Top Secret
Attn:
USSR People's Commissar For Internal Affairs Comrade Lavrenty Beria
February 1944
Memorandum
The NKVD has learned from its agents that Khasan Israilov was being concealed by Dzhovatkhan Murtazaliyev with the help of his brother Ayub and his son Khas-Magomed, secretly arresting Dzhovatkhan Murtazaliyev and Ayub Murtazaliyev on February 13. After being interrogated, Ayub Murtazaliyev deposed that Khasan was hiding inside a cave of Bachi-Chu mountain (Dzumsoyevsky village council, Itum-Kale district). In the early hours of February 15 a squad of operatives headed by Comrade Tsereteli surrounded and searched the cave, which was mentioned by Ayub Murtazaliyev, failing to find Khasan Israilov there. The search revealed one Degtyarev light machine-gun in good working condition, as well as three ammunition disks, one British 10-cartridge rifle, one Russian Mosin rifle in good working condition, 200 rifle cartridges, as well as Khasan Israilov's authentic correspondence dealing with his insurgent activities and weighing about 2 kg. Such correspondence lists members of the NSPKB insurgent organization at 20 villages of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic's Itum-Kale, Galanchozhsky, Shatoi and Suburban districts (6,540 people, all told), as well as 35 membership cards of the Caucasian Eagles Nazi organization, which were received by Khasan Israilov from German paratroopers, who had landed on the territory of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic over the 1942-1943 period. Apart from that, we have found a map of the Caucasus in German marking those specific populated localities that contain NSPKB cells and insurgent organizations on the territory of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. Having failed to locate Khasan Israilov inside the cave, we demanded that Ayub Murtazaliyev tell us about Khasan Israilov's new cave and its location. Ayub Murtazaliyev, who was pressured to a small extent, later deposed that Khasan had been taken to another cave by Dzhovatkhan Murtazaliyev's son Khas-Magomed. On February 15 we managed to arrest Khas-Magomed Murtazaliyev, who is now being interrogated by Comrade Tsereteli in Itum-Kale.
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State Defence Committee
Attn: Comrade Stalin, February 17, 1944
Preparations for an operation aiming to deport the Chechen and Ingush populations are currently being completed. All in all, 459,486 people, who are subject to deportation, have been registered. Their list includes people living in Daghestani areas, which border on Checheno-Ingushetia, and in the city of Vladikavkaz. Considering the operation's scale and the specifics of mountainous areas, it has been decided to deport the local populace (including the placement of local residents aboard trains) over an eight-day period. It will take us three days to complete this operation in all low-land areas and foot-hills, as well as in some mountainous areas, and to round up more than 300,000 people. The remaining 150,000 people shall be rounded up and deported within the next four days. ... Mountainous areas shall be sealed off well in advance. ... Considering the serious nature of this operation, I request permission to remain in the region prior to the operation's completion, for the most part, e.g. until the February 26-27, 1944 period.
Signed:
Lavrenty Beria.
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State Defence Committee
Attn: Comrade Stalin, February 22, 1944
In addition to Cheka and army-level measures, we have implemented the following measures in order to successfully complete the entire operation aiming to deport the Chechen and Ingush populations on your orders.
1. Molayev, who chairs the Council Of People's Commissars Government) of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, was informed about the Government's decision to deport Chechen and Ingush populations, as well as about the relevant motives for such a decision. After hearing my report, Molayev quailed, subsequently regaining his composure and promising to fulfil all orders that will be issued to him in connection with the deportation. After that, we conferred with him in Grozny, choosing nine top Chechen and Ingush officials, who were informed about the pace of deporting Chechen and Ingush populations, as well as about the reasons for such a deportation. ... 40 Chechen and Ingush republican party and Soviet officials were attached by us to 24 districts and ordered to choose 2-3 persons from among local activists at every populated locality for conducting subsequent agitprop campaigns. We talked to the most influential clergymen in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, namely, Arsanov, Yandarov and Gaisumov, who were exhorted to assist us through mullahs and other influential local persons. ... The deportation shall commence at dawn February 23, 1944. It was intended to cordon off local districts for the purpose of preventing the populace from leaving territory of populated localities. The populace shall be invited to attend a rally, with some people receiving time for collecting their belongings. The rest shall be disarmed and taken to marshalling areas. As I see it, the deportation of Chechen and Ingush populations will prove to be successful.
Signed:
Lavrenty Beria.
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State Defence Committee
Attn: Comrade Stalin, February 26, 1944
The deportation of Chechen and Ingush populations is proceeding normally. As of the evening of February 25, we have placed 342,647 people aboard trains. 86 trains have left the overall marshalling area for their new final destinations.
Signed:
Lavrenty Beria.
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Excerpts from a report to USSR People's Commissar For Internal Affairs Lavrenty Beria
February 29, 1944
>From Alma-Ata.
Preparations for receiving and resettling displaced persons in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic were mostly completed on February 25. 309,000 displaced persons are being settled at local collective farms. 42,000 people are being settled at state farms. Another 49,000 people are being accommodated at Kazakh enterprises. They are being transported aboard 1,590 motor vehicles, 57,000 horse-drawn carts and 103 tractors. 145 district-level and 375 village-level special NKVD commandants' offices comprising 1,358 operatives have been established in the vicinity of settlements.
Signed:
Nasedkin
Bogdanov
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State Defence Committee
Attn: Comrade Stalin, March 1, 1944
I'd like to inform you about the results of an operation aiming to deport Chechen and Ingush populations. Their deportation began inside most districts, with the exception of highland populated localities, on February 23. 478,479 people, including 91,250 Ingush nationals, were deported and placed aboard trains by February 29. 180 trains have already been filled to capacity, with 159 of them leaving for their new final destinations. Trains containing former administrative officials and religious authorities of Checheno-Ingushetia, whose services were enlisted during the operation, have left the republic today. Owing to heavy snow-falls and rutty roads, 6,000 Chechens still remain to be resettled from some populated localities in Galanchozhsky district. They shall be rounded up and resettled within the next two days. The entire operation was conducted in a well-organized manner; nor was it marked by any serious cases of resistance and other incidents. ... We continue to comb forest areas, temporarily retaining an NKVD-force garrison, as well as an NKVD-operative squad, there. 2,016 anti-Soviet elements from among Chechen and Ingush populations were arrested during preparations for this operation and in its course. We have confiscated 20,072 fire-arms, including 4,868 rifles, as well as 479 machine-guns and sub-machine guns.
Signed:
Lavrenty Beria.
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