“Along the Line of the 4th Department”: The Role of the Security Officer Vasily Talyshev in the Leadership of the Partisan Underground Resistance on the Territory of the Occupied Crimea in 1941–1944

Introduction. The article examines the role and contribution of the senior commissioner of the special department and chief of intelligence of the partisans of the Crimean ASSR, Senior Lieutenant of the Navy of the Soviet Union Vasily Talyshev (1918–1996), to the organization of the partisan underground movement in the territory of Crimea during the Great Patriotic War. Methods and materials. The research is based on historicalbiographical, historical-chronological, and historical-comparative methods. The publication is based on unique previously unpublished sources introduced into scientific circulation for the first time: the funds of the Archival Department (municipal archive) of the Administration of the city of Alushta; the State Archive of the Republic of Crimea; the Archive of the city of Sevastopol; as well as materials of the periodical press of the Crimea. Analysis. In the fight against the Nazi invaders, the anti-fascists of Crimea faced a number of obstacles: German and Romanian troops, their intelligence structures, and relying on specially created auxiliary formations from local collaborators who actively opposed the Soviet patriots. In the person of V.P. Talyshev, the enemy special services met an experienced opponent who often anticipated their planned secret operations. In addition to carrying out operational work as a scout and operational commissioner of the Special Department of the Partisan Command of the Crimean ASSR, he planned and carried out combat and sabotage actions. Results. The author concludes that, despite the severity of life in the partisan forest, V.P. Talyshev demonstrated a high level of professionalism, dedication to duty, and responsibility. His area of expertise included the following activities: 1) conducting intelligence work in the ranks of the partisans of Crimea; 2) maintaining military discipline and preventing violations of law and order among the “people’s avengers”; 3) operational and investigative work; 4) development of a number of combat operations of the Crimean partisans; 5) participation in combat operations behind enemy lines; 6) coordination of the activities of some underground patriotic groups of the Crimea.