Mitrofan Dmitrievich Bozhko was born in the new century, in 1900 on 17^th of June. He was born in the rural family in the small village called Bygaivci. Being a fourteen year old youth, just after finishing second course in the nation academy of ministry he started his labor activity. Together with his parents, brothers and sisters (altogether 13 children) he was planting crops and collecting corn. Not long after he was then working in the fee. Rough work, starvation wage often compelled poor peasants to go on strike, and one was joined by M. Bozhko. That’s why he and many others welcomed the news about Revolution with a joy. The Socialist Revolution at once came into the life on the youth and changed his fortune once and forever.

A.BOZHKO: “THE RED ARMY BECAME HIS FORTUNE!”

 General M. Bozhko Mitrofan Dmitrievich Bozhko was born in the new century, in 1900 on 17^th of June. He was born in the rural family in the small village called Bygaivci. Being a fourteen year old youth, just after finishing second course in the nation academy of ministry he started his labor activity.Together with his parents, brothers and sisters (altogether 13 children) he was planting crops and collecting corn. Not long after he was then working in the fee.  

Rough work, starvation wage often compelled poor peasants to go on strike, and one was joined by M. Bozhko. That’s why he and many others welcomed the news about Revolution with a joy. The Socialist Revolution at once came into the life on the youth and changed his fortune once and forever.  On 6^th of March 1918 Mitrofan and six of his friends volunteered to go and work for just-made by USSR

“Red Guard” in a town called Harkov. Just after town days, on 8^th of March he officially became a member of a military in the “First division of Guards of Harkov”. This is an extract from his journal back from 1918.  

“On the second day, I was issued with cloth, arm and 10 mounts. After the lunch I was then studying how to work the arm with my mates. How to charge it, aim well and shoot. On 9^th of March, everyone marched towards Harkov. On the right-hand side of the highway called Volchanskogo there was a field where we were first taught how to shoot certain targets. The targets were cut out of plywood and paperboard and it looked like a human body. Soldiers that managed to shoot the target at least three times out of five joined the front line; there they learned to work the gun. These that couldn’t aim well or couldn’t shoot at all would stay at the back to continue practicing with the instructor while others, by the evening would already work as night-guards in the banks, depositories  etc.  “10^th of March we were issued with our first salaries: 50 roubles per month, some food and 75 mounts. After lunch a practice for campaign took place. In the morning on 11 of March everyone gathered up in front of the quarters and soon enough were told by the commander that they are to go to the train station after dinner as they have train to catch to the front in the town called Kremenchyk . They left in the middle of the night  And on 12^th of March at around 12pm a secret-service agents were sent forward to get more information about the location of opponents, which they brought back. By the afternoon, the army started the struggle with the enemy. The army was so determined that they got the opponents to back off to town. This caused “street fights” where more than hundred enemy soldiers were defeated. Guns were captured and this lead to my first “baptism of fire”.  

The situation at the start of 1918 was so stressful that there was no time to properly prepare the Red Army soldiers. They learned how to fight not in the quarters but during the fights. At that time there was a serious discussing going on about establishing a proper and regular Red Army. It didn’t take long before the guards of Harkov were included in the now separate Ukrainian team that soon joined a composition of 9^th army.  It wasn’t easy for M. Bozhko to survive in the Red Army because it was rather difficult at the times of the civil war. When Ukraine was occupied by the Kaiserovsky levy the team along with M. Bozhko were fighting back. Not long after that he himself was fighting against German levy in Ukraine.  

Mitrofan Bozhko was serving the battalion of “special allotment”. This was under the conduction of a command post of Antonova-Ovsienko that had Ukrainian fronts under control.  Mitrofan Dmitrievich has following memories on this matter.  

“Our battalion was carrying out a special task to clean up towns that were absolved by the enemy. Soldiers were in a good mood. We were proud that the command post trusted us to come and free this marine town of the opponents called Odessa. “Towards Odessa” this could be heard nearly everywhere throughout these couple of days. Our actions were unexpected for the enemy’s side. Levy of the opponents started to give up in panic and interveners refused fighting against the Red Army and using ships went into the sea. Finally we were by the coasts of the Black Sea. French soldiers caught up and greeted us with the red ribbons on their shirts. They were friendly, talkative, exchanged cigarettes. Two armies were now together.  At the meantime in the sea around 5-7 kilometres further were situated about 10 steamships, full of Russian anti-revolutionists. And even further, round 2-3 kilometres were located French vessels whose soldiers were at the meantime on the beach refusing to go on. One thing I remembered all my life was the “May Parade” of the people of Odessa. It took place on the street called Deribasovskaya and it carried itself to the other street called Preobrazenska were you could see the stand. Streets full of people, the sound of famous revolution songs, were flowing throughout the town. It was an unforgettable sight”.  

A little later in one of the most famous teams of General Kotovsky, Mitrofan Bozhko was fighting with anti-revolutionists. Not once he, as a soldier ended up in frightening attacks and fights against the enemies of Soviet Union.  

An extract from M.Bozhko’s memories:          

“September 1919. I was a soldier in the division of the arrows whose commander was I.Yakir. Our team was a partner of another similar division whose commander was I. Kotovsky. One day when we were on the march, Kotovsky gathered his team up saying following words: We are surrounded by enemies. But we have a task. We have to defeat the opponents on the station Popelnia-Brovki and join the other division. We have some serious tasks waiting for us. It is going to be a big fight. I tell you now, if you don’t believe in yourself and in your strength then leave our team together with your gun. Nothing will happen to you. We will be glad to get rid of these who are weak. We will win anyway. Remember that we are expected to win by Vladimir Ilich himself.

After these major words no one dared to leave the team. Around 15-16^th of September a very disastrous and frightening fight took place by the station. The Red Army fought just like animals, with all their strengths. These who were injured didn’t leave the fight but carried on. G.Kotovsky could be seen right in the front, fighting on his favourite horse called Orlik. The opponents were half defeated. Crossing the railroad by the station we joined the 44^th division and on 19^th of September together with the other division we got rid of the opponent in the Zhitomir. For winning the fight we were awarded medal of honour, together with money as bonus for all the commanders, and soldiers”.          

Here, on the fronts of the civil war, M. Bozhko who was now working with the gun joined the communist party.  When the civil war officially ended, M. Bozhko as being recognized a young and long-range soldier was sent in the Military Academy of Kiev to study. He graduated in 1923 already being a young commander. Then he joined a division of V.Primakov followed up by Samaro-Ulianovskoy division. He soon carried on in the Red Army, becoming a platoon commander.          

After finishing course in the military, young commander once again returns becoming a chief of a 100s divisions and soon, at the age of 37 years old became a commander of a levy. Finally in 1938 he was awarded a title of captain.          

While he was a captain, under his control the levy participated in the liberating of grounds of Pribaltika. During the Second World War captain M.Bozhko’s was in the title of captain of levy of Belarus’s county.          

 And again there are couple of things to mention from the memory of M.Bozhko’s himself.       

“A levy that I was responsible for, on the first day of the Second World War was waiting to participate not far from a town Brest, about 17 kilometres from it on the east. The opponent was quickly moving in our direction already being ready to fight. Soon enough were surrounded by the enemy. But soldiers along with commanders believed in their strength and believed that they had to go on and fight. Everyone was fighting for their country and their grounds. Not only once, our soldiers were winning, trying to find any way of defeating the opponent, not only guns were used and other weapons but some even went in fighting with their own hands.

However it wasn’t easy, the opponent was taking over due to the fact that they outnumbered our soldiers and they also had more weapons that gave them an advantage. We had to be careful and organized slowly moving to the left coast of Pripiat were we tried to defend ourselves, and we did it. Doing everything we could just to save our levy’s flag and character. In Xarkov, it was then passed to the command post. We won, because we believed in our strength, in our country and this helped us to survive and then win.”           

During the times of the Second World War, M.Bozhko’s commanded a levy working with tanks.  Under the guidance of Mitrofan, the levy participated in fights in Ukraine and Belarus. M.D Bozhko also participated in defeating German soldiers in the town Kursk. While his was commanding our levy’s developed and improved, becoming strong enough to defeat Germans and leave freedom and peace in the capital of Ukraine, Kiev.           

One of the memories of M.Bozhko, back from the days when he was fighting on the coast of Main River in Ukraine, Dnepr.          

“I still can’t forget how happy and joyful everyone was when  We stepped back on our native grounds of our Ukraine, which went through so much. Each step caused everyone to smile. Soon enough we could see Slavytich. Cold and strong waves somehow symbolized danger. Somewhere, on the opposite coast our opponents were hiding.          

On 21^st of September 1943 first levy of First Ukrainian division enforced Dnepr around the area of Bykrina. The division were I was working at that time, also enforced in the direction of Dnepr on the same night. It was difficult, especially finding a way of getting there. Some on boats, on trees, wood- soldiers used anything that could possibly hold them on the water. First to get to the other coast were 10 soldiers together with commander A.Bolbas and with sound of “Hooray” let themselves into a fight with the enemy. Since Germans weren’t expecting anyone to show up from the opponent side they were confused but soon got their heads together and started shooting. It was a long fight that lasted all night long. Four times Germans tried to through our soldiers back into the river but each time soldiers fired back at them cause them to step aside. Finally they managed to stay strong while the other soldiers were coming to help.  During these couple of days, the field where the fight took place extended itself in 11 kilometres in length and 6 kilometres in depth. Soldiers that participated in this were awarded a title of a Hero of the Soviet Union along with commander captain A.Bolbas.           

On 3^rd of November 1943 our soldiers were strongly forcing the opponent. Three days later on 6^th of November at 3 pm Kiev was finally free of Germans soldiers. Many Germans were dead and many captured the number was around 40 thousand. 600 tanks, planes and other technology were destroyed. This was a victory. Soon after, Mitrofan Bozhko was awarded a title of general-major of Soviet Union army.          

After the war Mitrofan was a commander of the division in the military. From soldier to general of a division this was a real probation for him especially since he started his mission just being a poor, young 17 year old boy. Whole M.Bozhko’s life was tied with Soviet Union’s Red Army. It became his mission in life, making him responsible for the people of his country and his country itself.

And surely, it’s understandable that the Red Army became his doom.                 

 Because of so many years that M.Bozhko dedicated to the army, he was awarded with honourable order of Lenin, four orders of Red Army and two orders of the Red Star and also many domestic and external field orders. All these were awarded for his strength, virtue, achievement and success.  

From the memories of M. Bozhko:          “At the start of May 1945, the army where I served was left behind as a reserve after dangerous and tiring. However we had to be ready to get out there and fight any minute.  We had to help to fight in the final struggle with Germans. That memorable night wasn’t any different to the previous once. After a typical day soldier and officers were resting and only soft wind could be heard around the whole building.         

At about 2 am everyone was disturbed by a noise of sudden shootings. At first short and distant and soon unstoppable and close. I rang up the on-duty co-worker and asked.        

“Captain, who’s shooting? It seems like there aren’t any planes around”. I got the following reply.        

“I will find out general”.  However at that same minute, in a room where all commanders and officers gathered run a little girl called Masha.       

“General, general. We won! We won! I just heard, Germany signed the act of capitulation”.        

Being shocked but joyful, the happiness was taking over her and with words “Victory” she run up to the general and kissed him.        

Commander that saw a lot of things in his life, both defeat and victory was confused and while he was coming back to senses and girl already being somewhere outside of the building was loudly shouting “Victory everyone! Victory!”         

Soldiers, officers and everybody else was soon standing outside with technology and flags celebrating.         

Compliments and greetings could be heard everywhere. As officers and commanders were congratulating soldiers and co-workers I also congratulated soldiers. They deserved these words of gratuity. It was an enormous victory.            

It was an unforgettable day. Along with a minute of silence to show the respect to these who died in war standing and defending their country. This was a very first, day of Victory that no one could ever forget, because these who were at war at that time will always have memories and thoughts in their hearts. 

Oleksandra Bozhko