Heroes of the Great Patriotic War
Margelov Vasily Filippovich
Vasily Filippovich Markelov was born on December 27, 1908 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine), into a family of immigrants from Belarus. Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgical worker.
Vasily Filippovich's surname "Markelov" was subsequently recorded as "Margelov" due to an error in the party card.
In 1913, the Margelov family returned to the homeland of Philip Ivanovich - to the town of Kostyukovichi, Klimovichi district (Mogilev province). The mother of V. F. Margelov, Agafya Stepanovna, was from the neighboring Bobruisk district. According to some reports, VF Margelov graduated from the parochial school in 1921. As a teenager, he worked as a loader and carpenter. In the same year, he entered a leather workshop as an apprentice, and soon became an assistant master. In 1923 he entered the local Hleboprodukt as a laborer. There is information that he graduated from the school of rural youth, and worked as a forwarder for the delivery of postal items on the Kostyukovichi-Khotimsk line.
Since 1924, he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M. I. Kalinin as a laborer, then a horse-racer, a driver of horses carrying trolleys.
In 1925, Margelov was sent back to the BSSR as a forester in the timber industry. He worked in Kostyukovichi, in 1927 he became chairman of the working committee of the timber industry and was elected to the local Council.
In 1928 Margelov was drafted into the Red Army. Sent to study at the United Belarusian military school(OBVSh) them. CEC of the BSSR in Minsk, enrolled in a group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine-gun company.
In April 1931 he graduated with honors from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR, appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment of the 33rd territorial rifle division in the city of Mogilev, Belarus. Since 1933, he was a platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the General Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR (since November 6, 1933 - named after M.I. Kalinin, since 1937 - the Order of the Red Banner of Labor Minsk Military Infantry School named after M.I. Kalinin). In February 1934, Margelov was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.
From October 25, 1938, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the chief of the 2nd division of the division headquarters. In this position, he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.
Vasily Filippovich Margelov with paratroopers
In the years Soviet-Finnish war(1939-1940) Margelov commanded the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division. During one of the operations he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.
After the end of the Soviet-Finnish war, he was appointed to the post of assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat. Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in July 1941 he was appointed commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division of the People's Militia of the Leningrad Front. Later - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. After the division commander P. G. Chanchibadze was wounded, the command for the duration of his treatment passed to the chief of staff Vasily Margelov. On July 17, 1943, under the leadership of Margelov, the soldiers of the 3rd Guards Division broke through 2 lines of defense of the Nazis on the Mius Front, captured the village of Stepanovka and provided a springboard for the assault on the Saur-Mogila.
Since 1944, Margelov commanded the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian front. He led the division during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division participated in the liberation of the peoples of Southeastern Europe.
At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Major General Margelov commanded a combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
In the Airborne Forces
After the war, he held command posts.
Since 1948, after graduating from the Order of Suvorov, I degree of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was the commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.
In 1950-1954 - the commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svirsky Red Banner Corps on Far East.
From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In 1959-1961 he was appointed (downgraded) first deputy commander of the Airborne Forces. From 1961 to January 1979 he was the commander of the Airborne Forces.
October 28, 1967 he was awarded military rank"army General". He supervised the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).
Since January 1979, he was in the group of general inspectors of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces, was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School.
During his service in the Airborne Forces, he made more than 60 jumps. The last of them - at the age of 65.
Lived and worked in Moscow. Died March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Vasily Filippovich Margelov
Contribution to the formation and development of the Airborne Forces
In the history of the Airborne Forces, and in the Armed Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, his name will remain forever. He personified a whole era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces, their authority and popularity are associated with his name not only in our country, but also abroad, General Pavel Fedoseevich Pavlenko recalls Vasily Filippovich.
Under the leadership of Margelov for more than twenty years, the landing troops became one of the most mobile in the combat structure of the Armed Forces and prestigious in terms of service in them. “The photograph of Vasily Filippovich in demobilization albums went to the soldiers at the highest price - for a set of badges. The competition for the Ryazan Airborne School overlapped the numbers of VGIK and GITIS, and applicants who failed their exams for two or three months, before snow and frost, lived in the forests near Ryazan in the hope that someone would not withstand the stress and it would be possible to take his place . The spirit of the troops soared so high that the rest of the Soviet Army was included in the category of "tanning beds" and "screws"," says Colonel Nikolai Fedorovich Ivanov.
Margelov's contribution to the formation of the Airborne Forces in their current form is reflected in the comic interpretation of the abbreviation of the Airborne Forces - "Uncle Vasya's Troops."
The story of how Margelov first jumped with a parachute or a general's receipt for 6 jumps:
It is known that ... in 1948, during the first jump, he was 40 years old (for the Airborne Forces, this is a “pre-retirement” age, doctors sometimes do not recommend jumping if there is no appropriate physical fitness). The height was - 400 meters (today it is the height for extreme sports), we jumped from the balloon basket.
It is known that ... before starting to command the paratroopers, General Margelov, in the reception room of the Commander of the Airborne Forces, made a bet on 6 jumps with General Denisenko. On the third jump, the new commander of the Airborne Forces, General Denisenko, tragically died. Margelov did not stop - he only broke his legs twice during the first jumps (during the war, he had the most severe shrapnel wounds in his legs). Perhaps (my version) from that time - the recruit of the Airborne Forces had to make 6 jumps before the oath (which we did).
It is known that ... for all the jumps, Margelov took weapons with him (including the first one) - a Mauser and grenades, saying: “Already in the sky, a soldier needs to join the battle!”. In the presence of Margelov, everyone jumped with weapons, otherwise it was possible to get “on the neck”, however, after Margelov retired, they jumped with weapons only during exercises.
The story of how the people's medal "Margelov" appeared or who has the right to present the "landing non-governmental award":
It is known that ... only in Belarus there is an official state medal "Margelov", approved by the President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko ...
It is known that ... in Russia and the CIS, the Margelov medal (it appeared on the 70th anniversary of the Airborne Forces) is unofficially presented by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR under the leadership of Sazha Umalatova (25 rubles per medal), and they also established their own medal in the Moscow Cadet Corps named after . G. Zhukov (medal No. 1 - A.V. Margelov).
It is known that ... the Union of Veterans of the Airborne Forces (established at the end of 2002) comes out with a statement addressed to the Commander of the Airborne Forces on the introduction in the troops (until the end of 2003) of the official landing award named after Army General V. F. Margelov ...
It is known that ... in different parts of the CIS and Russia, where they remember "Batya" Margelov, competitions in boxing and wrestling, shooting, parachuting, and skiing are held in honor of his name. Veterans of the Airborne Forces open teenage clubs "Margelovets".
It is known that ... five monuments to Margelov have been erected in the world (Moscow - Novodevichy Cemetery, Ryazan, Tula, Omsk and Dnepropetrovsk), busts have been erected in Pskov and Kosovo (there is information that in Ecuador, local special forces to combat drug lords at the entrance to their headquarters hung a portrait of Margelov. Since then, drug dealers believe that the General is their leader. Perhaps someone studied in Ryazan and met Margelov). Craftsman sculptors mastered the issue for the Day of the Airborne Forces: a bust of Margelov and figures of paratroopers with parachutes - “for an amateur”.
The story of how Margelov "cooked" cooks for charred porridge or "Stalingrad cauldron" in Margelov's way:
It is known that ... as soon as Margelov accepted the unit, he went to the kitchen - to check the rear service. He believed that food was essential to a soldier's fighting ability.
Once... after tasting burnt porridge before the battles near Stalingrad, Margelov put the cook into a cooled cauldron of porridge, accusing him of complicity with the Germans, who would see in battle not the weapons of the Red Army, but lowered trousers. In addition, after this incident, he ordered the officers to eat with the soldiers so that the commanders could see how their soldiers were eating.
It is known that ... the Margelov regiment stood in a tough defense, not giving German tanks Guderian to release Field Marshal Paulus from the Stalingrad Cauldron. For the first time, Hitler launched a super-tank with a new armor "Royal Tiger-4" for a breakthrough. In 1945, the German generals remembered the Margelov regiment in December 1942 near Stalingrad and decided that it was better to surrender than to fight again with a commander like Margelov.
It is known that ... that the commander of the corps, Major General Chanchibidze, after the defeat German troops group "Got" called Margelov to him and at a meeting, without talking, hit the lieutenant colonel in the cheekbone. Having resisted, Margelov also silently punched the general in the face with his fist. In response, he heard: "Maladets - you will be the division commander," after which he began to accept Margelov's report.
The story of how Margelov shot motorcycles or "the intoxicating air of Europe":
Once ... in Romania, Margelov ended up in a hospital with a broken leg after recklessness on a captured German motorcycle (good Bessarabian wine also played a role). And then he saw that with similar injuries lies (or lay) half of his officers. Standing on crutches, Margelov went out to the hospital yard and shot all the motorcycles that were in the yard from his Mauser, and then ordered all owners of "trophy horses on wheels" to do this.
It is known that ... Margelov with the officers of his headquarters visited the Carpathians in 1944 at a real noble ball, where they almost married his guarantor to the princess's daughter.
The story of how in 1953 Margelov met the Voroshilov amnesty or Death of Stalin:
It is known that ... On November 7, 1953, Margelov alone, before the arrival of the soldiers of the commandant's office, pacifying the debauchery (the echelon of amnestied fines stood at a dead end) at the station of Svobodny station, said to the drunken and angry crowd of former prisoners - “Who am I? Uncle Vasya (and showed, throwing back the collar of his overcoat, the Star of the Hero of the USSR), and my troops are standing behind me, and if it doesn’t stop .... ”. Former convicts "surrendered" and received 15 days of arrest "for disturbing public order" in the guardhouse of the airborne regiment on behalf of Margelov, the commander of the Far Eastern Airborne Corps (from the author - soldiers of other types of troops are most afraid of falling into the hands of an airborne patrol and on the "lip" Airborne)
It is known that ... when tens of thousands of prisoners were released from Stalin's camps. Margelov ordered all officers to carry weapons around the clock in order to defend themselves against unpunished "amnestied" bandits. He himself slept with a Mauser under his pillow and once almost shot in the dark his 7-year-old son Alexander, who accidentally went into his father's bedroom.
It is known that ... in 1953, after the death of Stalin and the arrest of Beria, Margelov was offered to take the post of military commandant of Moscow or work in the Foreign Ministry. He replied that he did not want to be a Moscow policeman, but in a "citizen" to spoil friendly relations with all ambassadors, since "I'm not used to picking up words - I say what I have."
It is known that ... Margelov met with Klim Voroshilov twice (the first - as a cadet he was awarded a nominal watch, the second time - he pulled him out wounded from the front line on the Leningrad front). But the liberal Voroshilov amnesty in the Stalinist camps in the summer of 1953 "did not accept."
The story of how the vest appeared and takes in the Airborne Forces or "Don't show me fly agaric ...":
Once ... in November 1941, near Leningrad, Major Margelov was instructed to create the first Special Ski Regiment from volunteer sailors who presented their commander with a black and white vest ...
It is known that ... Margelov's son, Alexander, keeps his father's blue and white vest, which Batya wore until the last day ...
Once ... The commander of the Airborne Forces, Margelov, began to reform his troops. Along with the introduction of new technology, he changed shape. Defense Minister Marshal Grechko and the Commander of the Navy were against wearing berets and vests by paratroopers, considering that only "naval" ones have this right.
It is known that ... Behind his back, in the corridors of the Ministry of Defense, Margelov was called respectfully - "our Chapaev" (who was also called Vasily). The beret was allowed, but crimson (the color of the landing troops European countries), and Margelov “won back” the air infantry, in a dispute with the fact that he commanded the marines in 1941 ...
It is known that ... the first parade of paratroopers in the new "Margelov" uniform (in crimson berets) was held in 1967 on Aviation Day near Domodedovo Airport. When Margelov saw crimson berets for the second time at the Ryazan Airborne School at a drill review, he left the parade, telling the head of the school that he “shouldn’t show him any more fly agarics.”
It is known that ... only after 2 years, the guardsmen of the Airborne Forces received officially authorized by the USSR Ministry of Defense to wear blue berets and vests, which Soviet citizens saw during the 1969 military parade on Red Square (but in 1968 the Airborne Forces were allowed new form, in which the paratroopers were already dressed before they entered the territory of Czechoslovakia).
It is known that ... crimson berets appeared in Russia 10 years ago in special forces.
It is known that ... American propaganda of the 70s of the Pentagon and NATO on the posters about the "red threat" replaced a Red Army soldier from the USSR with a Budyonovka and a star with a paratrooper in a vest and a blue beret.
The story of how a Soviet tank fell on the head of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU or why Leonid Brezhnev fell in love with Margelov:
It is known that ... Leonid Brezhnev liked to be present and observe military exercises.
Once ... in the fall of 1967, the Dnepr exercises were held in Ukraine, in which one of the tanks dropped from an airplane flew to the tower where the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, the Minister of Defense and Margelov stood. Everyone who saw this picture scattered to the sides, but Margelov was calm. Seeing the calmness of the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Brezhnev thought that this was planned during the exercises, although in reality an emergency had occurred.
It is known that ... conducting a "debriefing" at the exercises in the office of the Commander, from the lips of General Pavlenko (First Deputy Margelov) it sounded - "You are not an air group, but an air jockey", which became " catchphrase» in the troops.
The story of how US President Ronald Reagan scared the Pentagon with the Margelovs:
One day ... US President R. Reagan said: "I would not be surprised if on the second day of the war I see guys in blue berets on the threshold of the White House" ...
It is known that ... the "red threat" from Hollywood was given to the Americans - the nuclear weapons of the USSR and paratroopers.
It is known that ... Margelov was no longer the Commander of the Airborne Forces, but a new hero Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) appeared in American cinema, who fights cruel paratroopers in blue berets in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and the film "Invasion of the USA" shows how in a week The US captures the Airborne Forces from Russia.
One day... US Army General Hake expressed his wish: "If they gave me a company of Russian paratroopers, I would bring the whole world to its knees."
It is known that ... American intelligence for many years conducted round-the-clock monitoring of the movement of only one Commander of the Forces - Margelov. Since his troops were troops of the "first echelon" - those who are the first to engage in battle anywhere in the world (this was the topic of Margelov's doctoral dissertation at the General Staff Academy, but the Minister of Defense forbade the Commander to develop such a topic).
The story of how Margelov lived for 30 years in the Moscow region or why Margelov's sons lost their father-general's dacha:
One day… Margelov decided that land should be brought to the dacha from Ryazan.
It is known that ... Dad spent all his free time at the dacha, (for decades) he himself worked in the garden and in the garden (Vnukovo district). He invited those people whom he trusted to the dacha.
It is known that ... Twice in his life he gathered all his sons together. These meetings took place in the country.
It is known that ... in the spring of 1990, there was a "quick privatization" of Margelov's dacha by the rear service of the Ministry of Defense (after the death of Uncle Vasya). At that moment, Margelov's widow was seriously ill, and the sons believed that no one would take the dacha.
The story of why Margelov did not become a pilot or the first party reprimand "for swearing ditties":
One day... after completing the Red Commander courses in Minsk, Margelov went to study at a flight school in Orenburg (before being drafted into the army, he wanted to be a tanker).
It is known that ... military pilot Margelov mastered flying the U-2.
It is known that ... while cleaning weapons, Margelov sang ditties "for the pilots".
Margelov Vasily Filippovich was born on December 27, 1908 in Dnepropetrovsk, died at the age of 82 on March 4, 1990 in Moscow. The legendary commando, who turned the USSR Airborne Forces from "penalty boxers" into the elite of the USSR Armed Forces, long-term commander of the airborne troops (1954-1979), army general, Hero of the Soviet Union.
The feat of Vasily Margelov.
Vasily Margelov became a legend during his lifetime
Years of the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940), commanding the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 122nd division, made several daring raids behind enemy lines, during one of which he captured officers of the German General Staff - officially at that time allies of the USSR;
- in 1941, his "ground commander" was put at the head of the Marine Corps regiment of the Baltic Fleet. Contrary to the prejudices that "it will not take root", Margelov became "one of his own", and the Marines called him, a major, "captain of the 3rd rank", emphasizing their respect for the commander. The regiment was considered "the personal guard of the fleet commander of Admiral Tributs", which he sent in besieged Leningrad to where even the penal battalion could not send. For example, during the German assault on the Pulkovo Heights, Margelov's regiment was landed behind enemy lines on the coast of Ladoga in the direction of Lipka - Shlisselburg, and Field Marshal von Leeb, commander of the North group of troops, was forced to stop the assault on Pulkovo, transferring units to liquidate the landing. Margelov was seriously wounded and miraculously survived;
Since 1943, Margelov, a division commander, took the Saur-mogila by storm, liberated Kherson (awarded the Star of the Hero), and in 1945 the Germans called Margelov "Soviet Skorzeny" after the divisions of the SS tank corps "Dead Head" and "Grossdeutschland" personally surrendered to him without a fight;
On May 2, 1945, Margelov was given the task of capturing or destroying the remnants of the 2 most famous SS units that were rushing into the zone of responsibility of the Americans. Then Vasily Margelov dared to take a decisive step. He, along with a group of officers who were armed with grenades and machine guns, accompanied by a battery of 57-mm cannons, arrived at the headquarters of the group, after which he ordered the battalion commander to install direct fire guns at the enemy headquarters and open fire if he did not return in ten minutes.
Margelov went to headquarters and presented the Germans with an ultimatum: either they surrender and save their lives, or they will be completely destroyed using all the means available to the division: “By 4:00 in the morning, the front to the east. Light weapons: machine guns, machine guns, rifles - in piles, ammunition - nearby. The second line - military equipment, guns and mortars - vents down. Soldiers and officers - we are building to the west, ”Vasily Margelov later wrote in his book. He gave little time for reflection: "while his cigarette burns out." And the Germans capitulated. The exact count of trophies showed the following figures: 2 generals, 806 officers, 31,258 non-commissioned officers, 77 tanks and self-propelled guns, 5847 trucks, 493 trucks, 46 mortars, 120 guns, 16 locomotives, 397 wagons.
Vasily Margelov - "Father of the Airborne Forces." In 1950, the airborne troops were considered something like a penal battalion, and were never appreciated. They were compared with fines, and the abbreviation itself was deciphered: "it is unlikely that you will return home." However, soon after the arrival of a new commander - Vasily Margelov - the Airborne Forces turned into truly elite troops.
Just a few years later, primitive equipment was replenished with a Kalashnikov assault rifle with a special folding butt so that it does not interfere with the opening of a parachute, lightweight aluminum armor, an RPG-16 anti-tank grenade launcher, and Centaur platforms for landing people in combat vehicles. The guardsmen of the Airborne Forces received official permission from the USSR Ministry of Defense to wear blue berets and vests, which were first shown during the 1969 military parade on Red Square. In 1973, the world's first landing on the BMD-1 parachute system took place near Tula. The crew commander was Alexander Margelov's son. The competition for the Ryazan Airborne School overlapped the numbers of MGIMO, Moscow State University and VGIK. The comically fatalistic name of the Airborne Forces was replaced in the 70s with "Uncle Vasya's Troops." This is exactly what the soldiers of the Airborne Forces themselves called themselves, thereby emphasizing the special warmth of feelings for their legendary commander.
During the training of the paratroopers, Margelov paid special attention to parachuting. He himself first appeared under the dome only in 1948, already in the rank of general: “Until the age of 40, I vaguely imagined what a parachute was, I never even dreamed of jumping. It turned out on its own, or rather, as it should be in the army, by order. I am a military man, if necessary, ready to go to hell. And so it was necessary, already being a general, to make the first parachute jump. The impression, I tell you, is incomparable.”
Vasily Margelov himself once said: “He who has never left an airplane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced the joy and fear of free fall, a whistle in his ears, a stream of wind beating in his chest, he never will understand the honor and pride of a paratrooper." Subsequently, despite his middle age, he himself made about 60 jumps, the last at the age of 65.
In 1968, after the occupation of Czechoslovakia, Margelov managed to convince the Minister of Defense Marshal Grechko that the winged guards should have vests and berets. Even before that, he emphasized that the airborne troops should adopt the traditions of their "big brother" - the marines, and continue them with honor. “For this, I introduced vests to the paratroopers. Only the stripes on them to match the color of the sky are blue.
Vasily Margelov and social networks.
Posted on Youtube video hosting documentary"Vasily Margelov and the Airborne Forces":
Vasily Margelov awards.
December 14, 1988 and April 30, 1975 - two Orders "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" of the second and third degrees, respectively.
Biography of Vasily Margelov.
1921 - graduated from a parochial school, entered a leather workshop as an apprentice, soon became an assistant master;
1923 - entered the local "Khleboprodukt" as a laborer;
Since 1924, he worked in Yekaterinoslavl (now Dnepropetrovsk) at the mine. M. I. Kalinin as a laborer, then as a horse-racer (driver of horses carrying trolleys);
1925 - sent to the BSSR as a forester in the timber industry;
1927 - Chairman of the working committee of the timber industry, elected to the local Council;
1928 - drafted into the Red Army;
April 1931 - graduated from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the United Belarusian Military School. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR with honors. Appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment of the 33rd rifle division (Mogilev, Belarus);
Since 1933 - platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor OBVSh them. CEC of the BSSR;
Since 1937 - platoon commander of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Minsk Military Infantry School. M. I. Kalinina;
February 1934 - appointed assistant company commander;
May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company;
October 25, 1938 - commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District;
1939-1940 - commanded the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division;
From October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District;
July 1941 - commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division of the People's Militia of the Leningrad Front;
Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front;
At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Major General Margelov commanded a battalion in the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front;
1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps;
1954-1959 - Commander of the Airborne Troops;
January 1979 - in the group of general inspectors of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces, was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School;
March 4, 1990 - Vasily Filippovich Margelov died in Moscow. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
Perpetuation of the memory of Vasily Margelov.
On May 6, 2005, a departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense was established Russian Federation"Army General Margelov";
2005 - a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow in Sivtsev Vrazhek lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.
Monuments to Vasily Margelov were erected in:
Taganrog;
Chisinau;
Dnepropetrovsk;
Yaroslavl;
as well as in many other towns.
Margelov is named after the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, the Department of the Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps (NKSHI);
A square in St. Petersburg, in the city of Belogorsk, the Amur Region, a square in Ryazan, streets in Moscow, Vitebsk (Belarus), Omsk, Pskov, Taganrog, Tula and Zapadnaya Litsa, in Buryatia: in Ulan-Ude and the border village Naushki, avenue and park in the Zavolzhsky district of Ulyanovsk.
How often do Yandex users from Ukraine search for information about Vasily Margelov in a search engine?
As can be seen from the photo, users of the Yandex search engine in October 2015 were interested in the query "Vasily Margelov" 241 times.
And according to this chart, you can see how the interest of Yandex users in the query "Vasily Margelov" has changed over the past two years:
The highest interest in this request was recorded in August 2015 (about 1.2 thousand requests);
How do Ukrainians evaluate the merits of Vasily Margelov?
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Margelov Vasily Filippovich
Born: December 14 (27), 1908
Died: March 4, 1990 (aged 81)
Biography
Vasily Filippovich Margelov - Soviet military leader, commander of the Airborne Forces in 1954-1959 and 1961-1979, army general (1967), Hero of the Soviet Union (1944), laureate of the USSR State Prize (1975), candidate of military sciences (1968).
Youth years
VF Markelov (later Margelov) was born on December 14 (27), 1908 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now the city of Dnepr, Ukraine), into a family of immigrants from Belarus. Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgical worker (Vasily Filippovich's surname Markelov was later recorded as Margelov due to an error in the party card).
In 1913, the Markelov family returned to the homeland of Philip Ivanovich - to the town of Kostyukovichi, Klimovichi district, Mogilev province. The mother of V. F. Margelov, Agafya Stepanovna, was from the neighboring Bobruisk district of the Minsk province. According to some reports, VF Margelov graduated from the parochial school in 1921. As a teenager, he worked as a loader and carpenter. In the same year, he entered a leather workshop as an apprentice, and soon became an assistant master. In 1923 he entered the local Hleboprodukt as a laborer. There is information that he graduated from the school of rural youth, and worked as a forwarder for the delivery of postal items on the Kostyukovichi-Khotimsk line.
Since 1924 he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M. I. Kalinin as a laborer, then as a horse-racer (driver of horses carrying trolleys).
In 1925 he was sent back to the BSSR, as a forester in the timber industry. He worked in Kostyukovichi, in 1927 he became chairman of the working committee of the timber industry, was elected to the local Council.
Service start
In 1928 he was drafted into the Red Army. Sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School (OBVSh) named after. CEC of the BSSR in Minsk, enrolled in a group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine-gun company.
In April 1931 he graduated with honors from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School. CEC of the BSSR. Appointed commander of a machine-gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment of the 33rd Belarusian rifle division (Mogilev).
Since 1933 - platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor OBVSh them. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR (since November 6, 1933 - named after M.I. Kalinin, since 1937 - the Order of the Red Banner of Labor Minsk Military Infantry School named after M.I. Kalinin). In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.
From October 25, 1938 he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd rifle regiment of the 8th Minsk rifle division named after. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the chief of the 2nd division of the division headquarters. In this position, he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.
During the war years
During the years of the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940) he commanded the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division (it was originally stationed in Brest, in November 1939 it was sent to Karelia). During one of the operations he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.
After the end of the Soviet-Finnish war, he was appointed assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District (15th division, Novgorod region). At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in July 1941, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division of the People's Militia of the Leningrad Front (the basis of the regiment was the fighters of the former 15th division).
November 21, 1941 - appointed commander of the 1st Special Ski Regiment of sailors of the KBF. Contrary to talk that Margelov "won't take root", the Marines accepted the commander, which especially emphasized the appeal to him by the naval equivalent of the rank of "major" - "Comrade captain of the 3rd rank." Margelov, however, sunk into the heart of the prowess of the "brothers". Subsequently, becoming the commander of the Airborne Forces, as a sign that the paratroopers adopted the glorious traditions of their older brother, the marines, and continued them with honor, Margelov ensured that the paratroopers got the right to wear vests, but in order to emphasize belonging to the sky, they are blue in the paratroopers.
Since July 1942 - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. After the division commander K. A. Tsalikov was wounded, the command for the duration of his treatment passed to the chief of staff Vasily Margelov. On July 17, 1943, under the leadership of Margelov, the soldiers of the 3rd Guards Division broke through 2 lines of defense of the Nazis on the Mius Front, captured the village of Stepanovka and provided a springboard for the assault on the Saur-Mogila.
Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. He led the division during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division participated in the liberation of Southeastern Europe.
During the war, Commander Margelov was mentioned ten times in the gratitude orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Major General Margelov commanded a battalion in the consolidated regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
In the airborne troops
After the war in command positions. Since 1948, after graduating from the Order of Suvorov, I degree of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was the commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.
In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps (Far East).
From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In March 1959, after an emergency in the artillery regiment of the 76th Airborne Division (gang rape of civilian women), he was demoted to the 1st Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces. From July 1961 to January 1979 - again commander of the Airborne Forces.
On October 28, 1967, he was awarded the military rank of General of the Army. He supervised the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).
Since January 1979 - in the group of general inspectors of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces, was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School.
During his service in the Airborne Forces, he made more than sixty jumps. The last of them at the age of 65.
Lived and worked in Moscow.
Died March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Theory of combat use
In military theory, it was believed that after the immediate use of nuclear strikes and the maintenance of high rates of attack, the widespread use of airborne assault forces was necessary. Under these conditions, the Airborne Forces had to fully comply with the military-strategic goals of the war and meet the military-political goals of the state.
According to Commander Margelov:
“In order to fulfill their role in modern operations, our formations and units must be highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, be well controlled, be able to land at any time of the day and quickly switch to active combat operations after landing. This is, by and large, the ideal to which we should strive."
.To achieve the goals set, under the leadership of Margelov, a concept was developed for the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. Margelov wrote a number of works on this topic, and on December 4, 1968, he successfully defended his Ph. In practical terms, exercises and command meetings of the Airborne Forces were regularly held.
Armament
It was necessary to overcome the gap between the theory of the combat use of the Airborne Forces and the established organizational structure of the troops, as well as the capabilities of military transport aviation. Assuming the position of Commander, Margelov received troops consisting mainly of infantry with light weapons and military transport aviation (as an integral part of the Airborne Forces), which was equipped with Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu- 4 with significantly limited landing capabilities. In fact, the Airborne Forces were not able to solve major tasks in military operations.
Margelov initiated the creation and mass production at the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of landing equipment, heavy parachute platforms, parachute systems and containers for landing cargo, cargo and human parachutes, parachute devices. “You can’t command technology, so strive to create reliable parachutes in the design bureau, industry, during testing, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment,” Margelov said when setting tasks for his subordinates.
For the paratroopers, modifications of small arms were created to simplify its landing by parachute - less weight, a folding butt.
Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces in post-war years new military equipment was developed and modernized: airborne self-propelled artillery installation ASU-76 (1949), light ASU-57 (1951), floating ASU-57P (1954), self-propelled installation ASU-85, tracked combat vehicle of the Airborne Forces BMD-1 (1969). After the arrival of the first batches of BMD-1 to the troops, a family of weapons was developed on its basis: Nona self-propelled artillery guns, artillery fire control vehicles, R-142 command and staff vehicles, R-141 long-range radio stations, anti-tank systems, reconnaissance vehicle. Anti-aircraft units and subunits were also equipped with armored personnel carriers, which housed crews with portable systems and ammunition.
By the end of the 1950s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were put into service and entered the army, which had a payload capacity of up to 10-12 tons and a sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups of personnel with standard military equipment and weapons. Later, through the efforts of Margelov, the Airborne Forces received new military transport aircraft - An-22 and Il-76.
At the end of the 1950s, parachute platforms PP-127 appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of artillery, vehicles, radio stations, engineering equipment and others. Parachute-jet means of landing were created, which, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, made it possible to bring the landing speed of the cargo closer to zero. Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing due to the abandonment of a large number large domes.
On January 5, 1973, at the parachute track of the Airborne Forces "Slobodka" (see on Yandex. Maps) near Tula, for the first time in world practice in the USSR, landing on parachute-platform means in the "Centaur" complex was carried out from the An-12B military transport aircraft of a tracked armored combat vehicle BMD-1 with two crew members on board. The crew commander was Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev, and the operator-gunner was Senior Lieutenant Margelov Alexander Vasilyevich.
On January 23, 1976, also for the first time in world practice, landing from the same type of aircraft, BMD-1 made a soft landing on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, also with two crew members on board - Major Margelov Alexander Vasilyevich and Lieutenant Colonel Shcherbakov Leonid Ivanovich. The landing was carried out at a huge risk to life, without personal means of salvation. Twenty years later, for the feat of the seventies, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
A family
Father - Philip Ivanovich Margelov (Markelov) - a metallurgical worker, in the First World War he became a knight of two St. George's crosses.
Mother - Agafya Stepanovna, was from the Bobruisk district.
Two brothers - Ivan (older), Nikolai (younger) and sister Maria.
V. F. Margelov was married three times:
The first wife, Maria, left her husband and son (Gennady).
The second wife is Feodosia Efremovna Selitskaya (mother of Anatoly and Vitaly).
The last wife is Anna Alexandrovna Kurakina, a doctor. He met Anna Alexandrovna during the Great Patriotic War.
Five sons:Gennady Vasilyevich (1931-2016) - major general.
Anatoly Vasilyevich (1938-2008) - doctor technical sciences, professor, author of more than 100 patents and inventions in the military-industrial complex.
Vitaly Vasilievich (born 1941) - a professional intelligence officer, an employee of the KGB of the USSR and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, later - a public and political figure; colonel general, deputy of the State Duma.
Vasily Vasilyevich (1945-2010) - retired major; First Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Russian State Broadcasting Company "Voice of Russia" (RGRK "Voice of Russia").
Alexander Vasilievich (1945-2016) - Airborne Forces officer, retired colonel. On August 29, 1996, "for the courage and heroism shown in testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment" (landing inside the BMD-1 on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, carried out for the first time in world practice in 1976) was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. After retiring, he worked in the structures of Rosoboronexport.
Vasily Vasilyevich and Alexander Vasilyevich are twin brothers. In 2003, they co-authored a book about their father - "Paratrooper No. 1 Army General Margelov."
Awards and titles
USSR awards
Medal "Gold Star" No. 3414 of the Hero of the Soviet Union (03/19/1944);four orders of Lenin (03/21/1944, 11/3/1953, 12/26/1968, 12/26/1978);
Order of the October Revolution (05/04/1972);
two Orders of the Red Banner (3.02.1943, 20.06.1949);
the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree (04/28/1944) was originally presented to the Order of Lenin;
two orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree (01/25/1943, 03/11/1985);
Order of the Red Star (November 3, 1944);
two Orders "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 2nd (12/14/1988) and 3rd degree (04/30/1975);
medals.
Orders (thanks) of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in which VF Margelov was noted.
For crossing the Dnieper River in the lower reaches, and capturing the city of Kherson - a major junction of railway and water communications and an important stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Dnieper River. March 13, 1944. No. 83.
For the capture by storm of the large regional and industrial center of Ukraine, the city of Nikolaev - an important railway junction, one of the largest ports on the Black Sea and a strong stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Southern Bug. March 28, 1944. No. 96.
For capturing by storm on the territory of Hungary the city and the large railway junction of Szolnok - an important stronghold of the enemy's defense on the Tisza River. November 4, 1944. No. 209.
For breaking through the heavily fortified defenses of the enemy southwest of Budapest, capturing by storm the cities of Szekesfehervar and Bichke, large communication centers and important strongholds of the enemy's defense, were seized. December 24, 1944. No. 218.
For the complete capture of the capital of Hungary, the city of Budapest - a strategically important center of German defense on the way to Vienna. February 13, 1945. No. 277.
For breaking through the heavily fortified defenses of the Germans in the mountains of Verteshhegysheg, west of Budapest, defeating a group of German troops in the Esztergom area, and also capturing the cities of Esztergom, Nesmey, Felshe-Galla, and Tata. March 25, 1945. No. 308.
For the capture of the city and an important road junction of Madyarovar and the city and railway station of Kremnica - a strong stronghold of the German defense on the southern slopes of the Velkafatra ridge. April 3, 1945. No. 329.
For the capture of the cities and important railway junctions of Malacky and Bruk, as well as the cities of Prewidza and Banovce - strong strongholds of the German defense in the Carpathian zone. April 5, 1945. No. 331.
For the encirclement and defeat of a group of German troops, who tried to retreat from Vienna to the north, and at the same time capturing the cities of Korneiburg and Floridsdorf - powerful strongholds of the German defense on the left bank of the Danube. April 15, 1945. No. 337.
For the capture of the cities of Jaromerice and Znojmo in Czechoslovakia and the cities of Hollabrunn and Stockerau in Austria - important communications centers and strong strongholds of the German defense. May 8, 1945. No. 367.
honorary titles
Hero of the Soviet Union (1944).Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1975).
Honorary citizen of the city of Kherson.
Honorary soldier of the military unit.
Memory
In 2014, Vasily Margelov's office-museum was opened in the main building of the headquarters of the Airborne Forces.By order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR of April 20, 1985, V.F. Margelov was enlisted as an Honorary Soldier in the lists of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division.
By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 182 dated May 6, 2005, the departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation "General of the Army Margelov" was established. In the same year, a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow, in Sivtsev Vrazhek lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.
Every year on the birthday of VF Margelov on December 27 in all cities of Russia, military personnel of the Airborne Forces pay tribute to the memory of Vasily Margelov.
Monuments
Monuments to V. F. Margelov are installed:In Belarus: Kostyukovichi
In Moldova: Chisinau
In Russia: Alatyr (bust), Bronnitsy (bust), Gorno-Altaisk, Yekaterinburg, Ivanovo, Istomino village, Balakhna district, Nizhny Novgorod region, Krasnoperekopsk, Omsk, Petrozavodsk, Ryazan (two monuments; one of them is located on the territory of the Airborne Forces school, the other - in the square in the immediate vicinity of the checkpoint of this school) and Villages (training center of the Airborne Forces School near Ryazan), Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region (bust), St. Petersburg (in the square named after V. F. Margelov), Simferopol, Slavyansk-on-Kuban , Tula, Tyumen, Ulyanovsk, Lipetsk, Hill (Novgorod region).
Ukraine: Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Zhytomyr (in the location of the 95th brigade), Krivoy Rog, Lvov (in the location of the 80th brigade), Sumy, Kherson, Mariupol.
Timeline of discoveryOn February 21, 2010, a bust of Vasily Margelov was erected in Kherson. The bust of the general is located in the city center near the Youth Palace on Perekopskaya Street.
On June 5, 2010, a monument to the founder of the Airborne Forces (VDV) was unveiled in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. The monument was built at the expense of former paratroopers living in Moldova.
On November 4, 2013, a memorial monument to Margelov was opened in Victory Park in Nizhny Novgorod.
Monument to Vasily Filippovich, a sketch of which was made from a well-known photograph from a divisional newspaper, in which he, being appointed commander of the 76th Guards. airborne division, preparing for the first jump, - installed in front of the headquarters of the 95th separate airmobile brigade (Ukraine).
On October 8, 2014, a memorial complex dedicated to the founder of the USSR Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, General of the Army Vasily Margelov was opened in Bendery (Transnistria). The complex is located on the territory of the square near the city House of Culture.
On May 7, 2014, a monument to Vasily Margelov was unveiled on the territory of the Memorial of Memory and Glory in Nazran (Ingushetia, Russia).
On June 8, 2014, as part of the celebration of the 230th anniversary of the founding of Simferopol, the Alley of Glory and the bust of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General, Commander of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov were solemnly opened.
On December 27, 2014, on the birthday of Vasily Fillipovich in the city of Saratov, a memorial bust to Margelov V.F.
On April 25, 2015 in Taganrog in the city center, in the historical square "At the barrier", a bust of Vasily Margelov was solemnly unveiled.
April 23, 2015 in Slavyansk-on-Kuban ( Krasnodar region, Russia) a bust of General of the Airborne Forces V.F. Margelov was unveiled.
On June 12, 2015, a monument to General Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Yaroslavl near the headquarters of the Yaroslavl Regional Children's and Youth Military Patriotic Public Organization Paratroopers named after Guards Sergeant of the Airborne Forces Leonid Palachev.
On July 18, 2015, a bust to the commander who took part in the liberation of the city in the Second World War was unveiled in Donetsk.
On August 1, 2015, a monument to General Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Yaroslavl on the eve of the 85th anniversary of the Airborne Forces.
On September 12, 2015, a monument to Vasily Margelov was opened in the city of Krasnoperekopsk (Crimea).
A monument to V. F. Margelov was erected in Bronnitsy.
On August 2, 2016, busts of V.F. Margelov were unveiled in Petrozavodsk and Alatyr (Chuvashia); Also on this day, a memorial was opened in the city of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region.
On November 4, 2016, a bronze monument over two meters high was erected in the center of Yekaterinburg.
April 19, 2017 in Vladikavkaz, on the Alley of Glory, a bust of a Soviet military leader was installed.
June 30, 2017 in the city of Kholm, Novgorod region.
Naming
The name of V. F. Margelov is:Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School;
Department of the Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;
Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps (NKSHI);
MBOU "Secondary School No. 27", Simferopol;
streets in Moscow, Zapadnaya Litsa (Leningrad region), Omsk, Pskov, Taganrog, Tula, Ulan-Ude and the border village of Naushki (Buryatia), an avenue and a park in the Zavolzhsky district of Ulyanovsk, a square in Ryazan, public gardens in St. Petersburg, in the city of Belogorsk (Amur Region). In Moscow, the street "projected passage No. 6367" was given the name "Margelov Street" on September 24, 2013. In honor of the 105th anniversary of the birth of Vasily Filippovich, a memorial plaque was opened on the new street.
In Belarus - secondary school No. 4 in Gomel, streets in Minsk and Vitebsk. In Vitebsk, the memory of V. F. Margelov was immortalized on June 25, 2010. Vitebsk City Executive Committee in the spring of 2010 approved the petition of the veterans of the Airborne Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation to name the street connecting the street. Chkalova and ave. Victory, General Margelov Street. On the eve of the City Day on the street. General Margelov, a new house was put into operation, on which a memorial plaque was installed, the right to open it was granted to the sons of Vasily Filippovich.
In art
During the Great Patriotic War, a song was composed in the division of V. Margelov, one verse from it:The song praises the Falcon
Brave and daring...
Is it close, is it far
Margelov's regiments marched.
In 2008, with the support of the Moscow government, director Oleg Shtrom filmed the eight-episode series "Dad", in which Mikhail Zhigalov played the main role.
The ensemble "Blue Berets" recorded a song dedicated to V. F. Margelov, estimating state of the art Airborne Forces, after his departure from the post of commander, which is called “Forgive us, Vasily Filippovich!”.
Other
At the Sumy distillery "Gorobina" memorial vodka "Margelovskaya" is produced. Fortress 48%, in the recipe - alcohol, pomegranate juice, black pepper.
In honor of the centenary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of V. Margelov in the Airborne Forces.
"Suvorov of the twentieth century" - this is how General of the Army Vasily Filippovich Margelov (1908 - 1990) began to be called during his lifetime by Western historians (for a long time it was forbidden to call this name in the press for reasons of secrecy).
Having commanded the Airborne Forces for a total of almost a quarter of a century (1954 - 1959, 1961 - 1979), he turned this branch of the military into a formidable strike force that knew no equal.
But Vasily Filippovich was remembered not only as an outstanding organizer by his contemporaries. Love for the Motherland, remarkable military abilities, steadfastness and selfless courage were organically combined in him with the greatness of the soul, modesty and crystal honesty, kind-hearted, truly fatherly attitude towards the soldier.
We turn over some pages of the book of his fate, worthy of the pen and the master of the detective genre, and the creator of the heroic epic ...
How a paratrooper got a vest
In the Soviet-Finnish war of 1940, Major Margelov was the commander of the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division. His battalion made daring raids on enemy rear lines, set up ambushes, causing great damage to the enemy. In one of the raids, they even managed to capture a group of officers of the Swedish General Staff, which gave the Soviet Government reason to make a diplomatic demarche about the actual participation of the allegedly neutral Scandinavian state in the hostilities on the side of the Finns. This step had a sobering effect on the Swedish king and his cabinet: Stockholm did not dare to send its soldiers into the snows of Karelia ...
The experience of ski raids on enemy rear lines was remembered in the late autumn of 1941 in besieged Leningrad. Major V. Margelov was assigned to lead the First Special Ski Regiment of sailors of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet formed from volunteers.
The veteran of this part N. Shuvalov recalled:
- As you know, sailors are a peculiar people. In love with the sea, they do not particularly favor their land brothers. When Margelov was appointed commander of a regiment of marines, some used to say that he would not take root there, his “brothers” would not accept him.
However, this prophecy did not come true. When the regiment of sailors was built to be presented to the new commander, Margelov, after the command "Attention!" seeing many gloomy faces looking at him not particularly friendly, instead of the words of greeting “Hello, comrades!”, which are customary in such cases, without hesitation, he shouted loudly:
- Hello, buggers!
A moment - and in the ranks not a single gloomy face ...
Many glorious feats were accomplished by sailors-skiers under the command of Major Margelov. The tasks were set personally by the commander of the Baltic Fleet, Vice Admiral Tributs.
Deep daring raids by skiers across the German rear in the winter of 1941-42 were an ongoing headache for the command of Hitler's Army Group North. What was even worth the landing on the coast of Ladoga in the direction of Lipka - Shlisselburg, which alarmed Field Marshal von Leeb so much that he began to remove troops from Pulkovo to eliminate him, tightening the noose of the blockade of Leningrad.
Two decades later, the commander of the Airborne Forces, General of the Army Margelov, ensured that the paratroopers received the right to wear vests.
- The daring of the "brothers" sunk into my heart! he explained. - I want the paratroopers to adopt the glorious traditions of their older brother - the marines and continue them with honor. For this, I introduced the paratroopers vests. Only stripes on them to match the color of the sky - blue ...
When, at a military council chaired by the Minister of Defense, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union S. G. Gorshkov, began to blame that, they say, paratroopers were stealing vests from sailors, Vasily Filippovich sharply objected to him:
- I myself fought in the Marine Corps and I know what paratroopers deserve and what - sailors!
And Vasily Filippovich fought famously with his "marines". Here's another example. In May 1942, in the Vinyaglovo area near the Sinyavinsky Heights, about 200 enemy infantrymen broke through the defense sector of a neighboring regiment and entered the rear of the Margelovites. Vasily Filippovich quickly gave the necessary orders and himself lay down behind the Maxim machine gun. Then he personally destroyed 79 Nazis, the rest were finished off by reinforcements that came to the rescue.
By the way, during the defense of Leningrad, Margelov always had an easel machine gun at hand, from which in the mornings he made a kind of shooting exercise: he “trimmed” the tops of trees in bursts. Then he mounted a horse and practiced cutting with a sword.
In offensive battles, the regiment commander more than once personally raised his battalions to attack, fought in the forefront of his fighters, dragging them to victory in hand-to-hand combat, where he had no equal. Because of such terrible fights, the Nazis nicknamed the marines "striped death."
Officer's ration - in a soldier's cauldron
Caring for a soldier has never been a secondary matter for Margelov, especially in a war. His former brother-soldier, senior lieutenant of the guard Nikolai Shevchenko, recalled that, having accepted the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment in 1942, Vasily Filippovich began to increase its combat effectiveness by improving the catering of all personnel.
At that time, the officers in the regiment ate separately from the soldiers and sergeants. Officers were entitled to reinforced rations: in addition to the combined arms norm, they received animal butter, canned fish, biscuits or cookies, Golden Fleece or Kazbek tobacco (non-smokers were given chocolate). But, besides this, some battalion commanders and company commanders brought personal chefs with a common catering department. It is not difficult to understand that some part of the soldier's cauldron went to the officer's desk. This was discovered by the regimental commander when bypassing the units. He always started it with an inspection of the battalion kitchens and a sample of soldiers' food.
On the second day of Lieutenant Colonel Margelov's stay in the unit, all of its officers had to eat from a common boiler along with the soldiers. The regiment commander ordered his additional ration to be transferred to a common boiler. Soon other officers began to do the same. “Batya set a good example for us!” - the veteran Shevchenko recalled. Surprisingly, Batey Vasily Filippovich was called in all the regiments and divisions that he happened to command ...
God forbid, if Margelov noticed that the fighter had leaky shoes or shabby clothes. Here the business executive received to the fullest. Once, noticing that the sergeant-machine-gunner at the forefront of the boot was “asking for porridge”, the regimental commander called the head of the clothing supply to him and ordered him to exchange shoes with this fighter. And he warned that if he saw this again, he would immediately transfer the officer to the front line.
Vasily Filippovich could not stand cowards, weak-willed, lazy people. Theft under him was simply impossible, because he punished him mercilessly ...
Hot Snow
Whoever read Yuri Bondarev's novel "Hot Snow" or saw the film of the same name based on this novel, let him know: the Margelovites were the prototype of the heroes that stood in the way of Manstein's tank armada, which was trying to break the encirclement around the 6th army of Paulus in Stalingrad. It was they who found themselves in the direction of the main attack of the fascist tank wedge and managed to prevent a breakthrough, holding out until reinforcements arrived.
In October 1942, Guards Lieutenant Colonel Margelov became the commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, which was part of the 2nd Guards Army, Lieutenant General R. Ya. Malinovsky, which was formed specifically to complete the defeat of the enemy, who had broken through into the Volga steppes. For two months, while the regiment was in reserve, Vasily Filippovich intensely prepared his fighters for fierce battles for the Volga stronghold.
Near Leningrad, he more than once had to engage in single combat with fascist tanks, he knew well their weak spots. And now he personally taught tank destroyers, showing armor-piercers how to dig a trench in full profile, where and from what distances to aim with an anti-tank rifle, how to throw grenades and Molotov cocktails.
When the Margelovites held the defense at the turn of the river. Myshkov, having taken on the blow of the Goth tank group, which was advancing from the Kotelnikovsky area to join the Paulus breakthrough group, they were not afraid of the newest heavy Tiger tanks, they did not flinch in front of the many times superior enemy. They did the impossible: in five days of fighting (from December 19 to 24, 1942), without sleep or rest, suffering heavy losses, they burned and knocked out almost all enemy tanks in their direction. At the same time, the regiment retained combat readiness!
In these battles, Vasily Filippovich was severely shell-shocked, but did not leave the line. He met the New Year of 1943 with his fighters, with a Mauser in his hand, dragging the attacking chains to storm the Kotelnikovsky farm. This swift throw of units of the 2nd Guards Army in the Stalingrad epic was put to a bold end: the last hopes of the Paulus army for the deblockade melted away like smoke. Then there was the liberation of Donbass, the crossing of the Dnieper, fierce battles for Kherson and the "Iasi-Kishinev Cannes" ... Thirteen thanks from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief were awarded to the 49th Guards Kherson Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division - Margelov's Division!
The final chord is the bloodless capture in May 1945 on the border of Austria and Czechoslovakia of the SS tank corps, which broke through to the West to surrender to the Americans. This included the elite armored forces of the Reich - the SS divisions "Grossdeutschland" and "Totenkopf".
As the best of the best guards, Major General Hero of the Soviet Union V.F. Margelov (1944), the leadership of the 2nd Ukrainian Front entrusted the honor of commanding a front-line composite regiment at the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945.
After graduating from the Higher Military Academy in 1948 (since 1958 - the Military Academy of the General Staff), Vasily Filippovich accepted the Pskov Airborne Division.
This appointment was preceded by a meeting between Major General V. Margelov and Minister of Defense of the USSR Marshal of the Soviet Union Nikolai Bulganin. There was another general in the office, also a Hero of the Soviet Union.
The Minister of Defense began the conversation with kind words about the Airborne Troops, their glorious combat past, and that a decision had been made to develop this relatively young branch of the military.
– We believe in them and consider it necessary to strengthen them with combat generals who distinguished themselves during the Great Patriotic War. What is your opinion, comrades?
He, the second general, began to complain about the wounds received at the front, said that the doctors did not recommend him to make parachute jumps. In general, he refused the proposal of the minister.
General Margelov, who had many wounds during three wars, including severe ones, and even in the legs, asked a single question in response:
- When can I go to the troops?
"Today," the Minister of Defense replied, and shook his hand warmly.
Margelov understood that he would have to start from scratch and how to comprehend the tricky landing science for a beginner. But he also knew something else: there is a special attraction in this kind of troops - audacity, a strong male adhesion.
Years later, he told the correspondent of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper:
Until the age of 40, I vaguely imagined what a parachute was, and I never dreamed of jumping in a dream. It turned out on its own, or rather, as it should be in the army, by order. I am a military man, if necessary, ready to go to hell. And so it was necessary, already being a general, to make the first parachute jump. The impression, I tell you, is incomparable. A dome opens above you, you soar in the air like a bird, - by God, I want to sing! I sang. But you won't go away on rapture alone. I was in a hurry, I didn’t follow the ground, as a result I had to walk for two weeks with a bandaged leg. Got a lesson. Parachuting is not only romantic, but also a lot of work and impeccable discipline...
Then there will be many jumps - with weapons, day and night, from high-speed military transport aircraft. During his service in the Airborne Forces, Vasily Filippovich made more than 60 of them. Extreme - at the age of 65.
Anyone who has never left an airplane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced the joy and fear of a free fall, a whistle in his ears, a stream of wind beating in his chest, he will never understand the honor and pride of a paratrooper, - Margelov will say something.
What did Vasily Filippovich see when he accepted the 76th Guards Airborne Division Chernigov? The material and technical base of combat training is at zero. The simplicity of the sports equipment was discouraging: two jumping boards, a cradle for a balloon suspended between two pillars, and the skeleton of an aircraft that vaguely resembled an airplane or glider. Injuries and even deaths are common. If Margelov was a novice in the landing business, then in the organization of combat training, as they say, he ate the dog.
In parallel with combat training, no less important work was underway to equip the personnel and the families of officers. And here everyone was surprised by the persistence of Margelov.
“A soldier must be well-fed, clean in body and strong in spirit,” Vasily Filippovich liked to repeat Suvorov's saying. It was necessary - and the general became a real foreman, as he called himself without any irony, and on his desktop, mixed with plans for combat training, exercises, landing, there were calculations, estimates, projects ...
Working in his usual mode - day and night - day and night away, General Margelov quickly ensured that his unit became one of the best in the airborne troops.
In 1950, he was appointed commander of the airborne corps in the Far East, and in 1954, Lieutenant General V. Margelov led the Airborne Forces.
And soon he proved to everyone that he was not a rustic servant, as some perceived Margelov, but a man who saw the prospects of the Airborne Forces, who had a great desire to turn them into the elite of the Armed Forces. To do this, it was necessary to break stereotypes and inertia, win the trust of active, energetic people, and involve them in joint productive work. Over time, V. Margelov formed a circle of like-minded people carefully selected and nurtured by him. And the outstanding sense of the new, combat authority and the ability of the commander to work with people made it possible to achieve the set goals.
Year 1970, operational-strategic exercise "Dvina". Here is what the newspaper of the Belarusian Military District “For the Glory of the Motherland” wrote about them: “Belarus is a country of forests and lakes, and it is incredibly difficult to find a landing site. The weather wasn't good, but it didn't give us any reason to be discouraged either. Attack fighters ironed the ground, from the commentator's booth it sounded: "Attention!" - and the eyes of those present turned upward.
Here, large points separated from the first aircraft - these are military equipment, artillery, cargo, and then paratroopers fell like peas from the hatches of the An-12. But the crown of the throw was the appearance in the air of four "Anteys". A few minutes - and now there is a whole regiment on the ground!
When the last paratrooper touched the ground, V.F. Margelov stopped the stopwatch on the commander's watch and showed it to the Minister of Defense. It took a little over 22 minutes for eight thousand paratroopers and 150 units of military equipment to be delivered to the rear of the "enemy".
Brilliant results were also achieved at the major exercises Dnepr, Berezina, Yug… It has become common practice to raise airborne troops, say, in Pskov, make a long flight and land near Ferghana, Kirovabad or in Mongolia. Commenting on one of the exercises, Margelov told the Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent:
- The use of airborne assault has become practically unlimited. For example, we have this type of combat training: on the map of the country, a point is arbitrarily chosen where troops are dropped. Warrior parachutists jump into a completely unfamiliar area: into the taiga and deserts, lakes, swamps and mountains ...
It was after the Dvin exercises, declaring gratitude to the guardsmen for their courage and military prowess, that the commander casually asked:
Margelov could be understood: there was a need to reduce the time for preparing airborne units for combat after landing. The landing of military equipment from one aircraft, and the crews from another led to the fact that the spread sometimes amounted to five kilometers. While the crews were looking for equipment, it took a lot of time.
A little later, Margelov again returned to this idea:
- I understand that it is difficult, but no one but us will do this.
Moreover, when the fundamental decision to conduct the first such experiment was rather difficult to make, Vasily Filippovich proposed his candidacy to participate in the first test of this kind, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff were categorically against it.
However, even without this, there were legends about the courage of the commander. It manifested itself not only in a combat situation. At one of the festive receptions, where they could not help but invite the disgraced Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Vasily Filippovich, stretched out at attention, congratulated him on the holiday. Zhukov, being the Minister of Defense, repeatedly observed the actions of the paratroopers in the exercises and expressed satisfaction with their high skill, admired their courage and courage. General Margelov was proud of the respect of such military leaders for himself, and therefore did not change his attitude towards honored people in favor of temporary workers and high-ranking sycophants.
The troops of "Uncle Sam" and the troops of "Uncle Vasya"
At the end of the spring of 1991, an official visit to the United States was made by USSR Minister of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union D.T. Yazov.
Returning to Moscow, the minister met with officers of the Information Department of the Ministry of Defense.
Subsequently, reflecting on this meeting that lasted more than two hours in the hall where meetings of the Collegium of the Ministry of Defense usually took place, I came to the conclusion that communication with us, ordinary employees of the department, was primarily aimed at conveying to the general public through officers who, on duty, maintain contacts with the press, his very skeptical opinion about the merits of the military equipment of the richest power in the world and about the level of preparedness of the American "pros", which were then excitedly admired by the Ogonyok magazine and related publications.
During a visit to the military base at Fort Bragg, the Soviet Minister of Defense was invited to a demonstration exercise of one of the parachute battalions of the famous "devils' regiment" - the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States. This division became famous for participating in almost all post-war conflicts in which the United States intervened (Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, etc.). She was the first to land in the Middle East before the start of the anti-Iraq Desert Storm in 1990. In all operations, the "devils" were at the forefront of the attack as the most dexterous, courageous, invincible.
And it was these “understudies of Satan” who were instructed to surprise the Soviet minister with their class of training and fearlessness. They were parachuted in. Part of the battalion landed in combat vehicles. But the effect of the “show-off” turned out to be the opposite of what was expected, because Dmitry Timofeevich could not talk about what he saw in North Carolina without a bitter smile.
- What would I rate you for such a landing? - Asked, slyly narrowing his eyes, the Minister of Defense of the then Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces for combat training, Lieutenant General E. N. Podkolzin, who was part of the Soviet military delegation.
“You should have torn off my head, Comrade Minister!” - Evgeny Nikolaevich minted.
It turns out that almost all American paratroopers thrown out of aircraft in combat vehicles received serious injuries and injuries. There were also those who died. After landing, more than half of the cars did not budge...
This is hard to believe, but even in the early 90s, the vaunted American professionals did not have the same equipment as ours and did not know the secrets of the safe landing of "winged infantry" units on equipment that were mastered in the "uncle Vasya's troops" (as fighters of the Airborne Forces called themselves, hinting at a special warmth of feelings for the commander) back in the 70s.
And it all began with the courageous decision of Margelov to put the responsibility of a pioneer on his shoulders. Then, in 1972, in the USSR, tests of the newly created Centaur system were in full swing - for landing people inside an airborne combat vehicle on parachute platforms. The experiments were risky, so they started on animals. Far from everything went smoothly: either the parachute canopy was torn, or the active deceleration engines did not work. One of the jumps even ended in the death of the dog Buran.
Something similar happened with Western testers of identical systems. True, they experimented on people there. A man sentenced to death was placed in a combat vehicle that was dropped from an airplane. It crashed, and for a long time the West considered it inexpedient to continue development work in this direction.
Despite the risk, Margelov believed in the possibility of creating safe systems for landing people on equipment and insisted on complicating tests. Since dog jumping went on normally in the future, he sought a transition to a new phase of R & D - with the participation of warriors. In early January 1973, he had a difficult conversation with the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union A. A. Grechko.
- Do you understand, Vasily Filippovich, what you are going to, what you are risking? - Andrey Antonovich urged Margelov to abandon his plan.
“I understand perfectly well, that’s why I stand my ground,” answered the general. – And those who are ready for the experiment also understand everything perfectly.
On January 5, 1973, the historic leap took place. For the first time in the world, the crew was parachuted inside the BMD-1 on parachute-platform means. It included Major L. Zuev and Lieutenant A. Margelov - in the car next to an experienced officer was the youngest son of the commander, Alexander, at that time a young engineer of the scientific and technical committee of the Airborne Forces.
Only a very courageous person would dare to send his son to such a complex, unpredictable experiment. It was an act akin to the feat of Lieutenant General Nikolai Raevsky, when Kutuzov's favorite in 1812 near Saltanovka fearlessly led his young sons in front of the front of the battalions faltering from the French buckshot and with this amazing example breathed stamina into the discouraged grenadiers, held the position, deciding the outcome of the battle. Sacrificial heroism of this kind in the world military history is a unique phenomenon.
- A combat vehicle was dropped from the AN-12, five domes were opened, - Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov, now an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, recalled the details of the unprecedented jump. - Of course, it is dangerous, but one thing reassured me: the system has been successfully used for more than one year. True, no people. Landed normally. In the summer of 1975, on the basis of the parachute regiment, then commanded by Major V. Achalov, Lieutenant Colonel L. Shcherbakov and I inside the BMD and four officers outside, in the joint landing cabin, jumped again ...
Vasily Filippovich was awarded the USSR State Prize for this bold innovation.
The Centaur was replaced (not least thanks to the commander of the Airborne Forces, who stubbornly argued in the highest party and government authorities of the country that a new method of delivering fighters and equipment to the target, its early development to enhance the mobility of the "winged infantry") soon came a new, more perfect system "Reactavr". The rate of decline on it was four times higher than on the Centaur. In psychophysical terms, it is correspondingly more difficult for a paratrooper (a deafening roar and roar, a flame escaping from jet nozzles is very close). On the other hand, the vulnerability to enemy fire and the time from the moment of being thrown out of the aircraft to bringing the BMD into combat position were sharply reduced.
From 1976 to 1991, the Reaktavr system was used about 100 times, and always successfully. Year by year, from exercise to exercise, the "blue berets" gained experience in its application, polished their own skills on various stages landing.
Since 1979, Vasily Filippovich was no longer with them, having surrendered the post of commander of the Airborne Forces and transferred to the Group of General Inspectors of the Ministry of Defense. Eleven years later, on March 4, 1990, he passed away. But the memory of Paratrooper number one, his precepts to the blue berets are imperishable.
The name of Army General V.F. Margelov is worn by the Ryazan Higher Command School of the Airborne Forces, the streets, squares and squares of St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Omsk, Pskov, Tula ... Monuments were erected to him in St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Pskov, Omsk, Tula, the Ukrainian cities of Dnepropetrovsk and Lvov, Belarusian Kostyukovichi.
Paratroopers, veterans of the Airborne Forces every year come to the monument of their commander at the Novodevichy cemetery to honor his memory.
But the main thing is that the spirit of Margelov is alive in the troops. The feat of the 6th Airborne Company of the 104th Guards Regiment of the 76th Pskov Division, in which Vasily Filippovich began his career in the Airborne Forces, is an eloquent confirmation of this. He is also in other achievements of the paratroopers of recent decades, in which the "winged infantry" covered itself with unfading glory.