Molodogvardeytsev Street
The Nazis captured Krasnodon in the summer of 1942, and immediately after that, youth underground groups began to form spontaneously in the city. At the end of September, they were able to unite into an organization, which was given the name "The Young Guard" (Molodaya Gvardiya).
The youth underground existed in Krasnodon for only four months, but during that time the members of the organization managed to inflict serious damage on the fascists and drive them into a frenzy.
Many Young guardsmen were classmates before the war and studied at the local school No. 4. They organized the underground headquarters: first, it included the chief of staff Ivan Zemnukhov, Vasily Levashov, Georgy Harutyunyants and Sergei Tyulenin, who proposed the name of the organization. A little later, Ulyana Gromova, Oleg Koshevoy and Lyubov Shevtsova became members of the staff. Viktor Tretyakevich became the commissar of the Young Guard, and the commander of the organization was 22-year-old Lieutenant Ivan Turkenich, who found himself in Krasnodon after escaping from German captivity.
In total, 47 boys and 24 girls, a total of 71 people, participated in the operations of the "Young Guard". Most of them were 17−18 years old, and the youngest was barely 14. The organization included Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, Belarusians, Armenians, an Azerbaijani and a Moldovan.
The activities of teenagers were controlled by members of the adult underground. In Krasnodon, there was a party group led by Philip Lyutikov, who in peacetime headed the parent committee of school No. 4.
During the four months of its existence, members of the Young Guard managed to issue and distribute more than five thousand anti-fascist leaflets that described the real state of affairs at the front. Young people called on their fellow countrymen to fight the fascist invaders, and together with adult underground workers, they staged sabotage in the city’s electromechanical workshops.
On the night of November 7, 1942, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, the Young Guard hoisted eight red flags on the tallest buildings in Krasnodon and the surrounding villages.
Young underground workers tried to prevent the hijacking of people for forced labor in Germany. In their leaflets, they warned people against falling into "eternal slavery" and urged them to hide from the invaders.
To organize the supply of labor to Germany, the Fascists first registered people on a special labor exchange, which was popularly called the "black exchange." Those who were to be exported were brought home or arrested right on the street.
On December 3, the Day of the Constitution of the USSR, members of the "Young Guard" burned down the "black exchange". To distract attention, a concert was staged for the German officers, three teenagers entered the building and set it on fire with a combustible mixture. Most of the records were burned, which saved several thousand people from being stolen for forced labor.
The Young Guards repeatedly ambushed the roads and smashed up German cars. In December, they managed to release several dozen captured Red Army soldiers. In addition, teenagers regularly cut off telephone and telegraph communications to the Nazis, disabled mills and machinery, and caused accidents at factories.
By the beginning of December 1942, the Young Guards had managed to assemble a whole arsenal: 15 machine guns, 80 rifles, 10 pistols, about 15,000 rounds of ammunition for these weapons, as well as 300 grenades and 65 kilograms of explosives. They were preparing for an armed uprising, but they did not have time to carry it out.
The Germans tracked down the young underground fighters in January 1943. There are several versions explaining the reasons for the debacle. According to one, a traitor was found in the ranks of the organization, according to another, a random witness who saw how the Young Guards attacked the Nazis' car the day before let it slip.
Arrests of members of the "Young Guard" began in the first days of January. First, the fascists captured Viktor Tretyakevich, Yevgeny Moshkov’s contact, and Ivan Zemnukhov, who tried to rescue them. The next one was Anatoly Popov. Then the mass arrests began.
The Germans, who most likely already realized the proximity of the retreat, retaliated for everything at once: the Young Guards were subjected to monstrous tortures.
The bullying continued for a long time and mercilessly. Many teenagers died during the interrogation. The survivors were shot and dumped together with the corpses into the 58-meter pit of Krasnodon mine No. 5. The Fascists dropped several mining carts and grenades from above. A few weeks later, the children had to be taken out of there literally in pieces: Soviet troops entered the city on February 14, 1943. The bodies of 49 Young Guards and 22 members of an underground party organization were recovered from the mine.
Only 13 Young Guards managed to escape arrest and execution. Some were able to cross the front line and joined the ranks of the Red Army. Only 10 members of the organization managed to survive the Great Patriotic War.
The dead Young guardsmen were buried with military honors on March 1, 1943, in the very center of Krasnodon, in a mass grave on the territory of Komsomol Park.
Ulyana Gromova, Ivan Zemnukhov, Oleg Koshevoy, Sergei Tyulenin and Lyubov Shevtsova were posthumously awarded the titles of Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1990, Ivan Turkenich was awarded it. Many participants were awarded the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" I degree and the Order of the Patriotic War I degree, six — the Order of the Red Star, three — the Order of the Red Banner.
The memories of parents and eyewitnesses were preserved for posterity by the historian Anatoly Gordeev in the monograph "A feat in the name of life". Writer Alexander Fadeev published the novel "The Young Guard" in 1946, recreating the events of those days and preserving the names of most of the characters.
Later, a documentary story by Kim Kostenko, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, "It was in Krasnodon," a biography Oleg Koshevoy’s "The Tale of a Son," written by his mother. The story of the "Young Guard" has formed the basis of many feature films, documentaries, and performances. Dozens of Soviet streets were named after the dead Young Guards.
For many years, it was believed that the reason for the defeat of the "Young Guard" was the betrayal of one of the leaders, Viktor Tretyakevich. During the arrests, in order to demoralize the underground, the fascists spread the rumor that under torture he allegedly gave out the names of his friends. It was only in the spring of 1959 that the commission of the Voroshilovgrad Regional Committee of the CPSU, together with employees of the regional KGB directorate, studied all the materials about the deaths of members of the Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya), established Viktor Tretyakevich’s innocence in the failure of the organization and recognized his prominent role in the creation and leadership of the Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya).
On September 22, 2022, the decree of the President of the Russian Federation was issued Vladimir Putin on awarding Viktor Tretyakevich the title of Hero Of the Russian Federation.
The youth underground existed in Krasnodon for only four months, but during that time the members of the organization managed to inflict serious damage on the fascists and drive them into a frenzy.
Many Young guardsmen were classmates before the war and studied at the local school No. 4. They organized the underground headquarters: first, it included the chief of staff Ivan Zemnukhov, Vasily Levashov, Georgy Harutyunyants and Sergei Tyulenin, who proposed the name of the organization. A little later, Ulyana Gromova, Oleg Koshevoy and Lyubov Shevtsova became members of the staff. Viktor Tretyakevich became the commissar of the Young Guard, and the commander of the organization was 22-year-old Lieutenant Ivan Turkenich, who found himself in Krasnodon after escaping from German captivity.
In total, 47 boys and 24 girls, a total of 71 people, participated in the operations of the "Young Guard". Most of them were 17−18 years old, and the youngest was barely 14. The organization included Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, Belarusians, Armenians, an Azerbaijani and a Moldovan.
The activities of teenagers were controlled by members of the adult underground. In Krasnodon, there was a party group led by Philip Lyutikov, who in peacetime headed the parent committee of school No. 4.
During the four months of its existence, members of the Young Guard managed to issue and distribute more than five thousand anti-fascist leaflets that described the real state of affairs at the front. Young people called on their fellow countrymen to fight the fascist invaders, and together with adult underground workers, they staged sabotage in the city’s electromechanical workshops.
On the night of November 7, 1942, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, the Young Guard hoisted eight red flags on the tallest buildings in Krasnodon and the surrounding villages.
Young underground workers tried to prevent the hijacking of people for forced labor in Germany. In their leaflets, they warned people against falling into "eternal slavery" and urged them to hide from the invaders.
To organize the supply of labor to Germany, the Fascists first registered people on a special labor exchange, which was popularly called the "black exchange." Those who were to be exported were brought home or arrested right on the street.
On December 3, the Day of the Constitution of the USSR, members of the "Young Guard" burned down the "black exchange". To distract attention, a concert was staged for the German officers, three teenagers entered the building and set it on fire with a combustible mixture. Most of the records were burned, which saved several thousand people from being stolen for forced labor.
The Young Guards repeatedly ambushed the roads and smashed up German cars. In December, they managed to release several dozen captured Red Army soldiers. In addition, teenagers regularly cut off telephone and telegraph communications to the Nazis, disabled mills and machinery, and caused accidents at factories.
By the beginning of December 1942, the Young Guards had managed to assemble a whole arsenal: 15 machine guns, 80 rifles, 10 pistols, about 15,000 rounds of ammunition for these weapons, as well as 300 grenades and 65 kilograms of explosives. They were preparing for an armed uprising, but they did not have time to carry it out.
The Germans tracked down the young underground fighters in January 1943. There are several versions explaining the reasons for the debacle. According to one, a traitor was found in the ranks of the organization, according to another, a random witness who saw how the Young Guards attacked the Nazis' car the day before let it slip.
Arrests of members of the "Young Guard" began in the first days of January. First, the fascists captured Viktor Tretyakevich, Yevgeny Moshkov’s contact, and Ivan Zemnukhov, who tried to rescue them. The next one was Anatoly Popov. Then the mass arrests began.
The Germans, who most likely already realized the proximity of the retreat, retaliated for everything at once: the Young Guards were subjected to monstrous tortures.
The bullying continued for a long time and mercilessly. Many teenagers died during the interrogation. The survivors were shot and dumped together with the corpses into the 58-meter pit of Krasnodon mine No. 5. The Fascists dropped several mining carts and grenades from above. A few weeks later, the children had to be taken out of there literally in pieces: Soviet troops entered the city on February 14, 1943. The bodies of 49 Young Guards and 22 members of an underground party organization were recovered from the mine.
Only 13 Young Guards managed to escape arrest and execution. Some were able to cross the front line and joined the ranks of the Red Army. Only 10 members of the organization managed to survive the Great Patriotic War.
The dead Young guardsmen were buried with military honors on March 1, 1943, in the very center of Krasnodon, in a mass grave on the territory of Komsomol Park.
Ulyana Gromova, Ivan Zemnukhov, Oleg Koshevoy, Sergei Tyulenin and Lyubov Shevtsova were posthumously awarded the titles of Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1990, Ivan Turkenich was awarded it. Many participants were awarded the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" I degree and the Order of the Patriotic War I degree, six — the Order of the Red Star, three — the Order of the Red Banner.
The memories of parents and eyewitnesses were preserved for posterity by the historian Anatoly Gordeev in the monograph "A feat in the name of life". Writer Alexander Fadeev published the novel "The Young Guard" in 1946, recreating the events of those days and preserving the names of most of the characters.
Later, a documentary story by Kim Kostenko, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, "It was in Krasnodon," a biography Oleg Koshevoy’s "The Tale of a Son," written by his mother. The story of the "Young Guard" has formed the basis of many feature films, documentaries, and performances. Dozens of Soviet streets were named after the dead Young Guards.
For many years, it was believed that the reason for the defeat of the "Young Guard" was the betrayal of one of the leaders, Viktor Tretyakevich. During the arrests, in order to demoralize the underground, the fascists spread the rumor that under torture he allegedly gave out the names of his friends. It was only in the spring of 1959 that the commission of the Voroshilovgrad Regional Committee of the CPSU, together with employees of the regional KGB directorate, studied all the materials about the deaths of members of the Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya), established Viktor Tretyakevich’s innocence in the failure of the organization and recognized his prominent role in the creation and leadership of the Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya).
On September 22, 2022, the decree of the President of the Russian Federation was issued Vladimir Putin on awarding Viktor Tretyakevich the title of Hero Of the Russian Federation.
Lyuba was born on September 8, 1924 in the village of Izvarino, and three years later her family moved to Krasnodon. The girl, the only child in the family, grew up lively and lively. Lyuba had several hobbies at once — a circle of young people, sports, amateur art.
Lyuba dreamed of becoming an actress, and the girl had good data for this. But the war intervened in her plans, as well as in the plans of other Soviet people…
In the first months of the war, Lyuba Shevtsova graduated from nursing courses and worked at a military hospital in Krasnodon. But the closer the front got, the more Lyuba wanted to get involved in the direct fight against the fascists.
In the spring of 1942, Komsomol member Shevtsova applied for admission to the NKVD intelligence school.: "I ask the chief of the NKVD to accept me into the school of radio operators, as I wish to be a radio operator in our Soviet country, to serve honestly and conscientiously. And after graduating from this school, I commit myself to doing all the tasks behind enemy lines and at the front."
The application of a 17-year-old girl, dated March 31, 1942, was granted — Luba Shvetsova was enrolled to study at the Voroshilovgrad intelligence School of the NKVD.
At the first stage of the war, the Soviet The Union felt an acute shortage of specialists in various branches of military affairs. In order to somehow overcome the shortage of personnel, training programs were reduced to a minimum. So, the pilots who completed the so-called "accelerated course" were ironically called "take-off and landing" by their senior colleagues. Of course, the losses among pilots with such training were higher.
The same applies to the scouts, who were hastily trained to work in the occupied territory. The most minimal basics of conspiracy, basic skills of working with a walkie-talkie and ciphers, accelerated shooting training. The future radio operator Shevtsova also took this course.
The well-trained German counterintelligence had to be confronted. At the first stage, this struggle was unequal — the Nazis successfully smashed the Soviet underground, forcing the domestic intelligence services to start all over again.
On March 31, 1942, Lyuba Shevtsova wrote an application for admission to the NKVD intelligence school, and on July 9, state security lieutenant Bogomolov made a decision on her future fate: "Shevtsova Lyubov Grigorievna, Grigorieva’s underground nickname, graduated from radio courses at a special school with a grade of "good." She has all the necessary qualities to work in the rear, namely: quick-witted, resourceful, able to get out of a difficult situation. She can be enrolled in the Kuzmin group (the conditional name of the group is "The Storm") to stay in Voroshilovgrad."
The underground worker, who was supposed to have a radio operator, simply kicked Lyuba out of the house after the Germans arrived. The man was not ready to fight and decided to "sit it out."
Lyuba herself was unable to establish contact with the Center — the transmitter power was not enough for this. The commander of the failed group did not look for other ways to contact the Center, ordering the "pianist" (that's what the intelligence services called intelligence radio operators) Shevtsova to leave Voroshilovgrad and cease any active activity.
Unlike the men from the reconnaissance group, the nerves and morale of the 17-year-old girl turned out to be strong. After making several attempts to wake up her supervisor to start active work and not succeeding, Lyuba decided to act on her own. After moving to Krasnodon, she got in touch with the "Young Guard" and joined the organization, becoming its active member.
After a series of successful actions by the Young Guards, German counterintelligence began hunting them. Lyuba, who turned 18 on September 8, 1942, did not know that the special attention of the Nazi special services had been attracted to her. The agent "Grigoriev" was given out by one of his former classmates at the intelligence school, who, after the arrival of the Germans, hurried to their side.
In early January 1943, Lyubov Shevtsova was arrested. If the fate of the other members of the Young Guard was a foregone conclusion, the Nazis expected to use Shevtsova for their own purposes. With the help of a radio operator, they intended to organize a so-called "radio game", transmitting disinformation to the Soviet command, as well as hoping to uncover that part of the Soviet underground that had not been discovered before.
At first, they tried to influence Lyuba with promises of benefits, then they turned to threats. But the girl’s tough character showed up — she simply laughed in the eyes of the Germans and did not provide any valuable information. Having failed to achieve their goal, the Nazis turned to torture, which became especially cruel in the last days of Luba’s life.
She did not betray anyone, did not give the Nazis any information. All the executioners heard from her were curses addressed to themselves.
On the wall of the cell where Lyubov Shevtsova was held in recent days, they later found an inscription made to her: "Goodbye, mom, your daughter Lyubka goes to the damp earth."
On February 9, 1943, Lyubov Shevtsova, along with several other Young guardsmen, were shot in the Rattling Forest.
In 1947, SS man Drevitz, who personally tortured and shot Young Guards, told during interrogation about the last minutes of Lyuba Shevtsova’s life: "I remember Shevtsova well from among those shot in the second batch. She drew my attention with her appearance. She had a beautiful, slender figure and an elongated face. Despite her youth, she carried herself very courageously. Before the execution, I led Shevtsova to the edge of the execution pit. She did not utter a word for mercy and calmly accepted death with her head held high."
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated September 13, 1943, Lyubov Grigorievna Shevtsova, a member of the staff of the underground Komsomol organization The Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya), was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Lyuba dreamed of becoming an actress, and the girl had good data for this. But the war intervened in her plans, as well as in the plans of other Soviet people…
In the first months of the war, Lyuba Shevtsova graduated from nursing courses and worked at a military hospital in Krasnodon. But the closer the front got, the more Lyuba wanted to get involved in the direct fight against the fascists.
In the spring of 1942, Komsomol member Shevtsova applied for admission to the NKVD intelligence school.: "I ask the chief of the NKVD to accept me into the school of radio operators, as I wish to be a radio operator in our Soviet country, to serve honestly and conscientiously. And after graduating from this school, I commit myself to doing all the tasks behind enemy lines and at the front."
The application of a 17-year-old girl, dated March 31, 1942, was granted — Luba Shvetsova was enrolled to study at the Voroshilovgrad intelligence School of the NKVD.
At the first stage of the war, the Soviet The Union felt an acute shortage of specialists in various branches of military affairs. In order to somehow overcome the shortage of personnel, training programs were reduced to a minimum. So, the pilots who completed the so-called "accelerated course" were ironically called "take-off and landing" by their senior colleagues. Of course, the losses among pilots with such training were higher.
The same applies to the scouts, who were hastily trained to work in the occupied territory. The most minimal basics of conspiracy, basic skills of working with a walkie-talkie and ciphers, accelerated shooting training. The future radio operator Shevtsova also took this course.
The well-trained German counterintelligence had to be confronted. At the first stage, this struggle was unequal — the Nazis successfully smashed the Soviet underground, forcing the domestic intelligence services to start all over again.
On March 31, 1942, Lyuba Shevtsova wrote an application for admission to the NKVD intelligence school, and on July 9, state security lieutenant Bogomolov made a decision on her future fate: "Shevtsova Lyubov Grigorievna, Grigorieva’s underground nickname, graduated from radio courses at a special school with a grade of "good." She has all the necessary qualities to work in the rear, namely: quick-witted, resourceful, able to get out of a difficult situation. She can be enrolled in the Kuzmin group (the conditional name of the group is "The Storm") to stay in Voroshilovgrad."
The underground worker, who was supposed to have a radio operator, simply kicked Lyuba out of the house after the Germans arrived. The man was not ready to fight and decided to "sit it out."
Lyuba herself was unable to establish contact with the Center — the transmitter power was not enough for this. The commander of the failed group did not look for other ways to contact the Center, ordering the "pianist" (that's what the intelligence services called intelligence radio operators) Shevtsova to leave Voroshilovgrad and cease any active activity.
Unlike the men from the reconnaissance group, the nerves and morale of the 17-year-old girl turned out to be strong. After making several attempts to wake up her supervisor to start active work and not succeeding, Lyuba decided to act on her own. After moving to Krasnodon, she got in touch with the "Young Guard" and joined the organization, becoming its active member.
After a series of successful actions by the Young Guards, German counterintelligence began hunting them. Lyuba, who turned 18 on September 8, 1942, did not know that the special attention of the Nazi special services had been attracted to her. The agent "Grigoriev" was given out by one of his former classmates at the intelligence school, who, after the arrival of the Germans, hurried to their side.
In early January 1943, Lyubov Shevtsova was arrested. If the fate of the other members of the Young Guard was a foregone conclusion, the Nazis expected to use Shevtsova for their own purposes. With the help of a radio operator, they intended to organize a so-called "radio game", transmitting disinformation to the Soviet command, as well as hoping to uncover that part of the Soviet underground that had not been discovered before.
At first, they tried to influence Lyuba with promises of benefits, then they turned to threats. But the girl’s tough character showed up — she simply laughed in the eyes of the Germans and did not provide any valuable information. Having failed to achieve their goal, the Nazis turned to torture, which became especially cruel in the last days of Luba’s life.
She did not betray anyone, did not give the Nazis any information. All the executioners heard from her were curses addressed to themselves.
On the wall of the cell where Lyubov Shevtsova was held in recent days, they later found an inscription made to her: "Goodbye, mom, your daughter Lyubka goes to the damp earth."
On February 9, 1943, Lyubov Shevtsova, along with several other Young guardsmen, were shot in the Rattling Forest.
In 1947, SS man Drevitz, who personally tortured and shot Young Guards, told during interrogation about the last minutes of Lyuba Shevtsova’s life: "I remember Shevtsova well from among those shot in the second batch. She drew my attention with her appearance. She had a beautiful, slender figure and an elongated face. Despite her youth, she carried herself very courageously. Before the execution, I led Shevtsova to the edge of the execution pit. She did not utter a word for mercy and calmly accepted death with her head held high."
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated September 13, 1943, Lyubov Grigorievna Shevtsova, a member of the staff of the underground Komsomol organization The Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya), was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Oleg Koshevoy was born in Priluki, Chernihiv region, on June 8, 1926. Oleg’s parents separated, and from 1937 to 1940 he lived with his father in the city of Anthracite. In 1940, Oleg’s mother Elena Nikolaevna moved to Krasnodon, to his mother. Soon in Oleg also moved to Krasnodon.
Oleg, according to the testimony of most of those who knew him before the war, was a real role model. He studied well, was fond of drawing, wrote poetry, played sports, and danced well. In the spirit of that time, the Koshevoi was engaged in shooting and fulfilled the standard for obtaining the Voroshilov Shooter badge. After learning to swim, he began helping others and soon began working as a lifeguard.
At school, Oleg helped the laggards, sometimes taking five people who were not doing well in school.
When the war began, Koshevoy, who, among other things, was also the editor of the school wall newspaper, began helping wounded soldiers in the hospital, which was located in In Krasnodon, he published the satirical newspaper Krokodil for them, and prepared reports from the front.
Oleg had a very warm relationship with his mother, who supported him in all his endeavors, and friends often gathered at the Koshevs' house.
Oleg’s school friends from Krasnodon school No. 1 named after Gorky became members of his underground group, which joined the Young Guard in September 1942.
Oleg Koshevoy, who turned 16 in June 1942, was not supposed to stay in Krasnodone — just before the occupation of the city by the Nazis, he was sent to evacuation. However, it was not possible to get far, because the Germans were advancing faster. The Koshevoi returned to Krasnodon. "He was gloomy, black with grief. His smile no longer appeared on his face, he walked from corner to corner, depressed and silent, he did not know what to put his hands to. What was happening around him was no longer amazing, but it crushed his son’s soul with terrible anger," Oleg’s mother Elena Nikolaevna recalled.
In September, the group assembled by Koshev becomes part of the "Young Guard".
Oleg Koshevoy was involved in planning the operations of the Young Guards, participated in the actions himself, and was responsible for liaison with other underground groups operating in the vicinity of Krasnodon.
Those who were not arrested immediately, the headquarters gave the only possible order in these conditions — to leave immediately. Oleg Koshevoy was among those who managed to get out of the Krasnodona.
The Nazis, who already had evidence that Koshevoy was a commissar of the Young Guard, detained Oleg’s mother and grandmother. Elena Nikolaevna Kosheva’s spine was injured and her teeth knocked out during interrogations…
Most of those who managed to leave Krasnodon were unable to cross the front line. Oleg was detained by the field gendarmerie near the town of Rovenki. Koshevoi was not known by sight, and he might well have avoided exposure if not for a mistake. During the search, they found a Komsomol ID card sewn into his clothes, as well as several other documents incriminating him as a member of the Young Guard. According to the requirements of the conspiracy, Koshevoy had to get rid of all the documents, but Oleg’s boyish pride turned out to be higher.
Oleg Koshevoy died just five days before the city of Krasnodon was liberated by units of the Red Army.
Oleg Koshevoy continued his war against the Nazis after his death. Aircraft of the squadron of the 171st Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 315th Fighter Aviation Division under the command of Captain Ivan Vishnyakov wore the inscription "For Oleg Koshevoy!". The squadron’s pilots destroyed several dozen fascist aircraft, and Ivan Vishnyakov himself was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Oleg, according to the testimony of most of those who knew him before the war, was a real role model. He studied well, was fond of drawing, wrote poetry, played sports, and danced well. In the spirit of that time, the Koshevoi was engaged in shooting and fulfilled the standard for obtaining the Voroshilov Shooter badge. After learning to swim, he began helping others and soon began working as a lifeguard.
At school, Oleg helped the laggards, sometimes taking five people who were not doing well in school.
When the war began, Koshevoy, who, among other things, was also the editor of the school wall newspaper, began helping wounded soldiers in the hospital, which was located in In Krasnodon, he published the satirical newspaper Krokodil for them, and prepared reports from the front.
Oleg had a very warm relationship with his mother, who supported him in all his endeavors, and friends often gathered at the Koshevs' house.
Oleg’s school friends from Krasnodon school No. 1 named after Gorky became members of his underground group, which joined the Young Guard in September 1942.
Oleg Koshevoy, who turned 16 in June 1942, was not supposed to stay in Krasnodone — just before the occupation of the city by the Nazis, he was sent to evacuation. However, it was not possible to get far, because the Germans were advancing faster. The Koshevoi returned to Krasnodon. "He was gloomy, black with grief. His smile no longer appeared on his face, he walked from corner to corner, depressed and silent, he did not know what to put his hands to. What was happening around him was no longer amazing, but it crushed his son’s soul with terrible anger," Oleg’s mother Elena Nikolaevna recalled.
In September, the group assembled by Koshev becomes part of the "Young Guard".
Oleg Koshevoy was involved in planning the operations of the Young Guards, participated in the actions himself, and was responsible for liaison with other underground groups operating in the vicinity of Krasnodon.
Those who were not arrested immediately, the headquarters gave the only possible order in these conditions — to leave immediately. Oleg Koshevoy was among those who managed to get out of the Krasnodona.
The Nazis, who already had evidence that Koshevoy was a commissar of the Young Guard, detained Oleg’s mother and grandmother. Elena Nikolaevna Kosheva’s spine was injured and her teeth knocked out during interrogations…
Most of those who managed to leave Krasnodon were unable to cross the front line. Oleg was detained by the field gendarmerie near the town of Rovenki. Koshevoi was not known by sight, and he might well have avoided exposure if not for a mistake. During the search, they found a Komsomol ID card sewn into his clothes, as well as several other documents incriminating him as a member of the Young Guard. According to the requirements of the conspiracy, Koshevoy had to get rid of all the documents, but Oleg’s boyish pride turned out to be higher.
Oleg Koshevoy died just five days before the city of Krasnodon was liberated by units of the Red Army.
Oleg Koshevoy continued his war against the Nazis after his death. Aircraft of the squadron of the 171st Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 315th Fighter Aviation Division under the command of Captain Ivan Vishnyakov wore the inscription "For Oleg Koshevoy!". The squadron’s pilots destroyed several dozen fascist aircraft, and Ivan Vishnyakov himself was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
"The Sad Demon, the Spirit of exile,
He flew over the sinful land.
And better days to remember
A crowd crowded in front of him…"
In January 1943, underground members of the anti-fascist organization The Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya) were arrested in nazi-occupied Krasnodon. The young men and women who were thrown into prison experienced a deep shock, although they were preparing for the fact that their activities could end in failure.
Among those who not only managed to endure the arrest with dignity, but also strengthened the mental strength of their comrades, was Ulyana Gromova. The girl, who turned 19 just a week before her arrest, was reading poetry from Lermontov’s "Demon" to her friends in her cell.
While studying at school, Ulyana read a lot. The girl was an avid fan of Lermontov, Gorky, Jack London and Taras Shevchenko. She wrote down the expressions she remembered from the books in her diary. One of them was a saying by Jack London: "It's much easier to see heroes die than to listen to some coward’s cries for mercy."
Ulyana Gromova was born in the Donbass, in the village of Pervomaika, into a working-class family. Ulyana’s father Matvey Maksimovich Gromov, a participant in the Russian-Japanese war, worked in a mine until his retirement. His mother, Matryona Savelyevna, was a housewife and raised five children. Ulyana was the youngest child in the family.
At school, Ulyana moved from class to class with commendable diplomas, was an active pioneer. The teachers noted not only the girl’s abilities, but also her ability to work hard and systematically to solve tasks.
In March 1940, Ulyana Gromova joined the Komsomol. Her first assignment was to work as a counselor with elementary school students.
Peaceful dreams of the future were interrupted by the war, which Ulyana met as a 10th grade student. Together with her peers, she worked in collective farm fields, cared for the wounded in the hospital, read newspapers and books to them, and helped write letters to her relatives.
In early June 1942, before occupation, Ulyana Gromova graduated from high school with "good" and "excellent" grades with excellent behavior. Ulyana did not evacuate, deciding not to leave her sick mother.
In the very first days of the occupation, Germans settled in the Gromovs' house. The owners themselves were actually evicted to the street, and until late autumn the family huddled in a small shed.
Ulyana took the occupation as a personal insult. Being careful with the Germans, she did not hesitate to openly express her contempt for those who cooperated with the Nazis.
It is not surprising that Ulyana, along with Maya Peglivanova, and Anatoly Popov organized a patriotic youth group in the village of Pervomaika, which became part of the Young Guard in September 1942.
A month later, Ulyana was elected a member of the organization’s staff. She took an active part in the preparation of combat operations, the compilation and distribution of anti-fascist leaflets, the collection of medicines, campaigning among the population, urging them not to obey the enemy and disrupt his plans to supply food to the Nazis, as well as the recruitment of young people to work in Germany.
Ulyana carried out one of the most daring actions on the night of November 7, 1942. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the October Revolution, she and Anatoly Popov hoisted a red flag on the pipe of mine No. 1 bis in occupied Krasnodon.
German counterintelligence, the Gestapo, the police and the gendarmerie intensified efforts to defeat the Communist underground. By January 11, 1943, the entire backbone of the organization, including Ulyana Gromova, was in the hands of the Nazis.
Once in the prison cell, she did not lose heart, she encouraged others.
They tried to break the impudent girl with torture. The dry lines of the forensic examination, made after the discovery of the corpses of the Young Guards, read: "Ulyana Gromova, 19 years old, a five-pointed star was carved on her back, her right arm was broken, her ribs were broken."
She had to endure terrible torments, but she did not betray anyone and did not give any testimony. Ulyana’s incredible resilience helped her comrades hold on.
Realizing that she had only a few hours left to live, Ulya scribbled a farewell note on the wall of the cell.:
atia p
"Goodbye Mom,
Goodbye Dad,
Goodbye, all my relatives,
Goodbye, my beloved brother,
you will not see me again.
I dream about your engines in my dreams.,
Your camp is always in my eyes.
My beloved brother, I am dying.,
Stand up for your Motherland."
After the liberation of Krasnodon, the inscription on the prison wall will be found Vera Krotova is Ulyana’s friend and distant relative. The piece of paper on which Vera copied Ulyana’s farewell words is now kept in the museum.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated September 13, 1943, Ulyana Matveevna Gromova, a member of the staff of the underground Komsomol organization The Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya), was posthumously awarded the honorary title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Among her favorite phrases from books that Ulyana wrote out in her diary were words from Nikolai Ostrovsky’s book "How Steel was Tempered": "The most precious thing for a person is life. It is given to him once, and he must live it in such a way that it does not excruciatingly hurt for the aimlessly lived years, so that the shame of a mean and petty past does not burn, and so that, dying, he can say: his whole life and all his strength were devoted to the most beautiful thing in the world — the struggle for the liberation of mankind."
Ulyana Gromova managed to live her short life the way her favorite writers taught her.
He flew over the sinful land.
And better days to remember
A crowd crowded in front of him…"
In January 1943, underground members of the anti-fascist organization The Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya) were arrested in nazi-occupied Krasnodon. The young men and women who were thrown into prison experienced a deep shock, although they were preparing for the fact that their activities could end in failure.
Among those who not only managed to endure the arrest with dignity, but also strengthened the mental strength of their comrades, was Ulyana Gromova. The girl, who turned 19 just a week before her arrest, was reading poetry from Lermontov’s "Demon" to her friends in her cell.
While studying at school, Ulyana read a lot. The girl was an avid fan of Lermontov, Gorky, Jack London and Taras Shevchenko. She wrote down the expressions she remembered from the books in her diary. One of them was a saying by Jack London: "It's much easier to see heroes die than to listen to some coward’s cries for mercy."
Ulyana Gromova was born in the Donbass, in the village of Pervomaika, into a working-class family. Ulyana’s father Matvey Maksimovich Gromov, a participant in the Russian-Japanese war, worked in a mine until his retirement. His mother, Matryona Savelyevna, was a housewife and raised five children. Ulyana was the youngest child in the family.
At school, Ulyana moved from class to class with commendable diplomas, was an active pioneer. The teachers noted not only the girl’s abilities, but also her ability to work hard and systematically to solve tasks.
In March 1940, Ulyana Gromova joined the Komsomol. Her first assignment was to work as a counselor with elementary school students.
Peaceful dreams of the future were interrupted by the war, which Ulyana met as a 10th grade student. Together with her peers, she worked in collective farm fields, cared for the wounded in the hospital, read newspapers and books to them, and helped write letters to her relatives.
In early June 1942, before occupation, Ulyana Gromova graduated from high school with "good" and "excellent" grades with excellent behavior. Ulyana did not evacuate, deciding not to leave her sick mother.
In the very first days of the occupation, Germans settled in the Gromovs' house. The owners themselves were actually evicted to the street, and until late autumn the family huddled in a small shed.
Ulyana took the occupation as a personal insult. Being careful with the Germans, she did not hesitate to openly express her contempt for those who cooperated with the Nazis.
It is not surprising that Ulyana, along with Maya Peglivanova, and Anatoly Popov organized a patriotic youth group in the village of Pervomaika, which became part of the Young Guard in September 1942.
A month later, Ulyana was elected a member of the organization’s staff. She took an active part in the preparation of combat operations, the compilation and distribution of anti-fascist leaflets, the collection of medicines, campaigning among the population, urging them not to obey the enemy and disrupt his plans to supply food to the Nazis, as well as the recruitment of young people to work in Germany.
Ulyana carried out one of the most daring actions on the night of November 7, 1942. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the October Revolution, she and Anatoly Popov hoisted a red flag on the pipe of mine No. 1 bis in occupied Krasnodon.
German counterintelligence, the Gestapo, the police and the gendarmerie intensified efforts to defeat the Communist underground. By January 11, 1943, the entire backbone of the organization, including Ulyana Gromova, was in the hands of the Nazis.
Once in the prison cell, she did not lose heart, she encouraged others.
They tried to break the impudent girl with torture. The dry lines of the forensic examination, made after the discovery of the corpses of the Young Guards, read: "Ulyana Gromova, 19 years old, a five-pointed star was carved on her back, her right arm was broken, her ribs were broken."
She had to endure terrible torments, but she did not betray anyone and did not give any testimony. Ulyana’s incredible resilience helped her comrades hold on.
Realizing that she had only a few hours left to live, Ulya scribbled a farewell note on the wall of the cell.:
atia p
"Goodbye Mom,
Goodbye Dad,
Goodbye, all my relatives,
Goodbye, my beloved brother,
you will not see me again.
I dream about your engines in my dreams.,
Your camp is always in my eyes.
My beloved brother, I am dying.,
Stand up for your Motherland."
After the liberation of Krasnodon, the inscription on the prison wall will be found Vera Krotova is Ulyana’s friend and distant relative. The piece of paper on which Vera copied Ulyana’s farewell words is now kept in the museum.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated September 13, 1943, Ulyana Matveevna Gromova, a member of the staff of the underground Komsomol organization The Young Guard (Molodaya Gvardiya), was posthumously awarded the honorary title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Among her favorite phrases from books that Ulyana wrote out in her diary were words from Nikolai Ostrovsky’s book "How Steel was Tempered": "The most precious thing for a person is life. It is given to him once, and he must live it in such a way that it does not excruciatingly hurt for the aimlessly lived years, so that the shame of a mean and petty past does not burn, and so that, dying, he can say: his whole life and all his strength were devoted to the most beautiful thing in the world — the struggle for the liberation of mankind."
Ulyana Gromova managed to live her short life the way her favorite writers taught her.
Photos & Publications
