Parachuting CIA Agents into Cold War Byelorussia (Belarus), Part 2, Creating Legends

On the night of August 26/27, 1952, four agents were dispatched into Byelorussia: Kalnitsky M.S., born in 1922, native of the Zhitkovichi district, Gomel region. (CAMPOSANTO 4), Ostrikov T.A., born in 1923, native of the Borshchevka, Terekhovsky district, Gomel region; (CAMPOSANTO 6), Kostyuk G.A., born in 1922, native of the Zhdanovichi, Novogrudok district, Grodno region; (CAMPOSANTO 8), and Artyushevsky M.P., born in 1925, native of the village. Drochevo, Osipovichi district, Mogilev region; (CAMPOSANTO 9). Before the dispatch, they were given false papers and documents, including "legends" of their lives in the BSSR. Here are excerpts of their "legends":

CAMPOSANTO 4

BARAN, Mikhail Semenovich was born on 27 November 1924 in the village of Beloye, Mozyr raion, Polessiya oblast l, BSSR. His father, Semen Iosifovich B., a poor peasant (bednyak) was born in 1900, likewise in Beloye. His mother, Maria Ivanovna B. (nee ZAREISKAYA) was born in Beloye in 1902. BARAN's parents were married in 1923. He started school in Beloye in 1930 and had finished four classes there by 1934. His father was ill with malaria (a common disease in Polessiya) and was not able to work at full strength. Little BARAN, therefore, had to work to help his mother. He could not continue his schooling because the nearest 7-year school was in Mozyr, some 12 km away, and he had to work near home. 

CAMPOSANTO 6  

BOBROVNICHI, Mikhail Akimovich was born on 10 November 1924 in Gomelt, BSSR. His father, Akin Timofeyevich R., was born in 1886 in the village of Popovka, Gomel' °blast'. In 1913, he married Efrosiniya Sidorovna BUGRIMOVA. Their first child, Yakov, was born in 1914. BOBROVNICHI's father served in both the World War and the Civil War. After his return, he moved to Gomel', and it was there that BOBROVNICHI was born. The father worked in the Gomel, Locomotive and Railway car repair Shop. BOBROVNICHI te family lived in a one-storey house with several other families at ul. Karpovicha 58. (Note: This house was completely destroyed during the recent war.) A third brother, Ilya was born in 1927. BOBROVNICHI started school in 1932. At this time, his elder brother was already working, and the younger brother was still being taken care of at home. He was living with his paternal grandparents in Popovka. He completed six years of school there and then moved back to Gomel', where he finished his last year in the secondary school im. Vorovskogo. This was in 1939 

CAMPOSANTO 8 

KAMINSKI, Viktor Petrovich was born on 19 June 1923 in Vilno.His father, a carpenter by trade, was born in 1890. His mother, Anastasiya Iosifovna K. (nee Sycm) was born in Oshmiana in 1901. When she met KAMINSKII's father, she was working as a serving girl in Vilno. They were married in 1922. KAMINSKII lived in Vilno with his family until 1925. In that year, his mother died in childbirth. He wasthen sent off to Novogrudok to be brought up by his maternal aunt, Dorota kISARUK, She and her husband, Janke, had no children of their own. Xhey lived at ValevakaYa 29 (Polish: Walewska). (Note: This house was totally destroyed during the recent war.) Uncle Janka was an izvozchik who owned his own cart and horse. 

CAMPOSANTO 9 

DUBROVSKII, Mikhail Vasil' evich was born on 22 October 1924 in OsipovIchi, Mogilev °blast', BSSR. His father, Vasilii Mikhailovich D., was born in 1903 in the village of Doroganovica, not far from Osipovichi. His mother, Maria Petrovna D. (nee DUBOVETS) was born in 1906 in the same Tillage. The father was a peasant. When DUBROVSKII Is grandfather died in 1922, the small ancestral holding passed to the eldest son, Konstantin. The other sons then left to seek their fortunes elsewhere: Dmitri went to Leningrad, and DUBROVSKII's father moved to Osipovichi, where he worked at a succession of odd jobs.