Lobanok Vladimir Eliseevich - first secretary of the Lepel underground district committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus, commander of the Lepel partisan brigade named after I.V. Stalin, Colonel.
Born on June 20 (July 3), 1907 in the village of Ostrov, now Pukhovichi district of the Minsk region of the Republic of Belarus, into a peasant family. Belarusian.
In 1931 he graduated from the Belarusian Agricultural Academy. Member of the CPSU(b)/CPSU since 1930. Since 1931 he worked as an agronomist, assistant to the People's Commissar of Agriculture of the Byelorussian SSR, and since 1933 as an agronomist-economist of the authorized People's Commissariat of State Farms of the USSR for the BSSR.
Since 1934 V.E. Lobanok is the director of Belitsky, and since 1939 - Smolyansky agricultural technical schools in the Vitebsk region of the BSSR. From the beginning of 1941 - first secretary of the Lepel district committee of the CP(b)B.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in August 1941, Vladimir Lobanok was sent to the German rear to organize and lead the underground and partisan movement in the Belarusian SSR, temporarily occupied by Nazi troops. In August 1941 - June 1944 V.E. Lobanok is the first secretary of the Lepel underground RK CP(b)B, at the same time since March 1942 - the commander of the 68th partisan detachment, since August 1942 - the commissar of the Chashkinsky partisan brigade "Dubova".
Since July 1943 - commander of the Lepel partisan brigade named after I.V. Stalin, and from December 1943 also the head of the operational group of the Belarusian headquarters of the partisan movement in the Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone. The Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone is a unique phenomenon in the partisan movement of Belarus. The territory of the zone exceeded three thousand two hundred square kilometers. There were over a thousand settlements here, where up to one hundred thousand people lived. The length of the defense zone was two hundred and eighty-seven kilometers, including twenty-five kilometers along the banks of the Western Dvina River. By the end of 1943, sixteen partisan brigades, numbering seventeen thousand fighters, were stationed in this partisan zone.
The Polotsk-Lepel zone was the near rear of the enemy’s 3rd Tank Army, and the partisans did not allow the enemy to live either day or night. In surprise raids, the people's avengers smashed enemy garrisons, blew up bridges and warehouses, disabled important communications, and disrupted enemy transportation along railways and highways. Thus, the Nazis could not use the Lepel-Berezino-Parafyanovo highway and the Lepel-Orsha railway at all. In the fall of 1942, partisans under the command of V.E. Lobank liberated the regional center of Ushachi from the invaders, which turned into the capital of a vast partisan region.
By Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 16, 1943, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the Command in the fight against the Nazi invaders behind enemy lines and the courage and heroism shown and special merits in the development of the partisan movement in one of the regions of Belarus, Colonel Lobank Vladimir Eliseevich awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
In April 1944, V.E. Lobanok led the military operations of the Polotsk partisans (less than 18,000 fighters, 21 guns) to repel the largest punitive expedition of the Nazi troops (up to 60,000 people, who had 137 tanks and 235 guns, supported by aviation). With such an unequal balance of forces, the partisans heroically defended themselves against a much superior enemy, constantly evading pursuit and attacking his communications. In May, the encirclement was broken, the main forces of the partisans and several thousand residents of the zone escaped from the death trap.
After the liberation of Belarus from Nazi occupation, V.E. Lobanok in leadership work in the Byelorussian SSR: from July 1944 - in the apparatus of the Communist Party of the Communist Party (b)B, from October 1944 - chairman of the executive committee of the Polotsk Regional Council of Working People's Deputies, in 1946-1948 - chairman of the executive committee of the Gomel Regional Council of Working People's Deputies . In 1948–1953 - first secretary of the Polesie regional committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) / Communist Party of Belarus. In 1956, he graduated from the Higher Party School under the CPSU Central Committee.
Since 1956 - first secretary of the Vitebsk regional committee of the CPB, and since 1962 - first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Belarusian SSR. Since 1974 V.E. Lobanok - Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Belarusian SSR.
At a number of congresses of the CPSU (XXII in 1961, XXIII in 1966 and XXIV in 1971) V.E. Lobanok was elected a member of the Central Audit Commission of the CPSU. Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus in 1949–1984. He was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 2nd–10th convocations (1946–1984), and served as deputy chairman of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Deputy of the Supreme Council of the BSSR (1951–1955, 1963–1984)
Lived in the city of Minsk. Died on November 4, 1984. He was buried at the Eastern Cemetery in Minsk.
Awarded 3 orders of Lenin (09/16/1943; 12/30/1948; 03/22/1966), orders of the October Revolution (08/27/1981), Red Banner (01/16/1943), Suvorov 1st degree (08/15/1944), Patriotic War 1- 1st degree (02/01/1945), 3 orders of the Red Banner of Labor (05/28/1957; 01/18/1958; 03/10/1976) of Friendship of Peoples (03/26/1982), medals, including “For Labor Valor” (12/25/1959).
In Minsk, a memorial plaque was installed on the house in which the Hero lived. The following are named after him: a state farm technical school in the city of Maryina Gorka, Minsk region, Lepel secondary school No. 1, streets in the cities of Minsk and Lepel.
Essays:
In battles for the Motherland. 3rd ed. Minsk, 1964;
The partisans take the fight. Minsk, 1976.
At the end of 1943, close connections were established between the partisans of the Polotsk-Lepel zone and the troops of the 1st Baltic Front. As the front line approached Polotsk, the Lepel-Dokshitsy road acquired great importance. For a long time, the partisans of the Ushachi zone were actually the masters on this road. Having cut it in the Pyshno - Lyubovo - Berezino section, they disrupted the movement of the Nazis. The fascist command repeatedly tried to clear this road, which was extremely important strategically, from partisans. At the cost of heavy losses in mid-1943, the invaders managed to somewhat push back the partisans in this area. The people's avengers continued to continuously mine the road and fire at enemy units moving along it from ambushes. In February 1944, the Nazis decided to transfer the renegade Kaminsky brigade to the Baranovichi region along this road. With continuous attacks from ambushes, the partisan brigades of Danukalov, 1st Anti-Fascist, named after Lenin, Lobank and Utkin inflicted heavy losses on this brigade and delayed its advance. The Nazis lost up to 300 soldiers and officers, two armored vehicles, two tractors and 14 vehicles.
The Nazis began their attack on the partisan zone on April 11 simultaneously from all sides. The first blow was delivered in the eastern direction in the sector of the Chapaev, Lenin, and “For Soviet Belarus” brigades. The 252nd and 56th divisions and the 161st infantry regiment acted against these brigades. From the southeast, the 201st Security Division operated in the Utkin brigade sector. In the southern direction, the 95th Infantry and 6th Special Air Field Divisions, the 1st and 3rd regiments of the traitor Kaminsky were advancing against the Lepel brigade and the Alexey brigade. This direction was one of the main ones. Here the enemy concentrated more equipment and manpower than in other areas, and the fighting was especially fierce.
V. E. Lobanok
As we expected, the attention of the fascist German command in connection with the loss of the railways and highways Orsha - Vitebsk and Polotsk - Vitebsk all this time was focused on the only road Vitebsk - Lepel - Parafyanovo, which connected the 3rd Tank Army with the rear. The possession of this road indeed became of vital importance to the army. However, the road could not be used for regular supply of troops. The command of the enemy army made considerable efforts to maintain traffic on the road at any cost.
Having gathered quite large forces, on December 5 the enemy captured the town of Pyshno. Just in those days when the operational group arrived in the zone, partisan secrets noticed the suspicious fuss of the Nazis in the Dokshitsy - Krulevshchina - Parafyanovo area. The word was up to the scouts. Already on December 11, the first data arrived from various sources and from military intelligence. The operational group learned that the commander of the 3rd Tank Army ordered the brigade of the traitor Kaminsky [further the author makes the following footnote at the bottom of the page: “Bronislav Kaminsky was tried during the Shakhty trial. After serving his sentence, he hid out at a distillery in the city of Lokot. With the arrival of the Nazis, he became assistant burgomaster, and then burgomaster in Lokot. Fearing that he would suffer the same fate as burgomaster K. Voskoboynikov, who was executed by the partisans, Kaminsky increased the security of the council, recruiting every rabble into his detachment. So the detachment grew into a brigade. Its path through Lepel, Volkovysk, Bialystok Petrakov is drenched in the blood of Soviet people, mostly defenseless civilians. At the end of 1943, for such “merits,” the Nazis awarded Kaminsky the rank of major general, and then, when there was no longer a need for it, they shot him.». - Note ed. ] and the military group, which was stationed in the Dokshitsy area and adjacent settlements, to take possession of the Lepel - Dokshitsy road and ensure the through movement of automobile convoys.
The size of the enemy group in the Lepel area was up to 3 thousand people and included 2 heavy, 4 medium tanks, an armored vehicle, guns of various calibers and 33 mortars. The Dokshitsy group was even more numerous. It was given 4 divisions of heavy artillery and heavy mortars. The air unit of twin-engine bombers was tasked with covering both groups. Each plane had to make many sorties per day.
Scouts of the Lepel partisan brigade captured a “language”, which provided valuable information about the armament of the brigade of the traitor Kaminsky and the intention of the German command to soon launch an attack on the partisans from the Lepel-Kamen area in the direction of Ushachi. Military intelligence soon confirmed that 2 regiments of Kaminsky's brigade were in Lepel, and the third was in garrisons. The brigade was armed with 7 tanks, 5 cannons, 2 armored vehicles, 2 anti-aircraft and 4 large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. Detailed information was also collected about the defensive structures of Lepel. After the defeat of the Lepel garrison by partisans in October, the invaders and their minions took measures to strengthen the city’s defense. It was surrounded by trenches, bunkers, and dugouts. The security units were armed with mortars, light and heavy machine guns.
In the Lepel area, they managed to capture a “language”, the head of office work at the headquarters of the traitor Kaminsky’s brigade, a certain Kotov. “Language” turned out to be quite knowledgeable. During interrogation, he spoke about the impending punitive offensive.
When is the operation scheduled to start?
In mid-January.
Approximately the seventeenth or eighteenth. But the date will apparently be confirmed.
The traitor curried favor with the partisan commanders, humiliated himself, begged for mercy, and told everything he knew about the plans of his masters. It was disgusting to look at this cowardly bastard.
Continuing to testify, Kotov spoke about a secret meeting with the commander of the 3rd German Tank Army, Colonel General Reinhardt, which was attended by Kaminsky’s deputy.
What forces are the fascists going to use?
Kaminsky's brigade, SS security units, local police garrisons.
The general also promised to allocate two regular divisions. After the battles near Nevel, they are now being reorganized.
I think it's in Ulla.
A recheck confirmed this information.
A number of other signs (strengthening smaller garrisons, building a new wooden bridge in Bocheykovo, accelerating defensive work along the Lepel-Kamen road with the use of explosives) indicated that the enemy was in a hurry. We were very annoyed that our scouts could not penetrate the garrisons along the Lepel - Berezino - Dokshitsy road: the local residents - our faithful assistants - were not there. And yet the approximate number of the enemy, weapons and the nature of the fortifications were known to us. In the south and southwest of the zone, in addition to the regiments of the traitor Kaminsky, units of the 6th Air Field Division, the 95th and 195th Infantry Divisions, the 501st Tank Battalion, the 2nd, 12th and 24th SS Police Regiments, and the Dirlewanger Special Battalion were concentrated and some other divisions.
The so-called assault brigade of the traitor Kaminsky acted against the Alekseevites. The partisans carried out successful work to disintegrate this brigade. They sent newspapers, leaflets, and helped those who were lost and forcibly mobilized to get on the right path. The number of defectors kept increasing. So, on September 15, 1943, an entire company led by Captain Provatorov went over to the partisans. At the end of the month, up to 150 more people arrived. However, despite the process of decomposition, Kaminsky’s brigade still remained a fairly strong enemy formation. She was well armed and outnumbered the partisans.
Study at the technical school (years) Secretaries of the Komsomol committee of the technical school in the 20s.
Formation Since 1931 he worked as an agronomist of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture of the BSSR, since 1933 - as an agronomist-economist of the authorized People's Commissariat of State Farms of the USSR for the Belarusian SSR. In 1934, V.E. Lobank was appointed director of the Belitsky Agricultural College of the Vitebsk Region. In 1940, he was appointed director of the Smolyansky Agricultural College of the Vitebsk Region. In May 1941, V.E. Lobanok was elected first secretary of the Lepel district party committee.
Formation In 1931 he graduated from the Belarusian Agricultural Academy V.E. Lobanok with his brother Vasily.
War In August June 1944, the first secretary of the Lepel underground district committee of the CP(b)B, At the same time, from March, the commander of the partisan detachment 68, from August, the commissar of the Chashniksky partisan brigade “Dubova”, from July, the commander of the 1st Lepel partisan brigade. Since October 1943, he led the operational group of the Central Committee of the CP(b)B and the Belarusian headquarters of the partisan movement in the Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone, commander of the partisan unit of the Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone.
War From the memoirs of Anatoly Semyonovich Khonyak, a partisan of the Lepel zone: - Lobank was loved more than Dubrovsky. Why? - Certainly. He was highly educated, erudite, humane. Once they took the city of Glubokoye. Well, it didn't work out. Dubrovsky shouted: “What did you come here for?! To remake bread! Take it!” Lobanok took him away. Where possible, it is possible. Through force - it is impossible.
Hero For the heroic feat shown during the performance of combat missions of the command in the fight against the Nazi invaders behind enemy lines, and for special merits in the development of the partisan movement in Belarus, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by decree of September 16, 1943, awarded V.E. Lobank the title of Hero Soviet Union
Commander For skillful leadership of the forces of the partisans of the Polotsk-Lepel zone, who broke through the blockade in April-May 1944, V.E. Lobanok was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. The Nazis lost in this operation: - killed people, - wounded people, -59 tanks, - 7 armored vehicles, -166 vehicles, -22 guns, -2 aircraft.
Head Since October, Chairman of the Polotsk Regional Executive Committee. From the second, from the first secretary of the Polesie regional committee of the CP(b)B, from the chairman of the Gomel regional executive committee. First Secretary of the Vitebsk Regional Committee of the CPB. Since April, first deputy. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR and at the same time, until 1965, Minister of Production and Procurement of Agricultural Products of the BSSR. From the deputy chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the BSSR. Member of the Central Audit Commission of the CPSU in
Forest, fire... It’s hard to think of a better place for a picnic. But if this place becomes home for many months, this is already a test. Especially in winter...
Vera Parfenovich, fighter of the partisan detachment “Struggle”:
Before winter we slept somewhere near a swamp. They lit a small fire. In winter and summer they wore the same clothes - a kazhushka, boots and a hat. We did not undress or take off our shoes.
We went on missions in what we came from home in. But in forest conditions, clothes quickly deteriorated. Therefore, each partisan detachment had its own workshop where clothes and shoes were repaired. The partisans' insignia became red ribbons or Red Army stars on their hats. The underwear was made from parachute fabric.
The material was very durable and thin, suitable for sewing linen. Sewing workshops made shirts and underpants for the partisans. I also wore a parachute shirt. I was also given a German French suit and trousers. And I wore it until the liberation of Belarus.
Many partisans wore good German uniforms. True, sometimes this led to funny situations.
At first it was difficult to find food. Most often, the partisans recaptured food and livestock from the enemy.
When small detachments grew into brigades, special partisan groups began to deal with economic issues.
Anatoly Khanyak, fighter of the Lobank partisan brigade:
A kind of food tax was introduced. It was necessary to hand over grain: from each farm - 6 poods. Some handed over 10, and some - 3. Then they appointed a place and time for the delivery of bread in some locality. A special detachment assigned to store grain took it to the forest and hid it in trenches, which were insulated, camouflaged... There were canteens in the camp, and a special staff was created for slaughtering, cutting and cooking.
Gradually, partisan life improved. Each partisan detachment sought to build its own base in the forest, where they could rest after the operation, dry off, and, if necessary, receive treatment and gain strength for subsequent battles.
Veterans' memories of partisan life are as vivid as those of combat operations.
Surprisingly, people very rarely got sick during the war. And the partisans were no exception. But the rules of hygiene were observed religiously.
Anatoly Khanyak, fighter of the Lobank partisan brigade:
On the territory of the Lepel region in several garrisons there were many warehouses with uniforms. When the Soviet troops retreated, looters plundered these warehouses. People knew who was stealing it and where it was hiding it. Therefore, the command of the partisan brigade instructed the groups on behalf of the Soviet government to confiscate this looted property.
Another source of trophies were trophies taken from the destroyed trains that went to the front. Some undestroyed wagons were loaded with medicines, clothing, uniforms, food... What could be taken was taken to the partisan zone and distributed to the partisans and local residents.
In the fate of the famous organizer and leader of the partisan movement of Belarus, a major party and government figure, whose life became an example of high patriotism, perseverance and courage, deep devotion to the Motherland and his people, Vladimir Lobank - the fate of many thousands of his peers, Belarusian boys, who suffered the most difficult trials of the Great Patriotic War.
Vladimir Eliseevich Lobanok was born on July 3, 1907 in the village of Ostrov, Pukhovichi district, Minsk region.
After graduating from the Maryinogorsk Agricultural College and then the Belarusian Agricultural Academy in 1931, Vladimir Lobanok worked as an agronomist-assistant to the People's Commissar of Agriculture of the BSSR, and since 1933 he was already an agronomist-economist of the authorized People's Commissariat of State Farms of the USSR for Belarus. Then he was the director of the Belitsky and Smolnyansky agricultural technical schools in the Vitebsk region. In 1941, Lobanok was elected first secretary of the Lepel district committee of the CP(b)B. It was here in the Vitebsk region that the Great Patriotic War found him. On instructions from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bolsheviks (Bolsheviks) Vladimir Lobanok remained behind enemy lines to organize the patriotic underground and partisan movement.
The most important period of Lobank's life were the partisan years. In August 1941, he headed the Lepel underground district committee, at the same time from March 1942 he was the commander of partisan detachment No. 68, from August 1942 he became the commissar of the Chashniksky partisan brigade of Dubov, and in July 1943 - the commander of the Lepel partisan brigade. Under his leadership and with direct participation, many military operations were developed and carried out to defeat the Nazi garrisons, including in Ushachi, Kamen, Borovets and Pyshne.
In December 1943, Vladimir Lobanok headed the operational group of the Central Committee of the CP(b)B and the Belarusian headquarters of the partisan movement in the Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone, coordinating the activities of 16 partisan brigades, including during the Battle of Polotsk-Lepel 1944.
The Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone is a unique phenomenon in the partisan movement of Belarus. Its territory exceeded 3200 sq. km. There were over a thousand settlements in the region, where up to one hundred thousand people lived. The length of the defense zone was 287 km, including 25 km along the bank of the Western Dvina. By the end of 1943, 16 partisan brigades were stationed here, numbering 17 thousand fighters.
Vladimir Lobanok first commanded a brigade, then a partisan unit in this zone. All this happened under the noses of the Nazis. The Polotsk-Lepel zone was the near rear of the 3rd Tank Army, and the partisans did not allow the enemy to live either day or night. Sudden raids destroyed their garrisons, blew up bridges and warehouses, disabled important communications, and disrupted enemy transportation along railways and highways. Thus, the Nazis could not use the Lepel-Berezino-Parafyanovo highway and the Lepel-Orsha railway at all. In the fall of 1942, the partisans liberated the regional center of Ushachi from the invaders, which turned into the capital of a vast partisan region.
Under the skillful leadership of the partisans, the formations thwarted many Nazi operations in the winter and spring of 1944.
In April 1944, Vladimir Lobanok led the military operations of the Polotsk partisans (about 18 thousand soldiers, 21 guns) to repel the largest punitive expedition of the Nazi troops (up to 60 thousand people, who had 137 tanks and 235 guns, supported by aviation). With such an unequal balance of forces, the partisans heroically defended themselves against a much superior enemy, constantly evading pursuit and attacking his communications. In May, the encirclement was broken, the main forces of the partisans and several thousand residents of the zone escaped from the death trap.
Generously gifted with the kindness of his soul, Vladimir Eliseevich was very attentive to people, never allowing himself to raise his voice to a subordinate, although sometimes the situation demanded it. He was personally responsible not only for the partisans, but also for the civilian population. Vladimir Lobank's brothers-in-arms recalled that he directly participated in all combat operations carried out by the forest soldiers of his formation, and was always distinguished by his extraordinary bravery and courage.
For special services in the development of the partisan movement, in September 1943, Colonel Vladimir Lobank was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was also awarded three Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of Suvorov 1st degree, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, three Orders of the Red Banner of Labor and many medals.
After the liberation of Belarus, from June 1944, Vladimir Lobanok worked in senior positions in the apparatus of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b)B, was deputy head of the agricultural department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b)B, from October 1944 - chairman of the Polotsk regional executive committee, second, then first secretary of the Polesie regional committee CP(b)B, Chairman of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee. In 1956, he graduated from the Higher Party School under the CPSU Central Committee. In 1956-1962, Lobanok headed the Vitebsk Regional Party Committee, from April 1962 he was the first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR and at the same time, until 1965, the Minister of Production and Procurement of Agricultural Products of the BSSR. In 1974, Vladimir Eliseevich was appointed deputy chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the BSSR.
His role in the development of territorial public administration in Belarus is great. In 1977 alone, 70 thousand gatherings and meetings were held in the republic, attended by 5.5 million people. Vladimir Eliseevich was keenly interested in the thoughts expressed and used them in his work. In all his affairs, he put the interests of the people and their well-being above all else. He knew well, first-hand, about the needs and problems of people, and with extensive experience working in the thick of the population, he made many valuable proposals on legislation and the style of work of deputies. He is the author of the books “In the Battles for the Motherland” and “Partisans Take the Fight.”
Vladimir Eliseevich Lobanok died in 1984. Until his last day he was in service, serving his native Belarus, which he loved so dearly.
Memory
Streets in Lepel and Minsk are named after Vladimir Lobank. In Minsk, a memorial plaque was installed on the house in which Lobanok lived.
In 1968, according to a resolution of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus, the Museum of People's Glory was founded in the urban village of Ushachi, and in 1999, by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of Belarus, it was named after the Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir Eliseevich Lobank. The museum has four exhibition halls covering the history of the partisan movement in Ushatchina during the Great Patriotic War, a memorial partisan art gallery and an exhibition hall. The museum's exhibition contains materials about the historical past of Ushachi, the revolutionary events of 1917, the civil war, collectivization of agriculture, repressions of the 1930s, the beginning of the partisan movement in the region and the struggle of the partisans and the population of the Ushachi partisan zone with the Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War, about the Heroes of the Soviet Union A.F. Danukalov, F.F. Dubrovsky, V.E. Lobank, P.M. Romanov, I.M. Timchuk, M.A. Egorov, full holder of the Order of Glory A.A. .Klopov, military weapons of twice Hero of the Soviet Union I.Kh. Bagramyan, leaflets, documents, personal belongings of the partisans.
Memoirs of Mikhail Taratkevich, professor, former partisan of V.E. Lobank’s formation:
“Before the war itself, Vladimir Lobanok, who had just been elected first secretary of the Lepel district party committee and did not even have time to move his family, was far from everything military-battle by education, agronomic specialty, life experience, and character. And the corresponding directives of the first days, which, when it got hot, required the urgent deployment of partisan actions, were more like declarative calls of the most general nature. The briefing before sending from Gomel to the enemy’s rear also did not clarify much. There were not even maps of the required scale, and using the old ones that were found, one could navigate the terrain. It was almost impossible. It’s good that even before the German invasion they managed to select volunteers for underground work and hide something in Sosnyagovskaya Pushcha.
The arrival of Lobank in Lepelshchyna as an authorized representative of the party and Soviet power inspired the participants in the local underground: he was already known from his first confident steps in the area. It was extremely difficult to work; life often hung by a thread. Extreme tension in conditions of constant danger, moments of anxious sleep somewhere in the hayloft, in a haystack or on the bunks of a dugout in Sosnyagovskaya Pushcha, secret, but such fruitful meetings with underground activists - these anxious everyday life were soon crowned with practical actions to defeat the volost councils, points for the procurement of food, and then the enemy’s military garrisons. In the positions of group commander, detachment commander, commissar, and brigade commander, V.E. Lobanok was the soul of all patriotic endeavors.
“He not only led partisan detachments,” his combat description testifies, “but also, with weapons in his hands, with grenades, with a “fishing rod” from a mine planted on a “piece of iron,” he led fighters to heroic deeds by personal example. in which he did not take part. The ambush on the Lepel-Berezino highway (where Lobanok was wounded), the defeat of the Ivansk zemstvo farm, a major battle with Nazi robbers near the village of Zeleny Ostrov, the defeat of German garrisons, a campaign in Lithuania, diversionary actions during the punitive expedition. 1943 is far from a complete list of only his major operations."
As a participant in the battles with punitive forces in the spring of forty-four near Ushachi, seriously wounded and shell-shocked at the last lines of defense, I dare to say: without Lobank, without his endurance, patience, courage, resourcefulness, personal example, and finally, simply without his naked honesty, all this a heroic epic, like the amazingly daring and precise breakthrough itself, would have been simply impossible. But he remained a very modest, seemingly not at all militant man, “with a quiet voice and a shy smile” (M. Svetlov). Participants in the breakthrough later joked with pride and admiration: “Field Marshal Paulus would have surrendered.” As he particularly distinguished himself in battles with punitive forces, and at the same time showed brilliant qualities as a military leader, the commander of the formation, Colonel Lobanok, was deservedly awarded the highest military leader, essentially the general's Order of Suvorov, first degree. And that says it all."
