Tatiana Markus

Tatyana Markus (Ukrainian: Тетяна Маркус; 1921–1943) was a member of the anti-Nazi underground in Kiev.

Tatiana Markus
BornSeptember 21, 1921
Romny, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
DiedJanuary 29, 1943 (Aged 22)
Kiev, Ukraine
Awards Hero of Ukraine
    A 2011 Postage stamp honoring Markus

    Biography

    Tatiana Markus was born in the Shtetl of Romny to a large Jewish family.[1] A few years after her birth, her family moved to Kiev. Markus graduated from the 9th form of school No. 44. In 1938, she worked as a secretary of the personnel department of the passenger service of the South-Western Railways.[2] In the summer of 1940, she was sent to Kishinev, where she worked in a tramway trolleybus park.[2]

    After the seizure of Kishinev by the Romanians Tatiana returned to Kiev, which was occupied by Germany in 1941. Since then, she began actively participating in underground activities. She repeatedly took part in sabotage acts against the Nazis, in particular, throwing a grenade at a line of marching soldiers disguised as a bouquet of asters.[3] With fake documents, Markus was registered in a private house under the name of Marcousisse: a legend was invented that she was the daughter of a Georgian prince executed by the Bolsheviks.[1] Under this name she was hired to work in an officer dining room. There, she successfully continued the sabotage activity: pouring poison into SS officer's food.[2] Several officers died, and Tatiana left without suspicion. In addition, she personally shot a valuable Gestapo informant, and transmitted underground information about traitors who worked with the Gestapo. Many officers of the German army were attracted by her beauty and attempted to pursue her. One was a high-ranking official from Berlin, who was shot dead by Markus at his apartment after coming to fight partisans and underground fighters. During her tenure, she killed dozens of German soldiers and officers.[1]

    Once she shot a Nazi officer and left a note: All of you, fascist reptiles are waiting for the same fate. Tetyana Markosidze.[1] The leadership of the Soviet underground decided to withdraw Tatiana from the city to the partisans, but failed to do so. On August 22, 1942, she was captured by the Gestapo while attempting to cross the Dnieper. She was subjected to cruel torture in the Gestapo for five months, but she did not betray anyone.[1] On January 29, 1943, Tatiana Markus was shot.[2]

    Legacy
    • Memorial plaque at the Kiev school No. 44. It was destroyed in the spring of 2016.[4]
    • She received the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Golden Star on September 21, 2006 - for personal courage and heroic self-sacrifice, invincibility of spirit in the fight against fascist invaders in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 [5]
    • On December 1, 2009, a monument to Tatyana was opened in Babi Yar.[6]
    • In September 2011, a postage stamp dedicated to Markus was issued.
    gollark: I'm liberal democrat, but honestly they have zero chance of doing anything.
    gollark: > Streetrights are handled by police if they leave their houseWhat?
    gollark: But he is pretty bourgeoisie.
    gollark: Apparently he's only a conservative member because he does not really like labour and we effectively have a two-party system.
    gollark: People will continue voting based on political nonsense rather than actual policy.

    References
    1. "Known and New Words about Tanya Markus". zn.ua (in Russian).
    2. "Holocaust in Kiev and the Tragedy of Babi Yar". Yad Vashem.
    3. "Tatyana Markus Memorial". Atlas Obscura.
    4. "In Kyiv, a memorial plaque was annihilated in honor of a Soviet underground worker, executed by the Nazis" (in Ukrainian).
    5. "Про присвоєння звання Герой України". Zakon1.rada.gov.ua (in Ukrainian).
    6. "Tatiana Markus is immortalized in Babi Yar". sd.net.ua (in Russian).
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