On the night of May 10-11, 1938, there was a persistent knock at the door of apartment 29 in building number 6 on Pushkinskaya Street in Simferopol. Iosif Mordukhovitch Chernikhovsky, a 34-year-old economic planner, immediately understood – the Chekists had come. Three NKVD officers presented a warrant for search and arrest. Chernikhovsky was prepared – he knew his past would eventually catch up with him. He knew that his past would eventually catch up with him.
A Jewish man of middle-class origin, he had a complicated biography: numerous arrests and exiles, time served in political isolation for Zionism, and then – years spent in the captivity of constant anxiety for himself and his loved ones. He returned to his native Simferopol in 1935, having served all previous sentences, but they remembered him again.
The search was conducted thoroughly. The operative officer, a lieutenant, methodically went through Chernikhovsky's few possessions: yellowed books, neatly stacked papers, photographs of loved ones. Operatives Arutyunyants and Snegirev confiscated 7 books, correspondence, and documents. Special attention was paid to counter-revolutionary Trotskyist and Zionist literature.
During the search, Chernikhovsky tried to object, saying that he had long abandoned Zionist activities. But it didn't matter. The arrest warrant that the Chekists had indicated that Basov, while living in Crimea, conducted illegal counter-revolutionary Zionist activities. Soviet security was aware that his wife, Maria Abramovna Trok, had also once been repressed for belonging to the Zionist movement.
David Aizikovich Basov, also known as Iosif Chernikhovsky, was a native of Feodosia. He was born there to a family of Gomel middle-class citizen Aizik Nakhmonovich Basov, a carpenter, and Frima-Dveyra Matysovna Kushner from Zhizhmorai in Vilna province. The couple had six children: David, Lev, Maria, Betya Basova, Mikhail, and Yakov. At an early age, David moved with his parents, brothers, and sisters to Simferopol, where they settled in a typical noisy multinational Simferopol courtyard.
In his youth, Basov became fascinated with Zionist ideas. When he was still a teenager, Crimea, like much of Ukraine, was under occupation by the German army. After the Bolsheviks' unsuccessful attempt to gain a foothold in Crimea in the spring of 1919, the White Army ruled there under the leadership of Generals Denikin and Wrangel. The Jewish community of Crimea, along with thousands of refugees, lived in an atmosphere of temporality and uncertainty. At the same time, Jewish cultural and educational activities flourished in Simferopol and other Crimean cities. The main driving force behind this was the Zionist movement. A special place in this process was occupied by the sports society "Maccabi," which at that time led the scout movement encompassing masses of Jewish youth – "tsofim." David Basov joined them, along with a whole "company" of his friends from Simferopol courtyards.
Being a Jewish scout in Simferopol was honorable. At that time, one of the leaders of the local "Maccabi" club was the charismatic weightlifting instructor Itzhak Landoberg, whom every Israeli would know decades later. In Eretz-Israel, he became known as one of the founders of the Israel Defense Forces and the commander of the elite "Palmach" forces – Itzhak Sadeh.
Young Simferopol residents, passionate about sports and scouting, studying Hebrew and preparing for resettlement in Palestine, did not even suspect how much their activities caused irritation and rejection from the new authorities. In 1923, the Soviets disbanded the local scout legion, but David Basov and his comrades did not sit idle for long. The group joined almost entirely the ranks of a new organization – the Zionist Scout Union "Hashomer Hatzair" ("class-based"). Local organizations followed a three-age-group scouting scheme, where the oldest, "shomer" group, was responsible for educating young "tzofim" (scouts) and "zeevonim" (wolf cubs). The All-Russian organization consisted of five districts, headed by district headquarters (in Moscow, Gomel, Kiev, Odessa, and Kharkov) and the Main Headquarters in Moscow.
A new wave of repressions followed in mid-June 1925. The GPU of the Crimean ASSR informed colleagues from other regions about the discovery of an illegal youth Zionist organization "Hashomer Hatzair," operating right under their noses. This discovery happened completely by accident during a planned surveillance operation targeting already registered Zionists.
The first link in the chain of discovery was a routine search of one such Zionist. The materials found were so significant that they served as the basis for immediately conducting an additional, larger-scale operation.
As a result of subsequent searches, the Chekists obtained detailed information about the structure, working methods, and connections of "Hashomer Hatzair." GPU operatives were amazed by the high level of conspiracy maintained in the organization. As noted in the report signed by the Deputy Chairman of the Crimean GPU Toropkin and the head of the 1st Department Radzivilovsky, "Hashomer Hatzair" also maintained "a fairly good connection with its center," to which reports on activities were regularly sent.
The organization was structured according to the scouting system with division into age groups and had special units called "papa" (Palestinian patrols). Their main task was to prepare and transfer members of the organization to Palestine.
During the operation, key figures of the movement were identified. Among them, David Basov was mentioned as one of the leaders of the Simferopol cell, who maintained contact with David Tsyrlin, a representative of the organization's center who specifically came to Simferopol. As noted in the report dated June 19, 1925, local Chekists "caught absolutely all participants of the specified organization."
The Simferopol "shomers" were captured during a local conference of "Hashomer Hatzair." Among those arrested was David Basov, who by the decision of the Special Council of the OGPU Collegium on September 4, 1925, was sentenced to exile from Crimea to distant Kyrgyzstan for 3 years. On the day of exile, he and other arrested Zionists wore blue and white scarves. Almost a thousand people came to see them off. Simferopol had not seen such a large demonstration for a long time.
At the end of 1925, while in exile in Kyrgyzstan, David Basov was arrested again. This time he was sent to Orenburg. From there, he soon managed to organize an escape. From July 1926 to July 1927, the fugitive lived near Moscow in the villages of Perovo, Tsaritsyno, and others, working in Moscow as a laborer at various construction sites and repairing houses. Then he hid in Kharkov for some time, after which he moved to Minsk.
In Minsk, he obtained identity documents under the name of Chernikhovsky Iosif Mordukhovich, who by that time had left for Palestine. From this moment, David Aizikovich Basov began to use someone else's name.
Fate continued to test his strength. By July 1927, his secret stay in the Belarusian capital was discovered – the OGPU organs were again on his trail. After another arrest, he was sent to a distant Siberian exile – the village of Samarovo in the Tobolsk district. But even then his troubles did not end.
In 1929, he was charged with a new serious accusation under Article 58-10 of the RSFSR Criminal Code – anti-Soviet propaganda among the indigenous peoples of the North (Ostyaks). Four agonizing months in the Tobolsk prison were followed by confinement within the walls of the Suzdal political isolator.
In August 1931, when it seemed that a glimmer of hope had appeared (he was released early from the political isolator), the authorities immediately assigned him a new place of exile – first the village of Kolpashino, and then the remote village of Ilyino in the harsh Narym region – for another three long years.
Only in July 1934 could he breathe freely. Having gained freedom after so many years, David chose Belgorod as his residence, where, thanks to a lucky chance and the inattention of the passport office, he was able to finally establish himself in the new identity of Chernikhovsky.
In 1935, he decided to return to his native Simferopol. It seemed that life was finally getting better. David managed to get a job as an economist at the Kuibyshev factory. He had already married by that time. His chosen one, Maria Abramovna Trok, was also a member of a Zionist organization, and similarly changed her name for conspiratorial purposes, becoming Sholkova Esfir Moiseevna. They met in exile, so David called her by her new name – Fira, although in the family they continued to call her Manya. The couple had children: in 1933, a daughter Ela, and in 1936, a son Mikhail.
At the first interrogation after his May 1938 arrest, David Basov firmly rejected all the charges against him. He persistently repeated that he had long left behind his youthful idealistic hobbies and was now a law-abiding Soviet citizen, devoting all his energy to work for the benefit of the country. The investigator tried to corner him: "You are giving false testimony. We know for certain about your contacts in Simferopol with former exiles for Zionist anti-Soviet activities. Why are you hiding these facts?" But David stood firm: "I did not maintain any connections in Simferopol with people who served sentences for Zionist activities."
During the December interrogation of 1938, Basov admitted his participation in the Jewish scout movement in Simferopol from June 1919 to January 1921. He claimed that he ceased all Zionist activities after the official dissolution of the organization and had never returned to any anti-Soviet work since then. When the investigator tried to clarify his connection with banned organizations: "So, you were a member not only of 'Maccabi', but also of the illegal Zionist organization 'Hashomer Hatzair'. Do I understand you correctly?" Basov tried to smooth over the situation, explaining: "'Hashomer Hatzair' was not a separate organization, but functioned as a scout (children's) division of the Jewish sports society 'Maccabi'."
Understanding that the NKVD already possessed information about his past "sins" and subsequent arrests, Basov still chose a tactic of omission – he hoped that there might be gaps in the investigation documents. Confessing all the details of his biography to the investigator was too risky: it was better to withhold information than to fully confirm the existing facts and thereby give additional arguments to the Chekists who were trying to fabricate a case about an imaginary Zionist underground.
The investigator, well aware of Basov's continued underground Zionist activities after 1921, tried to trap him in a logical contradiction. Pointing to the obvious inconsistency – hardly anyone would have been arrested in 1925 for long-past membership in a scout organization – the Chekist persistently sought confessions: "You have completely confused yourself in your testimony. The investigation, noting your dishonest behavior during interrogation, suggests that you answer what punishment you received during your first arrest in 1925?" David was forced to admit: "Exile to the Kyrgyz region for three years." With great difficulty, they also managed to extract from the arrested man that in 1925, other Crimeans were arrested along with him: Lev Mukvoz, Semyon Epstein, Solomon Sherman, Isaac Malyar, and Aaron Norkin.
Telling the investigator about the reasons for his escape from the Orenburg exile, David invented a version about his desire to continue his education, from which he was cut off as an exile. Naturally, this story was completely fabricated. In reality, David fled together with his comrades from the Zionist movement – Lev Mukvoz, Lev Metelitsa, and Moisey Steinbukh-Bukstein – with the aim of resuming underground work.
In the interrogation protocol dated December 21, 1938, a partial admission of guilt by the accused was recorded: "I do not deny the fact of possessing counter-revolutionary Trotskyist and Zionist literature. In this I admit my guilt," the document stated. "However, I categorically reject accusations that the above-mentioned materials were transferred by me to any of my acquaintances for their review."
Two days later, on December 23, during another interrogation, Basov wrote a personal statement where, realizing the seriousness of his words, he firmly denied any involvement with Zionist or other illegal organizations. He also refuted all accusations of anti-Soviet activity and claimed that he did not maintain contacts with individuals who might be connected to such organizations.
During the investigation, there was an active search for witnesses who could confirm the anti-Soviet activities of the detainee. One such witness, Solomon Guslits, who worked as the chief accountant at the "Hammer and Sickle" factory, was interrogated on November 15, 1938. He informed investigators that in his youth he had been a member of the Simferopol cell of "Hashomer Hatzair" and personally knew David Basov as one of the prominent activists of this Zionist youth organization.
Guslits characterized the structure and work of the organization in detail in his testimony. According to his statement, in 1924-1926, leadership positions in it were held by Abram Vints and David Basov, who were engaged in recruiting Jewish youth into the organization and directly managed all its activities. They maintained contacts with similar organizations in other cities and, apparently, with the central leadership, which was confirmed by the regular appearance in the local cell of bulletins from the Main Headquarters of "Hashomer Hatzair" printed on a hectograph.
Guslits additionally reported that after the arrest of Vints, Basov, and other activists in early 1926, leadership of the Simferopol branch of "Hashomer Hatzair" passed to David's sister, Marusya Basova, who was later also arrested but then deported to Palestine thanks to a petition by Ekaterina Peshkova. According to him, Basov's brothers were also members of the organization, and leadership meetings were held in their apartment, located in the family home at 6 Pushkinskaya Street.
Abram Borisovich Vints, a doctor and former shomer who was also arrested in 1938, gave testimony on December 5 about his relationship with his old comrade. When asked about Basov's position in the illegal organization "Hashomer Hatzair," Vints explained that Basov held the position of unit commander, while he himself later became the leader of the Simferopol organization.
In his response to the investigator, he noted: "During our joint work in the 'Hashomer Hatzair' organization in Simferopol in 1924-1925, good, normal relations were established between myself and Basov. We never had conflicts, and I cannot recall any tense moments between us. Chernikhovsky, also known as Basov, is by nature a balanced and decent person."
Vints also described the nature of their relationship after his return to Simferopol in 1936 – emphasizing that they were exclusively of an everyday nature. Basov himself also insisted on the casual nature of his communication with former underground comrades.
While living in Belgorod after his release, David also met with other former comrades who had served time in exile for counter-revolutionary Zionist activities: Moisey Fainboim, Lazar Iskin, and Fanya Sokolovskaya. However, they certainly did not participate in any subversive activities. No one could even think about reviving a Zionist organization under those conditions.
Despite the accumulating testimony against him, David Basov consistently denied accusations that he was involved in the Zionist underground. Yes, he acknowledged his past participation in "Hashomer," but insisted that it was a) in his early youth b) and not connected with politics, especially anti-Soviet politics. Now, he emphasized, he was simply a law-abiding citizen, honestly working for the benefit of his country. The investigator repeated the same question over and over: "Do you plead guilty?" And each time Basov answered quietly, but with unwavering firmness: "No, I do not."
In early January 1939, the commercial director of the Kuibyshev factory was called for questioning. He confirmed that he had known Basov since 1925, from the time of his joining the Komsomol in Simferopol. According to him, Basov belonged to a youth group that kept itself separate from the Komsomol members and was known as a community of former Zionists.
However, both this witness and other colleagues of Basov, as if trying to help him in a difficult situation, gave David exclusively positive characterizations, particularly noting his high professionalism. Their testimonies invariably emphasized that they had never noticed anything reprehensible or suspicious about him.
In December 1938, a new resolution was submitted for review to the head of the NKVD of the Crimean ASSR. In it, a junior lieutenant of state security, an operational officer of the 2nd department of the UGB, requested permission to extend the investigation period for case No. 11405. The document briefly stated that testimony from members of the exposed Crimean Zionist organization confirmed Chernikhovsky's involvement in anti-Soviet activities. It was noted that during his time in custody, he had been interrogated six times but continued to deny his guilt.
The investigator claimed that during the investigation, additional facts emerged – Chernikhovsky's connections with Zionist circles in Ukraine and his subversive work during his exile. To verify this information, additional investigative measures were required. On this basis – for the third time – a petition was made to extend the investigation period and the accused's detention for another month, until January 23, 1939.
However, in December 1938, an unexpected turn occurred in this grim investigation. The assistant chief of the 1st division of the 2nd department of the UGB NKVD of the Crimean ASSR, after examining the case materials, prepared a conclusion indicating a number of procedural violations. The document noted that it was impossible to establish the date of the first interrogation due to the absence of the day and month in the protocol. Furthermore, charges were only filed on December 23, 1938 – seven months and twelve days after the arrest, which was a direct violation of Article 145 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The document concluded with a formulation that sounded like a miracle to the defendant: "Due to the absence of corpus delicti, the accused Chernikhovsky Iosif Mordukhovich is to be released from custody, the investigation terminated, and the case transferred to the archives of the 1st Special Department of the NKVD of Crimea."
Thus, after seven months of imprisonment, numerous interrogations, and constant psychological pressure, David Basov was released. His steadfast refusal to plead guilty apparently became the decisive factor in this unexpected outcome. At a time when so many could not withstand the weight of accusations and confessed to crimes they had not committed, he managed to preserve his dignity and honor.
However, no matter how much David Basov's life strived to return to normal, impending historical events would make their adjustments.
On June 22, 1941, the day the German-Soviet war began, Maria and David with their children were visiting his wife's older sister – Gesya Trok, who worked as a pediatrician in the village of Olgopol in the Vinnytsia region. The vacation had to be urgently interrupted. Despite Gesya's offer to leave the children with her, David and Maria decided to return home as a family. Soon after returning to Simferopol, David Basov was mobilized and sent to the front.
Throughout the war, David Aizikovich served with the rank of senior technical lieutenant. He was assigned to the 36th Guards Separate Sapper Battalion, where he carried out important engineering and technical assignments at the front line. For a certain period, he also served in the 26th Separate Regiment of Officers of the North Caucasus Front.
For his bravery and valor demonstrated during the war, Chernikhovsky was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad," which indicates his participation in one of the most brutal and strategically important battles of the Great Patriotic War. Additionally, he received the medal "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945." Iosif Matveevich's military career did not end with the conclusion of the war – he continued to serve until February 13, 1951.
In the post-war period, David Basov faced a tragic reality. His wife Maria Trok, son Misha, and daughter Ela, who had been evacuated to the North Caucasus after his conscription into the army, according to one witness, fell into the hands of German occupiers under unclear circumstances and perished.
During his military service, David maintained contact with his wife's sister, Sheva Abramovna Trok, who also served in the ranks of the Red Army. Their shared grief brought them even closer. After the war, they met and decided to start a life together in Kharkov, where David Aizikovich was invited to work by his front-line comrade. In the new city, they officially registered their marriage and began rebuilding a peaceful life together. Sheva Abramovna received a philological education and became a school teacher of Russian language and literature. David worked as an economist in various Kharkov organizations. In 1946, their family was joined by daughter Tamara – a symbol of a new beginning after all the suffering they had endured.
David Basov, known to many as Iosif Chernikhovsky, passed away on October 18, 1985, taking with him memories of his turbulent youth in the Zionist movement, years of persecution and exile, front-line paths, and post-war revival.
Only on March 18, 1996, thirteen years after his death, David Aizekovich Basov was officially rehabilitated by the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Thus, after decades of injustice, his name was returned from oblivion, and his story became a reminder of the resilience of the Jewish spirit in the face of persecution, war, and loss.
A young Zionist from Simferopol, a scout, a prisoner of Stalin's camps, a war veteran – such was the path of David Basov, one of many whose fates were scarred but not broken by the tragic century.
20.03.2025
Bibliography and Sources:
Memoirs and materials of Tamara Iosifovna Chernikhovskaya and Veronica Mikhailovna Drovnikova.
Case against Chernikhovsky Iosif Mordukhovich (also known as Basov David Aizikovich) under Article 58-10 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR // State Archive in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, F. R-4808, Op.1, file 02991.
Sholkova (Trok) Esther (Maria) Moiseevna (Abramovna), State Archive of Sumy region, F. R-7641, Op. 6, file 335.
Avraham Itay. Korot HaShomer HaTza'ir B'USSR: No'ar Tzofi Halutzi - NTZH, Magnes Press, 2001, 388 pages.
Chernikhovsky Iosif Matveevich // Information system "Memory of the People"
David Basov
1904 – 1985
