant role. We must also remember the Poles’ promise of comprehensive support and assistance.

This is probably why there was hope for possible success. Can you imagine how difficult it was for people to make their choice, since it was a choice between life and death. But the people of Slutsk have made their decision, and their choice deserves respect. Our present-day pragmatism or education cannot be mechanically compared to the thoughts and actions of the people of that turbulent time. This leads to inevitable mistakes.

- Is it possible to relatively accurately determine the number of participants in the Slutsk uprising?

Documents and sources give different figures - from one to ten thousand people. In my opinion, both extreme figures do not correspond to reality. Indeed, there were about ten thousand people willing to join the brigade. In reality, the number of active participants was about four thousand. This figure is confirmed by several documents that can be trusted. For example, a member of the military court of the brigade, Aleksey Kabychkin, later recalled that “about 3,500-4,000 rebels actually took part in the armed uprising.” In addition, it is unlikely that Sluchina would be able to provide everything necessary large quantity of people. It is known that there were not enough weapons and uniforms even for four thousand people.

- What are the main difficulties in studying the history of the Slutsk armed uprising?

The main problem is the lack of documents that could shed light on certain issues relating to the events of 1920 in Slutchina. Some evidence and statements are difficult to believe because they raise doubts. There is practically no reliable information about human losses on either side during the fighting in November - December 1920.

It's difficult to talk about social composition participants in the armed uprising, since they have not yet fallen into the hands of researchers full lists riflemen and officers of the 1st Slutsk brigade. The book by historian Nina Stuzhinskaya names 396 soldiers and officers. In my book, I was able to add another forty names to this list. Over the long years of hushing up this event, witnesses and their relatives who could have clarified something have passed away.

There is no exact information about future fate participants of the Slutsk uprising. Thus, quite a few of them were destroyed by the punitive authorities of the Soviet government. But how much? How many have gone through forced labor camps and returned?

There is no confirmation or specific information on other issues on this topic. For example, about units of the Red Army formed from the Chinese who participated in the suppression of the Slutsk armed uprising.

I am sure that new serious works dedicated to the Slutsk armed uprising will definitely appear. Perhaps they will be written based on new documents found from that time. It is possible that they are stored in Belarusian, Russian or Polish archives. In short, the topic is waiting for its researchers. What has been done by historians and local historians is only the beginning of more serious work.

As for the Slutsk events of 1920 themselves, attempts to hush them up are futile, no matter how much anyone might want it. This is our history, which must be approached carefully and with respect. And the book “1920 in Slutchina” can be purchased in the Minsk store “Akademkniga”.

During the BPR, the Belarusian National Committee (BNC) was created in Slutsk district. He formed local councils in villages and towns and conducted cultural, educational and cooperative work. In March 1919, an anti-Bolshevik uprising occurred in Slutsk district, which was brutally suppressed by the authorities of the Lit-Bel SSR. After the occupation of Slutsk by the Poles, Belarusian schools and teacher training courses operated there. In response to the robberies of the Polish military, a partisan movement developed. BNK was behind all this.

In July 1920, it was dispersed by the Bolsheviks. But after their retreat under the pressure of Polish troops, the BNK came out of hiding on October 11 and took power into its own hands. White-red-white flags appeared on the houses of Slutsk; order was ensured by the Belarusian police. Self-government committees were elected throughout the villages. The Polish authorities turned a blind eye to this, since under the terms of the truce of October 12, Slutsk district was transferred to the Bolsheviks.

On November 14-15, 1920, a congress of representatives of Slutsk and Slutsk district (107 delegates, most of them Belarusian Socialist Revolutionaries) took place. The delegates adopted a resolution in which they recognized the power of the BPR, welcomed “sister Poland,” and characterized the SSRB government as illegal.

The congress elected the Belarusian Rada of Slutchina (BRS) of 17 people (including 8 Socialist Revolutionaries), led by the Socialist Revolutionary Vladimir Prokulevich (1887-1938), to whom he transferred power and entrusted the creation of armed formations. Of the volunteers, it was possible to create the Slutsk Rifle Brigade, consisting of two regiments: Slutsky and Grozovsky (together about 4 thousand people). The defenders of Slutchina had their own march “We will come out in close ranks,” which was written by Makar Kravtsov (Kostevich).

The BRS performed the functions of the provisional government of the BPR on the territory of the Slutsk district. She sent Belrevkom a protest against the division of the BPR. But the rebels could not prevent the advance of the “Reds”. The Bolsheviks invaded in November just after Polish army left Slutsk. Residents of Slutsk and partly Bobruisk districts supported their leadership. Rebel troops fought for freedom for a month, starting on November 27. Thus, the village of Semezhevo changed hands several times. Several units of the Grozovsky regiment died in battles near the town of Vyzna to the last man.

The Red Army had a significant superiority in numbers and weapons. Hopes for help from Poland and that the rebels would be supported by residents of other districts did not come true. There were not enough weapons and experienced commanders, and a typhus epidemic was a serious hindrance.

Despite the drama of the moment, the struggle for political leadership continued between the Social Revolutionaries and supporters of General S.N. Bulak-Balakhovich. As a result, the Slutsk rebels did not join the army of Bulak-Balakhovich (up to 15 thousand people), which operated from November 6 to 29 in the neighborhood of Slutsk district, in the Petrikov-Mozyr-Rechitsa area. Having suffered defeat, detachments of Slutsk rebels crossed the border Lan River on December 28-31, 1920 and were interned by the Poles. One battalion (about 400 people) remained in the Slutsk district and, divided into small detachments, fought for more than a year guerrilla actions against the Bolsheviks.