Over the years, this unit was known as the 1st Russian National SS Brigade, the Druzhina Brigade and, finally, as the 1st Anti-Fascist Brigade. The authors tell the reader in detail about the phenomenon of double betrayal of military personnel of this formation and analyze the reasons for what happened. Having passed through the crucible of anti-partisan operations and actions to exterminate civilians in the territory of the Governor General and occupied Belarus; subordinates V.V. Gil-Rodionov earned a reputation as quite reliable fighters and ruthless punishers. No wonder the Berlin leadership of the SD, which was in charge of this formation, repeatedly authorized a numerical increase in the Druzhina: the officer hundred of the Combat Union of Russian Nationalists was successively deployed to the battalion, regiment and, finally, the brigade.