Vasily Zakharovich Korzh - Hero of the Soviet Union. During the Second World War, he was the commander of the "Komarovtsy" - a detachment of partisans, taking the post of Major General. In 1950 he became chairman of the collective farm. Vasily Zakharovich Korzh, whose exploits will not be forgotten by the country, participated in the war, was awarded orders and medals.
Biography of the Hero of the Soviet Union
Korzh Vasily Zakharovich, whose biography is filled with many events, was born on January 1, 1899 in Belarus, in the village of Khorostovo.
In 1921, Vasily took part in battles with the White Guard detachments that opposed the Soviet Union. The partisan detachment, which included Korzh, fought against the anti-Soviet Socialist-Revolutionary Party.
In 1931 he graduated from the special courses of the Orenburg State Pedagogical University. After receiving his education, Vasily Zakharovich Korzh received the honorary position of the head of the partisan movement.
To maintain secrecy, Vasily was considered an instructor of the Societycontributing to defense, aviation and chemical construction, but in fact he was responsible for guerrilla activities in six border areas.
The beginning of a military career
In November 1936, Vasily Zakharovich Korzh was called to Spain, where at that time hostilities began with the Francoists. Already at this time, Vasily was the commander of a partisan detachment. In December 1937, Vasily returned to his homeland, where he received awards for his courage and courage.
Dark Time
Vasily Zakharovich Korzh was suspected of espionage. It was assumed that he would transfer all the collected information to Poland so that she could conduct active hostilities against the USSR.
As a result, Korzh was arrested and sent to a Minsk prison, where he spent more than a month. Prison conditions were very difficult, the prisoners were mocked, but Vasily Zakharovich Korzh did not sign a confession of espionage against the Soviet Union even for his release.
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After leaving prison, Vasily went to the Pinsk region. It was there that he created his partisan detachment. Vasily Zakharovich Korzh changed his last name to Komarov, it was she who later became his pseudonym in order to avoid another arrest.
On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the territory of the USSR, attacking the country from Belarus. It was here that the largest partisan movement in Europe was formed, in the forefront of which stood Korzh.
First successes
For the Soviet Union, Belarus wasan important element that could not be ceded to the German troops. It was on this territory that there were impenetrable forest jungles and deep swamps, which was the main advantage for the development of partisan movements here.
Already on June 28, 1941, Korzh and his detachment of partisans were able to ambush on the Pinsk-Logishin route, where an enemy column of military equipment was passing. Already after the first well-aimed throws of grenades into the tanks, the lead vehicle was smashed. It was this ambush that went down in history as the first guerrilla attack. In this battle, the "Komarovtsy" did not lose a single fighter.
Good luck with your future endeavors
Already in the first months of the war, the territories of Belarus were occupied. In the winter of 1942, a partisan detachment led by Korzh made a sleigh ride to the German rear. During this raid, several dozen enemy garrisons were defeated. "Komarovtsy" attacked not only enemy garrisons, but also railway stations, German echelons with soldiers and military supplies, destroyed telephone lines. The partisan detachment was lucky in everything, however, none of the partisans could have thought that the walker would drag on for such a long time - the detachment had been in this raid for more than three years.
Family Relations
During the war, both daughters of Vasily also participated in hostilities and attacks on the Nazis. Vasily Zakharovich Korzh, whose family was also inevitably drawn into the war, was very worried about his daughters - the women taken prisoner suffered terrible torture from the enemysoldier. However, the youngest daughter Zinaida, who inherited her father's character, went to battle with confidence in victory over the enemy. At the end of the war, Zinaida Korzh was awarded many medals and orders for her courage and steadfastness. Zinaida received the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Patriotic War, second degree.
Olga, the eldest daughter of Vasily, served as a sanitary instructor in a cavalry squadron. As Olga herself recalled, during the war she thought that everything she saw could be left in the past, but she could not forget her faces distorted by pain and mutilated bodies.
Despite the fact that the men who were comrades-in-arms for the Korzh sisters during the war, laughed at women, did not believe that young girls could really be useful, Olga and Zinaida took part in hostilities for a long time. However, Vasily Zakharovich persuaded the girls to go to the Cossacks on the collective farm, where they would be safe.
Only in 1941 did Zinaida and Olga succumb to their father's persuasion to leave the war. They left for the village of Tbilisi, where they began to live and work on a collective farm, among the Cossacks.
Zinaida, having entered the society of women participating in the war, became the chairman of this society.
Korzh's post-war life
In 1946, Vasily Zakharovich graduated from the Military Academy of the Military Staff. In the same year, Korzh retired with the rank of Major General.
Already at the end of the war, Korzh was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War of the Firstdegree.
In the same year, Vasily began work as Deputy Minister of the Forestry Industry. After working on the spot for four years, Korzh was able to get the position of chairman of the Partisan Territory collective farm in his native land - in the village of Khorostovo. Vasily Zakharovich worked in this position until his death.
In the post-war years, Vasily Zakharovich was in close friendship with Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov. Having met in Slutsk, the military leaders agreed in many respects and kept in touch until the end of their lives. Spending time together, they hunted ducks in the swamps, Zhukov often stayed overnight at Korzh's parental home. Already in the post-war peacetime, Korzh often visited his disgraced friend in the capital.
Creative path
Vasily Korzh had a desire to write and publish an autobiographical book that could tell about all those terrible events that occurred on the way of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Working for a long time on his memoirs, which were based on the events of the partisan struggle, Korzh was able to convey the whole atmosphere that reigned in the terrible days that flowed into months and years.
In the post-war period, the book was banned by censors, because much of what Vasily Korzh wrote about was too harsh, it could show the actions of the authorities of the Soviet Union not in the best light. Everyone knows the fact that even during the war, the government in the USSR was too cruel. Joseph Stalin, who already missed the moment of the attack of German troops on the territory of the Soviet Union,he was too biased towards Korzh, which influenced the commander's attitude to the entire war as a whole. The censors believed that most of what Korzh described in his writings did not coincide with reality, but Vasily Zakharovich described all the events truthfully. To date, the authenticity of the book can be verified based on historical facts.
The book was published only in 2008, which was facilitated by the youngest daughter of Vasily, Zinaida. It was she who transferred her father's works to the National Archives of Belarus.
Commander's family ties
According to some sources, it is believed that Vasily Zakharovich Korzh and Max Korzh are relatives. The pop artist himself says that Vasily Zakharovich is his cousin great-grandfather. Much of what is known about the life of Vasily was told by Max Korzh himself. Vasily Zakharovich Korzh, whose photos can be seen in this article, really has an outward resemblance to a young singer.
A few words about Korzh's life
Vasily Korzh is a great military leader, thanks to whom the partisan movement gained such significant momentum. It was with his help that the USSR managed to preserve such strategically important lands of Belarus, which were needed not only by the Soviet Union, but also by the German invaders. Having raised his daughters as worthy fighters who inherited their father's disposition, Vasily Zakharovich was proud of them all the post-war years. For many years he maintained friendly relations with Marshal Zhukov, it was clear to everyone what connected them -constant disgrace from the authorities. Both, having been in disgrace, understood each other perfectly. Having earned respect from his associates, Vasily Korzh will forever remain in the memory of everyone who honors the great victory of the Soviet Union.
