Publishing this sketch, I would like to render the feasible help to those who is interested in reception of the information about destiny of subjected to repression relatives. Having tested myself how uneasy to search ways of such research’s realization, I want to share the modest experience.
Interest to destiny of the great-grandfather rose about 5 years ago. I searched in Internet links to my scientific articles and unexpectedly found out on a web-site of the Krasnoyarsk society "Memorial" some lines about my great-grandfather:
«APANOVICH Daniil Antonovich, was born in 1892. Since 1914 till 1917 served in imperial army in a post of senior corporal, for participation in fights had fighting awards – crosses of George and medals. He was the guerrilla of Taseevsk, the commander of guerrilla Severo-Apanskogo front. Then he worked as manager of branch “Gospushnina” in Boguchany. He was arrested on 22.05.37. 19.07.38 the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced him to execution. He was shot in Krasnoyarsk at that day».
I should admit that these details were unknown for me. My father did not speak a lot about our ancestor - probably, he knew very little. But now I could not ask father: he was not alive. I suddenly understood that descendants of D.A.Apanovich are only me and his daughter Evdokiya Danielovna who carry this surname. That is why I found as the debt to find out as much as possible about my great-grandfather’s destiny.
I agreed with Evdokiya Danielovna to visit together Regional State archive, located near the Big Concert Hall. There I saw my own eyes the business forged against Daniel Antonovich in 1937. Unfortunately, not all sheets of an affair are accessible to viewing. It explains a secret of investigation: in a folder filed denunciations on which accusation was based. Nevertheless, copies of several documents were given to us. Special interest was represented with the archival inquiry made on materials of an affair. According to this information the basic stages of the biography are traced.
Apanovich Daniil Antonovich was born in June, 30, 1892 (on new style) in village Talun, Benitskoj volost, Oshmjanskogo district, Vilenskoj province. At that time it was the territory of Poland, now - Byelorussia. He was Russian, occurred from peasants. In the beginning of 20-th century he with parents and brothers moved to Siberia where allotments were given for immigrants. Apanovich family located in village Baikan of Kansk district. In one of questionnaires Daniel Antonovich specified, that he worked on hiring by the carpenter before the revolution. He had the lowest education, he was the self-educated person.
Further were mentioned data about participation in fights of the First World War and awards. In SCP(í) entered in 1917. In White army did not serve.
To find data on the period of Civil war, I had to carry out a lot of days in archives, to overlook hundreds archival business. I visited CHIDNIKK (former party archive of Krasnoyarsk Region), again Regional State Archive, archives in Kansk, Aban, Novosibirsk, Yeniseisk. Especially interesting documents ordered as x-copies or pictured on the digital camera, depending on the price of service (it is everywhere different) and presence of a free time.
A lot of information I receive from libraries. It is necessary to note, that the most informative appeared regional newspapers of the Soviet years. Some of them were found in regional scientific library, others - in libraries of Kansk and Aban.
In settlement Apano-Kljuchy I managed to have a talk with the oldest inhabitant V.D.Rukosuev, there was very opportunely a dictaphone. Having written down conversation literally, from time to time I come back to it and I find useful details which precisely would not write down a pencil, did not pay to them attention and overlooked.
It is impossible to show here everything of the collected data. In brief it is possible to tell the following. In the first days of education in guerrilla of Taseevsk republic D.A.Apanovich was elected the commander of guerrilla group in Abanskoj volost, then it was followed with a strike on Kolchanovsk militia in Aban. Since January, 1919 he became commander of Dolgomostovsk group, then he returned again to Apansky front. The guerrilla period is described in M.V.Fomicheva's articles and other authors. It is possible to familiarize with them on a web-site which address will be mentioned below.
Vera, Daniil Antonovich’s wife, passed near the husband all deprivations of guerrilla, prepared food for soldiers, erased and patched clothes. The war with Kolchak took away two daughters. Then, in January, 1920, was born their son Vasiliy (my grandfather), in October, 1924 - daughter Evdokija. Such record concerns to this time in the questionnaire: “In 1921 he was instituted criminal proceedings in red gangsterism”. I managed to find D.A.Apanovich's autographic explanation in this occasion. It appears that former guerrillas neutralized the groups of former White Guards in the Siberian woods after Kolchak’s exile. The rests of so-called golopupovsk gangs attacked Apanovich group, he was wounded. Then, as he said, «the gang was all crushed».
This case became the reason that in 1922 D.A.Apanovich “mechanically left" from SCP(í). In 1927 entered again. From this moment began moving family on the territory: Kansk, Krasnoyarsk, Chunoyar, Bajkit, Zeledeevo, Boguchany.
In Krasnoyarsk D.A.Apanovich worked in Vostsibpushnina, in a building of former church on a crossroads of Lenina Street and 9, January. Recently this church is restored, in the same place the female monastery now is placed. The family lived nearby, in the wooden house along the 24, Uritskogo Street. This house was not kept of course.
The further moving were connected with the organization of preparation of furs on northern trading stations. In Boguchany Daniel Antonovich lodged in 1929, the family joined to him later. As it is specified in “the questionnaire of the prisoner”, at the moment of arrest May, 22, 1937 he worked as manager of Boguchansk regional branch Kraszagotpushnina. According to the Evdokiya Danielovna words, family lived modestly.
His work was connected to often departures to taiga settlements. At the moment of returning from such business trip Apanovich was arrested on quay by employees of Boguchansk RONKVD. At arrest he was sure in the innocence, did not render resistance and handed over a revolver "Revolver", 18 cartridges to it and rifle TOZ with cartridges. On appointment he spoke to wife and children: “Do not trust that will speak about me. I am fair communist, the red guerrilla.” The wife and children moved from a house after arrest. Later, the militiaman withdrew the manuscript of memoirs of Daniel Antonovich, where he stated the vision of events in the Taseevsk republic, distinct from Yakovenko version. I have not managed to find any traces of this manuscript yet.
Road through taiga up to Kansk he went on the horse himself in support of two security officers, but, at all his training as cavalry, did not try to run, besides unknown the fault behind himself. Trusted, probably, that in Krasnoyarsk they would understand and justify. On road he met the old friends – guerrillas, who were indignant of arrest of the commander.
Vainly he trusted in validity. On the first interrogation in Krasnoyarsk NKVD from time to time he was set the same question about an accessory to the terrorist organization, and on his precise denyings of the fault the inspector repeated: “You lie, you try to confuse investigation”. There was enough Apanovich’s acquaintance with guerrilla commanders N.M.Buda and V.G.Jakovenko for accusation.
In 1931 flashed revolt of former red guerrilla in territory of Taseevsk, Dzerdginsk, Abansk and Kansk areas. Not former commanders, but absolutely new people headed it: I.J.Knjazjuk, A.S.Mishchik, K.M.Tarasov and others. Revolt was against Stalin dictatorship. In “Requirement” insurgents wrote: “We do not see spirit of the winning of the Soviet authority by our blood … In the country of workers and peasants all prisons are hammered by workers and peasants …” Revolt by authority was suppressed, condemned 432 persons, 9 from them - to execution.
But in 1937 again recollected about the revolt. “Active members of the insurgent-terrorist organization of Right” suddenly became those who had no the attitude to the organization of revolt. V.G.Jakovenko was shot in Moscow in July, 29, 1937 for participation in the counterrevolutionary organization. N.M.Buda was shot at midnight near Krasnoyarsk in October, 30, 1937.
D.A.Apanovich's suffered from infinite interrogations in Krasnoyarsk for more than year. He was accused that “since 1931 he was the active participant of the anti-soviet diversion-insurgent terrorist organization of Right, working in Krasnoyarsk region; hired new members in this organization, carried out wrecking in the field of an agriculture and preparations of furs; knew and shared terrorist activity of the anti-soviet organization concerning management of SCP(i) and the Soviet government.”
In July, 19, 1938 visiting session of Military Board of the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced D.A.Apanovich “to the supreme measure of punishment - to execution with confiscation of all personally property belonging to him”. He was shot at the same day in Krasnoyarsk. The act about reduction of a verdict execution was handed on storage to special archive of 1st special department of NKVD of the USSR; volume ¹ 9, a sheet ¹ 310. He was rehabilitated posthumously in 1957 behind absence of corpus delicti.
His children became teachers. Vasiliy Danilovich was called up for military service in spring 1941 and was lost in the first days of war. Vera Jakimovna, D.A.Apanovich’s widow, was not marriage any more, died in Krasnoyarsk in November, 1974. Evdokiya Danielovna has three daughters and the son, grandsons, but only she contrary to national tradition carries a surname of the father - Apanovich.
I started to create a page in Internet, devoted to guerrilla movement in Abansk volost within civil war. What is processed, it is possible to see in Internet to the address: HTTPS://aban1919.narod.ru.
Having published articles in two regional newspapers, I received responses which help in the further work, and have got acquainted with many interesting people. I express deep gratitude to the historian and writer V.S.Borovets for comprehensive support, and also for the organization of joint trip in places of fights of Taseevsk republic.
In summary some words about the digital camera. It is very useful satellite of the researcher. If you are going to get it especially for trips, it is better to pick up compact inexpensive model. It should have a sliding objective and a mode of macro shooting that confidently could be focused on a sheet of format À4. It is quite enough 2,1 megapixel sanction for reading documents from the screen of a computer. It is necessary to have the built display, allowing seeing the increased text of the removed document. Otherwise it is impossible to notice, that the image turned out not clear or greased. A feed from finger-type accumulators (ÀÀ) allows having at itself a stock of cheap elements; now they can be got in any shop. The memory size is better to have not less than 256 mb a card of standard SD or MMC, and even better RS-MMC.
And some words about unessential parameters. Flash should have some gradation of capacity, usually it is required minimal for shooting documents. But for maintenance of qualitative focussing it is better to work without flash, at the included illumination. It is normal, if in the device the mode of high-speed shooting is stipulated. It allows to make pictures of a window of transport moving on potholes, and also gains at weak illumination.
The digital dictophone built in a camera can be useful, as its records are convenient for processing on a computer. But it is usually impossible to hear it in field conditions. Besides it is necessary to interrupt audiorecord, if it is necessary to make a picture. That is why I take with myself a dictophone under a usual format of the cartridge with an opportunity of record on the speed lowered three times.
My post address: 660017, Krasnoyarsk, user’s box ¹ 20673, Apanovich Vasiliy Jurievich. E-mail: apanovich@mail.ru