DOCUMENT № 8

Cipher Telegram Concerning the Arrest of Jerzy Matusiński, dated 1 October 1939

Not classified

Act No. 24/2-609 from 22 February 1913

To be deciphered immediately

To: Moscow, NKVD of the USSR

To Comrade Beria[1]

On 30 September at 12 am, I was summoned to the Central Committee by comrade Burmistenko, who informed me that comrade Khrushchev, acting on instructions from Moscow and by order of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (b), provided the directive to arrest the former Consul of Poland, Matusiński, outside the premises of the former consulate.

I coordinated this matter with comrade Mamulov,[2] whereupon on 1 October, at 2 am, I arrested the former Polish consul and two chauffeurs on the street, in their automobile, having previously arranged for Matusiński to be summoned by telephone from the consulate through the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. The arrested individuals have been placed in custody.

Seventeen people – former employees of the consulate and members of their families – remain on the premises of the former consulate.

I request your instructions.

Gorlinsky

Cipher Bureau of the NKVD of the Ukrainian SSR

Received by Cipher Bureau: 5:15 am

Sent for encryption: 6 am

Encrypted by ^g(signature)^g

Cipher Bureau No. 50145/3150

1 October 1939

5 am

SSA SBU, f. 16, op. 1, spr. 368, ark. 257–58

[1]      Lavrentii Beria (1899–1953): Soviet statesman and party official, one of the principal architects of Stalin’s system of repressions. He was the People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs and head of the USSR’s security and law enforcement apparatus.

[2]      Stepan Mamulov (1902–1976): Soviet party and state official, Lieutenant General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) / NKVD. Between 1939 and 1953, he held various senior positions within the NKVD system, including First Deputy Head of the NKVD Secretariat and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the USSR.