Soviet A SMERSH OPW 1st Class

[Eric Schena]

Hi all:

This is my only fully researched Soviet decoration and one of the few researched Eastern Bloc sets that I have, but it's a doozy. I posted this a couple years back on another forum, but thought it might be worthwhile to post it here, too.

Here is Podpolkovnik (Lt. Col) Aleksandr Arsentievich Artemchuk's Patriotic War 1st class, number 93018. He was born in Ukraine in 1900 and joined the Red Army in 1919 and member of the party since 1928. Prior to his award of the Patriotic War 1st class, his commendation stated he won the Medal for Valor in 1940 and the Red Star in 1942. His Awards Card also states that but he won a Red Banner on 11/3/1944, an Order of Lenin on 11/6/1945, as well as a Defence of the Caucasus, Capture of Budapest, Capture of Vienna, and Liberation of Belgrade medals.

At the time of the awarding, he was assistant commander of the SMERSH (the mnemonic for "Smert' shpionam" - "death to spies") Counterintelligence Dept. of the 17th Air Army.

The Attestatsiya reads:

Comrade Artemchuk has been at the front since the first day of the Patriotic War. He began his combat service at the NKVD Special Duty Department, 37th Rifle Army. From 05/1942 to 03/1943 he occupied senior commander positions at the 4th Air Army, Southern and Transcaucasian Fronts.

Comrade Artemchuk has worked as a commander of the SMERSH Counterintelligence Department of the 9th Combined Air Corps since April 1943. During his assignment he organized efficient work of SMERSH Departments within air divisions being part of the corps thus preventing possible intrusions of enemy agents and cases of betrayal to the Motherland or desertion.

Since 01/1944, comrade Artemchuk has been working as an assistant commander of the SMERSH Counterintelligence Department of the Army. He greatly contributed to upbringing junior staff in the spirit of Bolshevism and relentlessness towards the enemy. Due to comrade Artemchuk's assistance and guidance the operational department unmasked a number of enemy reconnaissance agents, traitors to the Motherland, and German invaders' accomplices within the units of the Army. Comrade Artemchuk personally participated in this activity.

Comrade Artemchuk has proven himself to be devoted to the cause of the Lenin-Stalin Party by his diligent and intensive performance.

Comrade Artemchuk deserves to be awarded with an Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class for his active work during the Patriotic War and during offensive operations conducted by the Red Army units and for assisting the command to execute combat tasks.

Signed: Commander of SMERSH Counterintelligence Dept., 17th Air Army, Col. Khotyakov 09/06/1944

Final Decision: Deserves to be awarded with an Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class

Signed: Commander of SMERSH Counterintelligence Agency, 3rd Ukrainian Front Lt. Gen. Ivashutin 12/22/1944

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When I first posted this, we figured this guy must have been a career NKVD man. I do not have the rest of his documentation, but I half wonder if he did any "special duty" in those oh so delightful resorts in Siberia - as an employee and not as a guest. This citation creeps me out somewhat, especially the bit about "...personally participated in this activity."

If anyone wants to see scans of the paperwork I have with this decoration, let me know!

Cheers,

Eric

Edited September 29, 2005 by Eric Schena

[Gerd Becker]

FANTASTIC

Thanks for sharing

best,

Gerd

[Gerd Becker]

His Commander lived until 1992:

This is from Steen Ammentorps excellent Website:

http://www.generals.dk/general/Ivashutin/P...viet_Union.html

Ivashutin

Petr I., General

(1909-2002) (NKVD)

Chief Counterintelligence Officer Trans-Caucasian Front

Chief Counterintelligence Officer Caucasian Front

Chief Counterintelligence Officer Crimean Front

Chief Counterintelligence Officer North-Caucasian Front

Chief Counterintelligence Officer South-western Front

1950

- 1951

Chief Counterintelligence Officer Leningrad Military District

1952

- 1953

Head of Ministry of State Security MGB Ukraine

1954

- 1963

Assistant Chairman of Committee of State Security KGB

1963

-

Head of Main Intelligence Directorate GRU

- 1987

Assistant Chief General Staff

1987

- 1992

Inspector-General of the Army

1992

Retired

Edited September 29, 2005 by Gerd Becker

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, the paperwork might help fill in some more details.

I suspect a lot of these guys got into trouble as Stalin went sclerotic, seeing traitors among those "tainted" by direct contact with.. "traitors."

[Eric Schena]

I have some scans of his uchetnaya kartochka, but they are over the size limit. Let me see what I can do to get them down to a manageble size and I'll post them up here - it has some good biographical info, but sadly nothing in his post war career. The only other document I have for Artemchuk is the attestatsiya I posted above in translation.

Gerd: thanks for the bio info on Artemchuk's commanding officer - that's quite a history in the counterintelligence world he had!

Cheers,

Eric