Volochaevsky battles. Short description

People's Revolutionary Army (PRA) of the Far Eastern Republic (FER) - ground Armed Forces of the Far Eastern Republic (FER), created in March 1920 on the basis of units of the East Siberian Soviet Army.

From March 1920 they were called the NRA of the Baikal region, from April 1920 - the NRA of the Transbaikalia, from May 1920 - the NRA of the Far Eastern Republic. In June 1921, the NRA Headquarters was created.

The main task set before the NRA was the return of the Far Eastern region of Soviet Russia and the destruction of the White rebel republics in Transbaikalia and the Amur region.

In April - May 1920, NRA troops twice tried to change the situation in Transbaikalia in their favor, but due to lack of forces, both operations ended unsuccessfully. By the fall of 1920, Japanese troops, thanks to the diplomatic efforts of the Far Eastern Republic, were withdrawn from Transbaikalia, and during the third Chita operation (October 1920), troops of the Amur Front of the NRA and partisans defeated the White rebel and Cossack troops of Ataman Semyonov, occupied Chita on October 22, 1920 and completed the annexation in early November Transbaikalia to the Far Eastern Republic. The Far Eastern Army and Cossack troops of the Far East were evacuated to Primorye. At the same time, Japanese troops were evacuated from Khabarovsk.

In May - August 1921, NRA troops, together with units of the Soviet 5th Separate Army and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army (under the command of Sukhbaatar), took part in hostilities on the territory of Mongolia against the White Guard troops under the command of Lieutenant General R. F. Ungern von Sternberg, who invaded Transbaikalia in May. Having repelled the attack of the White Guards during long defensive battles, Soviet troops launched a counter-offensive and in July - August completed their defeat on the territory of Mongolia, occupied its capital Urga (now Ulaanbaatar), and then the entire country. As a result of this operation, the security of the southern flank of the Far Eastern Republic was ensured, and Mongolia was proclaimed a people's republic.

On May 26, 1921, with the support of Japan, power in Vladivostok and Primorye as a result of a coup passed to the government formed by representatives of the white movement and non-socialist parties. Negotiations between the Far Eastern Republic and Japan to resolve relations did not produce results. In November 1921, the White Rebel Army began advancing from Primorye to the north. On December 22, White Guard troops occupied Khabarovsk and advanced west to the Volochaevka station of the Amur Railway. After the White offensive was stopped, they went on the defensive on the Volochaevka - Verkhnespasskaya line, creating a fortified area here.

On February 5, 1922, units of the NRA under the command of Vasily Blucher went on the offensive, drove back the advanced units of the enemy, reached the fortified area, and on February 10 began an assault on the Volochaev positions. For three days, in 35-degree frost and deep snow cover, NRA fighters continuously attacked the enemy until his defenses were broken on February 12. On February 14, the NRA occupied Khabarovsk.

On October 4 - 25, 1922, the Primorye Operation was carried out - the last major operation of the Civil War. Having repelled the offensive of the White Guard Zemstvo army under the command of Lieutenant General Diterichs, the NRA troops under the command of Uborevich launched a counteroffensive. On October 8-9, the Spassky fortified area was taken by storm. On October 13-14, in cooperation with partisans on the approaches to Nikolsk-Ussuriysk (now Ussuriysk), the main White Guard forces were defeated, and on October 19, NRA troops reached Vladivostok, where up to 20 thousand Japanese troops were still located. On October 24, the Japanese command was forced to enter into an agreement with the government of the Far East on the withdrawal of its troops from the Far East. On October 25, NRA units and partisans entered Vladivostok. The remnants of the White Guard troops were evacuated abroad.

By Order No. 653 of November 2, 1922, the Primorsky Corps was formed by the troops of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic in the city of Chita.

On November 22, 1922, after the Far Eastern Republic entered the RSFSR, the NRA was renamed the 5th Army, which on July 1, 1923 was given the name Red Banner.

Sleeve insignia of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic using the example of cavalry units

By the spring of 1920, the Red Army's offensive on the Eastern Front, which had been developing quite successfully until then, was stopped at the border of Lake Baikal. Further advance could lead to a direct clash with Japanese troops occupying vast territories of the Russian Far East. To avoid a military conflict with Japan, the Soviets decided to create an officially independent and democratic state with a capitalist structure in the economy.
On October 6, 1920, the Founding Congress of the “militants and partisans” of the Baikal region announced the creation of the Far Eastern Republic (FER).
The Republic was proclaimed on April 6, 1920 by the Founding Congress of the Workers of the Baikal Region. Verkhneudinsk (present-day Ulan-Ude) was initially proclaimed the capital of the Far Eastern Republic, and from October 1920 Chita became it. The Far Eastern Region included Transbaikal, Amur, Primorsky regions (including Kamchatka and Chukotka) and Northern Sakhalin, although in fact at that time the Far Eastern Region controlled the Amur region, Khabarovsk district and the Baikal region.
The armed forces of the new state were formed from local partisan detachments and the Kolchak units that went over to the side of the Soviet government, which back in January 1920 were consolidated into the East Siberian Army of the Red Army, on March 11 renamed the People's Revolutionary Army of the Baikal region (from mid-April - Transbaikalia). This formation received its final name - the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic (NRA FER) - in mid-May.
Two military districts were created on the territory of the republic - Transbaikal and Amur. On November 1, 1920, the NRA included: 1st and 2nd Amur, 1st and 2nd Irkutsk Rifle Divisions, Amur Cavalry Brigade, Transbaikal Cavalry Division (total 40,800 people). On May 1, 1921 - 1st Chita, 2nd Verkhneudinsk, 3rd Amur and 4th Blagoveshchensk rifle divisions, Transbaikal cavalry division, 1st Troitskosavskaya, 2nd Sretenskaya and 3rd Khabarovsk cavalry brigades (total 36100 people). On October 1, 1921, the NRA still had 3 rifle divisions and 1 cavalry brigade (a total of 19,800 people).
There was no specific uniform in the NRA, just as there was none in the “main” Red Army at that time. It is obvious that existing stocks of the old Russian army, civilian and paramilitary clothing were used - all this is clearly visible in the photographs. On April 30, 1920, a government commission for supplying the NRA was created. On May 18, at a meeting of this commission, it was noted that supplies were poor: there was a lack of uniforms, especially overcoats and hats. It was decided to make them from blankets that were in stock.
On November 30, 1920, by order of the military department of the Far Eastern Republic No. 62, insignia in the form of diamond-shaped stripes were established for NRA personnel, intended to be worn on the left sleeve. This sign was a red-blue diamond (11x7.5 cm), repeating the colors of the flag of the Far Eastern Republic. In the upper, red part there was a stencil image of the rising sun (the entire composition symbolized the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean) and the letters N.R.A. On the lower, blue part, insignia of official status were sewn, cut from red fabric: narrow - 10 mm wide, medium - 15 mm, wide - 25 mm. In the order, corner stripes (chevrons) are shown as if they were made from two sewn sections. Judging by the photographs, the stripes were cut out entirely and, of course, did not have a seam. In different branches of the military, the names of job categories were different (as was customary in the Red Army). In the captions to the illustrations we present only the main ones. IN bottom corner The emblem of the military branch was stenciled with yellow paint (these signs could well have been metal or embroidered).
It is curious that the introduction of insignia caused serious discontent among former partisans, who said: “You sew diamonds on our sleeves, and then gradually move them to our shoulders and return us to shoulder straps.” The commanders reassured the soldiers frightened by this prospect, openly referring to the order of Moscow.
As for the cockade that Postyshev mentions, no order for its establishment was found. In newsreel footage of the NRA parade, vague cockades, similar in shape to the old Russian ones, are visible on the caps of the commanders. By the way, many of them who transferred to the NRA from the Red Army continued to wear Red Army stars and commander’s badges.

AVIATION AND MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE OF THE RKKA, PEOPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY ARMY OF THE FAR EASTERN REPUBLIC (NRA FER), 1918-1922.

Military pilots and observers, as a rule, wore old Russian aviation uniforms. For flights and airfield service, the Reds used special uniforms, which consisted of a helmet (often replaced with a cap or cap), leather jackets and trousers; Old aviation emblems often remained on the caps, but without crowns. On the sleeves they usually wore patches depicting aviation emblems: a double-headed eagle with a propeller in its claws or a propeller with wings.

The sleeve insignia of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic, the description of which was announced in the order of the Military Ministry of the Far Eastern Republic No. 44 dated June 5, had the shape of a rhombus (11 x 7.5 cm). The upper half of the sign is red, the lower half is blue (the colors of the DDA flag). The top one was stenciled with a golden rising sun with the letters "NRA" in red on it. On the lower half there were red stripes of varying widths, which served to designate positions. In the lower corner were placed emblems (applied or stenciled) according to the type of weapon.

The emblems of the military branches or Red Army stars were placed on the band of the cap. Judging by the memoirs, the introduction of sleeve diamonds and cockades caused dissatisfaction with the former partisans who made up the main backbone of the NRA, but gradually it disappeared... It should be noted that so far no order for the establishment of cockades has been found, but cockades similar in shape to the cockades of the former Russian army, worn on the caps of commanders who also used red stars and breastplates of the Red Army. On December 27, 1920, order No. 127 announced a description of the sign for headdresses - a red golden star with embossed rays, in the center of it on a red-blue circle there were intersecting golden picks and an anchor.

According to the order of the Military Council of the NRA and the Fleet of the Far Eastern Republic No. 126 of February 24, 1922, the personnel of the units awarded the Order of the Red Banner were given award sleeve insignia, where the sun and the letters “N.R.A.” were embroidered in gold. and signs of official position (it is possible that not gold embroidery was used, but galloon).

On August 22, 1919, by order of the RVSR, an armband was introduced for commandants of railway sections, stations and piers and an armband for military communications employees. The first was a red cloth strip 12 cm wide, in the center of which a black velvet rhombus (8 x 12 cm) was sewn. It was embroidered with a white (silver) railway wheel with two wings. The diamond had a border: green for the commandants and dark yellow for the political commissars under them. The bandage was worn on the left sleeve while on duty. The sleeve insignia of military communications employees was the same diamond shape as that of station commandants, sewn onto the left sleeve of clothing above the elbow.

1. Cadet of the military command courses of the Red Army in an overcoat, 1918-1922.
2. Graduate of the Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army, 1919-1922.
3. Machine gun instructor for red cadets as a company commander, 1919-1922.

In accordance with the above categories, military sailors of command, administrative and political personnel wore insignia:
VIII and IX categories - one wide braid with one curl;
X and XI ranks - one wide and one narrow braid;
XII and XIII categories - two wide braids;
XIV and XV ranks - two wide and one narrow braid;
XVI category - three wide braids;
XVII and XVIII categories - three wide and one narrow braid;
having no ranks - four wide braids.
Specialties were differentiated by color as follows:
the combat composition of the fleet is without discharges;
shipbuilding specialty - red;
mechanical - brown;
medical - white;
hydrographic - blue;
port employees - green;
naval court employees - pale pink.
The width of the narrow braid is 1/4 inch (0.6 cm);
wide - 1/2 inch (1.2 cm).

TANK FORCES OF THE FAR EASTERN REPUBLIC

Source: Armada No. 14, 1999. M. Kolomiets, I. Moshchansky, S. Romadin. Tanks of the Civil War.

In March 1920, American troops delivered ten Renault tanks to Vladivostok. They were in closed cars under the guise of "relief from the American Red Cross." With the help of a railway driver and a wagon coupler who sympathized with the Bolsheviks, the wagons with tanks were replaced with empty ones, and the tanks themselves, disguised as a train with bread, went to Blagoveshchensk to join the Red partisans.
All tanks had no weapons, magneto or fan belts. By the summer of 1920, some of the vehicles were put in order and armed with 37-mm Hotchkiss cannons, Maxim and Hotchkiss machine guns. Moreover, the crew of each tank consisted of three (!) people. It should be noted that to protect machine gun barrels from bullets and shrapnel in battle, rather large armored “cheeks” were mounted on the turrets. The turrets equipped with such “cheeks” did not have a circular rotation, since the additional armor clung to the roof of the engine compartment. In August, these Renault tanks were used to form the 1st Amur Heavy Tank Division (five platoons of two tanks each and an economic team), which became part of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic (NRA FER). The composition of the division (as of June 15, 1920) was as follows:
1st platoon – tanks No. 9254 “Ruthless” and No. 9141 “International”;
2nd platoon – tanks No. 4320 “Sivuch” and No. 9108 “Zorkiy”;
3rd platoon – tanks No. 9446 “Lazo” and No. "Mukhin";
4th platoon – tanks No. 9092 “Revolutionary” and No. 1871 “Thunderstorm”;
5th platoon – tanks No. 1930 “Amurets” and No. 9096 “Avenger”.
On September 20, 1920, division commander N. Shamray reported to the headquarters of the Amur Front of the Far Eastern Republic on the condition of the unit entrusted to him:
“I inform you that there are currently six tanks in Blagoveshchensk, of which five are operational and one is disassembled and undergoing repairs. But due to the lack of patented (that is, “branded” French - author’s note) fan belts and incomplete armament of the tank, they cannot be used in action. The tank's armament is as follows:
1) two tanks, due to lack of weapons, are completely unarmed;
2) two tanks, each armed with one 37-mm Japanese rapid-fire gun, which do not have mainsprings. An order for the springs was made urgently at the Chevurin plant, and once they are manufactured, the guns can be put into operation;
3) two tanks, each armed with one machine gun: the Hotchkiss and Maxim systems. There are no spare parts for the Maxim machine gun, such as a barrel and a lock. Currently there are: 350 shells, 5000 rounds for the Hotchkiss machine gun and 250 rounds with just one belt for the Maxim machine gun.”
In the summer and autumn of 1920, tanks operated in platoons against the Whites as part of the troops of the Amur Front. Division commander N. Shamray developed “Instructions for the procedure for introducing tanks into battle in field conditions,” excerpts from which we provide:
“The most important circumstance for introducing tanks into battle is the condition, if possible, for them to travel a short distance to the battlefield, so that the tanks can travel a long distance independently in battle. Tanks inflict a serious defeat and a huge moral impression on the enemy only in numbers; it is not allowed to send one tank into battle.”
Apparently, the “moral impression” was the main purpose of the tanks. After all, no one in Transbaikalia has seen such “steel monsters”. For example, on October 19, 1920, units of the 5th Amur Brigade of the NRA DVR, with the support of tanks of the 3rd platoon, attacked the Whites at the Urulga station. The Whites opened strong artillery and machine-gun fire, but the appearance of the tanks made a stunning impression on them, and they retreated in disarray. The station was taken by the DDA infantry without losses.
The division's tanks were used in battle throughout 1921, with some vehicles having their original armament replaced with another. By the end of the year, all Renaults were out of order due to lack of spare parts and special tool. Therefore, in December 1921, by decision of the military council of the NRA DVR, the tanks were sent to Russia for repairs. Only the 2nd platoon “due to the current combat situation” was left in the NRA. According to a report from the head of the NRA armored units, “the platoon includes two tanks of the French Babe type.” “Zorkiy” is armed with a “Hotchkiss” machine gun with an elongated cavalry stock (cartridges in clips), “Sivuch” is armed with a “Maxim” machine gun. There is only one French key as a tool for repair and disassembly. There are absolutely no spare parts."
By January 28, 1922, only one tank had been repaired, the Zorkiy, which left for the front the next day. On February 9, by order of the head of the Eastern Front of the Far Eastern Front, the tank was sent to Volochaevka, where on February 10 it was assigned to the Special Amur Regiment and sent to the rifle chain. But due to the onset of darkness and strong machine-gun fire from the whites, the regiment retreated to its original position. “Zorkiy” was left at the enemy’s wire fence in order to launch an offensive together with the infantry in the morning. At dawn on February 11, the Whites noticed the tank and opened fire on it from the Kappelevets armored train stationed at Volochaevka station. One of the shells from the armored train broke the tank's guide wheel, and the vehicle stopped. Another shell pierced both sides, nearly killing the crew. After this, the driver and machine gunners abandoned the tank, blowing up the gas tank with grenades. This is how it ended combat service tanks of the Amur partisans.

Not a bad selection! Thank you. My grandmother is from Spassk and I spent every summer there as a teenager))).
There is very little material on the civil war in the Far East, and it is generally difficult to find anything detailed.
Basically all the sources are post-war, on every page “liberate...-.. from white oppressors..- land to peasants.. factories to workers..., communism.” Well, something like this. But detailed, detailed - nothing.
According to “white” sources it’s the same - everything is detailed up to Irkutsk/Omsk, well, up to Baikal. And Khabarovsk\Vladivostok is just a gap.
Maybe there is detailed material on the assault on Spassk? Judging by the description, there were several forts (built by the Japanese), which the Reds took in turn; I also couldn’t find any maps anywhere. In general, late imperial maps of the Far East are very rare.

Click to expand...

Agree. I would also read about the Black Buffer (Amur Zemsky Territory), for example.

1922 Minister of Foreign Affairs N. D. Merkulov, Admiral G. K. Stark, Chairman S. D. Merkulov.

Not a bad selection! Thank you. My grandmother is from Spassk and I spent every summer there as a teenager))).
There is very little material on the civil war in the Far East, and it is generally difficult to find anything detailed.
Basically all the sources are post-war, on every page “liberate...-.. from white oppressors..- land to peasants.. factories to workers..., communism.” Well, something like this. But detailed, detailed - nothing.
According to “white” sources it’s the same - everything is detailed up to Irkutsk/Omsk, well, up to Baikal. And Khabarovsk\Vladivostok is just a gap.
Maybe there is detailed material on the assault on Spassk? Judging by the description, there were several forts (built by the Japanese), which the Reds took in turn; I also couldn’t find any maps anywhere. In general, late imperial maps of the Far East are very rare.

Click to expand...

I don’t know how relevant the information is, but I decided to add on the topic.

On October 25, 1922, the bloody Civil War ended in Soviet Russia. From October 4 to October 25, 1922, the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic (the land Armed Forces of the DRV, formed in March 1920 on the basis of formations of the East Siberian Soviet Army) conducted an offensive Primorye operation. It ended in complete success, the white troops were defeated and fled, and the Japanese were evacuated from Vladivostok. This was the last significant operation of the Civil War.

The People's Revolutionary Army of the DRA under the command of Hieronymus Petrovich Uborevich repelled in September the attack of the “Zemstvo Army” (the so-called armed forces of the Amur Zemsky Territory, formed from the White Guard troops located in Primorye) under the command of Lieutenant General Mikhail Konstantinovich Diterichs and in October went on a counter-offensive. On October 8-9, the Spassky fortified area was taken by storm, where the most combat-ready Volga group of the “Zemstvo Army” under the command of General Viktor Mikhailovich Molchanov was defeated. On October 13-14, the NRA, in cooperation with partisans, defeated the main forces of the White Guards on the approaches to Nikolsk-Ussuriysky. By October 16, the Zemstvo Army was completely defeated, its remnants retreated to the Korean border or began to evacuate through Vladivostok. On October 19, the Red Army reached Vladivostok, where up to 20 thousand military personnel of the Japanese army were based. On October 24, the Japanese command was forced to enter into an agreement with the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on the withdrawal of its troops from Southern Primorye.

The last ships with the remnants of the White Guard units and the Japanese left the city on October 25. At four o'clock in the afternoon on October 25, 1922, units of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic entered Vladivostok. The Civil War ended in Russia. In three weeks Far East will become an integral part of the Soviet Republic. On November 4 - 15, 1922, at a session of the People's Assembly of the Far East, a decision was made to dissolve itself and restore Soviet power in the Far East. The People's Assembly was also supported by the commanders of the NRA. On November 15, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was included in the RSFSR as the Far Eastern Region.

The situation in Primorye in the summer - autumn of 1922

From mid-1922 it began final stage fight against the White Guards and interventionists in the Far East. The situation in the East changed dramatically in favor of Soviet Russia. The defeat of the White Guards near Volochaevka in February greatly shook the position of the Japanese in Primorye. The victorious end of the Civil War in the European part of Russia, a turning point in foreign policy - Soviet Russia was emerging from isolation, a series of diplomatic and economic negotiations with capitalist countries began, all this influenced the Japanese government’s policy towards Russia.

The American government, in order to earn points in the field of “peacekeeping” (after the failure of its own military adventure in Russia) and having become convinced that the presence of the Japanese in the Far East was useless for Washington, began to put strong pressure on Tokyo, demanding the withdrawal of troops from Russian Primorye. The United States did not want to strengthen the position of the Japanese Empire in the Asia-Pacific region, since they themselves wanted to dominate this region.

In addition, the situation in Japan itself was not the best. Economic crisis, huge expenses for intervention - they reached 1.5 billion yen, human losses, low returns from expansion into Russian lands, caused a sharp increase in discontent among the population. The internal political situation was not going well for the “war party.” Economic problems and an increase in the tax burden have led to an increase in protest sentiment in the country. In the summer of 1922, the Communist Party was established in Japan, which began to work to create the Anti-Intervention League. Various anti-war societies are appearing in the country, in particular, the “Society for Rapprochement with Soviet Russia”, “Association of Non-Intervention”, etc.

As a result of the unfavorable political situation for the Japanese military party, the Takahashi cabinet resigned. The Minister of War and the Chief of the General Staff also resigned. The new government, headed by Admiral Kato, who represented the interests of the “maritime party”, which was inclined to shift the center of gravity of the expansion of the Japanese Empire from the shores of Primorye to the Pacific Ocean, in a southern direction, issued a statement on the cessation of hostilities in Primorye.

On September 4, 1922, a new conference began its activities in Changchun, which was attended by a joint delegation of the RSFSR and the Far Eastern Republic on the one hand and a delegation of the Japanese Empire on the other. The Soviet delegation immediately presented the main condition for further negotiations with Japan - to immediately clear all territories of the Far East from Japanese forces. The Japanese representative Matsudaira avoided a direct answer to this condition. Only after the Soviet delegation decided to leave the conference did the Japanese side declare that the evacuation of Japanese troops from Primorye was already a resolved issue. However, the Japanese refused to withdraw troops from Northern Sakhalin. They were going to keep it as compensation for the “Nicholas Incident.” That's what they called armed conflict between red partisans, white and Japanese troops, which occurred in 1920 in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. It was used by the Japanese command to attack the Soviet administration and military garrisons in the Far East on the night of April 4-5, 1920.

The delegation of the RSFSR and the Far Eastern Republic demanded the withdrawal of troops from all Soviet territories. Negotiations reached a dead end and were interrupted on September 19. After negotiations resumed, both sides continued to press their demands. Then representatives of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam proposed to conduct an investigation into the “Nikolaev events” and discuss them on their merits. The Japanese authorities could not do this, because the provocative behavior of the Japanese military could be revealed. The head of the Japanese delegation stated that the Japanese government cannot go into the details of the “Nikolaev events”, since the governments of the RSFSR and the Far Eastern Republic are not recognized by Japan. As a result, on September 26, negotiations were interrupted again. In reality, the negotiations in Changchun were supposed to be a cover for preparing a new military operation against DRV.

The situation in the Amur Zemsky Territory was unstable. The government of Spiridon Merkulov discredited itself even in the eyes of the local bourgeoisie by “selling” to the Japanese the Ussuri Railway, the port on Egersheld, the Suchansky coal mines, the Far Eastern Shipbuilding Plant, etc. The Vladivostok Chamber of Commerce and Industry even demanded that all power be transferred to the “People's Assembly”. The government was unable to organize an effective fight against partisan detachments. In the summer and autumn of 1922, the partisan movement assumed significant proportions in Southern Primorye. Red partisans carried out raids on Japanese posts and military warehouses, destroyed communications and communication lines, and attacked military trains. In fact, by the fall the Japanese were forced to withdraw from the countryside, holding only the railroad and towns.

There was also fermentation in the White Guard camp. The Kappelites supported the “People's Assembly,” which declared the Merkulov government overthrown. The Semyonovnas continued to support the Merkulovs (the brother of the chairman, Nikolai Merkulov, served as Minister of Naval and Foreign Affairs), who in turn issued a decree dissolving the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the “People's Assembly”. The “People's Assembly” established its own cabinet of ministers, and then decided to combine the functions of the chairman of the new government and the commander of the armed forces of Primorye. In fact, it was about creating a military dictatorship. General Mikhail Diterichs was invited to this post. He was the commander of the Siberian Army, the Eastern Front and the chief of staff of A.V. Kolchak. After Kolchak's defeat he left for Harbin. He was an ardent monarchist and supporter of the revival of the pre-Petrine socio-political order in Russia. Initially, he came to an agreement with the Merkulovs and confirmed their power in the Amur Zemsky Territory. The "People's Assembly" was dissolved. On June 28, the Zemsky Sobor was assembled. On July 23, 1922, at the Zemsky Council in Vladivostok, M. Diterikhs was elected Ruler of the Far East and Zemsky Voivode - commander of the “Zemsky Army” (it was created on the basis of White Guard detachments). The Japanese were asked for weapons and ammunition, and a delay in the evacuation of Japanese troops. By September 1922, the reorganization and armament of the “Zemstvo Army” was completed, and General Dieterichs announced a campaign against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam under the slogan “For the Faith, Tsar Michael and Holy Rus'.”

The state of the People's Revolutionary Army (NAR) by the fall of 1922

From the Combined and Chita brigades, the 2nd Amur Rifle Division was formed, consisting of three regiments: the 4th Volochaev Order of the Red Banner, the 5th Amur and the 6th Khabarovsk. It also included the Troitskosavsky Cavalry Regiment, a light artillery division of 76-mm cannons with 3 batteries, a howitzer division of two batteries and a sapper battalion. The commander of the 2nd Amur Rifle Division was also the commander of the Amur Military District; he was subordinate to the Blagoveshchensk fortified area, an armored train division (consisting of three armored trains - No. 2, 8 and 9), an aviation detachment and two border cavalry divisions. The Transbaikal Cavalry Division was reorganized into the Separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade.

The command reserve included the 1st Transbaikal Rifle Division, consisting of the 1st Chita, 2nd Nerchinsk and 3rd Verkhneudinsk regiments. At the beginning of the Primorye operation, the regular units of the NRA numbered over 15 thousand bayonets and sabers, 42 guns and 431 machine guns. The NRA relied on the help of the 5th Red Banner Army, located in Eastern Siberia and Transbaikalia.

In addition, the partisan military regions were subordinate to the command of the NRA: Suchansky, Spassky, Anuchinsky, Nikolsk-Ussuriysky, Olginsky, Imansky and Prikhankaisky. They had up to 5 thousand fighters at their disposal. They were led by a specially created Military Council of Primorye partisan detachments under the leadership of A.K. Flegontov, then he was replaced by M. Volsky.

The evacuation of the Japanese begins. “Zemstvo army” of Diterichs and its September offensive

The Japanese, delaying their evacuation, decided to carry it out in three stages. On the first, withdraw troops from the outskirts of Primorye, on the second, evacuate the garrisons from Grodekovo and Nikolsk-Ussuriysk, on the third, leave Vladivostok. Commander of the Japanese expeditionary force General Tachibana suggested that Dieterichs take advantage of this time to strengthen himself and strike at the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. At the end of August, the Japanese began to gradually withdraw their troops from Spassk to the south. At the same time, the White Guards began to occupy areas cleared by the Japanese and take over fortifications and weapons they had left behind.

In September, the Zemstvo army numbered about 8 thousand bayonets and sabers, 24 guns, 81 machine guns and 4 armored trains. It was based on units of the former Far Eastern Army, which were previously part of the armies of General V.O. Kappel and Ataman G.M. Semenov. The Zemstvo army was divided into: the Volga region group of General V.M. Molchanov (more than 2.6 thousand bayonets and sabers); Siberian group of General I.S. Smolina (1 thousand people); Siberian Cossack group of General Borodin (more than 900 people); Far Eastern Cossack group of General F.L. Glebova (more than 1 thousand); reserve and technical parts (more than 2.2 thousand).

Dieterichs’ attempts to increase the “army” through mobilization generally failed. Workers and peasants did not want to fight, they hid in the taiga and on the hills. The bulk of bourgeois youth chose to flee to Harbin, inaccessible to the Bolsheviks, rather than defend the Amur Zemsky Territory. Therefore, although the backbone of the “ratie” consisted of the remnants of Kappel’s and Semenov’s troops who had extensive combat experience, there was no one to replace them.

On September 1, the vanguard of the “Zemstvo army” - the Volga group, with the support of two armored trains, began an offensive in the northern direction. The Whites sought to capture the railway bridge across the Ussuri River in the area of ​​the station. Ussuri and launched an offensive in two main directions: along the Ussuri railway and to the east of it - along the line settlements Runovka - Olkhovka - Uspenka, further along the river valley. Ussuri to Tekhmenevo and Glazovka. In the second direction, White planned to enter the flank and rear of the Red. By this time, the NRA had not yet concentrated its forces, which were scattered over a thousand-kilometer space, covering operational directions that were far from each other (the Manchurian and Ussuri directions). As a result, the white units, having a numerical advantage, pushed back the red ones and captured the station on September 6. Shmakovka and Uspenka. On September 7, the Reds, after a fierce battle, retreated even further north to the Ussuri River to the Medveditsky - Glazovka line. At the same time, the Siberian group and the Siberian Cossack group of generals Smolin and Borodin began military operations against the partisans - the Prikhankaisky, Lpuchinsky, Suchansky and Nikolsk-Ussuriysky military regions.

Soon the Red Army units regrouped, received reinforcements, and launched a counteroffensive; on September 14 they again occupied the station. Shmakovka and Uspenka. The Whites retreated to the Kraevsky junction area, Art. Oviyagino. As a result, White actually returned to his original positions. The White command did not have sufficient forces to develop the offensive and, having received information about the beginning concentration of NRA troops in Primorye, chose to go on the defensive.

On September 15, Diterikhs held the “Far Eastern National Congress” in Nikolsk-Ussuriysky, where he called for “giving a decisive battle to the communists on the last free piece of land” and asked the Japanese not to rush to evacuate. A special body was elected to help Dieterichs - the “Congress Council”. A decree on general mobilization was issued and a large emergency tax was introduced on the commercial and industrial layers of the population of Primorye for military needs. The Siberian Cossack group of General Borodin was given the order to destroy the Anuchinsky partisan region in order to secure the rear of the Zemstvo Army. None of these activities were fully implemented. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced a lack of funds, the population of the region was in no hurry to “replenish the Zemstvo Army” and enter into a “decisive battle with the communists.”

At the beginning of the Red Army’s offensive, the “Zemstvo Army” consisted of about 15.5 thousand bayonets and sabers, 32 guns, 750 machine guns, 4 armored trains and 11 aircraft. Its weapons and ammunition were replenished by the Japanese army.

Primorsky operation

By the end of September, units of the 2nd Amur Division and the Separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade were concentrated in the area of ​​the station. Shmakovka and st. Ussuri. They formed a strike force under the overall command of the commander of the 2nd Amur Division M. M. Olshansky, he was replaced by Ya. Z. Pokus at the beginning of October. The 1st Transbaikal Division, following the railway in trains and along the Amur and Ussuri rivers on steamships, passed Khabarovsk and moved south. This division became part of the NRA command reserve.

According to the command plan, the immediate task of the operation was the elimination of the Volga region enemy group in the area of ​​the station. Sviyagino. The Red Army was supposed to prevent its withdrawal to Spassk, and then, with the assistance of partisan detachments, defeat the Spassk white group and develop an offensive in a southern direction. The attack was to be carried out on October 5 by two groups of troops. The first - the Separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade and the 5th Amur Regiment, reinforced by 4 guns, was supposed to strike bypassing the railway track from the east. The second - the 6th Khabarovsk Rifle Regiment and the Troitskosavsky Cavalry Regiment, with a light artillery battalion and two armored trains, had the task of advancing along the Ussuri Railway. The remaining units remained in reserve.

The commander of the partisans, Mikhail Petrovich Volsky, his troops were reinforced by a special forces detachment under the command of Gulzhof, was ordered to defeat the enemy units located in the Anuchino-Ivanovka area at all costs. And then concentrate the main forces in the Chernyshevka area for an offensive in general direction at the station Flour and going to the rear of the Spassk group “Zemskaya Rati”. In addition, the partisans were supposed to stop the railway connection between Nikolsk-Ussuriysky and the station from October 7. Evgenievka.

The first stage of the operation (October 4-7). In the morning, the Reds went on the offensive along the railway and, after a stubborn 2-hour battle, captured the Kraevsky crossing. On October 5, Dukhovsky was captured. On October 6, the 6th Khabarovsk and Troitskosavsky regiments launched an attack on the station. Sviyagino. On the same day, the Volga region group of the Zemstvo Army, in full force, with the support of two armored trains, launched a counter-offensive, trying to disrupt the offensive impulse of the Reds and seize the initiative into their own hands. A fierce oncoming battle broke out near Sviyagino. A fierce fire battle, developing into hand-to-hand combat, continued until late in the evening.

General Molchanov, making sure that the red units could not be overthrown and fearing a bypass of the right flank, decided to withdraw the troops to Spassk, to ready-made positions. The Whites retreated, covering themselves with fire from armored trains, artillery and machine gun teams, destroying the railway tracks. This withdrawal became possible because the outflanking group was unable to reach the flank and rear of the Volga White group in time. As a result, the Whites retreated to Spassk calmly.

Yakov Pokus, trying to correct the mistake, decided to attack Spassk on the move. On the morning of October 7, the order was given to attack and capture Spassk by evening. However, the troops were already tired from previous battles and marches, and were unable to carry out this order.

During the 1st stage, the NRA was able to advance south almost 50 km and capture an important point of enemy defense - Art. Sviyagino. But it was not possible to complete the main task - to destroy the Volga region enemy group. The Whites, although they suffered heavy losses, left and entrenched themselves on a new, well-fortified line of the Spassky fortified region.

Second stage (October 8-9). Spassky operation. The Spassky fortified area was built by the Japanese in 1921. Being in a 40-kilometer defile between the island. Khanka and the western spurs of the Sikhote-Alin ridge, the fortified area was supposed to close the entrance to Southern Primorye. The fortified area was designed for a garrison of one division and had seven field-type forts; they were interconnected by trenches, with dugouts, protected by wire barriers in 3-5 rows and were able to support each other with fire. The Japanese handed over the fortified area to the Whites with all the equipment in a condition suitable for long-term defense. The Spassky fortified area from the east and west was not accessible to bypass by large formations; it had to be taken by storm. The mistake of the White command was that it was in no hurry to transfer reinforcements to the Volga group, relying on the power of defensive structures and waiting for further moves by the NRA. With a larger garrison, the Spassky fortified area could hold out longer.

The plan of the Spassk operation was as follows. Vostretsov’s group (5th Amur Rifle Regiment, Troitskosavsky Cavalry Regiment and the division school of junior command staff of the 2nd Amur Division) was supposed to strike Fort No. 3 from the Slavyanka area and capture Spassk, while the Reds pinned down the White forces on the railway direction (6th Khabarovsk Regiment and Foot Division of the Separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade). The 6th Khabarovsk Regiment was supposed to attack Fort No. 1 and the northwestern outskirts of Spassk. The Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade received the task of breaking through the village of Prokhory to the enemy’s rear.

The Khabarovsk regiment launched an attack early in the morning and after a long, fierce battle, by 5 p.m. it was able to break into the northwestern outskirts of Spassk. However, they failed to develop their success and capture Fort No. 1. The Whites repelled the assault with strong artillery and machine-gun fire. The night attack on the fort was also unsuccessful. To avoid unnecessary losses, the Red Army soldiers were forced to retreat, retaining their positions in the north-west of the city.

Vostretsov's group acted even less successfully. The 5th Amur Regiment struck between Khvalynka and Slavyanka, trying to break through between forts No. 2 and 3. But the Red Army soldiers came across barbed wire barriers and were subjected to heavy flanking fire from Fort No. 3. The Reds were forced to retreat. An attempt to break through by the Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade was also repulsed.

These attacks showed that it was impossible to take a fortified area straight away. It is necessary to first suppress the Whites' firing points with artillery fire and make holes in the wire barriers. In the afternoon, 20 guns were concentrated and fire was opened on Fort No. 3. After a 5-hour artillery bombardment, the 5th Amur Regiment launched a new attack and captured the fort at 11 p.m. At night, the Whites launched three counterattacks trying to recapture the fortification, but they were repulsed. The remnants of the white garrison of Fort No. 3 retreated to the outskirts of the city and entrenched themselves in a military town.

At night, energetic preparations were underway to continue the assault on the Spassky fortified area. The 6th Khabarovsk Regiment was still aimed at Fort No. 1 and was given the task of capturing the northern part of Spassk. Vostretsov's group was supposed to take possession of the military camp. The Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade had to fulfill the same task - to go to the rear of the Whites.

On the morning of October 9, after a short artillery barrage, the Reds launched an assault. However, the Whites repulsed attacks in all directions. The Red Army soldiers were forced to retreat, and the command again resorted to artillery shelling. For an hour, artillery fired at identified enemy firing points. At about 10 o'clock the red units launched a new assault. On the left flank, the Troitskosavsky cavalry regiment, together with the divisional school, were able to break into Dubovskaya and drove out the white cavalry squad from there. Building on their success, the red cavalrymen and cadets reached the village of Krasnokuty and captured it at about 2 p.m.

At the same time, the 6th Khabarovsk Regiment, after a stubborn battle, was able to break into Fort No. 1 and captured the northern part of Spassk. The Red Army soldiers, developing their offensive, pushed the enemy back to a cement plant on the southern outskirts of the city. At the same time, units of the Khabarovsk and Amur regiments captured Fort No. 2 and Art. Evgenievka. The main forces of the Amur Regiment captured the military town. Intensifying the onslaught, in the middle of the day the command brought the 4th Volochaevsky Regiment into battle from reserve. He captured the last White Guard fortification on the eastern front of the defense - Fort No. 5.

As a result, by 2 p.m. 30 min. the whites lost five out of seven forts and, subjected to constant attacks from the north and east, were forced to abandon the city. Forts No. 6 and 7 were under threat of encirclement, so they were left without a fight. The Volga group began to retreat south, covered by a barrier of 600 bayonets and armored trains. The attacks of the Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade were repulsed, and the Whites were able to escape in the direction of the station with great difficulty. Floury. The partisans were unable to complete the task of blocking the Volga group, because they were involved in battles with the Siberian Cossack group of General Borodin.

The Volga group lost about 1 thousand people, three batteries and an armored train in the battle for Spassk. The People's Revolutionary Army, after capturing the Spassky fortified area, received more ample opportunities for an offensive in Southern Primorye.

Third stage (October 10-15). The defeat of the main forces of the Zemstvo Army. To develop the offensive, it was necessary to ensure freedom of action in two main operational directions: 1) along the Ussuri railway) and 2) at Grodekovo. So, during the NRA attack on Nikolsk-Ussuriysk, the white command could hit the red flank with the help of the Siberian group of General I.S. Smolin, strengthening it with the Far Eastern group of General F. L. Glebov and reinforcements from Vladivostok. In the event of an attack by the main forces of the People's Revolutionary Army on Grodekovo, the Whites had the opportunity to carry out a counter-offensive in the Nikolsk-Ussuri direction, using for this the remnants of the Volga group, the Siberian Cossack group of General Borodin, reinforcing them with the Far Eastern group of General Glebov, forces from Vladivostok and two armored trains.

Therefore, Uborevich, after the capture of Spassk, set the following tasks for the troops:

By the morning of October 12, the 2nd Amur Rifle Division was supposed to capture the Chalcedon and Monastyrische area;

A separate Far Eastern cavalry brigade received the task of occupying crossings across the Lefou River and reaching the Vadimovka area;

During October 12-13, the 1st Transbaikal Division was supposed to concentrate in the Altynovka area, Art. Flour, Chernigovka.

As a result, the NRA could respond to a threat from any direction, having a significant reserve in the rear - the 1st Transbaikal Rifle Division.

At this time, the Volga group, reinforced by units of the Siberian Cossack group of General Borodin, tried to stop the Red advance. On October 10, there was a battle at the Altynovka-Dmitrovka line. On October 11, the vanguard of the 2nd Amur Division, the 6th Khabarovsk Regiment, fought a heavy battle for several hours on the line of the station. Flour - Chernigovka. The Whites were driven back only after the main forces of the division arrived. On October 12, the Reds knocked down the White Guards from the third position near the village. Chalcedon. On the night of October 13, the Separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade, which was advancing on the left flank of the 2nd Amur Division, moved to the Grodekov direction and, having crossed the Lefou, captured Vadimovka in battle.

After this, the commander-in-chief of the NRA, assuming that the Whites would retreat to the Grodekovo area and could launch a counterattack from this direction, decided on the morning of October 14 to launch the main attack in the Grodekovo direction. However, a final decision was postponed until new data became available.

The White command guessed the Reds' plan and decided to strike along the railway. To implement this task, the Far Eastern Cossack group of General F.L. was transferred from the Shkotovo area. Glebov and all reserves from Vladivostok. On October 13, the Whites launched an offensive in the direction of Monastyrische and Chalcedon with two groups of troops. The left group, consisting of 2.3 thousand bayonets and sabers with 28 machine guns and 5 guns, was supposed to deliver the main blow, moving along the Ussuri railway. The right group, numbering up to 1.5 bayonets and sabers, had the task of covering the left flank of the 2nd Amur Division, and moved east of the railway from Lyalichi to Monastyrische. The White Guards were able to push back the 5th Amur Regiment across the river by rail. Monastyrishche, capture the Manzovka crossing and occupy a favorable height for the development of a further counteroffensive to the southeast of Monastyrishche.

This White counter-offensive showed the NRA command that their main forces were concentrated in the Nikolsk-Ussuri direction. The plan of attack was changed. The Far Eastern cavalry brigade received an order to move from Vadimovka through Luchki, bypassing the enemy’s left wing and hitting Voznesensky. The 1st Transbaikal Division was also aimed at Voznesenskoye. The 2nd Amur Division was supposed to deliver the main blow to the white right wing and bypass them from the east. The partisans received the task of advancing from the Anuchino area to Lyalichi and destroying the railway bridge across the river. Lefou in the Kremovo area in order to cut off the enemy's escape route to the south. The offensive began on the morning of October 14.

A separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade captured Luchki with a quick blow and continued the attack on Voznesenskoye. At the same time, the 1st Transbaikal Rifle Division was advancing on Voznesenskoye, overthrowing the White units opposing it. The White Guards, facing attacks from both sides, were unable to hold Voznesenskoye and at about 12 o'clock it was occupied by the Red Army. On the left wing the battle was more difficult. The Whites were the first to attack in the direction of Monastyrische, intending to hit the rear of the 1st Transbaikal Division. However, a group of whites (more than 2 thousand people) encountered stubborn resistance from the division school (240 cadets). The cadets repelled 4 enemy attacks, destroying more than six hundred enemies. There are 67 cadets left (the government will award all of them with the Order of the Red Banner). The Whites, having learned about the fall of Voznesensky, which threatened them with the loss of the opportunity to retreat to the south, abandoned further struggle at Monastyrische and retreated to Lyalichi. However, they could not hold out in Lyalichi, and by the end of the day the Reds also occupied Kremovo.

As a result of the battle at Voznesensky and near Monastyrische, the NRA defeated the main forces of the Zemstvo Army; its bloodless and demoralized remnants no longer represented a single powerful force. All that was left was to complete the liberation of Primorye from the whites and interventionists.

Fourth stage (October 15-25). Completing the operation. The NRA command sent the Amur Division to the south with the aim of capturing Nikolsk-Ussuriysk, and the Separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade and the 1st Transbaikal Division to the Galenka-Grodekovo area. On October 15, Soviet cavalrymen, having marched up to 30 km, occupied Galenka, cutting off the retreat routes of the Siberian enemy group. On October 16, the 1st Transbaikal Division defeated the Siberian group of General Smolin and occupied Grodekovo.

The 2nd Amur Division, moving south, occupied Nikolsk-Ussuriysky on October 15. The completely demoralized whites at Razdolny divided into two groups, one began to retreat to the Korean border (to Posiet), the other to Vladivostok. Therefore, from Razdolny, the 2nd Amur Division was sent to Posiet, and the 1st Transbaikal Division from Grodekovo was sent to Vladivostok.

On October 19, at about 13:00, the 1st Transbaikal Division was already 9 km from Vladivostok. Here the NRA encountered the Japanese, who blocked the path to the city. The Japanese command began to threaten that in the event of a conflict between NRA units and Japanese troops, the evacuation would be stopped. The Military Council of the People's Revolutionary Army called on the troops to retreat a few kilometers and wait for further instructions. At this time, the Japanese and opponents of the Soviet regime loaded valuables and equipment onto ships, destroyed fortifications, ammunition depots, and sank the property that they could not take. Dieterichs left the city on a Japanese ship (he went to China and lived until his death in Shanghai).

On October 22, the governments of the RSFSR and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam appealed to the Japanese government with a protest against the delay in the evacuation of troops from Vladivostok, blaming Tokyo for the anarchy and destruction of the city. On October 24, the Japanese signed an agreement to clear the city and surrounding areas no later than 16:00 on October 25, 1922. On October 25, units of the Red Army solemnly entered Vladivostok.

On November 13, 1922, the People's Assembly of the DRV decided to establish Soviet power throughout the Russian Far East and asked the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Congress of Soviets to annex the Far East to the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. On November 16, 1922, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee declared the Far Eastern Republic an indivisible part of the RSFSR.

In 1923, the last white detachments in the Far East were liquidated. So, so-called. The “Siberian Volunteer Squad,” numbering about 750 people under the command of generals Anatoly Pepelyaev and Vasily Rakitin, landed in the port of Ayan in September 1922 and embarked on a campaign deep into Yakutia. In February 1923, the Whites reached the village of Amginiskaya (180 km southeast of Yakutsk), where they were stopped by a Red Army detachment. During attempts to break through to Yakutsk, Pepelyaev’s detachment lost half of its strength and retreated to Ayan and Okhotsk. In June, Okhotsk and Ayan were occupied by Vostretsov's red detachment, which sailed from Vladivostok. Rakitin, not wanting to be captured, committed suicide, Pepelyaev surrendered (executed in 1938). Back in April 1923, the small White Guard detachments of Bochkarev and Polyakov, which operated in the north of the Kamchatka region, were destroyed. The five-year struggle ended with the victory of Soviet power in the Far East.

Caption on the back of the photo: Armored train No. 9 after the assault on Volochaevka on vacation. In memory of dear grandchildren Natasha and Pavlik and great-granddaughter Oksanochka from grandfather Afanasy Gavrilovich Zinchenko. 19/II-1922
The assault on Volochaevka, which went down in history as the Battle of Volochaevka, was a battle between units of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic and the White Rebel Army of the Provisional Amur Government, which took place on February 5-14, 1922. The defeat of the White Rebel Army in this battle was the prologue to the final defeat of the forces of the White movement in the Far East.
Armored train No. 9 is one of three armored trains at the disposal of the People's Revolutionary Army.

I found a photograph of my grandfather: Nikolai Ivanovich Skorubsky, who in the Far Eastern Republic was an assistant to Albert Yanovich Lapin. But I was rather interested in the signs in the buttonholes. Such "daws", apparently, were only in the Far Eastern Republic. I couldn't find their ranking anywhere. Can you help me get acquainted with the entire scale and history of these insignia?

Military doctors and paramedics wore a special distinction on their badges in the form of a rhombus or a circle, respectively. white with a red border and a red (blue for veterinarians) cross.
Military commissars and political education workers did not have stripes for their positions. At the bottom of the diamond they had a red star, on which an open book and a flaming torch were painted with oil paint.
Monograms were attached or painted under the book: “V.K.” – for military commissars and “P.R.” – for political education workers. In one of the photographs (which could not be reproduced due to low quality), the author saw the commissar’s sleeve badge with a metal star (it looked like a yellow one from a Japanese cap).
Military personnel of headquarters, departments and institutions wore sleeve insignia with white piping, while artillerymen (which was not specified in the order) - with black.
It is curious that the introduction of insignia caused serious discontent among former partisans. One of the organizers of the NRA P.P. Postyshev recalled: “There were so many grievances... regarding the renaming of the Red Army soldiers into People’s Army soldiers. We were ordered to take off the stars (red - A.S.), put cockades on our caps and put diamonds on our sleeves. There were even those who said: “You sew diamonds on our sleeves, and then gradually move them to our shoulders and return us to shoulder straps.” The commanders reassured the soldiers frightened by this prospect, openly referring to the order of Moscow.
As for the cockade that Postyshev mentions, no order for its establishment was found. In newsreel footage of the NRA parade, vague cockades, similar in shape to the old Russian ones, are visible on the caps of the commanders.
By the way, many of them who transferred to the NRA from the Red Army continued to wear Red Army stars and commander’s badges.
On December 27, 1920, in an order to the military department, a description of the sign for the headdress of the People's Army was announced, approved by the government of the Far Eastern Republic on December 8. The sign was a faceted five-pointed star (diameter 32 mm) of golden color, in the center of which there was a circle consisting of two halves: red and of blue color. In the middle of the circle there is a crossed pickle and a golden anchor.
According to the order of the Military Council of the People's Revolutionary Army and Navy of the Far Eastern Republic No. 126 of February 24, 1922, the personnel of the units awarded the Order of the Red Banner (6th separate rifle Volochaevsky regiment, 3rd separate light battery and armored train No. 8) were equipped with sleeves signs on which the sun, the letters NRA and signs of official position (stripes) were embroidered in gold (we allowed ourselves to assume that in the latter case, not gold embroidery was used, but braid - which is simpler and more technologically advanced).
After the liberation of the Far East, the “state”, which had fulfilled its purpose, was abolished, and its territory was included in the RSFSR. By order of the RVSR of December 16, 1922, the NRA joined the 5th Army of the Red Army. All military personnel were assigned uniforms and insignia of the Red Army.

Insignia of military personnel of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Political Center (Order for NRA troops No. 15 of January 9, 1920).