The war demanded from the people the greatest exertion of strength and huge sacrifices on a national scale, revealed the steadfastness and courage of the Soviet man, the ability to sacrifice himself in the name of the freedom and independence of the Motherland. During the war years, heroism became widespread, became the norm for the behavior of Soviet people. Thousands of soldiers and officers immortalized their names during the defense of the Brest Fortress, Odessa, Sevastopol, Kyiv, Leningrad, Novorossiysk, in the battle of Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, in the North Caucasus, the Dnieper, in the foothills of the Carpathians, during the storming of Berlin and in other battles.

For heroic deeds in the Great Patriotic War, over 11 thousand people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (some of them posthumously), 104 of them twice, three three times (G.K. Zhukov, I.N. Kozhedub and A.I. Pokryshkin ). During the war years, this title was first awarded to Soviet pilots M.P. Zhukov, S.I. Zdorovtsev and P.T. Kharitonov, who rammed Nazi planes on the outskirts of Leningrad.

Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union are representatives of most of the nations and nationalities of the USSR

About 35% of the Heroes of the Soviet Union at the time of awarding the title were under the age of 30, 28% - from 30 to 40 years old, 9% - over 40 years old.

Four Heroes of the Soviet Union: artilleryman A. V. Aleshin, pilot I. G. Drachenko, commander of a rifle platoon P. Kh. Dubinda, artilleryman N. I. Kuznetsov - were also awarded Orders of Glory of all three degrees for military exploits. More than 2,500 people, including 4 women, became full holders of the Order of Glory of three degrees. During the war, over 38 million orders and medals were awarded to the defenders of the Motherland for courage and heroism. The motherland highly appreciated the labor feat of the Soviet people in the rear. During the war years, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor was awarded to 201 people, about 200 thousand were awarded orders and medals.

Viktor Vasilievich Talalikhin

In the battles of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. Made more than 60 sorties. In the summer and autumn of 1941, he fought near Moscow. For military distinctions he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner (1941) and the Order of Lenin.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Viktor Vasilievich Talalikhin by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 8, 1941 for the first night ramming of an enemy bomber in the history of aviation.

Soon Talalikhin was appointed squadron commander, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant. The glorious pilot participated in many air battles near Moscow, shot down five more enemy aircraft personally and one in a group. He died a heroic death in an unequal battle with Nazi fighters on October 27, 1941.

Buried V.V. Talalikhin with military honors at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. By order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated August 30, 1948, he was forever enrolled in the lists of the first squadron of the fighter aviation regiment, in which he fought the enemy near Moscow.

Streets in Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Borisoglebsk, Voronezh region and other cities, a sea vessel, GPTU No. 100 in Moscow, and a number of schools were named after Talalikhin. An obelisk was erected on the 43rd kilometer of the Varshavskoye Highway, over which an unprecedented night duel took place. A monument was erected in Podolsk, in Moscow - a bust of the Hero.

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

Three times Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub on La-7 shot down 17 enemy aircraft (including the Me-262 jet fighter) out of 62 shot down by him during the war on La fighters. One of the most memorable battles Kozhedub fought on February 19, 1945 (sometimes the date is February 24).

On this day, he flew out on a free hunt paired with Dmitry Titarenko. On the traverse of the Oder, the pilots noticed an aircraft rapidly approaching from the direction of Frankfurt an der Oder. The plane was flying along the riverbed at an altitude of 3500 m at a speed much greater than the La-7 could develop. It was Me-262. Kozhedub instantly made a decision. The Me-262 pilot relied on the speed qualities of his car and did not control the airspace in the rear hemisphere and below. Kozhedub attacked from below on a head-on course, hoping to hit the jet in the belly. However, Titarenko opened fire before Kozhedub. To the considerable surprise of Kozhedub, the premature firing of the wingman was beneficial.

The German turned to the left, towards Kozhedub, the latter had only to catch the Messerschmitt in the sight and press the trigger. Me-262 turned into a fireball. In the cockpit of the Me 262 was non-commissioned officer Kurt-Lange from 1. / KG (J) -54.

On the evening of April 17, 1945, Kozhedub and Titarenko flew their fourth combat sortie to the Berlin area in a day. Immediately after crossing the front line north of Berlin, the hunters discovered a large group of FW-190s with suspended bombs. Kozhedub began to gain altitude for the attack and reported to the command post about establishing contact with a group of forty Focke-Vulvof with suspended bombs. German pilots clearly saw how a pair of Soviet fighters went into the clouds and did not expect that they would appear again. However, the hunters showed up.

Behind from the top, in the first attack, Kozhedub shot down the leader of the four fokkers that closed the group. The hunters sought to give the enemy the impression of the presence of a significant number of Soviet fighters in the air. Kozhedub threw his La-7 right into the thick of the enemy aircraft, turning Lavochkin left and right, the ace fired cannons in short bursts. The Germans succumbed to the trick - the Focke-Wulfs began to free them from bombs that prevented air combat. However, the Luftwaffe pilots soon established the presence of only two La-7s in the air and, taking advantage of the numerical advantage, took the guards into circulation. One FW-190 managed to get into the tail of the Kozhedub fighter, but Titarenko opened fire before the German pilot - the Focke-Wulf exploded in the air.

By this time, help had arrived - the La-7 group from the 176th regiment, Titarenko and Kozhedub were able to get out of the battle on the last remaining fuel. On the way back, Kozhedub saw a single FW-190, which was still trying to drop bombs on Soviet troops. Ace dived and shot down an enemy plane. It was the last, 62nd, German aircraft shot down by the best Allied fighter pilot.

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub also distinguished himself in the Battle of Kursk.

Kozhedub's total score does not include at least two aircraft - American R-51 Mustang fighters. In one of the battles in April, Kozhedub tried to drive off German fighters from the American Flying Fortress with cannon fire. US Air Force escort fighters misunderstood the intentions of the La-7 pilot and opened barrage fire from a long distance. Kozhedub, apparently, also mistook the Mustangs for Messers, left the fire with a coup and, in turn, attacked the “enemy”.

He damaged one Mustang (the plane, smoking, left the battlefield and, after flying a little, fell, the pilot jumped out with a parachute), the second R-51 exploded in the air. Only after a successful attack did Kozhedub notice the white stars of the US Air Force on the wings and fuselages of the planes he shot down. After landing, the regiment commander, Colonel Chupikov, advised Kozhedub to keep quiet about the incident and gave him the developed film of the photo-machine gun. The existence of a film with footage of burning Mustangs became known only after the death of the legendary pilot. Detailed biography of the hero on the website: www.warheroes.ru "Unknown Heroes"

Alexey Petrovich Maresyev

Born on May 20, 1916 in the city of Kamyshin, Volgograd Region, in a working class family. Russian. At the age of three, he was left without a father, who died shortly after returning from the First World War. After graduating from the 8th grade of secondary school, Alexei entered the FZU, where he received the specialty of a locksmith. Then he applied to the Moscow Aviation Institute, but instead of the institute, he went to build Komsomolsk-on-Amur instead of the institute on a Komsomol ticket. There he sawed wood in the taiga, built barracks, and then the first residential quarters. At the same time he studied at the flying club. He was drafted into the Soviet army in 1937. He served in the 12th Aviation Border Detachment. But, according to Maresyev himself, he did not fly, but "wafted his tails" at the planes. He really took to the air already at the Bataysk Military Aviation Pilot School, which he graduated in 1940. He served as a flight instructor.

He made his first sortie on August 23, 1941 in the Krivoy Rog region. Lieutenant Maresyev opened a combat account at the beginning of 1942 - he shot down a Ju-52. By the end of March 1942, he brought the number of downed Nazi aircraft to four. On April 4, in an air battle over the Demyansky bridgehead (Novgorod region), Maresyev's fighter was shot down. He tried to land on the ice of a frozen lake, but released the landing gear early. The plane began to quickly lose altitude and fell into the forest.

Maresyev crawled to his own. He had frostbite on his feet and had to be amputated. However, the pilot decided not to give up. When he got the prostheses, he trained long and hard and got permission to return to duty. He learned to fly again in the 11th reserve aviation brigade in Ivanovo.

In June 1943, Maresyev returned to service. He fought on the Kursk Bulge as part of the 63rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, was a deputy squadron commander. In August 1943, during one battle, Alexei Maresyev shot down three enemy FW-190 fighters at once.

On August 24, 1943, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Senior Lieutenant Maresyev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Later he fought in the Baltic States, became a regiment navigator. In 1944 he joined the CPSU. In total, he made 86 sorties, shot down 11 enemy aircraft: 4 before being wounded and seven with amputated legs. In June 1944, Major Maresyev of the Guards became an inspector-pilot of the Office of Higher Educational Institutions of the Air Force. The legendary fate of Alexei Petrovich Maresyev is the subject of Boris Polevoy's book "The Tale of a Real Man".

In July 1946, Maresyev was honorably discharged from the Air Force. In 1952 he graduated from the Higher Party School under the Central Committee of the CPSU, in 1956 - postgraduate studies at the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU, received the title of candidate of historical sciences. In the same year, he became the executive secretary of the Soviet Committee of War Veterans, in 1983 - the first deputy chairman of the committee. In this position, he worked until the last day of his life.

Retired Colonel A.P. Maresyev was awarded two Orders of Lenin, Orders of the October Revolution, Red Banner, Patriotic War 1st degree, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, Orders of Friendship of Peoples, Red Star, Badge of Honor, "For Merit to the Fatherland" 3rd degree, medals, foreign orders. He was an honorary soldier of a military unit, an honorary citizen of the cities of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kamyshin, Orel. A minor planet in the solar system, a public foundation, and youth patriotic clubs are named after him. He was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Author of the book "On the Kursk Bulge" (M., 1960).

Even during the war, Boris Polevoy's book "The Tale of a Real Man" was published, the prototype of which was Maresyev (the author changed only one letter in his last name). In 1948, director Alexander Stolper shot a film of the same name based on the book at Mosfilm. Maresyev was even offered to play the main role himself, but he refused and this role was played by a professional actor Pavel Kadochnikov.

He died suddenly on May 18, 2001. He was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery. On May 18, 2001, a gala evening was scheduled at the Theater of the Russian Army on the occasion of Maresyev's 85th birthday, but an hour before the start, Alexei Petrovich had a heart attack. He was taken to the intensive care unit of a Moscow clinic, where he died without regaining consciousness. The gala evening nevertheless took place, but it began with a moment of silence.

Krasnoperov Sergey Leonidovich

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded on February 4, 1944. Killed in action June 24, 1944. "March 14, 1943. Attack pilot Sergei Krasnoperov makes two sorties one after another to attack the port of Temrkzh. Leading six" silts ", he set fire to a boat at the pier of the port. In the second flight, an enemy shell hit the engine. A bright flame for a moment, like it seemed to Krasnoperov, the sun eclipsed and immediately disappeared in thick black smoke. Krasnoperov turned off the ignition, turned off the gas and tried to fly the plane to the front line. However, after a few minutes it became clear that it would not be possible to save the plane. And under the wing - a solid swamp. There is only one way out As soon as the burning car touched the swamp bumps with its fuselage, the pilot barely had time to jump out of it and run a little to the side, an explosion rumbled.

A few days later, Krasnoperov was back in the air, and in the combat log of the flight commander of the 502nd assault aviation regiment, junior lieutenant Krasnoperov Sergey Leonidovich, a brief entry appeared: "03/23/43". With two sorties, he destroyed a convoy in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bst. Crimean. Destroyed vehicles - 1, created fires - 2 ". On April 4, Krasnoperov stormed manpower and firepower in the region of a height of 204.3 meters. On the next flight, he stormed artillery and firing points in the area of ​​Krymskaya station. At the same time, he destroyed two tanks, one gun and mortar.

One day, a junior lieutenant received a task for a free flight in pairs. He was leading. Covertly, on a low-level flight, a pair of "silts" penetrated deep into the rear of the enemy. They noticed cars on the road - they attacked them. They discovered a concentration of troops - and suddenly brought down destructive fire on the heads of the Nazis. The Germans unloaded ammunition and weapons from a self-propelled barge. Combat entry - the barge flew into the air. The regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Smirnov, wrote about Sergei Krasnoperov: “Such heroic deeds of Comrade Krasnoperov are repeated in every sortie. The pilots of his flight became masters of the assault business. created for himself military glory, enjoys well-deserved military authority among the personnel of the regiment. And indeed. Sergei was only 19 years old, and for his exploits he had already been awarded the Order of the Red Star. He was only 20 years old, and his chest was adorned with the Golden Star of a Hero.

Seventy-four sorties were made by Sergei Krasnoperov during the days of fighting on the Taman Peninsula. As one of the best, he was entrusted 20 times to lead a group of "silts" to attack, and he always carried out a combat mission. He personally destroyed 6 tanks, 70 vehicles, 35 wagons with cargo, 10 guns, 3 mortars, 5 points of anti-aircraft artillery, 7 machine guns, 3 tractors, 5 bunkers, an ammunition depot, a boat, a self-propelled barge were sunk, two crossings across the Kuban were destroyed.

Matrosov Alexander Matveevich

Matrosov Alexander Matveyevich - rifleman of the 2nd battalion of the 91st separate rifle brigade (22nd Army, Kalinin Front), private. Born February 5, 1924 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk). Russian. Member of the Komsomol. He lost his parents early. 5 years was brought up in the Ivanovo orphanage (Ulyanovsk region). Then he was brought up in the Ufa children's labor colony. At the end of the 7th grade, he remained to work in the colony as an assistant teacher. In the Red Army since September 1942. In October 1942 he entered the Krasnokholmsk Infantry School, but soon most of the cadets were sent to the Kalinin Front.

On February 27, 1943, the 2nd battalion received the task of attacking a stronghold near the village of Chernushki (Loknyansky district, Pskov region). As soon as our soldiers passed through the forest and reached the edge of the forest, they came under heavy enemy machine gun fire - three enemy machine guns in bunkers covered the approaches to the village. One machine gun was suppressed by an assault group of machine gunners and armor-piercers. The second bunker was destroyed by another group of armor-piercers. But the machine gun from the third bunker continued to shell the entire hollow in front of the village. Efforts to silence him were unsuccessful. Then, in the direction of the bunker, Private A.M. Matrosov crawled. He approached the embrasure from the flank and threw two grenades. The machine gun fell silent. But as soon as the fighters went on the attack, the machine gun came to life again. Then Matrosov got up, rushed to the bunker and closed the embrasure with his body. At the cost of his life, he contributed to the combat mission of the unit.

A few days later, the name of Matrosov became known throughout the country. The feat of Matrosov was used by a journalist who happened to be with the unit for a patriotic article. At the same time, the regiment commander learned about the feat from the newspapers. Moreover, the date of the death of the hero was moved to February 23, coinciding the feat with the day of the Soviet Army. Despite the fact that Matrosov was not the first to perform such an act of self-sacrifice, it was his name that was used to glorify the heroism of Soviet soldiers. Subsequently, over 300 people performed the same feat, but this was no longer widely reported. His feat has become a symbol of courage and military prowess, fearlessness and love for the Motherland.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Matveyevich Matrosov was posthumously awarded on June 19, 1943. He was buried in the city of Velikiye Luki. On September 8, 1943, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the name of Matrosov was assigned to the 254th Guards Rifle Regiment, he himself was forever enrolled (one of the first in the Soviet Army) in the lists of the 1st company of this unit. Monuments to the Hero were erected in Ufa, Velikiye Luki, Ulyanovsk, etc. The Museum of Komsomol Glory in the city of Velikiye Luki, streets, schools, pioneer squads, motor ships, collective farms and state farms bore his name.

Ivan Vasilievich Panfilov

In the battles near Volokolamsk, the 316th Infantry Division of General I.V. Panfilov. Reflecting continuous enemy attacks for 6 days, they knocked out 80 tanks and destroyed several hundred soldiers and officers. Enemy attempts to capture the Volokolamsk region and open the way to Moscow from the west failed. For heroic actions, this formation was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and transformed into the 8th Guards, and its commander, General I.V. Panfilov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was not lucky enough to witness the complete defeat of the enemy near Moscow: on November 18, near the village of Gusenevo, he died a heroic death.

Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov, Major General of the Guards, commander of the 8th Guards Rifle Division of the Red Banner (former 316th) Division, was born on January 1, 1893 in the city of Petrovsk, Saratov Region. Russian. Member of the CPSU since 1920. From the age of 12 he worked for hire, in 1915 he was drafted into the tsarist army. In the same year he was sent to the Russian-German front. Voluntarily joined the Red Army in 1918. He was enrolled in the 1st Saratov Infantry Regiment of the 25th Chapaev Division. Participated in the civil war, fought against Dutov, Kolchak, Denikin and the White Poles. After the war, he graduated from the two-year Kiev United Infantry School and was assigned to the Central Asian Military District. He took part in the fight against the Basmachi.

The Great Patriotic War found Major General Panfilov at the post of military commissar of the Kyrgyz Republic. Having formed the 316th rifle division, he went with it to the front and in October - November 1941 fought near Moscow. For military distinctions he was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner (1921, 1929) and the medal "XX Years of the Red Army".

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov was awarded posthumously on April 12, 1942 for his skillful leadership of division units in the battles on the outskirts of Moscow and his personal courage and heroism.

In the first half of October 1941, the 316th Division arrived in the 16th Army and took up defensive positions on a wide front on the outskirts of Volokolamsk. General Panfilov was the first to widely use the system of in-depth artillery anti-tank defense, created and skillfully used mobile barrier detachments in battle. Thanks to this, the stamina of our troops increased significantly, and all attempts by the 5th German Army Corps to break through the defenses were unsuccessful. Within seven days, the division, together with the cadet regiment S.I. Mladentseva and dedicated units of anti-tank artillery successfully repelled enemy attacks.

Attaching great importance to the capture of Volokolamsk, the Nazi command sent another motorized corps into the area. Only under pressure from superior enemy forces, parts of the division were forced to leave Volokolamsk at the end of October and take up defenses east of the city.

On November 16, fascist troops launched a second "general" offensive against Moscow. A fierce battle broke out near Volokolamsk again. On this day, at the Dubosekovo junction, 28 Panfilov soldiers under the command of political instructor V.G. Klochkov repelled the attack of enemy tanks, and held the occupied line. The enemy tanks also failed to break through in the direction of the villages of Mykanino and Strokovo. The division of General Panfilov firmly held its positions, its soldiers fought to the death.

For the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command, the mass heroism of the personnel, the 316th division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on November 17, 1941, and the next day it was transformed into the 8th Guards Rifle Division.

Nikolai Frantsevich Gastello

Zoya Anatolyevna Kosmodemyanskaya ("Tanya")

Zoya Anatolyevna ["Tanya" (09/13/1923 - 11/29/1941)] - Soviet partisan, Hero of the Soviet Union was born in Osino-Gai, Gavrilovsky district, Tambov region, in the family of an employee. In 1930 the family moved to Moscow. She graduated from the 9th grade of school No. 201. In October 1941, the Komsomol member Kosmodemyanskaya voluntarily joined a special partisan detachment that acted on instructions from the headquarters of the Western Front in the Mozhaisk direction.

Twice sent to the rear of the enemy. At the end of November 1941, while performing the second combat mission in the area of ​​​​the village of Petrishchevo (Russian district of the Moscow region), she was captured by the Nazis. Despite severe torture, she did not give out military secrets, did not give her name.

On November 29, she was hanged by the Nazis. Her devotion to the Motherland, courage and selflessness have become an inspiring example in the fight against the enemy. On February 6, 1942, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Manshuk Zhiengalievna Mametova

Manshuk Mametova was born in 1922 in the Urdinsky district of the West Kazakhstan region. Manshuk's parents died early, and the five-year-old girl was adopted by her aunt Amina Mametova. Childhood Manshuk passed in Almaty.

When the Great Patriotic War began, Manshuk studied at the medical institute and at the same time worked in the secretariat of the Council of People's Commissars of the republic. In August 1942, she voluntarily joined the Red Army and went to the front. In the unit where Manshuk arrived, she was left as a clerk at the headquarters. But the young patriot decided to become a front line fighter, and a month later Senior Sergeant Mametova was transferred to the rifle battalion of the 21st Guards Rifle Division.

Short, but bright, like a flashing star, was her life. Manshuk died in the battle for the honor and freedom of her native country, when she was in her twenty-first year and had just joined the party. The short battle path of the glorious daughter of the Kazakh people ended with an immortal feat accomplished by her near the walls of the ancient Russian city of Nevel.

On October 16, 1943, the battalion in which Manshuk Mametova served was ordered to repulse the enemy's counterattack. As soon as the Nazis tried to repulse the attack, the machine gun of Senior Sergeant Mametova started working. The Nazis rolled back, leaving hundreds of corpses. Several violent attacks of the Nazis have already choked at the foot of the hill. Suddenly, the girl noticed that two neighboring machine guns fell silent - the machine gunners were killed. Then Manshuk, quickly crawling from one firing point to another, began to fire at the pressing enemies from three machine guns.

The enemy transferred mortar fire to the positions of the resourceful girl. A close explosion of a heavy mine overturned a machine gun, behind which lay Manshuk. Wounded in the head, the machine gunner lost consciousness for a while, but the triumphant cries of the approaching Nazis forced her to wake up. Instantly moving over to a nearby machine gun, Manshuk lashed the chains of fascist warriors with a lead shower. And again the enemy attack choked. This ensured the successful advance of our units, but the girl from distant Urda remained lying on the hillside. Her fingers froze on the Maxim trigger.

On March 1, 1944, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Senior Sergeant Manshuk Zhiengaliyevna Mametova was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Aliya Moldagulova

By the beginning of October, Aliya Moldagulova had 32 dead fascists on her account.

In December 1943, Moiseev's battalion was ordered to drive the enemy out of the village of Kazachikha. By capturing this settlement, the Soviet command hoped to cut the railway line along which the Nazis were transferring reinforcements. The Nazis fiercely resisted, skillfully using the benefits of the area. The slightest advance of our companies came at a heavy price, and yet slowly but steadily our fighters approached the enemy's fortifications. Suddenly, a lone figure appeared ahead of the advancing chains.

Suddenly, a lone figure appeared ahead of the advancing chains. The Nazis noticed the brave warrior and opened fire from machine guns. Catching the moment when the fire weakened, the fighter rose to his full height and dragged the entire battalion with him.

After a fierce battle, our fighters took possession of the height. The daredevil lingered in the trench for some time. There were traces of pain on his pale face, and strands of black hair broke out from under his cap with earflaps. It was Aliya Moldagulova. She destroyed 10 fascists in this battle. The wound was light, and the girl remained in the ranks.

In an effort to restore the situation, the enemy rushed into counterattacks. On January 14, 1944, a group of enemy soldiers managed to break into our trenches. A hand-to-hand fight ensued. Aliya mowed down the Nazis with well-aimed bursts of the machine gun. Suddenly, she instinctively felt danger behind her back. She turned sharply, but it was too late: the German officer fired first. Gathering the last of her strength, Aliya threw up her machine gun and the Nazi officer fell to the frozen ground...

The wounded Aliya was carried out by her comrades from the battlefield. The fighters wanted to believe in a miracle, and they offered blood to save the girl. But the wound was fatal.

On June 4, 1944, Corporal Aliya Moldagulova was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Sevastyanov Alexey Tikhonovich

Sevastyanov Aleksey Tikhonovich, flight commander of the 26th Fighter Aviation Regiment (7th Fighter Aviation Corps, Leningrad Air Defense Zone), junior lieutenant. Born on February 16, 1917 in the village of Kholm, now the Likhoslavl district of the Tver (Kalinin) region. Russian. Graduated from the Kalinin Carriage Building College. In the Red Army since 1936. In 1939 he graduated from the Kachin Military Aviation School.

Member of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. In total, during the war years, junior lieutenant Sevastyanov A.T. made more than 100 sorties, shot down 2 enemy aircraft personally (one of them by ramming), 2 - in a group and an observation balloon.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union Alexei Tikhonovich Sevastyanov was awarded posthumously on June 6, 1942.

On November 4, 1941, junior lieutenant Sevastyanov on an Il-153 aircraft patrolled on the outskirts of Leningrad. At about 22.00, an enemy air raid on the city began. Despite the fire of anti-aircraft artillery, one He-111 bomber managed to break through to Leningrad. Sevastyanov attacked the enemy, but missed. He went on the attack a second time and opened fire at close range, but again missed. Sevastyanov attacked for the third time. Coming close, he pressed the trigger, but there were no shots - the cartridges ran out. In order not to miss the enemy, he decided to go for a ram. Approaching behind the "Heinkel", he chopped off his tail with a screw. Then he left the damaged fighter and landed by parachute. The bomber crashed in the Tauride Garden area. The crew members who jumped out on parachutes were taken prisoner. The fallen Sevastyanov fighter was found in Baskov lane and restored by specialists of the 1st Rembaza.

April 23, 1942 Sevastyanov A.T. died in an unequal air battle, defending the "Road of Life" across Ladoga (shot down 2.5 km from the village of Rakhya, Vsevolozhsk district; a monument was erected in this place). He was buried in Leningrad at the Chesme cemetery. Forever enrolled in the lists of the military unit. A street in St. Petersburg, the House of Culture in the village of Pervitino, Likhoslavl District, are named after him. The documentary "Heroes Don't Die" is dedicated to his feat.

Matveev Vladimir Ivanovich

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War at the front. Captain Matveev V.I. On July 8, 1941, when repelling an enemy air raid on Leningrad, having used up all the ammunition, he used a ram: he cut off the tail of a Nazi aircraft with the end of the plane of his MiG-3. An enemy plane crashed near the village of Malyutino. He successfully landed at his airport. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Vladimir Ivanovich Matveev on July 22, 1941.

Killed in air combat January 1, 1942, covering the "Road of Life" on Ladoga. Buried in Leningrad.

Polyakov Sergey Nikolaevich

On December 23, 1941, he died while performing the next combat mission. On February 10, 1943, for courage and courage shown in battles with enemies, Sergey Nikolaevich Polyakov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously). For the period of service he was awarded the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner (twice), the Red Star, and medals. He was buried in the village of Agalatovo, Vsevolozhsk district, Leningrad region.

Muravitsky Luka Zakharovich

Luka Muravitsky was born on December 31, 1916 in the village of Dolgoe, now the Soligorsk district of the Minsk region, into a peasant family. He graduated from 6 classes and school FZU. Worked on the subway in Moscow. Graduated from the Aeroclub. In the Soviet Army since 1937. He graduated from the Borisoglebsk military school for pilots in 1939. B.ZYu

Member of the Great Patriotic War since July 1941. Junior Lieutenant Muravitsky began his combat activity as part of the 29th IAP of the Moscow Military District. This regiment met the war on outdated I-153 fighters. Sufficiently maneuverable, they were inferior to enemy aircraft in speed and firepower. Analyzing the first air battles, the pilots came to the conclusion that they needed to abandon the pattern of straight-line attacks, and fight on turns, in dives, on a "hill" when their "Seagull" gained additional speed. At the same time, it was decided to switch to flights in twos, abandoning the link of three aircraft established by the official position.

The very first flights of "twos" showed their clear advantage. So, at the end of July, Alexander Popov, paired with Luka Muravitsky, returning after escorting the bombers, met with six Messers. Our pilots were the first to attack and shot down the leader of the enemy group. Stunned by the sudden blow, the Nazis hurried to get out.

On each of his planes, Luka Muravitsky painted the inscription “For Anya” on the fuselage with white paint. The pilots at first laughed at him, and the authorities ordered the inscription to be erased. But before each new flight on the fuselage of the aircraft on the starboard side again appeared - "For Anya" ... No one knew who this Anya was, whom Luka remembers even going into battle ...

Once, before a sortie, the regiment commander ordered Muravitsky to immediately erase the inscription and more so that it would not happen again! Then Luka told the commander that this was his beloved girl, who worked with him at the Metrostroy, studied at the flying club, that she loved him, they were going to get married, but ... She crashed jumping from an airplane. The parachute did not open... Even if she did not die in battle, Luka continued, but she was preparing to become an air fighter, to defend her Motherland. The commander relented.

Participating in the defense of Moscow, the commander of the 29th IAP, Luka Muravitsky, achieved excellent results. He was distinguished not only by sober calculation and courage, but also by his willingness to do anything to defeat the enemy. So on September 3, 1941, acting on the Western Front, he rammed an enemy He-111 reconnaissance aircraft and made a safe landing on the damaged aircraft. At the beginning of the war, we had few planes, and that day Muravitsky had to fly alone - to cover the railway station, where the ammunition echelon was being unloaded. Fighters, as a rule, flew in pairs, but here - one ...

At first everything went smoothly. The lieutenant vigilantly watched the air around the station, but as you can see, if there are multi-layered clouds overhead, rain. When Muravitsky was making a U-turn over the outskirts of the station, he saw a German reconnaissance aircraft in the gap between the tiers of clouds. Luka sharply increased the engine speed and rushed across the Heinkel-111. The Lieutenant's attack was unexpected, the "Heinkel" had not yet had time to open fire, as a machine-gun burst pierced the enemy, and he, descending steeply, began to flee. Muravitsky caught up with the Heinkel, opened fire on it again, and suddenly the machine gun fell silent. The pilot reloaded, but apparently ran out of ammunition. And then Muravitsky decided to ram the enemy.

He increased the speed of the plane - "Heinkel" is getting closer and closer. The Nazis are already visible in the cockpit ... Without reducing speed, Muravitsky approaches almost close to the Nazi aircraft and hits the tail with a propeller. The jerk and propeller of the fighter cut through the metal of the tail unit of the Non-111 ... The enemy plane crashed into the ground behind the railroad tracks in a wasteland. Luca also hit his head hard on the dashboard, aim and lost consciousness. I woke up - the plane falls to the ground in a tailspin. Gathering all his strength, the pilot with difficulty stopped the rotation of the machine and brought it out of a steep dive. He could not fly further and had to land the car at the station...

Having healed, Muravitsky returned to his regiment. And again fights. The flight commander flew into battle several times a day. He was eager to fight and again, as before the injury, the fuselage of his fighter was carefully displayed: "For Anya." By the end of September, the brave pilot already had about 40 air victories, won personally and as part of a group.

Soon one of the squadrons of the 29th IAP, which included Luka Muravitsky, was transferred to the Leningrad Front to reinforce the 127th IAP. The main task of this regiment was to escort transport aircraft along the Ladoga highway, cover their landing, loading and unloading. Acting as part of the 127th IAP, Senior Lieutenant Muravitsky shot down 3 more enemy aircraft. On October 22, 1941, Muravitsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command, for the courage and bravery shown in battle. By this time, 14 enemy aircraft were already downed on his personal account.

On November 30, 1941, the commander of the 127th IAP, Senior Lieutenant Maravitsky, died in an unequal air battle, defending Leningrad ... The total result of his combat activities, in various sources, is estimated differently. The most common figure is 47 (10 victories won personally and 37 as part of a group), less often - 49 (12 personally and 37 in a group). However, all these figures do not fit in with the figure of personal victories - 14, given above. Moreover, in one of the publications it is generally stated that Luka Muravitsky won his last victory in May 1945, over Berlin. Unfortunately, exact data is not yet available.

Luka Zakharovich Muravitsky was buried in the village of Kapitolovo, Vsevolozhsky District, Leningrad Region. A street in the village of Dolgoe is named after him.

Many cultural figures participated in the Great Patriotic War: directors, writers, sculptors, composers. Kultura.RF remembers those whose front-line stories are not so often addressed in the press.

Ernst Unknown

Ernst Unknown. Photo: meduza.io

Ernst Unknown. Photo: regnum.ru

Ernst Unknown. Photo: rtr-vesti.ru

One of the most famous Soviet sculptors Ernst Neizvestny fought as a junior lieutenant on the 4th Ukrainian Front as part of the airborne troops. He participated in many military operations, including the storming of Budapest.

Just a couple of weeks before the end of the war, Unknown was seriously wounded in Austria: “I was wounded very badly, an explosive bullet pierced my chest, knocked out three ribs, three intervertebral discs, tore the pleura. I only found out much later that I was almost Rambo, because I killed twelve fascists. And it was hand-to-hand combat, face to face in the trenches. And, of course, I began to die. While I was being transported, the Germans were bombing with might and main, I also got a blast wave, a shell shock was added. So in the end I was all chained in plaster, completely insane. And at some point I was considered dead and taken to the basement. Once the orderlies, young boys, dragged me. But it’s hard, they awkwardly threw me off - what to reckon with the dead ?! And then something happened to the plaster, it moved, I yelled. I was resuscitated…”

Ernst Neizvestny was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the medal "For Courage".

Evgeny Vuchetich

Fidel Castro and Evgeny Vuchetich, Mamaev Kurgan. Photo: v1.ru

Mamayev Kurgan. Photo: mkrf.ru

Evgeny Vuchetich. Photo: stoletie.ru

The author of the legendary monument to the memory of the Great Patriotic War "Motherland" Yevgeny Vuchetich volunteered for the front from the first days of the war. At first he served as an ordinary machine gunner, but a year later he received the rank of captain. "During one of our offensives,- recalled Vuchetich, - a mine fell between me and the young lieutenant running ahead. In several places, its fragments pierced my overcoat. It worked out. And the lieutenant fell. Having caught up with him, I turned around, literally for a moment, but ran further: the offensive continued ... "

In 1942, during the assault on Lyuban, Vuchetich was shell-shocked and spent many months in the hospital. As soon as he began to walk again and was able to restore his speech, he was enrolled as a military artist at the M.B. Grekov. After the war, Yevgeny Vuchetich was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree.

In the work of the sculptor, military experience became decisive. Vuchetich said: “Do you think I don’t want to sculpt a naked woman, admire the beauty of the body? I want to! But I can't, I can't. I have to carry the idea in every thing, to be a soldier".

Mikhail Anikushin

Mikhail Anikushin. Photo: gup.ru

Mikhail Anikushin. Photo: kudago.com

Mikhail Anikushin. Photo: nuz.uz

From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Mikhail Anikushin, the author of the monument to Pushkin on Arts Square in St. Petersburg, fought in the militia. For a long time he participated in the defense of Leningrad, and in his free time from the battle he wrote sketches, sculpted figures of fighters.

One case especially stuck in the memory of Anikushin: “In the winter of forty-two - forty-three, for some urgent front-line business, I ended up in the city. On the square near the Technological Institute I saw a small group of fighters in white camouflage coats. Armed with machine guns, apparently scouts, they were heading to the front line. Suddenly, a girl of about fourteen ran out of the nearest front door - thin, in a woolen scarf hastily thrown over her shoulders - and, shouting something, rushed to one of the soldiers. He stepped towards her, hugged her impulsively, kissed her. The soldiers stopped, waiting. Who was he, a soldier, this girl's father, brother? Do not know. This scene lasted only a few moments. Then the scouts moved on, and the girl disappeared into the front door. I still see the whole picture in an unusually tangible way.”.

On May 9, 1945, the war did not end for Anikushin: he was sent to the Trans-Baikal Front to participate in the war with Japan. After the end of World War II, Mikhail Anikushin was awarded the medals "For Courage", "For the Defense of Leningrad", "For the Capture of Warsaw", "For the Capture of Berlin".

Andrey Eshpay

Andrey Eshpai. Photo: mega-stars.ru

Andrey Eshpai. Photo: 24today.net

Andrey Eshpai. Photo: vmiremusiki.ru

When the war began, the future famous composer Andrey Eshpay was very young. At the age of sixteen, he so much dreamed of getting to the front that he walked 30 kilometers to the flight unit in 30-degree frost to sign up for volunteers. However, then Eshpay was refused, and he got to the war only at the end of 1944, when he graduated from the Orenburg Machine Gun School.

He graduated from Eshpay and courses of military translators, which helped him to find out many fascist firing points during interrogation of prisoners. For this contribution to the future victory, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star. Among the composer's many medals are "For the Capture of Berlin" and "For the Liberation of Warsaw".

Here is how Eshpay recalled the military events years after Victory Day: “I always talk about war with caution. All the heroes in the damp land - the war claimed the best. It's a burning smell. Cinder, cinder, cinder from Moscow to Berlin. In the midst of smoke and fire, the friendship of fighters is a very special feeling, I understood it well there, near Berlin. The very concept of "I" somehow disappears, only "we" remains. I had two beloved friends, the bravest of the bravest - Volodya Nikitsky from Arkhangelsk, Gena Novikov from Tashkent. We were inseparable, helped each other more than once. Both of them went through the whole war and both died in the battles for Berlin, in the last hours of the war. War cannot be spoken of in words. Even if you do not write specifically about the war, it is still present in the work of the artist who was at the front. Anyone who has not been on the battlefield will never know what war is ... "

Here is how he recalled his last war days: “In December 1944, we reached the capital of Hungary. Pest was occupied by the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, and Buda, standing on the hills, was to be taken by us. Heavy street fighting went on for about three months. I, as the head of the engineering service, had to collect sapper units from different regiments and attack with them ... "

After the end of the war, Ullas was awarded two orders of the Red Star, medals "For the capture of Budapest", "For the capture of Vienna", "For the liberation of Belgrade".

Outstanding figures of the Patriotic War of 1812

His Serene Highness Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov of Smolensk.

Commander-in-Chief of all armies in the Patriotic War (appointed on the 8th, arrived to the armies on August 17), general of infantry, 67 years old, during World War II he was promoted to field marshal general and granted the title of Smolensky. His previous career was extremely varied. A lot of military service, first under the command of Rumyantsev, then Suvorov: then independent command of large detachments and armies in the wars with the Turks and in the war of 1805 with Napoleon. Before his appointment as commander-in-chief in the Patriotic War, he already enjoyed wide popularity in society and among the troops. In battles he was wounded twice. In 1774, a bullet hit the temple and exited at the right eye, the eye was lost forever. In 1778, during the siege of Ochakovo, an enemy bullet hit the cheek and went to the back of the head. For the assault on Izmail in 1790, he received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree and promoted to lieutenant general (now - lieutenant general), and the following year, for the case at Machin, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. In 1798 he was promoted to general of infantry and appointed inspector of troops in Finland. In 1801 he was appointed Lithuanian military governor, in 1802 - military governor of St. Petersburg, but then he soon retired and remained in it until 1805, when he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army, was sent to help Austria in the war with Napoleon.

For Borodino, Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal general and received 100,000 rubles, for Tarutino - a golden sword with diamonds and laurel wreaths, for the victory near Krasnoye and in general in the Smolensk province - the title of "Smolensky", for the final result of the Patriotic War - the Order of St. George 1st degree. On April 6, upon arrival in Bunzlau (in Prussian Silesia), he could not follow the army further and remained here, and died on April 16, 1813. The memory of Kutuzov in the army is immortalized by assigning his name to two regiments, which were called so: the 2nd Infantry Pskov General Field Marshal Prince Kutuzov-Smolensky Regiment and the 13th Don Cossack General Field Marshal Prince Kutuzov-Smolensky Regiment.

M.B. Barclay de Tolly.

Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Western Army, General of Infantry. Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly, 52 years old. In the wars of 1813-1815. promoted to field marshal general and received the dignity of a prince. Participated in Catherine's wars with the Turks, the Swedes and the Poles. During the Polish War of 1794, he received the Order of St. George, 4th degree. He participated in the war with Napoleon in 1806-1807, received the Order of St. George 3rd degree and St. Vladimir 2nd degree and the rank of lieutenant general, was seriously wounded. Participated in the war with Sweden 1808-1809. Commanding a separate corps, in 1809 he made the famous winter passage through the Gulf of Bothnia (via Kvarken) and occupied the Swedish city of Umeå. Then he was promoted to general of infantry and appointed Finnish governor-general. In January 1810 he was appointed Minister of War, and in 1812 - Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Western Army, leaving the position of Minister of War. For Borodino, Barclay de Tolly received the Order of St. George, 2nd class. In September 1812 he left the army. From the Tarutinsky camp, he went to his estate and did not take part in the Patriotic War anymore. After World War II, Barclay took part in the wars of 1813 and 1814, first commanding the 3rd Russian and then the Russian-Prussian armies. He received the Order of St. George, 1st degree, first as a count, and then as a prince, and a field marshal's baton. He died in 1818 and was buried at his estate in Livonia.

Prince P.I. Bagration

Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration - Commander-in-Chief of the 2nd Western Army, infantry general, 47 years old, with a brilliant previous military career. Almost from the day he was promoted to officer, he took part in each of the skirmishes against the Chechens (1783, 1784, 1786 and 1790), and in one of the battles he was seriously wounded. Under the command of Suvorov, he participated in the siege and capture of Ochakov (1788) and in 1794 in the war with Poland. In 1799, with the rank of Major General (34 years old), he participated in the Italian and Swiss campaigns of Suvorov. He rendered invaluable services to our army in the war against Napoleon in the Austrian theater in 1805.

The war of 1805 gave him the rank of lieutenant general (40 years) and the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Then he participated in the wars: 1806-1807. (with Napoleon) and 1808-1809. (with Sweden). In 1809 he was appointed commander-in-chief of our army in the war with Turkey and marked his activities by taking Machin, Girsov, Brailov and Ishmael and defeating Seraxir and Rassevat, but the siege of Silistra was not successful. In 1810, he handed over the command of the army to Count Kamensky, received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. During the Patriotic War, with the rank of general of infantry (47 years old), he was appointed commander-in-chief of the 2nd Western Army. In the Battle of Borodino, Bagration showed his rare qualities and stubbornly defended the section of the position entrusted to him. Being wounded in the Battle of Borodino (by a fragment of a grenade in the leg with bone damage), he was forced to leave the army and went to his estate, in the Vladimir province, where he died a little over two weeks later and was buried. For the Battle of Borodino, he was granted 50,000 rubles with the most merciful rescript of the sovereign.

Count M.I. Platov

Matvey Ivanovich Platov, chieftain of the Don Cossacks, entered the service at the age of 13, and at the age of 20 he commanded a Cossack regiment in the Turkish War (1774). Before World War II, he was already the ataman of the Don Cossacks, a cavalry general and had the Order of St. George of the 3rd and 2nd degrees. During the Patriotic War he commanded all the Cossack troops. The first brilliant case of Platov's Cossacks was near Mir on June 27 and 28, 1812. His especially outstanding activity began during the pursuit of Napoleon's army during its retreat from Maloyaroslavets to Smolensk and further to the Berezina, then to the Neman. Platov inflicted a particularly heavy defeat on the enemy in the Smolensk province (on the Vop river of the viceroy's corps and near Dubrovna on the Dnieper river to the remnants of Ney's corps), for which he was elevated to the dignity of a count. During the pursuit of the enemy by the Platov Cossacks during the Patriotic War, more than 18,000 people were wounded and killed and about 40,000 people were taken prisoner (including 10 generals and more than 1,000 officers), 15 banners and 364 guns. Participated in subsequent wars with Napoleon. Platov's name gained immense popularity throughout Europe. He died in 1818. A monument was erected to him in Novocherkassk. His name was given to one Cossack regiment, which was called the 4th Don Cossack regiment of Count Platov.

L.L. bennigsen

Cavalry General Leonty Leontyevich Bennigsen. By the beginning of the Patriotic War, his career was, in fact, over. He reached the highest rank (general of the cavalry), had the Order of St. George of the 2nd degree and St. Andrew the First-Called for Pultusk and Preussisch-Eylau in the war of 1806-1807, the glory of victory over Napoleon's troops in these battles, as well as at Gutstad and Heilsberg in the role of commander-in-chief of our army in the war of 1806-1807, but ended it with a Friedland defeat. After that, he was out of work and until the Patriotic War he lived in his estate near Vilna. From the arrival of the sovereign to the army in Vilna, in April 1812, he was with the Person of His Majesty. With the departure of the sovereign from the army, he remained at the main apartment of the 1st Army. He was one of the ardent supporters of the transition of our armies to the offensive, in his letters to the sovereign he condemned Barclay. With the appointment of Kutuzov as commander in chief, he was appointed chief of his main headquarters. After the battle of Borodino and the withdrawal of our army to Moscow, he was especially in favor of accepting the battle in a position in front of Moscow. At his insistence, we attacked Murat from the Tarutino camp. Bennigsen was the instigator and main manager of this battle and was awarded diamond badges to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (he himself had already had the order before) and 100,000 rubles. After this battle, in a letter to the sovereign, he insulted and denigrated Kutuzov, hostile relations were established between the commander-in-chief and his chief of staff, and the sovereign allowed Kutuzov to remove Bennigsen from the army; under the pretext of illness, the latter left. in the wars of 1813 and 1814. commanded the army, elevated to the dignity of a count and received the Order of St. George, 1st degree. Died 1826

Count F.V. Rostopchin

Rostopchin - during the Patriotic War, the commander-in-chief in Moscow, or in the present, the Moscow governor-general, 49 years old. He began his service in L-Guards. Preobrazhensky Regiment in the reign of Catherine the Great. He acquired the special love of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, the future Emperor Paul I, who, upon his accession to the throne, promoted Rostopchin to major general and appointed him adjutant general to report on military affairs. Then he enjoyed the special favors of the emperor, receiving orders, gifts, rich estates: in 1799 he was elevated to the dignity of a count, then appointed chief director of the postal and telegraph department and a member of the State. Council (37 years). After the death of Emperor Paul I, he retired and lived in Moscow, devoting his leisure time to literature. Before the Patriotic War, namely in May 1812, he was promoted to general of infantry and appointed commander in chief in Moscow. In this post, he sought to maintain a patriotic mood and hatred for the enemy invading the fatherland; to do this, he compiled, printed and distributed appeals, which were called "Rostopchinsky office". After the cleansing of Moscow by the enemy, Rostopchin returned there and, remaining for another two years its commander in chief, did a lot to revive it from the ashes and ruin. In 1814 he was dismissed from this position and appointed a member of the State. council, and in 1823, at his own request, he was dismissed from this position. Died 1826

Lieutenant General Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky

This is one of the most popular heroes of the Patriotic War. During this war, he commanded the 7th Infantry Corps, which was part of Bagration's army, with which he had been connected by ties of friendship since their common participation in the war of 1806-1807. At the very beginning of the war, for the cause at Saltanovka (July 11), his name thundered and became popular in the army; in this matter, he, by heroic selflessness and the risk of losing his two sons, gave the troops of his corps an example of valiant behavior when attacking the enemy.

When on August 2, Neverovsky's detachment was attacked by superior enemy forces, and both of our armies were north of Smolensk, Raevsky flew from there to the rescue of Neverovsky, joined him on August 3 with superior enemy forces.

In the battle of Borodino, he fought in the center of our position, defending the central redoubt, which received his name - "Raevsky's batteries". This point, which we stubbornly held almost until the end of the Battle of Borodino. Then he took a glorious part near Maloyaroslavets and near Krasnoy. For Maloyaroslavets he received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree. During the war of 1814 he received the Order of St. George, 2nd class. He died in 1839, a cavalry general and a member of the Council of State.

Major General Paisiy Sergeevich Kaisarov

He was Kutuzov's adjutant in the war of 1805 with Napoleon and in the Turkish war of 1808-1812, and then in the same war - the ruler of the office of the commander in chief and secretary of the peace congress in Bucharest. In the Patriotic War, he arrived with Kutuzov in the army with the rank of colonel and was appointed general on duty with him; was soon promoted to major general. Participated in the battle of Borodino and in the military council in Fili. When the persecution of Napoleon's army began after the battle at Maloyaroslavets, Kaisarov received command over Platov's advanced units and caused a lot of harm to the enemy. After the enemy was expelled from Russia, he returned to his former place under Kutuzov, where he remained until his death. In 1813 he received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree. He reached the position of corps commander and the rank of general from infantry. Died 1833

Infantry General Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov

One of the most energetic figures of the Patriotic War, despite his middle age. His combat reputation was firmly established already in the previous wars with Napoleon in 1805 and 1806-1807. (he was especially heroic in the battle of Austerlitz); for these wars, he already had the Order of George 3rd degree and Alexander Nevsky. During World War II he commanded the 6th Infantry Corps, which was part of the 1st Army. At the very beginning of the war, the enemy almost cut off this corps from the 1st Army, stretched along the border, but with reinforced marches (transitions up to 60 miles), Dokhturov managed to connect with his army. Glorious is his participation in the defense of the city of Smolensk on August 5th. The sovereign granted him 25,000 rubles for Smolensk. In the Battle of Borodino, Dokhturov commanded the center of the combat disposition, and after Bagration's retirement, he commanded the left wing and the 2nd Army. Dokhturov was the main leader of the battle near Maloyaroslavets. For this battle he received the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Participated in the wars of 1813 and 1814. Died 1816

Admiral P.V. Chichagov

Admiral Pavel Vasilyevich Chichagov. Until 1812, he served in the sea, combat and administrative. He began it as an adjutant to his father, Admiral Vasily Yakovlevich Chichagov, famous for his naval victories in the Baltic Sea. P.V. Chichagov also had good combat practice, in 1784 he earned the Order of St. George of the 4th degree and a golden sword "for courage". He was the main figure in the formation of the Naval Ministry, then he was appointed Comrade of the Naval Minister, and then the Naval Minister. In 1811 he was appointed to be a member of the Person of His Imperial Majesty, a senator and a member of the State. advice. At the beginning of 1812, when the sovereign was dissatisfied with the protracted negotiations between Kutuzov and the Turkish government on a peace treaty, Chichagov was sent to the Danube principalities to replace Kutuzov, but he arrived already when the peace treaty with Turkey was concluded by Kutuzov. Nevertheless, Admiral Chichagov remained the commander-in-chief of our Danube army (land) and soon led it to Volhynia to join the army of Tormasov. By connection, they formed one army, and Chichagov was entrusted with command over it. Soon the implementation of the plan to encircle Napoleon began. In pursuance of this plan, Chichagov led his army to the river. Berezina. This movement was carried out energetically: the city of Minsk was occupied, and then the Borisov crossing, fortified by the enemy, was also occupied. Berezina. But when Napoleon approached the Berezina, Chichagov succumbed to Napoleon's deception and, by the false direction of his army, gave him the opportunity to arrange on the river. Berezina a new crossing and ferry your army across this river. However, Chichagov again led the further pursuit of the remnants of Napoleon's army to Vilna and further very energetically. In 1813, due to illness, he went abroad and has not returned to Russia since that time. Died 1849

Count P.Kh. Wittgenstein

Count Peter Khristianovich Wittgenstein, lieutenant general.

He commanded the 1st separate corps and covered St. Petersburg on the routes from the river. Western Dvina. At a time when our armies were retreating and our society was strengthened by this course of the war, Wittgenstein defeated the French corps of Oudinot near Klyastsy (18 and 19 July). This victory was a bright event against a gloomy background, and Wittgenstein became the hero of the day, the idol of society: the poets sang about him, the sovereign rewarded him. Although Wittgenstein failed in the battles on August 5 and 6, due to the superiority of the enemy in number, but in October he took Polotsk from the enemy, pushed the enemy troops back across the river. Western Dvina and went on the offensive. As a reward, he was promoted to general of the cavalry. In the Berezinsky operation, he did not show much insight and energy. Subsequently, Field Marshal General and Prince (princely dignity granted by the Prussian king for the war of 1814) died in 1842. One of the regiments of the Russian army bore his name, namely: the 4th Hussar Mariupol General Field Marshal Prince Wittgenstein.

A.P. Ermolov

Lieutenant General Alexei Petrovich Ermolov. He began the Patriotic War with the rank of major general and as commander of the Guards Infantry Division: on July 1 he was appointed chief of the main headquarters of the 1st Army. This is one of the most popular figures of the Patriotic War. Occupying the influential position of Chief of Staff of the 1st Army, he was not limited to the staff role, but took personal leadership in many battles. So it was in the battle at Lubin on August 7, where he took over the leadership of the battle from Tuchkov on the 3rd until the arrival of Barclay de Tolly. In the battle of Borodino, he had the honor of recapturing the Rayevsky battery (a large redoubt) taken by him from the enemy. After the fighting near Krasnoy (November 3-6), a special detachment was formed under his command, which crossed the Dnieper with great difficulty, joined up with Platov and followed on the heels of the enemy. Yermolov also participated in subsequent wars with Napoleon, and after that he was appointed to the Caucasus, the commander of a separate corps. The history of the spread of our dominion in the Caucasus is closely connected with his name, he stayed there from 1816 to 1827, in which he retired, but in 1839 he was appointed a member of the State. advice.

He died with the rank of artillery general in 1861. Two regiments of the Russian army bore the name Yermolov: the 152nd Vladikavkaz Infantry Regiment of General Yermolov and the 1st Kizlyar-Grebenskaya Terek Cossack Army of General Yermolov, as well as one horse battery - the 2nd horse General Yermolov battery.

Count M.A. Miloradovich

Infantry General Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich. Before World War II, he already had a brilliant military past. For 28 years, in the rank of major general, he participated in the Italian and Swiss campaigns of Suvorov, who assigned him the most risky assignments. Then he took part in the war of 1805 against Napoleon in the army of Kutuzov and was promoted to lieutenant general for distinction and awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree. After that, he participated in the war against the Turks and in 1809 he was promoted to general of infantry, having only 38 years of age. At the beginning of the Patriotic War, he formed reserve troops in Kaluga and in mid-August brought them to Gzhatsk to reinforce our retreating armies. Then he took part in the Battle of Borodino, commanding the right wing. After that, he was the head of the rearguard of our armies in the absence of Moscow and further when they moved from the Ryazan to the Kaluga road, and then the permanent head of their vanguard during the pursuit of Napoleon to the Berezina. During the battle near Maloyaroslavets, he led his troops to the battlefield with a forced march, making a transition of 50 miles. He beat enemy troops in the battles near Vyazma and Krasny. He took part in subsequent wars against Napoleon. He received the Order of St. George 2nd degree, Alexander Nevsky with diamonds and St. Andrew the First-Called, as well as a golden sword with diamonds and count dignity. Killed December 14, 1825 in the post of St. Petersburg governor-general.

P.P. Konovnitsyn

Lieutenant General Pyotr Petrovich Konovnitsyn. For the Polish war of 1794, he already had George of the 4th degree. But in 1798 he was dismissed from the service. In 1806 he was again taken to the service and participated in the war of 1806-1807. against Napoleon, and then in the Swedish war of 1808, in which his participation was especially glorious and he received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree. He began World War II as head of the 3rd Infantry Division, took a prominent part in the battles of Ostrovno on July 13 (ahead of Vitebsk), Smolensk on August 5, Valutina Gora on August 7 and Borodino (temporarily took command from the wounded Bagration). At the beginning of 1812, he was appointed general on duty under the commander-in-chief, Prince Kutuzov, and became his right hand in terms of army organization and leadership of partisan operations. However, this did not deprive him of the opportunity to personally participate in the battles, he took an especially prominent part in the battle of Maloyaroslavets. During the war of 1812 he received the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. He also participated in subsequent wars against Napoleon, when he was appointed adjutant general, and at the end of 1815 - minister of war. In 1817 he was promoted to general of infantry. He remained in the position of Minister of War until 1819, when he was appointed director of military educational institutions and the Imperial Lyceum of Tsarskoye Selo, at the same time he was elevated to the dignity of a count. Died 1822

F.P. Uvarov

Adjutant General, Lieutenant General Fedor Petrovich Uvarov. A young cavalry general with the Order of St. George, 2nd class (received in 1810 in the war against Turkey). While still in the rank of major general, he was granted the rank of adjutant general by Emperor Paul. During World War II, he commanded the 1st Reserve Cavalry Corps, which was part of the 1st Army. He took a particularly prominent part in the Battle of Borodino. He also participated in the subsequent Napoleonic Wars, when he was promoted to cavalry general and awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree. After these wars, he was one of the favorite adjutant generals of Emperor Alexander I. In 1821 he was appointed commander of a separate guards corps. Died 1824

Count V.V. Orlov-Denisov

Adjutant General, Lieutenant General Count Vasily Vasilyevich Orlov-Denisov. Participated in the wars against Napoleon 1806-1807. and earned the Order of St. George 4th degree, and then in the Swedish War of 1808. and 1500 prisoners, for which he was awarded the Order of St. George 3rd degree. He participated in the wars of 1813 and 1814, became famous for the famous attack of the Life Cossacks on the flank of Murat's numerous cavalry in the Battle of Leipzig (October 4, 1813). He died in 1844 with the rank of general of the cavalry. His name was given to one regiment of the Russian army, which is called the 9th Don Cossack Adjutant General Count Orlov-Denisov Regiment. His ashes were transported to Novocherkassk in 1911.

Count A.P. Ozharovsky

Adjutant General Adam Petrovich Ozharovsky. During the pursuit of Napoleon's army from Maloyaroslavets, Ozharovsky commanded one of the advanced flying units. His actions were distinguished by energy and courage. Caused a lot of damage to the enemy. He died in 1855, a member of the State Council.

I.S. Dorokhov

Major General Ivan Semenovich Dorokhov. He participated in the Turkish and Polish wars of Catherine's time, showed special distinction in the war with the Poles in 1794, received two ranks for military distinctions. In the war of 1806-1807. received the Order of St. George 3rd degree. At the beginning of World War II, he commanded a brigade. Being part of the 1st Army, at the very beginning of the war he was cut off from it and almost surrounded by the enemy, but managed to get out (dexterity and determination), joined the 2nd Army and then covered its retreat from the north. Participated in the Smolensk battles, on August 7 he was wounded, but remained in the ranks. For the battle of Borodino he was promoted to lieutenant general. Especially prominent and glorious activity of Dorokhov began after the occupation of Moscow by the enemy, it consisted in bold raids by large detachments on the messages of the enemy. The first such raid was made to with. Perkhushkov on the Smolensk road and was crowned with a brilliant result. This was in the tenth of September, and in the last days of the same month, Dorokhov made a raid on a point fortified by the enemy near the Smolensk road, namely, on the city of Vereya. The enemy surrounded this city with a high earthen rampart with a palisade and occupied it with a whole battalion, with the aim of making it a stronghold in the fight against attacks by our partisans on their communications. On September 29, at dawn, Dorokhov appeared in front of Vereya quite unexpectedly and without a shot led his soldiers to attack. The garrison, taken by surprise, rushed to arms already when our soldiers broke into the city, but defended stubbornly, part of it was killed, and the rest laid down their weapons, Dorokhov captured 15 officers (with a battalion commander) and more than 350 lower ranks with a banner . Having distributed 500 captured guns to the inhabitants, Dorokhov went to another point indicated to him by the commander-in-chief. For this deed, he was granted a saber with diamonds and the inscription: "For the liberation of Vereya." In the battle near Maloyaroslavets, Dorokhov was seriously wounded and forced to leave the army. After that, he fell ill for more than two years and died in 1815. Feeling the approach of death, he wrote a will in which he addressed the inhabitants of Vereya with the following words: “If you have heard about General Dorokhov, who liberated your city from the French, then I expect you to pay for this reward, give me three arshins of land for eternal my peace at that church, where I took the fortification of the enemy by storm. His wish was fulfilled, and he was buried in the city of Vereya.

D.V. Davydov 2nd

Lieutenant Colonel Denis Vasilyevich Davydov. The famous partisan of the Patriotic War, the initiator of the use of partisan actions in it. Before World War II, he already had a good military school, which he passed under the command of two glorious warriors - Bagration and Kulnev. At the first he was an adjutant in the war of 1806-1807. against Napoleon, and then into the Turkish war. Together with Kulnev, he participated in the Swedish war of 1808-1809. and, according to Davydov himself, “in the instructive school of this vigilant and brave warrior, he completed the outpost service course and learned the price of a Spartan life necessary for anyone who decided to serve, and not play with the service.” Thus, the Akhtyrsky hussar regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Davydov, shortly before the Battle of Borodino, proposed a partisan method of action. Having opened partisan actions after the Battle of Borodino, Davydov led them throughout the entire Patriotic War. The largest of his cases: the capture of the Augereau brigade over Lyakhov (together with the partisans Seslavin and Figner and the cavalry of Count Orlov-Denisov), the occupation of Grodno. Participated with glory in our subsequent skirmishes with the troops of Napoleon, which he graduated as a major general.

Subsequently, he participated in the Caucasian wars and the Polish war of 1830-1831. He was promoted to lieutenant general and retired. In 1838, he raised the issue of transferring the ashes of Bagration to the Borodino field and was appointed to accompany his transportation, but a few months before, in April 1839, he died. D.V. Davydov was not only a glorious warrior, but also a poet, his poems, of which there are many, are original. The originality of his poetic work was recognized by A.S. Pushkin, who said that he was D.V. Davydov owes the fact that he did not succumb to the imitation of Zhukovsky, but went on his own, since Davydov, with his work, made him feel that it was possible to be original. In addition to poetry, Davydov left several military writings, the largest of his military literary works - "Experience and Theory of Partisan Actions."

A.N. Seslavin

Captain Alexander Nikitich Seslavin. One of the glorious partisans of the Patriotic War and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars. Prior to that, he participated in the wars of 1805 and 1806-1807, was wounded and earned a golden weapon with the inscription "For Bravery". Then he participated in the Turkish war and was again wounded. During World War II, he was first adjutant to the commander-in-chief of the 1st Army, Barclay de Tolly, for the battle of Borodino he received George 4th degree. With the opening of partisan actions, he became one of the most glorious partisans.

A case of his activity that was especially important in terms of its results was the timely opening of the movement of Napoleon's army to Maloyaroslavets. When Napoleon left Moscow with his army, Seslavin prowled with his partisans along the Kaluga road. Having tracked down the movement of large enemy forces, he was at the village. Fominsky climbed a tree and, unnoticed, watched the passage of Napoleon's army, and saw Napoleon himself, passing in a carriage. Having let them through, he captured several prisoners from among the stragglers and learned from them that the entire enemy army was heading through Maloyaroslavets to Kaluga. With this news, he immediately galloped to Tarutino with a report to the commander in chief, but on the way he met Dokhturov's corps, moving towards Fominsky, and reported to him about what he had seen. This report prompted Dokhturov (on the advice of Yermolov) to turn the corps to Maloyaroslavets and block the enemy's path to Kaluga there, which was done and was of great importance for the further course of the war. During the pursuit of Napoleon's army from Maloyaroslavets to Smolensk and further to the Berezina, and then to the Neman, a detachment of Seslavin's partisans relentlessly hung on the enemy's flank, at times overtaking him, delivered valuable information to the commander-in-chief, liberated cities that were away from the path of our army from enemy garrisons, established contact with the separately operating army of Wittgenstein and the army of Chichagov and others.

On October 28, Seslavin, together with the partisans of Davydov and Figner, with the assistance of the cavalry of Count Orlov-Denisov, forced the enemy brigade of Augereau to lay down their arms near Lyakhov. For this, he was promoted to colonel. During the occupation of Vilna, he burst into it on the shoulders of the enemy cavalry, and was wounded. He showed the same activity in the wars of 1813-1814. and was promoted to major general. After the Napoleonic Wars, covered with nine wounds, he left the service. Died 1858

A.S. Figner

Captain Alexander Samoilovich Figner is a famous partisan of the Patriotic War, about whose activities there are many stories of an almost legendary nature. Before the Patriotic War, he already had the Order of St. George, 4th degree, for delivering important information by a very bold reconnaissance of the Turkish fortress Ruschuk in the war of 1810. He began the Patriotic War as an officer in the 2nd artillery brigade and participated with honors in the battle on August 7 (at Lubin), in which with its own battery, located beyond the river. Stroganya, kept the French onslaught on our left wing and repulsed the attack of the enemy infantry on this battery. With the discovery of partisan actions, Figner became one of the most daring, to the point of insolence, partisans. He made up his mind and knew how, while disguised, to penetrate the enemy's disposition, to enter into conversations with the officers of the enemy army, to listen to their conversations and thus obtain a lot of important information. This course of action was made easier for him by his knowledge of many foreign languages. Together with Davydov and Seslavin and the cavalry of Count Orlov-Denisov, at Lyakhov on November 28 he forced the enemy brigade of General Augereau to lay down their arms. Continuing his activities in 1813, Figner laid down his life in Germany, already being a colonel and an adjutant wing, having received both for distinction. Surrounded by enemy cavalry with his small partisan detachment, he rushed into the Elbe River (near Dessau in Saxony), but, struck by a bullet, drowned.

This text is an introductory piece.