Значение письма А. И. Надточего как исторического источника в поиске «пропавшего» 311-го кавалерийского полка

Introduction. The article is devoted to the reconstruction of the history of the 311th cavalry regiment (1st formation) of the 110th Kalmyk Cavalry Division and to the evaluation of the role played in the restoration of the truth by a single historical source — a letter with the memoirs of A.I. Nadtochyi. Materials and methods. When writing the article a complex of various general scientific and special methods was applied, especially the historical-com113 parative method. The memoirs of the veterans of the 110th Kalmyk Cavalry Division, as well as the book «In the years of severe trials» served as materials for the work. Results. A part of the history of the 311th Cavalry Regiment (1st formation) due to the loss of the archive during the fighting was hidden for researchers for a long time, which served as a ground for various kinds of fantasies. In the course of the research thanks to the letter of A. I. Nadtochyi, which has only recently been introduced into the scientific turnover, it became possible to correctly reconstruct the combat path of this military unit. Thus, one single historical source, small in volume, but containing unique information, played an important role in restoring the truth. Conclusions. Any source can be important for research, even if it initially seems insignificant. Therefore, when working on sources, it is necessary to study them scrupulously and be attentive to details

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