Decree of the State Defense Committee "On the Voluntary Mobilization of Workers of Moscow and the Moscow Region into People's Militia Divisions," 4 July 1941

Decree of the State Defense Committee "On the Voluntary Mobilization of Workers of Moscow and the Moscow Region into People's Militia Divisions," 4 July 1941
Source: Tom 18

Source: marxists.org, Volume 15

No. 10

Not for publication.

In accordance with the will expressed by the working people, and the proposals of the Soviet, Party, trade-union, and Komsomol organizations of the city of Moscow and the Moscow Region, the State Defense Committee decrees:

I. To mobilize into people's militia divisions 200,000 persons in the city of Moscow and 70,000 persons in the Moscow Region.

To entrust the direction of the mobilization and formation to the Commander of the Moscow Military District, Lieutenant-General Artemyev.

To assist the MVO command in carrying out the mobilization, an extraordinary commission is to be created consisting of Comrades: Sokolov -- Secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the VKP(b), Yakovlev -- Secretary of the Moscow Regional Committee of the VKP(b), Pegov -- Secretary of the Moscow Regional and City Committees of the Komsomol, Filippov -- head of the food products department of the city trade administration, Onuprienko -- Brigade Commander, and Prostov -- Lieutenant Colonel.

II. The mobilization of workers, employees, and students of Moscow into the people's militia and the formation of 25 divisions is to be carried out on a district-by-district basis.

In the first instance, the formation of 12 divisions is to be completed by July 7.

A mobilized division receives a number and the name of the district -- for example: 1st Division of the Sokolniki District.

Districts of the Moscow Region form separate subunits and units and incorporate them, as directed by MVO Headquarters, into the divisions of the city of Moscow.

III. For the replenishment of losses, in addition to the mobilized divisions, each district creates a reserve regiment, from whose ranks replacements for losses are drawn.

IV. For the direction of work on the mobilization of workers into people's militia divisions and their material provision, an extraordinary troika is to be created in each district, headed by the first secretary of the district Party committee, and consisting of the district military commissar and the head of the district NKVD department.

The extraordinary troika carries out the mobilization under the direction of MVO Headquarters, with subsequent formalization of the mobilization through the district military commissariats.

V. The formation of divisions is carried out by mobilizing workers aged 17 to 55. Exempt from mobilization are military reservists of the 1st category of call-up age groups who hold mobilization orders, as well as workers and employees of factories of the People's Commissariat of the Aviation Industry, the People's Commissariat of Armaments, the People's Commissariat of Ammunition, machine-tool factories, and workers of certain enterprises, at the discretion of the district troika, that are carrying out particularly important defense orders.

The enlisted ranks, junior command staff, 50% of platoon commanders, up to 40% of company commanders, the medical staff, and the entire political staff of the division formed by each district are to be manned from among the workers, employees, and students of the district; the remaining command staff is to be manned from the cadre of the Red Army.

VI. Combat training of units is to be carried out according to a special plan of MVO Headquarters.

VII. The mobilization and barracking of people's militia units is to take place on the basis of the housing stock of the district soviets (schools, clubs, and other premises), except for premises designated for hospitals.

VIII. The supply of divisional units with motor transport, motorcycle and bicycle equipment, entrenching tools (shovels, axes), mess kits, cooking pots for preparing food is to be carried out from the resources of Moscow, the Moscow Region, and the district, through the mobilization and manufacture of these items by the enterprises of the district.

MVO Headquarters ensures the provision of arms, ammunition, and clothing to the divisions. Ammunition and armament arrive through military supply channels.

IX. For the entire duration of the mobilized person's service in people's militia units, he retains his compensation: for workers -- in the amount of his average earnings; for employees -- in the amount of his current salary; for students -- in the amount of the stipend received; for the families of collective farmers, an allowance is assigned in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the Procedure for Assigning and Paying Allowances to Families of Enlisted and Junior Command Personnel in Wartime" dated June 26, 1941.

In the event of disability or death of a mobilized person, the mobilized person and his family shall enjoy the right to a pension on an equal basis with those called up into the Red Army.

Chairman of the State Defense Committee
I. STALIN

Istochnik. 1995. No. 2.