22 thousand soldier of Red Army, victims in Polish to a captivity about which you speak are NOT ALL VICTIMS in a captivity, these are captured, died in ONE only camp for captured in Tuhol.
I.Matushevsky’s statement for destruction of 22 thousand captured is widely known since 1965 and already a line of years is object of furious criticism on the part of semi-official Polish historians. Affirms, that in Тuhol I.Matushevsky has gathered data on huge death rate from press and in spite of the fact that these data were nonvalidated, with not clear purpose has included overestimated more than ten times (!) data in the text as it is declared, one of the insignificant letters. After this, the Polish historians and Russian authors supporting their point of view, such, for example, as Alexey Pamjatnyh, unreasonably judge that the data from letter Matushevsky are false and in Тuhol were lost not 22.000 captured, and only 1.950 person. Yes, really, on October, 19, 1921, that is almost for three and a half of a month up to I.Matushevsky’s letter, in the Warsaw newspaper “Freedom” the information that in camp Tuholi for a year has died about 22 thousand captured has appeared. Probably, such publications was much more, as marks I.Matushevsky.
What is possible to tell in the given occasion? First of all, that I.Matushevsky’s letter is not the personal message of the private person, and the official answer to the order of military minister of Poland #65/22 from January, 12, 1922 with the categorical instruction to the chief of the Polish military investigation: «… To present an explanation, under what conditions there was a runaway of 33 communists from camp captured Стшалково and who bears for it the responsibility » (« Red Army soldiers in Polish to a captivity … », with. 700). Similar orders usually give special services when it is required to establish a true picture of event with absolute reliability.
Minister has not casually charged with I.Matushevsky to investigate circumstances of runaway of communists from Стшалково. The chief of II department of the Joint Staff of the Army of the Polish I.Matushevsky in 1920-23 г.г. Was the most informed person in Poland concerning a real state of affairs in camps captered and interned. As the chief of military investigation, he was that Polish government official who on a post has been obliged to possess a full file of the information on all camps including closed - about extrajudicial executions военнопленных, about punishments above военнопленными under the initiative of employees of camp administration and about cases of mass destruction captured. Gathering, processing and the analysis of the similar information were included directly into duties of his subordinates.
Let’s remind, that private owners of the Polish camps for военнопленных and interned, according to the instruction of the Ministry of militarians has put Poland from September, 3, 1920, officers of II department, i.e. I.Matushevskogo’s subordinates were. They supervised over reception военнопленных in camp, provided their political “sorting”, gave “kindness” on evacuation and clearing, and also supervised accommodation военнопленных in camps and change of their number. The real state of affairs in camp in Тухоли has been simply obliged to know I.Matushevsky by virtue of the service position.
Therefore there can not be no doubts that else long before a spelling of the letter from February, 1, 1922. I.Matushevsky had the exhaustive, documentary confirmed and repeatedly rechecked information on death of 22 thousand captured in camp Tuhol. Otherwise, it is necessary to be the political suicide that on own initiative to inform the country leaders the unchecked facts of such level, especially, on a problem which is taking place in the center of loud diplomatic scandal! In fact only for four and a half of a month up to letter Матушевского, on September, 9, 1921, narkom of foreign affairs Tchitcherin has put RSFSR has directed to Poland the well-known note in which in the most rigid expressions has accused the Polish authorities of destruction 60.000 Soviet soldiers).
The decision officially to advise the supreme Polish management of destruction in Тuhol camp of 22 thousand captured has ripened at I.Matushevsky. I.Matushevsky for the reason that it has ceased to be a secret for the Polish and foreign public. Under such circumstances, the further concealment of the true information from the heads threatened with troubles already personally for I.Matushevsky and all his department.
From a history many cases when the most confidential information on the various facts shocking the public became property of journalists are known, and the governmental circles of the various countries subsequently have been compelled to confirm correctness of press. Recently all of us witness public scandal with secret prisons of CIA. Similar information leakage has taken place and in our case.
In the letter in a cabinet of minister of militarians has put I.Matushevsky gives the exhaustive answer to inquiry of minister concerning runaway of communists from Стшалково and, already under own initiative, further adds: « From the information available in II department gathered from correspondence interned and from press follows, that runaways from camp are not limited only Стшалково, but happen in all other camps both for communists, and for interned “white”. These runaways are caused by conditions in which there are communists and interned (absence of fuel, linen and clothes, a bad feed(meal), and also long expectation of departure to Russia). The camp in Tuhol, named interned by “camp of death” (in this camp has died about 22.000 thousand captured Red Army) “(” Red Army soldiers in Polish captivity … » is especially known, with. 701).
I.Matushevsky refers to press, speaking about popularity of runaways from camps and conditions of the maintenance(contents) in them captured. Also he emphasizes special popularity in press of camp in Тuhol, and, that it name «camp of death ». Popularity Тухольского of camp in press is easily explainable if to recollect applications(statements) Стефании Семполовской, which else in June, 1921 spoke about incredibly high death rate in Тухоли. Theme Тухоли constantly was present at statements of representatives of ORES in Warsaw. No wonder, that this camp especially interested journalists.
In that figures of death rate captured, the named I.Matushevskim and press coincide, there is nothing surprising. The information on death rate captured while she(it) got on table Матушевскому, passed through several executors. Someone from them, despite of a signature stamp “confidentially”, for any reason has shared this information with journalists.
I.Matushevsky well imagined, what effect of the blown up bomb will make in a cabinet of minister and at the Polish political management his official confirmation of destruction of 22 thousand captured only in one camp. No, that at the moment of a spelling of the letter he perfectly realized that on the given question further from him will demand further explanations. Probably, in the military ministry of Poland earlier already there was a question how there was an outflow of the classified information in press.
