Western border of the USSR before 1939. How the territory of Ukraine changed
This is what they looked like USSR borders by 1939 year. By the way, the map is Soviet from the same time. Going into negotiations with the USSR, London and Paris carried outdouble-dealing policy, delayed negotiations, trying to provoke a conflict between the Soviet Union and Germany, and this was done despite the British military’s warning about the benefits of London’s agreement with Russia, the failure of which, in their opinion, could push Moscow into an alliance with Germany.
Thus, they objectively helped Germany destroy possible agreements on the creation of an anti-Hitler coalition, because for Hitler it was extremely important not so much to conclude a non-aggression pact against the USSR as to prevent effective military cooperation between the Western powers and Moscow. The absence of such a pact gave Hitler a free hand to attack Poland. And he was given such an opportunity by London and Paris.
When all Moscow’s attempts to come to an agreement with England and France on countering the aggressor failed (by the way, Poland continued to carry out the same anti-Soviet policy), Stalin, after Berlin’s repeated proposals to sign a non-aggression pact, on August 21 agreed to the visit of the German Foreign Minister to Moscow Ribbentrop.
At that moment, the Soviet Union had no time for theories. It was about preventing the immediate danger of war on two fronts - with Japan, a bloody battle with whose armed forces had already been fought at Khalkhin Goll since May 1939, and with Germany, whose military machine had already prepared for war. National interests required a solution that would neutralize the machinations of the powers planning to pit the USSR against the “Third Reich”, and at the same time would upset the calculations of Hitler, who planned to involve
the Soviet side into an armed conflict with the West.
Not for the sake of friendship with Germany, as falsifiers of history claim, did he go Soviet Union to sign a non-aggression pact, but for the sake of protecting their fundamental interests. And even on the eve of the signing of the pact and after its signing, Moscow more than once proposed that London and Paris agree on the creation of a joint coalition against Nazism. But they, including Warsaw, ignored the Soviet proposals, although they understood that war was on the threshold. The American historian A. Schumann wrote later that “all Western powers preferred the death of Poland to its protection by the Soviet Union.
And everyone hoped that as a result of this a war would begin between Germany and the USSR.” Under these conditions, the Soviet Union agreed to sign a Non-Aggression Pact with Germany, which was signed August 23, 1939 and got the name"Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact"
See tundus piiri NSVL 1939. Muide Nõukogude kaart ajast.
Tas ir tas izskatījās robežas PSRS 1939. Pēc tā, kā padomju kartes daļu laika.
Asta-i părea granițele URSS în 1939. De modul în care harta sovietic de timp.
Se näytti rajojen Neuvostoliiton vuonna 1939. Muuten Neuvostoliiton kartta aikaa.
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The territory of the USSR was truly huge. Despite the impressive scale of Soviet possessions, in 1939 the current leadership of the country sent forces to annex the regions Western Ukraine, some of them, after the complete German defeat, were part of Poland.
First of all, Stalin was interested in these territories as new possessions of a powerful power. No less important factor for him there was also security from the western borders.
Taking advantage of the favorable moment after the defeat by the Germans, the Red Army occupied part of Eastern Poland, as well as almost the entire territory of Galicia, without much difficulty. There were no particular difficulties, since after the defeat the Polish troops did not particularly try to defend themselves, retreating to the Romanian or Hungarian borders. Therefore, there were practically no serious battles. From the outside Soviet power all actions related to the occupation of the lands of Western Ukraine were interpreted as a “sacred duty” to help the fraternal peoples who inhabited Poland at that time. Although the entry of Soviet forces into Poland was not entirely accepted. There was both warm support and complete hostility among the local population.
A mass exodus was noted among Polish officers and government officials. Not wanting to put up with the “occupation” policy, they fled to the West. But the bulk of the population hoped for support from the Soviet government, so many residents of defeated Poland took a wait-and-see attitude. Especially during that period, Soviet troops supported socially vulnerable sections of the population. And the USSR took every action to “beautifully” present its rise to power. Loud slogans about social justice brought results, making it possible to easily adjust local residents to their ideological way. But, according to modern historians, the Soviet government did not take into account that at that time Western Ukraine was a completely alien region for the USSR in terms of social and ideological aspects.
The role of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in the annexation of Western Ukrainian lands
Many historians today assign a decisive role in the distribution of lands in Western Ukraine to the Germans. Thus, after the conclusion of the Pact, the Ukrainian lands, which were part of Poland, safely became part of the mighty Soviet power in the fall of 1939. Already on September 28, the agreement concluded between Germany and the USSR completely erased Polish lands from the map.
In addition to non-aggression obligations between the USSR and Germany, the pact included a separate protocol that clearly stated the territorial structure of the states. According to the agreement, most of the lands that were part of Poland were to become part of the Soviet Union. Then, having annexed the territory, the Soviet Union significantly expanded its territorial borders westward by 250 - 350 km, respectively, increasing the population in the western regions of Ukraine, which were subsequently assigned to the Soviet Union. Today, these territories are already part of Belarus and Ukraine.
Negoreloye is an urban village in the Dzerzhinsky district. Today only about a thousand people live here. But between 1921 and 1939, about 10 thousand people a year passed through this settlement. From here began the travel of Soviet citizens to the West, and this was the first thing foreigners saw when arriving in the USSR.
In 1921, the Treaty of Riga divided Belarus in half: one side went to Bolshevik Russia, the other to Poland.
TUT.BY begins a series of materials about the border of Western Belarus and the BSSR. The first immersion into history in the faces takes place 48 kilometers southwest of Minsk. In 1871, the Moscow-Brest Railway passed through Negoreloye. Railway, and a station of the same name appeared in the village. In 1921-1939, according to the Riga Peace Treaty, the railway stations Stolbtsy and Negoreloye - extreme points on the maps of two different countries— became transit border points.
“Unburned. I first heard this word from the lips of a sleek young man sitting at the desk of the bureau of railway and steamship communications. On the walls of the bureau hung posters with alpine meadows as green as spinach, with mountain peaks turning pink in the sun, with a postcard-blue sea and mermaids who coquettishly stuck their tails out of the foaming waves and exclaimed: “Venga, a Riccione, a Riccione, lastellaverdedell'Adriatico!
And on the desk there were train schedules for almost half the world...
But the sleek young man was not impressed by either the mermaids or the Alpine meadows; he asked in a businesslike and cold manner:
- Anything?
He pushed the ticket towards me:
— There’s a transfer in Negorely! Russian roads have a wider gauge...
And he turned to the next client.
And I stood for some time with tickets in my hands and kept looking at the mermaid.
Do they exist in Negoreloye? No, you won’t find anything like that in Negorely: in Negorely there are no alpine houses or mermaids. Just a bunch of huts and sheds, a church, patches of arable land among the sprawling forest... and a few wooden barracks near the roadbed and a “buffet” in an old, disused carriage.
For the “history” of Negorely began only from the day when the Soviet-Polish commission for concluding a peace treaty drew a line on the map and decided: “The border crosses the Warsaw-Moscow railway line between the towns of Stolbtsy and Negorely, 15 kilometers west of the latter.” .
Franz-Karl Weiskopf, "Transplantation into the 21st Century"
The border that divided Belarus into two ways of life. The photo was taken from the Polish side. On the right is a Soviet border outpost. The inscription on the arch above: “Greetings to the workers of the West!”
Story
Vladimir Kharitonovich Mishuro sitting in his gazebo, on the table - his local history work about the village and two books on the history of the area. Along with the border, he discusses with us winter garlic and four varieties of chrysanthemums that grow on his site.
For many years he worked at Negorelskaya Secondary School No. 2 as a director, taught history, but retired several years ago. In Negorely this man is also known as one of the first democrats: he stood at the founding of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party. He is also the author of the unofficial coat of arms of Negorely. But most of all they love him for his subtle sense of humor.
— What is a border?- Vladimir Kharitonovich immediately asks. — The border is the escalation of psychosis: the enemy only thinks about destroying the world’s first state of workers and peasants. Therefore, old newspapers were full of various articles about how pioneers and collective farmers caught spies.
He is holding one of these pre-war newspapers - the anniversary issue of Zvyazda from 1938 with sketches about "young patriarchs" and "thieves" - in his hands. Belarusian words are written in it with “Moscow” spelling - “Communist Party (Bolshevik) of Belarus.”
— It's a pity that the museum is lost, — Vladimir Kharitonovich means the museum of history and labor glory of the Negoreloe railway station. It was opened on January 28, 1988, the exhibition was assembled together with the residents of the village. One of the sections, “The Golden Age of Negorely,” told about the station in 1921-1939, when it was visited famous people from all over the world.
For a long time The museum at the train station contained amazing artifacts from that time. But the room suffered from constant dampness and vibrations, so about 4 years ago a small part of the museum’s exhibition was transferred to the Children’s Railway in Minsk, and part was simply burned.
Collecting the history of Negorely 1921-1939 can only be done from fragments of memories of those who saw that distant time.
Unburned
Anton Ignatievich Azarkevich, 87-year-old veteran of the Great Patriotic War, sitting on the sofa in his house in Negorely. Despite his advanced age, he lives on his own, although his children - a daughter and a son - are always nearby. It’s cold in the room, but grandpa is sitting in just his shirt—he’s comfortable.
As a 14-year-old teenager, Anton Ignatievich became a member of the Belarusian Eaglet Battalion. His whole life was connected with his native village. Here, near Negorely, on May 8, 1944, he almost died from the bullets of the White Poles.
— I lived in Soviet Belarus, 10 kilometers from the border. No one had the right to come to Negoreloye from Dzerzhinsk; a visa was needed. Even locals could not be within 5 kilometers from the border,- he says.
“They said that at night locals were forced to cover their windows.
- Well, that's not true.
— Did you have to carry your passport all the time?- we ask a lot of stupid questions, but Anton Ignatievich answers everything.
- No, the children were recorded in metrics. But for all local adults, a passport was mandatory, but of course. There were local people here, just like in ordinary villages. The unburned one was small.
After the war, I returned to Negoreloye only seven years later. I gave only nine years to my Motherland - I saw neither youth, nor youth, nor true love. But, no matter how banal it may sound, I consider myself and people like me to be sons of my Motherland. We may not be heroes, but we helped as best we could, with whatever we could - including with our lives. Now this is real life. Yes, I was great country. I personally am very sorry that it was lost.
Vladimir Kharitonovich is democratically silent. After a pause, after thinking, Anton Ignatievich continues.
— I personally have a very positive attitude towards what we have now. Our Belarus remained united, whole, as it was. This is a great merit of our president. Why? Because he is a tough, fair, honest person. Let go of the nursery, as in Ukraine - change of power one after another. What did all this lead to? Brother kills brother, children, women, old people,— from the lips of a man who went through the war as a teenager, on horseback, with a machine gun at the ready, these words come out with pain.
- God forbid we live in an era of change,- Vladimir Kharitonovich suddenly says.
We drive along Negoreloye, Anatoly Ignatievich shows what has been preserved in the village since the first border station of the Soviet Union was here.
— How did people feel then about the fact that Belarus was divided and a border was made here?
- Calmly.
“The population treated the border the same way they treated the Soviet government. This means good. Since they decided so, it’s right,- Vladimir Kharitonovich paints a psychological picture of history.
- Certainly,- confirms Anatoly Ignatievich.
— And when the border was removed, what happened?
- The border as such was not removed - it existed until 1941. Western Belarus received us very unfriendly. Stalin in Western Belarus did what he did to the people of all of Russia: forced collectivization, private property was taken away. Western Belarus was mainly inhabited by peasants. They each have their own farm, their own land - they had to part with all this. And why were the Poles against us during the war? Because they could not forget the insult inflicted by the Soviet regime. And, of course, no matter what anyone says, this was lawlessness on the part of the Soviet government in relation to the peasants - first ours, and then those of Western Belarus.
Since then, the power plant building has been preserved in Negorely. It supplied electricity to all of Negoreloye all the way to Kolosov. There were two or three German-made diesel engines standing here. After demobilization in 1951, Anton Ignatievich worked at the station. Then, like many in the village, he became a railway worker.
“Red Army soldiers on horseback race among the wet birches, then a sawmill appears with huge stacks of pine logs, and not far from it there is a power station; The upward-pointing thin tin pipe of a diesel engine spits out immaculate rings of blue smoke into the rain curtain at regular intervals. And at the engine, the first Soviet citizen out of one hundred and sixty million wipes his hat with his elbow.”
Gyula Iyesh, “Russia. 1934"
- There is no secret, now in the building, in case of war, the railway management has been organized - all kinds of equipment are located there,- says Anton Ignatievich.
The building is surrounded by a concrete fence with iron gates- no signs or ways to enter the territory. Through the cracks in the fence you can see that there is life there, and smoke is coming from the chimney: it looks like they are seriously preparing for war here. Well, or there’s nowhere else to work in Negorely.
The bathhouse has been preserved from those same times - it has not changed its purpose. Fridays are women's day, and Saturdays are men's day. Half of the bathhouse is occupied by a small store where you can buy sausage, processed cheese and booze.
Anton Ignatievich shows old preserved houses where officers lived at the customs. And now they live here, but in a different way.
But the station building was different. At that time, the station in Negorely was larger than the Minsk one.
— The old station was very beautiful, large, two-story. Foreign delegations were received here, and they ate in the restaurant here. When we went there as children, the smells were annoying,— he draws those delicious smells in the air.
The wheels were run in at the station: the border crossings had two gauges: 1520 mm - Russian, 1435 mm - European. This difference has remained to this day: if you travel from Belarus to Poland, train wheels are now changed in Brest.
From the story of Anton Azarkevich: the building on the right is intended for all citizens. To the right, diplomats were received, fed, and accommodated in a hotel. Photo: www.railwayz.info
“We have a transfer ahead, there is no further road for Polish carriages. On the other side of the platform, Russian rails begin, the distance between which - due to the foresight of the tsarist strategists - is wider than is customary in Europe.
Customs inspection is carried out in a room as spacious as a barn, clean room. The floor is covered with polished parquet, the side walls form a continuous window, above the window is a portrait of Lenin; the third wall is occupied by a map of the Soviet Union, where the results of the first five-year plan are noted. The fourth wall is covered with huge paintings from floor to ceiling, giving an idea of the new Soviet style, the essence of which, as can be seen, is from a bird's eye perspective. One canvas depicts an agricultural team at work - a tractor, a thresher, a galloping herd; the other depicts the construction of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Dam. The colors of the paintings are bright, rich, reflecting the fullness of life. Along the walls, in six languages, the slogan “Workers of all countries, unite!”
In the center of the hall there is a circular control panel where passengers place their suitcases open for inspection. With professionally practiced movements, customs officers lift underwear and shoes and carefully feel each item. Foreign currency is entered in the declaration; when leaving the country, you can take out exactly that much money. The camera number is recorded in the traveler's passport. The lady next to me, returning from abroad, has her brand new Parisian toilets confiscated, accompanied by polite explanations.
Inscription on the photo: “1923. Pogranichnaya station Kolosovo MPB, where the station chief is the soldier second from the left - V. Smirnov.” From the collection of Gennady Dubatovka
There is a hotel and even a restaurant at the station."
Gyula Iyesh, “Russia. 1934"
The house in which Anton Ignatievich lived before the war is easy to find: it still stands, the very last one, at the Energetik stop. There is a well in front of the house. It is unknown who lives here now. Most likely, summer residents.
Before the war, according to Anton Ignatievich, who lived near the railway itself, there were few trains: per day one “our” passenger train went to Stolbtsy and back, and one Polish one went to Negorely and back. The same thing happened with goods. International communication was transfer.
Soviet border guards detained a border violator. Photo: www.novychas.info
“The customs inspection is over. Officials with shiny buttons and caps did their duty. In Warsaw, at the ticket office, I received a surprised refusal: a ticket to Moscow? The ticket is issued only to Stolbtsy, from Stolbtsy you take a ticket to Negorely, in Negorely you already receive a ticket to Moscow at the Russian ticket office.”
Anastasia Tsvetaeva “Memories”
—Have you never traveled across the border?
- No, my relatives didn’t go either. This was impossible because a visa was required. And they will also look at who you are, what you are like. I know that there was smuggling across the border all the time. They brought manufactured goods here (silk stockings, for example).
After a pause:
— Well, spies, of course, crossed the border.
Anton Ignatievich says that there were a lot of animals in the local forests: “the border zone, no strangers walked here: neither mushroom pickers, nor hunters, nor berry pickers.”
—What was life like on the other side of the border?
“I only know from stories that they lived there just as poorly as here.” And before the war we lived very, very poorly. Industry was very insignificant, there was agriculture - people and horses, no equipment.
— And now, what do you think, are there any differences between Western and Eastern Belarus?
- I think not. But if you cross the border - Lithuanian, Latvian - on the other side there is more culture in villages and towns. And in Western Belarus, young people are all literate. And the new generation, probably because they remain more hard-working, lives there somewhat better than us and somewhat more cultured than us.
1949 At this time, Anton Ignatievich served in military unit 33/602, an artillery unit of special power. Some were located in the city of Krupki. 1949, city of Klintsy, Bryansk region. Anton Ignatievich's wife Maria (left) and her girlfriend - a year before the wedding. In 1946, the unit in which Anton Ignatievich served moved from Krupki to Klintsy. From part of the road went into a park forest, and in front of the forest near the houses there was a swing - on a pine tree. We met on this swing. Anton Ignatievich says: “My Manya. I walked with her for four years and didn’t demand anything - I raised her. She was small and thin. She passed away and I can’t forget her.” Photo “without preparation”: Anton Ignatievich, wife Maria, two daughters - Natasha and Valya, mother and mother-in-law. Natasha now lives near Donetsk, and Valya lives in a neighboring village. Dima’s son did not yet exist; he was born in 1956. 80th birthday of Anton Ignatievich. Standing near his house are his cousin, brother, wife Maria, in-law, workmates from Minsk and intelligence commander Nikolai Emelyanovich Budnik. From the rear in 1942, Nikolai Emelyanovich joined the partisans and there became the commander of reconnaissance, in which 14-year-old Anton Ignatievich served during the war. Then Budnik was a squadron commander when “our people came - we then caught the Germans, the Rakovites and the policemen who remained in Western Belarus and in the Pushcha - they continued to fight against the Soviet regime.” Meeting of veterans in Negorely. At the monument on the right are N. E. Budnik and A. I. Azarkevich. “There’s no one left, I’m the only one,” Anton Ignatievich comments on the photo. "Madhouse"
In the courtyard of the house where they once lived Soviet officers, cozy: I want to stay here, drink tea with my neighbors in the evenings on the street, pet the cats and watch the autumn. While we are looking around, a motorcycle breaks the silence.
A woman wearing thick glasses gets out of the sidecar of a motorcycle.
- What kind of photo shoot are we having here?- the hostess begins the acquaintance.
- Do you live here? Do you know what was in this house before?
- Soldier's barracks,- says the woman.
- What a barracks,— a historical dispute ensues between the spouses. After all, it was "home" officers" True, some locals no longer see the difference between the barracks and the officers’ house. The house was built in 1922, but for some reason the building’s passport says 1945, the post-war year.
Local resident Igor, a charismatic man with a large mustache, is researching the history of his village on the Internet. "Unburned '37"“,” he tells us what queries he uses in the search engine, and draws pictures on the wet sand: a two-story station, an arch, a passage of Germans. To ours already big company a woman comes up and, having heard the dialogues about the story, sighs in disappointment:
“I thought you wanted to buy an apartment, or watch how the roof leaks.”
According to locals, the house lacks major repairs. During Javier last year, snowballs were rolling in the attic - so it was filled with snow through holes in the roof.
- Is your house called a “madhouse”?
- Our. Once upon a time, two sick people lived in our house. And you know what people are like: they took the house and called it that,— the locals know the history of the house thoroughly. They also tell how their grandmothers took them to the trains to the border to sell mushrooms and berries to earn extra money.
— We were all poor, Poles. we lived better, - Igor explains this fact. — When we had a revolution, fists appeared. Who are the kulaks? Here's my car - he points to his jeep. — They would say to me: you are a fist! Everything was confiscated from the kulaks and given to the proletarians. But who are the proletarians? The proletarians are now standing near the shops - they are knocking down rubles.
“I’m dying of laughter now,” says Igor's neighbor. He interprets the story very emotionally.
Barracks
In the old wooden house, which was built specifically for customs officers, now houses 12 families. According to locals, the house has long been recognized as unsafe, but is not being removed from the balance sheet, and they have little hope of moving out of these historical slums.
- Take pictures, show that it’s no longer possible to live here, it’s scary here,- a woman in a burgundy sweater tells us. Her name is Maria, she is now retired, but she used to work at a local school.
- The slightest water, a gap - there is water under the floors. If you want, dive, if you want, swim. Go to the barns - you should definitely take pictures of them. There are no such things anywhere else - you will have an exclusive,- the locals promise us.
“I look through the window of one of the village houses. Nickel-plated bed with a mountain of pillows. The bed linen is dazzling white. A large lamp hangs from the ceiling - but it is kerosene. The walls are completely covered with family photographs; icons are nowhere to be seen. I can see sewing machine, several strong-looking wicker chairs and a washstand, without a basin. There is no one in the room.
After walking a few steps, we find ourselves at the entrance to the house. The floor in the hallway is dirty, it looks like it hasn’t been washed for a long time. In general, the house gives the impression of being somewhat neglected. To be fair, I should note that the reason is probably that the house is not whitewashed either outside or inside. This is not accepted here. Well, the logs themselves are dark brown."
Gyula Iyesh, “Russia. 1934"
We have no desire to photograph the poor toilets and sheds - we came to Negoreloye to find the border. We set off in search of our grandmother, who was born in this area in 1931.
- Can I help you?- we ask the old woman standing on the stairs in the woodshed.
- Thank you, I'm on my own for now.— she says confidently and proudly and slowly descends. — They said the winter would be harsh. This is how I compact my shed so I can get more firewood.
She is holding a white potato bag in her hands. There is enough wood in it for one kindling, but it is completely unclear how this fragile woman drags him to her shack. The barracks where the 83-year-old lives Bronislava Zuevskaya, built in 1927. That's what the locals told her, according to her grandmother. For a long time, customs officers lived here with their families, and my grandmother communicated with all of them.
— And now, as it happens, we want these barracks to be demolished,— she suddenly starts crying, but because of her disease (Parkinson’s) it’s difficult to understand.
We open the gate and enter a narrow fenced courtyard.
“I’ll boast about how beautiful my flowers are.” When they bloomed, I cut half of them and brought them to the church. We built the church ourselves,— suddenly the grandmother’s intonation changes. — And I went, even though I was old. We collected stones and sand: some would take a bucket, some would take half a bucket. Now I go to church, and I have more fun.
Grandma is also happy to show cherry plums in her tiny yard and invite her to visit in early August. Not far from the barracks there is a vegetable garden, all residents there were given two hundred square meters. Now the gardens are overgrown with weeds. “There are only three of us left in the garden - old people like to work”, says Bronislava. In addition to the vegetable garden, my grandmother has another passion - the forest. Despite his age, he goes for mushrooms and berries all the way near Kolosovo.
- That's all my happiness,— the old woman turns to the porch. Bronislava Zuevskaya was born in the village of Garbuzy, 5 kilometers from here: “There were 17 houses, and all of them were, as we called them, gentry.” She never told the story of her appearance in Negorely in 1970 - apparently, these are not the most pleasant memories.
- The sun never shines in my hut,- Grandma groans. And this is not a metaphor. — There is a window on this side and on this side - and I never see the sun. So I cry and ask that they bury me in the field, otherwise in the cemetery in our village very large trees have grown. So that I can at least see the sun there.
Throughout her work experience and for another ten years after retirement, Bronislava Zuevskaya worked as a cook in a railway hospital - “until she broke her leg.” Later, the hospital was annexed to Minsk: it became the 11th city clinical hospital, and the small privileges of a “railway worker” were removed from the grandmother.
“I’m offended and I’m crying because I’ve worked all my life and haven’t earned anything.”- Today, grandmother Bronislava has nowhere to even go for medical help - the medical center in Negorely has been closed, and it is already very difficult for her to get to the nearest clinic in the village of Energetikov. And what is there - one “therapist”. He said there was no cure for her Parkinson's disease, so the old lady was managing her progressive symptoms on her own.
On the wall in a small square room Bronislava - calendar for 2014 with the Pope, on the other side - bookshelves and his son’s awards, he is a candidate for master of sports in checkers.
My grandmother remembers with sympathy about the people who worked in Negorely on the border and lived in her cramped barracks. They also missed the sun.
“This little Valentine of mine”: with his son in the village of Garbuzy. "Friend" or "father of a son." This is what Bronislava Mechislavovna calls her common-law husband, Ivan Petrovich Natsevsky. After 1949 they separated - he went to serve in the city of Gusev in the Kaliningrad region and went to another woman. Bronislava never married again - she says she never loved anyone else like that. And Ivan Petrovich changed wives several times, but now, says his grandmother, he sometimes calls her - he found her using the Internet. Mommy and "Maxim". Bronislava calls her dad that, meaning that he is very similar to Maxim Gorky. Mother - Evelina Ivanovna Zuevskaya. Dad - Mechislav Martinovich Zuevsky, “tattoo”. Bronislava Mechislavovna’s relatives were convicted under Soviet rule, one was exiled to Siberia for three years. They were rehabilitated only in 1992. 
“Zalata shlyub” of Bronislava’s parents in the church in Rubezhevichi. After this, my father lived only another year; he was disabled civil war 1917. In the dining room "by the white coats." In the middle is a doctor, Bronislava is third from the left. Sanatorium Volkovichi. 60s. Border
To get to the border, we followed the path of Soviet citizens who traveled to Europe in 1921-1939. That is, at the Negoreloe station we boarded an electric train heading in the direction of Stolbtsy. The border on the map of modern Belarus is located between the Mezinovka stop and the Kolosovo station.
Kolosovo appeared here only in 1951 on the site of the farm of the same name, and in the area of the Asino and Mezinovka stops, until 1921 there was the village of Komolovo. According to local legends that claim to be historical truth, the villagers were resettled near the border as potential spies. And in Komolovo there remained a small factory for the production of bricks - “Tsagelnya”, where a large cycle of heavy self made. Timber was also loaded at the transshipment warehouse in Komolovo, which was then sent abroad. They say that after the resettlement, an old village cemetery remained, but it is no longer possible to find it.
Now this area is just as deserted: apart from the railway and the M1 highway, there are only forest paths trodden by summer residents. To stumble upon a living person here outside of the summer season is as rare a stroke of luck as catching a Polish spy at the Soviet border.
We walk along the rails from the Mezinovka stop to Kolosovo, the soil frozen after the first frost crunches under our feet. After about 200 meters, traces of a bulldozer appear along the left side of the road surface. Yellow sand here is mixed with a historical layer of earth - fragments of bright red brick, melted pieces of glass and rusty wire. Border.
It was in this place, where the fresh traces of the bulldozer were caught in the frost, that there was wooden arch, which became a symbol of the USSR, and the Soviet border post. The arch can now only be seen in pictures in history books or in original German photographs that are now being sold at auctions.
“Long live the workers of all countries...” - we spell out the inscription on the gate, undoubtedly intended to symbolize the entry into a new era, into a hitherto unprecedented world - just like the gates that opened before Dante.
But a reminder of ancient symbolism... Doesn’t it indicate hereditary continuity, continuation?
Official communist event at the border. The photo was taken between 1921 and 1923 from the Soviet side. The inscription on the arch: “Communism will sweep away all borders.” From the collection of Gennady Dubatovka
I turn back to where Europe remains. “Communism will sweep away the borders between countries!” - reads the inscription on this side of the gate."
Gyula Iyesh, “Russia. 1934"
In the forest you can still look through a narrow clearing, mercilessly overgrown with small bushes. It seems that there are two acacia bushes growing exactly on the border. On the opposite side of the imaginary border post and the famous arch there is a sign - “Cable Security Zone”.
About a hundred meters away, on the edge of the forest, the remains of a reinforced concrete foundation are living out their history. Distinct corners of buildings emerge from the ground, and inside is a deep, narrow well. We are with the Poles.
Soviet border guard, September 1939. Photo: www.novychas.info
“And now we are already at the Negoreloye border station.
We shook hands with a fellow border guard, a strong handshake, and the train departed. We are standing on the platform of the last carriage, the rails run to the last Soviet station, the last Soviet sentry turns his head after the departing train, an arch with the motto of the proletarian country flashes above our head and disappears into the distance.
Goodbye, Soviet Union!
After a two-year absence, I again set foot on the land of capitalism and look around somewhat in surprise and embarrassment, like a citizen of a socialist country who has not seen decaying factories for a long time, nor the unemployed, nor all those deceptions that the gentlemen are holding on to.
And now, looking at everything with different eyes, I again discover the capitalist world."
Julius Fucik, “Goodbye, USSR!”
Most residents of Negorely have never seen either the border or the arch. Their border, history and life is the railway. Perhaps this is why there are no deep sentiments towards the ruins of the past now, but the locals don’t take off their railway worker’s uniform, even after they retire.
The date September 17, 1939 is not a holiday for the Russian world, although it made it possible to unite Ukraine and Belarus within the framework of national republics within the USSR. Ukrainian scientist, political scientist, historian and publicist, editor of the Ruska Pravda portal Sergei Lunev told a REGNUM news agency correspondent about this on September 17, assessing the prospects for establishing a memorable date in the calendar of the post-Soviet republic.
“September 17 is a tragic date for all Russians. As much as we would not like to admit, in 1939 it was not Rus' that was reunited, but Soviet Ukraine, which included several million Galicians who were alien in mentality and religion. It was not possible to tame and re-educate them, the “Sovietization” of the region failed, but Western Ukrainian personnel actively participated in the Ukrainization of “Radyansk Ukraine.” Already at independence, thanks to the Galicians, Ukraine turned into a reserve of Russophobia and chauvinism,” Lunev said.
in 2005 it was proposed to divide Ukraine in this way, but it did not pass...
“Ukrainians may not admit it, but Ukraine has never been united. It was a fragment of the Empire. Accordingly, the central authorities had to pursue imperial policy. However, the Nazis, who seized power in Kyiv, considering themselves the titular nation, decided to spread their views to the territory of all of Ukraine. The result makes itself felt. Ukraine is falling apart and it is impossible to unite it, since for the sake of unity it is necessary to sacrifice the obsession of the Galicians to remake Ukrainians in their own image and likeness. This applies not only to Russians, but also to residents historical Ukraine, who for Galicians are incorrect Ukrainians,” says the Ukrainian expert.
Galicia's claims to such separation of territory
“Thus, the disintegration of Ukraine along the borders before 1939 is a matter of time, as is the return of Galicia to Poland, which considers these lands its own. It is not surprising that the Polish leadership fully supports all decisions of Kyiv, because they lead to the collapse of the country,” Lunev concluded.
As REGNUM reported, in Soviet historiography the date September 17, 1939 was interpreted as a positive event, the result of which was the reunification of the Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples within the framework of the BSSR and the Ukrainian SSR. In the post-Soviet period, the official historiography of Ukraine underwent a radical revision, and official publications for more than 20 years have been disseminating openly anti-scientific fabrications about the “great Ukrainians”, who are credited with the construction of the Egyptian pyramids, the invention of the wheel and all the greatest achievements of mankind. In universities of the post-Soviet republic, students are indoctrinated with the idea of the eternal enmity of Ukrainians and Russians, and the image of followers of the local variety of chauvinism as “nationally conscious” and “national heroes” is presented. The greeting of the followers of Stepan Bandera “Glory to Ukraine - glory to the heroes” became the official slogan of the participants in the coup in February 2014 (“Euromaidan”) and the punitive battalions destroying the cities and population of Novorossiya.
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National history: Cheat sheet Author unknown
89. ACCESSION OF A NUMBER OF TERRITORIES TO THE USSR IN 1939–1940
In full accordance with the mentioned secret protocol, Germany invaded Poland from the west on September 1, 1939, and the USSR invaded Poland from the east on September 17. By the end of the month, the repartition of Poland was completed, and the territories of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus were transferred to the USSR.
If the war with Poland ended quickly and with few losses for the USSR, then the so-called “winter war” with Finland of 1939–1940. revealed serious shortcomings of the Red Army and showed the ineffectiveness of its command. Beginning on November 29, 1939, it lasted until March 12, 1940 and cost the USSR about 75 thousand people killed and more than 200 thousand wounded and frostbitten. Despite the fact that the Soviet troops outnumbered the Finnish ones by five times in the number of divisions, six times in the number of guns and 30 times in the number of aircraft, the USSR was unable to capture Finland and was forced to sign a peace treaty. According to the agreement, the Karelian Isthmus and a number of other territories were transferred to the Soviet Union, and the distance from Leningrad to the new state border increased from 32 to 150 km. For the attack on Finland, the USSR was expelled from the League of Nations.
The division of spheres of influence between Germany and the USSR in the Baltics took place in 1939–1940. In the fall of 1939, the Soviet Union entered Estonia. Latvia and Lithuania with his troops, and in the summer of 1940 he actually annexed these states, bringing communist governments to power.
The occupation of part of the territory of Romania by the Soviet Union also dates back to the summer of 1940. After presenting the ultimatum, the USSR sent troops into Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina and, in accordance with the secret Soviet-German protocol, regained these territories, which were part of Russia before 1918.
At this time, Germany, having freed its hands by an agreement with the USSR, carried out a number of successful military operations. In the period from September 1939 to December 1940, she managed to capture most of the territories of continental Europe, quickly defeating Poland (in 36 days), Greece and Yugoslavia (in 18 days), France (in 44 days), as well as a number of others countries As a result, Germany became dominant military force on the continent; Its next obvious step seemed to be a strike against the USSR.
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From the book History of the Russian State and Law: Cheat Sheet author author unknown55. FOREIGN POLICY OF THE SOVIET STATE IN 1939–1940 Germany invaded Poland from the west on September 1, 1939, and the USSR invaded Poland from the east on September 17. By the end of the month, the redistribution of Poland was completed, and the territories of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus went to the USSR. If the war with Poland
From Book Two World War by Taylor A. J. P.3. European war. 1939–1940 Ended Polish war. Hitler won a complete victory. England and France, previously so powerful, looked at this indifferently. On October 6, 1939, Hitler announced in the Reichstag that he was seeking to make peace. He said he has no complaints about
From the book Russia in 1917-2000. A book for everyone interested in Russian history author Yarov Sergey ViktorovichWars of 1939–1940 The year 1939 was marked by three regional conflicts in which the Soviet Union was involved. The first of them is an armed clash with Japan in the summer of 1939 near the Khalkhin Gol River. Successful tank operations and maximum use of funds
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From the book World War II at sea and in the air. Reasons for the defeat of the German naval and air forces author Marshall WilhelmLuftwaffe in the Blitzkrieg 1939–1940 Early on the morning of September 1, 1939 - the clock showed 4.45 - squadrons of German military aircraft took off from their airfields. The plan, which several months earlier had been worked out to the smallest detail, began to be implemented. Poland