Legends of Vladivostok: Banevur Vitaliy Borisovich

In 1953, a novel by Dmitry Nagishkin appeared on the shelves of Soviet bookstores under the title "Bonivour's Heart". The author presented it as a true story about the life and death of the hero - the Komsomol member Vitaly Banevura. It described how a brave boy confronted the wiles of the White Guards, without bending under the heavy burden of responsibility.

This novel became a legend in the Soviet Union, everyone perceived it as an example of the true valor of a Soviet man. However, today historians question the veracity of the book, and, as it turns out, there are good reasons for that. But let's talk about everything in order.

Was there really a Komsomol hero?

Historians dawdled in dusty archives for a long time, until they found an answer to this question. It turns out that Banevour Vitaly Borisovich is a very real person. According to official data, he was born in early 1902 in Warsaw. His father worked as a jeweler, which allowed the family to live in prosperity.

The arrival of the First World War forced them to move to Moscow in 1915. Here they lived only two years, after which they moved to Vladivostok. That is, based on official documents, Banevour Vitaly Borisovich really lived in the time specified in the book on the territory of Vladivostok.

What was Banevour famous for?

The Soviet version of the story says that in October 1920 our hero visits the capital, where he accidentally ends up at the Third Congress of the Komsomol. Here Banevour is inspired by the idea of equality and common good, which foments in him the fire of the uprising against the White Guards. Therefore, returning home, he, along with Maria Fetisova, begins to restore the once-defeated underground.

The main task of this organization was to propagate the Soviet way of life. To do this, he, along with the guys, pastes propaganda leaflets, conducts explanatory talks with the local population, and simultaneously spies on the movement of enemies. As a result, the Whites become aware that behind all this is Banevur Vitaly Borisovich, and they open it to him.

In order to avoid the trap of the enemy, the young man runs to the station The first river. Here there is a military depot, on which armored trains are made to order of Japan. It's clear, our hero can not miss the opportunity to spite the White Guards, and therefore arranges a series of sabotage at this station.

Together with the partisans

Alas, the young man could not hide from the eyes of the White Guards for a long time. Therefore, after his person is revealed, he goes deep into the taiga. Fortunately in the woods were partisan detachments, to which Vitaly Banevour gladly joined. At last, he found strength, capable of giving a sound rebuff to the hated enemy.

Along with his new friends, Banevour, one by one, struck at key points of the White Guards. Naturally, the guerrillas could not inflict serious damage, but to deprive the enemy without communication or provisions for a week or two is quite easy.

And similar sorties to the camp of the enemy continued until June 1922. During this period, the Japanese troops left the lands near Vladivostok, which gave an excellent opportunity to attack the Red Army. And after that the White Guards began to lose their positions and cities day after day.

"Bonivour's Heart"

The death of the national hero is the most contentious issue. The book says that the participant in the civil war in the far east, Vitaly Banevour, died at the hands of the White Guards. It happened at the moment when the enemy came to the village where the partisans were hiding, and caught him by chance. In order to avenge all the sins that he had done to them, they took him to the center of the village and publicly carved another beating heart. In particular, this is why the book is called "The Heart of Bonivour".

However, modern historians do not agree with such an interpretation of events. Their data indicate that Banevour Vitaly Borisovich died at the hands of visiting Cossacks, whom he came across in the forest. This is clearly stated in memoirs that have survived to the present day.

Is the history of Banevura true or fiction?

In the existence of Vitali Banevoura, no one today doubts specialists. Only the story written in the book has nothing to do with reality. More precisely, her hero was not as described. In real life, he was a mischievous and restless boy, who was intoxicated with life in the partisan detachment. He also died less gloriously than in the novel: he was killed by Cossacks, but not for revolutionary ideas, but because he was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Nevertheless, the novel "The Heart of Bonivour" well reflects other aspects of that time. Namely, those orders and the atmosphere that reigned in those parts. Therefore, it can be rightly considered a good historical story with a small amount of fiction.