Ethnic Russians in Service in the Military SS Formations of Nazi Germany (1941–1945)

Abstract

The article examines an important, but little-studied in historical science, problem of cooperation of ethnic Russians with the Nazi military-political organization of the SS during the German-Soviet war of 1941–1945. The essence, content and forms of Russians cooperation with the military formations of the SS are analyzed, some facts are clarified, scattered information is summarized, the assessments of researchers on determining the number of Russian SS men are compared. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that ethnic Russians – former citizens of the USSR, as well as representatives of the Russian emigration, served in various military formations of the Nazi SS: Auxiliary service of the order police in the occupied territory of the USSR, the 29th and 30th «Russian» SS divisions, 28th, 33rd and 36th «foreign» SS divisions, 1st Russian national brigade of the SS («Druzhina»), SS volunteer regiment «Variag», 15th SS Cossack cavalry corps, «SS fighter unit» and others. Discrepancies in the historical literature on determining the exact number of ethnic Russians who served in the armed formations of the SS were revealed. At the same time, it was established that, according to rough estimates, their total number was at least 100–120 thousand. Coverage of the issue of ethnic Russian service in the armed formations of the Nazi SS during the German-Soviet war of 1941–1945 debunks the assertion of modern Russian historical propaganda that such military cooperation is characteristic primarily of Ukrainians, Baltics, and other nationalities. It is noted that each of the aspects considered in the article can be the subject of further detailed research. It is emphasized that these issues can be finally clarified only after the declassification of Soviet archival documents in the Russian Federation.