Polish prisoners of war in Soviet Union (after 1939)
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As a result of the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, hundreds of thousands of Polish soldiers became
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...
. Many of them were executed; 22,000 Polish military personnel and civilians perished in the Katyn massacre alone. Fischer, Benjamin B.,
The Katyn Controversy: Stalin's Killing Field
, '' Studies in Intelligence'', Winter 1999-2000.


Soviet invasion of Poland

On September 17, 1939, the Red Army invaded the territory of Poland from the east. The invasion took place while Poland was already sustaining serious defeats in the wake of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
attack on the country that started on September 1, 1939. The Soviets moved to safeguard their claims in accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Encyklopedia PWNbr>'KAMPANIA WRZEŚNIOWA 1939'
, last retrieved on 10 December 2005, Polish language
During the Red Army's rapid advance, about 6,000–7,000 Polish soldiers died in the fighting,Edukacja Humanistyczna w wojsku
. 1/2005. Dom wydawniczy Wojska Polskiego. . (Official publication of the Polish Army). Retrieved 28 November 2006.
230,000–450,000 were taken prisoner—230,000 immediately after the campaign and 70,000 more when the Soviets annexed the
Baltic States The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
and assumed custody of Polish troops interned there.obozy jenieckie żołnierzy polskich
(Prison camps for Polish soldiers) Encyklopedia PWN. Retrieved 28 November 2006.
Молотов на V сессии Верховного Совета 31 октября цифра «примерно 250 тыс.» (Please provide translation of the reference title and publication data and means) Отчёт Украинского и Белорусского фронтов Красной Армии Мельтюхов, с. 367

(Please provide translation of the reference title and publication data and means)
The Soviets often failed to honour the terms of surrender. In some cases, they promised Polish soldiers freedom after capitulation and then arrested them when they laid down their arms. George Sanford (scholar), Sanford
Google Books, p. 20–24.
/ref> Some Polish soldiers were murdered shortly after capture, like General
Józef Olszyna-Wilczyński Józef Konstanty Olszyna-Wilczyński (; 27 November 1890 – 22 September 1939) was a Polish people, Polish general and one of the high-ranking commanders of the Polish Army. A veteran of World War I, the Polish-Ukrainian War and the Polish-Sovi ...
, who was taken prisoner, interrogated and shot on September 22, during the invasion itself.Olszyna-Wilczyński Józef Konstanty
, entry at Encyklopedia PWN. Retrieved 14 November 2006.
Polish Institute of National Remembrance. 16.10.03. From Internet Archive. On September 24, the Soviets murdered forty-two staff and patients at a Polish military hospital in the village of Grabowiec near Zamość.Tygodnik Zamojskim
15 September 2004. Retrieved 28 November 2006.
After a tactical Polish victory at the
battle of Szack Battle of Szack (Shatsk) was one of the battles between the Polish Army and the Red Army fought in 1939 in the beginning of the Second World War. Eve of the battle During the invasion of Poland the Polish Border Defence Corps (''KOP'') was seve ...
on September 28, where the combined ''Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza '' ( KOP) or Border Protection Corps forces, under General
Wilhelm Orlik-Rueckemann Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Mount ...
, routed the
Soviet 52nd Rifle Division The 52nd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, the interwar period, World War II, and the Cold War, formed once during the Russian Civil War and three times during the existence of the Soviet Union. ...
, the Soviets executed all the Polish officers they captured.Szack
Encyklopedia Interia Encyklopedia Internautica (Polish: "Encyclopedia Internautica") is a Polish Internet encyclopedia based on the ''Popularna Encyklopedia Powszechna'' (Popular Universal Encyclopedia) or Pinnex. It is freely accessible on the pages of Interia, Polan ...
. Retrieved 28 November 2006.
The Soviets also executed hundreds of defenders at
Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
, the exact number of those killed has not been established.


First period (1939–1941)

Some Polish prisoners were freed or escaped, but 125,000 found themselves incarcerated in prison camps run by the NKVD. Of these, the Soviet authorities released 42,400 soldiers (mostly soldiers of Ukrainian and Belarusian ethnicity serving in the Polish army who lived in the former Polish territories now annexed by the Soviet Union) in October. The 43,000 soldiers born in West Poland, then under German control, were transferred to the Germans; in turn the Soviets received 13,575 Polish prisoners from the Germans. Poland and the Soviet Union never officially declared war on each other in 1939; the Soviets effectively broke off diplomatic relations when they withdrew recognition of the Polish government at the start of the invasion.See telegrams
No. 317
of September 10: Schulenburg, the German ambassador in the Soviet Union, to the German Foreign Office. Moscow, 10 September 1939-9:40 p.m.

of 16 September

of 17 September Source: The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. Last accessed on 14 November 2006

(Note of the Soviet government to the Polish government on 17 September 1939 refused by Polish ambassador Wacław Grzybowski). Retrieved 15 November 2006.
The Soviets regarded captured Polish military personnel not as prisoners-of-war, but as counter-revolutionaries resisting the legal Soviet reclamation of western Ukraine and
West Belarus Western Belorussia or Western Belarus ( be, Заходняя Беларусь, translit=Zachodniaja Bielaruś; pl, Zachodnia Białoruś; russian: Западная Белоруссия, translit=Zapadnaya Belorussiya) is a historical region of mod ...
. The USSR refused to allow Red Cross supervision of prisoners - on the grounds that it had not signed the 1929 Geneva Convention on the Treatment of PoWs and did not recognise the Hague Convention. The Soviet military handed the Polish prisoners over to the ''Narodnyy komissariat vnutrennikh del'' (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, better known as the NKVD or secret police), they received sentences under clauses in the Soviet penal code relating to crimes including treason and counter-revolution, and were not considered subject to the "Regulations for the Treatment of Prisoners of War" approved by the Soviet Council of Ministers.Sanford, p. 25 and p. 41. As early as September 19, 1939, the People's Commissar for Internal Affairs and First Rank Commissar of State Security,
Lavrenty Beria Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ;  – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolsheviks ...
, ordered the NKVD to create the
Administration for Affairs of Prisoners of War and Internees __NOTOC__ The Main Administration for Affairs of Prisoners of War and Internees ( rus, Главное управление по делам военнопленных и интернированных НКВД/МВД СССР, ГУПВИ, GUPVI, GU ...
to manage Polish prisoners. The NKVD took custody of Polish prisoners from the Red Army and proceeded to organize a network of reception centers and transit camps and to arrange rail transport to prisoner-of-war camps in the western USSR. The camps were located at Jukhnovo ( Babynino rail station), Yuzhe (Talitsy),
Kozelsk Kozelsk (russian: Козе́льск) is a town and the administrative center of Kozelsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Zhizdra River (Oka's tributary), southwest of Kaluga, the administrative center of the oblast. Populatio ...
,
Kozelshchyna Kozelschyna ( uk, Козельщина) is an urban-type settlement in Poltava Oblast (province) of central Ukraine, located 77 km from Poltava. It formerly served as the administrative center of Kozelshchyna Raion, but is now administrated with ...
, Oranki, Ostashkov (
Stolbnyi Island Stolobny Island is an island on Lake Seliger in the Tver Oblast of Russia, about north of the town of Ostashkov. Nilov Monastery The island is the home of Nilov Monastery, which was founded by Saint Nilus in 1594, and previously welcomed up ...
on
Seliger Lake Seliger ( rus, Селиге́р, p=sʲɪlʲɪˈgʲɛr) is a lake in Ostashkovsky District of Tver Oblast and, in the extreme northern part, in Demyansky District of Novgorod Oblast of Russia, in the northwest of the Valdai Hills, a part of the Vo ...
near Ostashkov), Tyotkino rail station (56 mi/90 km from
Putyvl Putyvl′Frank SysynBetween Poland and the Ukraine: The Dilemma of Adam Kysil, 1600-1653 - P. 25. (, ) or Putivl′ ( rus, Пути́вль, p=pʊˈtʲivlʲ) is a city in north-east Ukraine, in Sumy Oblast. The city served as the administrative c ...
),
Starobielsk Starobilsk ( uk, Старобільськ, russian: Старобельск) is a city in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Starobilsk Raion. The modern settlement was founded in 1686, and it was granted city stat ...
, Vologda ( Zaenikevo rail station) and Gryazovets."The grave unknown elsewhere or any time before ... Katyń – Kharkov – Mednoe"
last retrieved on 10 December 2005. Article includes a note that it is based on a special edition of a "Historic Reference-Book for the Pilgrims to Katyń – Kharkow – Mednoe" by
Jędrzej Tucholski Jędrzej is a variant Polish form of the given name Andrzej (Andrew). Notable individuals with the given name Jędrzej *Jędrzej Śniadecki *Jędrzej Moraczewski *Jędrzej Gruszczyński *Jędrzej Maćkowiak *Jędrzej Giertych *Jędrzej Kitowicz ...
Kozelsk and Starobielsk held mainly military officers, while Ostashkov was used mainly for
Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...
s,
gendarme Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "Man-at-arms, men-at-arms" ...
s, police and prison officers. Inmates at these camps were not exclusively military officers or members of the other groups mentioned, they also included members of the Polish
intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the in ...
. The approximate distribution of men throughout the camps was as follows: * Kozelsk, 5,000 * Ostashkov, 6,570 * Starobelsk (Katyn forest), 4,000 They totalled 15,570 men. Zawodny, Janusz K., ''Death in the Forest: The Story of the Katyn Forest Massacre'', University of Notre Dame Press, 1962,
partial HTML online
/ref> According to a report from 19 November 1939, the NKVD had about 40,000 Polish POWs: about 8,000-8,500 officers and warrant officers, 6,000–6,500 police officers and 25,000 soldiers and NCOs who were still being held as POWs.Decision to commence investigation into Katyn Massacre
, Małgorzata Kużniar-Plota, Departmental Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, Warsaw 30 November 2004
''Катынь. Пленники необъявленной войны''. сб.док. М., МФ "Демократия": 1999, сс.20–21, 208–210. In December, a wave of arrests took into custody some Polish officers who were not yet imprisoned; Ivan Serov reported to Lavrentiy Beria on 3 December that "in all, 1,057 former officers of the Polish Army had been arrested". The 25,000 soldiers and non-commissioned officers were assigned to forced labor (road construction, heavy metallurgy). Once at the camps, from October 1939 to February 1940, the Poles were subjected to lengthy interrogations and constant political agitation by NKVD officers such as Vasily Zarubin. The Soviets encouraged the Poles to believe they would be released,"The Katyn Diary of Leon Gladun"
, last accessed on 19 December 2005, English translation of Polish document. See the entries on 25 December 1939 and 3 April 1940.
but the interviews were in effect a selection process to determine who would live and who would die. According to NKVD reports, the prisoners could not be induced to adopt a pro-Soviet attitude. They were declared "hardened and uncompromising enemies of Soviet authority". On March 5, 1940, a note to Joseph Stalin from Beria saw the members of the Soviet
Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states. Names The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contraction ...
— Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov,
Lazar Kaganovich Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich, also Kahanovich (russian: Ла́зарь Моисе́евич Кагано́вич, Lázar' Moiséyevich Kaganóvich; – 25 July 1991), was a Soviet politician and administrator, and one of the main associates of ...
, Mikhail Kalinin, Kliment Voroshilov,
Anastas Mikoyan Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan (; russian: Анаста́с Ива́нович Микоя́н; hy, Անաստաս Հովհաննեսի Միկոյան; 25 November 1895 – 21 October 1978) was an Armenian Communist revolutionary, Old Bolshevik an ...
and Beria — signed an order for the execution of "nationalists and counter-revolutionaries" kept at camps and prisons in western Ukraine and Belarus. This execution became known as the Katyn massacre, where 22,000 perished


Second period (1941–1944)

Diplomatic relations were, however, re-established in 1941 after the German invasion of the Soviet Union forced Joseph Stalin to look for allies. Thus the military agreement from August 14 and subsequent Sikorski–Mayski Agreement from August 17, 1941, resulted in Stalin agreeing to declare the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in relation to Poland null and void,"In relation to Poland the effects of the pact have been abrogated on the basis of the Sikorski-Mayski agreement".
René Lefeber, Malgosia Fitzmaurice, ''The Changing Political Structure of Europe: aspects of International law'', Martinus Nijhoff Publishers,
Google Print, p.101
/ref> and release tens of thousands of Polish prisoners-of-war held in Soviet camps. Pursuant to an agreement between the Polish government-in-exile and Stalin, the Soviets granted " amnesty" to many Polish citizens, from whom a military force was formed. Stalin also agreed that this military force would be subordinate to the Polish government-in-exile. This force was known as the Anders Army. From 1943 Poles were recruited into the
Berling Army Berling may refer to: *Berling, Moselle, France * Berling (surname) *Berlingr, a dwarf in the short story " Sörla þáttr" See also * Berlin (disambiguation) * Berlinger (disambiguation) *Berlingske ''Berlingske'', previously known as ''Berli ...
.


Third period (after 1944)

The third group of Polish prisoners were members of Polish resistance organizations (''
Armia Krajowa The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) esta ...
'', or ' cursed soldiers') loyal to the Polish government-in-exile and seen by the Soviets as a threat to their establishment of a power base in Poland. Relatively few were sent to the Soviet Union (although there were notable exceptions, see Trial of the Sixteen); most were transferred to the Polish communist security forces and prisons, or enlisted in the Berling Army.


Polish generals killed by the Soviets in 1939–1945

* - Major General in the Polish Army of the
Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...
. In September 1939, when the
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
and the Soviet Army invaded Poland, he moved to
Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
, where he was captured by the NKVD a month later. He has been missing since then, presumably killed by the NKVD. *
Leon Billewicz Leon Billewicz (April 25, 1870 in Werbiczna – April 1940) was a Polish officer and a General of the Polish Army. He was murdered during the Katyń massacre. Biography Service Initially serving with the Imperial Russian Army, in November 1 ...
- Brigadier General, seized by the Soviets in Żurawno nearby
Stryi Stryi ( uk, Стрий, ; pl, Stryj) is a city located on the left bank of the river Stryi in Lviv Oblast (region) of western Ukraine 65 km to the south of Lviv (in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains). It serves as the administrative cen ...
on 19 September 1939 along with the hastily organized Polish units heading toward Polish-Hungarian border. He was detained in
Starobielsk Starobilsk ( uk, Старобільськ, russian: Старобельск) is a city in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Starobilsk Raion. The modern settlement was founded in 1686, and it was granted city stat ...
and executed in Kharkiv. * Bronisław Bohatyrewicz - Brigadier General, he had retired from the Army before 1939, nevertheless was arrested in September 1939 and deported to the camp in Kozielsk and subsequently murdered in the
Katyń massacre The Katyn massacre, "Katyń crime"; russian: link=yes, Катынская резня ''Katynskaya reznya'', "Katyn massacre", or russian: link=no, Катынский расстрел, ''Katynsky rasstrel'', "Katyn execution" was a series of m ...
. He was one of only two generals identified during exhumation in 1943. * Alexandre Chkheidze - Brigadier General, was detained by the NKVD in Lviv, September 1939, as the 'enemy of people'. He was replaced to
Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
in June 1940 and accused of list of 'crimes'. The last trace of the general is receipt put by the commander of convoy in December 1940. The general was likely shot by a firing squad in Moscow in 1941. *
Xawery Czernicki Rear Admiral Xawery Stanisław Czernicki (1882–1940) was a Polish engineer, military commander and one of the highest-ranking officers of the Polish Navy. Considered one of the founders of Polish Navy's logistical services, he was murdered by ...
- Rear Admiral, he shared common lot of Polish officers detained by the Soviets. Having crossed thresholds of
Ostaszków Ostashkov (russian: Оста́шков) is a town and the administrative center of Ostashkovsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, on a peninsula at the southern shore of Lake Seliger, west of Tver, the administrative center of the oblast. Popul ...
,
Starobielsk Starobilsk ( uk, Старобільськ, russian: Старобельск) is a city in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Starobilsk Raion. The modern settlement was founded in 1686, and it was granted city stat ...
, Kozielsk Soviet camp, he was eventually murdered in the Katyń massacre. * - Lieutenant General, captured by the NKVD in Lviv, in October 1939, afterwards relocated to
Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
in 1940. His fate is unknown, but he is suspected to have died of exhaustion in the Kiev prison. *
Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg Stanislav and variants may refer to: People *Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.) Places * Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine * Stanislaus County, Cali ...
- Lieutenant General, arrested in 1939 and imprisoned in Starobielsk. In 1941, when Władysław Sikorski had issued the order to form Polish Army in the Soviet Union after the outbreak of war between Germany and the Soviet Union, Stanisław Haller was to be appointed the Commander in Chief of that army. Oblivious to Sikorski, Haller had been dead since 1940, when he fell victim to the Katyń massacre. * - nominal Lieutenant General in the Polish Army of the Second Polish Republic, in September 1939, eluding the Germans he arrived to Lviv, at that time already under the Soviet occupation. Having been sent to Siberia, Horoszkiewicz had died in Tobolsk on his way back to the west, to newly formed Polish units in the Soviet Union in 1942. * Albin Jasiński - Brigadier General, organized Polish Self-Defence units in Drohiczyn against the Soviet oppression in 1939. He was detained by the NKVD, and died in 1940 during tortures inflicted by the NKVD interrogators. * Aleksander Walenty Jasiński - Brigadier General, he disappeared after the Soviets had entered Lviv. His fate has been unknown since. * - nominal Brigadier General, he has been lost from the Soviet invasion, likely killed by the Soviets. * Adolf Karol Jastrzębski - Brigadier General, imprisoned by the Soviets, sent to gulag in Vologda, died of hard labour, exhaustion and hunger. *
Władysław Jędrzejewski Władysław Jędrzejewski (11 February 1863 - 1940) was a General of the Polish Army, who was probably murdered by the NKVD in Lwów, in March 1940. He fought in several conflicts, including World War I and the Invasion of Poland. Jędrzejewsk ...
- Lieutenant General, he was organizing the Self-Defence units in Lviv, when the Soviet army entered the city. He was executed in 1940 by the NKVD. * - Lieutenant General, the Soviet aggression caught him in Lviv. He made failed attempt to cross the German-Soviet demarcation line in 1939. Kept in prison on severe cold, he died of gangrene. *
Juliusz Klemens Kolmer Juliusz is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Juliusz Bardach (1914–2010), Polish legal historian * Juliusz Bursche (1862–1942), bishop of the Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland * Juliusz Bogdan Deczkowski (1924–1998), n ...
- Brigadier General, arrested by NKVD in Lviv, 1940. He was presumably killed by the Soviets. * - Brigadier General, he prepared operation group in Podolia during September Campaign in 1939. When the news of the Soviet invasion had reached him, General Kowalewski set off on the southeastern direction, where he clashed with approaching Soviet army. In the meantime, General of the Armies announced the directive not to engage Soviets unless provoked. General Kowalewski followed the order and capitulated to Soviets. Imprisoned and relocated to Starobielsk, murdered in Kharkiv in 1940. * - Brigadier General, arrested in November 1939 by the NKVD. Executed in the spring of 1940. *
Kazimierz Orlik-Łukoski Kazimierz Orlik-Łukoski (13 September 1890 – 1940) was a Polish military commander and one of the Generals of the Polish Army murdered by the Soviet Union in the Katyń massacre of 1940. Life He was born Kazimierz Łukoski in 1890, in the vill ...
- Major General, was captured during the German–Soviet invasion and later turned over to the NKVD. He was imprisoned in Starobielsk, and later killed in the Katyń massacre.


See also

* Camps for Polish prisoners and internees in Soviet Union and Lithuania (1919-1921) *
Treatment of Polish citizens by occupiers Around six million Polish citizensProject in PosterumRetrieved 20 September 2013.Sybiraks *
Camps for Russian prisoners and internees in Poland (1919–1924) Camps for Russian prisoners and internees in Poland that existed during 1919–1924 housed two main categories of detainees: the personnel of the Imperial Russian Army and civilians, captured by Germany during World War I and left on Polish territ ...


References


External links


The epilogue to September 1939 – Polish soldiers in Soviet captivity
- testimonies of Polish POW's in Soviet Union; "Chronicles of Terror" {{DEFAULTSORT:Polish Prisoners Of War In The Soviet Union (After 1939) *Soviet Union *Polish Invasion of Poland Katyn massacre Political repression in the Soviet Union Soviet occupation of Eastern Poland 1939–1941 Unfree labor in the Soviet Union