My grandfather, who was afraid of Hitler.

Sometimes not even specific people and entire nations catches temporary clouding his mind. And this time, they no longer distinguish good from evil, and instead of the real heroes exalt false.
Smyshlёny lad
At the beginning of the XXI century Ukraine make yourself an idol of looters, rapists and murderers, were held in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Briefs and scum that can perform only punitive, killing "Jews, Communists, and Muscovites" elevated to the status of "heroes of the nation».
One would simply say - "what nation, and these heroes." But it would be unfair to Ukraine, because this land gave the world a lot of these soldiers and ordinary people with a capital letter.
On Baykovoye cemetery in Kiev sleeping the eternal sleep man who became a legend in his lifetime, a man whose name one terrified the Nazis - Sidor Artemyevitch Kovpak.



*** Sidor Kovpak Monument in Kiev. ***

He was born June 7, 1887 in Poltava, in a large peasant family. The bank has every penny and instead Sidor school from a young age learn the skills of the shepherd and plowman.
In 10 years, he began to help the family by working in a shop at your local dealer. The bright-eyed, quick-witted, observant - "lad will go far," said about him seasoned experience of life village elders.
In 1908, Sidor was drafted, and after four years of military service, he went to Saratov, where he got a job as a laborer.
From Emperor to Vasily
But after only two years, Sidor Kovpak again found himself in a soldier's ranks - the First World War.

Soldier 186th Infantry Regiment Aslanduzskogo Kovpak Sidor was a brave warrior. Being wounded several times, he always returned to the system. In 1916, as a scout, Kovpak particularly distinguished himself during Brusilovsky breakthrough. His exploits earned him the two crosses of St. George, which was presented to him by Emperor Nicholas II.
Perhaps then the king-father got excited a little bit - in 1917 Kovpak chose not his, but the Bolsheviks. Returning after the October revolution in the homeland, Kovpak discovered that the war is behind him - red and white came together in a life-and-death. Here Kovpak collected his first guerrilla unit, which became smash Denikin, and at the same time, for old time's sake, and Germans occupied Ukraine.
In 1919 he joined the squad Kovpaka regular Red Army, and he - in the ranks of the Bolshevik Party.
But the front was not immediately Kovpak - dumped his rage in a dilapidated country fever. Get out of the clutches of the disease, he still goes to war and is in the ranks of the 25th Division, commanded by himself Vasily Chapayev. The commander of the team trophy Chapayevites Sidor Kovpak already passed for his prudence and frugality - it could collect weapons on the battlefield, not only after victories, but after unsuccessful battle, hitting enemy such audacity.
Kovpak took Perekop, finished off the remnants of Wrangel's army in the Crimea, liquidated Makhno gang, and in 1921 was appointed commissar in the Big Tokmak. By changing a few of these posts in 1926 he was forced to demobilize.
The guerrillas - gardens
No, Kovpak not tired of war, but summed health - disturbed the old wounds, tormented earned a partisan rheumatism.
And moved Kovpak on economic activity. Let lacked education, but were with him in the presence of vein good manager, observation and intelligence.
Starting in 1926 as chairman of the collective farm in the village of Verbka, Kovpak 11 years reached the post of chairman of the executive committee of the Putivl of Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR.
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War Kovpak Sidor was 54 years old. Not too much, but too little for a man whose whole life was connected with the war and the heavy peasant labor.
But Kovpak in difficult times was able to forget about age, and sores. He took on all the organizational work on creation in the area of ​​Putivl partisan detachment. Time for the organization has been very little - the enemy is rapidly approaching, but Kovpak until recently has been preparing the database and the caches.
From Putivl he went gardens almost the last of the leadership of September 10, 1941, at a time when German troops were already in the place.
Many guerrilla groups were killed at the beginning of the war because of the fact that their leaders were simply not prepared for such activities. There were those who laid the foundations of fear preferred to hide, to escape, but did not join the fight.
But Kovpak was quite different. Behind - a huge military experience, united with the experience of talented economist. Just a few days of the departed with him into the woods Putivl activists and scouts encircled Kovpak created the nucleus of the future unit.
Power from the forest
September 29, 1941 near the village of Sidor Kovpaka Safonovka squad spent the first combat operation destroyed Hitler's truck. The Germans sent a group to destroy the guerrillas, but she came back with nothing.
October 17, 1941, when the Nazis were on the outskirts of Moscow, in the Ukrainian forests squad Kovpaka teamed up with a group of Semyon Rudnev, a professional soldier, a participant in the battles with the Japanese militarists in the Far East.



*** Kovpak (sitting left) reads the encryption guerrillas from the mainland. Commissioner squad SV Rudnev (sitting right), 1942 ***

They estimated grip each other mutual respect and imbued. They had no competition for leadership - became commander Kovpak and Rudnev was appointed Commissioner. This management "tandem" very soon forced the Nazis to shudder in horror.
Kovpak and ore continued to unite small guerrilla group in a single Putivl partisan detachment. Once a meeting of commanders of these groups directly in the forest were declared punitive with two tanks. The Germans still believed that the guerrillas - it's something serious. The outcome of the battle was the guerrillas adopted punitive defeat and capture of one of the tanks as a trophy.
The main difference squad Kovpaka many other guerrilla was, paradoxically, the almost complete absence of the guerrilla. In kovpakovtsev iron discipline prevailed, each group knew its maneuver and action at the sudden attack of the enemy. Kovpak was a real ace concealed movement, the Nazis suddenly appearing here and there, disorienting the enemy, causing lightning and crushing blows.
At the end of November 1941 the Nazi command felt that the area Putivel it has little control. Loud shares guerrillas changed the attitude of the local population, which was to look at the invaders almost mockingly - they say, are not you here the power? The real power - in the woods!



*** Sidor Kovpak (center) discusses the details with the commanders of units of combat operations in 1942 ***

There is Kovpak!
Irritated the Germans blocked Spadaschansky forest, which became the main base of the guerrillas, and threw more power to their defeat. Assessing the situation, Kovpak decided to break out of the woods and go to the raid.
Guerrilla Kovpaka rapidly growing. When he went to the rear of the enemy's fighting for the Sumy, Kursk, Orel and Bryansk region, he was joined more and more new groups. Connection Kovpaka turned into a real guerrilla army.
May 18, 1942 Sidor Kovpak was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
In August 1942, Kovpaka with other guerrilla commanders received in the Kremlin, where Stalin asked about the problems, needs. They have been identified and new combat missions.
Connection Kovpaka given the task to go to the right bank to expand the zone of guerrilla warfare.
Bryansk forest guerrillas held Kovpaka fought several thousand kilometers of Gomel, Pinsk, Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions. Ahead of them have already rolled Partisan Glory, cluttered with legends. It was said that he Kovpak - a huge bearded athlete, punch killing 10 Nazis at a time, at its disposal tanks, guns, planes and even the Katyushas and that he is afraid of Hitler himself.
shki, planes and even Katyushas and that he is afraid of Hitler himself.



*** Sidor Kovpak examines new base, 1943 ***
Hitler Hitler, the Nazis but smaller caliber were really afraid. On policemen and German garrisons news "There is Kovpak!" Acted demoralizing. From his meeting with the guerrillas tried to avoid by any means, for any good it does not bode well.
In April 1943, Sidor Kovpak was awarded the title "Major-General." So guerrilla army appeared a real general.
The most difficult raid
Those who met the legend reality, amazed - old man with a short beard, like the village of his grandfather with the bench (guerrillas and called his commander - grandfather), seemed absolutely peaceful and in no way resembled the genius of guerrilla warfare.
Kovpak remembered for his men a number of sayings that have become winged. In developing the plan for a new operation, he repeated: "Before entering the temple of God, think about how to overcome it." About connections with all the necessary software and a little mockingly laconically said: "My supplier - Hitler».
Indeed, Kovpak never bothered Moscow requests for additional supplies, producing weapons, ammunition, fuel, food and uniforms to Hitler's warehouses.
In 1943, Sumy partisan unit Sidor Kovpaka embarked on their most difficult Carpathian raid. From the song words can not erase - in those parts there were many who suited the power of the Nazis, who was glad to hang under their wing "Jews" and stabbed Polish children. Of course, for such Kovpak he was not a "hero of the novel." In the Carpathian raid were destroyed not only many Nazi garrisons and detachments of Bandera.
Fights were heavy, and at times partisan position seemed hopeless. In the Carpathian raid the compound Kovpaka suffered the most serious losses. Among the dead were veterans, who founded the order, including the Commissioner Semyon Rudnev.
Living legend
Still, the connection Kovpaka returned from the raid. Already on his return it became known that he was seriously injured Kovpak, but concealed it from his men.
The Kremlin decided that further risk the lives of the hero can not - Kovpaka withdrawn for treatment to the mainland. In January 1944, Sumy partisan unit was renamed the 1st Ukrainian partisan division named Sydor Kovpaka. Command Division took over one of the companions Kovpaka, Peter Vershigora. In 1944, the Division made two more large-scale raid - Polish and Neman. In July 1944, in Belarus partisan division, which did not manage to defeat the Nazis, he joined with the Red Army.
In January 1944, for the success of the Carpathian raid Sidor Kovpak was again awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.



Sidor Kovpak *** 1954 ***
Heal the wounds, Sidor Kovpak arrived in Kiev where he was waiting for a new job - he became a member of the Supreme Court of the Ukrainian SSR. Perhaps another would put the blame lack of education, but Kovpak trust and power over, and ordinary people - he has earned that trust throughout their lives.
In 2012, when Viktor Yanukovych, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the proposal of the Communists adopted a resolution on the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the birth of Sidor Artemyevitch Kovpaka. Then another Kovpak remained a hero for Ukraine.
What would Sidor Artemyevitch if he saw what happened today to his native Ukraine? Probably I would not have said. He has seen a lot in my lifetime Grandfather pokryahtev just went to the side of the forest. And then ... Then you know.

--img7--

Source: earth-chronicles.ru