On August 31, 1996, the Khasavyurt agreements were signed, which put an end to the First Chechen War. Journalist Olesya Yemelyanova found the participants in the First Chechen Campaign and talked with them about the war, about their life after the war, about Akhmat Kadyrov and much more.
Dmitry Belousov, St. Petersburg, senior warrant officer of the OMON
In Chechnya, there was always a feeling: “What am I doing here? Why all this is necessary? ”, But there was no other job in the 90s. My wife was the first after the first business trip to tell me: "Either I, or the war." Where will I go? We tried not to get out of business trips, at least they paid our salaries on time - 314 thousand. Benefits were, "combat" paid - it was a penny, I do not remember exactly how much. And they gave me a bottle of vodka, it was nauseous without it, in such situations you don't get drunk from it, but it helped to cope with stress. I fought for a salary. At home, the family, it was necessary to feed her with something. I didn’t know any background of the conflict, I didn’t read anything.
The young conscripts had to slowly be soldered off with alcohol. They are only after school, it is easier for them to die than to fight. Eyes run up, heads pull out, do not understand anything. They will see the blood, they will see the killed - they cannot sleep.
Murder is unnatural for a person, although he gets used to everything. When the head does not understand, the body does everything on autopilot. Fighting the Chechens was not as scary as fighting the Arab mercenaries. They are much more dangerous, they are very good at fighting.
It took us about a week to prepare for the storming of Grozny. We - 80 riot policemen - were supposed to storm the village of Katayama. Later they learned that there were 240 militants there. Our tasks included reconnaissance in force, and then the internal troops were to replace us. But nothing happened. Ours also hit us. There was no connection. We have our own police radio, tankers have their own wave, helicopter pilots have their own. We are passing the line, artillery strikes, aviation strikes. The Chechens got scared, they thought they were some kind of fools. According to rumors, the Novosibirsk OMON was originally supposed to storm Katayama, but their commander refused. Therefore, we were thrown from the reserve to the assault.
Among the Chechens, I had friends in opposition regions. In Shali, for example, in Urus-Martan.
After the hostilities, someone drank himself to death, someone fell into a madhouse - some were taken straight from Chechnya to a psychiatric hospital. There was no adaptation. The wife left immediately. I can't remember a good one. Sometimes it seems that it is better to erase all this from memory in order to live on and move forward. And sometimes you want to speak.
There seem to be benefits, but everything is only on paper. There are no levers how to get them. I still live in the city, it’s easier for me, but it’s impossible for the villagers. Hands and feet are - and that's good. The main trouble is that you are counting on the state, which promises you everything, and then it turns out that nobody needs you. I felt like a hero, received the Order of Courage. This was my pride. Now I look at everything differently.
If now they offered to go to war, I would probably go. It's easier there. There is an enemy and there is a friend, black and white - you stop seeing the shades. And in a peaceful life, you have to twist and twist. It's exhausting. When Ukraine began, I wanted to go, but my current wife dissuaded me.
Vladimir Bykov, Moscow, infantry sergeant
When I got to Chechnya, I was 20 years old. It was a deliberate choice, I turned to the military registration and enlistment office and in May 1996 I left as a contract soldier. Before that, I studied at a military school for two years, at school I was engaged in bullet shooting.
In Mozdok, we were loaded onto a Mi-26 helicopter. There was a feeling that you see shots from American cinema. When we arrived in Khankala, the soldiers who had already served for some time offered me a drink. They gave me a glass of water. I took a sip, and the first thought was: "Where can I throw it out?" The taste of "war water" with bleach and pantocid is a kind of point of no return and understanding that there is no turning back.
I didn’t feel like a hero, and I don’t feel it. To become a hero in a war, one must either die, or commit an act that has become public knowledge, or be close to the commander. And the commanders are usually far away.
Minimal casualties were my goal in the war. I fought not for the Reds or the Whites, I fought for my guys. In war there is a reassessment of values, you start to look at life differently.
The feeling of fear begins to disappear after about a month, and this is very bad, indifference to everything appears. Each of him came out in his own way. Someone smoked, someone drank. I wrote letters. Described mountains, weather, local people and their customs. Then he tore up these letters. There was no way to send anyway.
Psychologically it was difficult, because it is often not clear whether you are a friend or an enemy. It seems that during the day a person calmly commutes to work, and at night he comes out with a machine gun and fires at roadblocks. During the day you are in a normal relationship with him, and in the evening he shoots at you.
We divided the Chechens for ourselves into flat and mountainous. Plains are more intelligent people, more integrated into our society. And those living in the mountains have a completely different mentality, a woman is nobody for them. Ask a lady for documents for verification - and this can be perceived as a personal insult to her husband. We came across women from mountain villages who did not even have passports.
Once, at a checkpoint at the intersection with Serzhen-Yurt, we stopped a car. A man came out with a yellow card in English and Arabic. It turned out to be Mufti Akhmat Kadyrov. We talked quite peacefully about everyday topics. He asked if there was anything he could do to help. At that time we had difficulty with food, there was no bread. Then he brought us two trays of loaves at the checkpoint. They wanted to give him money, but he didn’t take it.
I think that we could have ended the war without a second Chechen war. It was necessary to go to the end, and not to conclude a peace agreement on shameful terms. Many soldiers and officers then felt that the state had betrayed them.
When I returned home, I plunged headlong into my studies. He studied at one institute, in parallel at another, and also worked to keep the brain busy. Then he defended his Ph.D. thesis.
When I was a student, I was sent to a course on psychosocial assistance for survivors of hot spots organized by a Dutch university. I then thought that Holland had not fought with anyone lately. But I was told that Holland participated in the Indonesian war at the end of the 40s - as many as two thousand people. I invited them to show them a videotape from Chechnya as a teaching material. But their psychologists turned out to be mentally unprepared and asked not to show the recording to the audience.
Andrey Amosov, St. Petersburg, Major SOBR
That I will be an officer, I knew the class from the third or fourth. My dad is a policeman, now he is retired, my grandfather is an officer, my brother is also an officer, my great-grandfather died in the Finnish war. At the genetic level, this has borne fruit. At school I went in for sports, then there was the army, a special purpose group. I have always had a desire to repay my debt to my homeland, and when I was offered to go to a special rapid reaction unit, I agreed. There was no doubt whether to go or not, I swore an oath. During my military service, I was in Ingushetia, it was clear to me what kind of mentality awaits me. I understood where I was going.
When you go to SOBR, it's stupid not to think that you can lose your life. But my choice was deliberate. I am ready to give my life for my homeland and friends. What doubts are there? Politics should be handled by politicians, and military structures should follow orders. I believe that the introduction of troops into Chechnya both under Yeltsin and under Putin was correct so that the radical topic would not spread further on the territory of Russia.
For me, the Chechens have never been enemies. My first friend in the technical school was a Chechen, his name was Khamzat. In Chechnya, we gave them rice and buckwheat, we had good food, but they needed it.
We worked on the leaders of the gangs. We captured one of them in battle at four o'clock in the morning and destroyed. For this I received a medal "For Courage".
On special assignments, we acted harmoniously, as a single team. The tasks were set different, sometimes difficult to fulfill. And these are not only combat missions. It was necessary to survive in the mountains, freeze, sleep in turns near the stove and warm each other with hugs when there is no firewood. All boys are heroes to me. The team helped to overcome fear when the militants were 50 meters away and shouted "Surrender!" When I remember Chechnya, I imagine more the faces of my friends, as we joked, our solidarity. The humor was specific, on the verge of sarcasm. I think I underestimated it before.
It was easier for us to adapt, because we worked in the same department and went on business trips together. Time passed, and we ourselves expressed a desire to go to the North Caucasus again. The physical factor worked. The feeling of dread that adrenaline provides was powerful. I regarded combat missions as both duty and recreation.
It would be interesting to look at modern Grozny. When I saw him, he looked like Stalingrad. Now the war periodically dreams, there are disturbing dreams.
Alexander Podskrebaev, Moscow, GRU special forces sergeant
I came to Chechnya in 1996. We did not have a single conscript, only officers and contract soldiers. I went because adults should defend the Motherland, not juvenile puppies. In our battalion there were no business travelers, only combat ones, we received $ 100 a month. I didn't go for money, but to fight for my country. “If the homeland is in danger, then everyone must go to the front,” Vysotsky sang.
The war in Chechnya did not appear out of the blue, it is Yeltsin's fault. He himself armed Dudaev - when our units were withdrawn from there, all the warehouses of the North Caucasian Military District were left to him. I talked with ordinary Chechens, they saw this war in the grave. They lived normally, everyone was happy with life. It was not the Chechens who started the war, and not Dudayev, but Yeltsin. One solid base.
Chechens fought some for money, some for their homeland. They had their own truth. I didn't have the feeling that they were absolute evil. But there is no truth in war.
In war, you are obliged to follow orders, there is no way to go anywhere, even criminal orders. After that, you have the right to appeal them, but first you must comply. And we followed criminal orders. That is when, for example, the Maykop brigade was brought into Grozny on New Year's Eve. The scouts knew that this could not be done, but the order was from above. How many boys were driven to death. It was pure betrayal.
Take, for example, the cash-in-transit KamAZ with money, which stood near the headquarters of the 205 brigade when the Khasavyurt agreements were signed. Bearded guys came and loaded money with sacks. The FSB agents allegedly gave money to the militants for the restoration of Chechnya. And our salary was not paid, but Yeltsin gave us Zippo lighters.
For me, the real heroes are Budanov and Shamanov. My chief of staff is a hero. While in Chechnya, he managed to write a scientific work about the rupture of an artillery barrel. This is a person due to whom the power of Russian weapons will become stronger. The Chechens also had heroism. They were characterized by both fearlessness and self-sacrifice. They defended their land, it was explained to them that they were attacked.
I believe that the emergence of post-traumatic stress syndrome strongly depends on the attitude of society. If you are constantly being told in your eyes, “You’re a murderer!”, It can be traumatic for someone. In the Great Patriotic War, there were no syndromes, because the homeland of the heroes met.
It is necessary to talk about the war from a certain angle so that people do not engage in nonsense. There will still be peace, only part of the people will be killed. And not the worst part. There is no sense in this.
Alexander Chernov, Moscow, retired colonel, internal troops
In Chechnya, I worked as the head of a computing center. We left on July 25, 1995. There were four of us: I, as the head of the computing center, and three of my employees. We arrived in Mozdok, got off the plane. The first impression is wild heat. We were taken to Khankala by a pinwheel. By tradition, in all hot spots the first day is non-working. I brought with me two liter bottles of White Eagle vodka, two loaves of Finnish sausage. The men displayed Kizlyar brandy and sturgeon.
The camp of the internal troops in Khankala was a quadrangle surrounded by barbed wire. At the entrance there was a rail in case of artillery raids to raise the alarm. The four of us lived in a trailer. It was quite convenient, we even had a refrigerator. The freezer was full of water bottles as the heat was unbearable.
Our computing center was engaged in the collection and processing of all information, primarily operational. Previously, all information was transmitted via ZAS (classified communication equipment). And six months before Chechnya, we got a device called the RAMS, I don’t know how it stands for. This device made it possible to connect a computer with the ZAS, and we could transfer classified information to Moscow. In addition to internal work such as all kinds of inquiries, twice a day - at 6 am and 12 am - we sent the operational report to Moscow. Despite the fact that the size of the files was small, the connection was sometimes poor, and the process took a long time.
We had a video camera and we filmed everything. The most important filming is the negotiations between Romanov (Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia, Commander of the Internal Troops Anatoly Romanov) with Maskhadov (one of the leaders of the separatists, Aslan Maskhadov). There were two operators in the negotiations: from their side and from ours. The secretaries took the cassette away from us, and I do not know its further fate. Or, for example, a new howitzer has appeared. Romanov told us: "Go ahead and film how it works." Our cameraman also filmed the story of how the heads of three foreign journalists were found. We transferred the film to Moscow, processed it there and showed it on television.
May 1996, the airfield of the military base in Khankala
The war was very unprepared. Drunken Grachev and Egorov sent tankers to Grozny on New Year's Eve, and they were all burned there. To send tanks to the city is not quite the right decision. And the personnel were not prepared. It got to the point that the Marines were removed from the Far East and thrown there. People should be run in, and then the boys were almost immediately thrown into battle from training. Losses could have been avoided, in the second campaign there were an order of magnitude less. The truce gave a little respite.
I am sure that the first Chechen war could have been avoided. I believe that the main culprits of this war are Yeltsin, Grachev and Yegorov, they unleashed it. If Yeltsin had appointed Dudayev as deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, entrusted him with the North Caucasus, he would have put things in order there. The civilian population suffered from militants. But when we bombed their villages, they rose up against us. Intelligence in the first Chechen war worked very poorly. There were no agents, they lost all agents. Whether there were militants in the destroyed villages, there were not, it is impossible to say for sure.
My friend, a military officer, wearing medals all over his chest, took off his shoulder straps and refused to go to Chechnya. Said it was the wrong war. He even refused to register his pension. Proud.
My sores in Chechnya have worsened. It got to the point that I could not work on the computer. There was also such a mode of operation that I slept only four hours plus a glass of cognac at night to fall asleep.
Ruslan Savitsky, St. Petersburg, private of the internal troops
In December 1995, I came to Chechnya from the Perm region, where I had a training course in an operational battalion. We studied for six months and went to Grozny by train. We all wrote petitions to be sent to the area of hostilities, not forcibly coerced. If there was one child in the family, then he could calmly refuse.
We were lucky with the officers. They were young guys, only two or three years older than us. They always ran ahead of us, they felt responsible. Of the entire battalion, we had only one officer with combat experience who had gone through Afghanistan. Only the riot police were directly involved in the cleansing operations; we, as a rule, kept the perimeter.
In Grozny, we lived in a school building for six months. Part of it was occupied by the OMON unit, about two floors - by us. Cars were parked around, the windows were covered with bricks. In the classroom where we lived, there were stoves, burning with wood. We washed ourselves once a month, lived with lice. It was undesirable to go beyond the perimeter. I was taken out of there two weeks earlier than the others for disciplinary violations.
It was boring to hang around at school, although the food was normal. Over time, out of boredom, we began to drink. There were no shops, we bought vodka from the Chechens. You had to go outside the perimeter, walk about a kilometer around the city, come to an ordinary private house and say that you need alcohol. There was a high probability that you would not return. I walked around without a weapon. For one machine gun alone they could kill.
Ruined Grozny, 1995
Local banditry is a strange thing. It seems like a normal person during the day, but in the evening he dug up a machine gun and went to shoot. In the morning he buried the weapon - and again normal.
The first contact with death was when our sniper was killed. He shot himself, he wanted to take the weapon from the murdered man, he stepped on the stretcher and was blown up. In my opinion, this is a complete lack of brains. I had no sense of the value of my own life. I was not afraid of death, I was afraid of stupidity. There were many idiots around.
When I returned, I went to get a job in the police, but I did not have a secondary education. I passed my exams as an external student and came back, but they gave me a ride again, because in Chechnya I got tuberculosis. Also because he drank a lot. I cannot say that the army is to blame for my alcoholism. Alcohol was present in my life and before it. When the second Chechen war began, I wanted to go. I came to the military registration and enlistment office, they gave me a bunch of documents, this slightly discouraged my desire. Then there was a conviction for some garbage, and my service in the army was covered. I wanted courage and buzz, but it did not work out.
Daniil Gvozdev, Helsinki, special forces
I ended up in Chechnya by conscription. When the time came to join the army, I asked my coach to arrange me in good troops - we had a special-purpose company in Petrozavodsk. But at the assembly point, my name sounded with those who are going to Sertolovo in the grenade launcher. It turned out that the day before that my coach had left for Chechnya as part of the SOBR team. I, together with the whole “herd”, got up, went to the train, and spent three months in the training unit. Nearby was a part of the paratroopers in Pesochny, wrote there repeatedly statements to be accepted, came. Then he realized that everything was useless, he passed the exams for the radio operator of the 142nd command and staff vehicle. At night our captain and officers lifted us up. One walked with tears, said how he respects and loves all of us, the second tried to warn us. They said we were all leaving tomorrow. The next night it was so interesting to look at this officer, I still did not understand why he shed tears in front of us, he was less years old than I am now. He cried: "Guys, I will worry about you so much!" One of the guys said to him: "So pack up and go with us."
We flew to Vladikavkaz via Mozdok. For three months we had active classes, they gave me the 159th radio station behind my back. Then I was sent to Chechnya. I stayed there for nine months, I was the only signalman in our company who more or less understood something in communication. Six months later, I managed to knock out an assistant - a guy from Stavropol, who did not understand anything, but smoked a lot, and for him Chechnya was paradise in general.
We performed different tasks there. Of the simple ones - you can dig up oil there with a shovel and they put such devices: a barrel, under it gas or diesel heaters, they drive the oil to the point where gasoline is obtained at the end. They sell gasoline. They drove huge convoys with trucks. ISIS, banned in Russia, is doing the same in Syria. Someone does not come to an agreement, his own hand over - and his barrels are on fire, and some calmly does what is needed. There was also constant work - we guarded the entire leadership of the headquarters of the North Caucasus Military District, Shamanov was guarded. Well, intelligence missions.
We had a mission to capture a militant, some language. We went into the night to look on the outskirts of the village, saw that cars were coming up there, they were pouring gasoline. We noticed one comrade there, he constantly walked around, changed the heating under the barrels, he has a machine gun, well, if a machine gun means a militant. He had a bottle, he would come up, take a sip and hide, well, we lie there, look with a friend, he says: "He has vodka, they are Muslims, you can't drink, so he walks here, drinks and hides." The task of capturing the tongue faded into the background, we must first grab vodka. They crawled, found a bottle, and there was water! It made us angry, they took him prisoner. This guy-militant, such a thin one, after interrogation in the intelligence department, was sent back to us. He told me that before he was engaged in Greco-Roman wrestling and with a broken rib he made a handstand, I greatly respect him for that. He turned out to be a cousin of the field commander, so he was exchanged for two of our soldiers. You should have seen these soldiers: 18-year-old guys, I don't know, the psyche is clearly broken. We wrote to this guy on a green headscarf: "It's nothing personal, we don't want war."
He asks: "Why didn't you kill me?" We explained that we were curious about what he was drinking. And he said that they had only one Russian left in the village, they did not touch her, because she was a witch, everyone went to her. Two months ago, she gave him a bottle of water and said: "You can be killed, drink this water and you will stay alive."
We were permanently located in Khankala, and worked everywhere. The last one we had was a demobilizing chord, Bamut was released. Have you seen Nevzorov's film "Furious Company"? So we walked with them, we were on one side along the pass, they were on the other. They had one conscript in the company and it was he who was killed, and all the contract soldiers are alive. Once I looked through binoculars, and there some bearded people were running around. The commander says: "Let's give them a couple of cucumbers." They asked me on the radio station, they told me the coordinates, I looked - they ran, waving their hands. Then they show a beluga whale - what they wore under camouflage. And we realized that they were ours. It turned out that their batteries did not work for transmission and he could not transmit, but he heard me, so they began to wave.
You don't remember anything in battle. Someone says: “When I saw the eyes of this person ...” But I don’t remember that. The battle is over, I see that everything is fine, everyone is alive. There was a situation when we got into the ring and caused fire on ourselves, it turns out that if I go to bed, there is no connection, but I need to correct so that they do not hit us. I wake up. The guys shout: “Good! Lie down. " And I understand that if there is no connection, they will cover their own.
Who invented at the age of 18 to give children weapons, to give the right to kill? If they gave it, make sure that when they return, people are heroes, and now Kadyrov's bridges. I understand that they want to reconcile the two nations, everything will be erased in a few generations, but how can these generations live?
When I returned, it was the dashing nineties outside, and almost all of my friends were doing something illegal. I came under investigation, a criminal record ... At some point, when my head began to move away from the military fog, I waved my hand to this romance. With the guys, the veterans opened a public organization to support war veterans. We work, we help ourselves, others. I also paint icons.
"Komsomolskaya Pravda" remembered the exploits of those who live next to us and, it seems, are no different from the majority - [exclusive "KP"]
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Alexander Suponinsky. 6th company: "Hope saved from a bullet in the temple"
On December 9, Russia celebrates the Day of Heroes of the Fatherland. Today, three Heroes of Russia and one Hero of the Soviet Union live in Tatarstan. "KP" recalls the feat of each of them.
The Star of the Hero of Russia for Alexander Suponinsky from Almetyevsk is not just an award. This is the memory of those 84 soldiers who remained in the Shatoi region. Then, in a few hours, trained militants, among whom were Arab mercenaries, “mowed down” an entire company. Only six, including a Tatarstan citizen, miraculously survived.
HEIGHT 776.0
Alexander does not like to remember that Ada, where almost all of his comrades died - too much for 15 years both truth and fiction about the 6th company have been said, and written, and removed.
But then - in the distant 2000, after serving only three months, Suponinsky himself asked with friends to go to Chechnya - he persuaded the commander. And already in early February, he went there as part of the 6th company of the 2nd paratrooper battalion of the 104th Guards Red Banner Parachute Regiment of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.
On February 8, the first serious skirmish with the militants. And on February 29, the company was sent to a height of 776.0, which is near the village of Ulus-Kert, to block the passage through the Argun gorge for a large group of militants led by the famous field commander Khattab. According to some reports, the number of Wahhabis was from one and a half to two thousand people, that is, 15-20 times (!) Exceeded the number of paratroopers from the "human shield".
The militants tried by hook or by crook to break through to break out of the "cauldron" into which they were driven by federal troops. Khattab gave the order to destroy all defenders of height 776.0. Russian soldiers were covered with heavy fire.
HELL ON EARTH
What happened after is difficult to describe in words. "Spirits" went in "waves" of 50 people, while our guys did not have replenishment. Half an hour rare respite - that's all the paratroopers received for almost a day.
They walked at us with bulging eyes, shouting "Allahu Akbar" ... - remember the survivors of that terrible battle.
Nearby, his comrades-in-arms were falling dead, Alexander more than once had the idea to put a pool in his temple.
But every time there was some kind of hope. Saved. I fired on, - recalls Alexander Suponinsky.
It came down to hand-to-hand combat. The soldiers of the 6th company defeated several bands, but the defenders of the heights were becoming less and less - the ranks were thinning. At night, towards morning, the assault on the Wahhabis intensified. The militants walked to their full height, not hiding. Later, during a survey of the battlefield by the Wahhabis, a lot of potent drugs will be found here.
Neither artillery nor air support could have helped their own then - the gorge was enveloped in a dense fog, and even the forest itself was a thick wall. In such conditions, you cannot distinguish where yours are, where are strangers.
In the early morning of March 1, the battalion commander, in order to save the surviving children, called fire on himself. After some time, communication with the 6th company was cut off forever.
22 HEROES OF RUSSIA. 21 posthumously
In that battle, Alexander Suponinsky received a shrapnel wound in the leg. And the officer with broken legs remained to cover the retreat of the guys: "Someone has to tell the truth." He died there, at an unapproachable height.
After a while, Alexander is demobilized. A new, peaceful life will begin for him, but he often sees the faces of his comrades in arms and the very battle for the height 776.0 in his dreams.
“For courage and courage shown in the elimination of illegal armed formations in the North Caucasus region” by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 12, 2000, Senior Sergeant Alexander Anatolyevich Suponinsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. The same rank was received by another 21 paratroopers from the 6th company. All posthumously.
Now Alexander lives and works with his wife in Almetyevsk, raising three children - two daughters and a son.
I tell my son that you need to serve in the army, there is no need to be afraid. And to serve in good faith, to remain always human and, of course, to love your Motherland, - the paratrooper told "KP".
And although the boy is only 5 years old, he is making quite serious plans for the future: to celebrate his father's 50th birthday in the air - to jump with a parachute.
REFERENCE "KP"
Suponinsky Alexander Anatolievich... Born on April 3, 1978 in the village of Sheshminka, Cheremshansky district of Tatarstan.
Paratrooper, Hero of Russia since 2000.
To answer the question: what happened at the height of 776.0? tried many. Based on those events, several feature films were filmed, including "Breakthrough", "Russian Victim", "Thunderstorm Gates" ... But each of them, according to the survivors, is an artistic fiction. However, even the most wonderful movie will hardly be able to convey all the horror experienced by the soldiers of the 6th company.
Alexey Korablev: “I was already considered dead. And I came back "
A 20-year-old conscript soldier from Tatarstan is one of the few survivors today. He received his "Star" for the fact that single-handedly covered the retreat of his reconnaissance group from the encirclement. If not for him, most likely everyone would have died.
ONE FOR ALL
Aleksey Korablev, shortly before his mobilization, along with several comrades in arms, was in the midst of hostilities during the second Chechen war.
The turning point for the conscript from Tatarstan was January 14, 2000. The motorized rifle platoon of the 503rd regiment, in which the conscript from Tatarstan, Private Korablev, served, together with the reconnaissance group of the 160th regiment, were surrounded and blocked at an altitude of 950.8 near the village of Duba-Yurt, Shalinsky district of Chechnya.
Several hours passed and the ammunition of the soldiers and officers of the reconnaissance company began to come to an end - the "spirits" were walking towards our guys in a solid wall. To save the guys, the commander was forced to order a retreat. But where to go? The only trail under the gunmen's sights.
A powerful cover was needed. It was the fire of the machine gun of Private Alexei Korablev.
I was the only one left. Of course, I was scared. It is impossible to convey in words what was happening to me at that moment. The adrenaline went off scale. Some state of insanity. And you no longer think about your life. Some kind of anger rolls over, - Alexey told "KP".
Shot everything, as they say, "to the piece." Night has come. Under cover of darkness, the private began to make his way slowly to his own.
MACHINE GUN HASK, IS THE FIGHTER DEAD?
On the way, Korablev found a wounded comrade.
I jumped into the cliff, and there the seriously wounded Stas - the gunner lies, - says Alexey.
It’s scary to even remember how he dragged a part of the bleeding soldier to the location: now Alexei is a large, solid man, and then a "green" thin boy, while the wounded man is a large adult man twice as heavy as him.
I came to the unit only the next day. After dinner already. I had a wounded man in my arms. Until you reach him ... - recalls the fighter. - And the commander, it turns out, has already begun to write a presentation for the award ... posthumously. We decided: since my machine gun is silent, it means that I am no longer alive.
Of course, Korablev's comrades were delighted with their savior: everyone wanted to hug the guy, shake his hand - after all, he helped the guys from the entourage to leave and he left - he deceived the "spirits"!
LIFE WITHOUT WAR
In Chechnya, the guy served for another 4 months, and six months later he was mobilized altogether - he returned to his native Chistopol. And he didn't take the machine gun in his hands anymore - he chose a completely peaceful profession of a driver.
And for the courage and heroism shown during the counter-terrorist operation on the territory of the North Caucasus region, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of June 28, 2000, the guard private Korablev Alexey Mikhailovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
Until recently, he was President of the Public Organization of Veterans of the Afghan and Chechen Wars of the Chistopol District, but it turned out to be difficult to combine social activities and work. Moreover, Alexei's family is large - four children need to be raised “on their feet”.
Now for him, as a participant in bloody battles, the most important thing is: "So that there is no war!"
REFERENCE "KP"
Korablev Alexey Mikhailovich... Born on March 21, 1979 in the village of Galaktionovo, Chistopolsky District, Tatarstan.
Private, since 2000 Hero of Russia.
No films have been made about his feat, no books have been written. However, in any Russian cinema about the war there are such "Korablevs" who, at the cost of their own lives, save their own people from their enemies.
Of course, he would very much like the directors of the "military" to pay attention to their feat. But not for the sake of bragging:
I would like the memory of the dead guys to remain. I am alive and well, and they are in the grave at the age of 18.
"Kandagarovets" Gazinur Khairullin: "If there had been at least one attempt to escape, we would have been shot right there"
On December 9, Russia celebrates the Day of Heroes of the Fatherland. Today, three Heroes of Russia and one Hero of the Soviet Union live in Tatarstan. "KP" recalls the feat of each of them.
The history of the Il-76 crew, which included Gazinur Khairullin as the co-pilot, has become not just a legend - a Russian blockbuster was filmed based on it, and the pilots were awarded the Hero's Star: 378 days of Kandahar captivity and an impossible take-off, which the participants themselves still call a miracle.
ROCK FLIGHT
August 3, 1995. The Il-76 plane of the Kazan airline "Aerostan" flies on the usual "charter" of Tirana (Albania) -Kabul (Afghanistan). On board a batch of small arms and ammunition, including more than a thousand boxes of cartridges for the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The flight and cargo are in accordance with all the rules of international carriage.
The aircraft enters the airspace of Afghanistan, to the destination of a 30-minute flight. At this time, the radio operator receives the fatal: "Board 76842, you are landing in Kandahar." A second later, a MiG-21 fighter sits on the "tail" of the transporter. And a new order: "Come in to land or open fire." It was not possible to delay time and get away from pursuit: at this time on the ground another fighter was preparing for the start.
The pilots landed the plane in Kandahar. On the runway, Taliban armed to the teeth surrounded him, declaring the cargo banned without even looking at the documents. All seven crew members: commander Vladimir Sharpatov, co-pilot Gazinur Khairullin, navigator Alexander Zdor, flight engineer Askhat Abbyazov, radio operator Yuri Vshivtsev, engineers Viktor Ryazanov and Sergei Butuzov became prisoners for 13 months.
LIFE AT SIGHT
378 days at gunpoint and constant control, exhausting the nerves, but not breaking the spirit of the Kazan pilots ... 378 days of hope for salvation ... 378 days spent in a small house in which they slept on a bare concrete floor and ate four potatoes and a small piece of lamb fat on the bones for seven.
The fate of the Kazan crew was reported to the Russian government. Negotiations began. Then doctors came to the pilots for the first time, though at gunpoint. But with the long-awaited news from home. Plus food and medicine. And once they brought the satellite phone of the President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev.
Half a minute for each. But everyone phoned the house - even the memory of this significant event for the captives years later causes a spasm in the throat. And then - 20 years ago - for the first time tears. Neither humiliation, nor inhuman conditions of existence, nor the constant expectation of death could do what a few seconds of their beloved native voice were capable of.
In order not to go crazy and not give up, the crew every day arranged a morning run around the courtyard, and in the evenings they taught English - the role of "teacher" was performed by the radio operator.
A LONG-AWAITED CHANCE
Kazan residents never lost hope of salvation, and after a telephone conversation with their wives, their faith grew into determination: since the Taliban did not immediately shoot, then for some reason they need pilots.
For what, it became clear a little later, when the crew commander and both engineers were taken to the airfield to their native Il-76. The Taliban forced them to inspect the plane completely and start the engines.
The guys decided to cheat, deciding: here it is - a chance for salvation. They persuaded the invaders that this was impossible, they say, the entire crew was needed to start the engine.
We considered every detail of the future escape.
A week later, the entire crew was taken to the airfield. But under the supervision of five submachine gunners.
If we had made at least an attempt, we would have been shot right there, ”Gazinur Khairullin told KP. “We certainly couldn't cope with the five guards.
"Saved" the pilots by the bursting wheel of the plane - why not ask for on board again? On August 16, the guards woke up the crew and took them to the airfield. Fortunately for the citizens of Kazan, it was Friday - a day off for Muslims, dedicated to prayers. So for the protection of the crew on board, only two submachine gunners were allocated and the third was added to the "reinforcement". The wheel was replaced and the citizens of Kazan persuaded the chief of the guard to carry out other technical work on the plane. The pilots settled down at the helm of the Il-76. Together with them three guards climbed aboard.
The next few seconds turned into eternity for the crew members. But every maneuver has long been thought out: start the engines, check the readiness of all instruments, acceleration ...
The guards did not react immediately, apparently deciding that, like the last time, the crew would simply make a circle around the airfield ... We took off from the middle of the strip, a bus with armed Taliban rushed across the plane. The guards on board also woke up. While the commander was lifting Il into the air, the crew, including the co-pilot, went hand-to-hand. The submachine gunners managed to be twisted at the cost of inhuman efforts. But the chances of salvation, increasing with each passing minute, gave the exhausted prisoners confidence.
We walked at extremely low altitudes (up to 50-100 meters) and this is in mountainous terrain! If not for the skill of the pilots, the guys could have just crashed. But they did not risk climbing higher to the border crossing and getting in touch with the ground services, so that they would not be detected by air defense systems.
The route was thought out in advance: instead of the desired homeland, we flew to the border with Iran, and from there through the Persian Gulf UAE Gazinur Khairullin (third from right) with friends.
To the pilots on the star, to the rest - the order of courage
On August 22, 1996, the President of Russia signed a decree conferring the title of Hero of the Russian Federation to Khairullin Gazinur Garifzyanovich.
The commander, Vladimir Sharpatov, also received a gold star and a personalized watch. The rest of the crew were awarded the Order of Courage.
I began to look at life in a different way - we were on the verge of death, ”Gazinur Khairullin admitted much later to“ KP ”. He still continues to fly - he works as a crew commander at the Volga-Dnepr airline and all the same at the Il-76. But
Now, before each flight, he turns to God:
Before starting the flight, I say to myself: "Bismilla rahman rahim" ("In the name of Allah, the merciful and merciful" - surah from the Koran. - Auth.), Gazinur Khairullin smiles.
REFERENCE "KP"
Gazinur Garifzyanovich Khairullin... Born September 10, 1961, in the village of Staroe Drozhzhanoe.
Pilot, since 1996 Hero of Russia.
In 2010 the film "Kandahar" was released, based on the story of the capture of the Il-76 crew in 1995. The co-pilot was played by actor Vladimir Mashkov. The choice of an artist was approved by his real prototype.
Outside the window is the XXI century. But, despite this, military conflicts do not subside, including with the participation of the Russian army. Courage and valor, courage and bravery are the qualities characteristic of the soldiers of Russia. Therefore, the exploits of Russian soldiers and officers require separate and detailed coverage.
How our people fought in Chechnya
The exploits of Russian soldiers today do not leave anyone indifferent. The first example of boundless courage is the tank crew headed by Yuriy Sulimenko.
The exploits of the Russian soldiers of the tank battalion began in 1994. During the First Chechen War, Sulimenko acted as a crew commander. The team showed good results and in 1995 took an active part in the storming of Grozny. The tank battalion was defeated by 2/3 of its personnel. However, the brave fighters led by Yuri did not flee from the battlefield, but went to the presidential palace.
Sulimenko's tank was surrounded by the Dudayevites. The team of fighters did not surrender; on the contrary, they began to conduct aimed fire at strategic targets. Despite the numerical superiority of the opponents, Yuri Sulimenko and his crew were able to inflict colossal losses on the militants.
The commander received dangerous wounds to his legs, burns to his body and face. Viktor Velichko, with the rank of foreman, was able to provide him with first aid in a burning tank, after which he carried him to a safe place. These exploits of Russian soldiers in Chechnya did not go unnoticed. The fighters were awarded the title of Heroes of the Russian Federation.
Yuri Sergeevich Igitov - hero posthumously
Very often the exploits of Russian soldiers and officers nowadays become generally known after the death of the heroes. This is exactly what happened in the case of Yuri Igitov. The private was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation posthumously for fulfilling his duty and a special assignment.
Yuri Sergeevich took part in the Chechen war. The private soldier turned 21, but despite his youth, he showed courage and valor in the last seconds of his life. Igitov's platoon was surrounded by Dudayev's fighters. Most of the comrades were killed by numerous enemy shots. The gallant private at the cost of his life until the last bullet covered the retreat of the surviving soldiers. When the enemy was advancing, Yuri blew up a grenade without surrendering to the enemy.
Evgeny Rodionov - faith in God to the last breath
The exploits of Russian soldiers today cause the boundless pride of fellow citizens, especially when it comes to young boys who gave their lives for a peaceful sky overhead. Boundless heroism and unshakable faith in God was shown by Evgeny Rodionov, who, under the threat of death, refused to take off his pectoral cross.
Young Eugene was called to serve in 1995. He served on a permanent basis in the North Caucasus, at the border point of Ingushetia and Chechnya. Together with his comrades, he joined the guard on February 13. Carrying out their direct task, the soldiers stopped an ambulance car carrying weapons. After that, the rank and file were captured.
For about 100 days, the soldiers were tortured, severely beaten and humiliated. Despite the unbearable pain and the threat of death, the soldiers did not remove their crosses. For this, Eugene's head was cut off, and the rest of his colleagues were shot on the spot. For the martyrdom of Rodionov Eugene was awarded posthumously.
Yanina Irina - an example of heroism and courage
The exploits of Russian soldiers today are not only the heroic deeds of men, but also the incredible valor of Russian women. A sweet, fragile girl was a participant in two military operations as a nurse during the First Chechen War. 1999 was the third test in Irina's life.
August 31, 1999 became fatal. At the risk of her own life, nurse Yanina saved more than 40 people by making three trips in an APC to the firing line. Irina's fourth trip ended tragically. During the enemy's counter-offensive, Yanina not only organized lightning-fast loading of wounded soldiers, but also covered the retreat of her colleagues with automatic fire.
Unfortunately for the girl, two grenades hit the armored personnel carrier. The nurse rushed to the aid of the wounded commander and the 3rd private. Irina saved the young soldiers from certain death, but did not manage to get out of the burning car herself. The armored personnel carrier's ammunition detonated.
For the displayed valor and courage he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation posthumously. Irina is the only woman who has been awarded this title for operations in the North Caucasus.
Maroon takes posthumously
The exploits of Russian soldiers today are known not only in Russia. The story of Sergei Burnaev leaves no one indifferent. Brown - this is what his comrades in service called the commander - was in the "Vityaz", a special division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 2002, the detachment was sent to the city of Argun, where an underground weapons warehouse with numerous tunnels was discovered.
It was possible to reach the opponents only by going through an underground hole. The first to go was Sergey Burnaev. Opponents opened fire on the fighter, who was able to answer the militants' call in the darkness. The comrades were in a hurry to help, at that very moment Bury saw a grenade, which was rolling towards the soldiers. Without hesitation, Sergei Burnaev covered the grenade with his body, thereby saving his colleagues from certain death.
For the perfect feat, Sergei Burnaev was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. The school where he studied was open so that young people remember the exploits of Russian soldiers and officers today. The parents were presented with a maroon beret in honor of the memory of the gallant soldier.
Beslan: nobody is forgotten
The exploits of Russian soldiers and officers today are becoming the best confirmation of the boundless courage of men in uniform. September 1, 2004 became a black day in the history of North Ossetia and all of Russia. The seizure of the school in Beslan did not leave a single person indifferent. Andrey Turkin was no exception. The lieutenant took an active part in the hostage rescue operation.
At the very beginning of the rescue operation, he was wounded, but did not leave the school. Thanks to his professional skills, the lieutenant took an advantageous position in the dining room, where about 250 hostages were accommodated. The militants were eliminated, which increased the chances of a successful outcome of the operation.
However, a militant came to the aid of the terrorists with an active grenade. Turkin, without hesitation, rushed to the bandit, holding the device between himself and the enemy. This action saved the lives of innocent children. The lieutenant posthumously became a Hero of the Russian Federation.
Combat Sun
On ordinary days of military service, the exploits of Russian soldiers are also often performed. or the battalion commander Sun, in 2012 during the exercises he became hostage to a situation, the way out of which became a real feat. Saving his soldiers from death, the battalion commander covered the activated grenade with his own body, which flew off the edge of the parapet. Thanks to the dedication of Sergei, tragedy was avoided. The battalion commander was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
Whatever the heroic deeds of Russian soldiers in our days, each person should remember about the valor and courage of the army. Only the memory of the actions of each of the listed heroes is a reward for the courage that cost them their lives.
I don't know sooner or later
But I'll be back, you just wait
And with a cry in my heart:
"Hello mother!"
I will touch your chest ...
(A. Korchagin)
Quite recently, the fighting in Chechnya died down, where our Russian soldiers died, the tears have not yet dried up in the eyes of the mothers of the dead children who have not yet grown old, the main multivolume studies on this war have not yet been written. Too little time has passed to objectively and impartially assess what was happening ... But the pain of a stubborn pulsating vein brings us back to these recent events, forcing us to think, analyze, draw analogies and draw conclusions ... The theme of war, patriotism, heroism of the Russian soldier has always been and will remain relevant ... It is historical research that makes it possible to carry out the connection of times, to awaken memory, to be the conscience of an entire people and to be a truth that cannot be distorted or refuted ...
The purpose of writing our work is to learn about the life and combat path of a former student of our school Anatoly Korchagin and to preserve the memory of him and his heroic deeds.
The tasks of the work are to study materials from the home photo archive, record interviews with Anatoly Korchagin's parents, Lyubov Alexandrovna and Anatoly Viktorovich, as well as publications by newspaper correspondents in the city of Rtischevo.
To learn about the war in Chechnya as a whole, we had to study memories, a few literature and video materials, as well as interview A. Korchagin's parents, study letters, photographs of their family, read articles of the Perekrestok Rossii newspaper relating to this period. We found a lot of reference material on the Internet.
The books of Sokolov B.V., Bedretdinov I., Troshev G., Grodno N. are united by the fact that the authors themselves were witnesses and participants in the events. Knowing the situation from the inside, they try to analyze miscalculations, mistakes, set out their vision of events, report many facts unknown to the general public, many of their testimonies do not coincide with official, smoothed and leveled data. Sokolov B.V. and N. Grodno consider the events of the first and second Chechen wars as a whole. I. Bedretdinov describes what was happening, focusing on the events related to the RF Air Force. Troshev G., as a general who exercised personal command of the troops and was directly next to the soldiers and next to high-ranking commanders, like no one else felt directly on himself all the "delights" of military operations. Therefore, he had every right to give not only his assessments and state his point of view on what was happening, but also to characterize both Russian and Chechen dignitaries. Of course, all these memories and descriptions of events are subjective, but it is this subjectivity that makes it possible to look at the war in Chechnya not from the point of view of officials and media reports, but, comparing different opinions, to come to our own conclusions. The video materials made it possible to obtain additional visual information, which is also considered subjective and requires critical reflection and additional confirmation, although it is indisputable documentary evidence of the deployment of troops, the storming of Grozny and other cities, the treatment of prisoners, the course of battles, etc.
The interview taken from Anatoly's parents is invaluable evidence of his formation as a person, as a real man, the formation of his life guidelines, values, and beliefs. Articles in the periodicals helped to find out information about the Rtishchevites who served in Chechnya, performed their soldier's duty, and showed courage and heroism.
Rtishchevites - participants in the war in Chechnya
The Chechen war brought grief to our land of Rtishchev. This war claimed the lives of Alexander Zinchenko, Anatoly Korchagin, Mikhail Arkhipov, Sergei Borisov and others.
Mikhail Arkhipov
The man who fulfilled his military duty and the order of the command to the end, Mikhail Arkhipov was a true patriot. He was born on 25.12.1966 in Rtishchevo and studied at the secondary school № 1. He was a serious boy, from childhood he was drawn to technology, so after school he mastered the profession of a radio installer. He married in front of the army, he had a daughter, Eugene and a son, Mikhail, in whom his father doted. In the army he served in Ashgabat on Kushka. If not for the two kids, then he would have ended up serving in Afghanistan, but then fate saved him ...
Returning home, I tried several blue-collar jobs, and I was an excellent driver. And not just a driver - he knew technology just as well as any experienced mechanic. Since 2000, Mikhail began to work as a driver in the linear police department. Real man's work tempered such traits of his character as hard work, a sense of duty, purposefulness. When the question of a business trip to Chechnya arose, Mikhail had no doubts.
There were only 12 days left until the end of the trip. It seemed quite a bit and the long-awaited return home is inevitable, he wrote about this in his only letter to his family: "Don't get sick, don't worry, I'll come soon ...". But this time fate decreed otherwise. On the morning of August 12, 2001, a message was received from the Main Directorate of the grouping of the combined forces and troops to the detachment providing protection of the strategically important railway bridge on the river. Dzhalka, which connected Grozny and Gudermes. The message said that on that day a train with military equipment and people would follow the railway, the task of the detachment was to ensure the safety of the railway.
The detachment, having received a combat mission, broke into 2 sections. The senior of one of them was appointed ml. Sergeant Arkhipov. Moving in different directions in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 10-15 m, the soldiers examined the path. Mikhail found himself next to a radio-controlled land mine laid under the railway track. There was an explosion. Mikhail's legs were torn off and he soon died from loss of blood and terrible agony. The railway track was restored, and the train proceeded safely in the right direction, and the sabotage was prevented at the cost of our fellow countryman's life ...
Sergey Borisov
Loyal to the military oath, courageous and strong spirit was Sergei Borisov, who was born in Rtishchevo, but lived here for a short time. In infancy, his parents took him to Estonia, where he lived until the age of 13. Then his mother Tatyana Ivanovna returned to her parents in Rtischevo. Here Sergey studied for some time at the secondary school № 4, then the whole family moved to the city of Kotovsk, Tambov region. In the fall of 1999 he was drafted into the army. He served in Naro-Fominsk. On January 25, 2001, he left to serve in Chechnya.
And the guy was no longer destined to return to Kotovsk, and in Rtishchevo he was brought five months later in a coffin to be buried in his native land. About how the paratrooper Borisov died, his relatives learned from the soldiers who survived that battle.
Many children died, - says Tatyana Ivanovna. - a boy came to his mother-in-law, who was traveling in the same convoy in an escort group, in a third APC, and was wounded in the back. He said that he called Sergei into his car, but he did not go.
Usually talkative, sociable Sergei was in a depressed mood that day ... The column was ambushed. A land mine fragment hitting the head, Sergei, riding in the first armored personnel carrier, was killed on the spot.
Another boy laid down his head in Chechnya. He was less than twenty. In the city of Kotovsk, Tambov region. On August 11, 2001, a monument to the children who died in Afghanistan and Chechnya was unveiled in the Park of Military Glory. The mournful list also includes S.G. Borisov, a native of Rtishchev.
Anatoly Korchagin - new heroes of Russia
Family and childhood of A. Korchagin
The Korchagin family was one of the ordinary families of Russia, of which there are many millions in the vastness of our Motherland. Father - Anatoly Viktorovich Korchagin, worked and works with children, basketball coach. Mother - Lyubov Aleksandrovna Korchagina, also devoted her life to working with children, for many years she worked as a methodologist at the Medvezhonok kindergarten (currently retired). Two sons were growing up in the family - Anatoly (elder) and Pavel (younger). The youngest was bright, noisy, mischievous, and the elder was the exact opposite - quiet, calm, reasonable. Anatoly was born on May 2, 1878. Mom, coming to the nursery for her son, saw the scurrying and shrieking babies, and not finding her child with her eyes, often asked the teachers: "Where is my son?" And he sat quietly and played with himself. According to the recollections of his parents, Anatoly, or as his mother Tolyunchik called him, never caused any problems or trouble. From childhood he was sensible, loved to read, he could prefer an interesting book to running around and playing with boy friends in the war, as if he felt that there would still be a place for war in his life ... from neighbors, my mother brought whole bags from friends and colleagues at work. Anatoly studied at the secondary school № 4, which he entered in 1985, and graduated in 1993. At school, his teachers remember him as a very modest, diligent, disciplined, open, respectful, responsible student (the first teacher I.V. Sedova, class teacher V.S.Kleschevskaya), who could protect the weak, stand up for justice, but at the same time very benevolent. His soul was open wide open, as were the huge, not childishly serious, but at the same time trusting eyes. Anatoly studied well, never once did parents have to blush at parental meetings for their son, they could only hear words of gratitude for their upbringing. And as a son, Tolyunchik grew up loving, gentle, sympathetic, kind, obedient, a real example for his younger brother and a support and helper for his parents. After graduating from the 9th grade of school, he continued his studies at vocational school-80 as an accountant. 30 girls studied with him and everyone loved and respected him, trusted and consulted with him as a brother, friend, comrade. And before the army, he did not even meet with a single girl ...
Military service
Anatoly was drafted into the army after school. At that difficult time, each mother tried to protect her son from the dangerous military service that had become. Lyudmila Aleksandrovna persuaded her son to continue his studies in the city of Serdobsk at a helicopter school. But Anatoly firmly answered his mother: "I love you very much, but this is my life, and I will make decisions myself!" Conscience and feelings of duty did not allow him not to join the army, and he acted like a real man, did not hide and run away from service. Before the army, he went in for sports - his father taught him, height 2 m, excellent health, balanced character, all these qualities helped him to find himself in the elite of the troops - in the airborne assault. Neither before the army, nor in the army, Anatoly did not drink or smoke. In the army they made fun of him: "Why light a cigarette?" and he gave his packs to his colleagues and retorted to ridicule: "Why give up poorly?" Initially, Anatoly was in the training unit in the city of Tula for 3 months, then he was transferred to a permanent duty station in the unit located in the city of Donskoy. In the army he had many friends, people were drawn to him, tk. he was a reliable comrade, they say about such people that you can go on reconnaissance with them, in difficult times he could provide a reliable shoulder, he was very sincere, could listen, help with advice and deed, knew how to find a common language with absolutely everyone. He was respected by both soldiers and officers, he rose to the rank of sergeant. The unit even sent a letter of thanks to the parents. He was one of the first recruits who was entrusted with the protection of weapons and a post at the unit's banner. Anatoly liked to jump from a parachute very much. Like a bird, he soared high in the sky, feeling delight and pleasure, as if wings had grown behind his back, the love of jumping would remain with him for the rest of his life. He had more jumps than the norm, for which he was awarded the badge "Excellent parachutist". In almost every letter to his parents, he wrote about jumps, how great it is to see his native land from a height, how beautiful it is, he was very worried if for some reason the jumps were canceled. He was worried that he would return from the army, and how he would live without this feeling of flight, without closeness to the sky, without wings behind his back. The unit called him "Christmas tree", tk. he was tall, trained, fit, hardy like this majestic tree. The most memorable event during the service was the Survival March. When their detachment was taken to the forest in winter, they were left without food and special devices. The soldiers dug dugouts in the snow, got their own food, cooked food on the fire. During the service 6 times, parents and brother visited their son in the Donskoy separate guards anti-aircraft missile and artillery battalion. Parents brought huge bags with groceries, homemade cakes, sweets, and by evening there was nothing left, Anatoly shared everything with his comrades. In the army, he met his love. The girl's name was Anna, she was in the 10th grade. This was his first and last, only love. After his service in the army, they were going to get married, Anatoly even bought himself a wedding suit. After serving in the army, he returned with his girlfriend to his hometown, to his parents.
The feat of A. Korchagin
After demobilization from the army in November 1998, Anatoly was going to get married, he did not want to sit on the neck of his parents. Almost immediately I got a job in a military unit in the rotoguard as a guard of the territory where the planes were located. Here he often jumped from parachutes, because I could not forget the feeling of flight. The days passed quickly, winter, spring, summer flew by imperceptibly, autumn came. Anatoly with his beloved went to her parents, in Donskoy. Returning home, Anatoly did not show it. He did not say anything to his parents, he, as always, made a decision on his own. He agreed to sign a contract in Donskoy, resigned from the military unit of Rtishchevo and transferred to Donskoy, where he had many friends, including among the officers (they persuaded him, promising to give a platoon and a decent salary). Anatoly thought about the future of his brother, wanted him to serve under his wing, to look after him, because brother was hot, rough, emotional. He himself planned to go to college, study. Before leaving, he gave Anya a watch, gave his mother money for a birthday present for his beloved, by March 8 he made gifts to his mother and grandmother in advance. Lyudmila Aleksandrovna recalled that her son went to the army as a boy, and returned as a real man, a warrior, ready to take responsibility for his actions and protect loved ones in case of danger. Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, the phone call blew up and blew up the silence. On the other end of the line, Anya's mother, in a breaking voice, announced that Anatoly was being sent to Chechnya ... Mother and father, abandoning everything, rushed to Donskoe, Anatoly forbade speaking, writing, informing Anya Lyudmila Alexandrovna and Anatoly Viktorovich that he was being sent to Chechnya to don't upset them. Lyudmila Alexandrovna hoped to the last to convince her son, as she foresaw trouble in her heart. Without warning their son, the parents rushed to his unit. What was the mother thinking, remembering at that moment? Maybe about how, after returning from the army, he cut out chocolate from his small salary and bought her chocolate: "You, mom, have low hemoglobin" or how he told her that when he and his father get old, then only he will take care of them : "Mom, I will never leave you, I will always be with you, I will cherish and take care of you, I am the eldest son ...". When his parents arrived in Donskoye, Anatoly did not expect to see them, did not assume that his Anechka would disobey her husband. The father wanted to go to the chief and refuse to go to war for his son, but mother and son met their eyes, and it became clear that Anatoly would not listen to anyone. The meeting was short, Anatoly said: "What am I going to hide behind their backs? I will go home, and they will go without me? Mom, look at these guys ... Do you want me to leave? And how will I live if there is anything with them?" -will happen? " Anatoly asked the parents to take Anya with them, planned to return to Rtishchevo, did not want any seeing-off, so as not to be upset for himself and for them, too, thought that they had already left. The servicemen were loaded into the car when the native eyes of the mother and son met for the last time ...
On April 23, 2000, a week before his 22nd birthday, Anatoly went to his last fight, always waved his hand goodbye, and here he said goodbye to everyone with a handshake. Their detachment was accompanied by a convoy with recruits, weapons, ammunition, which was going to Dagestan, and they were supposed to take food back. On the way, they were ambushed, 3 columns passed with recruits, and on 4, where there were weapons and ammunition, fuel and lubricants, the militants attacked. One got the impression that the militants knew exactly which vehicles were not soldiers, because the militants missed the 1st and 2nd columns, and attacked the 3rd, a powerful flurry of fire cut off the remaining vehicles from the main forces. This was exactly what the radiotelephone operator Anatoly Korchagin reported to the headquarters. He continued to fight, having 7 wounds, firing back to the last, thereby allowing the rest of the soldiers to leave. In this battle on April 23, 2000 near the village of Serzhen-Yurt, 17 soldiers of the 106th Tula Guards Airborne Division were killed. On the eve of his 22nd birthday, the remains of Anatoly were taken over by his native land. The day was sunny, the sky, to which Anatoly was striving, was azure-blue like the berets of paratroopers, buds burst on the birches and poplars, the delicate green still sticky leaves tried to rustle, playing in a quiet whisper in the wind. One of the last words of Anatoly to his mother were: "I thought that I would be an accountant, and my vocation is to defend the Motherland ...". Posthumously for the courage and heroism shown during the execution of the assignment of the Government of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus region, Anatoly was awarded the Order of Courage.
The war in Chechnya is officially over, but every day people are still dying there, someone's sons, husbands and fathers. Their mothers, wives, children will no longer look into their beloved eyes, they will not hear their own laughter. The bleeding wound still does not heal, and it is too early to put an end to the events in Chechnya. But as long as there are such courageous, strong-willed guys, loyal to the oath and military duty, the security of the future of our Motherland is in good hands. Such was Anatoly Korchagin, a hero of our time, a worthy descendant of the great-grandfathers of the defenders of his native land during the years of the great trials of the Great Patriotic War and other wars.
Having studied the literature, periodicals, video materials, the family documentary and photo archive of the Korchagin family, after interviewing Anatoly's parents, we learned a lot about the war in Chechnya, the contribution of the Rtishchevites and the feat of A. Korchagin. After that, our class took the initiative to install a memorial plaque on the building of our school with the name of A. Korchagin, developed a whole project to implement this idea and hope for its successful implementation.