Figure 1.-- There is a considerable Soviet litrature on the Resistance and part of that includes the role of children in the Resistance. One very important difference between modern child soldiers and Soviet children in the Resistance is the goal of the NAZIs in the occupied East. It was not just the Jews that were targets of NAZI genocude, but there were plans to kill millions of Slavs and to deport or enslave those that were allowed to live. Although written in English, the book is a Soviet textbook. It was for children studying English.

There have in recent years been considerable press treatment of child soldiers. Many horrific accounts describe the damage done to society and the children themselves. There is a considerable Soviet litrature on the Resistance and part of that includes the role of children in the Resistance. Here we see a Soviet text book, in this case a reader for children learning English (figure 1). One very important difference between modern child soldiers and Soviet children in the Resistance is the goal of the NAZIs in the occupied East. It was not just the Jews that were targets of NAZI genocude, but there were plans to kill millions of Slavs and to deport or enslave those that were allowed to live. In such a circumstance the participation of children in the Resistance is much more understandable.

Child Soldiers

There have in recent years been considerable press treatment of child soldiers. Many horrific accounts describe the damage done to society and the children themselves. we note images of boys in the Red Army. Clearly young people below the age of conscription joined the Red Army. Given the fact that the NAZIs committed wide spread attrocities against civilians, including women and children, the idea of keeping children out of the War becomes a rather unrealistic concept. Many children worked with the partisans in the occupied areas, but we also notice boys in Red Army uniforms. Thus the Soviets clearly accepted volunteers below the age of conscription. We are not sure how common this practice was or how important.

The Occupied East

One very important difference between modern child soldiers and Soviet children in the Resistance is the goal of the NAZIs in the occupied East. It was not just the Jews that were targets of NAZI genocude, but there were plans to kill millions of Slavs and to deport or enslave those that were allowed to live. In such a circumstance the participation of children in the Resistance is much more understandable.

Soviet Heros

Some children and youths became famous in the Soviet for their war-time exploits. Many died during the War. We do not yet know many of these young heros, but to like to add accounts of their heroic acts during the War here. For the most part information about their activities has been published in the Soviet Union and not widely deseminated in the West. Hopefully our Russian readers will be able to provide some information here.

Actual Role of Children

The Soviet effort against the NAZIs was a huge national undertaking. The entire populatin of the country was involved. In a very real sence it was a war f survival, not only for the Sviet state, but for the Soviet people themselves. As a result, not only the adult male population was mobilized, but women and children were involved in the struggle to a much larger extent than in the West. There were instances of Soviet children performing heroic acts as part of the Resistance. The literature probably over emphasizes the most dramatic instances of heroism. It is true, however, that children did play an important role in the Resistance. Children were able to move openly without attracting the suspision of the Germans. Thus they were often used to carry messages and perfrm other acts that would have been very difficult for adults, espcially men. Here we have no real estimate of the number of children involved. By all accounts, however, the number was very substantial.

Soviet Literaure

There is a considerable Soviet litrature on the Resistance and part of that includes the role of children in the Resistance. Here we see a Soviet text book, in this case a reader for children learning English (figure 1).

Sample Literature

A HBC reader writes, "I read the HBC page about the World War II Resistance. This reminded me of the Soviet-era book I found about the children who worked in the Russian Partisan groups. The book is called Stories About Young heroes. The book was published in 1978 and is a collection of stories about children, boys and girls aged 12 to 16 who helped fight in the Great Patriotic War 1941-45. It was a school English text book for Grade 5 children. Each story tells about the exploits of a particular child and then there are comprehension questions asked about the story. The stories are compiles by three authors: I.B.Yasilyeva, V.I. Soroka, and T.R. Sukhomlinova. 1978. The stories are supposed to be authentic happenings. Some of the children were awarded Soviet Medals of honour. The children featured in the stories almost always perish in their Resistance. Boys and girls are featured. I must admit many of the accounts could have come from the British Boy's own magazines or novels like the The Silver Sword. Having said that there are similar stories by children of being on liners that were torpedoed ort in the Blitz the children's are also heroic. While the Soviet stories are based on actual boys and events, we do not know if the stories were embelished by the authors.

Vitya Korobkov the Brave Pioneer

This story was typical of the stories in the book. I selected this one because there is reference to attending Artek pioneer camp in 1941.

Vitya was as happy as a sand lark the day he joined the Young Pioneers. He lived in the Ukraine seaport town of Feodosia. His father worked as a printer and his mum looked after their home. The town where Vitya lived was not far from the pioneer summer camp of Artek. He longed to go there. It was not until the early summer of 1941 that 12 year old Vitya was able to go. He travelled by train from Feodosia to Artek Pioneer Camp. Vitya loved painting and he was often seen around Feodosia painting the scenes of this town. They were often of the sea for Vitya wanted to become a famous seascape artist. He was overjoyed to find that there was a chance to paint seascapes as well as all the other activities one could do at this camp.

Vitya was proud of his camp uniform. Short trousers, a short sleeved shirt with the Artek logo on it, his sandles and white socks. He was proud of his kerchief which he proudly wore around his neck. He wrote long letters home about the things he got up to. He took part in the games that were played. He liked to go boating. He also enjoyed the hikes into the countryside and bathing in the sea. In the evening there was joyful camp fire sing-a-longs. It was going to be the happiest month of his young life.

Then one June morning shocking news came over the radio. The Nazis army had invaded Russia. Next day Nazi warplanes flew over Artek. The children were sent home. Vitya reached Feodosia and found that it was being attacked by the NAZI army. The railway station was in ruins. He managed to get home only to find that his home was in the area of the fighting. A shell exploded close to the house. It caused a wall to collapse and his mother was buried under the rubble. He and his father rescued her and took her to hospital.

A week or so later a NAZI soldier arrived at his home and said that his father, who was a printer, had to work for the NAZIs. His father did not want to do this but there was nothing he could do so he went. Vitya saw the unhappiness in his father's eyes. He saw the destruction to the town he loved. Where everyone was once happy he saw only unhappiness all around him. There must be something a 12 year old could do to fight back he thought. His first small act of defiance was to climb the tallest tree and from the highest branch he fixed his pioneer neckerchief. People smiled when they saw it. Another chance came when he went to the home of his friend. Some parts of the apartment block had been occupied by NAZI officers. One of the apartments had been left open and Vitya sneaked in. He saw a revolver on the table top so he took it. He hid it in a safe place. He was able to find ammunition for it. He then took everything home. In the illustrations Vitya is shown wearing an open neck shirt and western clothes (figure 1).

When he got home there was a stranger with his father. His father praised the boy to the guest. Vitya was surprised because this was something his father hardly did. The man asked the boy questions about where the NAZI artillery and their headquarters could be found. Vitya realised that the man was in the Resistance and he told him everything he knew. The resistance wanted passes to get their people out of town. They could not get real ones so forged ones would have to be made. Vitya was pleased that it was his father they had asked to forge this document. His father said that he would be able to print them but he would need a real one to copy. The adults looked at Vitya. The boy knew what they wanted him to do. Obtaining a real pass was not going to be an easy thing to do. He watched the office where they were issued but there did not seem to be a way for him to steal one. It was too well guarded. None-the-less day after day the boy kept watch always hoping for a chance. One windy day the chance came when fortune lent Vitya a friendly hand. One of the passes was blown away by the wind. It landed near to the boy. He was able to pick it up and sneaked away before anyone had realised what had happened. His father was able to print false passes and they enabled the most wanted resistance leaders to escape from Feodosia.

This was the beginning of Vitya's activities in the Resistance movement. Most of his tasks involved scouting and information gathering. When he was 14 he and his father were arrested and they were both executed for being in the Rresistance. Vitya, the young Pioneer had shown true grit in what Russian history came to call the 'Great Patriotic War.'

Sources

Fergusson, William E. E-mail message, January 30, 2004. Bill has provided the information about Soviet literature.

Created: January 31, 2004
Last updated: 1:10 AM 3/20/2005