Colonel Pavlenko's fake army - the most famous scammers - the most famous scammers - catalog of articles - all about fraud and scams. The real gang of “Black Wolves” even robbed Berlin. Fake military unit in the Soviet years.

On a gloomy and cold autumn morning in 1952, the sleepy silence of an unremarkable courtyard in Chisinau was broken by the roar of a car engine and the clatter of heavy boots. Those who dared to look out of their windows managed to see how people in gray overcoats were pushing a heavy-set man in a ceremonial officer's uniform out of the door of one of the houses.

ON THIS TOPIC

He was taken out into the street, put into a car parked around the corner and taken away in an unknown direction. Silence fell again on the sleepy courtyard, and life went on as usual. But those who became random witnesses to what happened could not even imagine that they saw that morning the final part of the most secret operation of the USSR state security agencies, during which the number one criminal of that time was captured - “Colonel” Nikolai Pavlenko, who for 11 years masterfully deceived the powerful Soviet Stalinist system.

THE BEGINNING OF THE WAY

Pavlenko was born in 1908 in the Kyiv province. During the period of collectivization, in the early 1930s, the family of the future “great schemer” was dispossessed, and his father soon died in exile. In 1928, 14-year-old Pavlenko left home and got a job as a road builder. Then he tries to enroll in the road transport department of the Belarusian Polytechnic University. After some time, as a “conscientious and honest” worker, Pavlenko is recommended to a serious organization - Glavvoenstroy. There he successfully coped with the work of a foreman, then a senior foreman, and by 1941 he had risen to the position of site manager. Then he could hardly imagine that within a few years he would become one of the richest people in the USSR.

The outbreak of the Great Patriotic War became a huge grief for the country. Destruction of cities and villages, casualties among the civilian population, defeat of the army and the rapid advance of the enemy. But for Pavlenko, those terrible first months of the war became a time of great opportunity. As a specialist in military construction, he was appointed assistant engineer of the Second Rifle Corps on the Western Front. But Pavlenko had no particular desire to defend his homeland, so after some time he forges documents and goes on a fake business trip, taking with him a driver in a service truck. The deserters reached Kalinin (then the name of Tver) and “lay low” with Pavlenko’s relatives who lived in the city.

ENTERPRISE DESERTER

However, this could not continue for long, so the deserter was considering options for further action. And he soon came to the main idea of ​​his life, which brought him fabulous wealth at that time. According to some reports, this happened at a drinking party in Klin, near Moscow, where Pavlenko’s former colleagues in construction organizations gathered, just like him, not deprived of various kinds of dubious talents. One of them was Ludwig Rudnichenko. Right during the feast, he jokingly cut out an official seal and stamps from the sole of a rubber boot with the inscription “Military construction site of the Kalinin Front No. 5.” What he saw gave birth to a daring criminal plan in Pavlenko’s head.

Having at his disposal a military truck stolen from the front, horses with carts and several “personnel”, he decided to organize his own military construction unit. For these purposes, for the food bribe given by the swindler, a circulation of counterfeit documents was printed at the Kalinin printing house in the names of “military personnel” of a non-existent military unit. In addition, a military uniform was sewn for the criminal and his accomplices at a local garment factory. Pavlenko’s friends and acquaintances in his “military unit” were divided into “soldiers” and “officers.”

Nevertheless, there was a catastrophic lack of people for a serious event. But this problem was soon solved: the enterprising swindler agreed with the military commissar of the city so that he would send to him military personnel who had lagged behind their units or soldiers who had just been discharged from local hospitals. Of course, this case also involved a bribe, which has since become the criminal’s main tool in running his fake “business.” However, it must be admitted that he used this tool masterfully.

THE RISE OF THE "GREAT COMBINATOR"

The first contracts were not long in coming. The head of the Kalinin evacuation point, military doctor Bidenko, in exchange for free services, agreed to provide the swindler’s “military unit” with everything necessary. Soon other orders followed, for which Pavlenko opened an account at the State Bank. And after the disbandment of the Kalinin Front, Pavlenko, who gave a bribe to a certain Lieutenant Colonel Tsyplakov, was able to attach his “unit” to the rear of the 4th Air Army for the construction of airfields. Thus, the criminal structure was organized, the main source of income was obtained, and supplies were established. The era of prosperity for the swindler and the “construction unit” he created has begun.

Until May 1945, Pavlenko was able to receive about a million rubles from concluded agreements on the territory of the USSR alone, and the total number of his unit, or more correctly, the gang, reached 200 people. Together with the Red Army, which was finishing off the enemy in Europe, the swindler’s gang reached Germany itself, where they did not hesitate to openly rob the local population.

The criminal and his accomplices ended the war in Stuttgart. By this time, they already had so much loot that Pavlenko agreed with the military commandant of the city to allocate a train of 30 cars in order to take it all to the USSR. The train with cars, sewing machines, accordions and even livestock slowly pulled towards the east. Pavlenko and his accomplices sold much of the loot back in Poland, the rest was soon sold on the markets of the Tula and Kalinin regions.

After his “triumphant” return from Europe, Pavlenko procured 230 awards for his subordinates. The enterprising swindler pinned on himself four orders: the Patriotic War of the 1st and 2nd degrees, the Red Banner of Battle, the Red Star, as well as many medals.

NEW STAGE

Upon returning to his homeland, Pavlenko’s unit was located in the Shchekinsky district of the Tula region. Naturally, not without a bribe. For this, the local military commissar received one of the stolen cars from Pavlenko. Having sold all the property embezzled in Europe, the swindler decided to disband his unit. With the help of the same military commissar, all the “soldiers” who were under Pavlenko’s command were demobilized. At the same time, “junior military personnel” received 7-12 thousand rubles from the criminal as gratitude, “officers” received 15-25, depending on their rank. The swindler clearly could not be accused of stinginess. The criminal kept 90 thousand rubles for himself.

For a huge sum at that time, he bought himself two houses - one in the Kharkov region, the other in the Kalinin region, and also acquired as many as four Pobeda cars. However, a calm and measured life with his wife and daughter was too boring for him. He was attracted by adventure and big money. Soon he again entered the construction industry, organizing the Plandorstroy artel. However, she did not work for long, since already in 1948 Pavlenko left his wife and left Kalinin for Western Ukraine with his mistress, taking 400 thousand rubles from the artel’s funds.

WIDE SCOPE

Pavlenko and his beloved settle in Lvov, where he soon invites his former accomplices. Together, they again create a construction “military unit”. Stamps and document forms were ordered for bribes, and the entire business of the swindlers continued according to the old scheme, only on an even greater scale. Over the next four years, the organization concluded more than 60 contracts for a colossal amount - more than 38 million rubles. The activities of the scammers unfolded on the territory of six union republics: Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. At the same time, Pavlenko himself was known among the local party bosses as a respected person, without hesitation appearing at special events, shaking hands with government officials. In 1951, the criminal assigned himself the rank of colonel.

It is worth noting that the activities of the organization disguised as a military unit were based on purely capitalist principles. Thus, the fraudster paid the hired specialists salaries several times higher than the state ones. In addition, he knew human psychology well and knew how to ingratiate himself, at the same time he was very generous with large bribes, as well as with treats in restaurants, with which he appeased the local party leadership.

BEGINNING OF THE END

It seemed that nothing threatened the scammer’s prosperity. But as often happens, even the most brilliant criminals screw up over some little thing. This is what happened with Pavlenko. The fact is that the swindler decided, for some purpose, to distribute government loan bonds in the “military unit” he headed. One of the workers did not receive enough of them, after which he sent a corresponding complaint to the then deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Marshal Kliment Voroshilov. An inspection was immediately organized, during which investigators from the military prosecutor's office discovered with great surprise that the military unit indicated in the letter was not listed on any official lists.

Pavlenko's "headquarters" located in Chisinau were under surveillance. Soon, law enforcement agencies detained more than 400 people who were members of the swindler’s fake military unit. However, Pavlenko himself was not among those detained. The boss was betrayed by his closest subordinate with the call sign Konstantiner, who headed his own counterintelligence of the fake organization. As a result, Pavlenko and his mistress were detained on November 23. At the same time, general's shoulder straps were found next to the swindler. Apparently, the criminal was preparing for a “promotion.”

INVESTIGATION AND TRIAL

The investigation lasted two years. Finally, at the end of November 1954, the trial began (it would last five months). Pavlenko asked for leniency, stating that he did not set himself the goal of creating an anti-Soviet organization, while emphasizing that he could still be useful to society and the state. Nevertheless, the verdict of the tribunal of the Moscow Military District passed on April 4, 1955 was as strict as possible: the fraudster was sentenced to capital punishment. As for his accomplices, the “officers,” they received prison sentences ranging from five to 25 years. Pavlenko's sentence was not subject to appeal. However, the day on which it was carried out is still unknown. As is the burial place of Soviet military swindler number one.

It is worth noting that Pavlenko, despite the criminal nature of his actions, was an extraordinary and in many ways original person, had a lively mind, and was lightning-fast in his orientation even in the most difficult situations. The “Pavlenko phenomenon” is all the more surprising because his activities occurred during the war and post-war Stalinist era - years of seemingly iron order and total control. Nevertheless, even in such conditions there was a lot of chaos and loopholes for corruption. Pavlenko managed to avoid punishment for 11 years, without disguising himself at all, but on the contrary, standing out in every possible way and trying to become a respectable member of Soviet society.

It is also interesting that none of the high-ranking party officials of the same Moldavian USSR, on whose territory the “military unit” of the criminal was stationed, appeared in the criminal case. Thus, the Minister of Food Industry Kirill Turcan received only a reprimand as a result of the proceedings. Some researchers try to explain this by the fact that the then leader of Moldova, Leonid Brezhnev, was connected with Pavlenko, who was able to avert the threat of criminal prosecution from his subordinates. Whether this is true or not is hardly possible to establish now.

The truth about this incredible story was safely hidden for half a century in the archives of the KGB and the CPSU Central Committee.

Nikolay Maksimovich Pavlenko one of the seven children of a miller - kulak. At the age of 16, in 1928, he ran away from the village of New Sokoly (Kiev region) to Minsk. He ran away because he felt that his father would soon be repressed as part of the campaign against the kulaks. His father was repressed and his property was confiscated.

The prudent Nikolai took credit for 4 years and entered the Minsk Polytechnic Institute, but studied for only two years and ran away. At that moment the NKVD became interested in him. This is where traces of him are lost for 5 long years.

The first time he got caught fraud with building materials in 1935 in the city of Efremov and he would have been sitting in Kolyma, if not for influential defenders in the NKVD, to whom he provided “exorbitant” assistance in the “fight against the Trotskyists.” Nikolai Pavlenko was not only removed from the investigation, but was also recommended for the position of foreman, and later the construction manager of the Glavvoinstroi sections, where even experienced specialists, let alone a guy with two years of college, could not get a job. The reason for such a career jump is “reliability”; Pavlenko was a secret agent of the NKVD and wrote regular denunciations against his two “Trotskyist” colleagues - Volkov and Afanasyev.

But the real prologue to the dizzying rise was the war. National grief for military technician of the first rank Nikolay Pavlenko managed to use it to his advantage. At a time when his second Streletsky Corps of the Kalinin Front was retreating to the east with battles and heavy losses, Pavlenko forged a travel certificate and went to the rear in search of a non-existent airfield unit along with his driver. He reached Kalinin, where his relatives lived, and decided to take advantage of the total confusion of wartime and create his own military unit using only a fake seal.

Pavlenko made a round seal, selected people, found a chief of staff, appointed the head of the unit’s own counterintelligence. He relied on those who were not clean before the law, who lagged behind their unit, and many of his employees did not even realize that they were serving in a non-existent military unit. He also forged sales certificates and dressed his friends (accomplices) in uniforms bought at the market. Soon his mythical unit numbered 200 bayonets and only 30 close associates knew about this scam.

He agreed with one of the commanders of the 4th Air Army unit to put his people on pay and thus legalize himself.

With his unit he reached the Oder and even Berlin. Pavlenko accepted orders for construction, built, received money for it, but at the same time his gang looted and robbed the local population. The unit ended the war with a profit of 3 million rubles and trophies. In Poland and Germany, Pavlenko's "eagles" captured about 100 horses, cattle, 100 pieces of equipment, trailers, tons of food, radios, weapons, and sewing machines.

The fake colonel agreed with the transport and clothing supply service of the Red Army and the commandant's office of Stuttgart to allocate 30 railway cars to him to take the loot to Kalinin. There he announced demobilization and sent all honest fighters home, distributing 230 orders and medals, and paid each of the accomplices from 7 to 25 thousand rubles. He kept 90 thousand rubles, equipment, and modestly awarded himself two Orders of the Second World War, 1st and 2nd class, the Red Banner of Battle and the Red Star.
Then there was a peaceful life, new construction scams, the purchase of real estate in Kalinin and Kharkov.

In 1948, Pavlenko realized that he missed the army; left the artel he created, taking with him 400 thousand government rubles and left for Lvov, where he met his “fellow soldiers.” And it all started again, orders poured in. Trusts, district executive committees of Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova entered into agreements with Pavlenko, totaling 40 million rubles

The real culprit behind the collapse of Colonel Pavlenko’s scam was the humble civilian engineer Ivan Efremenko. The impostor officers, secretly from the boss, organized their own small business and began to sell some of the State Loan bonds that they did not give to civilian workers. Then Efremenko decided to write a petition addressed to Marshal Voroshilov about the deception with a request to look into it.

The letter reached the prosecutor's office and on October 23, 1952, a criminal case was opened for fraud. Investigators sent inquiries to the Ministry of Defense, the location of Pavlenko’s unit, but answers came from everywhere: “Such a unit does not exist.” Shocked law enforcement officers transferred the case to the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office; the case was classified and placed under special control of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

On November 14, 1952, security agencies stormed all branches of the UVS. About 400 people were arrested and about 100 items were confiscated. small arms; All accounts of the organization are blocked.

On November 23, Nikolai Pavlenko himself was arrested and admitted his guilt in full, except for one point “On the creation of an anti-Soviet organization.” Pavlenko convinced the court that although he was a fraudster, he built with conscience and could still serve the Soviet government.

On April 4, 1955, the court sentenced Nikolai Pavlenko to death, and 16 false officers to prison terms from 5 to 25 years with confiscation of property.

Undoubtedly, Nikolai Pavlenko was an extraordinary person. This was a scam of the highest order; neither before nor after Pavlenko there was anything like this anywhere in the world.

0 Users and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Knowledge to the masses!

The case of a fake military unit, criminal number 1 in the USSR Nikolai Pavlenko. The largest scam of Soviet times, which lasted 11 years and caused 38 million rubles in damage.

Nikolai Pavlenko is one of the most amazing adventurers of the Stalin era. During the war he created his own military unit.

Kolya Pavlenko, the son of a miller from the village of Novye Sokoly, was perhaps the most savvy among his seven sisters and brothers. Without waiting for his father to be dispossessed, in 1928 the sixteen-year-old teenager left home for the city. He added four years to his age to get a job. Subsequently, Pavlenko more than once used this method in forged documents: he changed the year and place of birth. He entered the Institute of Civil Engineering, but after studying for two years, he dropped out.

NKVD employees, a certain Curzon and Sakhno, involved him “in the development of materials against the Trotskyists Volkov and Afanasyev” and, as “conscious” and “devoted,” recommended him to a serious organization - Glavvoenstroy. With two courses at the institute, young Pavlenko successfully coped with the work of a foreman, senior foreman, and construction site manager. Even then, Nikolai Maksimovich had mastered the method of postscripts well, learned to “work” with documents and, most importantly, realized that under the roof of the military department one could warm one’s hands well

June 1941 Nikolai Pavlenko was greeted in the uniform of a military technician of the 1st rank with a "sleeper" in his buttonhole. The rifle corps in which he served was retreating to the east with heavy fighting. In October, Pavlenko forged a travel document (he was allegedly sent to search for an airfield unit ), took with him his faithful driver Sergeant Shcheglov, and they both disappeared.

Having safely passed the posts of the detachments, Pavlenko and his accomplice reached Kalinin (now Tver). Here he had relatives who knew him from his previous work in a construction team. It would seem that it would be better for a deserter to lie low, “lay low,” acquire forged documents that would exempt him from conscription, and hide in a quiet office. But Pavlenko planned the incredible, especially considering the climate of general suspicion during the war—to create his own military unit.

Thirty-year-old Pavlenko began by preparing a documentary base for the “military” unit. In March 1942, in the table company of the first “fighters”, who were Pavlenko’s closest relatives and his friends who had evaded conscription into the army, professional swindler L. Rudnichenko showed up. In front of the astonished spectators, in just an hour, using a simple tool, he cut out an official seal and stamps from a rubber sole with the inscription “Military construction site of the Kalinin Front” (“UVSR-5”).

Forms, product certificates, travel certificates and other documents were printed in the printing house for a bribe of products. Uniforms were purchased at bazaars. Contacts were established with some employees of the Volodarsky garment factory and the Kalinin regional industrial cooperation. Pavlenko made “officers” out of trusted people, and to begin with, he awarded himself the title of military engineer of the 3rd rank. Using fabricated official letters - on stamped forms - the commander of "UVSR-5" ensured that from the city's military commandant's office, ordinary soldiers who had lagged behind their unit or were discharged from the hospital after being wounded were sent to him for further service.

The new military unit, under contract agreements with various organizations that did not suspect anything about the true origin of UVSR-5, began to carry out road construction work. Pavlenko personally divided all cash receipts under such agreements among his officers and spent only a small part on food for the unsuspecting “ordinary personnel.”

However, the case required more reliable cover. A young, energetic, intelligent-looking military engineer of the 3rd rank inspired confidence in those around him. Having promised the head of one of the evacuation centers, doctor 1st rank Biden-ko, to repair the buildings for free, Pavlenko obtained his consent to take UVSR-5 under his protection and even enroll the soldiers in all types of allowances at the evacuation point.

After the liquidation of the Kalinin Front, part of Pavlenko moved under the wing of the 12th RAB (aircraft base area), where his people were also enrolled in all types of allowances. He carried out this operation for a large bribe in the fall of 1942, bribing a certain Lieutenant Colonel Tsyplakov.

Pavlenko’s unit, which changed the sign to “UVR-5,” moved after the advancing Soviet troops, maintaining a safe distance from the front line. On the way to the USSR border, Pavlenko’s people earned about a million rubles under contracts. To increase the volume of work performed, replenishment was required. Then Pavlenko began to recruit soldiers who had lagged behind their units. “You’re a deserter! You need to be judged! You’ll be shot!” Pavlenko shouted at the soldier who had committed a crime. But then, replacing his anger with mercy, he added: “Okay, so be it, I forgive you. Stay in my unit...” Chief of Staff “UVR” M Zavada said: “People were recruited, as a rule, from those who had lagged behind military units... Drivers were taken along with the car... When they approached the Soviet state border, there were more than two hundred people in “UVR”. Half of them - deserters and persons hiding from conscription into the active army."

Pavlenko’s unit followed the Soviet troops throughout Poland and ended its “combat” journey near Berlin. Here the “builders” began outright robbery of the local population. Honest soldiers who did not suspect anything about the criminal nature of the UVR could complain to their superiors, so Pavlenko shot the two most zealous ones, demonstrating determination in the fight against the “looters.” By the end of the war, part of Pavlenko turned into an armed gang, dressed in the uniform of Soviet military personnel.

After the victory, the UVR commander, who had gained strength and became insolent, with the help of deception and large bribes, established connections with the military representatives of the Department of Clothing and Cargo Supply of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, as well as with representatives of the temporary military commandant's office of Stuttgart and received at his disposal a railway train of thirty cars, in addition to dozens tons of flour, sugar, cereals and hundreds of heads of livestock; ten trucks, five tractors, several cars and other equipment were transported on it. The gang returned to their homeland with rich booty, orders and medals. Based on fictitious documents about the imaginary exploits of UVR fighters, Pavlenko received over 230 awards, which he distributed to his most distinguished comrades. He awarded himself two Orders of the Patriotic War, I and II degrees, the Order of the Red Banner of Battle, the Order of the Red Star, and medals.

Upon returning to Kalinin, Pavlenko immediately demobilized everyone who knew nothing about the criminal nature of the unit. After selling the loot, he paid each of his “soldiers” from 7 to 12 thousand rubles, the “officers” - from 15 to 25 thousand, and kept 90 thousand rubles for himself.

Leaving some of the removed equipment in Kalinin, Pavlenko created and headed the civil construction artel "Plandorstroy". But under his leadership there were no longer any accomplices - they had dispersed to different cities, and without them it was difficult to carry out the business on a grand scale. At the beginning of 1948, he contacted his closest assistant Yu. Konstantiner, after which, having stolen 300 thousand artel funds, he disappeared. Soon other “officers” came to Lvov at his call, and the craftsman Rudnichenko also arrived, who quickly made seals and stamps. This is how UVS-1 (Military Construction Directorate) appeared with many construction branches in the western regions of the country.

From 1948 to 1952, UVS-1, using forged documents, concluded sixty-four contracts in the amount of 38,717,600 rubles. Almost half of the contracts were carried out through the USSR Ministry of Coal Industry. On behalf of his “military unit,” Pavlenko opened current accounts in twenty-one branches of the State Bank, through which he received more than 25 million rubles from fictitious accounts.

Having a lot of money, Pavlenko considered himself invulnerable. He had an unerring instinct for corrupt officials. The plump and impressive colonel (he assigned this title to himself in 1951) gave a bribe even for solving a trivial issue. He belonged to local authorities. He was respected and taken into account. Pavlenko selected his security through local MGB agencies, which carefully checked candidates for lack of connection with Bandera.

On November 5, 1952, the investigative unit for particularly important cases of the Main Military Prosecutor's Office received a criminal case initiated by the military prosecutor's office of the Carpathian Military District about the fictitious organization "UVS-1", headed by engineer-colonel Pavlenko Nikolai Maksimovich. And this was during the reign of Stalin, when an atmosphere of general suspicion reigned! Only chance helped expose Pavlenko.

After the war, campaigns were held to subscribe to government loans. To create the appearance of a real military unit, Pavlenko and his “officers” bought bonds on the “black market” and distributed them among unsuspecting civilians. So, one of them, having received bonds for a smaller amount than he paid, wrote a complaint to the military prosecutor's office, accusing Pavlenko of disrupting a campaign of national importance.

A GVP employee sent a request to the Ministry of Defense to find out where Colonel Pavlenko’s military construction unit is located. Soon the answer came: the requested part was not listed on the ministry’s lists. A request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and state security agencies received a similar response.

The check was continued, and in a short time it was possible to find out that UVS-1 existed completely legally. Moreover, it had an extensive branched structure: construction sites and sites subordinate to UVS-1

were located in Moldova, Belarus, and the Baltic republics. The headquarters of the unit, located in Chisinau, was no different from the present: there was a unit banner with shift sentries near it, and an operational duty officer, heads of various services, and armed guards in the form of privates and sergeants of the Soviet Army, who did not allow any outsiders into the territory under the pretext of the secrecy of the object.

The unit commander, “Colonel” Pavlenko, also turned out to be a real person. A strong, fit, intelligent-looking man with glasses, he not only did not hide from strangers, but also showed off on holidays in the stands and on the podium next to the “fathers” of the city.

The operation to liquidate the mysterious organization was carefully prepared. It was decided to take the UVS-1 headquarters and all its units scattered throughout the western regions of the country on the same day, November 14, 1952. Taken by surprise, Pavlenko’s “fighters” did not offer armed resistance. As a result of the operation, more than 300 people were detained, including about 50 so-called officers, sergeants and privates. The “Colonel” himself and his right-hand man, “Chief of Counterintelligence Major” Yu. Konstantiner, were arrested.

During the liquidation of the fictitious military construction unit, 3 light machine guns, 8 machine guns, 25 rifles and carbines, 18 pistols, 5 grenades, over 3 thousand live cartridges, 62 trucks and 6 cars, 4 tractors, 3 excavators and a bulldozer were discovered and seized , round seals and stamps, tens of thousands of different forms, many false identification cards and registration certificates...

To investigate the case, a team was created of responsible employees of the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office, led by V. Markalyants, L. Lavrentyev and experienced military investigators from the periphery. But even highly qualified professionals took two and a half years (including the trial) to completely restore the criminal portrait of Pavlenko and the active accomplices of the enterprise he conceived.

Alexander Tikhonovich Lyadov, one of the investigators involved in the Pavlenko case, said: “It was a top-secret case. In 1952, I worked as a senior investigator at the prosecutor’s office of the Central District of Railways. After interrogating those arrested and witnesses, we handed over the protocols to the senior group, and the briefcases with the case were sealed. During the investigation, I had to go to the Rivne region. In the city of Zdolbunov, Pavlenko’s “military unit” was building access roads to the restored cement and brick factories. I must say, he did an excellent job. He invited specialists from outside, under contracts. He paid three to four times more in cash than at a state-owned enterprise. He came to check the work himself. If he finds shortcomings, he will not leave until they are corrected. After rolling out the completed track, he offered the workers a few barrels of beer and a snack for free, and personally presented a bonus to the locomotive driver and his assistant, here in public. At that time, many workers received 300-500 rubles a month, while Pavlenko could pay a hundred for a newspaper. But I didn’t tell anyone about this, they wouldn’t believe it anyway.

Or this episode. During the interrogation of one head of the main department, I asked a question: did you know that Pavlenko gives expensive gifts to officials and their wives? Didn't that make you suspicious? He answers angrily: “Well, how could it have occurred to me that Pavlenko is a swindler, if during the festive parade he stands on the podium next to the regional leadership, who praises him for his work and sets him up as an example to business executives...”

“We’re sitting in a restaurant,” continues the head of the main department, “I’m mentally calculating how much I’ll have to pay. And Pavlenko, as if reading my thoughts, declares: “I’m paying!” How much do you get? Two thousand, no more?” I spontaneously blurted out: “How much are you?” He laughed and so casually: “Ten thousand... We do this civilian work, by the way, but our main work is secret” - here I bit my tongue , did not dare to ask further.

Indeed, it was difficult to suspect Pavlenko of a criminal. A successful, respectable man, drives a Pobeda...

On the day of Pavlenko’s arrest, during a search in his apartment, among other things, general’s shoulder straps were found.

At the trial, the failed general said: “I never set out to create an anti-Soviet organization.” And he further stated. “I assure the court that Pavlenko can still be useful and he will make his contribution to organizing the work...” However, the verdict of the tribunal of the Moscow Military District on April 4, 1955 was harsh: “Colonel” Pavlenko was sentenced to capital punishment, and sixteen of his "officers" - to imprisonment for a term of 5 to 25 years.