A hero, but not a pioneer. The real and mythical stories of Lenya Golikov.

On this day, the partisans went on reconnaissance along the highway. Having completed the task, the commander decided to return to the detachment. He gave the signal. Lenka also stood up, but at that moment he saw a German passenger car in the distance. Lenka lay down behind a pile of rubble, prepared a grenade and began to wait. The car approached, slowed down at the bridge, and Lenka threw a grenade. The grenade hit the buffer and there was an explosion. The car was thrown up, shook, and only by inertia did it run another ten meters. Lenka saw a German jump out of the car, grab a submachine gun, some kind of red briefcase and rush to the side of the road. The Nazi noticed how someone ran out from behind a pile of rubble and in two leaps found himself near the car. And then the German saw that some boy was chasing him. Then he fired several shots. Lenka lay down and continued to shoot while lying down. And the Nazi ran again. The distance to him increased.
Lenka had already been chasing the fleeing enemy for a whole kilometer. The German threw off his white jacket, remained in a dark shirt, and it became more difficult to aim at him.
“If only there were enough cartridges, if only there were enough!” - Lenka thought and ran, ran as fast as he could.
There was only one cartridge left in his machine gun. The Nazi ran away, continuing to shoot back. Lenka took aim and fired. The enemy staggered, took several wrong steps and fell to the ground. Lenka ran up to the dead man, took his briefcase and machine gun and, breathing heavily, went back. He picked up a white jacket along the way and saw the general’s twisted shoulder straps on it.
- Hey! “But the bird, it turns out, is important,” he said out loud. Lenka came to the partisan camp in a white general's jacket, a general's cap and with a red briefcase under his arm. His appearance was so hilarious that loud laughter broke out. And Lenka, making a serious face, reported:
- Partisan reconnaissance Leonid Golikov arrived from a mission... Vasily Grigorievich took the briefcase with the general’s documents to the brigade headquarters. There was turmoil at the headquarters. The radio operator was urgently called.
“Well, Leonid, well done,” said Vasily Grigorievich when he returned from headquarters. “Even an experienced intelligence officer obtains such documents once every hundred years.” They will now be reported to Moscow about them. These are your documents!
Soon a radiogram arrived from Moscow - they offered to present all participants in the operation to capture important German documents for the highest award. Moscow did not yet know that the documents were captured by a partisan and he was only fourteen years old. This is how the pioneer Leonid Golikov became a Hero of the Soviet Union.
But Lenka did not have a chance to find out about her award. He died in an unequal battle near the village of Ostray Luka on January 24, 1943.
Leni’s mother, Ekaterina Alekseevna, did not know about her son’s fate for a long time. But one day a courier in military uniform arrived in Lukino. He found Ekaterina Alekseevna and gave her a large package with wax seals. The package contained an award certificate bound in crimson leather. It said:
Hero of the Soviet Union GOLIKOV LEONID ALEXANDROVICH. For your heroic feat in the fight against the Nazi invaders behind enemy lines and for special merits in organizing the partisan movement in the Leningrad region, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by its Decree of April 2, 1944, awarded you the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR M. Kalinin Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR A. Gorkin
The courier also brought a letter to Ekaterina Alekseevna from Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin:
Dear Ekaterina Alekseevna! According to the command, your son Leonid Aleksandrovich Golikov died a brave death for his homeland. For the heroic feat performed by your son in the fight against the German invaders behind enemy lines, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by Decree of April 2, 1944, awarded him the highest degree of distinction - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. I am sending you a Certificate from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR conferring on your son the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for safekeeping, as a memory of a heroic son whose feat will never be forgotten by our people. M. Kalinin
Leonid Golikov fought against the Nazis for almost a whole year. During this time, he took part in 27 battles, destroyed several dozen fascists, derailed an enemy train, blew up two railway and twelve highway bridges, three warehouses with fodder and food, and nine vehicles with ammunition.
...In the village of Ostraya Luka, on the site where the unequal battle took place, in which partisan Lenya Golikov died, a new spacious school grew up on the hill opposite the mass grave. Pioneers bring flowers to the grave of a little hero who died in battles for his homeland. His name is included in the Book of Honor of the All-Union Pioneer Organization named after V.I. Lenin.
And in the village of Pole (1985), where there is a new two-story school, there is a pioneer detachment named after Leni Golikov. At the training camp, the guys remember the hero and listen to stories about his military exploits. And each of them wants to be as brave and courageous as the pioneer partisan Leonid Golikov was. In the city of Novgorod (1985) there is a street named after Leni Golikov, and in the park that is located opposite the Palace of Pioneers, a granite monument was erected to him, which was opened on January 18, 1964 on the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Novgorod from the Nazi invaders . Lenya is depicted on the monument with a machine gun in his hand. The people's avenger looks forward vigilantly and boldly. He assumed his post forever.

And when the war ends, and we begin to reflect on the reasons for our victory over the enemy of humanity, we will not forget that we had a powerful ally: a multimillion-strong, tightly united army of Soviet children.

K. Chukovsky, 1942

Korolkov Yuri Mikhailovich(1906, Sasovo, Tambov province - 1981, Moscow) - Russian Soviet writer, journalist.

Studied at the Institute of National Economy named after. G. V. Plekhanov (1925-1928, completed 3 courses). He began his literary career by working in the editorial office of Komsomolskaya Pravda in 1927. Began publishing in 1928.

He worked as a correspondent for a number of central newspapers (Pravda, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Krasnaya Zvezda) abroad. Author of historical and documentary novels and stories “Kyo ku mitsu!”, “The man for whom there were no secrets” - about the life and work of Richard Sorge, “Somewhere in Germany...”, “During the years of the great war... " - about Soviet intelligence officers known as the "Red Chapel".

The book by writer Yuri Korolkov, “Partisan Lenya Golikov,” was published in the early 1950s. The writer, who went through the war as a front-line correspondent, talks about real events.

Korolkov, Yu. M . Partisan Lenya Golikov. - M.: Young Guard, 1985. -26 p.

In those days, boys and girls, your peers, grew up early: they did not play at war, they lived according to its harsh laws. The greatest love for the Soviet people and the greatest hatred for the enemy called the pioneers of the fiery forties to defend the Motherland.

The Great Patriotic War claimed the lives of many young children who died defending their Motherland. One of them -Lenya Golikov.

Born on June 17, 1926 in the village of Lukino, now Parfinsky district, Novgorod region, in a working-class family. Russian. Graduated from 5th grade. He worked at plywood factory No. 2 in the city of Staraya Russa.
But suddenly the Great Patriotic War began, and everything he dreamed of in a peaceful life suddenly ended. On June 17, 1941, he turned 15 years old, and on June 22, the war began.

The Nazis captured his village, began to commit atrocities, and tried to establish their “new order.” Together with the adults, Lenya joined the partisan detachment to fight against the Nazis. He collected information about the number and weapons of enemies. Using his data, the partisans freed over a thousand prisoners of war, defeated several fascist garrisons, and saved many Soviet people from being deported to Germany. With his direct participation, 2 railway and 12 highway bridges were blown up, 2 food warehouses and 10 vehicles with ammunition were burned. He especially distinguished himself during the defeat of enemy garrisons in the villages of Aprosovo, Sosnitsy, and Sever. Accompanied a convoy with food in 250 carts to besieged Leningrad.
The Nazis were afraid of the partisans. German prisoners stated during interrogations: “We saw terrible Russian partisans around every turn, behind every tree, behind every house and corner. We were afraid to travel and walk alone. And the partisans were elusive.”

On August 13, 1942, a group of intelligence officers, which included Lenya Golikov, in the area of the village of Varnitsa, Strugokrasnensky district, Pskov region, made an attempt on the life of the fascist Major General of the Engineering Troops Richard Wirtz and seized valuable documents, including a description of new types of German mines, inspection reports higher command and other intelligence data. Soon, an order was received from the General Headquarters of the partisan movement to nominate all participants in the daring operation for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

A fearless name is a reward for a hero
He was your age
Let's sing about how the squad's favorite
I went on reconnaissance fearlessly.
Let's sing about how the trains flew out of the way,
Which he undermined.
I believed with all my heart in the coming victory,
In battle he was desperate.
No wonder one day the fascist beast
In the ranks of general he knocked out.
He returned to the detachment with a priceless package.
Fell asleep by the fire on the ground
He never dreamed that about this feat
In the morning they will find out in the Kremlin.
What will the hero have a golden star -
Reward for military work.
That people, dreaming of a glorious feat,
They will look up to Lyonka.

But the hero did not have time to receive the award. In December 1942, the partisan detachment was surrounded by the Germans. After fierce fighting, the detachment managed to break through the encirclement and escape to another area. There were 50 people left in the ranks, the radio was broken, and the ammunition was running out. Attempts to establish contact with other units and stock up on food ended in the death of the partisans. On a January night in 1943, 27 exhausted soldiers came out to the village of Ostraya Luka, Dedovichi district, Pskov region and occupied the three outermost huts. Intelligence did not find anything suspicious - the German garrison was located several kilometers away. The detachment commander decided not to set up patrols so as not to attract attention. In the morning, the partisans' sleep was interrupted by the roar of a machine gun - a traitor was found in the village who told the Germans who had come to the village at night. I had to fight back and go to the forest... In that battle, the entire headquarters of the partisan brigade was killed.

Among them was 16-year-old Lenya Golikov.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 2, 1944, for the exemplary fulfillment of command assignments and the courage and heroism shown in battles with the Nazi invaders, Leonid Aleksandrovich Golikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously). He was awarded the Order of Lenin (04/2/1944; posthumously), the Red Banner and the medal “For Courage”.

He was buried in his homeland - in the village of Lukino, Parfinsky district, Novgorod region. January 24, 2013 marked the 70th anniversary of his death Leonid Aleksandrovich Golikov, Hero of the Soviet Union. He was officially listed pioneer heroes.

Good book. Necessary. Correct. And straight to the heart.

And again about the Great Patriotic War...

It seems that modern youth are already so far from those events that they are simply not able to evaluate another book about a war hero. If you think this way, then you are wrong!

Book Verkin, E. N. Cloud Regiment / E. N. Verkin. - M: KompasGid, 2012. - 290 p.- proof of this.

It was the teenagers who gave this book first place in the national literary competition “Kniguru”. It was from them that this poignant story found the most lively response. A very difficult book, sometimes piercing to the core.

Eduard Nikolaevich Verkin known as the author of short stories, novels and books for children. Eduard Verkin is a modern writer, multiple winner of the “Treasured Dream” literary award, winner of the “Book” competition, winner of the competition named after. S. Mikhalkova and one of the brightest modern authors for teenagers. His books are unusual, although they seem to tell about everyday life. They shock, upend the usual picture of the world both by the story itself, which is always masterfully conveyed, and by what is left behind the scenes.

Born in Vorkuta in 1975. Member of the Russian Writers' Union. E. Verkin has been publishing since 2004. From his pen came books that have nothing in common with this story, but are fascinating to read: “Superboy, Maniac and Robot”, “Investigations of Felix Kuropyatkin”, the encyclopedia “For stylish girls and... not only. A reference book for life”, “The Island of the Last Villain”, “The Glass Hand”, “The Prankster Zhmurik”, “The Vampire on Thin Legs”...

"Cloud Regiment", a very unexpected novel about teenage partisans.

This is a story about the war, which we see through the eyes of a shell-shocked boy, Dima, an urban boy, completely unadapted to partisan life in the forest. He has neither home nor family.

« What is war like? How does it feel?“- his great-grandson asks him at the beginning of the story. And he tries to answer in a way that is clear: “You are sick, with a swollen head, wandering through the snow through eternal Monday. And at the same time you understand that Tuesday may not happen.”

The story of how a feat is accomplished. Not to the sound of fanfare, but in blood, hunger, despair.

We see a partisan detachment. He is not big, one of the very young guys, children forced to grow up “prematurely.” Dima, his friend Sanych, Kovalets, who is trying to teach them, Alka and his brother, others... They matured early, and when reading, you don’t immediately understand that they are from 14 to 17 years old, and Shchury is even younger. They are different, but now they live with one goal - to destroy the enemy.

The main characters of “Cloud Regiment” are partisans Sanych and Dima. Their daily concerns are exploration, procurement of provisions and weapons. Sanych is a hero, he defeated a German general, for which he is about to be given a medal, and journalists are making their way through the swamps to interview him and take a photograph. By the way, no one manages to take a photographic portrait. Sanych claims that he is under a spell. ...And at the moment when we accept the rules of the game, when we begin to read “The Cloud Regiment” exclusively as an adventure work, the writer begins to talk about a real war. About a very simple and evil one.
This is not heroism and exploits, but a terrible circumstance of life in which young people grew up and were brought up. Soldier's life was incredibly difficult, and the fact that this is honestly told in the book is very important - we need to know what really happened in the war.
The lack of “heroism”, simplicity, understatement, and the ordinariness of war put this book on a par with the best works of the 20th century.

The story “Cloud Regiment” shakes you to the core.

Of course, the novel “Cloud Regiment” is worth reading for everyone. It is simply impossible to tear yourself away from him.

The book is the first prize winner of the “BOOK” competition, season 2 (2011-2012). Winner of the Belkin Prize in the “Teacher Belkin” category, 2013. Prize named after. P. Bazhova. Laureate of the International Children's Literary Prize V. P. Krapivin, 2012.

Korolkov Yuri Mikhailovich

Lenya Golikov

Lenya Golikov

Not far from the lake, on the steep bank of the Pola River, stands the village of Lukino, in which the rafter Golikov lived with his wife and three children. Every year, in early spring, Uncle Sasha went rafting, drove large rafts tied from logs along the rivers, and only returned to his village in the fall.

And mother Ekaterina Alekseevna remained at home with the children - two daughters and youngest son Lyonka. From morning until evening she was engaged in housekeeping or worked on a collective farm. And she taught her children to work, the children helped their mother in everything. Lyonka carried water from the well, looked after the cow and sheep. He knew how to straighten a fence and mend his felt boots.

The children went to school across the river to a neighboring village, and in their free time they liked to listen to fairy tales. Mother knew a lot of them and was a master at telling them.

Lenka was short, much smaller than his fellow peers, but in strength and agility rarely could anyone compare with him.

Whether it’s jumping at full speed across a stream, going into the depths of a forest, climbing the tallest tree, or swimming across a river - in all these matters Lyonka was inferior to few others.

So Lyonka lived in the open air among the forests, and his native land became more and more dear to him. He lived happily and thought that his free life would always be like this. But then one day, when Lyonka was already a pioneer, a misfortune happened in the Golikov family. My father fell into cold water, caught a cold and became seriously ill. He lay in bed for many months, and when he got up, he could no longer work as a rafter. He called Lyonka, sat him down in front of him and said:

That's it, Leonid, you need to help your family. I’ve become bad, the illness is completely tormenting me, go to work...

And his father got him a job as an apprentice on a crane that loaded firewood and logs on the river. They were loaded onto river barges and sent somewhere beyond Lake Ilmen. Lenka was interested in everything here: the steam engine, in which the fire was humming, and the steam was escaping in large white clouds, and the mighty crane, which lifted heavy logs like feathers. But Lyonka didn’t have to work for long.

* * *

It was Sunday, a warm and sunny day. Everyone was resting, and Lyonka also went with his comrades to the river. Near the ferry, which was transporting people, trucks and carts to the other side, the guys heard the driver of a truck, which had just approached the river, anxiously ask:

Have you heard about the war?

What war?

Hitler attacked us. Just now I heard it on the radio. The Nazis are bombing our cities.

The boys saw how everyone's faces darkened. The guys felt that something terrible had happened. The women were crying, more and more people were gathering around the driver, and everyone was repeating: war, war. Lyonka had a map somewhere in her old textbook. He remembered: the book was in the attic, and the guys went to the Golikovs. Here, in the attic, they bent over the map and saw that Nazi Germany was located far from Lake Ilmen. The guys calmed down a little.

The next day, almost all the men went into the army. Only women, old people, and children remained in the village.

The boys had no time for games now. They spent all their time on the field, replacing adults.

Several weeks have passed since the war began. On a hot August day, the guys were carrying sheaves from the field and talking about the war.

“Hitler is approaching Staraya Russa,” said the white-headed Tolka, laying sheaves on the cart. - The soldiers were driving and they said that there was nothing between Russa and us.

Well, he shouldn’t be here,” Lyonka answered confidently.

And if they come, what will you do? - asked the youngest of the guys, Valka, nicknamed Yagoday.

“I’ll do something,” Lyonka answered vaguely.

The boys tied the sheaves on the cart and moved towards the village...

But it turned out that little Valka was right. The fascist troops were approaching closer and closer to the village where Lyonka lived. Not today or tomorrow they could capture Lukino. The villagers were wondering what to do and decided to go with the whole village into the forest, into the most remote places where the Nazis would not be able to find them. And so they did.

There was a lot of work in the forest. At first they built huts, but some people had already dug dugouts. Lyonka and her father were also digging a dugout.

As soon as Lyonka had free time, he decided to visit the village. As there?

Lenka ran after the guys, and the three of them went to Lukino. The shooting either died down or started again. They decided that everyone would go their own way and meet in the gardens in front of the village.

Stealthily, listening to the slightest rustle, Lyonka safely reached the river. He walked up the path to his house and carefully looked out from behind the hillock. The village was empty. The sun was hitting his eyes, and Lenka put his palm to the visor of his cap. Not a single person around. But what is it? Soldiers appeared on the road outside the village. Lyonka immediately saw that the soldiers were not ours.

"Germans! - he decided. “Here you go!”

The soldiers stood at the edge of the forest and looked at Lukino.

“Here you go!” - Lyonka thought again. - I shouldn’t have fought off the guys. We must run!..”

A plan matured in his head: while the Nazis were walking along the road, he would go back down to the river and go along the stream into the forest. Otherwise... Lyonka was even scared to imagine that it would be different...

Lyonka took a few steps, and suddenly the mute silence of the autumn day was cut through by the shot of a machine gun. He glanced down the road. The Nazis fled to the forest, leaving several dead on the ground. Lyonka could not understand where our machine gunner was shooting from. And then I saw him. He was shooting from a shallow hole. The Germans also opened fire.

Lyonka quietly approached the machine gunner from behind and looked at his worn-out heels and his back, darkened with sweat.

And you're great at them! - Lyonka said when the soldier began to reload the machine gun.

The machine gunner shuddered and looked around.

Damn you! - he exclaimed when he saw the boy in front of him. - What do you want here?

I’m from here... I wanted to see my village.

The machine gunner fired a burst again and turned to Lyonka.

Korolkov Yuri Mikhailovich

Lenya Golikov

The children went to school across the river to a neighboring village, and in their free time they liked to listen to fairy tales. Mother knew a lot of them and was a master at telling them.

Lenka was short, much smaller than his fellow peers, but in strength and agility rarely could anyone compare with him.

That's it, Leonid, you need to help your family. I’ve become bad, the illness is completely tormenting me, go to work...

* * *

Have you heard about the war?

What war?

Hitler attacked us. Just now I heard it on the radio. The Nazis are bombing our cities.

The next day, almost all the men went into the army. Only women, old people, and children remained in the village.

The boys had no time for games now. They spent all their time on the field, replacing adults.

Several weeks have passed since the war began. On a hot August day, the guys were carrying sheaves from the field and talking about the war.

“Hitler is approaching Staraya Russa,” said the white-headed Tolka, laying sheaves on the cart. - The soldiers were driving and they said that there was nothing between Russa and us.

Well, he shouldn’t be here,” Lyonka answered confidently.

And if they come, what will you do? - asked the youngest of the guys, Valka, nicknamed Yagoday.

“I’ll do something,” Lyonka answered vaguely.

The boys tied the sheaves on the cart and moved towards the village...

There was a lot of work in the forest. At first they built huts, but some people had already dug dugouts. Lyonka and her father were also digging a dugout.

As soon as Lyonka had free time, he decided to visit the village. As there?

"Germans! - he decided. “Here you go!”

The soldiers stood at the edge of the forest and looked at Lukino.

“Here you go!” - Lyonka thought again. - I shouldn’t have fought off the guys. We must run!..”

Lyonka quietly approached the machine gunner from behind and looked at his worn-out heels and his back, darkened with sweat.

And you're great at them! - Lyonka said when the soldier began to reload the machine gun.

The machine gunner shuddered and looked around.

Damn you! - he exclaimed when he saw the boy in front of him. - What do you want here?

I’m from here... I wanted to see my village.

The machine gunner fired a burst again and turned to Lyonka.

What's your name?

Lyonka... Uncle, maybe I can help you with something?

Look, how smart you are. Well, help me. I should have brought some water, my mouth was dry.

What, what? At least scoop it up with a cap...

Lenka went down to the river and plunged his cap into the cool water. By the time he reached the machine gunner, there was very little water left in his cap. The soldier greedily clung to Lyonka’s cap...

“Bring more,” he said.

From the direction of the forest, they began firing mortars along the shore.

Current page: 1 (book has 1 pages in total)

Korolkov Yuri Mikhailovich
Lenya Golikov

Lenya Golikov

The children went to school across the river to a neighboring village, and in their free time they liked to listen to fairy tales. Mother knew a lot of them and was a master at telling them.

Lenka was short, much smaller than his fellow peers, but in strength and agility rarely could anyone compare with him.

Whether it’s jumping at full speed across a stream, going into the depths of a forest, climbing the tallest tree or swimming across a river - in all these matters Lyonka was inferior to few others.

- That's it, Leonid, you need to help your family. I’ve become bad, the illness is completely tormenting me, go to work...

* * *

-Have you heard about the war?

– What war?

- Hitler attacked us. Just now I heard it on the radio. The Nazis are bombing our cities.

The next day, almost all the men went into the army. Only women, old people, and children remained in the village.

The boys had no time for games now. They spent all their time on the field, replacing adults.

Several weeks have passed since the war began. On a hot August day, the guys were carrying sheaves from the field and talking about the war.

“Hitler is approaching Staraya Russa,” said the white-headed Tolka, laying sheaves on the cart. “The soldiers were driving and they said that there was nothing between Russa and us.

“Well, he shouldn’t be here,” Lyonka answered confidently.

- And if they come, what will you do? – asked the youngest of the guys, Valka, nicknamed Yagoday.

“I’ll do something,” Lyonka answered vaguely.

The boys tied the sheaves on the cart and moved towards the village...

There was a lot of work in the forest. At first they built huts, but some people had already dug dugouts. Lyonka and her father were also digging a dugout.

As soon as Lyonka had free time, he decided to visit the village. As there?

"Germans! – he decided. “I got it!”

The soldiers stood at the edge of the forest and looked at Lukino.

“Here you go!” – Lyonka thought again. “I shouldn’t have fought off the guys.” We must run!..”

Lyonka quietly approached the machine gunner from behind and looked at his worn-out heels and his back, darkened with sweat.

- And you’re great at them! - Lyonka said when the soldier began to reload the machine gun.

The machine gunner shuddered and looked around.

- Damn you! – he exclaimed when he saw the boy in front of him. - What do you want here?

- I’m from here... I wanted to see my village.

The machine gunner fired a burst again and turned to Lyonka.

– What’s your name?

- Lyonka... Uncle, maybe I can help you with something?

- Look, how smart you are. Well, help me. I should have brought some water, my mouth was dry.

- With what, with what? At least scoop it up with a cap...

“Bring more,” he said.

From the direction of the forest, they began firing mortars along the shore.

“Well, now we need to retreat,” said the machine gunner. “It was ordered to hold the village until noon, but now it’s soon evening.” What is the name of the village?

- Lukino...

- Lukino? At least I’ll know where the battle was held. What is this - blood? Where did you get hooked? Let me bandage it.

Lenka himself only now noticed that his leg was covered in blood. Apparently, it was really hit by a bullet.

The soldier tore his shirt and bandaged Lyonka’s leg.

- That's it... Now let's go. – The soldier shouldered the machine gun. “I also have business with you, Leonid,” said the machine gunner. - The Nazis killed my comrade. More in the morning. So you bury him. It's lying under the bushes over there. His name was Oleg...

When Lenka met the guys, he told them everything that happened. They decided to bury the murdered man that night.

Dusk had deepened in the forest, the sun had already set when the guys approached the stream. Stealthily, they went out to the edge of the forest and disappeared into the bushes. Lenka walked first, showing the way. The dead man was lying on the grass. Nearby was his machine gun, and there were disks with cartridges lying around.

Soon a mound grew in this place. The guys stood silently. With their bare feet they felt the freshness of the dug earth. Someone sobbed, and the rest couldn’t stand it either. Melting their tears away from each other, the guys bowed their heads even lower.

The guys shouldered a light machine gun and disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Lenka put Oleg’s cap, which he picked up on the ground, on his head.

Early in the morning the guys went to make a cache. They did it according to all the rules. First, they laid out matting and threw earth on it so as not to leave traces. They threw dry branches at the place of the hiding place, and Lyonka said:

- Now not a single word to anyone. Like a military secret.

“We should take an oath to make it stronger.”

Everyone agreed. The guys raised their hands and made a solemn promise to keep the secret. Now they had weapons. Now they could fight their enemies.

As time went. No matter how hidden the villagers who had gone into the forest were, the Nazis still found out where they were. One day, returning to the forest camp, the boys heard from afar that unclear screams, someone’s rough laughter, and the loud crying of women were coming from the forest.

Hitler's soldiers walked among the dugouts with a masterly air. Sticking out of their backpacks were various things that they had managed to loot. Two Germans walked past Lyonka, then one of them looked back, returned and, stamping his feet, began shouting something, pointing at Lyonka’s cap and on his chest, where the pioneer badge was pinned. The second German was a translator. He said:

“Mr. Corporal ordered you to be hanged if you don’t throw away this hat and this badge.”

Before Lyonka had time to come to his senses, the pioneer badge found itself in the hands of a lanky corporal. He threw the badge to the ground and crushed it under his heel. Then he tore off Lyonka’s cap, gave him a painful slap on the cheeks, threw the cap on the ground and began to trample on it, trying to crush the star.

“Next time we’ll hang you,” said the translator.

The Germans went, carrying away the looted things.

Lyonka’s soul was heavy. No, it wasn’t the cap with the star, it wasn’t the pioneer badge that was trampled by this lanky fascist, it seemed to Lyonka as if the Nazi had stepped on his chest with his heel and was pressing so hard that it was impossible to breathe. Lenka went into the dugout, lay down on the bunk and lay there until the evening.

The forest became more and more unpleasant and colder every day. Tired and cold, my mother came one evening. She said that a German stopped her and told her to go to the village. There, in the hut, he pulled out a pile of dirty laundry from under the bench and ordered it to be washed on the river. The water is icy, your hands are cold, your fingers can’t be straightened...

“I don’t know how I managed to finish washing,” the mother said quietly. “I didn’t have the strength.” And the German gave me a slice of bread for this wash, he was generous.

Lyonka jumped up from the bench, his eyes were burning.

- Throw away this bread, mom!.. I’ll die of hunger, I won’t take a crumb of it into my mouth. I can't do this anymore. We must beat them! Now I’m going to join the partisans...

Father looked sternly at Lyonka:

– What were you thinking, where were you going? You're still young! We must endure, we are now prisoners.

- But I won’t tolerate it, I can’t! - Lyonka left the dugout and, without making out the road, walked into the darkness of the forest.

And Ekaterina Alekseevna, Lyonka’s mother, caught a bad cold after that wash in ice water. She endured it for two days, and on the third she said to Lyonka: “Lyonya, let’s go to Lukino, let’s warm up in our hut, maybe I’ll feel better. I’m afraid alone.”

And Lyonka went to see his mother off.

Soon the Germans drove the inhabitants out of the forest. They had to return to the village again. They now lived closely, with several families in one hut. Winter came, they said that partisans had appeared in the forests, but Lyonka and his comrades never saw them.

One day Only came running and, calling Lyonka aside, said in a whisper:

- I visited the partisans.

- Come on! – Lyonka didn’t believe it.

- Honest pioneer, I’m not lying-

He just said that he went into the forest and met with partisans there. They asked who he was and where he was from. They asked where they could get hay for the horses. I just promised to bring it to them.

A few days later the guys went on a partisan mission. Early in the morning, in four carts, they went to the meadows, where tall haystacks had stood since the summer. Along a remote road, the guys took the hay into the forest - to where Tolka had agreed to meet with the partisans. The pioneers walked slowly behind the carts, looking back every now and then, but there was no one around.

Suddenly the leading horse stopped. The guys didn’t even notice how a man appeared from nowhere and took her by the reins.

– We’ve arrived after all! – he said cheerfully. - I've been following you for a long time.

The partisan put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. They answered him with the same whistle.

- Well, now quickly! Head into the forest!

There were fires burning in the deep forest, around which the partisans were sitting. A man in a sheepskin coat with a pistol in his belt stood up to meet us.

“We’ll give you guys another sleigh,” he said, “and we’ll leave yours with the hay to make it faster.”

While the horses were being re-harnessed, the detachment commander asked the guys what was going on in the village. Saying goodbye, he said:

- Well, thank you again, but take these leaves with you. Give them to adults, and be careful that the Nazis don’t get wind of them, otherwise they’ll shoot you.

In the leaflets, the partisans called on Soviet people to fight the occupiers, to join detachments, so that the fascists would have no peace day or night...

Soon Lyonka met with his teacher Vasily Grigorievich. He was a partisan and brought Lyonka to his detachment.

Lenka could not come to his senses. He looked around curiously. If only he would be accepted here. Apparently, they are brave and cheerful people. One word: partisans!

Someone suggested taking him into reconnaissance, but Lyonka took it at first as a joke, and then thought maybe they would really take him... No, there’s no point in thinking about that. They will say - I’m too small, I need to grow up. But still he asked the teacher:

– Vasily Grigorievich, can I join the partisans?

- You? – the teacher was surprised. - I really don’t know...

- Take it, Vasily Grigorievich, I won’t let you down!..

- Or maybe it’s true, I remember I was a great guy at school...

From that day on, the pioneer Lenya Golikov was enrolled in the partisan detachment, and a week later the detachment went to other places to fight the Germans. Soon another boy appeared in the detachment - Mityayka. Lenka immediately became friends with Mityayka. They even slept on the same bunks. At first the guys were not given any instructions. They only worked in the kitchen: sawing and chopping wood, peeling potatoes... But one day a mustachioed partisan came into the dugout and said:

- Well, eagles, the commander is calling, there is a task for you.

From that day on, Lyonka and Mityayka began to go on reconnaissance missions. They found out and told the detachment commander where the fascist soldiers were located, where their cannons and machine guns were located.

When the guys went on reconnaissance, they dressed in rags and took old bags. They walked through the villages like beggars, begging for pieces of bread, and they themselves looked with all their eyes, noticing everything: how many soldiers were there, how many cars, guns...

One day they came to a large village and stopped in front of an extreme hut.

“Give me some alms for food,” they said in different voices.

A German officer came out of the house. Guys to him:

- Pan, give me a ford... Pan...

The officer didn't even look at the guys.

“He’s so greedy, he doesn’t look,” whispered Mityayka.

“That’s good,” said Lyonka. - So he thinks that we really are beggars.

The reconnaissance was successful. Lyonka and Mityayka learned that new fascist troops had just arrived in the village. The guys even made their way into the officers' mess, where they were given something to eat. When Lyonka finished everything they were given, he winked slyly at Mityayka - apparently he had come up with something. After rummaging in his pocket, he took out a stub of a pencil and, looking around, quickly wrote something on a paper napkin.

“What are you doing?” Mityayka asked quietly.

- Congratulations to the fascists. Now we need to leave quickly. Read!

On a piece of paper Mityayka read: “Partisan Golikov dined here. Tremble, you bastards!”

The guys put their note under the plate and slipped out of the dining room.

Each time the guys received more and more difficult tasks. Now Lyonka had his own machine gun, which he obtained in battle. As an experienced partisan, he was even taken to blow up enemy trains.

Having crept up to the railway one night, the partisans laid a large mine and began to wait for the train to leave. We waited until almost dawn. Finally we saw platforms loaded with guns and tanks; carriages in which fascist soldiers were sitting. When the locomotive approached the place where the partisans had laid a mine, the group leader, Stepan, commanded Lyonka:

Lyonka pulled the cord. A column of fire shot up under the locomotive, the carriages climbed one on top of the other, and ammunition began to explode.

When the partisans fled from the railway towards the forest, they heard rifle shots behind them.

“The chase has begun,” said Stepan, “now run away.”

The two of them ran. There was very little left to the forest. Suddenly Stepan screamed.

- They wounded me, now I can’t escape... Run alone.

“Let’s leave, Stepan,” Lyonka persuaded him, “they won’t find us in the forest.” Lean on me, let's go...

Stepan walked forward with difficulty. The shots stopped. Stepan almost fell, and Lyonka had difficulty dragging him on himself.

“No, I can’t do it anymore,” said the wounded Stepan and sank to the ground.

Lyonka bandaged him and led the wounded man out again. Stepan was getting worse, he was already losing consciousness and could not move on. Exhausted, Lyonka dragged Stepan to the camp...

For saving a wounded comrade, Lenya Golikov was awarded the medal “For Military Merit.”

The night before, the partisan scouts went on a mission - to the highway about fifteen kilometers from the camp. They lay by the road all night. There were no cars, the road was deserted. What to do? The group commander ordered to retreat. The partisans retreated to the edge of the forest. Lenka lagged behind them a little. He was about to catch up with his people, but, looking back at the road, he saw a passenger car approaching along the highway.

He rushed forward and lay down near the bridge behind a pile of stones.

The car approached the bridge, slowed down, and Lyonka, swinging his hand, threw a grenade at it. There was an explosion. Lyonka saw a Nazi man in a white jacket jump out of the car with a red briefcase and a machine gun.

Lenka fired, but missed. The fascist ran away. Lenka chased after him. The officer looked back and saw a boy running after him. Very small. If they were placed side by side, the boy would barely reach his waist. The officer stopped and fired. The boy fell. The fascist ran on.

But Lyonka was not wounded. He quickly crawled to the side and fired several shots. The officer ran away...

Lyonka was already chasing for a whole kilometer. And the Nazi, firing back, approached the forest. As he walked, he threw off his white jacket and remained in a dark shirt. It became more difficult to aim at him.

Lenka began to lag behind. Now the fascist will hide in the forest, then everything will be lost. There were only a few cartridges left in the machine gun. Then Lyonka threw off his heavy boots and ran barefoot, not ducking under the bullets that the enemy sent at him.

The last cartridge remained in the machine’s disk, and with this last shot Lyonka hit the enemy. He took his machine gun and briefcase and, breathing heavily, went back. On the way, he picked up a white jacket abandoned by a fascist and only then did he see the general’s twisted shoulder straps on it.

“Hey!.. And the bird turns out to be important,” he said out loud.

Lyonka put on the general's jacket, buttoned it up with all the buttons, rolled up the sleeves that hung below his knees, pulled a cap with gold streaks that he found in a wrecked car over his cap, and ran to catch up with his comrades...

Teacher Vasily Grigorievich was already worried, he wanted to send a group to search for Lyonka, when he suddenly unexpectedly appeared near the fire. Lyonka came out into the light of the fire in a white general’s jacket with gold shoulder straps. He had two machine guns hanging around his neck – his own and a captured one. He carried a red briefcase under his arm. Lyonka looked so hilarious that loud laughter broke out.

- What do you have? – the teacher asked, pointing to the briefcase.

“I took the German documents from the general,” Lyonka answered.

The teacher took the documents and went with them to the chief of staff of the detachment.

A translator and then a radio operator were urgently called there. The papers turned out to be very important. Then Vasily Grigorievich came out of the headquarters dugout and called Lyonka.

“Well, well done,” he said. – Experienced intelligence officers obtain such documents once every hundred years. Now they will be reported to Moscow about them.

After some time, a radiogram arrived from Moscow, saying that everyone who captured such important documents should be presented with the highest award. In Moscow, of course, they did not know that they were captured by one Lenya Golikov, who was only fourteen years old.

This is how the pioneer Lenya Golikov became a hero of the Soviet Union.

* * *

The young pioneer hero died the death of the brave on January 24, 1943 in an unequal battle near the village of Ostray Luka.

* * *

At the grave of Lenya Golikov, in the village of Ostraya Luka, Dedovichsky district, fishermen of the Novgorod region erected an obelisk, and on the banks of the Pola River a monument was erected to the young hero.

In June 1960, a monument to Lena Golikov was unveiled in Moscow at VDNKh at the entrance to the Young Naturalists and Technicians pavilion. A monument to the young hero was erected in the city of Novgorod at the expense of the pioneers for the scrap metal they collected,