Young heroes of the Great Patriotic War and their exploits. Teenagers are heroes of the Great Patriotic War. A heroic deed of a person, a story about the war.

The war demanded the greatest effort from the people and enormous sacrifices on a national scale, revealing resilience and courage Soviet man, the ability to self-sacrifice for the sake of freedom and independence of the Motherland. During the war, heroism became widespread and became the norm of behavior Soviet people. Thousands of soldiers and officers immortalized their names during the defense of the Brest Fortress, Odessa, Sevastopol, Kiev, 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, the title of Hero Soviet Union Over 11 thousand people were awarded (some posthumously), of which 104 were awarded twice, three three times (G.K. Zhukov, I.N. Kozhedub and A.I. Pokryshkin). The first to receive this title during the war were Soviet pilots M.P. Zhukov, S.I. Zdorovtsev and P.T. Kharitonov, who rammed fascist planes on the outskirts of Leningrad.

Total in wartime ground forces over eight thousand heroes were trained, including 1,800 artillerymen, 1,142 tank crews, 650 engineering troops, over 290 signalmen, 93 air defense soldiers, 52 military logistics soldiers, 44 doctors; in the Air Force - over 2,400 people; V Navy– over 500 people; partisans, underground fighters and Soviet intelligence officers - about 400; border guards - over 150 people.

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

Representatives of nations	Number of heroes
Russians	8160
Ukrainians	2069
Belarusians	309
Tatars	161
Jews	108
Kazakhs	96
Georgian	90
Armenians	90
Uzbeks	69
Mordovians	61
Chuvash	44
Azerbaijanis	43
Bashkirs	39
Ossetians	32
Tajiks	14
Turkmens	18
Litokians	15
Latvians	13
Kyrgyz	12
Udmurts	10
Karelians	8
Estonians	8
Kalmyks	8
Kabardians	7
Adyghe people	6
Abkhazians	5
Yakuts	3
Moldovans	2
results	11501

Among the military personnel awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, privates, sergeants, foremen - over 35%, officers - about 60%, generals, admirals, marshals - over 380 people. There are 87 women among the wartime Heroes of the Soviet Union. The first to receive this title was Z. A. Kosmodemyanskaya (posthumously).

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

Four Heroes of the Soviet Union: artilleryman A.V. Aleshin, pilot I.G. Drachenko, rifle platoon commander P.Kh. Dubinda, artilleryman N.I. Kuznetsov - were also awarded Orders of Glory of all three degrees for their military exploits. Over 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, 201 people were awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, about 200 thousand were awarded orders and medals.

Viktor Vasilievich Talalikhin

Born on September 18, 1918 in the village. Teplovka, Volsky district, Saratov region. Russian. After graduating from the factory school, he worked at the Moscow meat processing plant and at the same time studied at the flying club. Graduated from the Borisoglebok Military Aviation School for Pilots. He took part in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940. He made 47 combat missions, shot down 4 Finnish aircraft, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Star (1940).

In the battles of the Great Patriotic War from June 1941. Made more than 60 combat missions. 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 presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Viktor Vasilyevich 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 and was awarded the rank of lieutenant. The glorious pilot took part in many air battles near Moscow, shooting down five more enemy aircraft personally and one in a group. He died a heroic death in an unequal battle with fascist fighters on October 27, 1941.

V.V. was buried 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 included in the lists of the first squadron of the fighter aviation regiment, with which he fought the enemy near Moscow.

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

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

(1920–1991), Air Marshal (1985), Hero of the Soviet Union (1944 – twice; 1945). During the Great Patriotic War in fighter aviation, squadron commander, deputy regiment commander, conducted 120 air battles; shot down 62 planes.

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

On this day, he went on a free hunt together with Dmitry Titarenko. On the Oder traverse, the pilots noticed a plane quickly approaching from the direction of Frankfurt an der Oder. The plane flew along the river bed at an altitude of 3500 m at a speed much greater than the La-7 could reach. It was Me-262. Kozhedub instantly made a decision. The Me-262 pilot relied on the speed qualities of his machine 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. Much to Kozhedub’s surprise, the wingman’s premature shooting was beneficial.

The German turned to the left, towards Kozhedub, the latter could only catch the Messerschmitt in his sights 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 carried out their fourth combat mission of the day to the Berlin area. 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 that contact had been made with a group of forty Focke-Wolwofs with suspended bombs. The German pilots clearly saw a pair of Soviet fighters go into the clouds and did not imagine that they would appear again. However, the hunters appeared.

From behind, from above, Kozhedub in the first attack shot down the leading four Fokkers at the back of the group. The hunters sought to give the enemy the impression that there were a significant number of Soviet fighters in the air. Kozhedub threw his La-7 right into the thick of the enemy planes, turning Lavochkin left and right, the ace fired in short bursts from his cannons. The Germans succumbed to the trick - the Focke-Wulfs began to free them from bombs that were interfering with 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 advantage of the guardsmen. One FW-190 managed to get behind Kozhedub’s fighter, but Titarenko opened fire before the German pilot - the Focke-Wulf exploded in the air.

By this time, help arrived - the La-7 group from the 176th regiment, Titarenko and Kozhedub were able to leave the battle with the last remaining fuel. On the way back, Kozhedub saw a single FW-190 trying to drop bombs on Soviet troops. The ace dived and shot down an enemy plane. This was the last, 62nd, German plane shot down by the best Allied fighter pilot.

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

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

He damaged one Mustang (the plane, smoking, left the battle and, having flown a little, fell, the pilot jumped out with a parachute), the second P-51 exploded in the air. Only after the successful attack did Kozhedub notice the white stars of the US Air Force on the wings and fuselages of the planes he had 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 photographic machine gun. The existence of a film with footage of burning Mustangs became known only after the death of the legendary pilot. A detailed biography of the hero on the website: www.warheroes.ru "Unknown Heroes"

Alexey Petrovich Maresyev

Maresyev Alexey Petrovich fighter pilot, deputy squadron commander of the 63rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, guard senior lieutenant.

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 finishing 8th grade high school Alexey entered the federal educational institution, where he received a specialty as a mechanic. Then he applied to the Moscow Aviation Institute, but instead of the institute, he went on a Komsomol voucher to build Komsomolsk-on-Amur. There he sawed wood in the taiga, built barracks, and then the first residential areas. At the same time he studied at the flying club. He was drafted into the Soviet army in 1937. Served in the 12th aviation border detachment. But, according to Maresyev himself, he did not fly, but “took up the tails” of the planes. He really took to the air already at the Bataysk Military Aviation School of Pilots, from which he graduated in 1940. He served as a pilot instructor there.

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

Maresyev crawled to his side. His feet were frostbitten and they had to be amputated. However, the pilot decided not to give up. When he received prosthetics, he trained long and hard and got permission to return to duty. I learned to fly again in the 11th reserve air brigade in Ivanovo.

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

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

Later he fought in the Baltic states and became a regiment navigator. In 1944 he joined the CPSU. In total, he made 86 combat missions, shot down 11 enemy aircraft: 4 before being wounded and seven with amputated legs. In June 1944, Guard Major Maresyev became an inspector-pilot of the Directorate of Higher educational institutions Air Force. Boris Polevoy's book "The Tale of a Real Man" is dedicated to the legendary fate of Alexei Petrovich Maresyev.

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

Retired Colonel A.P. Maresyev was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Red Banner, the Patriotic War, 1st degree, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of People's Friendship, the Red Star, the Badge of Honor, "For Services to the Fatherland" 3rd degree, medals, and foreign orders. He was an honorary soldier of a military unit, an honorary citizen of the cities of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kamyshin, and Orel. A small planet is named after him solar system, public fund, youth patriotic clubs. He was elected as 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, based on the book at Mosfilm, director Alexander Stolper made a film of the same name. Maresyev was even offered to play the main role himself, but he refused and this role was played by professional actor Pavel Kadochnikov.

Died suddenly on May 18, 2001. He was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery. On May 18, 2001, a gala evening was planned at the Russian Army Theater to mark Maresyev’s 85th birthday, but an hour before the start, Alexei Petrovich suffered a heart attack. He was taken to the intensive care unit of one of the Moscow clinics, where he died without regaining consciousness. The gala evening still took place, but it began with a minute of silence.

Krasnoperov Sergey Leonidovich

Krasnoperov Sergei Leonidovich was born on July 23, 1923 in the village of Pokrovka, Chernushinsky district. In May 1941, he volunteered to join the Soviet Army. I studied at the Balashov Aviation Pilot School for a year. In November 1942, attack pilot Sergei Krasnoperov arrived at the 765th attack air regiment, and in January 1943 he was appointed deputy squadron commander of the 502nd attack air regiment of the 214th attack air division of the North Caucasus Front. In this regiment in June 1943 he joined the ranks of the party. For military distinctions he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the Red Star, and the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded on February 4, 1944. Killed in action on 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. On 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 there was a complete swamp. There was only one way out. : to land. As soon as the burning car touched the marsh hummocks with its fuselage, barely had the pilot time to jump out of it and run slightly to the side, an explosion roared.

A few days later, Krasnoperov was again in the air, and in the combat log of the flight commander of the 502nd assault aviation regiment, junior lieutenant Sergei Leonidovich Krasnoperov, a short entry appeared: “03.23.43.” In two sorties he destroyed a convoy in the area of the station. Crimean. Destroyed 1 vehicles, created 2 fires." On April 4, Krasnoperov stormed manpower and firepower in the area of 204.3 meters. In the next flight, he stormed artillery and firing points in the area of Krymskaya station. At the same time, he destroyed two tanks and one gun and a mortar.

One day, a junior lieutenant received an assignment for a free flight in pairs. He was the leader. Secretly, in a low-level flight, a pair of “silts” penetrated deep into the enemy’s rear. They noticed cars on the road and 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 approach - 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 combat mission. The pilots of his flight became masters of assault. The flight is united and occupies a leading position. The command always entrusts him with the most difficult and responsible tasks. With his heroic exploits, he created military glory for himself and enjoys well-deserved military authority among the regiment’s personnel.” 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, and his chest was decorated with the Golden Star of the Hero.

Sergei Krasnoperov made seventy-four combat missions during the days of fighting on the Taman Peninsula. As one of the best, he was trusted to lead groups of “silts” on assault 20 times, and he always carried out a combat mission. He personally destroyed 6 tanks, 70 vehicles, 35 carts with cargo, 10 guns, 3 mortars, 5 anti-aircraft artillery points, 7 machine guns, 3 tractors, 5 bunkers, an ammunition depot, sunk a boat, a self-propelled barge, and destroyed two crossings across the Kuban.

Matrosov Alexander Matveevich

Sailors Alexander Matveevich - rifleman of the 2nd battalion of the 91st separate rifle brigade (22nd Army, Kalinin Front), private. Born on February 5, 1924 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk). Russian. Member of the Komsomol. Lost his parents early. He was raised for 5 years in the Ivanovo orphanage (Ulyanovsk region). Then he was brought up in the Ufa children's labor colony. After finishing 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 Krasnokholmsky Infantry School, but soon most of the cadets were sent to the Kalinin Front.

In the active army since November 1942. He served in the 2nd battalion of the 91st separate rifle brigade. For some time the brigade was in reserve. Then she was transferred near Pskov to the area of Bolshoi Lomovatoy Bor. Straight from the march, the brigade entered the battle.

On February 27, 1943, the 2nd battalion received the task of attacking a strong point in the area of the village of Chernushki (Loknyansky district, Pskov region). As soon as our soldiers passed through the forest and reached the edge, 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-piercing soldiers. But the machine gun from the third bunker continued to fire at the entire ravine in front of the village. Attempts to silence him were unsuccessful. Then Private A.M. Sailors crawled towards the bunker. 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 stood up, rushed to the bunker and closed the embrasure with his body. At the cost of his life, he contributed to the accomplishment of the unit’s combat mission.

A few days later, the name of Matrosov became known throughout the country. Matrosov’s feat 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 hero’s death was moved to February 23, timing the feat to coincide with Soviet Army Day. Despite the fact that Matrosov was not the first to commit such an act of self-sacrifice, it was his name that was used to glorify the heroism of Soviet soldiers. Subsequently, over 300 people accomplished the same feat, but this was no longer widely publicized. His feat became a symbol of courage and military valor, fearlessness and love for the Motherland.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was posthumously awarded to Alexander Matveevich Matrosov on June 19, 1943. He was buried in the city of Velikiye Luki. September 8, 1943 by order people's commissar Defense of the USSR, the name of Matrosov was assigned to the 254th Guards Rifle Regiment, and he himself was forever enlisted (one of the first in the Soviet Army) on 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 of the city of Velikiye Luki, streets, schools, pioneer squads, motor ships, collective farms and state farms were named after him.

Ivan Vasilievich Panfilov

In the battles near Volokolamsk, the 316th Infantry Division of General I.V. especially distinguished itself. Panfilova. Reflecting continuous enemy attacks for 6 days, they knocked out 80 tanks and killed several hundred soldiers and officers. The enemy's 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 brave death.

Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov, Guard Major General, commander of the 8th Guards Rifle Red Banner (formerly 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, and in 1915 he was drafted into the tsarist army. In the same year he was sent to the Russian-German front. He joined the Red Army voluntarily in 1918. He was enlisted in the 1st Saratov Infantry Regiment of the 25th Chapaev Division. He took part in the civil war, fought against Dutov, Kolchak, Denikin and the White Poles. After the war, he graduated from the two-year Kyiv 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 Infantry Division, he went to the front with it and fought near Moscow in October - November 1941. 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 was awarded posthumously to Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov on April 12, 1942 for his skillful leadership of division units in battles on the outskirts of Moscow and his personal courage and heroism.

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

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

November 16 fascist troops launched a second “general” attack on Moscow. A fierce battle began again near Volokolamsk. On this day, at the Dubosekovo crossing, there were 28 Panfilov soldiers under the command of political instructor V.G. Klochkov repelled the attack of enemy tanks and held the occupied line. Enemy tanks were also unable to penetrate in the direction of the villages of Mykanino and Strokovo. General Panfilov's division firmly held its positions, its soldiers fought to the death.

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

Nikolai Frantsevich Gastello

Nikolai Frantsevich was born on May 6, 1908 in Moscow, into a working-class family. Graduated from 5th grade. He worked as a mechanic at the Murom Steam Locomotive Construction Machinery Plant. In the Soviet Army in May 1932. In 1933 he graduated from Lugansk military school pilots in bomber units. In 1939 he took part in the battles on the river. Khalkhin - Gol and the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. In the active army since June 1941, the squadron commander of the 207th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Regiment (42nd Bomber Aviation Division, 3rd Bomber Aviation Corps DBA), Captain Gastello, carried out another mission flight on June 26, 1941. His bomber was hit and caught fire. He flew the burning plane into a concentration of enemy troops. The enemy suffered heavy losses from the explosion of the bomber. For the accomplished feat, on July 26, 1941, he was posthumously awarded the Title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Gastello's name is forever included in the lists of military units. At the site of the feat on the Minsk-Vilnius highway, a memorial monument was erected in Moscow.

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, Komsomol member Kosmodemyanskaya voluntarily joined a special partisan detachment, acting on instructions from the headquarters of the Western Front in the Mozhaisk direction.

Twice she was sent behind enemy lines. At the end of November 1941, while performing a second combat mission near the village of Petrishchevo (Russian district of the Moscow region), she was captured by the Nazis. Despite cruel torture, she did not reveal military secrets and did not give her name.

On November 29, she was hanged by the Nazis. Her devotion to the Motherland, courage and dedication became 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. Manshuk spent her childhood in Almaty.

When the Great Patriotic War began, Manshuk studied at 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.

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

On October 16, 1943, the battalion in which Manshuk Mametova served received an order to repel an enemy counterattack. As soon as the Nazis tried to repel the attack, Senior Sergeant Mametova’s machine gun started working. The Nazis rolled back, leaving hundreds of corpses. Several fierce attacks of the Nazis had already been drowned out at the foot of the hill. Suddenly the girl noticed that two neighboring machine guns had fallen silent - the machine gunners had been killed. Then Manshuk, quickly crawling from one firing point to another, began to fire at the advancing enemies from three machine guns.

The enemy transferred mortar fire to the position of the resourceful girl. A nearby explosion of a heavy mine knocked over the machine gun behind which Manshuk lay. Wounded in the head, the machine gunner lost consciousness for some time, but the triumphant cries of the approaching Nazis forced her to wake up. Instantly moving to a nearby machine gun, Manshuk lashed out with a shower of lead at the chains of the fascist warriors. And again the enemy’s attack failed. This ensured the successful advancement of our units, but the girl from distant Urda remained lying on the hillside. Her fingers froze on the Maxima trigger.

On March 1, 1944, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, senior sergeant Manshuk Zhiengalievna Mametova was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Aliya Moldagulova

Aliya Moldagulova was born on April 20, 1924 in the village of Bulak, Khobdinsky district, Aktobe region. After the death of her parents, she was raised by her uncle Aubakir Moldagulov. I moved with his family from city to city. She studied at the 9th secondary school in Leningrad. In the fall of 1942, Aliya Moldagulova joined the army and was sent to sniper school. In May 1943, Aliya submitted a report to the school command with a request to send her to the front. Aliya ended up in the 3rd company of the 4th battalion of the 54th Rifle Brigade under the command of Major Moiseev.

By the beginning of October, Aliya Moldagulova had 32 killed fascists.

In December 1943, Moiseev’s battalion received an order 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 transporting reinforcements. The Nazis resisted fiercely, skillfully taking advantage of the terrain. The slightest advance of our companies came at a high 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 with machine guns. Seizing the moment when the fire weakened, the fighter rose to his full height and carried the entire battalion with him.

After a fierce battle, our fighters took possession of the heights. The daredevil lingered in the trench for some time. Traces of pain appeared on his pale face, and strands of black hair came out from under his earflap hat. It was Aliya Moldagulova. She destroyed 10 fascists in this battle. The wound turned out to be minor, and the girl remained in service.

In an effort to restore the situation, the enemy launched counterattacks. On January 14, 1944, a group of enemy soldiers managed to break into our trenches. Hand-to-hand combat ensued. Aliya mowed down the fascists with well-aimed bursts from her machine gun. Suddenly she instinctively felt danger behind her. She turned around sharply, but it was too late: German officer shot first. Gathering her last strength, Aliya raised her machine gun and the Nazi officer fell to the cold ground...

The wounded Aliya was carried out by her comrades from the battlefield. The fighters wanted to believe in a miracle, and vying with each other to save the girl, they offered blood. 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

Aleksey Tikhonovich Sevastyanov, 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 Likhoslavl district, Tver (Kalinin) region. Russian. Graduated from the Kalinin Freight Car Building College. In the Red Army since 1936. In 1939 he graduated from the Kachin Military Aviation School.

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

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

On November 4, 1941, junior lieutenant Sevastyanov was on patrol on the outskirts of Leningrad in an Il-153 aircraft. At about 10 p.m., an enemy air raid on the city began. Despite anti-aircraft fire, 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. Having come close, he pressed the trigger, but no shots were fired - the cartridges had run out. In order not to miss the enemy, he decided to ram. Approaching the Heinkel from behind, he cut off its tail unit with a propeller. Then he left the damaged fighter and landed by parachute. The bomber crashed near the Tauride Garden. The crew members who parachuted out were taken prisoner. Sevastyanov’s fallen fighter was found in Baskov Lane and restored by specialists from the 1st repair base.

April 23, 1942 Sevastyanov A.T. died in an unequal air battle, defending the “Road of Life” through Ladoga (shot down 2.5 km from the village of Rakhya, Vsevolozhsk region; a monument was erected in this place). He was buried in Leningrad at the Chesme Cemetery. Enlisted forever in the lists of the military unit. A street in St. Petersburg and a House of Culture in the village of Pervitino, Likhoslavl district, are named after him. Dedicated to his feat documentary"Heroes don't die."

Matveev Vladimir Ivanovich

Matveev Vladimir Ivanovich Squadron commander of the 154th Fighter Aviation Regiment (39th Fighter Aviation Division, Northern Front) - captain. Born on October 27, 1911 in St. Petersburg in a working-class family. Russian Member of the CPSU(b) since 1938. Graduated from 5th grade. He worked as a mechanic at the Red October factory. In the Red Army since 1930. In 1931 he graduated from the Leningrad Military Theoretical School of Pilots, and in 1933 from the Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School of Pilots. Participant in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940.

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: with the end of the plane of his MiG-3 he cut off the tail of the fascist aircraft. An enemy plane crashed near the village of Malyutino. He landed safely at his airfield. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Vladimir Ivanovich Matveev on July 22, 1941.

He died in an air battle on January 1, 1942, covering the “Road of Life” along Ladoga. He was buried in Leningrad.

Polyakov Sergey Nikolaevich

Sergei Polyakov was born in 1908 in Moscow, into a working-class family. He graduated from 7 classes of junior high school. Since 1930 in the Red Army, he graduated from the military aviation school. Participant civil war in Spain 1936 - 1939. In air battles he shot down 5 Franco planes. Participant of the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War from the first day. The commander of the 174th Assault Aviation Regiment, Major S.N. Polyakov, made 42 combat missions, delivering precision strikes on enemy airfields, equipment and manpower, destroying 42 and damaging 35 aircraft.

On December 23, 1941, he died while performing another combat mission. On February 10, 1943, for the courage and courage shown in battles with enemies, Sergei Nikolaevich Polyakov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously). During his service, he was awarded the Order 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 Soligorsk district of the Minsk region, into a peasant family. He graduated from 6 classes and the FZU school. Worked on the Moscow metro. Graduated from the Aeroclub. In the Soviet Army since 1937. Graduated from the Borisoglebsk military pilot school in 1939.B.ZYu

Participant of the Great Patriotic War since July 1941. Junior Lieutenant Muravitsky began his combat activities as part of the 29th IAP of the Moscow Military District. This regiment met the war on outdated I-153 fighters. Quite 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 straightforward attacks, and fight on turns, in a dive, on a “slide” when their “Seagull” gained additional speed. At the same time, it was decided to switch to flights in “twos”, abandoning the officially established flight of three aircraft.

The very first flights of the twos showed their clear advantage. So, at the end of July, Alexander Popov, together with Luka Muravitsky, returning from escorting the bombers, met with six “Messers”. Our pilots were the first to rush into the attack and shot down the leader of the enemy group. Stunned by the sudden blow, the Nazis hastened to get away.

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

Once, before a combat mission, the regiment commander ordered Muravitsky to immediately erase the inscription and more so that it would not be repeated! Then Luka told the commander that this was his beloved girl, who worked with him at Metrostroy, studied at the flying club, that she loved him, they were going to get married, but... She crashed while jumping from a plane. The parachute did not open... She may not have died in battle, Luka continued, but she was preparing to become an air fighter, to defend her Motherland. The commander resigned himself.

Participating in the defense of Moscow, Flight Commander of the 29th IAP Luka Muravitsky achieved brilliant 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 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 railway station, where the train with ammunition was being unloaded. Fighters, as a rule, flew in pairs, but here there was one...

At first everything went calmly. The lieutenant vigilantly monitored the air in the area of the station, but as you can see, if there are multilayer clouds overhead, it’s raining. When Muravitsky made a U-turn over the outskirts of the station, in the gap between the tiers of clouds he saw a German reconnaissance plane. 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 when a machine-gun burst pierced the enemy and he, descending steeply, began to run away. 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 - the Heinkel was getting closer and closer. The Nazis are already visible in the cockpit... Without reducing speed, Muravitsky approaches almost closely to the fascist plane and hits the tail with the propeller. The jerk and propeller of the fighter cut the metal of the tail unit of the He-111... The enemy plane crashed into the ground behind the railway track in a vacant lot. Luka also hit his head hard on the dashboard, the sight and lost consciousness. I woke up and the plane was falling to the ground in a tailspin. Gathering all his strength, the pilot hardly 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 received medical treatment, Muravitsky returned to his regiment. And again there are fights. The flight commander flew into battle several times a day. He was eager to fight and again, as before his injury, the words “For Anya” were carefully written on the fuselage of his fighter. By the end of September, the brave pilot already had about 40 aerial 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, covering their landing, loading and unloading. Operating as part of the 127th IAP, Senior Lieutenant Muravitsky shot down 3 more enemy aircraft. On October 22, 1941, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command, for the courage and courage shown in battles, Muravitsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. By this time, his personal account already included 14 downed enemy aircraft.

On November 30, 1941, flight commander of the 127th IAP, Senior Lieutenant Maravitsky, died in an unequal air battle, defending Leningrad... The overall result of his combat activity, in various sources, is assessed differently. The most common number 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 number of personal victories – 14, given above. Moreover, one of the publications generally states that Luka Muravitsky won his last victory in May 1945, over Berlin. Unfortunately, there is no exact data yet.

Luka Zakharovich Muravitsky was buried in the village of Kapitolovo, Vsevolozhsk district, Leningrad region. A street in the village of Dolgoye is named after him.

During the Great Patriotic War, many Soviet citizens (not just soldiers) performed heroic deeds, saving other people's lives and bringing closer the USSR's victory over the German invaders. These people are rightfully considered heroes. In our article we will recall some of them.

Heroes men

The list of heroes of the Soviet Union who became famous during the Great Patriotic War is quite extensive, so Let's name the most famous:

Nikolai Gastello (1907-1941): Hero of the Union posthumously, squadron commander. After being bombed by German heavy equipment, Gastello's plane was shot down. The pilot rammed a burning bomber into an enemy column;
Victor Talalikhin (1918-1941): Hero of the USSR, deputy squadron commander, participated in the Battle of Moscow. One of the first Soviet pilots to ram the enemy in a night air battle;
Alexander Matrosov (1924-1943): Hero of the Union posthumously, private, rifleman. In a battle near the village of Chernushki (Pskov region), he blocked the embrasure of a German firing point;
Alexander Pokryshkin (1913-1985): three times Hero of the USSR, fighter pilot (recognized as an ace), improved combat techniques (about 60 victories), went through the entire war (about 650 sorties), air marshal (since 1972);
Ivan Kozhedub (1920-1991): three times Hero, fighter pilot (ace), squadron commander, participant Battle of Kursk, carried out about 330 combat missions (64 victories). He became famous for his effective shooting technique (200-300 m before the enemy) and the absence of cases when the plane was shot down;
Alexey Maresyev (1916-2001): Hero, deputy squadron commander, fighter pilot. He is famous for the fact that after the amputation of both legs, using prosthetics, he was able to return to combat flights.

Rice. 1. Nikolai Gastello.

In 2010, an extensive Russian electronic database “Feat of the People” was created, containing reliable information from official documents about war participants, their exploits and awards.

Women's heroes

It is especially worth highlighting the women heroes of the Great Patriotic War.
Some of them:

Valentina Grizodubova (1909-1993): the first female pilot - Hero of the Soviet Union, instructor pilot (5 world aviation records), commander of an air regiment, made about 200 combat missions (132 of them at night);
Lyudmila Pavlichenko (1916-1974): Hero of the Union, world-famous sniper, instructor at a sniper school, participated in the defense of Odessa and Sevastopol. Destroyed about 309 enemies, of which 36 were snipers;
Lydia Litvyak (1921-1943): Posthumous hero, fighter pilot (ace), squadron flight commander, participated in Battle of Stalingrad, battles in Donbass (168 sorties, 12 victories in air battles);
Ekaterina Budanova (1916-1943): Hero Russian Federation posthumously (she was listed as missing in the USSR), fighter pilot (ace), repeatedly fought against superior enemy forces, including launching a frontal attack (11 victories);
Ekaterina Zelenko (1916-1941): Hero of the Union posthumously, deputy squadron commander. The only Soviet female pilot who took part in the Soviet-Finnish war. The only woman in the world to ram an enemy plane (in Belarus);
Evdokia Bershanskaya (1913-1982): the only woman awarded the Order of Suvorov. Pilot, commander of the 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment (1941-1945). The regiment was exclusively female. For his skill in performing combat missions, he received the nickname “night witches.” He particularly distinguished himself in the liberation of the Taman Peninsula, Feodosia, and Belarus.

Rice. 2. Pilots of the 46th Guards Aviation Regiment.

On 05/09/2012, the modern movement “Immortal Regiment” was born in Tomsk, designed to honor the memory of the heroes of the Second World War. Through the streets of the city, residents carried about two thousand portraits of their relatives who participated in the war. The movement became widespread. Every year the number of participating cities increases, even covering other countries. In 2015, the “Immortal Regiment” event received official permission and took place in Moscow immediately after the Victory Parade.

Lenya Golikov (1926–1943) , brigade reconnaissance officer of the 67th detachment of the 4th Leningrad partisan brigade

In the summer of 1942, near the village of Varnitsa, Lenya Golikov blew up a car in which Major General of the German Engineering Troops Richard von Wirtz was riding. Lena managed to obtain documents about the advance of the enemy army, thanks to which the German attack was thwarted. For this feat, the boy was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Golikov died in the winter of 1943, when the Nazis attacked the partisans near the village of Ostray Luka.

Alexander Matrosov (1924–1943) , machine gunner of the 2nd separate battalion of the 91st separate Siberian volunteer brigade named after. Stalin

In the winter of 1943, Matrosov’s battalion launched an attack on a German stronghold and fell into a trap. The soldiers were shot at from three wood-earth firing points (bunkers), then the shooting from two stopped. Alexander and his comrade crawled to the firing bunker and threw two grenades in its direction, the shooting stopped. The soldiers went on the attack again, but then the machine gun came to life, and Matrosov’s partner died. The young man rushed to the embrasure. Thanks to this, the Red Army soldiers were able to successfully attack the enemy, and Alexander Matrosov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously.

Zina Portnova (1926–1944), scout of the partisan detachment named after. Voroshilov in the territory occupied by the Nazis in Belarus

As a pioneer, in 1942 Portnova joined the underground organization “Young Avengers”, where she distributed anti-fascist leaflets in lands occupied by the Germans. Soon she got a job in a canteen for Germans. There she managed to organize several sabotages. In 1943, the girl was captured by the Nazis - she was surrendered by defectors. Zina Portnova underwent torture and interrogation, during one of which she grabbed a pistol from the table and killed three Germans. She was shot in prison.

Nikolai Gastello (1907–1941), pilot, captain, commander of the 2nd squadron of the 207th long-range bomber aviation regiment

In June 1941, the crew under the command of Nikolai Gastello flew out to attack a German mechanized column. It was guarded by enemy artillery, and Gastello’s plane was shot down by the Nazis from an anti-aircraft installation between the cities of Molodechno and Radoshkovichi (Belarus). The pilot had the opportunity to eject, but he directed the burning plane into an enemy convoy, thus committing the first fire ram in the Great Patriotic War. After the feat of Nikolai Gastello, all pilots who decided to ram were called Gastelloites.

Alexey Maresyev (1916–2001), pilot

During the Great Patriotic War, Maresyev's plane was shot down by the Nazis, and the pilot ejected. Wounded in both legs, it took him eighteen days to reach the front line. He managed to get to the hospital, but doctors had to amputate both legs of the fighter. Alexey Maresyev began to fly with prosthetics. He has 11 downed enemy aircraft and more than 80 combat missions, most of which he accomplished without legs.

It was the life and exploits of Maresyev that formed the basis of “The Tale of a Real Man” by Boris Polevoy.

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya (1923–1941), partisan, member of the sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Western Front headquarters

In October 1941, Zoya went to a school for saboteurs, and then was sent to Volokolamsk. Here she was engaged in mining roads and destroying communication centers. During one of these sabotages, Kosmodemyanskaya was captured. The Nazis tortured her for a long time, but Zoya did not say a word to them, and they decided to hang the girl. Before her death, the partisan shouted to the crowd local residents: “Comrades, victory will be ours. German soldiers, before it’s too late, surrender!”

She became the first female Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War.

Efim Osipenko (1902–1985), commander of a partisan detachment

When the war began, Efim Osipenko became a partisan as part of a detachment of six people. Efim and his comrades decided to blow up a German train. But since there was not enough ammunition, a bomb was made from a grenade. Osipenko crawled to the railway bridge, saw that the train was approaching, and threw an explosive device, but it did not go off. Then the partisan hit the bomb with an iron pole, and it exploded. The train derailed, but Osipenko himself lost his sight. He became the first to receive the “Partisan of the Patriotic War” medal.

Alexander German (1915–1943), commander of the 3rd Leningrad Partisan Brigade

During the war, Petrograd resident Alexander German was a scout. He commanded a partisan detachment behind enemy lines. His brigade managed to destroy thousands of fascists and hundreds of units of military equipment. In 1943, in the Pskov region, Herman’s detachment was surrounded, where he was killed.

Vladislav Khrustitsky (1902–1944), commander of the 30th separate guards tank brigade of the Leningrad Front

In 1942, Vladislav Khrustitsky became the commander of a separate light tank brigade, as part of which he participated in Operation Iskra, which marked the beginning of the path to victory over the Nazis on the Leningrad Front. In 1944, during a German counterattack near Volosovo, Khrustitsky’s brigade fell into a trap. He radioed the command to his fighters to stand to the death, and was the first to go on the attack, as a result of which he died and Volosovo was liberated.

Konstantin Zaslonov (1909–1942), commander of a partisan detachment and brigade. Before the war, Konstantin worked for railway. This experience came in handy in the fall of 1941 near Moscow. He was thrown behind enemy lines and came up with “coal mines” - mines disguised as coal; Zaslonov also agitated the local population to go over to the side of the partisans. A reward was announced for a partisan alive or dead. Having learned that Konstantin Zaslonov was accepting locals into the partisan detachment, the Germans dressed in Soviet uniforms and came to him. During this battle, Zaslonov died, and the peasants hid his body without handing it over to the enemy.

Matvey Kuzmin (1858–1942), peasant

Matvey Kuzmin met the Great Patriotic War at the advanced age of 82 years. It so happened that he had to lead a detachment of fascists through the forest. However, Kuzmin sent his grandson ahead to warn the Soviet partisans who were staying nearby. As a result, the Germans were ambushed. In the ensuing battle, Matvey Kuzmin died. He became the oldest person to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Victor Talalikhin (1918–1941), deputy squadron commander of the 177th Air Defense Fighter Aviation Regiment

At the end of the summer of 1941, Viktor Talalikhin rammed a German fighter, after which, wounded, he parachuted to the ground. In total, he accounted for six enemy aircraft. He died in the fall of the same year near Podolsk.

And in 2014, the remains of Talalikhin’s plane were found at the bottom of a swamp in the Moscow region.

Andrey Korzun (1911–1943), artilleryman of the 3rd counter-battery artillery corps of the Leningrad Front

From the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Andrei Korzun served on the Leningrad Front. In November 1943, Korzun’s battery came under fire. Andrei was wounded, and then saw that the powder charges were burning, and the entire ammunition depot could explode. He crawled to the blazing charges and, with the last of his strength, covered them with his body. The hero died, and the explosion was prevented.

Young Guard (1942–1943), underground anti-fascist organization

The Young Guard operated in the occupied Lugansk region. Its participants included more than a hundred people, the youngest of whom was only 14 years old. The organization was engaged in sabotage and agitation of the population. The Young Guard was responsible for an enemy tank repair workshop and a stock exchange, from where prisoners were taken to Germany for forced labor. The uprising organized by members of the group did not take place due to traitors who handed them over to the fascists. As a result, more than 70 participants were tortured and shot.

The exploits of the “Young Guard” inspired the creation of the work of the same name by Alexander Fadeev.

Panfilov's men, a detachment of 28 people under the command of Ivan Panfilov from the personnel of the 4th company of the 2nd battalion of the 1075th rifle regiment

In the fall of 1941, during the counter-offensive on Moscow, Panfilov’s men were near Volokolamsk. It was there that they met German tank troops and the battle began. As a result, 18 armored vehicles were destroyed, the attack was delayed, and the Nazi counteroffensive failed. It is believed that it was then that political instructor Vasily Klochkov shouted to his soldiers the famous phrase “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat - Moscow is behind us!” According to the main version, all 28 Panfilov men died.

Based on materials from matveychev-oleg.livejournal.com

During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet people showed unparalleled heroism and once again became an example of self-sacrifice in the name of Victory. The Red Army soldiers and partisans did not spare themselves in battle with the enemy. However, there were cases when victory was achieved not by strength and courage, but by cunning and ingenuity.

Winch against an impregnable bunker

During the battle for Novorossiysk, Marine Stepan Shchuka, a descendant of Kerch fishermen who had been fishing in the Black Sea for generations, served and fought on the Malaya Zemlya bridgehead.

Thanks to his ingenuity, the soldiers managed to take the enemy bunker (long-term firing point), which had previously seemed impregnable, without losses. It was a stone house with thick walls, the paths to which were blocked with barbed wire. Empty tin cans were hung on the “thorn”, rattling with every touch.

All attempts to take the bunker by force ended in failure - the assault groups suffered losses from machine gun, mortar and artillery fire and were forced to retreat. Stepan was able to get a winch with a cable, and at night, quietly approaching the wire fences, he attached this cable to them. And when he returned back, he set the mechanism into action.

When the Germans saw the crawling barrier, they first opened heavy fire, and then ran out of the house completely. Here they were captured. Later they said that when they saw the crawling barrier, they were afraid that they were dealing with evil spirits, and they panicked. The fortification was taken without losses.

Turtle saboteurs

Another incident occurred on the same “Malaya Zemlya”. There were many turtles in that area. One day, one of the fighters came up with the idea of tying a tin can to one of them and releasing the amphibian towards the German fortifications.

Hearing the strumming, the Germans thought that the Red Army soldiers were cutting the wire barriers on which empty cans were hung as a sound alarm, and for about two hours they spent ammunition shooting at an area where there was not a single soldier.

The next night, our fighters sent dozens of these amphibious “saboteurs” towards enemy positions. The rattle of cans in the absence of a visible enemy gave the Germans no rest, and for a long time they spent a huge amount of ammunition of all calibers, fighting off non-existent enemies.

Mine detonation several hundred kilometers away

The name of Ilya Grigorievich Starinov is inscribed as a separate line in the history of the Russian army. Having gone through the Civil, Spanish, Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars, he immortalized himself as a unique partisan and saboteur. It was he who created simple but extremely effective mines for blowing up German trains. Under his leadership, hundreds of demolitionists were trained, who turned the rear German army into a trap. But his most outstanding sabotage was the destruction of Lieutenant General Georg Braun, who commanded the 68th Wehrmacht Infantry Division.

When our troops, retreating, left Kharkov, the military and directly the first secretary of the Kyiv regional committee of the CPSU (b) Nikita Khrushchev insisted that the house in which Nikita Sergeevich lived in the city on Dzerzhinsky Street be mined. He knew that German officers from the command, when stationed in occupied cities, were accommodated with maximum comfort, and his house was perfectly suited for these purposes.

Ilya Starinov and a group of sappers planted very powerful bomb, which was activated by a radio signal. The fighters dug a 2-meter well right in the room and planted a mine with equipment there. To prevent the Germans from finding it, they “hid” another decoy mine in another corner of the boiler room, poorly disguised.

A couple of weeks later, when the Germans had already completely occupied Kharkov, the explosives were activated. The signal for the explosion was sent all the way from Voronezh, the distance to which was 330 kilometers. All that was left of the mansion was a crater; several German officers were killed, including the aforementioned Georg Braun.

The Russians have become insolent and are shooting at barns

Many of the actions of the Red Army soldiers during the Great Patriotic War caused surprise, close to shock, among the German troops. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck is credited with the phrase: “Never fight the Russians. They will respond to your every military stratagem with unpredictable stupidity.”

The multiple launch rocket systems, which our soldiers affectionately nicknamed “Katyushas,” fired M-8 shells of 82 mm caliber and M-13 shells of 132 mm caliber. Later, more powerful modifications of these ammunition began to be used - 300 mm caliber rockets under the designation M-30.

Guide devices for such projectiles were not provided on vehicles, and launchers were made for them, on which, in fact, only the angle of inclination was adjusted. The shells were placed on the installations either in one row or in two, and directly in the factory shipping packaging, where there were 4 shells in a row. To launch, all that was needed was to connect the projectiles to a dynamo with a rotating handle, which initiated the ignition of the propellant charge.

Sometimes due to inattention, and sometimes simply due to negligence, without reading the instructions, our artillerymen forgot to remove wooden supports for shells from the packaging, and they flew to enemy positions right in the packages. The dimensions of the packages reached two meters, which is why there were rumors among the Germans that the completely insolent Russians were “shooting at barns.”

With an ax on a tank

An equally incredible event occurred in the summer of 1941 on the North-Western Front. When units of the 8th Panzer Division of the Third Reich surrounded our troops, one of German tanks drove to the edge of the forest, where his crew saw a smoking field kitchen. It was smoking not because it was damaged, but because wood was burning in the stove, and soldiers’ porridge and soup were being cooked in cauldrons. The Germans did not notice anyone nearby. Then their commander got out of the car to get some provisions. But at that moment a Red Army soldier appeared out of the ground and rushed towards him with an ax in one hand and a rifle in the other.

The tankman quickly jumped back, closed the hatch and began shooting at our soldier with a machine gun. But it was too late - the fighter was too close and was able to escape from the fire. Having climbed onto the enemy vehicle, he began to hit the machine gun with an ax until he bent its barrel. After this, the cook covered the observation gaps with a rag and began to hammer with an ax on the tower itself. He was alone, but he resorted to a trick - he began shouting to supposedly nearby comrades to quickly carry anti-tank grenades in order to blow up the tank if the Germans did not surrender.

In a matter of seconds, the hatch of the tank opened and raised hands poked out. Pointing a rifle at the enemy, the Red Army soldier forced the crew members to tie each other up, after which he ran to stir the cooking food, which could burn. His fellow soldiers who returned to the edge of the forest, having successfully repelled the enemy attack by that time, found him: he was peacefully stirring porridge, and four captured Germans were sitting next to him and their tank was standing nearby.

The soldiers remained well fed, and the cook received a medal. The hero's name was Ivan Pavlovich Sereda. He went through the entire war and was awarded more than once.

The article describes the exploits of the most famous heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Their childhood, teenage years, joining the Red Army and the fight against the enemy are shown.

During the Great Patriotic War there was a high growth of patriotism and morale Soviet citizens. Soldiers at the front and civilians in the rear spared no effort to fight the enemy. The slogan “Everything for the front! Everything for victory!”, proclaimed at the beginning of the war, fully reflected the national mood. People were ready to make any sacrifices for the sake of victory. A large number of volunteers joined the ranks of the Red Army and militia units, residents of the occupied territories fought a guerrilla war.

In total, more than 11 thousand people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Most famous stories their exploits were included in school textbooks, and many works of art were dedicated to them.

The slogan “Everything for the front! Everything for victory!

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub was born in 1920 in the Sumy region. After graduating from high school in 1934, Ivan Kozhedub studied at the Chemical Technology College in Shostki. Free time devoted himself to classes at the local flying club. In 1940, Kozhedub was called up for military service and entered the Chuguev Military Aviation School. Then he stayed there to work as an instructor.

In the first months of the war, the aviation school where Kozhedub worked was evacuated to the rear. Therefore, the pilot began his combat career in November 1942. He repeatedly submitted reports with the goal of getting to the front, and in the end his wish came true.

In the first battle, Kozhedub failed to show his brilliant fighting qualities. His plane was damaged in a battle with the enemy, and then mistakenly was fired upon by Soviet anti-aircraft gunners. The pilot managed to land despite the fact that his La-5 was beyond repair in the future.

The future hero shot down the first bomber during the 40th combat mission near Kursk. The next day he again inflicted damage on the enemy, and a few days later he won a battle with two German fighters.

By the beginning of February 1944, Ivan Kozhedub had 146 combat missions and 20 downed enemy aircraft. For his military services, he was awarded the first Gold Star of the Hero. The pilot became a hero twice in August 1944.

In one of the battles over the territory occupied by the Germans, Kozhedub’s fighter was damaged. The plane's engine stalled. In order not to fall into the hands of the enemy, the pilot decided to throw his plane at a significant strategic enemy site in order to inflict maximum damage on the Nazis with his death. But at the very last moment the car’s engine suddenly started working and Kozhedub was able to return to base.

In February 1945, Kozhedub and his wingman entered into battle with a group of FW-190 fighters. They managed to shoot down 5 enemy planes out of 13. A few more days later, the list of trophies of the heroic pilot was replenished with the Me-262 fighter.

The last battle of the famous pilot, in which he shot down 2 FW-190s, took place over Berlin in April 1945. The hero was awarded the Third Gold Star after the end of the Great Patriotic War.

In total, Ivan Kozhedub made more than 300 combat missions and shot down more than 60 enemy aircraft. He was an excellent shot and hit enemy aircraft from a distance of about 300 m, rarely getting involved in close combat. During all the years of the war, the enemy never managed to shoot down Kozhedub’s plane.

After the end of the war, the heroic pilot continued to serve in aviation. He became one of the most famous military men of the USSR and made a brilliant career.

Ivan Kozhedub

Dmitry Ovcharenko was born into a peasant family in the Kharkov region. His father was a village carpenter and from a young age taught his son how to use an ax.

Dmitry's school education was limited to 5 classes. After graduation, he began working on a collective farm. In 1939, Ovcharenko was drafted into the Red Army. From the very beginning of hostilities he was on the front line. After being wounded, Dmitry was temporarily released from service in the machine gun company and performed the duties of a wagon driver.

Delivery of ammunition to the front was associated with significant risk. July 13, 14941 Dmitry Ovcharenko was carrying cartridges to his company. Near a small settlement The arctic fox was surrounded by an enemy detachment. But Dmitry Ovcharenko was not afraid. When the Germans took his rifle, he remembered the ax that he always carried with him. The enemies began to inspect the cargo folded in the cart, and the Soviet soldier grabbed an ax, which he always carried with him, and killed the officer commanding the group. Then he threw grenades at the enemy. 21 soldiers were killed, the rest fled. Dmitry caught up and killed another officer. The third German officer managed to escape. After all that happened, the brave fighter successfully delivered ammunition to the front line.

Dmitry Ovcharenko continued his military service as a machine gunner. His commander noted the soldier’s courage and determination, which served as an example for other Red Army soldiers. The heroic deed of Dmitry Ovcharenko was also highly appreciated by the higher command - on November 9, 1941, the machine gunner received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Dmitry Ovcharenko continued to fight on the front line until the beginning of 1945 and died during the liberation of Hungary.

Talalikhin Viktor Vasilievich was born in the village of Teplovka, Saratov region on September 18, 1918 in a peasant family. Even in his youth, Victor became interested in aviation - in the town where his family lived there was an aviation school, and the teenager often looked at the cadets marching through the streets.

In 1933, the Talalikhin family moved to the capital. Victor graduated from college, then found a job at a meat processing plant. Viktor Talalikhin devoted his free time to classes at the flying club. He wanted to be no worse than his older brothers, who had already linked their destinies with aviation.

In 1937, Viktor Talalikhin entered the Borisoglebsk Aviation School. After completing his studies, he continued his military service. The young pilot took part in Finnish war, where he showed himself to be a seasoned and at the same time brave fighter.

From the beginning of the Second World War, the pilots were faced with the task of defending Moscow from German shells. By this time Talalikhin was already acting as squadron commander. He was demanding and strict with his subordinates, but at the same time he delved into the problems of the pilots and knew how to convey to them the significance of each of his orders.

On the night of August 7, Viktor Talalikhin made another combat mission. A fierce battle broke out not far from the village of Kuznechiki near Moscow. The Soviet pilot was wounded and decided to shoot down the enemy plane by throwing his fighter at it. Talalikhin was lucky - after using the ram he survived. The next day he was awarded the Gold Hero Star.

Having recovered from his wounds, the young pilot returned to duty. The hero died on October 27, 1941 in a battle in the sky above the village of Kamenka. Soviet fighters covered the movement of ground troops. A fight ensued with the German Messers. Talalikhin emerged victorious from two battles with enemy aircraft. But at the end of the battle, the pilot was seriously wounded and lost control of the fighter.

Viktor Talalikhin has long been considered the first Soviet pilot to use a night ram. Only years after the war it became known that other pilots had used a similar technique, but this fact in no way detracts from Talalikhin’s feat. During the war years he had many followers - more than 600 pilots did not spare their lives for the sake of victory.

Alexander Matrosov was born on February 5, 1924 in Ukraine in the city of Yekaterinoslav. The future hero was orphaned early and was brought up in an orphanage. When the war began, Alexander, while still a minor, tried several times to volunteer for the front. And in the fall of 1942, his wish came true. After training at the infantry school, Matrosov, like other recruits, was sent to the front line.

At the end of February 1943, during the liberation of the Pskov region, the unit carried out a combat mission - to capture an enemy fortified point located in the area of the village of Chernushki. The Red Army soldiers went on the offensive under the cover of the forest. But as soon as they reached the edge, the Germans began firing at Soviet soldiers with machine guns. Many soldiers were immediately put out of action.

An assault group was sent into battle to suppress enemy machine guns. German firing points were bunker fortifications built of wood and earthen powder. The Red Army soldiers managed to destroy two of them relatively quickly, but the third machine gun, despite everything, continued to hinder the Soviet advance.

In order to destroy the enemy machine gun, the Sailors and Ogurtsov fighters headed to the bunker. But Ogurtsov was wounded and Matrosov had to act alone. He threw grenades at the German fortifications. The machine gun fell silent for a moment, and then began firing again. Alexander instantly made a decision - he rushed to the embrasure and covered it with his body.

On June 19, Alexander Matrosov posthumously became a Hero of the Soviet Union. During the war, the number of Red Army soldiers who covered enemy guns exceeded 500 people.

Feat of 28 Panfilovites

In the fall of 1941, the troops of Nazi Germany launched a large-scale offensive against Moscow. In some areas they managed to get almost close to the capital of the USSR. All available reserve troops and militia units were sent to defend the capital.

The 316th Infantry Division, formed in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, took part in the battles. The command of the unit was exercised by Major General I.V. Panfilov, after whom the division’s fighters began to be called “Panfilov’s men.”

I. V. Panfilov

On November 16, the enemy launched an attack. German tanks stormed Soviet positions in the area of the Dubosekovo crossing, where the 1075th Infantry Regiment was stationed. The main blow was taken by the soldiers of the 2nd battalion of the regiment.

According to the wartime version, 28 Red Army soldiers under the leadership of political instructor V. Klochkov were organized into a special group of tank destroyers. For 4 hours they fought an unequal battle with the enemy. Armed with anti-tank rifles and Molotov cocktails, Panfilov's men destroyed 18 German tanks and died in the process. The total losses of the 1075th regiment were more than 1,000 people. In total, the regiment destroyed 22 enemy tanks and up to 1200 German soldiers.

The enemy managed to win the battle of Volokolamsk, but the battle took much longer than the German commanders allotted for it. Soviet military leaders were able to use this time to regroup troops and create a new barrier on the way to Moscow. Subsequently, the Germans were unable to continue the offensive, and in December 1941, Soviet troops launched a counterattack that finally drove the enemy away from the capital.

After the battle, the unit commander compiled a list of the soldiers who took part in the battle. Subsequently, they were nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. But the regiment commander made several inaccuracies. Because of his mistake, the names of soldiers who were previously killed or wounded and who could not participate in the battle were included in the list. Perhaps several names have been forgotten.

After the end of the war, an investigation was carried out, during which it turned out that 5 fighters out of 28 Panfilov’s men did not actually die, and one of them was captured and collaborated with the Nazis, for which he was convicted. But official version For a long time, the event was the only one widespread in the USSR. Modern historians believe that the number of soldiers holding the defense was not 28 and that in fact completely different Red Army soldiers could have taken part in the battle.

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was born in 1923 in the village of Osinovye Gai, Tambov region. Her family later moved to Moscow. Zoya was an emotional and enthusiastic girl; even in her youth she dreamed of a feat.

After the start of the war, Zoya, like many Komsomol members, voluntarily joined the partisan detachment. After a short training, a group of saboteurs was thrown behind enemy lines. There Zoya completed her first task - she was entrusted with mining roads near Volokolamsk, a regional center occupied by the Germans.

Then the partisans received a new order - to set fire to villages and individual houses where the invaders were staying. The lack of opportunity to spend the night under a roof in winter conditions should, in the opinion of the command, weaken the Germans.

On the night of November 27, a group consisting of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya and two other fighters carried out a mission in the village of Petrishchevo. At the same time, one of the group members, Vasily Klubkov, was careless and fell into the hands of the Germans. Zoya was then captured. She was noticed and handed over to the Germans by Sviridov, the owner of the house that Zoya tried to set on fire. The peasant who betrayed the partisan later collaborated with the Germans and, after their retreat, was tried and sentenced to death.

The Germans brutally tortured Zoya, trying to get information from her about her connections with the partisans. She categorically refused to give any names, and called herself Tanya in honor of Tatyana Solomakha, a Komsomol member who died during the fight against the White Guards in the Kuban. According to the testimony of local residents, Zoya was beaten and kept half-naked in the cold. Two peasant women, whose houses were damaged by fire, took part in the abuse of her.

The next day Zoya was hanged. Before her execution, she behaved very courageously and called on the local population to fight the invaders, and the German soldiers to surrender. The Nazis mocked the girl’s body for a long time. Another month passed before they allowed the locals to bury Zoya. After the liberation of the Moscow region, the ashes of the partisan were transferred to the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya became the first woman to receive the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Her feat was included in Soviet history textbooks. More than one generation of Soviet citizens was brought up by her example.