Brothers Kashiriny: biography, merits and reasons for repression

The brothers of Kashirin are a vivid example of how in one moment glory and honor can turn into their opposite. Their history is a string of difficult trials, which made them incorruptible heroes of the Motherland. So let's go to the past, in order to personally see the life path of these glorious Cossacks.

History of the Kashirins

The Kashirins' family lived in a small village of Vorstandadt, in the Orenburg province. The head of the family, Dmitry Ivanovich Kashirin, was the ataman of the local Cossack regiment. He also taught general subjects in a small rural school. He was a strong and intelligent man, highly respected by his subordinates and fellow countrymen. Given this, it is not surprising that he was elected ataman of the village for 28 consecutive years.

Together with his wife, he brought up six children: four boys and two girls. The eldest child was Nikolai. It was he who took upon himself most of the duties of his father when he left on instructions from the tsar. It should be noted that all the sons of the ataman were originally adherents of the monarchy, but later along with their father they took the side of the Bolsheviks. But why did the brothers Kashirinas do this? Perhaps there is an answer in their biographies?

Kashirin Nikolai Dmitrievich

Nicholas was the eldest son - he was born in February 1888. He often had to substitute for his father, so from a boy he quickly turned into a real man. So, at the age of 14, the elder Kashirin already worked as a teacher at a local school, teaching children the basics of reading and writing. At the age of 18 he joined the Russian army and soon got into the Orenburg Cossack troops.

In 1912 he was expelled from the army for spreading revolutionary ideas among soldiers. However, the First World War broke out soon, and it was again put back into operation. It is worth noting that during the fighting, he received six orders for showing courage and valor. In the end, his services led to the fact that senior management raised him to the rank of captain.

Nikolai Dmitrievich met the beginning of the October Revolution with obvious enthusiasm. He was one of the first to join the ranks of the Red Army and created in it his own Cossack detachments. An important point is that most Orenburg Cossacks did not recognize Bolshevik power. Therefore, the brothers Kashiriny were forced to fight against their own comrades, which in itself was a heavy moral choice.

As for Nikolai Dmitrievich, he made a significant contribution to the victory over Ataman Alexander Dutov. Moreover, after the defeat of the enemy army, he continued to pursue the enemy for a long time, until he disappeared on the border of the Turgai steppes. Such selfless dedication led to the fact that in the postwar years his career swiftly went up, replacing one military rank with another.

Kashirin Ivan Dmitrievich

Ivan Kashirin was born in January 1890. Like his older brother, the young man followed in the footsteps of his father and became a military man. In general, Ivan was much like Nikolai. Having a great potential, he now and then got into all sorts of troubles connected with the non-fulfillment of military regulations. It is not surprising that in 1912 he was expelled from the army, since such fighters severely disintegrate discipline.

But as soon as the first shots of the approaching war sounded, the brave Cossack was again put back into operation. During the fighting, he showed himself on the best side, for which he received a silver checker directly from the hands of the commander-in-chief. In the Russian army, he managed to rise to the level of the captain, but with the advent of the revolution he moved to anarchists without any doubt. Unlike his brother, he did not immediately join the Bolsheviks, as he was far from their ideology. He simply did not want to speak out against his brothers, and he obviously did not like serving the king either.

Perhaps, it is because of his political detachment that Ivan Kashirin conceded in authority to Nicholas. Nevertheless, the military commander's talent was there, so the leadership considered it right to award him the title of commander of the Special Cossack Cavalry Brigade of the Turkestan Army.

Kashirin Petr Dmitrievich

Peter was born on April 20, 1892. He was a Cossack, like the rest of Kashirin's brothers. Pyotr Dmitrievich's biography is a string of severe trials, since he spent most of the war in captivity: first with the Germans, then with the White Guards. It is noteworthy that he managed to escape from enemy hands, retaining personal belongings, documents and service weapons.

In the post-war period, he was engaged mostly in political, not in military activities. The last position held was the post of administrator of the municipal bank in Orenburg. You should also know that it was with him that the tragic sequence of events that forever changed the fate of the Kashirin family began.

Brothers Kashiriny: repression

In 1937 a certain citizen told the NKVD that, since 1931, there was an underground counter-revolutionary organization of Cossacks in Orenburg. And according to his testimony, they have been planning a coup for a long time. This gang is headed by none other than the brothers Kashiriny. Photos of the conspirators are immediately transferred to the local government, and soon a real hunt begins for them.

The first to arrest Pyotr Dmitrievich, as they thought he was the leader of the group. It happened on June 6, 1937. Two weeks later Ivan Kashirin got into the jail, and on August 19 of the same year the "funnel" came to Nikolay's soul. As a result, the court found all the Kashirin brothers guilty of high treason and sentenced to the death penalty - execution.

Brothers Kashiriny: rehabilitation

After Stalin's death, the Supreme Court of the USSR reconsidered the cases of the majority of repressed prisoners. Thanks to this, the brothers of Kashirin were justified and rehabilitated posthumously. Sad in this story is that, as heroes, they have learned the shame of an unfair accusation of betrayal. And although their glory still rose from the ashes, alas, the brothers themselves did not live to see this day.