When Western Belarus became part of the USSR. Stolbtsovsky district. Remains of the Soviet-Polish border. Who are we going to help?

After Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, the USSR demonstratively broke off all economic and military relations with Germany. From this moment on, the official course of the USSR became the course towards creating a “Collective Security” system in Europe.
In March 1938, Germany carried out the Anschluss of Austria, and on March 15, 1939, Germany occupied the Czech Republic. The threat of occupation of Poland loomed.
On March 18, 1939, the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR M. M. Litvinov proposed convening a conference of six countries: the USSR, England, France, Romania, Poland and Turkey in order to prevent further German aggression. However, the British side found this proposal “premature”.
On April 16, 1939, Litvinov, in response to the British proposal to give Poland unilateral guarantees also from the USSR, proposed a draft tripartite agreement providing for “providing all kinds of assistance, including military, to the Eastern European states located between the Baltic and Black Seas and bordering the USSR , in the event of aggression against these states."
The proposal for a tripartite alliance was perceived in the West as too radical.
Accordingly, the proposals of England and France to the Soviet Union were rejected as not meeting the principle of reciprocity.
Thus, the opportunity to create an anti-Hitler coalition was missed.
The prospect of participating in the war against Germany did not suit Stalin, and establishing contacts with Berlin became a priority for him. On May 3, Litvinov was dismissed and replaced by Molotov. In Berlin this was perceived as an encouraging sign (after all, Litvinov was a Jew, and it was not acceptable for the Nazi government to negotiate with a Jewish People's Commissar). A day later, German newspapers were banned from all attacks on the USSR.
In May 1939, negotiations with England and France were resumed. There was only one discrepancy - “indirect aggression”.
The Soviet formulation was regarded by England and France as a demand from the USSR to provide it with the opportunity to send its troops into neighboring countries at will and under any pretext.
According to Churchill, Poland, Romania, Finland and the three Baltic states did not know what they feared more - German aggression or Russian salvation. It was the need to make such a terrible choice that paralyzed the politics of England and France.
On August 3, 1939, Ribbentrop made his first official statement on the topic of German-Soviet rapprochement, which, in particular, contained a hint about the division of spheres of influence.
Despite ongoing negotiations with England and France, Germany’s proposal to conclude a German-Soviet non-aggression treaty and division of spheres of influence seemed more profitable to Stalin.
On August 23, 1939, a non-aggression treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union with a secret protocol attached was signed.
And on September 1, Hitler attacked Poland. Poland's situation was hopeless. The Poles did not want to be occupied by the Red Army, but they also could not resist the Germans. England, although it entered into an alliance with Poland, did not provide it with military assistance.
On September 17, when almost all of Poland was occupied by German troops and the Polish government emigrated, the Red Army crossed the Polish border of Poland and in a few days, almost without any resistance, occupied territories previously belonging to Ukraine and Belarus. Thus, the lands that Poland annexed (except Lithuania for now) as a result of the Soviet-Polish war under the Riga Peace Treaty of 1921 have now become part of the USSR.
The Sovietization of these lands began.
Some actions of the new government aroused the approval of the population: expansion of the network of Ukrainian schools, improvement of living conditions and medical care, nationalization, which at first did not affect the interests of the Ukrainian population, because trade and large-scale industry were in the hands of the Poles.
But soon the population also felt the negative consequences of the activities of the new government: forced collectivization, liquidation of the activities of political parties, public organizations, terror against opponents of Soviet power.
But the Polish authorities in the period from 1921 to 1939 pursued a policy of polonization, the forced imposition of Catholicism and the oppression of Ukrainians and Belarusians.

Polish campaign of the Red Army (September 17 – October 5, 1939)- military operation of the Red Army to establish control over the eastern regions of Poland: Western Belarus, Western Ukraine and the Bialystok region; official name - Liberation campaign in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus in 1939.

As a result of the operation, the USSR took control of the eastern regions of Poland, in which the majority of the population were Ukrainians and Belarusians, and the Polish population, according to various sources, ranged from 7 to 40%. These lands have been part of Poland since 1921 according to the Treaty of Riga, signed by Soviet Russia and Poland after the Soviet-Polish War of 1919-1921. The 1921 border line ran significantly east of the Curzon line, which was proposed by the Entente as the Polish-Russian border and was actually the border of settlement of ethnic Poles in the west and Ukrainians and Belarusians in the east.

After the annexation of Western Ukraine to the Ukrainian SSR and Western Belarus to the BSSR, the Soviet leadership transferred part of the historical Lithuanian territory (Vilnius and the Vilna region) to Lithuania, which, by an additional agreement between the USSR and Germany, entered the Soviet sphere of interest. Germany in return gained control of the Warsaw and Lublin voivodeships of Poland. These actions were called in historiography "exchange of territories" .

Chronologically, the military campaign lasted from September 17 until the complete cessation of resistance by Polish forces in early October (the dates given are October 7 and 12), 1939.

The USSR's territorial gains as a result of the partition of Poland were confirmed by the post-war Polish government in the 1945 Soviet-Polish border treaty. The line of the Polish-Soviet border thus became basically consistent with the Curzon line, with retreats in a number of areas in favor of the Polish side.

Annexation of the Baltic States (1939-1940)- the process of including the independent Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - into the Soviet Union, carried out after the signing of a non-aggression treaty by the USSR and Germany in August 1939, which fixed the delimitation of the spheres of interests of these two powers in Europe.

Most foreign historians and political scientists, as well as some modern Russian researchers, characterize this process as the occupation and annexation of independent states by the Soviet Union, carried out gradually, as a result of a series of military-diplomatic and economic steps and against the backdrop of the Second World War unfolding in Europe. In this regard, the term “Soviet occupation of the Baltic states” is sometimes used in journalism, reflecting this point of view.

Soviet, as well as some modern Russian historians, insist on the voluntary nature of the entry of the Baltic states into the USSR, based on the fact that it received final formalization in the summer of 1940 on the basis of decisions of the highest legislative bodies of these countries. At the same time, violations of democratic norms during the holding of early parliamentary elections, held at the same time in all three states under conditions of a significant Soviet military presence, are not taken into account. In particular, independent researchers indicate that candidates from right-wing parties were not allowed to participate in the elections. Under these conditions, the majority of votes were received by representatives and supporters of pro-Soviet communist parties, who were persecuted by the ruling regimes of the Baltic states and were in an illegal situation. Thus, we can assume that the decisions of the Baltic parliaments on joining the USSR were predetermined in advance

On September 17, the USSR sent troops into Poland, declaring the Soviet-Polish non-aggression pact of July 25, 1932, no longer in force. On the same day, states that had diplomatic relations with the USSR (including the Baltic states) were handed a Soviet note stating that “in relations with them the USSR will pursue a policy of neutrality.”

The outbreak of war between neighboring states gave rise to fears in the Baltic states of being drawn into these events and prompted them to declare their neutrality.

On June 14, 1940, the Soviet government presented an ultimatum to Lithuania, and on June 16 to Latvia and Estonia. In basic terms, the meaning of the ultimatums was the same - these states were required to bring governments friendly to the USSR to power and allow additional contingents of troops into the territory of these countries. The terms were accepted. On June 15, Soviet troops entered Lithuania, and on June 17 - into Estonia and Latvia.

Lithuanian President A. Smetona insisted on organizing resistance to Soviet troops, however, having received a refusal from most of the government, he fled to Germany, and his Latvian and Estonian colleagues - K. Ulmanis and K. Päts - agreed to cooperate with the new government, like the Lithuanian prime minister A. Merkis. In all three countries, pro-Soviet (although at that time not yet communist) governments were formed, headed, respectively, by J. Paleckis (Lithuania), I. Vares (Estonia) and A. Kirchenstein (Latvia).

The new governments lifted the ban on the activities of communist parties and called early parliamentary elections. The elections, held on July 14-15, were, according to some researchers, falsified. The elections in all three states were won by the pro-communist Blocs (Unions) of the working people - the only electoral lists admitted to the elections. According to official data, in Estonia the turnout was 84.1%, with 92.8% of the votes cast for the Union of Working People, in Lithuania the turnout was 95.51%, of which 99.19% voted for the Union of Working People, in Latvia the turnout was 94.8%, 97.8% of the votes were cast for the Working People's Bloc.

The newly elected parliaments already on July 21-22 proclaimed the creation of the Estonian SSR, Latvian SSR and Lithuanian SSR and adopted the Declaration of Entry into the USSR. On August 3-6, 1940, in accordance with the decisions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, these republics were admitted to the Soviet Union. The Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian corps were formed from the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian armies. Later they will be fully integrated into the Red Army.

The entry of the Baltic states into the USSR was not recognized by the USA, the Vatican and a number of other countries. Recognized him de iure socialist countries, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, India, Iran, New Zealand, Finland, de facto - Great Britain and a number of other countries. In exile (in the USA, Great Britain, etc.), some diplomatic missions of the pre-war Baltic states continued to operate; after World War II, the Estonian government in exile was created.

After the Baltic states joined the USSR, socialist transformations of the economy and repression against the intelligentsia, clergy, former politicians, officers, and wealthy peasants began here. In 1941, “due to the presence in the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian SSR of a significant number of former members of various counter-revolutionary nationalist parties, former police officers, gendarmes, landowners, factory owners, large officials of the former state apparatus of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and other persons leading subversive anti-Soviet work and used by foreign intelligence services for espionage purposes,” deportations of the population were carried out. . A significant part of those repressed were Russians living in the Baltic states, mainly white emigrants.

The myth of the voluntary accession of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus to the USSR

The main myth associated with the so-called “liberation campaign” of the Red Army in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus in September 1939 was undertaken with the aim of saving the Ukrainians and Belarusians of Poland from German occupation after the defeat of the Polish army. At the same time, it was denied that Soviet troops entered Poland in pursuance of a secret additional protocol to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, according to which the eastern provinces of Poland were transferred to the Soviet sphere of interest. It was also alleged that Soviet troops crossed the Soviet-Polish border precisely on September 17 because on that day the Polish government and the main command of the army left the country. In fact, on this day the Polish government and the commander-in-chief, Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly, were still on Polish territory, although they had left Warsaw.

According to the Soviet propaganda myth, the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus overwhelmingly welcomed the arrival of the Red Army and unanimously supported joining the USSR.

In fact, the national composition of the population of the annexed territories was such that it excluded the possibility that the majority of residents would be in favor of joining the USSR. In 1938 in Poland, according to official statistics, out of 35 million inhabitants there were 24 million Poles, 5 million Ukrainians, and 1.4 million Belarusians. However, on Stalin’s instructions, Pravda wrote about 8 million Ukrainians and 3 million Belarusians in the Red Army. Army of the Ukrainian and Belarusian voivodeships. Elections to the People's Assemblies of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus took place there. Elections were held according to the principle: one person per seat. Only communists and their allies were nominated as deputies, and any agitation against them was prohibited. In October 1939, the People's Assemblies proclaimed Soviet power and appealed to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with a request for reunification with Ukraine and Belarus, which was granted in November.

Stalin did not hold a plebiscite on joining the USSR in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. There was no certainty that the majority of the population of the liberated territories would vote for joining the USSR, and it was unlikely that anyone in the world would recognize its obviously falsified results. According to the 1931 census, 5.6 million Poles, 4.3 million Ukrainians, 1.7 million Belarusians, 1.1 million Jews, 126 thousand Russians, 87 thousand Germans and 136 thousand lived in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. representatives of other nationalities. In Western Belarus, Poles predominated in Bialystok (66.9%), Vilna (59.7%) and Novogrudok (52.4%) voivodeships, Belarusians - only in Polesie (69.2%). 2.3 million Poles, 1.7 million Belarusians and 452 thousand Jews lived in Western Belarus. In Western Ukrainian voivodeships, Poles predominated in Lviv (57.7%) and Tarnopol (49.7%) voivodeships (in Tarnopol voivodeship, Ukrainians made up 45.5%), Ukrainians - in Volyn (68.4%) and Stanislavovsky (68.9%). %). 3.3 million Poles, 4.3 million Ukrainians and 628 thousand Jews lived in Western Ukraine.

In Western Ukraine, the illegal Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which advocated the independence of Ukraine, was popular. OUN members fought against the Polish authorities, including using terrorist methods. They also attacked Soviet representatives. Ukrainian nationalists were no less hostile to Soviet power than they were to the Poles. There was no noticeable Belarusian national movement in Western Belarus. But a significant part of the Belarusian population of Western Belarus were Catholic Belarusians, who were culturally and politically oriented toward the Poles. And the Poles made up about half the population of Western Belarus.

The Ukrainian and Belarusian population in Poland (mostly peasants) fought for their national rights, but did not intend to join the USSR, having heard about terror and famine. And Ukrainians and Belarusians lived in Poland more prosperously than the poor Soviet collective farmers. Nevertheless, the invasion of the Red Army was perceived calmly, and even enthusiastically by the Jews, who were threatened by Hitler's genocide. However, the measures of the Soviet government quickly led to the fact that in 1941, Ukrainians and Belarusians greeted the Germans with bread and salt, as liberators from the Bolsheviks.

Polish general Wladislaw Anders cited in his memoirs the stories of Lvov residents about how the Bolsheviks “robbed not only private but also state property,” how the NKVD penetrated into all spheres of life, about crowds of refugees who, having learned what it was like to live under the Bolsheviks, despite the Why, they want to go to lands occupied by the Germans.

There were many facts of looting and arbitrary executions by soldiers and commanders of the Red Army.

The commanders guilty of arbitrary executions did not suffer any serious punishment. People's Commissar of Defense Kliment Voroshilov merely reprimanded them, pointing out that there was no deliberate ill will in the actions of those responsible for illegal actions, that all this happened “in the context of hostilities and acute class and national struggle of the local Ukrainian and Jewish population with former Polish gendarmes and officers."

Often the killings of Poles were carried out by the local Ukrainian and Belarusian population. Secretary of the Brest Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus. Kiselev said in April 1940: “There were many such murders of the sworn enemies of the people, committed in the anger of the people in the first days of the arrival of the Red Army. We justify them, we are on the side of those who, having emerged from captivity, dealt with their enemy.”

Mass forced collectivization began in Western Ukrainian and Western Belarusian lands even before June 22, 1941. The intelligentsia was accused of “bourgeois nationalism” and repressed. Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, 108 thousand people, mostly Poles, were arrested on the territory of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. A significant part of them were shot on the eve and in the first weeks of the Great Patriotic War. Only according to the verdicts of the tribunals and the Special Conference, 930 people were shot. About 6 thousand more prisoners were shot at the beginning of the war during the evacuation of prisons in Western Ukraine and more than 600 people in Western Belarus.

In December 1939, a predatory monetary reform was carried out. Zlotys on household accounts and deposits were exchanged for rubles at the rate of 1:1, but for an amount not exceeding 300 zlotys.

The behavior of many representatives of the new government did not arouse sympathy among the population. Thus, as noted in party documents, in the Drohobych region, “the head of the RO NKVD of the Novostreletsky district, Kochetov, on November 7, 1940, got drunk, in a village club in the presence of the head of the RO police Psekh, severely beat the farm laborer Tsaritsa with a revolver, who was taken to the hospital in a difficult situation.” . In the Bogorodchansky district of the Stanislav region, the communist Syrovatsky “summoned peasants on the issue of tax at night, threatened them, forced girls to cohabitate.” In the Obertynsky district of the same region, “there were massive violations of revolutionary legality.”

In a letter addressed to Stalin, assistant to the Rivne regional prosecutor Sergeev noted: “It would seem that with the liberation of Western Ukraine, the best forces of the country, crystalline honest and unshakable Bolsheviks, should have been sent here to work, but it turned out the other way around. Most of them were crooks big and small, whom they tried to get rid of in their homeland.”

Soviet personnel who replaced the Polish administration were often unable to organize the economy. One of the delegates to the Volyn regional party conference in April 1940 was indignant: “Why, under the Poles, the streets were watered every day, swept with brooms, but now there is nothing?”

In 1939–1940, about 280 thousand Poles were deported from the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus to the eastern regions of the USSR, including 78 thousand refugees from German-occupied areas of Poland. About 6 thousand people died on the way. In June 1941, just before the start of the Great Patriotic War, 11 thousand “Ukrainian nationalists and counter-revolutionaries” were also deported from Western Ukraine. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, many natives of the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus deserted the Red Army or evaded mobilization.

The issue of international legal recognition of the Soviet annexation of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus was finally resolved by the Treaty on the Soviet-Polish State Border, which the USSR concluded on August 16, 1945 with the pro-communist government of Poland. The Soviet-Polish border passed mainly along the Curzon line, but with the return of the cities of Bialystok and Przemysl (Przemysl) to Poland.

The First World War of 1914-1918, the February and October revolutions of 1917 in Russia led to political changes. The Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies on October 25 (November 7), 1917, announced the transfer of power in Russia into the hands of the Soviets. The III United All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies on January 10-18 (23-31), 1918, proclaimed the creation of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (RSFSR), which was legally enshrined in the Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, adopted by the V All-Russian Congress of Soviets on July 10, 1918. On March 12, 1918, after the government of the RSFSR moved from Petrograd, Moscow became the capital of the RSFSR. As a result of the conclusion of a peace treaty (Brest-Litovsk Treaty) with Germany and its allies (Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and) in the city of Brest-Litovsk on March 3, 1918, Russia annexed Poland, the Baltic states, part of; A part (the districts of Ardahan, Kars and Batum) was ceded to Turkey. According to the terms of the treaty, the RSFSR recognized the independence of Finland and Ukraine. During the civil war that soon began, independent Poland, Transcaucasian (and Azerbaijan) and Baltic (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) republics were formed on the territory of the former Russian Empire. On December 12 (25), 1917, the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic was proclaimed (actually formed in March 1919). On January 1, 1919, the Byelorussian SSR was formed (in February it became part of the Lithuanian-Belarusian SSR, which existed until August 1919, the Byelorussian SSR was restored in July 1920). Bessarabia was occupied in 1918, and Western Ukraine and Western Belarus became part of Poland.

During the period of civil war and foreign intervention (1918-1920), several dozen national-state entities were proclaimed on the territory of Russia, most of which lasted from several months to a year.

On the territory of the former western outskirts of Russia, new states were formed, the borders with which were soon secured by peace treaties of the RSFSR with (February 2, 1920), (July 12, 1920), (August 11, 1920), (October 14, 1920 .), Poland (March 18, 1921). The position of the border of the RSFSR with Romania remained unsettled, since it did not recognize the violent seizure of Bessarabia by Romania in 1918.

On April 22, 1918, the Transcaucasian Democratic Republic was proclaimed. However, under the influence of domestic and foreign policy factors, it soon disintegrated into the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian bourgeois republics. In 1920-1921 the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian SSRs were created on their territories, respectively. In Central Asia, the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic (Khorezm NSR) (April 26, 1920) and the Bukhara NSR (October 8, 1920) were created.

Changes have also occurred in eastern Russia. After the Japanese landing in the city of Aleksandrovsk on April 22, 1920, the northern part of Sakhalin Island was occupied, where power passed into the hands of the Japanese military administrative department. The Uriankhai region departed from Russia, on whose territory the People's Republic of Tannu-Tuva was proclaimed. In and in the Far East, on April 6, 1920, the Far Eastern Republic was formed.

As a result of the changes that took place, by the beginning of 1922, most of the territory of the former Russian Empire was occupied by the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (RSFSR). Formally independent were the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR, the Armenian SSR, the Georgian SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR, the Khorezm NSR, the Bukhara NSR and the Far Eastern Republic. On March 12, 1922, the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Georgian SSRs united into the federal Union of Socialist Soviet Republics of Transcaucasia, which on December 13, 1922 was transformed into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. On November 15, 1922, the Far Eastern Republic united with the RSFSR.

On December 30, 1922, the First Congress of Soviets of the USSR proclaimed the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) consisting of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of the RSFSR, the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic (USSR), the Socialist Soviet Republic (BSSR) and the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (ZSFSR - Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia). The largest in area, the RSFSR, included, in addition to the European part of the RSFSR, Siberia, the Far East, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, in addition to the Bukhara and Khorezm NSR.

The Second Congress of Soviets of the USSR approved on January 31, 1924 the Basic Law (Constitution) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The Bukhara and Khorezm NSR were transformed into the Bukhara and Khorezm SSR on September 19, 1924 and October 20, 1923, respectively.

In 1924 and 1926 Parts of the territories of Vitebsk, Gomel and Smolensk provinces populated by Belarusians were transferred from the RSFSR to the Byelorussian SSR. During the same period, minor changes took place in the border between the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR.

In 1924, the national-state delimitation of Central Asia was carried out. The Bukhara and Khorezm SSRs were liquidated. On their territory and the adjacent territories of the Turkestan ASSR, which was part of the RSFSR, the Turkmen SSR and the Uzbek SSR were formed on October 27, 1924 (the latter included the Tajik ASSR formed on October 14, 1924). At the III Congress of Soviets of the USSR (May 13-20, 1925), these republics were accepted into the USSR. On October 16, 1929, the Tajik ASSR was transformed into the Tajik SSR and on December 5 of this year became part of the USSR. The Kazakh (until April 19, 1925 - Kyrgyz) Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic remained part of the RSFSR. This autonomous republic, in turn, included the Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (until May 25, 1925 - Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Okrug, until February 1, 1926 - Kyrgyz Autonomous Okrug) and the Karakalpak Autonomous Region.

According to the “Convention on the Basic Principles of Relations between the USSR and Japan,” signed on January 20, 1925, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905 was restored, and Japan returned the northern part to the USSR.

The XII All-Russian Congress of Soviets approved on May 11, 1925 the Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.

On May 20, 1926, the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics adopted a resolution “On declaring lands and islands located in the ocean as the territory of the USSR”, according to which all Arctic islands between 32°4"35" east longitude and 168°49"30" western longitude were declared the territory of the USSR. In the summer of 1929, a permanent Soviet colony and the world's northernmost research station were established on (Hooker Island). On July 29, 1929, Soviet polar explorers hoisted the USSR flag on Cape Nile in George Land.

On December 5, 1936, at the Extraordinary VIII Congress of Soviets of the USSR, a new Constitution (Basic Law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was adopted, according to which the USSR included all the union republics that existed at that time, as well as the Kazakh and Kyrgyz SSRs transformed from the ASSR. The Karakalpak ASSR was transferred from the RSFSR to the Uzbek SSR. The Azerbaijani, Armenian and Georgian SSRs, which were previously part of the TSFSR, became independent members of the USSR. Thus, by the end of 1936, the USSR included 11 republics: the RSFSR, Azerbaijan, Armenian, Belarusian, Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek and Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republics.

On January 21, 1937, at the Extraordinary XVII All-Russian Congress of Soviets, the Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was adopted.

At the beginning of November 1939, by decisions of the people's assemblies of Western Belarus, these regions were included in the USSR and reunited with the Ukrainian SSR and the Belarusian SSR.

After the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. according to the peace treaty between the USSR and Finland, signed on March 12, 1940, the state border between the countries was established along a new line: the entire Karelian Isthmus with the city of Vyborg, Vyborg Bay and islands, the western and northern coasts of Lake Ladoga with the cities of Kexholm were included in the USSR (now Priozersk), Sortavala and Suoyarvi, islands and other territories. The Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, together with the part of the former regions of Finland that included it, was transformed on March 31, 1940 into the Karelo-Finnish SSR and thus left the RSFSR. The remaining part of the areas that separated from Finland became part of the Leningrad and Murmansk regions.

By agreement of June 28, 1940, the Romanian government peacefully transferred Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the USSR, and on August 2, the Moldavian SSR was formed by uniting six counties of Bessarabia (Balti, Bendery, Cahul, Orhei, Soroca and Chisinau) and the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, previously part of the Ukrainian SSR. Northern Bukovina and three districts of Bessarabia (Khotyn, Akkerman and Izmail) were included in the Ukrainian SSR.

At the beginning of August 1940, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became part of the USSR as union republics.

As a result, the USSR in August 1940 included 16 union republics.

During the Great Patriotic War and after its end, subsequent major changes took place in the territory of the USSR. The Tuvan People's Republic (as the People's Republic of Tannu-Tuva was called since 1926) entered the USSR on October 11, 1944 as an autonomous region within the RSFSR (October 10, 1961 it was transformed into the Tuva Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). At the end of the war, the USSR signed a number of agreements and treaties with Finland and Poland, which included the resolution of territorial issues.

Finland, according to the armistice agreement of September 19, 1944 and the peace treaty of February 10, 1947, transferred the Petsamo (Pechenga) region to the USSR. According to the Soviet-Czechoslovak Treaty of June 29, 1945, Transcarpathian Ukraine became part of the USSR and reunited with the Ukrainian SSR.

During the Great Patriotic War, there were minor changes in the borders between the union republics. Thus, in 1944, Zanarovye and Pechory from the Estonian SSR, the Pytalovsky district from the Latvian SSR were transferred to the RSFSR, and some territories of the North Caucasus were transferred from the RSFSR to the Georgian SSR (in 1957 they were returned to the RSFSR).

In 1926, the Indigirsky expedition led by geologist S.V. Obruchev discovered the “Chersky Ridge” mountain system with heights of more than 3000 m (previously, lowland was depicted on domestic ones). Geodetic and topographical work on the expedition was carried out by K. A. Salishchev, later a famous Soviet cartographer, and in 1968-1972 - President of the International Cartographic Association. Through the efforts of the expedition in 1926 and 1929-1930. The first detailed cartographic image of the mountain systems and basins of the Indigirka, Kolyma, and Anadyr rivers was obtained, and the Alazeya Plateau was identified.

Created at the USSR Academy of Sciences (USSR Academy of Sciences) in the mid-1920s and early 1930s, the Soil, Geomorphological, Geological, Botanical Institutes took on most of the work on developing new ones - soil, tectonic, geobotanical, etc.

In the 1920s, extensive research began in the Arctic, which made it possible to significantly refine the map of this region. As a result of the work of a number of expeditions (1921, 1923-1924, etc.), the outlines of Novaya Zemlya were determined. An expedition of the Arctic Institute led by G. A. Ushakov and N. N. Urvantsev in 1930-1932 determined the location of the islands. It turned out that Severnaya Zemlya is not a single island, but an archipelago of five large (Bolshevik, October Revolution, Komsomolets, Pioneer) and many small islands, with open straits between the islands.

A number of unknown islands have been discovered in . In 1930, an expedition on the icebreaking steamship “Georgy Sedov” under the command of O. Yu. Schmidt discovered the islands of Vize, Isachenko and Voronin; expedition on the icebreaking steamship “Rusanov” in 1932 - Izvestia Islands Central Executive Committee; expeditions on the icebreaking steamer “Sibiryakov” in 1932 and 1933 - the islands of the Arctic Institute (Sidorova and Bolshoi). In 1935, a high-latitude expedition on the icebreaking steamer “Sadko” under the command of G. A. Ushakov discovered Ushakov Island, completely covered with an ice sheet.

Arctic expeditions discovered new islands and “closed” non-existent ones. Thus, the issue with “Sannikov Land” and “Andreev Land” was finally resolved. If the first one (“seen” by the Russian industrialist Y. Sannikov in 1811) simply did not exist, then the land seen by S. Andreev in 1764 turned out to be the island of New Siberia, discovered in 1806.

Soviet polar expeditions clarified the depths and boundaries of the continental shelf, and discovered a depth of 5180 m in the central depression of the Arctic Ocean. The drifting expedition “North Pole-1” led by I.D. Papanin in 1937 finally established the absence of land in the area of ​​the pole and obtained an idea of ​​the depths in this area.

To study and develop the northern seas and their coasts, the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route was founded in 1932. The voyage of the icebreaker “Sibiryakov” (1932-1933) marked the beginning of the development of the Northern Sea Route.

The outlines of the northern coast of Siberia have noticeably changed on the maps, in particular, the contours of the Gydan Peninsula, Olenek Bay and the Lena Delta, the Taimyr Peninsula. On in 1928-1944. Mountains with a height of more than 1000 m were discovered, flora and fauna were explored, Lake Taimyr was comprehensively studied (Taimyr expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences under the leadership of A.I. Tolmachev, 1928, etc.).

In Eastern Siberia, large mountain ranges were identified (Yablonovy, Stanovoy, Dzhugdzhur, Suntar-Khayata), Kolyma (Gydan), Chukotka, Koryak highlands and Anadyr plateau.

In Kamchatka in 1941, geysers were discovered south of Lake Kronotsky.

Geologist S.V. Obruchev in 1917-1924. the Tunguska coal basin was discovered and the map of the area was significantly refined; Glaciologists M.V. Tronov and other researchers in the south of Siberia discovered unknown lakes and numerous glaciers.

In the Polar Urals, the Severodvinsk-Pechora expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences, under the leadership of geologist, academician A.D. Arkhangelsky, discovered a new mountain range.

The creation and establishment of the state cartographic and geodetic service of Russia is usually counted from the moment of the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR (Sovnarkom of the RSFSR) of March 15, 1919 on the establishment of the Higher Geodetic Administration (VGU) under the Scientific and Technical Department of the Supreme Council of the National Economy (VSNKh). The main task of VSU was to unite all geodetic and cartographic work in the country; study of the country's territory in topographical terms in order to raise and develop productive forces, save technical and financial resources and time; organization of cartographic work and publication of maps; organization of scientific work in the field of geodesy, astronomy, optics, cartography; systematization and storage of maps and survey materials; coordination of geodetic activities with geodetic organizations of foreign countries, etc. S. M. Solovyov was appointed chairman of the VSU board, and from August 1919 VSU was headed by the prominent geodesist M. D. Bonch-Bruevich. From the very beginning of its activity, the state cartographic and geodetic service inextricably linked the national tasks of mapping the country with the solution of specific national economic problems - the search for minerals, accounting for land and forest funds, etc.

Since 1919, the state cartographic and geodetic service began to carry out geodetic and survey work, including in the coal basin and in the construction areas of the Volkhov hydroelectric station, Dnieper hydroelectric station, Turksib, in the Volga region, Central Asia, in the North, as well as in Moscow, Leningrad and other cities. From 1920 to 1923 topographic surveys of the area were carried out on a scale of 1:25,000. In 1923, for the state topographic survey of the territories of the central, southern and south-eastern regions of the European part of the USSR, a scale of 1:50,000 was determined, for the territories of the northern, north-eastern and other regions of the country - 1:100,000. During the first five years of existence (1919-1924) of the state cartographic and geodetic service, topographic surveys on a scale of 1:50,000 covered 23 thousand square meters. km. territory of the USSR.

Since 1924, the systematic implementation of astronomical and geodetic work began in the USSR.

With the establishment in 1924 of the State Technical Bureau “Gosaerofotosemka”, aerial photography work began for the needs of the national economy of the USSR and for the purpose of creating maps. One of the initiators of its implementation was M.D. Bonch-Bruevich. The first experimental aerial photography was carried out in 1925 in the area of ​​the city of Mozhaisk on an area of ​​400 square meters. km.

By 1925, the state cartographic and geodetic service completed 76 thousand square meters. km. topographic surveys, identified 58 1st class triangulation points, 263 points of filling triangulation networks, 52 astronomical points, laid 2.2 thousand km. precise leveling.

In 1926-1932, topographic surveys were carried out on a scale of 1:25,000-1:100,000 over an area of ​​325.8 thousand square meters. km. In 1928, a decision was made to transition to a system of flat rectangular coordinates in the Gauss-Kruger projection on the Bessel ellipsoid. Since 1928, when creating topographic maps at a scale of 1:100,000, the contour-combined method began to be used, and since 1936, the stereotopographic method. The topographic stereometer created in 1932 by Professor F.V. Drobyshev made it possible to provide most of the work on mapping the country at a scale of 1:100,000, completed in the early 1950s.

Astronomer-geodesist, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences F. N. Krasovsky developed the scientific foundations of a new triangulation scheme of classes 1 and 2, together with A. A. Izotov, he determined the parameters of the reference ellipsoid in relation to the territory of the USSR. Since 1942, the parameters of the reference ellipsoid, called the Krasovsky ellipsoid, have been used to create all maps in our country. Since 1932, systematic gravimetric research began to solve geodetic problems, ensure exploration of mineral resources and study the interior. By 1935, degree measurements were completed in the form of 1st class triangulation from Orsha to.

Since 1935, aerial photography has become the main method of state mapping of the country's territory.

The State Cartographic and Geodetic Service continued to increase the volume of topographic and geodetic work of national importance. For 1930-1935 31.1 thousand rows of triangulation of 1st and 2nd classes, 21 thousand km of leveling passages were laid, aerial photography was carried out on an area of ​​482 thousand square meters. km, the triangulation and leveling polygons in the European part of the USSR were leveled. At the same time, the annual volume of topographic and geodetic work did not correspond to the rapid pace of development of the country. In 1932 and 1933 The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted decisions aimed at creating conditions “ensuring the use of topographic-geodetic, aerial survey, cartographic and gravimetric materials for the purposes of national cartography”, and establishing the procedure for financing topographic-geodetic, aerial survey, cartographic and gravimetric work. These decisions ensured an increase in the pace of development of topographic, geodetic and cartographic work. From 1935 to 1938, 3,184 triangulation points of classes 1 and 2 were identified, 26,800 km of leveling passages were laid, and aerial photography was carried out on an area of ​​1,788 thousand square meters. km, 1082 sheets of topographic maps were prepared for publication, topographic and geodetic work was carried out at the most important construction sites in the country.

September 14, 1938 By resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the Main Directorate of Geodesy and Cartography (GUGK) was created under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. On February 5, 1939, A.N. Baranov, who headed the GUGK for 28 years, was appointed head of the GUGK. The main tasks of the GUGK included the creation of a state geodetic basis and a state topographic map of the USSR; meeting the needs of the national economy, science, cultural and educational needs of the USSR with modern general and special, political, administrative, physical-geographical, economic and educational maps and atlases; state geodetic supervision and control of departmental topographic, geodetic and cartographic works. A. N. Baranov made a huge contribution to the development of the state cartographic and geodetic service of the USSR. Under his leadership, scientific, technical and production programs for topographic, geodetic and cartographic support of the state territory were implemented.

In the pre-war years (1939-1941), all topographic and geodetic units of the Military Topographic Service of the General Staff (MTS General Staff) of the Red Army under the leadership of M.K. Kudryavtsev, located in the European part of the USSR, carried out geodetic work and topographic surveys on the newly annexed USSR territories: Bessarabia, Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, the Baltic states, on the Karelian Isthmus. As a result of these works, topographic maps at a scale of 1:25,000 and smaller were created for the entire border strip.

To serve the multifaceted demands of the national economy, the defense of the country and the creation of a full-fledged topographical basis for the development of small-scale and special maps of the country's territory, the State Cartographic and Geodetic Service (GUGK and VTS General Staff of the Red Army) began in 1940 to compile a new overview topographic map at a scale of 1:1 000 000. The first sheets of a topographic map at a scale of 1:1,000,000 were compiled in 1918; by 1939, 80 sheets had been published, but they could not meet the requirements of the national economy due to the heterogeneity of fundamental principles, content and design.

The Great Patriotic War, which began in June 1941, set the country's state cartographic and geodetic service the task of urgently providing the Red Army with topographic maps on a scale of 1:100,000 for the interior regions of the European part of the USSR - from the western borders of the country to the Volga. In just six months (July-December 1941), the cartographic and geodetic service completed this task.

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), created at the Academy of Sciences, the Commission for Geographical and Geological Services of the Red Army was engaged in providing troops with military-geographical descriptions and comprehensive military-geographical maps. From 1941 to 1944, overview multi-sheet complex military-geographical and thematic maps were created for the European and Far Eastern theaters of military operations.

At the end of 1941, work began on creating a new topographic map at a scale of 1:200,000, which in July 1942 began to be supplied to the Red Army. In the subsequent years of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet troops were provided with topographic maps of scales 1:25,000 and 1:200,000. During the years of the Great Patriotic War, the cartographic and geodetic service carried out surveys and reconnaissance on an area of ​​5 million square meters. km. By 1945, a new map of a scale of 1:1,000,000 (232 nomenclature sheets) was created for the territory of the USSR in a single projection. The map greatly expanded the understanding and knowledge of the territory of the Soviet Union, summarizing numerous survey, cartographic and literary materials from various departments and institutions of the country on the geographical and cartographic knowledge of the USSR. In 1947, this map was awarded the Great Gold Medal of the Geographical Society of the USSR.

General geographical, complex and thematic mapping

Mapping of the territory of Russia by the state cartographic and geodetic service in the first years of its development was limited by a lack of publishing equipment, financial resources and personnel. Despite this, in the 1920s, maps necessary for the country were published - “Schematic map of the electrification of Russia” (the first Soviet economic map), compiled by the GOELRO commission; maps - the European part of the RSFSR (scale 1:10,000,000) and the Asian part of the RSFSR (scale 1:30,000,000). From 1921 to 1923 The state cartographic and geodetic service released 65 cartographic works, among which were the complex atlas “Nature and Economy of Russia” in 2 editions (1923), “Administrative Map of the RSFSR. European part” on a scale of 1:3,000,000. At the same time, general geographical maps of the European part of the USSR on a scale of 1:1,500,000 (1927) and the Asian part of the USSR on a scale of 1:5,000,000 (1929) were published.

Among the important cartographic works of this period is the “Hypsometric Map of the Central and Southern Strip of the European Part of the USSR with Adjacent Parts of the Western States,” published in 1926 by the Military Topographical Service, on a scale of 1:1,500,000. On this map, the transition to metric was made for the first time measures.

The creation of thematic and complex cartographic works required the efforts of teams from various branches of science and production.

In 1928, the state cartographic and geodetic service began compiling the “Atlas of Industry of the USSR” (in five editions), the first Soviet comprehensive economic and geographical atlas, which was published in 1931.

Satisfying the needs of educational institutions with educational maps and atlases has become an important task of the state cartographic and geodetic service.

During this period, work began on the compilation and publication of educational, administrative and thematic maps.

The 1930s are characterized by the beginning of comprehensive regional mapping of the country. The “Atlas of the Moscow Region” (1933) and the “Atlas of the Leningrad Region and the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic” (1934) were created, characterized by the completeness and versatility of the content, the variety of ways to display natural conditions and phenomena, economics and culture.

An outstanding event in the country of the 20th century was the release in 1937 of the “Great Soviet Atlas of the World,” the publication of which was carried out in accordance with the Resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. The atlas reflects elements of the physical, economic and political geography of the world and the USSR. The Atlas was highly appreciated in our country and abroad and was awarded the “Grand Prix” at the international exhibition in Paris in 1937.

Since 1936, cartographic work has been carried out at a rapid pace. By 1938, the output of cartographic products increased sixfold compared to 1935. The total circulation of maps and atlases published by the cartographic and geodetic service over two years (1937, 1938) amounted to 6,886 thousand copies.

In 1938, the “Atlas of the Red Army Commander” was published, created by the Military Topographical Service.

In 1940 and 1941 The State Cartographic and Geodetic Service issued the “Hypsometric Map of the USSR” on a scale of 1:5,000,000 and the “Hypsometric Map of the European Part of the USSR” on a scale of 1:1,500,000. The latter map served as the basis for the domestic hypsometric scale and methods for displaying the morphological features of various types of relief.

An important event in the mapping of the country was the publication by the state cartographic service of maps and atlases of mass demand. For example: “Pocket Atlas of the USSR” (1934, 1936, 1939), maps of regions and regions of the country, which were widely used and highly appreciated by consumers.

Since 1934, the restructuring of the teaching of geography and history at school required the state cartographic and geodetic service to provide the educational process in schools with educational atlases and wall maps. In 1938, the first “Geographical Atlas for the 3rd and 4th grades of primary school” was published, and in 1940 - “Geographical Atlas for the 5th and 6th grades of secondary school”, which were republished annually for almost two decades . For 1938-1945 40 educational wall historical maps were compiled (20 of them on the history of the USSR), which laid the foundation for Soviet educational historical cartography.

Simultaneously with the publication of numerous maps, work was carried out on new original maps and atlases, the publication of which was carried out in subsequent years. In 1947, the first map of the USSR was released at a scale of 1:2,500,000.

To successfully carry out geological exploration work in the country, a variety of thematic maps were needed. In this regard, since 1920, geological and surveying began on scales of 1:200,000 - 1:1,000,000; overview geological maps of the Asian part of the USSR were published on a scale of 1:10,520,000 (1922) and 1:4,200,000 (1925). In the 1930s, the first geological maps of the entire territory of the USSR were compiled on scales of 1:5,000,000 (1937) and 1:2,500,000 (1940). The first “Tectonic map of the USSR” was compiled in 1933. At the same time, various regional geological maps were created for the territory of the Greater Donbass, the Moscow basin, the region and Pechora, the Urals, etc.

In 1938, the first sheets of the “State Geological Map of the USSR” at a scale of 1:1,000,000 were published. By 1940, geological surveys covered two-thirds of the country’s territory.

In 1939, the Institute of Geography of the USSR Academy of Sciences developed the “Geomorphological map of the European part of the USSR” on a scale of 1:1,500,000, which, in addition to being the first in the world, depicted the morphology of the bottom of the seas, large lakes and their shores, and the “Map of the geomorphological zoning of the USSR” on a scale of 1: 10,000,000.

In 1929, applied overview agroclimatic maps of the country on a scale of 1:10,000,000 were created: “Map of zones of the USSR”, “Map of actual and climatically possible northern and upper boundaries of agricultural crops”. In 1933, the Institute of Climatology of the Main Geophysical Observatory developed the “Climatological Atlas of the USSR.”

In 1927, the “Map of the average flow of rivers in the European part of the USSR” was created. In 1937, the “River Flow Map of the USSR” was published on a scale of 1:15,000,000.

Since the 1920s, large-scale soil research and mapping of soils on collective and state farms, as well as areas of proposed land reclamation (Trans-Volga region, Central Asia, Transcaucasia) began to be carried out. The Soil Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences compiled and published maps: “Soil map of the Asian part of the USSR” on a scale of 1:4,200,000 (1926), “Soil map of the USSR” (1929) on a scale of 1:10,500,000, “Soil map the European part of the USSR” (1930) on a scale of 1:2,520,000. At the same time, cartometric work was carried out to calculate the soil areas of the European part of the USSR and the publication of the multi-sheet “State Soil Map of the USSR” on a scale of 1:1,000,000 began.

Geobotanical Department of the Main Botanical Garden, and then the Botanical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences, in the mid-1920s. began work on creating a “Geobotanical map of the European part of the USSR” on a scale of 25 versts per inch (1:1,050,000) on 18 sheets (a total of 8 sheets were published). Since 1920, work has begun to study the forests of various regions of the country and compile forest maps. In 1939, the overview “Map of the USSR” on a scale of 1:5,000,000 was published.

In 1922-1925, the USSR Academy of Sciences, with the participation of the State Geographical Society, published a multi-sheet “Dasimetric Map of European Russia” on a scale of 1:420,000. It was based on the results of the All-Russian Population Census of 1897. Until 1926, 46 map sheets were published.

Based on the results of the All-Union Population Census of 1926, a new “Overview Map of the USSR” on a scale of 1:10,000,000 was compiled in 1929.

During the same period, mapping of the ethnic composition of the population began to develop in the country. The Commission for the Study of the Ethnic Composition of the Population at the USSR Academy of Sciences compiled and published maps of the peoples of the Urals region, the Volga region, the Murmansk province, and the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The multi-sheet “Ethnographic Map of Siberia” on a scale of 1:4,200,000 (1927), compiled according to the 1897 census and local censuses of later years, became especially famous. More than 190 nations were shown on the map. Later, “Ethnographic Map of the Caucasus” on a scale of 1:840,000 (1930) and “Map of the Settlement of Nationalities of the Far North of the USSR” on a scale of 1:5,000,000 (1933) were published.

In 1926, the “Economic Map of the USSR” and “Economic Map of the European Part of the USSR” were published, in 1927 - “Map of Industry of the European Part of the USSR” on a scale of 1:1,500,000, in 1929 - “Map of Industry of the Asian Part of the USSR” scale 1:5,000,000. These maps show in greater detail the location of different industries in populated areas. Industrial maps and general economic maps were also published for individual regions of the USSR.

A major step in economic mapping was the release in 1934 of the atlas “Industry of the USSR at the beginning of the 2nd Five-Year Plan,” on 64 pages of which large-scale icons show the location of plants and factories. Outstanding cartographic works of this period include: “Atlas of Energy Resources of the USSR” (1934), economic atlases of the Middle Volga region (1932), Ivanovo industrial region (1933), Kursk region (1935).

The development of agricultural mapping is demonstrated by the “Map of Agriculture of the USSR” published in 1926 on a scale of 1:11,000,000. In 1928, the “Map of the distribution of wheat crops” developed by the All-Union Institute was published. Agricultural maps during this period were developed mainly at the regional level.

Before the Great Patriotic War, atlases devoted to fisheries were published: “Atlas of the USSR Fishing Industry” (1939) and “Atlas of Maps of the Distribution of Commercial Fish in the Northern Caspian Sea” (1940).

Many economic maps of districts and administrative regions were produced, among them a large series of schematic economic maps of districts of the Moscow region. The annual publication of maps of the density of cargo movement on railways and the most important inland waterways (1926-1933) was resumed. Based on the results of expeditionary studies of the economy and communications of the Kolyma-Indigirsky region in 1931, a navigation atlas and its tributaries was compiled.

The annexation of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus to the USSR - the annexation by the Soviet Union from Poland of the territories of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus with the adoption of the Extraordinary V session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the USSR Law “On the inclusion of Western Ukraine into the USSR with its reunification with the Ukrainian SSR” (November 1, 1939 ) and the Law of the USSR “On the inclusion of Western Belarus into the USSR with its reunification with the Belarusian SSR” (November 2, 1939) on the basis of petitions from the Plenipotentiary Commissions of the People's Assembly of Western Ukraine and the People's Assembly of Western Belarus.

Until September 28, 1939, both territories were part of the Polish state following the Riga Peace Treaty of 1921; their western border was almost completely east of the “Curzon Line” recommended by the Entente as the eastern border of Poland in 1918. In March 1923, the Paris Conference of Allied Ambassadors approved the eastern borders Poland. The Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples were divided into two parts: one part was part of the corresponding republics of the USSR, and the other was included in the new Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as the “eastern outskirts”.

On September 1, 1939, the Second World War began with the German attack on Poland. Poland was unprepared for war, and its government was unable to organize the defense of the country and emigrated abroad on September 17. Poland ceased to exist as an independent state.

According to the provisions of the secret additional protocol on the division of spheres of influence between Germany and the USSR, on September 17, 1939, Soviet troops entered the territory of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus

The border between the territories controlled by the Red Army in Poland and the Polish territories captured by Germany was clarified by the agreement signed between the USSR and Germany on September 28, 1939 "About friendship and the state border." According to the secret protocol to this treaty, Lithuania and Northern Bukovina also passed into the sphere of influence of the USSR.

Western Ukrainian population with enthusiasm and hope met the Red Army. Several factors contributed to this:

Soviet official propaganda explained the crossing of the Polish-Soviet border by Red Army troops with the desire to prevent the occupation of the region by the Nazis; in conditions when the population knew nothing about the secret agreement between the USSR and Germany, Soviet propaganda had a certain psychological effect;

The Poles, retreating under the pressure of German and Soviet troops, often took out their anger on the Ukrainian civilian population, not stopping at killing civilians;

Western Ukrainians have long sought to unite with their Eastern Ukrainian brothers, and hatred of the Polish occupation regime gripped the majority of the Western Ukrainian population.

On October 26-27, 1939, a meeting of the People's Assembly of Western Ukraine took place in Lvov. which, expressing the “unanimous will of the liberated people,” voted for the establishment of Soviet power on the territory of Western Ukraine and adopted a declaration on the entry of Western Ukraine into the Ukrainian SSR. Based on the appeal of the People's Assembly of Western Ukraine, the V extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on November 1, 1939 adopted a law on the inclusion of Western Ukraine into the USSR and its reunification with the Ukrainian SSR.

Based on an appeal from the People's Assembly of Western Belarus, on November 2, 1939, a law was adopted on the inclusion of Western Belarus into the USSR and its reunification with the BSSR.