Background
Vasiliy Korzh was born 1 (13) January in 1899 in Horostov village, Solygorsky district, Homel region in a peasant family. He studied at village school, helped his parents with household work.
The grave of V. Korzh
military officer Major - General
Vasiliy Korzh was born 1 (13) January in 1899 in Horostov village, Solygorsky district, Homel region in a peasant family. He studied at village school, helped his parents with household work.
In 1931 Vasiliy Korzh studied at Special courses of People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs.
From 1946 he studied at High military academy named after K.E. Voroshilov. Then he was a student of the Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
In the 1920s Vasiliy took part in the establishment of Soviet Union in the detachment of Kirill Prokofievich Orlovsky. There he acquired the first combat experience.
Since 1925, he was the Chairman of Slutsk and Starobel’sk kolhoz (Minsk region).
In 1929, he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Since 1931 he worked in People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD). When the war in Spain begun, he fought in the international brigade and was awarded Order of the Red Star and Order of the Red Banner for this.
After his return in 1938, he was unreasonably arrested on charges of espionage and the preparation of terrorist activities and sent to prison, where he spent a month and a half. After his release, he left Belarus.
In 1939 – 1940, he worked as the director of the Grain farm in Krasnodarsky Krai, and then – in sovkhoz named after Lange (Dobransky district, Homel region, Belarus).
In 1940, he became the Head of the financial sector of the Pinsk regional committee, the Communist Party. Until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he formed and led a fighter battalion, which is later becoming the first guerilla troop in Belarus. They were setting roadblocks to destroy the enemy vehicles with ammunition and foodstuffs. The troop led by Korzh undermined the first armored train.
Winter 1941-1942 they connected with Minsk regional underground committee and organized the first guerilla raid together.
Until November 1942, guerrilla troops united in the unit led by Korzh.
They restored the Soviet government on Luninetsky, Zhitkovichsky, Starobinsky, Ivanovsky, Drogichinsky and other districts and controlled a part of Brest-Homel and Baranovichi-Luninets railway connections.
They successfully fought with the Nazis until summer 1943. The guerilla union led by Korzh made a significant contribution in the “rail war” 1943.
Till July 1944, they crushed 60 German garrisons, derailed 478 enemy armored trains, set off 62 railway bridges, destroyed 86 tanks and 29 weapons, destroyed 519 kilometers of communication lines.
By the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR’s Decree, August 15, 1944, he was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union title for “exemplary fulfillment of the combat missions during the war against German-fascist invaders and the courage and heroism shown at that time” and received Order of Lenin.
Since 1946, Major General Vasiliy Korzh was sent to the reserve.
In 1949-1953, he worked as the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Belarus.
In 1953-1963, he became the chairman of the kolkhoz "Partisansky krai" (Hvorostovsky village, Soligorsky district). During the war, the village was completely destroyed and needed to be rebuilt.
During his last years, Korzh lived in Minsk. He died May 5, 1967, and was buried in East cemetery. Next to his grave were the graves of his wife Ekaterina Spiridonovna and daughter Antonina.
The guerillas admitted his extreme humanitarianism. It considered shameful and solemnly to fail such kind of commanders. Vasiliy Kirzh was an example of an accurate, focused and discipline person. He disliked unkempt people, because it affects the attitude to the weapons, which was so important in a wartime.
“Life has sense only if the person has a goal. Of course, goals can be different: they can be big and small, simple and great. I can’t imagine my life without life and happiness, people and society, fights and peace”.
Quotes from others about the person
Friends: “He was very strict to himself, condescending to others and merciless towards enemies. He could easily persuade people to do something. He was learning how to defeat himself and how to manage feelings and emotions. He loved children and called them «our young undergrowth».
Vasiliy was married to Ekaterina Spiridonovna. They had two daughters.