Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2014 number

Documents restoring the structure and functioning of the Intelligence Department of the Siberian Cossack troops (Osvedkazaka), selected by its chief Cossack colonel F.I. Porotikov, were found in the State Archive of the Trans-Baikal region. These materials were used to acquit F.I. Porotikov in the military court. The documents demonstrate that Osvedkazak was established on August 5, 1919 but began to function on June 22, 1919, when the first issue of the newspaper “The Siberian Cossack” was published. The staff of Osvedkazak totaled 107 employees. Its operating area included West Siberia which was divided into 26 districts each headed by the Cossack officer having an experience in military propaganda. F.I. Porotikov’s chief, the Ataman of the Siberian Cossack Forces P.P. Ivanov-Rinov recommended the leader of Osvedkazak as a “talented officer and passionate patriot”, “bright incorruptible public figure”. Osvedkazak published and disseminated anti-Bolshevik literature in Cossack troops on the battle- and home fronts. It widely used informants - women, nurses, priests in order to promote literature. Osvedkazak’s structure consisted of five divisions: publishing, information (verbal propaganda), belles-letters, newspaper (“The Siberian Cossack” editorial board) and financial. Preparing for evacuation to the East Porotikov took 2 million rubles for the verbal propaganda aims. Having arrived at Chita F.I. Porotikov by order of Ataman G.M. Semenov used the Osvedkazak’s employees for performing Ataman’s secret tasks. On March 8, 1920 Osvedkazak was liquidated. Earlier, in January 1920, the former chief of the General office for Cossack troops at the A.V. Kolchak’s headquarters B.V. Horoshkhin started persecution and prosecution against the chief of Osvedkazak, accusing him of misappropriate use of these 2 million rubles. Porotikov was supported by the Chief General P.P. Ivanov-Rinov. As a result the law-suit against F.I. Porotikov was closed.