State Archive of Odesa Region (DAOO), Fond P-7746, Inventory 1, File 11. Instruction issued by the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR [Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic] regarding the escorting of resettlers, along with minutes of the meetings of the commission under the Oblispolkom on the resettlement of Polish and Jewish people. Lists of individuals approved for resettlement to Poland. Fols. 11–14, 21–29, 38, 46–47.
To the Chairman of the Oblast (Krai, Republican)
Special Commission for the Evacuation of Polish Citizens
Comrade _______________
On behalf of the Special Commission under the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR for the evacuation of Polish citizens, we are sending you, for your information and guidance, additional instructions regarding the organization of the sending of the former Polish citizens resettled from the USSR to Poland; instructions for the train commander, with annexes; instructions from the People’s Commissariat of Health of the USSR concerning medical and sanitary care for the resettlers; and guidelines on the procedures for transporting the property of individuals resettled from the USSR to Poland under the agreement of July 6, 1945, as well as on the procedure for exchanging Soviet currency for złoty, and for the handing over sums of money and bonds.
The schedule for rail transport with the route of the train echelons, the order of the People’s Commissariat of Trade of the USSR, along with a list of railway buffets for feeding resettlers; the railway sanitary station system will be provided separately.
Attached: 18 pages.
Acting Head of the Resettlement Directorate
under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR Bychenko
Chairman of the Soviet Delegation
to the Joint Soviet-Polish Commission on Evacuation Aleksandrov
INSTRUCTION
to the train commander responsible for accompanying resettlers
and providing them with services during their transit
Preparation for the departure
- The train commander is responsible for accompanying the resettlers and providing them with services en route to the border reception and transfer points. All employees assigned to accompany the resettlers and provide them with services en route are subordinate to the train commander.
The train commander arrives at the station in advance to check the actual preparations for the echelon’s departure.
- The train commander accepts the carriages from the railway administration with a detailed list of equipment and inventory for each carriage.
Departure of the resettlers
- At the point of echelon formation, the train commander receives from the representative of the oblast (krai, republican) commission the echelon lists of arriving resettlers, the route of the echelon with a list of designated meal and sanitation points, and also receives from the oblast (krai) trade authority or the republican People’s Commissariat of Trade a route booklet for hot meals and the provision of bread to resettlers during transit; and from the People’s Commissariat of Health authorities — a sanitary passport.
- After the resettlers have boarded the railroad cars, the train commander appoints, from among the resettlers, senior car supervisors who are responsible for the inventory and equipment in the railroad cars, as well as 2–3 echelon duty personnel to assist and maintain communication. He inspects the railroad cars and warns the resettlers that it is forbidden to carry flammable substances in the cars that could cause a fire (such as alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, etc.). He instructs the senior car supervisors on the rules of internal conduct to be followed in the railroad cars during transit. After checking that the echelon is ready for departure and receiving authorization from the representative of the oblast (krai, republican) commission, the train commander provides written notification to the station master regarding the departure of the echelon.
Servicing of Resettlers in Transit.
- After the echelon departs from the formation station, the train commander sends telegrams from major railway junctions regarding the movement of the echelon. The telegram is to be sent to the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR and to the Central Passenger Directorate of the NKPS [People’s Commissariat of Communication Routes of the Soviet Union], using the attached form, once every three days.
- During railway transit, the train commander shall take all necessary measures to ensure that the echelon proceeds according to the established schedule.
- In cases of any incidents during transit (such as road accidents, illnesses among the resettlers, etc.), the train commander shall immediately take measures on the spot to resolve them and shall report the incident by telegram to the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR and to the Central Passenger Directorate of the NKPS. A note shall be made in the echelon lists indicating the reasons for the resettlers’ departure from the echelon.
In the event a railroad car is detached due to a technical malfunction, the railway administration is obligated to provide a replacement car at the same station or the nearest station.
- During transit, the train commander takes measures to ensure the uninterrupted supply of the echelon with food, fuel, lighting, and water. For obtaining fuel and lighting (candles), the train commander submits a request to the station chief during the echelon’s stop at the station.
Providing food for resettlers en route.
- During transit, resettlers are provided once per day with a hot meal (a two-course lunch following established norms).
The meal stations are determined according to the echelon’s movement schedule and the list of buffets approved by the People’s Commissariat of Trade of the USSR for this purpose.
- The train commander, 10–12 hours before the echelon arrives at a station where resettlers are to be fed, shall send a telegram to the buffet director and the station chief placing an order for the preparation of hot meals for the resettlers, indicating the number of persons to be provided with food.
- Resettlers receive their lunch from the buffets for cash payment, in specially designated containers for the entire train car, where the meals are then distributed to each resettler individually.
The organization of meal service, including the associated stop of the echelon, must not exceed three hours per day.
Sanitary Treatment of Resettlers in Transit.
- During railway transit, sanitary treatment of resettlers is carried out in accordance with the instructions of the People’s Commissariat of Health of the USSR. The train commander, 24 hours before arrival at the sanitation point, shall send a telegram-request to the station chief, to the station’s sanitation checkpoint, and a copy to the Central Passenger Directorate of the NKPS, indicating the time of the echelon’s arrival and the number of individuals subject to sanitary treatment. Sanitary treatment is provided free of charge to resettlers, in accordance with the instructions of the People’s Commissariat of Health of the USSR.
- The train commander is entitled to use the railway telegraph free of charge when sending official telegrams to the following addresses: station chiefs, railway buffets, sanitation checkpoints (IZO points), the Central Passenger Directorate of the NKPS, and the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR.
Arrival of the train at its destination station.
- Upon arrival of the echelon at the border transfer point, the train commander reports information on the number of resettlers who have arrived and transfers the echelon lists to the Representative of the Soviet Delegation of the Soviet-Polish Joint Commission. One formalizes the transfer of the echelon lists of resettlers by an official act following established forms. The train commander also reports, by telegram, the arrival and handover of the echelon to the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR.
- After the echelon lists for the resettlers have been handed over to the Representative of the Soviet Delegation of the Joint Commission, and after the railroad cars have been cleared of resettlers and their belongings, the train commander transfers the railroad cars and the equipment within them—by official act—to a representative of the railway administration at the unloading station. Following this, the train commander, along with the service personnel, returns to the oblast (krai, republic) and submits a full report to the respective oblast (krai, republican) commission.
ATTACHMENTS:
- Act of Acceptance of Railroad Cars at the Loading Station.
- Telegram Text Regarding the Feeding of Resettlers in Transit.
- Telegram Text Regarding the Movement of the Echelon in Transit.
- Telegram Text Regarding the Sanitary Treatment of Resettlers.
- Telegram Text Regarding the Arrival of the Echelon at the Destination Station.
- Act of Handover of Train Cars and Equipment at the Unloading Station.
- Echelon List Form.
Acting Head of the Resettlement Directorate
under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR: Bychenko
SECTION II.
Additional guidelines on the organization
of the departure of former Polish citizens resettling from the USSR to Poland.
The dispatch of resettlers and their property to Poland by rail shall, as a rule, be carried out in specially formed echelons, and only in exceptional cases by grouped railcars or individual departures.
Payment for organized railway transportation is made in a centralized manner, without requiring payment to be collected at the loading stations. The USSR People’s Commissariat of Finance makes payment for the railcars based on invoices submitted by the railway authorities through the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR.
Food products, clothing, and footwear (provided to those in particular need) are issued to resettlers for cash payment.
Regional (krai, republican) commissions are:
- To prepare a plan for the organization of resettler dispatch in accordance with the schedule approved by the NKPS for the provision of railway transport for the departure of former Polish citizens and to organize their dispatch.
(The dispatch plan must specify the calendar dates for transporting resettlers to loading stations, the necessary means of transportation for this purpose, and the locations (points) where the resettlers can buy food products for their time in transit.)
- To accompany the resettlement echelons, echelon commanders are appointed from among the personnel of the regions, krais, and republics; deputy echelon commanders (designated by the Representatives of the Polish Delegation in the Soviet-Polish Mixed Commission from among the resettlers themselves); and medical and sanitary personnel are selected in accordance with the instructions of the USSR People’s Commissariat of Health;
- To submit to the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR estimates for organizational expenses related to the resettlement, which include costs for the dispatch of authorized representatives, maintenance of echelon commanders, travel expenses, postal and telegraph expenses, cultural services for resettlers, as well as expenses for transporting resettlers and their property to loading stations, rental and furnishing of premises at stations for awaiting departure, and other expenses.
I. Preparation of the resettlers for departure at their places of residence.
To prepare the Polish population for relocation to the areas of resettlement, the oblast (krai, republican) commissions send their representatives (selected from regional, krai, or republican personnel), who:
a) verify that the resettlers possess properly issued evacuation certificates authorizing their departure to Poland;
b) compile nominal (name-based) lists of resettlers, indicating the property of each family (in kilograms) and providing an approximate division of resettlers for boarding by railcar. The standard occupancy for a two-axle railroad car is 20–25 people with hand luggage;
c) ensure medical examinations and sanitary treatment of all resettlers in accordance with the instructions of the USSR People’s Commissariat of Health;
d) prepare transportation for the transit of resettlers and their property from their places of residence to railway stations;
e) in coordination with district executive committees, prepare in advance appropriate premises at departure stations for the temporary accommodation of resettlers and their belongings, and in coordination with railway authorities, secure boarding and loading platforms;
f) ensure the timely relocation of resettlers and the delivery of their belongings from their places of residence to the designated loading stations, according to the schedule established by the oblast (krai, republican) commission.
g) receive railcars from the railway administration, organize the boarding of resettlers and the loading of their belongings into the railcars;
h) accompany the resettlers to the train formation station, where they hand over the lists of arriving resettlers to the echelon commander.
ІІ. Preparation at points of loading and departure of trains
1. The oblast (krai, republican) commissions shall, in advance, designate at the points of echelon formation the locations where food products and bread (dry rations for the duration of travel) will be sold to departing resettlers. They shall also verify that trading organizations deliver the foodstuffs to these points in accordance with the order of the USSR People’s Commissariat of Trade.
2. At the train formation station, the oblast (krai, republican) commissions assign their authorized representative, who, together with the echelon commander and medical-sanitary personnel:
a) inspects and accepts the railcars, determining their suitability for transporting resettlers;
b) verifies, using the lists from district representatives, the number of resettlers who have arrived at the train formation station;
c) prepares in three copies the echelon lists of resettlers, two of which — together with the train route — are handed over to the echelon commander, while the third is submitted to the oblast (krai, republican) commission;
d) verifies that the resettlers have received food and bread for the journey, that the echelon commander has received the sanitary passport, the food ration book for the resettlers, and the route plan indicating stops for meals and sanitary treatment during transit; confirms the readiness of the echelon for departure and authorizes its dispatch.
3. On the day of the departure of the echelon with resettlers (after the echelon has departed), the authorized representative of the oblast (krai, republican) commission sends a telegram indicating the time of departure of the echelon, the assigned echelon number, the number of railcars, the number of resettlers (persons) traveling with the echelon, and the full name of the echelon commander.
The telegram is sent to the following recipients: the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR, the Central Passenger Directorate of the NKPS, the chair of the oblast (krai, republican) commission.
4. After all resettlers have been dispatched, the oblast (krai, republican) commissions shall submit to the Resettlement Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR a consolidated report on the resettlement of persons to Poland, indicating the number of individuals dispatched and the amounts of expenditures related to the organization of the resettlement, with a breakdown as follows:
a) organizational expenses;
b) transportation expenses for the dispatch of resettlers to the loading stations;
c) expenses for assisting those in extreme need.
5. Expenses related to the organization of the resettlement of Polish citizens are to be financed by the oblast (krai) financial departments and the People’s Commissariats of Finance of the republics from local budget funds, with subsequent reporting to the USSR People’s Commissariat of Finance through the republican commissariats for reimbursement from the Union budget.
In urgent cases, where funds from the local budget are unavailable, the oblast (krai) financial departments and republican People’s Commissariats of Finance shall request, via telegraph, the USSR People’s Commissariat of Finance to allocate the necessary funds for these purposes.
Acting Head of the Resettlement Directorate
under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR (D.Bychenko)
SECTION ІІІ
On providing medical and sanitary services to evacuees.
1.Medical and sanitary servicing for former Polish citizens returning to Poland is to be provided by medical personnel selected from among the resettlers themselves. If this medical staff is insufficient, the necessary personnel shall be allocated by local healthcare authorities as instructed by the regional or provincial health departments.
2.For the medical and sanitary servicing of former Polish citizens at their places of residence and during transit, medical personnel shall be assigned based on the following calculation: for a group of 200–500 persons — one paramedic; for 500–1000 persons — one paramedic and one nurse; for 1000 persons or more — one doctor, one paramedic, and one nurse.
3.Medicines, disinfectants, and other medical property shall be provided by the health authorities.
4.The oblast and krai departments of public health shall report to the People’s Commissariat of Health of the USSR the cost of all medical property provided, as well as the costs associated with the maintenance of the accompanying medical personnel.
5.At the places of residence and assembly of former Polish citizens, the following measures shall be carried out:
a) a medical examination of all former Polish citizens returning to Poland; vaccination against typhoid fever and smallpox; and sanitary treatment of persons and their belongings.
b) identified infectious patients or those suspected of having infectious diseases shall be sent to the appropriate medical institutions. Persons who have been in contact with infectious patients shall be placed under quarantine for the required duration. Upon recovery or expiration of the quarantine period, such persons shall be evacuated individually in accordance with the instructions of the oblast (krai, republican) commissions for evacuation.
c) non-infectious patients who require external care may be permitted to depart, provided that accompanying caretakers and other appropriate conditions are available.
6. At the departure stations, the following facilities shall be prepared by the local health authorities: an isolation ward for febrile patients, and hospital beds for those suffering from infectious diseases or other conditions requiring inpatient care.
7. The health authorities shall verify the suitability of adequately heated premises suitable for temporary accommodation, as well as the availability of boiling water and all necessary supplies for the sanitary care of persons and belongings, for the medical examination of departing individuals, and the possession of a sanitary passport authorizing boarding of the railway cars.
8. Each echelon must include an isolation railcar equipped with three beds, staffed by a nurse and an assistive nurse.
9. The medical personnel accompanying the echelon are obliged to:
a) conduct daily visits to all railcars of the echelon; immediately isolate any individuals suspected of having an infectious disease by placing them in the isolation railcar, transferring them to the nearest sanitary control station, and performing all necessary sanitary procedures in the railcars where infectious patients were.
b) administer measles serum injections to all children in railcars where measles patients were identified, and perform phage therapy (bacteriophage therapy) for all individuals in railcars where suspected dysentery cases were detected.
c) monitor the sanitary condition of the railcars and, via the echelon commander, sanitary control stations, and the railway administration, take measures to eliminate sanitary deficiencies (e.g., en-route disinfection of the echelon and other necessary actions).
10. Sanitary treatment of echelons during transit is carried out at designated points following the instructions of the Main Medical and Sanitary Directorate of the NKPS and according to the approved routes.
A report on the conducted sanitary treatment shall be compiled, indicating the number of individuals who underwent treatment, and shall be signed by the echelon commander, the medical worker accompanying the echelon, and the head of the sanitary checkpoint. The latter shall forward the report to the Main Medical and Sanitary Directorate of the NKPS to calculate the total cost of sanitary treatment for individuals being resettled to Poland.
SECTION IV
On the procedure for transporting the property of individuals being resettled from the USSR to Poland under the Agreement of July 6, 1945
- In accordance with Clause 6 of the Protocol appended to the Soviet-Polish Agreement of July 6, 1945, individuals departing for Poland are entitled to take with them personal property weighing no more than two metric tons per family for rural residents, and one metric ton per family for urban residents, excluding the following items (listed below), the export of which from the territory of the USSR is prohibited:
LIST OF ITEMS
THE EXPORT OF WHICH FROM THE TERRITORY OF THE USSR IS RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED
I.Excerpt from the Order of the Main Customs Directorate of the NKVT (People’s Commissariat of Internal Trade) of the USSR No. 21/op — 1938
§ 18. Items permitted for export abroad include personal-use belongings, except for those listed below, the export of which is restricted:
1.Fur outerwear …………………………………………………………………………….. 1 item per person
NOTE: Instead of fur outerwear, one of the following may be exported: a muff, a shawl, or a fur collar.
2.Fur hat ………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 item
3. Items made of precious metals (platinum, gold, silver) per person:
a) wristwatch or pocket watch without a chain or bracelet …………. 1 item
b) wedding ring or ring with a plain stone …………………………………… 1 item
c) eyeglasses or pince-ne …………………………………………………………… 1 item
d) silverware and jewelry ………………………………… not exceeding 400 grams
4. Black caviar ………………………………………………………………….. 1 kg per person.
§ 19. Not permitted for export:
a) items prohibited under the Customs Export Tariff;
b) furs and fur products, except for garments specified in paragraphs 1–2 of §18;
c) grand pianos and upright pianos of any kind;
d) hand-woven oriental carpets;
e) field binoculars with magnification of 6× or higher.
NOTE: Antiques and works of art prohibited for export under Article 12 of the Customs Tariff, as well as books published before 1918, may, in exceptional cases, be allowed for export with authorization from the customs authorities, subject to payment of a duty equal to 100% of the appraised value, as determined by the Export Control Division of the Committee for Arts under the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR.
§ 20. Postage stamps, both Soviet and foreign, in a quantity not exceeding one specimen of each variety, may be exported abroad without hindrance.
§ 21. Photographs are permitted for export only in developed form. Unexposed photographic and cinematographic film and photographic plates, in intact standard packaging or under customs seals affixed by the entry customs offices, may be exported without hindrance.
§ 22. Domestic animals and birds, except for parrots, may be exported under permits issued by Soyuzpushnina [Union Fur Farming]; dogs of service breeds — under permits issued by the competent organizations.
ІІ. Excerpt from the Code of Customs Tariffs of the USSR, 1939 edition
B. Items Prohibited for Export:
Art. 5. Weapons, munitions and explosives; field binoculars; aircraft and their parts; and military equipment.
Art. 6. Cancelled securities.
Art. 7. Saiga horns; non-ossified antlers of maral and sika deer (velvet antlers) obtained outside breeding farms; non-ossified antlers of manchurian wapiti taken by hunting during periods when hunting manchurian wapiti is prohibited.
Art. 8. Skins of the Russian desman, stock dove, river beaver, arctic fox, and sika deer.
Art. 9. Flower heads and seeds of citvarnaya polyn (santonica).
Art. 10. Gold, platinum, and metals of the platinum group in raw form (placer and ore).
Art. 11. Live pigeons.
Art. 12. Antiques and works of art, such as: paintings; hand-made drawings; portraits; sculpture; watercolors; miniatures; carpets; tapestries; old icons; items of ecclesiastical and domestic use; arms; furniture; textiles and ornaments; clothing; manuscripts and books; musical instruments; implements of craft; and various other items possessing archaeological significance.
NOTE: Persons of special professions, such as craftsmen, physicians, artists, scholars, etc., are granted the right to export items necessary for their professional activity.
SECTION V
On the procedure for exchanging Soviet currency for zloty, and on the procedure for the mandatory deposit of cash sums exceeding 1,000 rubles and of state loan bonds.
- Persons departing from the USSR to Poland are entitled to take up to 1,000 zlotych in cash, to be obtained at special exchange offices of the State Bank of the USSR at the border control checkpoints, in exchange for Soviet currency.
- Cash sums held by persons departing from the USSR to Poland that exceed 1,000 rubles shall be deposited, against receipt, with the same State Bank exchange offices at the border control checkpoints, for subsequent crediting of these sums to a special account at the State Bank.
- State loan bonds belonging to persons departing shall be deposited with one of the central or district savings bank offices at the place of residence of the departing persons, upon presentation of a certificate confirming that these bonds were acquired at the person’s former place of employment or at their place of residence. Upon acceptance of the bonds, a receipt shall be issued indicating the bondholder’s surname, given name, and patronymic; the evacuation certificate; the name of the loan; and the total amount of the bonds of that loan (without indicating the series of the bonds).
- Deposits held in savings banks may be withdrawn by the departing persons in the ordinary manner prior to their departure from the USSR.
Savings certificates for special deposits shall be deposited by the departing persons with the central or district savings bank at the place where the special deposit is held. Upon acceptance of the savings certificate, a receipt shall be issued indicating the depositor’s surname, given name, and patronymic; the number of the evacuation certificate; and the amount of the special deposit.
Regarding the certificates of the State Labor Savings Banks, issued by the financial authorities as credit against monetary compensation for unused wartime leave, the same procedure for deposit of such certificates by persons departing for Poland shall apply as that established for savings certificates.
- The cash sums deposited in this manner shall be reimbursed to their owners upon arrival in Poland. Settlement between the Government of the USSR and the Government of Poland with respect to all such sums shall be effected under a separate Agreement.
Chairman of the Soviet Delegation
to the Joint Soviet-Polish Commission
on Evacuation (Aleksandrov)
INFORMATION
on Poles subject to departure to Poland
