Siberian Western: in 1943 caught a gang Evenk Pavlova, who plundered the gold mines

In November 1942 on the banks of the Volga, the Red Army counterattacked, bogged down in Stalingrad by the Nazis. At the same time far from the front of Yakutia, adjusted for Soviet reality, developed this Western Siberian. The role of salperton Indians performed Evenk riding a reindeer. Chasing them is not the cowboys, and rugged soldiers of the NKVD. And the battle did not rattle in the burnt Prairie, and in the frosty and snowy Siberia.

23 Nov 1942 in aldanskiy Department of the NKVD of Yakutia it is frightening for the Siberian wilderness news. Two days ago a group of unknown attacked the camp of the herders, killed several people and took with him 20 deer. The next morning, the bandits swooped on the gold area of Steep, selected from the population of all weapons, and captured two workers.

After lunch the same day they are on the sled flew into the center Atyrayskaja mine and tried to break into the local office, where he kept gold and money. Head of mine and his armed group before nightfall shot from the raiders, but they were not allowed in the building.

After that, the bandits looted a grocery store, shot dead a woman doctor, set fire to the buildings of the village and went into the forest. With them they took 7 tons of flour and gold for 10 thousand rubles.

Fighter unit of the Soviet police

And before these events in Eastern Siberia, banditry was on the level. Affected by the presence of gold, numerous prisoners, his producing, and weapons. Even the poor little reindeer in the tent sure was kept old-fashioned gun with several notches on the butt.

Equipment Evenk hunter

The NKVD were frightened by the scale of thought of the bandits and that according to eyewitnesses, they took in a detachment of volunteers from prisoners and local. The police immediately knew who made war in the Siberian wilderness. They were former farmers-Evenki, who retired into the forest.

In August 1942, in the farm. XVIII party conference Commitscope of the Aldan district of the County came the news of a difficult situation at the front. Most of the farmers were Evenks and simple decided that the Germans will soon win and, therefore, the Bolsheviks to an end. Former nomads began to hammer the state of the deer, which is the same state they previously took. After the division of property cattle farmers began to go into the forest.

With them escaped and the Chairman of the collective farm 50-year-old Evenk Egor Pavlov – member of the CPSU(b), and a graduate of the Yakutsk military school, where the Bolsheviks were preparing local party activists. After a month wandering in the forest Pavlov assembled a gang of 8 people and decided to fight against the Soviets. Among the bandits was a former officer of the tsarist army Gorokhov. Pavlov did not wait for the Germans and started the war with a RAID on the mines.

After the first successful stock group has grown to 20 people. To create a formidable image the leader of the gang spread the rumor that under his command fifty soldiers, and deserted taiga it was the power serious. After receiving information about the bandits, the soldiers of the NKVD began the hunt for the "group of Pavlov".

There was a strong frost, but the gang decided to RAID not waiting for spring. November 24 to catch the pavlovians out consolidated senior Lieutenant of state security of the fish. All 22 fighters from the local police and NKVD, moving, and Evenki, in sleds pulled by reindeer. After five days on the snow-covered forest, they arrived to the mine Hatyrchi.

Here the police detained the Evenki by the name of Procopius. It turned out that he was among the raiders, but was injured got separated from the gang and was hiding in the vicinity of the village. The prisoner reported that 18 of the pavlovians defeated plague in the upper reaches of the river Approach. Leaving 6 men to guard the mine, fish with a detachment went on the trail.

Evenki hunters

In the evening of December 1, tired operatives went straight to the camp of the Evenki, which was a surprise to both sides. In the course of police jumped from the sled and fired at the camp. Half-naked they were fired in response. Ensued a short but violent skirmish.

Herders killed two policemen and wounded fish, and then, abandoning their booty, fled to the forest. Abandoned tents in addition to the weapons, gold and supplies were wives and children of bandits.

A week Evenki drove through the Siberian forest, but on December 8 they are ambushed. Losing in the skirmish one soldier, the task force turned toward Khatyrka, where the police began the arrests involved gang activity entities. taken during the battle on the river Evenki investigation were 29 people.

Help to finish off the gang volunteered two Evenk hunter – Vasil'ev and Fedorov, who the raiders trusted. On 5 February they agreed to meet with the bandits near the river Amga. Here Pavlov had planned to gather supporters and survivors to decide what to do next. For this reason it was planned a serious Bender.

From the received wounds the former Chairman of the collective farm and the robber died. The night from 5 to 6 February, investigators arrested 12 of the Evenks. A court decision three bandits shot, the remnants of "army Pavlova", and not waiting for the arrival of the Germans, went to hard labor.