Who was Dmitry Mikhailovich Karbyshev?

Dmitry Mikhailovich Karbyshev was an officer of the Imperial Russian Army, general of the Red Army, professor at the Soviet General Staff Academy and Hero of the Soviet Union. Born in Omsk on October 26 (October 14), 1880, he received numerous Tsarist and then Soviet medals.

Dmitry Mikhailovich Karbyshev published more than 100 research articles on military engineering and military history, which were required reading by Red Army commanders.

Among other things, he went to the front line to advise the troops on technical support at the Mannerheim breach during the 1939-1940 war against Finland.

In August 1941 he was captured by the Nazis while inspecting the fortified area of ​​Grodno; in western Belarus. It was a very nice capture since he spoke German fluently and knew everything about the Soviet fortifications.

The Germans offered him royal treatment in exchange for his cooperation, thinking that since his first wife was German he would jump at the chance. It did not work. Neither promises nor intimidation, threats and torture changed his mind.

After two years of attempts, the Nazis gave up and Dmitry Mikhailovich Karbyshev was sent to the Flossenbürg concentration camp. After that he was detained in many other camps including: Hammelburg, Majdanek, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen and Mauthausen. Each time, he was one of the most active leaders of the resistance movement.

Canadian Army Major Seddon of St. Clair, another POW who witnessed Karbyshev’s death described what happened.

After the Germans led them into the shower room and doused them with ice water, he said everyone turned blue and many fell to the ground and died. Dmitry Mikhailovich Karbyshev survived but the Germans took them out into the yard in their underwear and sprayed them with cold water.

Dmitry Mikhailovich Karbyshev stood facing his executioners and shouted encouragement, but he did not survive.

After the end of the war, on August 16, 1946, he was posthumously awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union medal.

A monument was built by sculptor Vladimir Tsigal in his honor at the Mauthausen concentration camp