Since December 1941, as the 438th Infantry Division, 01/07/1942 renamed the 167th Infantry Division. The backbone of the division was the party and Komsomol activists of Magnitogorsk. From there, in April 1942, she was sent in trains to the west, and underwent further manning and further formation in Morshansk.
In the active army during the Second World War from 07/02/1942 to 05/11/1945.
From Morshansk the division marched to Zadonsk, and from there south along the right bank of the Don, joining the operational group of General Chibisov. On July 19, 1942, she arrived in Surikovo by march, on July 20, 1942 she was awaiting an enemy attack, on July 21, 1942 at 15:00 she went on the offensive, occupied Malaya Vereyka and the dominant height, and suffered heavy losses. On 08/21/1942 it replaced units of the 1st Tank Corps near the village of Bolshaya Vereyka north of Voronezh, where it conducted the defense until the start of the Voronezh-Kastornensky operation.
From January 26, 1943, it breaks through the defenses in the area of the village of Terbuny (until 1954 this was the territory of the Kursk region), advances in the general direction to Kastornoye, then Manturovo and further to Sumy, reached Stary Oskol, from where from February 1, 1943 it advances during Kharkov operation, during which it reached Sudzha through the area south of Oboyan.
From March to August 1943, the division was on the defensive near the city of Sumy, in the area of the villages of Kiyanitsy and Pushkarevka, located in the southwestern part of the Kursk Bulge.
From 08/20/1943 he goes on the offensive, breaks through the defenses in the area of the village of Velikaya Chernetchina (Sumy district of the Sumy region), crosses Psyol, 09/02/1943 with part of his forces participates in the liberation of the city of Sumy, 09/16/1943 liberates Romny, 09/24/1943 crosses the Desna in the area of the village Pukhovka (Brovary district, Kiev region).
On September 28, 1943, the division crossed the Dnieper near Vyshgorod, liberated the city and formed a bridgehead, which, however, could not be held. Then the division was transferred to the north and, under continuous shelling and bombing, on 10/08/09/1943 crossed to the Lyutezhsky bridgehead. In October 1943, he fought hard to hold the bridgehead. From there, on November 3, 1943, it launched an attack on Kyiv in the direction of Svyatoshino, broke through the defenses in the area of the village of Pushcha-Voditsa, cut the Kiev-Vasilkov-Fastov road, and already on November 6, 1943 it broke into the western and northern outskirts of the city, and was fighting in Kyiv itself. It continued its offensive in a southwestern direction, and in November 1943 repelled the heaviest enemy counterattacks in the Fastov area.
In December 1943, it went on the offensive during the Zhitomir-Berdichev offensive operation, and by the end of the operation it had reached
During the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky operation, it fought with the enemy group, making its way to the troops encircled in Korsun-Shevchenkovsky, and found itself in one of the main directions of attack, while from January 13, 1944, the 465th Infantry Regiment fought fierce battles surrounded for 15 days near the village of Tikhonovka, the remnants of the regiment were able to leave as a result of an attack by the main forces of the division.
From 04/02/1944 it was transferred from the area of encirclement of a group of German troops north-west of Kamenets-Podolsk through Yabluniv to the approaches to the cities of Druzhba and Buchach, where it fought until July 1944, and from 06/23/1944 to 07/28/1944 it fought in the area of the cities of Rohatyn , Khodorov, 07/19/1944 is fighting in the area of the settlement of Glinna.
Then it went on the offensive during the Lvov-Sandomierz operation in the direction of the village of Ozeryany and the city of Zborov, crossed the Dniester, and on 08/03/1944 fought on the bridgehead on the right bank of the Dniester in the area of the village of Krupsko. 08/06/1944 participates in the liberation of the city of Drohobych
In September 1944, he fought heavy battles in the Carpathians, during the East Carpathian operation, forced
From 04/07/1945 he participated in the Moravian-Ostrava operation, crossed the Oder River twice in different places: the first time on 04/20/1945, during the redeployment north of Moravian Ostrava and the second, after the redeployment and resumption of the offensive on Moravian Ostrava from the north-west from 04/25/1945 - 04/30/1945, after which she got involved in battles for the city of Moravska Ostrava. After taking the city through Olomouc, the division proceeded to Prague.
Over 14 thousand soldiers of the division were awarded orders and medals, 108 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (including 98 for crossing the Dnieper and storming Kyiv).
19.06.1907 - 27.01.1944
Hero of the Soviet Union
| Decree dates | |
| 1. | 10.01.1944 |
M Akarov Ivan Konstantinovich - platoon commander of the 615th Infantry Regiment of the 167th Sumy-Kyiv Infantry Division of the 38th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front, sergeant.
Born on June 19, 1907 in the village of Volosovka, Mikhailovsky district, Ryazan region, in a peasant family. Russian. Primary education. He worked as a foreman on a collective farm.
In the Red Army since 1941. In the active army since June 1942.
On June 28, 1942, the Wehrmacht, according to the Blau plan, launched a powerful attack at the junction of the 13th and 40th armies of the Bryansk and Southwestern fronts. Tank hordes of the Nazis rushed to Voronezh and the Don. The Soviet defense was broken through, but at the intermediate lines, individual units and formations fought heroically, slowing down the Nazi offensive with all their might.
The 615th Infantry Regiment of the 167th Infantry Division of the 40th Army took up defense in the Voronezh direction right in the wheat field. At this time, new unfired reinforcements arrived in the regiment. Among the newcomers was Private Ivan Makarov. Here he took his first battle, firing a machine gun at the Nazi infantry, cutting it off from the tanks, while the artillerymen hit the tanks with direct fire. The enemy was stopped here for 3 days. And although they had to fight back to the Don, the Nazis did not go further than Voronezh here. In one of the battles, Makarov carried a wounded squad leader.
The calm that ensued at the front was often interrupted by counterattacks and reconnaissance searches. Taking up defensive positions near the village of Bolshaya Vereyka and on the Vereisky Heights, the fighters tried in every possible way to help the Stalingraders, to divert more Nazi forces from the fighting city. Now, already as a junior sergeant, Makarov commanded a rifle squad.
In 1943, the offensive began. The 38th Army, which now included the 167th Rifle Division, fought its way to the borders of Ukraine in the winter of 1943. Makarov and his squad liberated many villages and towns in the Kursk region.
In August 1943, from the borders of the Kursk Bulge, Soviet troops rushed to Ukraine. Makarov's squad took part in fierce battles for the regional center of Ukraine, the city of Sumy. For the first time, Makarov had to lead fighters in a street battle in a big city. And the squad commander handled this task with honor. The 167th Rifle Division received its first honorary name - Sumskaya.
At the end of September 1943, having reached the Dnieper north of Kyiv, the division immediately began crossing it. Sergeant Makarov was appointed commander of a rifle platoon, which crossed to the west bank near the village of Vyshgorod, Kyiv region. As a result of month-long battles in October 1943, the Lyutezh bridgehead was not only preserved by such heroes as Sergeant Makarov, but also expanded. It turned out to be the most strategically important for the attack on the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv.
On the morning of November 6, 1943, our troops completely captured Kiev. The 167th Rifle Division became known as the Sumko-Kyiv Division. And on November 12, the commander of the 615th Infantry Regiment of the 167th Infantry Division, Major Morozov, wrote on the award sheet: “Participating in the battles to liberate the city of Kiev, platoon commander of the 5th company, Sergeant Ivan Konstantinovich Makarov, showed an example of heroism. Despite strong rifle, machine gun and artillery and mortar fire, he repeatedly burst into enemy trenches with his platoon, causing panic and putting the enemies to flight. On November 6, 1943, inspired by the personal example of the commander, one of the first platoons broke into enemy trenches, destroyed and captured over thirty soldiers and officers, captured four machine guns and an anti-tank gun, thereby ensuring the movement of the entire unit forward. Sergeant Ivan Konstantinovich Makarov is presented with the highest award - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union."
U of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on January 10, 1944 for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism shown to Sergeant Ivan Konstantinovich Makarov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Before the battles for the Dnieper and Kyiv, Sergeant Makarov had neither wounds nor awards. Fate protected the soldier even in the most fierce battles. However, Makarov did not manage to receive either the “Golden Star” or the Order of Glory, which he was awarded for the battles on the Lyutezh bridgehead.
In January 1944, two Ukrainian fronts began the Korsun-Shevchenko operation. The 38th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front closed our tank breakthrough to the south from the north. As a result, a large fascist group found itself in a cauldron. The Nazis made a large breakthrough in a western direction to Shenderovka. The Nazis launched a relief strike towards them. Here, on the outer front of the encirclement, they were met by soldiers of the 38th Army.
Soviet soldiers fought to the death. On January 27, 1944, after the end of the battle, that single bullet of Sergeant Makarov was found. He led the defense of his platoon in the area of the regional center Lysyanka. When all attacks had already been repulsed and the enemy rolled back to their original positions, Makarov and his soldiers began to evacuate their comrades from the snowy field. At that moment, that single shot from the wounded SS man was heard...
The Hero was buried in a mass grave in the village of Votylevka, Lysyansky district, Cherkasy region.
In his native village, near the school and in the village of Gryaznoye, Mikhailovsky district, memorial plaques were erected in honor of the Hero.
Awarded the Order of Lenin, Order of Glory, 3rd degree.
I strongly welcome you! Igor Vasilievich, good afternoon. Good afternoon. Let's continue. Yes. Today we will continue the topic about the barrage detachments, which, according to the beliefs of our accusers, necessarily stood behind the backs of the Red Army soldiers and accordingly drove them into battle, because otherwise our people for some reason did not go into battle for Stalin. Or they shot in advance, like Mikhalkov. Before we even got there, they had already shot us. Yes. These are the beliefs we have now. Moreover, unfortunately, it must be said that such ideas are very common. But, as we found out last time, reality, as always, is very different from what whistleblowers tell us. That is, in reality, we did have barrage detachments, and there were several types of them, which were created at different times and had different subordination. As we remember, there were barrage detachments under 3 departments, which later became Special Departments (that is, NKVD), there were barrage battalions and divisions created in September 1941, but which also, oddly enough for our alternative gifted public, instead of shooting their fighters in the back, they participated in battles with these fighters, including here near Leningrad. And finally, there were also barrage detachments created by the territorial bodies of the NKVD. Now we, in fact, come to the very famous order No. 227, which was issued in the summer of 1942, when the Germans broke through to the Caucasus and Stalingrad. In principle, we have such a widespread idea that barrage detachments appeared exactly then. But in reality, as I said, this is not the case. There, another type of barrage detachment was created, that is, the army. Actually, I will quote here this order, No. 227 of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR I.V. Stalin, which was given on July 28, 1942. Just with regards to barrage detachments: “To the military councils of the armies and, first of all, to the commanders of the armies: b) form within the army 3-5 well-armed barrage detachments (200 people each), place them in the immediate rear of unstable divisions and oblige them in the event panic and disorderly withdrawal of division units, shoot panickers and cowards on the spot and thereby help honest division fighters fulfill their duty to the Motherland.” "Alarmists and cowards." In our country, yes, we always have people who, let’s say, have problems understanding Russian speech, and from this they conclude that... It’s easy to blame everyone, yes. Yes. But in reality, the idea was to stop fleeing units and shoot those who were causing panic. Including in front of the formation, but not with a machine gun and everyone, but selectively. Accordingly, this order is issued on July 28. In pursuance of this order, on August 1, the commander of the troops of the Stalingrad Front, Lieutenant General V.N. Gordov gives his order No. 00162/op, which, again, regarding the barrier detachments, says the following: “The commanders of the 21st, 55, 57, 62, 63, 65th armies will form five barrier detachments within two days, and the commanders of 1 1st and 4th tank armies - three defensive detachments of 200 people each. 5. Subordinate the barrage detachments to the Military Councils of the armies through their special departments. Place the most combat-experienced special officers at the head of the barrage detachments. The barrage detachments will be staffed with the best selected fighters and commanders from the Far Eastern divisions. Provide barrier detachments with vehicles. 6. Within two days, restore in each rifle division the barrage battalions formed according to the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command No. 01919. The defense battalions of the divisions will be equipped with the best worthy fighters and commanders. Report execution by August 4, 1942.” As we see, these new army barrier detachments are being formed here, in accordance with Order 227, and the barrier battalions that existed in all divisions since September 1941 are also being restored. But since, again, these are these kinds of measures, they are by and large needed during a retreat or in defense. Since in the winter of 1942 our army, on the contrary, tried to counter-offensive (and in a number of places successfully), then there, accordingly, the need for such measures temporarily disappeared, but now it is again ordered to restore these barrage battalions too. Well, there were also barrage detachments under the Special Departments, which showed themselves in the same Battle of Stalingrad. And here I will immediately quote the message of the Special Department of the NKVD of the Stalingrad Front dated August 14, 1942 “On the progress of the implementation of order No. 227...”: “In total, 24 people were shot during the specified period of time. So, for example, the commanders of the squads of the 414th Infantry Regiment, 18th Infantry Division, Styrkov and Dobrynin, chickened out during the battle, abandoned their squads and fled from the battlefield, both were detained by the barrier detachment and, by order of the Special Division, were shot in front of the formation.” I dare say that the squads remained in place; it was the commanders who abandoned their subordinates and ran to the rear. It happens, yes. Further: “A Red Army soldier of the same regiment and division, Ogorodnikov, self-injured his left hand, was convicted of the crime, for which he was put on trial by a military tribunal. Based on order No. 227, three army detachments were formed, each with 200 people. These units are fully armed with rifles, machine guns and light machine guns.” Yes, by the way, I’ll clarify here: this is a report about the 4th Tank Army, which was part of the Stalingrad Front, that is, these three detachments were formed in it. “Operative workers of special departments have been appointed as heads of detachments. As of August 7, 1942, the indicated barrier detachments and barrier battalions detained 363 people in units and formations in army sectors, of which: 93 people. escaped encirclement, 146 lagged behind their units, 52 lost their units, 12 came from captivity, 54 fled from the battlefield, 2 with dubious wounds. That is, a suspicion of a crossbow. As a result of a thorough check: 187 people were sent to their units, 43 to the staffing department, 73 to special NKVD camps, 27 to penal companies, 2 to a medical commission, 6 people were arrested and, as indicated above, 24 people. shot in front of the line." What needs to be clarified here: it turns out that almost more than half of them were returned to their units without any reprisals, 43 - they would not go to their department, but to the staffing department, 73 - were sent to special NKVD camps, which were engaged in filtering prisoners of war, about which I already told you during one of the programs. For checking. And again, for the vast majority of them this test will end successfully. Well, there, accordingly, 27 people were sent to penal companies, 6 were arrested, 2 who had suspicious wounds, they will apparently be checked to see how they got it, and 24 were shot. That is, again, instead of a brutal machine-gun execution, people were actually dealt with here and indeed some were subjected to, as they say now, repression, but to say that these were innocent people and suffered indiscriminately is somehow in general... Well, the key thing is - They were not caught in the back by machine-gun fire in combat positions during the battle, but were detained in the rear behind the front line. In general, according to this order No. 227, as of October 15, 1942, that is, in approximately two months, 193 army barrier detachments were formed, including 16 of them on the Stalingrad front and 25 on the Don (that is, this actually in the area of the Battle of Stalingrad). At the same time, from August 1 to October 15, 1942, barrage detachments along the entire Soviet-German front detained 140,755 military personnel who had escaped from the front line (let’s remember this figure - 140-odd thousand). Of those detained, 3,980 people were arrested (that is, about 4 thousand), 1,189 people were shot, 2,776 people were sent to penal companies, 185 people were sent to penal battalions, 131,094 people were returned to their units and transit points. That is, again, it turns out that the number of people who were subjected to some kind of, let’s say, repression is less than 10%. The overwhelming number of those detained, and those who fled from the battlefield, were simply returned to their units so that they could continue to fulfill their military duty. Again, let’s go back, that is, through simple surveys they find out who ran, who ran first, who shouted “Let’s run.” Well, naturally, we must have a special conversation with the identified citizens, with the organizers - with alarmists and deserters. Well, the fact that they were shot - yes, but what did you want, now, wartime. Now they will break through and then ten times more will die, so you must be eliminated like rabid dogs. This is practically true. Because, indeed, even starting from the times of the ancient world and the wars of that time, the army suffers its main losses during flight, and not during defense. Accordingly, since the Battle of Stalingrad was going on at that time, we are interested in what was happening on the Don and Stalingrad fronts. On the Don Front during this period (from August 1 to October 15, 1942) 36,109 people were detained (that is, approximately 36 thousand), but of these: 736 people were arrested, 433 were shot, 1,056 people were sent to penal companies, to penal battalions - 33 people and 32,933 people were returned to their units and to transit points. That is, the proportion is approximately the same; in fact, there is an even greater number of people for whom everything turned out well. Well, in general, it is quite clear that the fighting there is really very brutal, so it really happens that the nerves can’t stand it and begin to retreat, but they were simply brought to their senses and brought back. In general, to put it mildly, it is strange: to destroy your own personnel against the backdrop of battles and the advancing enemy. And on the Stalingrad Front, accordingly, 15,649 people were detained, of which 244 were arrested, 278 were shot, 218 were sent to penal companies, 42 were sent to penal battalions, and 14 were returned to their units and to transit points. 833 people. That is, the overall percentage of repression here is somewhere around 5%. Again, here I’ll just give a few examples of how the barrier detachments acted on the Stalingrad front during this battle. For example: “On August 29, 1942, the headquarters of the 29th Infantry Division of the 64th Army of the Stalingrad Front was surrounded by enemy tanks that had broken through, units of the division, having lost control, retreated to the rear in panic. The barrier detachment under the command of State Security Lieutenant Filatov, taking decisive measures, stopped the soldiers retreating in disarray and returned them to the previously occupied defense lines. In another sector of this division, the enemy tried to break through into the depths of the defense. The barrier detachment entered the battle and delayed the enemy's advance. On September 14, the enemy launched an offensive against units of the 399th Infantry Division of the 62nd Army. The soldiers and commanders of the 396th and 472nd rifle regiments began to retreat in panic. The head of the barrier detachment, junior lieutenant of state security Yelman, ordered his detachment to open fire over the heads of the retreating people. As a result, the personnel of these regiments were stopped and two hours later the regiments occupied their previous lines of defense.” That is, right here, it would seem, this brutal scene - that machine-gun fire was opened, but over the heads of the retreating and in the end, accordingly, the soldiers of these two regiments were not shot from machine guns by their own, but were brought to their senses and returned back to their previous positions defense lines and the enemy was stopped. “On September 20, the Germans occupied the eastern outskirts of Melekhovskaya. The combined brigade, under enemy pressure, began an unauthorized withdrawal. The actions of the barrier detachment of the 47th Army of the Black Sea Group of Forces brought order to the brigade. The brigade occupied its previous lines and, on the initiative of the political instructor of the company of the same barrier detachment, Pestov, through joint actions with the brigade, the enemy was driven back from Melekhovskaya.” That is, here, by the way, this is not the first time we have seen a scene when a barrage detachment not only stops fleeing or delays retreating fighters and brings them to their senses, but then, together with them, enters into battle with the Germans and, accordingly, also often suffers losses . Actually, this was the case in 1941, say, near Leningrad (I quoted documents), and this was also the case near Stalingrad. Again, here, for example: “On September 13, 1942, the 112th Rifle Division, under enemy pressure, withdrew from its occupied line. The barrier detachment of the 62nd Army, under the leadership of the detachment chief, State Security Lieutenant Khlystov, took up defense on the approaches to an important height. For four days, the soldiers and commanders of the detachment repelled attacks by enemy machine gunners, inflicting heavy losses on them. The barrier detachment held the line until the military units arrived.” Again, after two days, i.e. September 15-16: “The barrier detachment of the 62nd Army successfully fought for two days against superior enemy forces in the area of the Stalingrad railway station...” At the same time, although this formation itself is small, as we remember, consisting of two hundred people However, they were able not only to repel the German attacks, but also to counterattack and inflict significant losses on the enemy in manpower, and held out until the arrival of regular army units. At the same time, moreover, as noted in the documents, such extremes were observed that the barrier detachments were used as ordinary linear units. Here it is said about this: “A number of facts have been noted when barrage detachments were used incorrectly by individual commanders of formations. A significant number of barrage detachments were sent into battle along with linear units, which suffered losses, as a result of which they were withdrawn for reorganization and barrage service was not carried out.” Well, below are several specific examples when barrage detachments were used in this way as ordinary units. At the same time, approximately 65-70% of the personnel suffered losses. And of course this was not always justified. In general, in order to roughly assess the situation in which these people acted in the same Stalingrad, you can look at a number of award sheets that are now posted on the Internet, since we have been running the “Feat of the People” project for several years. And there you can see how our, as we put it, “bloody KGB” looked from this point of view. For example, senior lieutenant Vasily Filippovich Finogenov, who held the position of adjutant of the senior battalion, this was the name of the battalion chief of staff at that time (this is an army term). Here he is, a senior adjutant of the 1st Army Detachment, born in 1918, Russian, non-partisan: “Working as a senior adjutant in the 1st A.Z.O. 62 armies for the defense of Stalingrad, fulfilling the order of NKO No. 227, about 6,000 soldiers and commanders were detained who were sent to their units for the defense of Stalingrad...” That is, these are the duties according to the staff, what the barrage detachment is supposed to do - stop the fighters and return them to their units. Further in this award we read the following: “It was ordered by the head of the Special Department of the NKVD of the 62nd Army to close the gap with a barrier detachment and prevent the enemy from reaching the Volga in the area of plant 221. On October 16, 1942, the detachment fought, he personally, on the orders of the detachment chief, led the battle of the 2nd company and destroyed 27 fascists with light machine gun fire. The mortar crew of the 201st mortar battalion was out of action, he organized mortar fire and did not allow the enemy to accumulate for an attack. There was a case when the Germans attacked him while going around the defense area of the barrier detachment, here he destroyed 6 Nazis with machine gun fire.” The man was serious. Yes. But, unfortunately, it was. Because for these exploits he was awarded the medal “For Courage”, and a few months later he was wounded and died in the hospital. By the way, here again in this barrage detachment there were a number of such people who distinguished themselves then. Here, for example, Ivan Ilyich Andreev, Red Army soldier, fighter of the 1st Azot Division of the 62nd Army, born in 1925, Russian, non-partisan. As we can see, this is 1942, respectively, he is a maximum of 17 years old, and most likely even 16: “... While serving in a barrage detachment while closing a gap in the area of the Barrikady plant, he organized mortar firing from the 201st mortar battalion, crew which was destroyed and thereby prevented the enemy from gathering for an attack.” Apparently, the two of them were acting here together with Senior Lieutenant Finogenov. The following example, again from the same barrier detachment, Stepan Stepanovich Limarenko, political officer of the 1st AZO (army barrier detachment), 62nd Army, born 1916, Russian, member of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks): “In the fight against German fascism for the defense of Stalingrad, political officer Comrade Limarenko Stepan Stepanovich, fulfilling his duties as a fighter of a detachment, under enemy fire, he detained 78 unstable Red Army soldiers who left their defensive positions and tried to retreat back. Comrade Limarenko detained them and forced them to take their previous positions. The very functions of the bloody gebni are to stop the Red Army soldiers and bring them back. We read further: ...On October 16, 1942, Comrade Limarenko, together with Red Army soldier V.P. Chernodymov. detained two PTR rifles with crews who, having seen German tanks, left their positions and retreated to the rear of their defense. Comrade Limarenko installed a PTR rifle, from which he destroyed three enemy tanks on Sculpture Street. Why even the most German tanks failed to reach the Volga.” The military man Limarenko spoke seriously. And here is an award sheet for the Red Army soldier Chernodymov, who was with Limarenko. Born in 1921, Russian, member of the Komsomol: “Participating in the fight against German fascism to protect the city. Stalingrad, Red Army soldier Comrade V.P. Chernodymov, being a fighter of the barrier detachment, steadfastly carries out the order of NKO No. 227. At the same time, Comrade Chernodymov, on October 16, 1942, together with political officer Comrade Limarenko, detained the crew of two PTR rifles with guns, which were seen by German tanks trying to pass to the rear along Sculpture Street for our units; this crew abandoned their positions and went to the rear. Comrade Chernodymov personally destroyed two enemy tanks with a PTR rifle, the rest returned back.” The only thing that is not clear here is this. What do they have, a total of five German tanks were knocked out or they still counted each one. But even if, say, three for two, it’s still... A lot. Yes. Because they used anti-tank rifles, that is, in general, this is truly a feat. These are the situations. Moreover, many such cases are described here. For example, two soldiers of the 4th barrier detachment of the 62nd Army (that one was the 1st detachment, and this is the 4th), they saved an ammunition depot that was located on the shore the very next day, that is, October 17, 1942 The Volga, respectively, the Germans bombed it, a fire broke out there, and two soldiers, instead of scurrying away, as many would have done in such a situation, they tried to save this warehouse. I will even read out the award sheets: “Kurbanov Tadzheddin Agalievich. Red Army soldier, fighter of the 4th detachment of the NKVD OO of the 62nd Army. Born in 1919, Lezgin, candidate of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). While at the post near crossing No. 62 on October 17, 1942, the crossing was heavily bombed by enemy aircraft, as a result, shells and mines were set on fire in an ammunition depot near the crossing. Comrade Kurbanov, despite the bombing and the fact that the ammunition was burning and exploding, rushed to save them. Thanks to his courage and bravery, the ammunition was saved." Accordingly, the following people also took part in extinguishing this fire together with him: “Obozny Nikolai Ivanovich. Red Army deputy political commander, fighter of the 4th barrier detachment of the NKVD OO of the 62nd Army. Born in 1915, Russian, member of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). While on October 17 of this year at a post near crossing 62, the crossing and post where he stood were subjected to heavy bombing by enemy aircraft, as a result of which a warehouse with ammunition from Katyusha and other shells and mines was set on fire. Comrade Obozny, despite the fact that the shells were exploding, rushed to take them away. Thanks to his courage and bravery, the fire was extinguished and the ammunition was saved. Comrade Obozny is worthy of being awarded the medal “For Military Merit.” "Stunned. That is, again, as we know, our creators who make our current Russian films about the war are very fond of portraying our special officers or NKVD soldiers as well-fed cowardly creatures who can only hide behind other people’s backs. As we see, in reality the vast majority of them acted in a completely different way. And indeed, in general, they not only carried out their function of establishing order, but also actually behaved, as befits real fighters. As I already said, in fact, during the Battle of Stalingrad we observed three types of barrage detachments in action at once: barrage detachments under Special Departments, small, newly created army barrage detachments and division barrage battalions. At the same time, the army barrier detachments and division barrier battalions operated closer to the front, i.e. they often entered into battle and stopped mass panic on the front line, while, like barrier detachments under special departments, they were already serving further in the rear, on communications, in order, again, to filter the contingent that was coming, and to detain people who deserted or, let's say, inappropriately there are in the rear zone. Since during the Battle of Stalingrad the concepts of front and rear were already quite conditional, because there the Germans pressed us almost to the Volga, this division of labor was also often not observed. For example: “On October 15, 1942, during fierce battles in the area of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, the enemy managed to reach the Volga and cut off the remnants of the 112th Infantry Division, as well as the 115th, 124th and 149th, from the main forces of the 62nd Army separate rifle brigades. At the same time, there were repeated attempts among the senior command staff to abandon their units and cross to the eastern bank of the Volga. Under these conditions, to combat cowards and alarmists, a special department of the 62nd Army created an operational group under the leadership of senior intelligence officer Lieutenant of State Security Ignatenko. Having united the remnants of the platoons of special departments with the personnel of the 3rd army barrier detachment, she did an exceptionally great job of restoring order, detaining deserters, cowards and alarmists who tried to cross to the left bank of the Volga under various pretexts. Within 15 days, the task force detained and returned to the battlefield up to 800 privates and command personnel, and 15 military personnel, by order of special authorities, were shot in front of the line. “We see the ratio, that is, 800 people were detained, 15 of them were shot before the formation, but the rest were simply returned to formation and again continued to fight. Accordingly, if this bloody KGB had not happened, then what would have happened - first the commanders, and then the unstable fighters, would have tried to cross to the other side of the Volga, abandoning their positions, and in the end it could have ended... From the point of view of today's civilians, it seems It would be understandable - no one wants to die and therefore, we will retreat, there we will be alive and will be able to further benefit the Motherland. But the whole trouble is that it was necessary to bring benefit to the Motherland at the moment, standing firmly right here, and not running anywhere. Having received an order, it must be carried out. Sometimes at the cost of your own life. In general, yes, absolutely. Because, indeed, from the point of view of common sense, you want to be away from the front line, but from the point of view of military duty, you need to carry out the order that is given to you. I will give a few more examples from the Don Front. This is a memo dated February 17, 1943, “On the work of special agencies to combat cowards and alarmists in parts of the Don Front for the period from October 1, 1942 to February 1, 1943”: “October 2, 1942, during the offensive of our troops, individual units The 138th Infantry Division, met by powerful artillery and mortar fire from the enemy, faltered and fled in panic back through the battle formations of the 1st battalion of the 706th Infantry Regiment, 204th Infantry Division, which were in the second echelon. Thanks to the measures taken by the command and the division's barrage battalion, the situation was restored. 7 cowards and alarmists were shot in front of the line, and the rest were returned to the front line. On October 16, 1942, during an enemy counterattack, a group of 30 Red Army soldiers from the 781st and 124th Rifle Divisions showed cowardice and began to flee the battlefield in panic, dragging other soldiers with them. The army barrier detachment of the 21st Army, located in this area, eliminated the panic by force of arms and restored the previous situation.” Actually, here what we see, again, the key words are that these 30 people, they not only fled, but at the same time, as rightly said, they dragged other military personnel with them. Because, unfortunately, man, by definition, is a herd creature, as you know, we came from the wild, from social animals, and therefore, everyone runs, then... “Everyone ran, and I ran.” Yes. And therefore, naturally, it is necessary for people to be found who would stop this panic and, accordingly, bring to their senses those who are participating in such an escape. “On November 19, 1942, during the offensive of units of the 293rd Infantry Division, during an enemy counterattack, two mortar platoons of the 1306th Infantry Regiment, together with platoon commanders, junior lieutenants Bogatyrev and Egorov, left the occupied line without orders from the command and, in panic, abandoned weapons, began to flee the battlefield. A platoon of machine gunners from an army barrage detachment located in this area stopped the fleeing people and, having shot two panickers in front of the formation, returned the rest to their previous lines, after which they successfully moved forward.” That is, again, as we see, two alarmists were identified and shot, but at the same time, the rest of the fighters, in general, as they say, came to their senses and continue to carry out their duty quite successfully. But, unfortunately, these are realities that are generally far from the ideals of humanism that are preached to us today. Since today it is believed that human life is the highest value, it is therefore natural that a coward and selfish person should apparently be inviolable. I will give another example: “On November 20, 1942, during an enemy counterattack, one of the companies of the 38th Infantry Division, which was at a height, did not offer resistance to the enemy, and without orders from the command began to randomly retreat from the occupied area. The 83rd barrier detachment of the 64th Army, serving as a barrier directly behind the battle formations of units of the 38th Infantry Division, stopped the fleeing company in panic and returned it back to the previously occupied section of the height, after which the company personnel showed exceptional endurance and tenacity in battle with the enemy." That is, as we see, there was no need to shoot anyone here; simply, roughly speaking, people running in panic had to be stopped, brought to their senses, returned back to the same positions that they occupied, after which they quite successfully and steadfastly carried out your military duty. I would also note that if they were returned to their positions, then it is not indicated that the Germans had already occupied these positions and they were kicking someone out of there, they simply abandoned the trenches and began to scatter, obeying some kind of, apparently, momentary impulse. We met the barrier detachment, talked and returned back, and sat down again in our places. Well, there is no need to give in to momentary impulses. This, in fact, is, in general, a quite common situation, not only during that war, but also in other conflicts, when people can simply move away from the fact that, roughly speaking, panic rumors have spread that we passed around or just started shooting very hard at the front line. A black sheep spoils the whole flock. It's true. Accordingly, barrage detachments acted in this way during the Battle of Stalingrad. Well, the next large-scale battle, when again our troops had to defend so staunchly, this, as you know, was the Kursk Bulge. - in the summer of 1943. And accordingly, again, the barrier detachments took part in this and acted quite successfully. For example, say, on the very first day of this battle on the Kursk Bulge, i.e. July 5, 1943: “The 13th Army, the 2nd Battalion of the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 15th Division, led by the battalion commander, Captain Rakitsky, left his line without permission and retreated in panic to the rear of the division, where he was detained by a detachment and returned to battle. » Let me note: not by machine-gun fire, but by the personnel of the barrage detachment. Accordingly, further: “From July 5 to July 10, 1943, the barrage detachments of the Voronezh Front detained 1,870 people. Most of them were military personnel who had lost contact with their units. In the process of filtering them, 6 deserters, 19 self-harmers and 49 cowards and alarmists who fled from the battlefield were identified and arrested. The rest of the detainees (that is, almost 1,800 people) were returned to duty.” Here I have a document like a special message from the head of the Smersh counterintelligence department of the 69th Army of the Voronezh Front, Colonel Stroilov, about the work of the barrier detachments from July 12 to July 17, 1943. What does he report there: “In order to carry out the task of detaining the rank and file and commanding officers of formations and army units that left the battlefield without permission, the Smersh Counterintelligence Department of the 69th Army organized 7 barrier detachments from the personnel of a separate company on July 12, 1943 , 7 people each, headed by 2 operational workers. The indicated detachments were deployed in the villages of Alekseevka - Prokhodnoye, Novaya Slobodka - Samoilovka (there are a number of other names, I will not read them out). As a result of the work carried out by the detachments from July 12 to July 17 this year. inclusive, 6,956 rank and file and command personnel were detained who had left the battlefield or emerged from encirclement of enemy troops.” Next is where all these people came from. What was done with them: “It should be noted that the number of detained military personnel, starting from July 15, sharply decreased compared to the first days of the work of the barrier detachments. If on July 12, 2,842 people were detained, and on July 13, 1,841 people were detained, then on July 16, 394 people were detained, and on July 17, only 167 people were detained, and those who had escaped the encirclement of enemy troops. The mass withdrawal of rank and file, command and command personnel from the battlefield by the barrier detachments organized by us, which began at five o’clock on July 12, 1943, was basically stopped at 16 o’clock on the same day, and subsequently stopped completely.” Accordingly: “Of the number of detainees, 55 people were arrested, of which: 20 people suspected of espionage, 2 suspected of terrorism, 1 traitors to the Motherland, 28 cowards and alarmists, 4 deserters. The rest of the military personnel from among the detainees were sent to their units . Due to the fact that the withdrawal of military personnel from the battlefield has been stopped, I have removed the barrier detachments, and their personnel have been sent to perform their direct military duties.” By the way, here we see that these were barrage detachments that were created precisely under a special department, i.e. something that has been in effect since the beginning of the war. Yes, I’ll also further explain that this famous “Smersh” is mentioned here, it was just created the day before, or rather, not the day before, but several months before that, on April 19, 1943, the Directorate of Special Departments of the NKVD, it was again transferred to the Army and accordingly reorganized into the Main Directorate of Counterintelligence "Smersh" of the People's Commissariat of Defense. Accordingly, people from there, i.e. from Smersh, they acted like this - they stopped those who retreated in such a panic in the face of the enemy. Accordingly, here is another document, a memorandum addressed to V.S. Abakumov on the results of an inspection of counterintelligence units of the 13th and 70th armies of the Central Front from July 12 to July 30, 1943, signed by Colonel Shirmanov: “In order to prevent possible panic and to combat cowards deserting the battlefield, I together with the heads of departments "Smersh" of the 13th and 70th armies in all divisions, brigades and regiments, barrage and barrier groups were organized under the leadership of the operational staff of the armies, corps, and divisions. As a result of these events, in the area of the 13th and 70th armies, about 1,300 military personnel were detained in an unorganized manner leaving the battlefield, among whom cowards and alarmists, deserters, self-harmers and other anti-Soviet elements were identified. Most of the military personnel were returned in an organized manner to their positions and took part in the battles.” That is, again, we see that it is practically the same as in the previous documents. Well, I’ll read one more note. Memorandum from the head of the Smersh counterintelligence department of the Central Front, Major General A. Vadisa dated August 13, 1943 about, respectively, the work for July 1943: “By strengthening the barrage service both behind combat formations and in the rear of units, 4,501 people were detained in the reporting period, of which: 145 people were arrested, transferred to the prosecutor’s office - 70 people, transferred to the NKGB - 276 people, sent to special camps - 14 people, sent to units - 3303 people.” That is, again, it turns out, however, there are still about 2/3, a little more, who were simply sent to their units. Of the indicated number, the counterintelligence bodies "Smersh" of only one army, where the head of the Department, Colonel Pimenov, detained: elders - 35 people, police officers - 59 people, those who served in the German army - 34 people, those who were in captivity - 87 people, subject to conscription into the spacecraft - 777 people. Of these, 4 agents of the German gendarmerie were arrested and exposed.” That is, here, among other things, the process of checking our people who visited the German occupation also begins and, accordingly, some of them could again behave, so to speak, incorrectly. Well, many suffer because they checked those who ended up in the occupied territories. Firstly, everyone left the occupied territories, evacuated to the east, that’s it. Secondly, once there, you could do very different things, for example, wash the floors in the commandant’s office and report to the partisans about what was happening in the commandant’s office, or you could serve as a policeman in this commandant’s office, walk around with weapons, arrest, shoot fellow citizens. Well, you probably have to answer for this. Somehow it doesn’t fit at all, everyone is so white and fluffy, and, probably, in order to reveal this, it is necessary to carry out checks. Probably, in order to carry out checks, some citizens need to be taken into custody and even, oh, horror! To arrest. The same thing, characteristically, is happening now. By the way, in one of our previous conversations he just gave an example about one of the testing and filtration camps and how the same elders were checked there, and how it turned out that some of them were not even released, but even hired into the NKVD cadres. That is, apparently, these were either our agents, or those people who showed themselves so well in precisely that capacity, as assistants to the partisans, underground fighters, that they were, in general, assessed accordingly according to their merits. Well, those who served the Germans did so in good faith, so to speak, with an attitude... From the heart. Yes. They became “innocent victims of illegal Stalinist repressions,” as we put it. I recently got a little sidetrack and bought a book called, in my opinion, “Thank God, the Germans have come.” And there are memoirs of some scum named Osipov, they used to be on the Internet... There was some woman in the occupied city of Pushkin, here we had one near Leningrad... Yes, I remember this one. There is such patented scum there that I don’t even know how... well, these are not people... there is some kind of, you know, collective cross between Gozman and Novodvorskaya. Nothing changes. You are such a caliber of scoundrels that a normal person, I don’t know, wouldn’t sit next to you in a field. Quiet horror... And what do you have, you should have been sorry, or what? But the scum went with the Germans, first to Riga, then to Berlin, and then, of course, as scum befits, it ended up in the USA. Well, yes. By the way, Egor and I want to review this book separately. Well, returning, in fact, to our topic, since after the Kursk Bulge a radical turning point in the war took place, i.e. We have already gone to advance and liberate first our territory, and then the occupied countries of Europe, and accordingly, the need for such units and subunits that are engaged in defensive service gradually disappeared. And as a result, on October 29, 1944, an order was issued by the People's Commissar of Defense I.V. Stalin No. 0349 “On the disbandment of individual barrage detachments,” which sounded like this: “Due to the change in the general situation at the fronts, the need for further maintenance of barrage detachments has disappeared. I order: 1. Individual barrage detachments be disbanded by November 13, 1944. The personnel of the disbanded detachments will be used to replenish rifle divisions. 2. Report the disbandment of the barrage detachments by November 20, 1944.” That is, this is where, in fact, the combat path of the army barrier detachments ended. Well, it’s clear that the same platoons that were attached to the Smersh organs continued to operate until the end of the war, because the functions of protecting the rear, accordingly, detaining a suspicious element, etc., were never removed in any normal army. they are still executed in one structure or another. In general, to summarize, these are cruel times, terrible circumstances, they require cruel and terrible measures. An order called “Not a step back!” was known among the troops. There is a wonderful book by citizen Simonov, “The Living and the Dead,” which, in my opinion, shows very, very well how the military personnel treated this order, what they thought and said about it. It was necessary - it was, it was no longer necessary - and they dissolved it. By the way, on this occasion, I’m just talking about what people said, I’ll quote one veteran, accordingly, his memoirs were published somewhere in the 2000s. This is a certain M.G. Abdulin, he served in the 293rd Infantry Division during the Battle of Stalingrad. And there was an interview with him, we had such a magazine “Brother”, in my opinion, and now it is still published: “- Mansur Gizatulovich, tell us how the famous order No. 227 was adopted in the trenches? - It was a harsh order. He appeared when the retreat reached the Volga. And it was a strong sobering agent - “Not a step back!” The order stopped people. There is confidence in the neighbors on the right and left - they will not retreat. Although it was not easy to realize that there was a barrage detachment behind you. - How did these detachments operate? “I don’t know of a case where they shot at those retreating.” In the first weeks after the order, those who were guilty, and some who were not so guilty, fell under the “new brush.” I remember I was sent from a company to observe the execution of seventeen people “for cowardice and alarmism.” I had to tell my people about what I saw. Later I saw a barrage detachment under very dramatic circumstances. In the area of the Five Kurgan Heights, the Germans pressed us so hard that we fled, throwing away our overcoats, wearing only tunics. And suddenly our tanks, and behind them the skiers - a barrage detachment. Well, I think this is death! A young Estonian captain approaches me. “Take,” he says, “the overcoat from the dead man, you’ll catch a cold...” This is an eyewitness account and there are quite a lot of such examples. But in general, no one gives examples of shooting them with machine guns. Only at Nikita Sergeich Mikhalkov's cinema. More precisely, how to say, we still have our accusers, they are, as they say, like a fool with a written bag, still running around with a fragment from the memoirs of tanker Loza, who was a participant in the events when the commander ordered to fire tank machine guns in front of the fleeing people in order to stop them . But again, those who tried to wave this around, respectively, either did not read the text carefully, or were simply distorting it. Because the fire was not to kill, but precisely to stop. Well, they don’t understand such little things, it doesn’t matter, “they killed everyone anyway.” It really did end up that several people were killed there, but this... well, what to do if a unit is running and, accordingly, if these people are not stopped, then the losses will be much greater. As citizen Papanov said: “They will screw you, but don’t steal.” That's it, no need to run, you need to honestly fulfill your military duty. Thank you, Igor Vasilievich. What about next time? And next time, continuing this theme of bloody KGB, we can consider how our penal units operated and existed: that is, penal battalions and penal companies. Great. Looking forward to. Thank you. That's all for today. Until next time.
More than once on the website “Feat of the People” I “came across” award sheets dated 1948 and 1949. Awards for veterans, disabled war veterans, who were written off from the Red Army due to severe wounds at the height of hostilities.
And so, during my regular work with the site, I came across a large selection of similar award sheets for “crippled warriors”, natives of Penza and neighboring regions. Of course, I became interested in the divisions through which Memory Watches take place.
As a result, I found one Penzyak from the 202nd division, serving in an artillery regiment, in the spring of 1942 he was seriously wounded. There was a fellow countryman from the 61st Infantry Division, but he served in the division of the second formation. And then I saw a document for a soldier from the 167th division. The 520th joint venture was part of it.
The 167th Infantry Division was located to the left of the Penza 61st Rifle Division.
"Testimony of a prisoner
Prisoner of war Colonel Mark Ivanovich Churikov, Russian, married, commander of the 465th infantry regiment (167th infantry regiment, 63rd infantry regiment) says:
The commander of the 167th Infantry Division was Major General Rakovsky, who after the battle at Zborovo became a lieutenant general. The commander of the 63rd infantry regiment was Major General Petrovsky, who also received the rank of lieutenant general.
Division regiments: 465th, 520th and 615th rifle regiments, 620th regiment. Since mid-July, the 465th Infantry Division occupied the front section west of Rogachev and covered the 61st Infantry Division with its right wing.”
http://voenspez.ru/index.php?topic=35504.0
On the page of the above military forum there is a minimum of information about the 520th regiment. And absolutely nothing about the events of July 15, about the day when the Red Army soldier Salnikov was seriously wounded.
http://voenspez.ru/index.php?topic=13211.0
And then the OBD Memorial website became a “tip.” There is a “funeral” posted there for a soldier who died on July 15, 1941.
So, some things have become clear. Now we know where Stepan Stepanovich Salnikov was seriously wounded. He lived a long life and in 1985 was awarded the Jubilee Order of the Patriotic War.
By the way, when I finished writing the draft of the post, I found awards for the seriously wounded from the 61st SD of the first formation. I'll post it. Later.
I, Philip Efimovich Kasatonov, was born on June 15, 1924 in the village of Leski, Prokhorovsky (Belenikhinsky) district, Belgorod (Kursk) region, into a poor peasant family. The war divided my life, like many Soviet people, into three periods: pre-war, war and post-war period.
My youth was in the difficult, poor times of the 30s; I grew up in a family with a very low income of 8 people. In order to somehow feed the family, my father, mother and two aunts were forced to go to work on the railroad. It was very difficult to survive during the period of widespread, sometimes forced, collectivization, during the years of crop failure, hunger and poverty. Due to poor nutrition, diseases replaced one another: night blindness, malaria, swollen bellies. But, like all my peers, I had a desire for life, a desire to achieve something, to get the right profession.
In 1933, I went to school in my native village, I went late, I was overgrown.
In 1940 he graduated from 7 classes with honors. In March 1941, I went to work as an apprentice at a bank. And on June 22, 1941, further plans to study were dramatically changed by the war. The war that changed my destiny took away the people closest to me: my mother, aunt and grandmother died during the bombing.
After the defeat of the Germans near Moscow and in the Battle of Stalingrad, the Red Army, advancing to the west, replenished its ranks with teenage volunteers along the way. In February 1943 I, among the same 18-year-old teenagers, went to the front and was enlisted in the combat crew of the 120 mm battery. mortars of the 465th Infantry Regiment of the 167th Infantry Division as a gunner.
The 167th Infantry Division went through a glorious battle path during the Great Patriotic War. In September 1941, the division of the first formation fought in the area of the city of Rogachev, suffered heavy losses, and upon leaving the encirclement it was not possible to restore it. The second formation of the division began in December 1941 in the area of the city of Sukhoi Log, Sverdlovsk Region, from where in April 1942 it was sent to the active 38th Army of the Voronezh Front. The 167th Infantry Division included: the 465th Infantry Regiment, the 520th Infantry Regiment, the 615th Infantry Regiment, the 576th Artillery Regiment, the 177th Anti-Tank Fighter Division and the 133rd Mortar Division. The division entered combat on July 21, 1942 near the village of Bolshaya Vereyka north of Voronezh. In January 1943, the division took part in the battles for Kastornoye.
In September 1943, for the liberation of the city of Sumy, the division received the name "Sumskaya", and for the liberation of the city of Romny, it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. At the end of September 1943, the division crossed the Dnieper north of Kyiv. For the liberation of the city of Kyiv, the division received the name "Kyiv".
In February 1944, the division took part in battles to encircle and destroy the Korsun-Shevchenko group of fascists. At the beginning of August 1944, the division liberated the city of Drohobych and rushed to the Carpathians. The 520th Infantry Regiment of the division received the name "Drogobych".
Having overcome the Carpathians, the division took part in battles in Poland and Czechoslovakia, liberating the cities of Kosice, Nowy Targ, Bielsko Biała and Moravska Ostrava. For its distinction in these battles, the division was awarded the second Order of the Red Banner. The division ended the war on Czechoslovak soil on the outskirts of Prague.
There were many individual combat episodes at the front - this happened every day throughout the war. I would like to dwell on the particularly significant ones.
1. I received my first baptism of fire in March 1943 near the city of Sumy in defense in the area of the village. Kiyanitsa, Pushkarevka during an artillery attack. German cannons and Vanyusha mortars incessantly bombed our battery. I was 18.5 years old. From March to September 1943 included in a 120 mm battery. mortars of the 465th Infantry Regiment of the 167th Infantry Division near the city of Sumy, in the area of the village. Kiyanitsy and Pushkarevki were on the defensive. Pursuing the retreating German troops, wedged along the front, the Voronezh Front, including the 38th Army, from Belgorod and the Central Front from Orel, formed the Kursk Bulge. The enemy sought to cut off, encircle and destroy the group of Soviet troops located on the Kursk ledge. The Germans failed to do this. In the Battle of Kursk, in the area of Prokhorovsky Field from the south and in the Ponyri area from the north, Soviet troops won a complete victory. After the end of the Battle of Kursk in September, our division went on the offensive and liberated September 2, 1943. Sumy, and September 19, 1943 Romny. The division developed a further offensive towards the Dnieper River in the direction of Kiev.
2. Crossing of the Dnieper River in October 1943. The first attempt at crossing was just opposite the city of Vyshgorod. A lot of soldiers died then; for many, the mighty river and its banks became their last refuge. The crossing attempt failed.
After this, our division was transferred at night to the right of Kyiv to the Lyutezh direction. They crossed the Dnieper early in the morning. They crossed on what: on planks, on the slopes of car wheels, and our battery, along with materiel, ammunition and horses, was carried on ferries. The enemy continuously bombed the crossing. People, equipment, and horses went under the water. After the first groups of soldiers successfully crossed the river, a pontoon bridge was built, along which most of the equipment and manpower were allowed to pass to the other side of the river. And the next morning, the bridge was destroyed by an air raid by German bombers. The enemy was launching a psychic attack, the tanks were pressing us to the Dnieper. The Germans understood how much it would cost them to capture the right bank of the river by Soviet troops. They resisted strongly. But thanks to the courage of Soviet soldiers and officers, the Germans did not manage to overturn the units that had crossed into the river. During a battle, a warrior develops such passion, such powerful strength, and he accomplishes a feat. A warrior develops two feelings that are inextricably linked - love for the Motherland and hatred of the enemy. This is how heroes are born. With machine guns in their hands, both infantrymen and artillerymen, letting the tanks pass, set them on fire from behind with grenades, and destroyed the enemy infantry cut off from the equipment. And so they held back several onslaughts. At the same time, they even expanded the bridgehead. After capturing the bridgehead, the main attack was launched. The situation required a quick deployment of our troops. The division went on the offensive towards Kyiv.
November 6, 1943 from the metro station Pushche Voditsa, Svyatoshino, Kyiv was liberated. In battles, one after another, crew numbers failed. I had to perform the duties of a gunner and loader. On the approaches to Kiev, we repelled 13 German counterattacks per day. For crossing the river. Dnieper and the liberation of Kiev I was awarded the medal "For Courage" by order of the 465th regiment No. 038/N dated December 20, 1943. This was my first and most expensive reward for military operations.
3. I would like to recall one episode of the defeat of the Korsun-Shevchenko group of Germans.
January 13, 1944 Our 465th Infantry Regiment was given the task of capturing the main road behind enemy lines, which passed through the village. Tikhonovka and Tikhonovsky forest, thus blocking the path of a large German military group that was coming to help break through the ring in the Korsun-Shevchenkovsk area. We made our way secretly through swamps knee-deep in water, the most impassable places, so that the enemy would not expose the plans of our command. Two days after our regiment captured the road, the Germans took measures to defeat our regiment. They knock us out of the village. Tikhonovka. The regiment remains only in the forest through which this road also went. But we continued to hold back the onslaught of the enemy, who was rushing towards his encircled group. As a result of this, our regiment finds itself, in turn, completely surrounded in the Tikhonovsky forest. There is no power, shells, mines and cartridges are running out. The command sent planes, and everything that was missing was dropped to us by parachute. The wind blew the parachutes to the side, and part of the cargo fell to the enemy. And this went on for 15 days, but we did not leave this road. Of course, there were very large losses in manpower and equipment. During an enemy air raid, the number of aircraft reached 100 or more, and there was continuous artillery bombing. Tikhonovsky forest turned into a living hell. There are no mines, no shells. Each fighter left one cartridge for himself in case of a German breakthrough. Our situation was on the brink of disaster.
At the scheduled hours, as it turned out after the capture of the "tongue", the enemy planned to squeeze the ring from all sides, but the commander of the 167th division in which we were, General Melnikov, gave the order to carry out a tank attack 2 hours earlier and break the ring and, thus, create exit from the environment. We completed the task assigned to us. The Korsun-Shevchenko group of Germans was defeated.
In battles near the village of Glinna on July 19, 1944. and for expanding the bridgehead on the right bank of the Dniester River on August 3, 1944. in the area of the village of Krupsko, I received a second award - the Order of Glory, III class. by order of the 167th Infantry Division No. 064/N dated September 21, 1944. This was the boundless courage and heroism of the soldiers of the 465th regiment.
4. The battles for overcoming the Carpathian ridge remain in my memory. This happened under very difficult conditions. Height up to 2.5-3 thousand m above sea level. The materiel was transported on horses, and it was very difficult to force horses, especially with a load, to climb to such a height. Everything had to be hauled up by the soldiers' hands - both materiel and ammunition. The soldiers themselves still needed to dig in and install mortars. In the trenches we stood in the water. Night, rain, feet in the water, and in the morning - frost. Frozen greatcoats hung flared on the soldiers’ shoulders. Fights were fought for every hill. There were times when in the entire battery of 60 after the battles there were only 8-10 people left.
For participation in offensive battles south of the city of Sanok 09/09/1944. and in the battle for the village of Plonna on September 14, 1944, I was awarded the Order of Glory II class. by order of the 1st Guards Army No. 059/N dated October 24, 1944. and was rewarded with five days of rest in a front-line rest house five kilometers from the front.
5. I remember when I was wounded, I was in the medical unit, the battery commander, Captain Musatov, came to see me every day (I was a gunner of a 120 mm mortar) and hurried the doctors to heal me faster and return me to duty.
Without exaggeration, I will say that my mortar was in first place in targeting enemy targets, targeting them and destroying them. Very often, the chief of artillery of the regiment after the battle came from the observation post to the battery and, before the formation, declared gratitude for the great assistance to the infantry, especially in taking the “tongue” and destroying the firing points.
And how we crossed the borders of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Germany, liberating cities! Residents greeted our soldiers with flowers - especially in Czechoslovakia. They held dances in the squares, had fun, and treated the liberating soldiers. Our stops were short, several hours long.
I remember that during the liberation of the industrial port city of Moravska Ostrava (Czechoslovakia) there were fierce battles. The enemy resisted strongly. The city stands on the Oder River, almost on the border of two states - Germany and Czechoslovakia. In order to capture this city, it was necessary to cross the Oder River twice in different places: the first time on April 20, 1945, and the second on April 30, 1945, at the time of the liberation of the city itself. During the fighting, one of the mortars of our battery failed, and the combat load on my mortar crew increased. In addition, two soldiers in my crew were wounded. Moreover, it was necessary to repel counterattacking enemy machine gunners attacking the battery firing positions.
In the fierce battles for the capture of the city of Moravska Ostrava (Czechoslovakia) during repeated, fierce counterattacks of the enemy, I was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II Art. by order of the 107th Rifle Corps No. 039/N dated July 3, 1945.
Military orders were awarded every day, and we did not always know for what military actions. And now, 62 years later, I learn information from fellow soldiers who worked at the headquarters that for the liberation of Moravian Ostrava I was awarded the Order of Glory, 1st class! It was a mistake that the command of the 107th Rifle Corps awarded me the Order of the Patriotic War, II class. instead of the Order of Glory, 1st class. was that upon receipt of the material about awarding me with the Order of Glory, 1st class, from the 167th Infantry Division, the documents should have been sent to army headquarters. But the 107th Corps was transferred from one army to another, transferred from the 4th Ukrainian Front to the Carpathian Front and redeployed from near Prague to the Ternopil region, Borshchov. During the same period, the 167th Infantry Division was subject to disbandment. And then the command of the 107th Corps decided to reward me within the framework of its authority.
This is how I did not become a full holder of the Order of Glory: Although for a soldier, being awarded this order is the highest assessment of his military feat.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief Comrade Stalin declared gratitude for the liberation of 11 main cities of Ukraine, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.
For the courage, fortitude and courage shown in the fight against the Nazi invaders and in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Art.
In 1999 awarded the Order of Ukraine "For Courage".
At the end of the war, the 167th Infantry Division returned to the city of Borshchov, Ternopil region and was located at a military town.
In December 1945 The selection of soldiers for training at the military school began. From a 120 mm battery. mortars, where I served, send two people - me and my front-line friend, Ukhaty Vladimir - to the Ryazan Automotive School for accelerated training (for 3 years according to the wartime program), and after a year they are transferred to the peacetime program - 5 years. In March 1947 servicemen born in 1924 were subject to demobilization, and after studying for 1 year and 3 months, I agreed to it. The fatigue of the war years took its toll, and I just wanted a peaceful life and profession.
After demobilization, he returned to his homeland in his native village of Leski and became involved in civilian life. Since 1947 and until 1993 worked in the state bank system - 46 years.
Award sheets
Transnational political spaces: phenomenon and practice
The book examines modern international practice through the prism of the concept of political space. It is understood as a set of rules, principles and values that guide political behavior in a certain human community. In this case, we are talking about a transnational space, where the usual framework of national politics is overcome horizontally (post-Soviet, European and transatlantic space) and/or vertically (multi-level governance). Consequences...