▁K hor ost ovo ▁( s outh ▁of ▁Min sk , ▁then ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁Kor zh ▁spent ▁his ▁early ▁years ▁assist ing ▁his ▁family ' s ▁to ils ▁on ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁lands ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁noble ▁Gal itz ine ▁family . ▁ ▁A ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁commun ist ▁cause , ▁Kor zh ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁gu err illa ▁strugg les ▁of ▁the ▁pro - S ov iet ▁Bel arus ian ▁anti - Pol ish ▁resistance ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁in ▁western ▁Bel arus ▁( first ▁occupied ▁by ▁Jó zef ▁Pi ł s ud ski ▁and ▁then ▁officially ▁c eded ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁Polish ▁Republic ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁R iga ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 9 - 1 9 2 1 ▁Polish - S ov iet ▁War ). ▁He ▁had ▁initially ▁been ▁cons cript ed ▁into ▁the ▁Polish ▁Army ▁during ▁the ▁conflict , ▁but ▁desert ed ▁from ▁it ▁after ▁a ▁fight ▁with ▁a ▁Polish ▁commander , ▁prov oked ▁by ▁the ▁ab use ▁inf lic ted ▁on ▁the ▁Bel arus ian ▁soldiers ▁in ▁the ▁army ' s ▁ranks . ▁ ▁Ar riv ing ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁Kor zh ▁began ▁working ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁kol k hoz ▁chairman ▁after ▁organ izing ▁the ▁first ▁pe as ants ' ▁commune ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁M ety av