The Partisan Trace in the Koriukivka Tragedy (16 January – 11 March 1943)

Abstract

This study examines the concealment of information regarding the Nazi genocide of the civilian population in the town of Koriukivka in March 1943 by the leadership of guerrilla units led by Fedorov and Popudrenko, based on an analysis of archival documents.The article explores the possible motives that may have guided the partisan leaders in deliberately suppressing the true causes and circumstances of the Koriukivka tragedy. The tactic of ‘sweeping one’s tracks’ by the so-called people’s avengers, including the concealment of their own culpability, became a defining feature of the Soviet side’s efforts to avoid potential retaliation.Particular attention is given to several obscure yet revealing episodes in the lives of the main figures involved—Dmitriy Rvanov, Nicholas Popudrenko, and Alexei Fyodorov. It is suggested that the tragic death of N. Popudrenko, as well as the tacit justification (and perhaps even exaltation) of A. Fyodorov by the Soviet leadership, may be directly connected to the events that unfolded in Koriukivka village, Chernihiv region, in late February to early March 1943.The author concludes that the guerrillas’ inactivity and their silence regarding their own responsibility necessitate a critical reassessment and symbolic ‘dethronement’ of the partisan leaders, despite their contributions to the struggle against the Nazi invaders during the Second World War.