Photos of Soviet-Polish border checkpoints in Ukraine in the 1920's and 1930's

[2KILFA]

I'm looking for information whether there are photographs available from Polish, Russian or Ukrainian side etc., which show the Soviet-Polish border checkpoints in the interwar period, that is, in the 1920's and 1930's.
Specifically, I'm looking for photos of border checkpoints in what is now Western Ukraine, in the region of the the town of Korets, which was then under Polish control and called Korzec. The border was just to the east of this town.
From a regional picture, Korets is to the east of city of Rowno, now Rivne, which is administrative center of Rivne Oblast. Slightly to the east of Korets is the city of Novograd-Volinskyi, recently renamed back to Zvyahel, which is center of the Zvyahel Rayon.
To give an idea, here's 2 maps.
1923 Polish map, showing the borders of both sides in the area of Korzec/Korets:

ps.jpg

1 September 1939 German situation map:

ps2.jpg

From the capital of Kiev and westwards through Zhitomir, the cities of Zvyahel, Korets and Rivne are connected through the M06 International Highway. This is essentially the same highway, which is seen on 1923 Polish map and 1939 German situation map.
So I'm interested to know whether there are photos of border checkpoints from the Korets area.

[Biber]

For the past 5 years or so I've been involved with a war time partisan story written by Moshe Gildenman who was from Korets - he was very active in Korets' Jewish community and owned a concrete fabrication company there before the war. In researching him and the context of the Korets border area, I have never come across such a photo. That's not to say there isn't one. I just haven't encountered one in all the time I've been interested in Korets and its border environs. Suspect if there is such a photo it would be buried deep in Polish or Soviet literature relating to the relations of those two countries and the establishment of that border, maybe even travel literature. Please do report back with whatever you may find.

Also - Do you have a source/reference for the 1923 Polish map?

[2KILFA]

For the past 5 years or so I've been involved with a war time partisan story written by Moshe Gildenman who was from Korets - he was very active in Korets' Jewish community and owned a concrete fabrication company there before the war. In researching him and the context of the Korets border area, I have never come across such a photo. That's not to say there isn't one. I just haven't encountered one in all the time I've been interested in Korets and its border environs. Suspect if there is such a photo it would be buried deep in Polish or Soviet literature relating to the relations of those two countries and the establishment of that border, maybe even travel literature. Please do report back with whatever you may find.

Also - Do you have a source/reference for the 1923 Polish map?

Hi Biber,

Wow, I'm pleasantly surprised that someone here has researched the Korets area like I did, what are the odds of that!
Regarding the difficulty of finding photos of Soviet-Polish border areas in what is now Ukraine. I guess to a large extent it can be explained by the fact that these territories, which in Polish are part of Kresy Wschodnie (Eastern Borderlands), were economically, agriculturally, industrially underdeveloped and backward areas, with low levels of literacy and primitive infrastructure. Hence, it was not exactly a center of thriving cultural and societal life in Poland of that time, which would be a target of photographers and so on.
The is applies to the Korets and Rowno areas as well. However, one thing that made the Korets area important at that time, in terms of geography and infrastructure, is the fact that through this town ran an important road all the way from Kiev, which was built during the period of Russian empire. It ran from Kiev all the way to Rowno, which now is international Highway M06; after Rowno it took a turn southwest towards Chop at the Hungarian border, via Lvov.
This road, the fact that Korets was near it and that interwar Polish-Soviet border was a mere 5 km to the east of the city, would make it an important area, which would receive sufficient photographic attention in otherwise backward region. However, so far that doesn't seem to be the case.
I'm interested in Korets border areas and their photos, because of my grandparents. They were living in the village of Yarun' , which is 12 km southwest of Novograd-Volynskyi/Zvyahel and can be easily seen on both of these maps as Jarun. They were farmers and regularly, using horse-drawn transportation, would travel to Korets' agricultural market to sell their products, since the distance from Jarun to Korets was just 25 km. The border back in the day was simple, both in terms of infrastructure and border check, situated on the road that I'm talking about, since there was no other major and quality road where people could travel longer distances, either on foot or horse-drawn. So they would frequently travel back and forth.
However, I don't have a date when it used to take place, but I would assume it was in the 1920's and early 1930's, before collectivization and repressions.
Speaking about Korets and Eastern Borderlands, there's plenty of various Polish websites that provide useful information about these areas in the interwar period, as well as many photographs. There's numerous photos of Korzec/Korets from the 1920's and 1930's, some pre-World War 1. The main highlight is Monastery. However, the road is not to be seen, since it bypasses the southern outskirts of Korets.
Also, it seems that plenty of photos from this region and the road can be found from the World War 1 and World War 2 period.
On one of the Polish sites, there is an interesting and useful description of Korets and its area, taken from 1929 illustrated guide to Volyn (Ilustrowany przewodnik po Wołyniu). Here's the translation:
"To the east of Rowno lies a wide, fertile and densely populated strip of country, devoid of railways, for which the main communication artery is the road from Rowno to Korets (65 km) built by the Russians for military purposes. It was one of the best maintained Volyn roads. Following the Russian system, it runs through the fields, leaving (with a few exceptions) not only villages, but even towns out of the way. Standing every 16 km are former Russian post stations, now partly occupied by state police stations, recall the lively passenger traffic that once reigned on this highway before the border was closed, crossing the fertile and railwayless countryside of Volhynia. [...]
Personal communication between Rowno and Korzec is facilitated by post and private buses. Postal buses have been running since April 1, 1927, they leave Rowno at 10 o'clock and from Korzec (post office) at 7 o'clock in the morning. They travel the whole way (65 km) in two and a half hours, and on the way they stop in Hoszcza (32 km) at the road station. The price of a ticket from Rowno to Korzec is 8 Polish Zloty, from Rowno to Hoszcza 6 Polish Zloty."
As for the source of the 1923 Polish map, I found it with a basic search. Its from the Polish Wikipedia page Granica polsko-radziecka. Here's the link:
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granica_polsko-radziecka

[Biber]

Thank you for the link regarding the map. I don't believe I've seen that one. Polish topographic maps from the period are an excellent source for tracking down villages that no longer exist. Through them i was able to track down a hamlet, a farmstead really, that was mentioned in a partisan story from the war. (See my thread here regarding the range of partisans)

I offer the note that the aforementioned Moshe Gildenman played a role in the construction of the new bridge across the Korchyk River during the Soviet interregnum. Destroyed during the war, a partial span still stands.

As you noted, period travel narratives are a great resource. Ill have to sheck out the one you noted. A google books text search put me on to one that i quoted from in my book, Finding Motele.

[GregSingh]

I don't know how advanced is your research, but there is a Wikipedia entry for Strażnica KOP „Cukrownia” which was responsible for guarding a border between markers 1553 and 1557 in 1932, (1549 do 1560 in 1938). There is a nice photo there.
Below is a map fragment showing location of border markers.

Korzec.jpg

And here hundreds of photos of barracks and watchtowers on Polish borders:
https://forum.odkrywca.pl/topic/770459- ... /#comments

[gebhk]

Hi 2KILFA

Have you searched the NAC (Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe) online collection? Alas I am suffering a snafu trying to access this at the moment so wasn't able top check. I would suggest 'przejscie graniczne w (insert here the name of the nearest location to the checkpoint you are interested in)". Also, while your comments about the developmental state of the area are correct, this does not necessarily apply to the KOP troops who actually 'operated' the border checkpoints and the KOP was more than happy to snap away, not least becuase a significant part of its role was promoting Poland and forging local links. It even ran its own newspapers, I believe, so that might be another potential source - many interbellum newspapers are available online.

[henryk]

Specifically, I'm looking for photos of border checkpoints in what is now Western Ukraine, in the region of the the town of Korets, which was then under Polish control and called Korzec. The border was just to the east of this town.
From a regional picture, Korets is to the east of city of Rowno, now Rivne, which is administrative center of Rivne Oblast. Slightly to the east of Korets is the city of Novograd-Volinskyi, recently renamed back to Zvyahel, which is center of the

It is incorrect to say place names were renamed or reverted. As an example, Wikipedia standard practice is to give place names in a number of languages where used. So in France it is Londre not London. Air Canada uses London/Londre.

[gebhk]

Hi Henryk

It is incorrect to say place names were renamed or reverted.

Interesting question, philosophically. However, surely, from a practical perspective, the correct (perhaps most relevant is a better term) name is the one that is the formal name given it by its authorities, aka its addresss? The French may call London Londres, but my address is in London, even to a Frenchman and the motorway signs in England say London too. So from the point of view of finding something, say on a map, it is useful to know what the formal name of a place was at the time the map was made.

[henryk]

Correctness or relevancy depends on the language of the user.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londres

Londres (/lɔ̃dʁ/2 Écouter ; en anglais : London, /ˈlʌndən/3 Écouter) est la capitale et plus grande ville d'Angleterre et du Royaume-Uni4,5. La ville est située près de l'estuaire de la Tamise dans le sud-est de l'Angleterre. Londinium est fondée par les Romains il y a presque 2 000 ans6. La Cité de Londres, le noyau historique de Londres avec une superficie de seulement 1,12 miles carrés (2,9 km2) conserve des frontières qui suivent de près ses limites médiévales7. Londres est gouvernée par le maire de Londres et l'Assemblée de Londres8.

Note also the French for: England, United Kingdom, Thames.

https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowy_Jork

Nowy Jork (ang. City of New York, również New York, New York City) – miasto w Stanach Zjednoczonych o największej liczbie mieszkańców, a zarazem centrum jednej z najludniejszych aglomeracji na świecie[7][8][9].

Nowy Jork wywiera znaczący wpływ na światowy biznes, finanse, media, sztukę, modę, badania naukowe, technologię, edukację oraz rozrywkę. Będąc między innymi siedzibą Organizacji Narodów Zjednoczonych, stanowi ważne centrum spraw międzynarodowych i jest powszechnie uważany za kulturalną stolicę świata[10][11][12][13][14][15]. Położony jest na wybrzeżu Atlantyku, w północno-wschodniej części Stanów Zjednoczonych i składa się z pięciu okręgów będących oddzielnymi hrabstwami (boroughs): Bronksu, Brooklynu, Manhattanu, Queens i Staten Island[16][17].

Za sprawą populacji, której liczebność wynosi ponad 8 620 000 osób (lipiec 2017[18]), zamieszkującej 790 km², Nowy Jork jest najgęściej zaludnionym miastem na terenie Stanów Zjednoczonych[19][20][21][22]. Jest również najbardziej zróżnicowanym językowo miastem na świecie. Na jego obszarze mówi się w ponad 800 językach[23]. Zaludnienie obszaru metropolitalnego Nowy Jork wynosiło w 2010 roku, w zależności od sposobu wytyczenia jego granic, od 18,9 do 23,1 miliona, dzięki czemu stanowi najludniejszy obszar w Stanach Zjednoczonych[24][25]. Nowy Jork jest najczęściej wyszukiwanym miejscem na świecie za pośrednictwem Google; statystyki z września 2011 roku mówiły, że łączna liczba wyszukań dla hasła „Nowy Jork” wyniosła 4,6 miliarda[26].

[gebhk]

Correctness or relevancy depends on the language of the user.

Philosophically, perhaps; practically no, because in practice it depends on the location of the user not his or her language. If my friend in Paris were to send me a letter addressed L'alle de Wix 2, London instead of 2 Wix's Lane, Londres , I think you would agree that the chances of my letter arriving on time or at all would be lessened, non?

[henryk]

Correctness or relevancy depends on the language of the user.

Philosophically, perhaps; practically no, because in practice it depends on the location of the user not his or her language. If my friend in Paris were to send me a letter addressed L'alle de Wix 2, London instead of 2 Wix's Lane, Londres , I think you would agree that the chances of my letter arriving on time or at all would be lessened, non?

Practically for most use in the country of its location, but not, for example, socially. I first saw use when a boy reading the Polish-American language newspaper my parents subscribed to. It served as my first introduction to many names in Polish, not the origial language version.

In my first post I said:

It is incorrect to say place names were renamed or reverted.

This statement is valid. When, where they are used does not change the validity of the statement.

[Biber]

Shouldn't this be taken to a thread of its own?

[2KILFA]

I don't know how advanced is your research, but there is a Wikipedia entry for Strażnica KOP „Cukrownia” which was responsible for guarding a border between markers 1553 and 1557 in 1932, (1549 do 1560 in 1938). There is a nice photo there.
Below is a map fragment showing location of border markers.


Korzec.jpg


And here hundreds of photos of barracks and watchtowers on Polish borders:
https://forum.odkrywca.pl/topic/770459- ... /#comments

Thanks for these links and this awesome map. I haven't come to researching Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza yet at the time when I created the post here. Can you tell the source of this exact map?

[2KILFA]

Hi 2KILFA

Have you searched the NAC (Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe) online collection? Alas I am suffering a snafu trying to access this at the moment so wasn't able top check. I would suggest 'przejscie graniczne w (insert here the name of the nearest location to the checkpoint you are interested in)". Also, while your comments about the developmental state of the area are correct, this does not necessarily apply to the KOP troops who actually 'operated' the border checkpoints and the KOP was more than happy to snap away, not least becuase a significant part of its role was promoting Poland and forging local links. It even ran its own newspapers, I believe, so that might be another potential source - many interbellum newspapers are available online.

Thanks for this link. I've visited NAC and inserted the phrase and location that you suggested. However, the search shows no results. Did you mean to insert this into the search field or someplace else? Its my first time visiting NAC so I'm new there.

[2KILFA]

After researching, I found that the border areas near Korzec, now renamed to Korets, were being guarded by KOP Border Company "Korzec". Within the higher hierarchy and geography, this company was part of KOP Battalion "Hoszcza", which had three border companies in total. In turn, this battalion was part of KOP Regiment "Zdołbunów", which had four battalions in total. Zdołbunów was formed in 1937 on the basis of the disbanded KOP Brigade "Wołyń", whose size fluctuated during the 1920's and 1930's.
The Korzec Company as of 1934 had four watchtowers near Korets (north to south):
- Cukrownia;
- Parfimy;
- Krale;
- Babin.