During the Great October Socialist Revolution and the Civil War, Lenin's party raised and educated a whole galaxy of outstanding military leaders. Among them was V. M. Primakov. He joined the ranks of the Bolshevik Party in 1914, while still a high school student. A year later, for spreading revolutionary appeals against the war among the soldiers of the Chernihiv garrison, he was exiled forever to Siberia. After the February Revolution, Primakov was again actively involved in revolutionary activities, becoming a member of the Kiev City Committee of the RSDLP (b). Then he commanded the Red Guard detachment in battles with Kerensky and Krasnov. At the end of 1917, the party sent him back to Ukraine. With his direct participation, the first regiment of the Red Cossacks was formed in Kharkov, which consisted of volunteers-workers, peasants and soldiers of the local garrison 1 . Primakov reported to the Soviet Ukrainian government: "700 soldiers with 4 machine guns are eager to give themselves to the service of the workers and peasants." 2
In the first days of January 1918, the regiment set out from Kharkov and soon, together with other red detachments, defeated the Petliura garrison in Poltava, capturing many weapons, ammunition, equipment and a large number of army horses. 3
1 "Against Denikin". Collection of Memoirs, Moscow, 1969, p. 209.

2 " Chervonoe Cossacks. 1918 - 1923". Collection of materials on the history of the Chervonoi Cossacks, Moscow, 1923, p. 24.

3 I. Dubinsky. Primakov (1897-1937), Moscow, 1968, p. 43.

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The trophies made it possible to put the entire regiment on horses. It was from then on that it began to represent one of the most formidable combat units of the red cavalry. Moving with battles in the vanguard of the Red Guard detachments, the regiment at the end of February 1918 approached Kiev. The city was defended by large forces of the Central Rada. Repeated attempts by our troops to attack the enemy from the front were unsuccessful. The commander of the red Cossacks decided to bypass Kiev from the north, cross the Dnieper on the ice and suddenly strike from the rear. This plan was successfully implemented. The cavalry occupied the Kiev suburbs of Kurenevka, Syrets, and Podol, captured many prisoners, destroyed 12 aircraft, and helped units advancing from the front liberate the city .4 This raid on Kiev was only one of 14 raids by Primakov's cavalry during the Civil War. Three of them, the most striking, will be discussed below.

In the autumn of 1919 Denikin, having captured the Ukraine, moved to Moscow. The White Cossack hundreds of General Shkuro then broke into Voronezh, and on October 13 Kutepov's officer units withered the Eagle and approached Tula. Assessing the situation, Lenin wrote: "One of the most critical, and in all probability even the most critical, moments of the socialist revolution has arrived." 5 In this situation, a special strike group was created on Lenin's initiative to break through Denikin's front west of Orel, which included the Latvian Rifle Division, a separate rifle brigade and the Chervonnye Cossacks. The basis of the 8th cavalry division of the Red Cossacks was made up of units transferred from Ukraine. Primakov was appointed to command the division. On October 30, Commander-14 I. P. Uborevich and a member of the Army's Military Council G. K. Ordzhonikidze arrived at the headquarters of the strike group of the 14th Army (Sharykino village, Oryol province). They gave the troops a combat mission: the Latvian division-to break through the enemy's defenses, Primakov's cavalry-to enter the breakthrough, raid Fatezh-Ponyri, defeat the reserves of the White Guard Drozdovskaya and Kornilovskaya divisions and cut the Kursk - Orel railway line 6 . The 8th Cavalry Division carried out vigorous, well-thought-out preparations for the raid. The cavalrymen decided to go on a raid in the form of the enemy, posing as the retreating white Cossacks of Shkuro. The personnel sewed shoulder straps, pinned cockades, and learned the rules of service in the white army.

On November 2, the cavalry concentrated in the initial area. On the eve of a heavy snowstorm. Using the darkness and blizzard, the Latvian riflemen came close to the enemy and overcame his defenses without firing a single shot in a bayonet attack .7 After the Latvians, the red cavalry rushed into the breakthrough. At Studenok they met an enemy detachment on the march. At first, the whites were wary, but when they saw the riders wearing shoulder straps and glittering cockades, they took them for their own and continued to move forward. As they drew level with the column, the chief drew his saber and gave the command to fight. The Red Cossacks attacked the enemy from three sides. White suffered huge losses in manpower and equipment .8 On the same day, Sergo Ordzhonikidze reported to Lenin :" We managed to break through the enemy's front, to enter Primakov's Chervonnokazach division, which on the same day cut down the enemy's officer regiment."9 By noon, Primakov's cavalry division reached Olkhovatka, and then occupied Ponyri station. One of the regiments of the Red Cossacks defeated the enemy garrison in Fatezh, capturing heavy guns, an ammunition depot, and releasing political prisoners and 400 captured Red Army soldiers from prison .10
By the end of November 4, the cavalry division was concentrated in Olkhovatka and Molotychy. When on November 5, the regiments of the White Guard Kornilov division approached the Saburovka area, the Primakovites attacked and destroyed them. On the battlefield, the enemy left many dead, weapons, ammunition 11 . The same fate awaited other white regiments, which were squeezed by Latvian riflemen and Primakov's cavalry from both sides. The order of the RVS of November 8, 1919 stated: "In

4 V. M. Primakov. The struggle for Soviet power in the Ukraine. "Stages of the long road. Memoirs of the Civil War", Moscow, 1962, p. 189. Currently, one of the streets of Kurenevka is called "Chervonno-Kazachya", and the park above the Dnieper, where a bronze monument to Primakov is erected, bears his name.

5 V. I. Lenin. PSS. Vol. 39, p. 44.

6 "Chervonoe kazachestvo", p. 65.

7 " History of the Latvian Riflemen (1915-1920)". Riga. 1972, p. 494.

8 I. Dubinsky, G. Shevchuk. Chervonnoe Cossacks. Київ. 1961, стор. 87.

9 Izvestia, 23. X. 1936.

10 "History of the Latvian Riflemen", p. 495.

11 Ibid.

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in these battles, the units of the Latvian Division and the 8th Chervonnokazachya Division gained eternal glory. " 12 The raid on Ponyri-Fatezh lasted for four days. During this time, the 8th Cavalry Division defeated up to four enemy regiments, captured many prisoners, 19 guns, up to a hundred machine guns, about 200 wagons with weapons, ammunition, uniforms and equipment .13 Commander of the Southern Front A. I. Yegorov wrote about this raid: "Posing as the enemy's cavalry, Primakov's units fought for more than 100 km, occupied Fatezh-Ponyri, where they inflicted a serious defeat on the enemy, as a result of which the White Guard front could not resist and began to withdraw to the south"14 . For the courage and heroism shown in these battles, the Chervonnokazach division was awarded the honorary Revolutionary Red Banner of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee; the Order of the Red Banner was awarded to V. M. Primakov, the division's chief of Staff S. A. Turovsky ,the commander of the 1st brigade of Chervonny Cossacks P. P. Grigoriev and others. 15 In commemoration of the defeat of the Denikinists at Orel, a delegation of the Moscow Soviet brought a letter to the cavalry division stating:"The name of the red Cossacks will be written on the golden pages of the history of the liberation of the workers and peasants from the yoke of capital and tsarist generals." Residents of St. Petersburg also sent a warm greeting to the red cavalrymen 16 .

On November 10, Primakov received combat orders to raid Lgov, destroy General May-Mayevsky's reserves, and occupy and hold junction station and Gorod 17 until our troops arrived . And this time the participants of the raid were dressed in the military uniform of the enemy. On the night of November 14, a brigade of Latvian riflemen attacked the enemy and broke through its defenses. Following the Latvians, Primakov's cavalry division vigorously marched on Lgov. At the Lyubimovka station, the cavalrymen met the whites on the march, but did not engage them in battle, because the enemy recognized them as their own, but rode on. The route was difficult, the roads were covered with snow. Nevertheless, on November 15, the Red units stormed Lgov 18 . Only one Belykh train train with the headquarters of the commander of the Good Army, May-Mayevsky, managed to leave.

On November 15, the commander of the White Guard artillery division arrived in Marmyzhi, where Primakov's headquarters was located. He reported that he was going to the front, but because of a blizzard, he lost his way. When the white officer realized where he was, Primakov demanded that he support the red cavalry attack with artillery fire near the village of Kostyltsevo and promised to spare his life in return. The 1st cavalry brigade defeated the enemy infantry in half an hour, capturing 1 thousand prisoners with 36 officers, and then went to the village of Makarovka 19 . Intelligence reported that enemy armored trains with infantry were moving towards Lgov. Brigade Commander Grigoriev decided to let them pass to Lgov, and then blow up the railway bridge on the Reut River, slam the trap and destroy the whites. This plan was brilliantly implemented. 2 thousand soldiers were captured, 5 armored trains, 30 guns, 50 machine guns, hundreds of wagons with weapons, ammunition, uniforms and equipment were taken 20. On November 20, 1919, Pravda wrote: "A courageous raid by Primakov's cavalry occupied Lgov, captured large trophies, which are still being counted."

In May 1920, the White Poles occupied Kiev. In this regard, the cavalry of Primakov was transferred to the area of Khmelnik. In the first battle, it defeated the enemy's Poznań Division. On June 26, in the area of Sinyaevo station, Chervonnye Cossacks defeated legionnaires 21 . But the enemy was still strong, and repeated attempts to break through its defenses were not immediately crowned with success. After assessing the situation, komaadarm-14 Uborevich ordered the Chervonnokazach division to enter the breakthrough, making a raid on Proskurov 22 . Primakov concentrated his units near Volkovitsy. Rushing into the gap created by the actions of the 60th Rifle Division, on the first day of the raid, the Primakovites defeated the reserve and rear of the enemy's 12th infantry Division , captured prisoners, large trophies and reached Mikhampol 23, and in the end of the battle, they were able to destroy the enemy's army.

12 I. Dubinsky, G. Shevchuk. Op. ed., p. 86.

13 " Civil War. 1918-1921". Vol. 3. Moscow, 1928, p. 508,

14 A. I. Yegorov. The Defeat of Denikin, 1919. Moscow, 1931, p. 172.

15 V. Petrov. Комкор червоних казаків. (About V. M. Primakov). Київ. 1964, стор. 104.

16 "Chervonoe kazachestvo", pp. 154-155.

17 Ibid., pp. 72-73.

18 V. M. Primakov. The path of unfading glory. "Stages of the Long Road", p. 205.

19 "History of the Civil War in the USSR", vol. 4, Moscow, 1959, p. 278.

20 "History of the Latvian riflemen", p. 498.

21 I. Dubinsky, G. Shevchuk. Op. ed., p. 117.

22 Ibid., p. 119.

23 "Class Struggle", 1932, No. 5, p. 68.

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On the night of July 6, after destroying enemy outposts, they broke into Proskurov. In Cherny Ostrov, the regiments of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, having captured French-made uniforms, changed into it and on July 7 went to the area of the Reserve, where an enemy plane circled over them. The pilot, seeing the familiar light blue uniform, landed the plane directly into the red battle formations. In just 3 days of the Proskurov raid, the Red Cossacks destroyed up to 3 thousand soldiers and officers, captured 15 guns, 12 locomotives, about 500 wagons with weapons, ammunition, uniforms, 1 thousand army horses and more than 200 wagons.

Primakov's 8th Cavalry division then drove the enemy westward as far as the Zbruch River . For the skilful organization and implementation of the Proskurov raid and the courage and personal heroism shown in doing so, Nachdiv Primakov was awarded the second Order of the Red Banner .25 Other soldiers of his division were also awarded awards.

24 "History of the Civil War in the USSR", vol. 5, Moscow, 1960, p. 141.

25 "Collection of orders of the RVSR for 1921", Moscow, 1921.

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