In December 1953, a delegation from the town of Talitsa, at the invitation of Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev — commander of the legendary partisan unit “The Winners” and author of acclaimed wartime memoirs — attended the premiere of the play “Strong in Spirit” at the Sverdlovsk Drama Theater. Following the performance, in a solemn ceremony, Medvedev presented the guests with precious relics: -- his book “It Was Near Rovno”, archival documents, a bust, and photographs of Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov — the legendary spy whose museum was then under development in Talitsa.
Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev was a Hero of the Soviet Union, a member of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (Cheka), and a writer. Born on August 22, 1898, in Bezhitsa (now part of Bryansk), he joined the Cheka in 1919 and remained in the state security organizations throughout their successive transformations — OGPU and NKVD. He stayed true to his calling his entire life. Even after the war, when asked, “Who are you, Dmitry Nikolaevich?” he replied simply: “I was — and still am — a member of the Cheka”.
From the earliest days of the Great Patriotic War, Medvedev advocated for launching guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines — and he led by example. He formed and commanded the “Mitya” detachment, which operated in his native Bryansk region. In just four months, the unit eliminated more than 400 German soldiers and officers, destroyed three railway and seven highway bridges, and gathered vital intelligence. For these achievements, Medvedev was awarded his first Order of Lenin.
Later, he established a new unit — “The Winners” (Pobediteli) — which became one of the most effective partisan formations operating deep in enemy-occupied territory. Its ranks included veterans of the “Mitya” detachment, prominent athletes, volunteers, and even foreign fighters — among them twelve Spanish Republicans who had emigrated to the Soviet Union after their defeat in the Spanish Civil War.
In June 1942, the detachment was deployed to the Rovno region. On June 20, Medvedev and a group of partisans parachuted into the area near Tolsty Les station in the Kiev region. They engaged the enemy in their very first clash — and emerged victorious.
On August 25, 1942, a spy using the alias Nikolai Vasilyevich Grachyov arrived at the unit’s base. It was Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov, a native of the Urals who would later be hailed as the most outstanding intelligence officer of the 20th century.
Between 1942 and 1944, “The Winners” fought 118 battles, eliminated over 12,000 enemy troops and collaborators, derailed 81 trains, captured vast quantities of weapons and supplies, and delivered invaluable intelligence to Soviet command.
On November 5, 1944, Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, he turned to writing. His memoirs — “It Was Near Rovno” and “On the Banks of the Southern Bug” — became classics of Soviet military literature.
Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev passed away on December 14, 1954, at the age of 56. He was buried at Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery.
