Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin wall

Leningrad 1941

Defense of Leningrad

Residents participated in the construction of fortifications in Leningrad

Leningrad during the blockade

Liberation of Leningrad

The road of life

Nazis captured near Moscow

Ruined Stalingrad

Monument to the Grieving Mother on Mamaev Kurgan

Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd

Defense of Sevastopol

Sevastopol

Heroes - sailors of Sevastopol

Sevastopol

Sevastopol

Defense of Odessa

Liberation of Odessa

Odessa-Russian city

Kyiv after the German bombing

Defense of Kyiv

Defenders of Kyiv

Kyiv today

Defense of Kerch

Liberation of Kerch

Kerch today

Defense of Novorossiysk

Liberation of Novorossiysk

Novorossiysk

Liberation of Minsk

Defense of Tula

Tula defenders defended

Defense of Murmansk

Defenders of Murmansk

Murmansk

Ruined Smolensk

Defense of Smolensk

Smolensk

Our Heroic Homeland at all times attracted the attention of enemies, many wanted to seize our lands, make Russians and the peoples living in Russia slaves, this was the case in ancient times, this was the case quite recently, when Nazi Germany attacked our country. On the way of the Nazi invaders, Russian cities stood up, which courageously defended themselves. We mourn the dead soldiers, the elderly, women and children who fell defending our cities. Cities-heroes about them our story.

Hero City Moscow

In the plans of fascist Germany, the capture of Moscow was of primary importance, since it was with the capture of Moscow that the victory of German troops over our country would be considered. To capture the city, a special operation was developed, code-named "Typhoon". The Germans launched two major attacks on the capital of our Motherland in October and November 1941. The forces were unequal. In the first operation, the Nazi command used 74 divisions (including 22 motorized and tank divisions), 1.8 million officers and soldiers, 1,390 aircraft, 1,700 tanks, 14,000 mortars and guns. The second operation consisted of 51 combat-ready divisions. From our side, a little more than a million people, 677 aircraft, 970 tanks and 7600 mortars and guns stood up to defend the city - the hero.

As a result of the ensuing fierce battle, which lasted more than 200 days, the enemy was driven back 80-250 km to the west of Moscow. This event strengthened the spirit of all our people and the Red Army, shattered the myth of the invincibility of the Nazis. For the exemplary performance of combat missions, 36,000 defenders of the city were awarded various orders and medals, and 110 people were awarded the title of "Hero Soviet Union". The medal "For the Defense of Moscow" was awarded to more than a million soldiers. By decree of May 8, 1965, Moscow was awarded the honorary title of Hero City.

Hero City Leningrad (St. Petersburg)

The Nazis wanted to completely destroy Leningrad, wipe it off the face of the earth and exterminate the population.

Fierce fighting on the outskirts of Leningrad began on July 10, 1941. Numerical superiority was on the side of the enemy: almost 2.5 times more soldiers, 10 times more aircraft, 1.2 times more tanks, and almost 6 times more mortars. As a result, on September 8, 1941, the Nazis managed to capture Shlisselburg and thus take control of the source of the Neva. As a result, Leningrad was blocked from land (cut off from the mainland).

From that moment, the infamous 900-day blockade of the city began, which lasted until January 1944. Despite the terrible famine that began and the continuous attacks of the enemy, as a result of which almost 650,000 residents of Leningrad were killed, they showed themselves to be real heroes, directing all their forces to fight with the fascist invaders.

More than 500 thousand Leningraders went to work on the construction of defensive structures; they built 35 km of barricades and anti-tank obstacles, as well as more than 4,000 bunkers and pillboxes; equipped with 22,000 firing points. At the cost of their own health and lives, the courageous Leningrad heroes gave the front thousands of field and naval guns, repaired and released 2,000 tanks from the assembly line, manufactured 10 million shells and mines, 225,000 machine guns and 12,000 mortars.

The first breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad occurred on January 18, 1943 with the efforts of the troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, when between the front line and Lake Ladoga a corridor 8-11 km wide was formed. A year later, Leningrad was completely liberated. On December 22, 1942, the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" was established, which was awarded to about 1,500,000 defenders of the city. In 1965, Leningrad was awarded the title Hero City.

Hero City Volgograd (Stalingrad)

In the summer of 1942, the Nazi troops launched a massive offensive on the southern front, trying to capture the Caucasus, the Don region, the lower Volga and the Kuban - the richest and most fertile lands of our country. First of all, the city of Stalingrad came under attack.

On July 17, 1942, one of the greatest and largest battles in the history of World War II began - the Battle of Stalingrad. Despite the desire of the Nazis to capture the city as soon as possible, it lasted 200 long, bloody days and nights, thanks to the incredible efforts of the heroes of the army, navy and ordinary residents of the region.

The first attack on the city took place on August 23, 1942. Then, a little north of Stalingrad, the Germans almost approached the Volga. Policemen, sailors of the Volga Fleet, NKVD troops, cadets and other volunteer heroes were sent to defend the city. On the same night, the Germans made the first air raid on the city, and on August 25, a state of siege was introduced in Stalingrad. At that time, about 50 thousand volunteers signed up for the people's militia - heroes from among ordinary citizens. Despite the almost uninterrupted shelling, the factories of Stalingrad continued to work and produce tanks, Katyushas, ​​cannons, mortars and a huge number of shells.

September 12, 1942 the enemy came close to the city. Two months of fierce defensive battles for Stalingrad inflicted significant damage on the Germans: the enemy lost about 700 thousand people killed and wounded, and on November 19, 1942, the counteroffensive of our army began.

The offensive operation continued for 75 days and, finally, the enemy near Stalingrad was surrounded and completely defeated. January 1943 brought complete victory on this sector of the front. The fascist invaders were surrounded, and their commander, General Paulus, with the entire army, surrendered. For the entire time of the Battle of Stalingrad, the German army lost more than 1,500,000 people.

Stalingrad was one of the first to be called a hero city. This honorary title was first announced in the order of the commander-in-chief of May 1, 1945. And the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad" became a symbol of the courage of the defenders of the city.

Hero City Sevastopol

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the city of Sevastopol was the largest port on the Black Sea and the main naval base of the country. His heroic defense against the Nazis began on October 30, 1941. and lasted 250 days, going down in history as an example of a long-term defense of a seaside city deep behind enemy lines. The Germans failed to capture Sevastopol immediately, since its garrison numbered 23 thousand people and had 150 coastal and field guns. But then, until the summer of 1942, they made three more attempts to capture the city.

Sevastopol was attacked for the first time on November 11, 1941. For 10 consecutive days, the German fascist army tried to break through to the hero city with the strength of four infantry divisions, but to no avail. They were opposed by our forces of the fleet and ground forces, united in the Sevastopol defensive region.

The Nazis made their second attempt to capture the city between December 7 and 31, 1941. This time they had seven infantry divisions, two mountain rifle brigades, over 150 tanks, 300 aircraft and 1275 guns and mortars at their disposal. But this attempt also failed, the defenders-heroes of Sevastopol destroyed up to 40,000 fascists and did not let them near the city.

By the end of the spring of 1942, the Germans had brought 200,000 soldiers, 600 aircraft, 450 tanks, and more than 2,000 guns and mortars to Sevastopol. They managed to blockade the city from the air and increase their activity at sea, as a result of which the courageous defenders of the city had to retreat. Despite this, the heroic defenders of Sevastopol inflicted serious damage on the forces of the Nazi troops and violated their plans on the southern wing of the front.

The fighting for the liberation of Sevastopol began on April 15, 1944, when Soviet soldiers reached the occupied city. Particularly fierce battles were fought in the area adjacent to Sapun Mountain. On May 9, 1944, our army liberated Sevastopol. For military distinction, 44 soldiers who participated in those battles were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, over 39,000 people received the medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol." Sevastopol was one of the first to receive the title of Hero City on May 8, 1965.

Hero City Odessa

Already in August 1941, Odessa was completely surrounded by Nazi troops. Its heroic defense lasted 73 days, during which the Soviet army and people's volunteer corps defended the city from enemy invasion. From the mainland, Odessa was defended by the Primorsky Army, from the sea - ships Black Sea Fleet, supported by artillery from the shore. On the capture of the city, the enemy threw forces five times greater than the number of its defenders.

The first big assault on Odessa was undertaken by the German fascist troops on August 20, 1941, but the heroic Soviet troops stopped their offensive 10-14 kilometers from the city lines. Every day, 10-12 thousand women and children dug trenches, laid mines, and pulled wire fences. In total, during the defense, 40,000 mines were laid by the hands of the inhabitants, more than 250 kilometers of anti-tank ditches were dug, about 250 barricades were built on the streets of the city. About 300,000 hand grena and the same number of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines were made by the hands of teenagers who worked in factories and factories. During the months of defense, 38,000 ordinary residents-heroes of Odessa moved to the ancient Odessa catacombs, stretching for many kilometers underground, to take part in the defense of their native city.

The heroic defense of Odessa blocked the enemy army for 73 days. Thanks to the dedication of the Soviet troops and the heroes of the people's militia, more than 160,000 German soldiers were killed, 200 enemy aircraft and 100 tanks were destroyed.

But the city was nevertheless taken on October 16, 1941. From that day on, a merciless partisan struggle against the invaders began: 5 thousand soldiers and officers were destroyed by Odessa partisans - heroes, 27 echelons from the enemy were derailed military equipment, 248 cars were blown up.

Odessa was liberated on April 10, 1944, and the title Hero City was awarded in 1965.

Hero City Kyiv

Sudden strike on the city of Kyiv German troops struck from the air on June 22, 1941 - in the very first hours of the war, a heroic struggle for the city began, which lasted for 72 days. Kyiv was defended not only by Soviet soldiers, but also by ordinary residents. Huge efforts were made for this by detachments of the people's militia, of which there were nineteen by the beginning of July. Also, 13 destruction battalions were formed from among the townspeople, and in total 33,000 people from the city's inhabitants took part in the defense of Kyiv. In those difficult July days, the people of Kiev built more than 1,400 pillboxes, manually dug 55 kilometers of anti-tank ditches.

The bravery and courage of the heroes of the defenders stopped the enemy offensive on the first line of the city's fortifications. The Nazis failed to take Kyiv on the fly. However, on July 30, 1941, the Nazi army made a new attempt to storm the city. On August 10, she managed to break through the defenses on its southwestern outskirts, however, through the joint efforts of the people's militia and regular troops, she managed to give a worthy rebuff to the enemy. By August 15, 1941, the militia pushed the Nazis back to their previous positions. Enemy losses near Kyiv totaled more than 100,000 people. The Nazis did not undertake more direct assaults on the city. Such a long resistance of the defenders of the city forced the enemy to withdraw part of the forces from the offensive in the Moscow direction and transfer them to Kyiv, due to which the Soviet soldiers were forced to retreat on September 19, 1941.

The German fascist invaders who occupied the city inflicted enormous damage on it, establishing a regime of brutal occupation. More than 200,000 Kyivans were killed, and about 100,000 people were sent to Germany for forced labor. The inhabitants of the city provided active resistance fascists. In Kyiv, an underground was organized that fought the Nazi regime. Underground heroes destroyed hundreds of Nazis, blew up 500 German cars, derailed 19 trains, burned 18 warehouses.

Kyiv was liberated on November 6, 1943. In 1965, Kyiv was awarded the title of Hero City.

Fortress Hero Brest

Of all the cities of the Soviet Union, it was Brest who was the first to face the Nazi invaders. In the early morning of June 22, 1941, the Brest Fortress was subjected to enemy bombardment, in which at that time there were about 7 thousand Soviet soldiers and members of the families of their commanders.

The German command expected to capture the fortress within a few hours, but the 45th division of the Wehrmacht was stuck in Brest for a week and, with significant losses, suppressed separate centers of resistance of the heroic defenders of Brest for another month. As a result, the Brest Fortress became a symbol of courage, heroic fortitude and valor during the Great Patriotic War. The attack on the fortress was sudden, so the garrison was taken by surprise. With air fire, the Nazis destroyed the water supply and warehouses, interrupted communications and inflicted heavy losses on the garrison.

An unexpected artillery attack did not allow the heroic defenders of the fortress to put up a coordinated resistance, so it was divided into several pockets. According to the testimony of eyewitnesses of those days, single shooting from the fortress of Brest was heard until the beginning of August, but, in the end, the resistance was crushed. But the losses of the Germans from that rebuff of the heroes - the defenders of Brest were significant - 1121 people were killed and wounded. During the occupation of Brest, the Nazis killed 40,000 civilians in the city. The city of Brest, including the famous fortress, met its heroes - liberators on July 28, 1944.

On May 8, 1965, the fortress received the title of "fortress-hero". In 1971, the fortress - the hero "Brest" became a memorial complex.

Hero City Kerch

Kerch was one of the first cities to fall under the blow of the Nazi troops at the beginning of the war. For all the time, the front line passed through it four times and during the years of the war the city was twice occupied by the Nazi troops, as a result of which 15 thousand civilians were killed, and more than 14 thousand Kerch residents were deported to Germany for forced labor. The first time the city was captured in November 1941, after bloody battles. But already on December 30, during the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation, Kerch was liberated by our troops.

In May 1942, the Nazis concentrated large forces and launched a new attack on the city. As a result of heavy and stubborn fighting, Kerch was abandoned again. The stubborn struggle and long-term defense in the Adzhimushkay quarries became a legendary page inscribed in the history of the Great Patriotic War. Soviet patriots-heroes showed the whole world an example of mutual assistance, loyalty to military duty and military fraternity. The underground and partisans also actively fought against the invaders.

For 320 days, while the city was in the hands of the enemy, the invaders destroyed all the factories, burned all the bridges and ships, cut down and burned parks and gardens, destroyed the power plant and telegraph, and blew up the railway lines. Kerch was almost completely wiped off the face of the earth.

With the advent of 1943, the German command considered the Crimea one of the most important bridgeheads, so huge forces were drawn to Kerch: tanks, artillery, and aviation. In addition, the Germans mined the strait itself in order to prevent the breakthrough of the Soviet liberation troops into the occupied lands. On the night of November 1, 1943, 18 machine gunners occupied a small mound near the village of Eltigen. All these heroes died on the bridgehead taken, but did not let the enemy through. The continuous battle that lasted 40 days went down in history under the name "Land of Fire". This feat, which began the reconquest of the Kerch Strait, marked the beginning of the liberation of the Crimean peninsula.

Thus, 153 people were awarded the Orders of the Hero of the Soviet Union for the defense and liberation of Kerch. The city was liberated on April 11, 1944, and on September 14, 1973, Kerch was awarded the title of Hero City.

Hero City Novorossiysk

To protect the city of Novorossiysk, on August 17, 1942, the Novorossiysk defensive region was created, which included the 47th Army, sailors of the Azov military flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet. People's militia detachments were actively created in the city, more than 200 fire defense points and command posts were built, a strip of anti-tank and anti-personnel obstacles, more than thirty kilometers long, was equipped.

The ships of the Black Sea Fleet distinguished themselves in the struggle for Novorossiysk. Despite the heroic efforts of the defenders of Novorossiysk, the forces were unequal, and on September 7, 1942, the enemy managed to enter the city and capture several administrative buildings in it. But four days later the Nazis were stopped in the southeastern part of the city and moved to a defensive position.

A victorious record in the history of the battle for the liberation of Novorossiysk was made by the landing on the night of February 4, 1943, of an amphibious assault led by Major Kunnikov. This happened on the southern border of the hero city, near the village of Stanichki. A kind of springboard, an area of ​​​​30 square meters. kilometers, entered the annals of the Great Patriotic War under the name "Small Land". The battle for Novorossiysk lasted 225 days and ended with the complete liberation of the hero city on September 16, 1943.

September 14, 1973, in honor of the 30th victory over the Nazis, while defending the North Caucasus, Novorossiysk received the title of Hero City.

Hero City Minsk

From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Minsk found itself in the very center of the battles, as it was in the direction of the main German attack, towards Moscow. The advanced units of the enemy troops approached the city on June 26, 1941. They were met by only one 64th rifle division, which in just three days of fierce fighting destroyed about 300 enemy vehicles and armored vehicles, as well as a lot of tank equipment. On June 27, the Nazis managed to push back, 10 km from Minsk - this reduced the strike force and the rate of advance of the Nazis to the east. However, after stubborn and heavy fighting, on June 28, the Soviet troops were forced to retreat and leave the city.

The Nazis established a tough occupation regime in Minsk, during which they destroyed a huge number of both prisoners of war and civilians of the city. But the courageous Minskers did not submit to the enemy, underground groups and sabotage detachments began to form in the city. These heroes account for more than 1,500 acts of sabotage, as a result of which several military and administrative facilities were blown up in Minsk, and the city railway junction was repeatedly disabled. For their courage and heroism, 600 members of the Minsk underground were awarded orders and medals, 8 people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On June 26, 1974, Minsk was awarded the title of Hero City.

Hero City Tula

By October 1941, the fascist invaders, who dreamed of capturing Moscow, managed to quite a lot move deep into Russia.

The German General Guderian was able to take the city of Orel before reaching Tula, which was taken by surprise by the enemy. Only 180 km remained to Tula, and there were no military units in the city, except for: one regiment of the NKVD, which guarded defense plants operating at full capacity, the 732nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment, covering the city from the air and fighter battalions, consisting of workers and employees.

Outside the city, fierce and bloody battles broke out almost immediately, since Tula was the next step for the enemy rushing towards Moscow.

Also, immediately after the capture of Orel, Tula was transferred to martial law. Worker fighter detachments were created in it. Residents of the city surrounded Tula with trenches, dug anti-tank ditches inside the city, installed gouges and "hedgehogs", built barricades and strongholds. In parallel, active work was carried out to evacuate defense plants.

The Nazis threw their best troops to take Tula: three tank divisions, one motorized and the regiment "Grossdeutschland". Heroes of the workers' guards, as well as Chekists and anti-aircraft gunners courageously resisted the enemy forces.

Despite the most fierce attacks, in which about a hundred tanks participated from the enemy, the Nazis did not manage to break through to Tula in any of the battlefields. Not only that, in just one day Soviet heroes, defending the city, managed to destroy 31 enemy tanks and exterminate a lot of infantry.

Defense life was in full swing in the city itself. The telephone station helped to establish communication between the units of the Soviet army that emerged from the encirclement, hospitals received the wounded, equipment and weapons were repaired at the factories, the defenders of Tula were supplied with provisions and warm clothes.

As a result, the city survived! The enemy was unable to capture it. For courage shown in battles and defense, about 250 of its inhabitants were awarded the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union". On December 7, 1976, Tula received the title of Hero City, with the Gold Star medal.

Hero City Murmansk

To capture the lands of the Arctic, from Norway and Finland, the Germans deployed the "Norway" front. The plans of the fascist invaders included an attack on the Kola Peninsula. The defense of the peninsula was deployed on the Northern Front, a strip 500 km long. It was these units that covered the Murmansk, Kandelak and Ukhta directions. The ships of the Northern Fleet and the ground forces of the Soviet Army participated in the defense, protecting the Arctic from the invasion of German troops.

The enemy offensive began on June 29, 1941, but our soldiers stopped the enemy 20-30 kilometers from the border line. At the cost of fierce fighting and the boundless courage of these heroes, the front line remained unchanged until 1944, when our troops launched an offensive. Murmansk is one of those cities that became front-line from the very first days of the war. The Nazis carried out 792 air raids and dropped 185 thousand bombs on the city - but Murmansk survived and continued to work as a port city. Under regular air raids, ordinary heroic residents unloaded and loaded ships, built bomb shelters, and produced military equipment. For all the war years, the Murmansk port received 250 ships, handled 2 million tons of various cargoes.

The fishermen-heroes of Murmansk did not stand aside either - in three years they managed to catch 850 thousand centners of fish, supplying both the inhabitants of the city and the soldiers of the Red Army with provisions. The townspeople who worked at the shipyards repaired 645 warships and 544 conventional transport ships. In addition, another 55 fishing vessels were converted into combat vessels in Murmansk. In 1942, the main strategic actions developed not on land, but in the harsh waters of the northern seas.

As a result of incredible efforts, the heroes of the Northern Fleet destroyed more than 200 fascist warships and about 400 transport ships. And in the fall of 1944, the fleet expelled the enemy from these lands and the threat of the capture of Murmansk passed.

In 1944, the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was established. The city of Murmansk received the title of "Hero City" on May 6, 1985.

Hero City Smolensk

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Smolensk found itself on the path of the main blow of the fascist troops towards Moscow. The city was first bombarded on June 24, 1941, and 4 days later the Nazis launched a second air attack on Smolensk, as a result of which the central part of the city was completely destroyed.

On July 10, 1941, the famous Battle of Smolensk began, which lasted until September 10 of the same year. The soldiers of the Western Front of the Red Army stood up to defend the city - the hero, as well as the capital of our country. The enemy outnumbered them in manpower, artillery and aircraft (2 times), as well as in tank technology (4 times).

In the hero city of Smolensk itself, three destruction battalions and one police battalion were formed. Actively helped the Soviet soldiers and its inhabitants, they dug anti-tank ditches and trenches, built take-off platforms, built barricades and looked after the wounded. Despite the heroic efforts of the defenders of Smolensk, on July 29, 1941, the Nazis managed to enter the city. The occupation lasted until September 25, 1943, but even during these terrible years for Smolensk, its inhabitants continued to fight the enemy, creating partisan detachments and conducting underground subversive activities.

For courage and heroism shown behind enemy lines and in the ranks Soviet army, 260 natives Smolensk region were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and 10 thousand partisans and underground workers were awarded orders and medals. The title of the Hero City of Smolensk was awarded on May 6, 1985.

We say the city is a hero and we understand that these people are heroes. The inhabitants of these cities, the soldiers who defended and liberated these cities. It was the people who made these cities heroes, and became heroes themselves. No one on earth has yet managed to enslave our country, because we are the most courageous and persistent people in the world.

Our ancestors, at the cost of their lives, defended our independence more than once. We must be worthy of their memory, we must preserve our Motherland for future generations, as our ancestors did for us. Eternal memory to all those who fell in the Great Patriotic War.

Heroes of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and their exploits

The battles have long died down. The veterans leave one by one. But the heroes of the Second World War of 1941-1945 and their exploits will forever remain in the memory of grateful descendants. This article will tell about the brightest personalities of those years and their immortal deeds. Some were still quite young, while others were no longer young. Each of the characters has its own character and its own destiny. But all of them were united by love for the Motherland and a willingness to sacrifice themselves for its good.

Alexander Matrosov

Orphanage pupil Sasha Matrosov went to war at the age of 18. Immediately after the infantry school, he was sent to the front. February 1943 turned out to be "hot". Alexander's battalion went on the attack, and at some point the guy, along with several comrades, was surrounded. It was not possible to break through to our own - enemy machine guns fired too densely.

Soon Matrosov was left alone. His comrades perished under the bullets. The young man had only a few seconds to make a decision. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the last in his life. Wanting to bring at least some benefit to his native battalion, Alexander Matrosov rushed to the embrasure, covering it with his body. The fire is silent. The attack of the Red Army was ultimately successful - the Nazis retreated. And Sasha went to heaven as a young and handsome 19-year-old guy ...

Marat Kazei

When the Great Patriotic War began, Marat Kazei was only twelve. He lived in the village of Stankovo ​​with his sister and parents. In the 41st he was in occupation. Marat's mother helped the partisans, providing them with her shelter and feeding them. Once the Germans found out about this and shot the woman. Left alone, the children, without hesitation, went to the forest and joined the partisans.

Marat, who had completed only four classes before the war, helped his senior comrades as much as he could. He was even taken on reconnaissance; and he also participated in undermining the German trains. In the 43rd, the boy was awarded the medal "For Courage", for the heroism shown during the breakthrough of the encirclement. The boy was wounded in that terrible battle.

And in 1944, Kazei was returning from intelligence with an adult partisan. They were noticed by the Germans and began to fire. The older comrade died. Marat fired back to the last bullet. And when he had only one grenade left, the teenager let the Germans get closer and blew himself up along with them. He was 15 years old.

Alexey Maresyev

The name of this man is known to every inhabitant of the former Soviet Union. After all we are talking about the legendary pilot. Alexei Maresyev was born in 1916 and dreamed of the sky since childhood. Even the transferred rheumatism did not become an obstacle on the way to the dream. Despite the prohibitions of doctors, Alexei entered the flight - they took him after several futile attempts.

In 1941, the stubborn young man went to the front. The sky was not what he dreamed of. But it was necessary to defend the Motherland, and Maresyev did everything for this. Once his plane was shot down. Wounded in both legs, Aleksey managed to land the car on the territory occupied by the Germans and even somehow get through to his own.

But time has been lost. The legs were "devoured" by gangrene, and they had to be amputated. Where to go to a soldier without both limbs? After all, she was completely crippled ... But Alexei Maresyev was not one of those. He remained in the ranks and continued to fight the enemy.

As many as 86 times the winged car with the hero on board managed to take to the skies. Maresyev shot down 11 German planes. The pilot was lucky to survive in that terrible war and feel the heady taste of victory. He died in 2001. "The Tale of a Real Man" by Boris Polevoy is a work about him. It was the feat of Maresyev that inspired the author to write it.

Zinaida Portnova

Born in 1926, Zina Portnova met the war as a teenager. At that time, a native resident of Leningrad was visiting relatives in Belarus. Once in the occupied territory, she did not sit on the sidelines, but entered into partisan movement. Pasted leaflets, established contact with the underground ...

In 1943, the Germans grabbed the girl and dragged her to their lair. During the interrogation, Zina somehow managed to take a pistol from the table. She shot her tormentors - two soldiers and an investigator.

It was a heroic act that made the attitude of the Germans towards Zina even more brutal. It is impossible to convey in words the torment that the girl experienced during the terrible torture. But she was silent. Not a word could be squeezed out by the Nazis from her. As a result, the Germans shot their captive without getting anything from the heroine Zina Portnova.

Andrey Korzun

Andrei Korzun turned thirty in 1941. He was immediately called to the front, sent to the artillerymen. Korzun took part in the terrible battles near Leningrad, during one of which he was seriously wounded. It was November 5, 1943.

As he fell, Korzun noticed that the ammunition depot was on fire. It was necessary to urgently put out the fire, otherwise an explosion of enormous force threatened to take many lives. Somehow, bleeding and in pain, the gunner crawled to the warehouse. The artilleryman did not have the strength to take off his overcoat and throw it on the flame. Then he covered the fire with his body. The explosion didn't happen. Andrei Korzun failed to survive.

Leonid Golikov

Another young hero- Lenya Golikov. Born in 1926. Lived in the Novgorod region. With the outbreak of war, he left to partisan. The courage and determination of this teenager was not to take. Leonid destroyed 78 fascists, a dozen enemy trains and even a couple of bridges.

The explosion that went down in history and claimed the German General Richard von Wirtz was his doing. The car of an important rank flew into the air, and Golikov took possession of valuable documents, for which he received the star of the Hero.

A brave partisan died in 1943 near the village of Ostraya Luka during a German attack. The enemy significantly outnumbered our fighters in number, and they had no chance. Golikov fought until his last breath.

These are just six of the great many stories that permeated the entire war. Everyone who passed it, who even for a moment brought victory closer, is already a hero. Thanks to such as Maresyev, Golikov, Korzun, Matrosov, Kazei, Portnova and millions of other Soviet soldiers, the world got rid of the brown plague of the 20th century. And the reward for their deeds was eternal life!

The war demanded from the people the greatest exertion of strength and huge sacrifices on a national scale, revealed the steadfastness and courage of the Soviet man, the ability to sacrifice himself in the name of the freedom and independence of the Motherland. During the war years, heroism became widespread, became the norm for the behavior of Soviet people. Thousands of soldiers and officers immortalized their names during the defense of the Brest Fortress, Odessa, Sevastopol, Kyiv, Leningrad, Novorossiysk, in the battle near Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, in the North Caucasus, the Dnieper, in the foothills of the Carpathians, during the storming of Berlin and in other battles.

For heroic deeds in the Great Patriotic War, over 11 thousand people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (some of them posthumously), 104 of them twice, three three times (G.K. Zhukov, I.N. Kozhedub and A.I. Pokryshkin ). During the war years, this title was first awarded to Soviet pilots M.P. Zhukov, S.I. Zdorovtsev and P.T. Kharitonov, who rammed Nazi planes on the outskirts of Leningrad.

Total in war time more than eight thousand heroes were trained in the ground forces, including 1800 artillerymen, 1142 tankmen, 650 engineering troops, over 290 signalmen, 93 air defense soldiers, 52 soldiers of the military rear, 44 doctors; in the Air Force - over 2400 people; in the Navy - over 500 people; partisans, underground workers and Soviet intelligence officers - about 400; border guards - over 150 people.

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

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

Four Heroes of the Soviet Union: artilleryman A. V. Aleshin, pilot I. G. Drachenko, commander of a rifle platoon P. Kh. Dubinda, artilleryman N. I. Kuznetsov - were also awarded Orders of Glory of all three degrees for military exploits. More than 2,500 people, including 4 women, became full holders of the Order of Glory of three degrees. During the war, over 38 million orders and medals were awarded to the defenders of the Motherland for courage and heroism. The motherland highly appreciated the labor feat of the Soviet people in the rear. During the war years, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor was awarded to 201 people, about 200 thousand were awarded orders and medals.

Viktor Vasilievich Talalikhin

Born September 18, 1918 in the village. Teplovka, Volsky district, Saratov region. Russian. After graduating from the factory school, he worked at the Moscow meat processing plant, at the same time he studied at the flying club. He graduated from the Borisoglebokoe military aviation school for pilots. He took part in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. He made 47 sorties, shot down 4 Finnish aircraft, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Star (1940).

In the battles of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. Made more than 60 sorties. In the summer and autumn of 1941, he fought near Moscow. For military distinctions he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner (1941) and the Order of Lenin.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Viktor Vasilievich Talalikhin by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 8, 1941 for the first night ramming of an enemy bomber in the history of aviation.

Soon Talalikhin was appointed squadron commander, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant. The glorious pilot participated in many air battles near Moscow, shot down five more enemy aircraft personally and one in a group. He died a heroic death in an unequal battle with Nazi fighters on October 27, 1941.

Buried V.V. Talalikhin with military honors at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. By order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated August 30, 1948, he was forever enrolled in the lists of the first squadron of the fighter aviation regiment, in which he fought the enemy near Moscow.

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

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

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

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

On this day, he flew out on a free hunt paired with Dmitry Titarenko. On the traverse of the Oder, the pilots noticed an aircraft rapidly approaching from the direction of Frankfurt an der Oder. The plane was flying along the riverbed at an altitude of 3500 m at a speed much greater than the La-7 could develop. It was Me-262. Kozhedub instantly made a decision. The Me-262 pilot relied on the speed qualities of his car and did not control the airspace in the rear hemisphere and below. Kozhedub attacked from below on a head-on course, hoping to hit the jet in the belly. However, Titarenko opened fire before Kozhedub. To the considerable surprise of Kozhedub, the premature firing of the wingman was beneficial.

The German turned to the left, towards Kozhedub, the latter had only to catch the Messerschmitt in the sight and press the trigger. Me-262 turned into a fireball. In the cockpit of the Me 262 was non-commissioned officer Kurt-Lange from 1. / KG (J) -54.

On the evening of April 17, 1945, Kozhedub and Titarenko flew their fourth combat sortie to the Berlin area in a day. Immediately after crossing the front line north of Berlin, the hunters discovered a large group of FW-190s with suspended bombs. Kozhedub began to gain altitude for the attack and reported to the command post about establishing contact with a group of forty Focke-Vulvof with suspended bombs. German pilots clearly saw how a pair of Soviet fighters went into the clouds and did not expect that they would appear again. However, the hunters showed up.

Behind from the top, in the first attack, Kozhedub shot down the leader of the four fokkers that closed the group. The hunters sought to give the enemy the impression of the presence of a significant number of Soviet fighters in the air. Kozhedub threw his La-7 right into the thick of the enemy aircraft, turning Lavochkin left and right, the ace fired cannons in short bursts. The Germans succumbed to the trick - the Focke-Wulfs began to free them from bombs that prevented air combat. However, the Luftwaffe pilots soon established the presence of only two La-7s in the air and, taking advantage of the numerical advantage, took the guards into circulation. One FW-190 managed to get into the tail of the Kozhedub fighter, but Titarenko opened fire before the German pilot - the Focke-Wulf exploded in the air.

By this time, help had arrived - the La-7 group from the 176th regiment, Titarenko and Kozhedub were able to get out of the battle on the last remaining fuel. On the way back, Kozhedub saw a single FW-190, which was still trying to drop bombs on Soviet troops. Ace dived and shot down an enemy plane. It was the last, 62nd, German aircraft shot down by the best Allied fighter pilot.

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

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

He damaged one Mustang (the plane, smoking, left the battlefield and, after flying a little, fell, the pilot jumped out with a parachute), the second R-51 exploded in the air. Only after a successful attack did Kozhedub notice the white stars of the US Air Force on the wings and fuselages of the planes he shot down. After landing, the regiment commander, Colonel Chupikov, advised Kozhedub to keep quiet about the incident and gave him the developed film of the photo-machine gun. The existence of a film with footage of burning Mustangs became known only after the death of the legendary pilot. Detailed biography of the hero on the website: www.warheroes.ru "Unknown Heroes"

Alexey Petrovich Maresyev

Maresyev Aleksey Petrovich fighter pilot, deputy squadron commander of the 63rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, Guards Senior Lieutenant.

Born on May 20, 1916 in the city of Kamyshin, Volgograd Region, in a working class family. Russian. At the age of three, he was left without a father, who died shortly after returning from the First World War. After graduating from 8th grade high school Alexey entered the FZU, where he received the specialty of a locksmith. Then he applied to the Moscow aviation institute, but instead of an institute on a Komsomol ticket, he went to build Komsomolsk-on-Amur. There he sawed wood in the taiga, built barracks, and then the first residential quarters. At the same time he studied at the flying club. He was drafted into the Soviet army in 1937. He served in the 12th Aviation Border Detachment. But, according to Maresyev himself, he did not fly, but "wafted his tails" at the planes. He really took to the air already at the Bataysk Military Aviation Pilot School, which he graduated in 1940. He served as a flight instructor.

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

Maresyev crawled to his own. He had frostbite on his feet and had to be amputated. However, the pilot decided not to give up. When he got the prostheses, he trained long and hard and got permission to return to duty. He learned to fly again in the 11th reserve aviation brigade in Ivanovo.

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

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

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

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

Retired Colonel A.P. Maresyev was awarded two Orders of Lenin, Orders of the October Revolution, Red Banner, Patriotic War 1st degree, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, Orders of Friendship of Peoples, Red Star, Badge of Honor, "For Merit to the Fatherland" 3rd degree, medals, foreign orders. He was an honorary soldier of a military unit, an honorary citizen of the cities of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kamyshin, Orel. A small planet is named after him solar system, public fund, youth patriotic clubs. He was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Author of the book "On the Kursk Bulge" (M., 1960).

Even during the war, Boris Polevoy's book "The Tale of a Real Man" was published, the prototype of which was Maresyev (the author changed only one letter in his last name). In 1948, director Alexander Stolper shot a film of the same name based on the book at Mosfilm. Maresyev was even offered to play the main role himself, but he refused and this role was played by a professional actor Pavel Kadochnikov.

He died suddenly on May 18, 2001. He was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery. On May 18, 2001, a gala evening was planned at the Theater of the Russian Army on the occasion of Maresyev's 85th birthday, but an hour before the start, Alexei Petrovich had a heart attack. He was taken to the intensive care unit of a Moscow clinic, where he died without regaining consciousness. The gala evening nevertheless took place, but it began with a moment of silence.

Krasnoperov Sergey Leonidovich

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

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded on February 4, 1944. Killed in action June 24, 1944. "March 14, 1943. Attack pilot Sergei Krasnoperov makes two sorties one after another to attack the port of Temrkzh. Leading six" silts ", he set fire to a boat at the pier of the port. In the second flight, an enemy shell hit the engine. A bright flame for a moment, like it seemed to Krasnoperov, the sun eclipsed and immediately disappeared in thick black smoke. Krasnoperov turned off the ignition, turned off the gas and tried to fly the plane to the front line. However, after a few minutes it became clear that it would not be possible to save the plane. And under the wing - a solid swamp. There is only one way out As soon as the burning car touched the swamp bumps with its fuselage, the pilot barely had time to jump out of it and run a little to the side, an explosion rumbled.

A few days later, Krasnoperov was back in the air, and in the combat log of the flight commander of the 502nd assault aviation regiment, junior lieutenant Krasnoperov Sergey Leonidovich, a brief entry appeared: "03/23/43". With two sorties, he destroyed a convoy in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bst. Crimean. Destroyed vehicles - 1, created fires - 2 ". On April 4, Krasnoperov stormed manpower and firepower in the region of a height of 204.3 meters. On the next flight, he stormed artillery and firing points in the area of ​​Krymskaya station. At the same time, he destroyed two tanks, one gun and mortar.

One day, a junior lieutenant received a task for a free flight in pairs. He was leading. Covertly, on a low-level flight, a pair of "silts" penetrated deep into the rear of the enemy. They noticed cars on the road - they attacked them. They discovered a concentration of troops - and suddenly brought down destructive fire on the heads of the Nazis. The Germans unloaded ammunition and weapons from a self-propelled barge. Combat entry - the barge flew into the air. The regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Smirnov, wrote about Sergei Krasnoperov: “Such heroic deeds of Comrade Krasnoperov are repeated in every sortie. heroic deeds he created for himself military glory, enjoys a well-deserved military authority among personnel Regiment". And in fact. Sergei was only 19 years old, and for his exploits he had already been awarded the Order of the Red Star. He was only 20, and the Golden Star of the Hero adorned his chest.

Seventy-four sorties were made by Sergei Krasnoperov during the days of fighting on the Taman Peninsula. As one of the best, he was entrusted 20 times to lead a group of "silts" to attack, and he always carried out a combat mission. He personally destroyed 6 tanks, 70 vehicles, 35 wagons with cargo, 10 guns, 3 mortars, 5 points of anti-aircraft artillery, 7 machine guns, 3 tractors, 5 bunkers, an ammunition depot, a boat, a self-propelled barge were sunk, two crossings across the Kuban were destroyed.

Matrosov Alexander Matveevich

Matrosov Alexander Matveyevich - rifleman of the 2nd battalion of the 91st separate rifle brigade (22nd Army, Kalinin Front), private. Born February 5, 1924 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk). Russian. Member of the Komsomol. He lost his parents early. 5 years was brought up in the Ivanovo orphanage (Ulyanovsk region). Then he was brought up in the Ufa children's labor colony. At the end of the 7th grade, he remained to work in the colony as an assistant teacher. In the Red Army since September 1942. In October 1942 he entered the Krasnokholmsk Infantry School, but soon most of the cadets were sent to the Kalinin Front.

In the army since November 1942. He served in the 2nd Battalion of the 91st Separate Rifle Brigade. For some time the brigade was in reserve. Then she was transferred near Pskov to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Big Lomovaty Bor. Right from the march, the brigade entered the battle.

On February 27, 1943, the 2nd battalion received the task of attacking a stronghold near the village of Chernushki (Loknyansky district, Pskov region). As soon as our soldiers passed through the forest and reached the edge of the forest, they came under heavy enemy machine gun fire - three enemy machine guns in bunkers covered the approaches to the village. One machine gun was suppressed by an assault group of machine gunners and armor-piercers. The second bunker was destroyed by another group of armor-piercers. But the machine gun from the third bunker continued to shell the entire hollow in front of the village. Efforts to silence him were unsuccessful. Then, in the direction of the bunker, Private A.M. Matrosov crawled. He approached the embrasure from the flank and threw two grenades. The machine gun fell silent. But as soon as the fighters went on the attack, the machine gun came to life again. Then Matrosov got up, rushed to the bunker and closed the embrasure with his body. At the cost of his life, he contributed to the combat mission of the unit.

A few days later, the name of Matrosov became known throughout the country. The feat of Matrosov was used by a journalist who happened to be with the unit for a patriotic article. At the same time, the regiment commander learned about the feat from the newspapers. Moreover, the date of the death of the hero was moved to February 23, coinciding the feat with the day of the Soviet Army. Despite the fact that Matrosov was not the first to perform such an act of self-sacrifice, it was his name that was used to glorify the heroism of Soviet soldiers. Subsequently, over 300 people performed the same feat, but this was no longer widely reported. His feat has become a symbol of courage and military prowess, fearlessness and love for the Motherland.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Matveyevich Matrosov was posthumously awarded on June 19, 1943. He was buried in the city of Velikiye Luki. On September 8, 1943, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the name of Matrosov was assigned to the 254th Guards Rifle Regiment, he himself was forever enrolled (one of the first in the Soviet Army) in the lists of the 1st company of this unit. Monuments to the Hero were erected in Ufa, Velikiye Luki, Ulyanovsk, etc. The Museum of Komsomol Glory in the city of Velikiye Luki, streets, schools, pioneer squads, motor ships, collective farms and state farms bore his name.

Ivan Vasilievich Panfilov

In the battles near Volokolamsk, the 316th Infantry Division of General I.V. Panfilov. Reflecting continuous enemy attacks for 6 days, they knocked out 80 tanks and destroyed several hundred soldiers and officers. Enemy attempts to capture the Volokolamsk region and open the way to Moscow from the west failed. For heroic actions, this unit was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and transformed into the 8th Guards, and its commander, General I.V. Panfilov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was not lucky enough to witness the complete defeat of the enemy near Moscow: on November 18, near the village of Gusenevo, he died a heroic death.

Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov, Major General of the Guards, commander of the 8th Guards Rifle Division of the Red Banner (former 316th) Division, was born on January 1, 1893 in the city of Petrovsk, Saratov Region. Russian. Member of the CPSU since 1920. From the age of 12 he worked for hire, in 1915 he was drafted into the tsarist army. In the same year he was sent to the Russian-German front. Voluntarily joined the Red Army in 1918. He was enrolled in the 1st Saratov infantry regiment 25th Chapaev division. Participated in the civil war, fought against Dutov, Kolchak, Denikin and the White Poles. After the war, he graduated from the two-year Kyiv United Infantry School and was assigned to the Central Asian Military District. He took part in the fight against the Basmachi.

The Great Patriotic War found Major General Panfilov at the post of military commissar of the Kyrgyz Republic. Having formed the 316th rifle division, he went with it to the front and in October - November 1941 fought near Moscow. For military distinctions he was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner (1921, 1929) and the medal "XX Years of the Red Army".

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov was awarded posthumously on April 12, 1942 for his skillful leadership of division units in the battles on the outskirts of Moscow and his personal courage and heroism.

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

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

On November 16, fascist troops launched a second "general" offensive against Moscow. A fierce battle broke out near Volokolamsk again. On this day, at the Dubosekovo junction, 28 Panfilov soldiers under the command of political instructor V.G. Klochkov repelled the attack of enemy tanks, and held the occupied line. The enemy tanks also failed to break through in the direction of the villages of Mykanino and Strokovo. The division of General Panfilov firmly held its positions, its soldiers fought to the death.

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

Nikolai Frantsevich Gastello

Nikolai Frantsevich was born on May 6, 1908 in Moscow, in a working-class family. Graduated from 5 classes. Worked as a mechanic at the Murom locomotive plant construction machines. In the Soviet Army in May 1932. In 1933 he graduated from the Lugansk military pilot school in bomber units. In 1939 he participated in the battles on the river. Khalkhin - Gol and the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. In the army since June 1941, the squadron commander of the 207th long-range bomber aviation regiment (42nd bomber aviation division, 3rd bomber aviation corps DBA), captain Gastello, on June 26, 1941, carried out another flight on a mission. His bomber was hit and caught fire. He directed the burning aircraft at a concentration of enemy troops. From the explosion of the bomber, the enemy suffered heavy losses. For the accomplished feat on July 26, 1941, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Gastello's name is forever listed in the lists of military units. On the site of the feat on the Minsk-Vilnius highway, a memorial monument was erected in Moscow.

Zoya Anatolyevna Kosmodemyanskaya ("Tanya")

Zoya Anatolyevna ["Tanya" (09/13/1923 - 11/29/1941)] - Soviet partisan, Hero of the Soviet Union was born in Osino-Gai, Gavrilovsky district, Tambov region, in the family of an employee. In 1930 the family moved to Moscow. She graduated from 9 classes of school number 201. In October 1941, Komsomol member Kosmodemyanskaya voluntarily joined a special partisan detachment, acting on instructions from the headquarters of the Western Front in the Mozhaisk direction.

Twice sent to the rear of the enemy. At the end of November 1941, while performing the second combat mission in the area of ​​​​the village of Petrishchevo (Russian district of the Moscow region), she was captured by the Nazis. Despite severe torture, she did not give out military secrets, did not give her name.

On November 29, she was hanged by the Nazis. Her devotion to the Motherland, courage and selflessness have become an inspiring example in the fight against the enemy. On February 6, 1942, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Manshuk Zhiengalievna Mametova

Manshuk Mametova was born in 1922 in the Urdinsky district of the West Kazakhstan region. Manshuk's parents died early, and the five-year-old girl was adopted by her aunt Amina Mametova. Childhood Manshuk passed in Almaty.

When the Great Patriotic War began, Manshuk studied at the medical institute and at the same time worked in the secretariat of the Council of People's Commissars of the republic. In August 1942, she voluntarily joined the Red Army and went to the front. In the unit where Manshuk arrived, she was left as a clerk at the headquarters. But the young patriot decided to become a front line fighter, and a month later Senior Sergeant Mametova was transferred to the rifle battalion of the 21st Guards Rifle Division.

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

On October 16, 1943, the battalion in which Manshuk Mametova served was ordered to repulse the enemy's counterattack. As soon as the Nazis tried to repulse the attack, the machine gun of Senior Sergeant Mametova started working. The Nazis rolled back, leaving hundreds of corpses. Several violent attacks of the Nazis have already choked at the foot of the hill. Suddenly, the girl noticed that two neighboring machine guns fell silent - the machine gunners were killed. Then Manshuk, quickly crawling from one firing point to another, began to fire at the pressing enemies from three machine guns.

The enemy transferred mortar fire to the positions of the resourceful girl. A close explosion of a heavy mine overturned a machine gun, behind which lay Manshuk. Wounded in the head, the machine gunner lost consciousness for a while, but the triumphant cries of the approaching Nazis forced her to wake up. Instantly moving to a nearby machine gun, Manshuk lashed the chains of fascist warriors with a lead shower. And again the enemy attack choked. This ensured the successful advance of our units, but the girl from distant Urda remained lying on the hillside. Her fingers froze on the Maxim trigger.

On March 1, 1944, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Senior Sergeant Manshuk Zhiengaliyevna Mametova was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Aliya Moldagulova

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

By the beginning of October, Aliya Moldagulova had 32 dead fascists on her account.

In December 1943, Moiseev's battalion was ordered to drive the enemy out of the village of Kazachikha. By capturing this settlement, the Soviet command hoped to cut the railway line along which the Nazis were transferring reinforcements. The Nazis fiercely resisted, skillfully using the benefits of the area. The slightest advance of our companies came at a heavy price, and yet slowly but steadily our fighters approached the enemy's fortifications. Suddenly, a lone figure appeared ahead of the advancing chains.

Suddenly, a lone figure appeared ahead of the advancing chains. The Nazis noticed the brave warrior and opened fire from machine guns. Catching the moment when the fire weakened, the fighter rose to his full height and dragged the entire battalion with him.

After a fierce battle, our fighters took possession of the height. The daredevil lingered in the trench for some time. There were traces of pain on his pale face, and strands of black hair broke out from under his cap with earflaps. It was Aliya Moldagulova. She destroyed 10 fascists in this battle. The wound was light, and the girl remained in the ranks.

In an effort to restore the situation, the enemy rushed into counterattacks. On January 14, 1944, a group of enemy soldiers managed to break into our trenches. A hand-to-hand fight ensued. Aliya mowed down the Nazis with well-aimed bursts of the machine gun. Suddenly, she instinctively felt danger behind her back. She turned around quickly, but it was too late. German officer fired first. Gathering the last of her strength, Aliya threw up her machine gun and the Nazi officer fell to the frozen ground...

The wounded Aliya was carried out by her comrades from the battlefield. The fighters wanted to believe in a miracle, and they offered blood to save the girl. But the wound was fatal.

On June 4, 1944, Corporal Aliya Moldagulova was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Sevastyanov Alexey Tikhonovich

Sevastyanov Aleksey Tikhonovich, flight commander of the 26th Fighter Aviation Regiment (7th Fighter Aviation Corps, Leningrad Air Defense Zone), junior lieutenant. Born on February 16, 1917 in the village of Kholm, now the Likhoslavl district of the Tver (Kalinin) region. Russian. Graduated from the Kalinin Carriage Building College. In the Red Army since 1936. In 1939 he graduated from the Kachin Military Aviation School.

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

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

On November 4, 1941, junior lieutenant Sevastyanov on an Il-153 aircraft patrolled on the outskirts of Leningrad. At about 22.00, an enemy air raid on the city began. Despite the fire of anti-aircraft artillery, one He-111 bomber managed to break through to Leningrad. Sevastyanov attacked the enemy, but missed. He went on the attack a second time and opened fire at close range, but again missed. Sevastyanov attacked for the third time. Coming close, he pressed the trigger, but there were no shots - the cartridges ran out. In order not to miss the enemy, he decided to go for a ram. Approaching behind the "Heinkel", he chopped off his tail with a screw. Then he left the damaged fighter and landed by parachute. The bomber crashed in the Tauride Garden area. The crew members who jumped out on parachutes were taken prisoner. The fallen Sevastyanov fighter was found in Baskov Lane and restored by specialists of the 1st Rembaza.

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

Matveev Vladimir Ivanovich

Matveev Vladimir Ivanovich Squadron commander of the 154th Fighter Aviation Regiment (39th Fighter Aviation Division, Northern Front) - Captain. Born October 27, 1911 in St. Petersburg in a working class family. Russian Member of the CPSU(b) since 1938. Graduated from 5 classes. He worked as a mechanic at the factory "Red October". In the Red Army since 1930. In 1931 he graduated from the Leningrad military-theoretical school of pilots, in 1933 - Borisoglebsk military aviation school of pilots. Member of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War at the front. Captain Matveev V.I. On July 8, 1941, when repelling an enemy air raid on Leningrad, having used up all the ammunition, he used a ram: he cut off the tail of a Nazi aircraft with the end of the plane of his MiG-3. An enemy plane crashed near the village of Malyutino. He successfully landed at his airport. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Vladimir Ivanovich Matveev on July 22, 1941.

Killed in air combat January 1, 1942, covering the "Road of Life" on Ladoga. Buried in Leningrad.

Polyakov Sergey Nikolaevich

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

On December 23, 1941, he died while performing the next combat mission. On February 10, 1943, for courage and courage shown in battles with enemies, Sergey Nikolaevich Polyakov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously). For the period of service he was awarded the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner (twice), the Red Star, and medals. He was buried in the village of Agalatovo, Vsevolozhsk district, Leningrad region.

Muravitsky Luka Zakharovich

Luka Muravitsky was born on December 31, 1916 in the village of Dolgoe, now the Soligorsk district of the Minsk region, into a peasant family. He graduated from 6 classes and school FZU. Worked on the subway in Moscow. Graduated from the Aeroclub. In the Soviet Army since 1937. He graduated from the Borisoglebsk military school for pilots in 1939. B.ZYu

Member of the Great Patriotic War since July 1941. Junior Lieutenant Muravitsky began his combat activity as part of the 29th IAP of the Moscow Military District. This regiment met the war on outdated I-153 fighters. Sufficiently maneuverable, they were inferior to enemy aircraft in speed and firepower. Analyzing the first air battles, the pilots came to the conclusion that they needed to abandon the pattern of straight-line attacks, and fight on turns, in dives, on a "hill" when their "Seagull" gained additional speed. At the same time, it was decided to switch to flying in twos, abandoning the official link of three aircraft.

The very first flights of "twos" showed their clear advantage. So, at the end of July, Alexander Popov, paired with Luka Muravitsky, returning after escorting the bombers, met with six Messers. Our pilots were the first to attack and shot down the leader of the enemy group. Stunned by the sudden blow, the Nazis hurried to get out.

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

Once, before a sortie, the regiment commander ordered Muravitsky to immediately erase the inscription and more so that it would not happen again! Then Luka told the commander that this was his beloved girl, who worked with him at the Metrostroy, studied at the flying club, that she loved him, they were going to get married, but ... She crashed jumping from an airplane. The parachute did not open... Even if she did not die in battle, Luka continued, but she was preparing to become an air fighter, to defend her Motherland. The commander relented.

Participating in the defense of Moscow, the commander of the 29th IAP, Luka Muravitsky, achieved brilliant results. He was distinguished not only by sober calculation and courage, but also by his willingness to do anything to defeat the enemy. So on September 3, 1941, acting on the Western Front, he rammed an enemy He-111 reconnaissance aircraft and made a safe landing on the damaged aircraft. At the beginning of the war, we had few planes, and that day Muravitsky had to fly alone - to cover the railway station, where an echelon with ammunition was being unloaded. Fighters, as a rule, flew in pairs, but here - one ...

At first everything went smoothly. The lieutenant vigilantly watched the air around the station, but as you can see, if there are multi-layered clouds overhead, rain. When Muravitsky was making a U-turn over the outskirts of the station, he saw a German reconnaissance aircraft in the gap between the tiers of clouds. Luka sharply increased the engine speed and rushed across the Heinkel-111. The Lieutenant's attack was unexpected, the "Heinkel" had not yet had time to open fire, as a machine-gun burst pierced the enemy, and he, descending steeply, began to flee. Muravitsky caught up with the Heinkel, opened fire on it again, and suddenly the machine gun fell silent. The pilot reloaded, but apparently ran out of ammunition. And then Muravitsky decided to ram the enemy.

He increased the speed of the plane - "Heinkel" is getting closer and closer. The Nazis are already visible in the cockpit ... Without reducing speed, Muravitsky approaches almost close to the Nazi aircraft and hits the tail with a propeller. The jerk and propeller of the fighter cut through the metal of the tail unit of the Non-111 ... The enemy plane crashed into the ground behind the railroad tracks in a wasteland. Luca also hit his head hard on the dashboard, aim and lost consciousness. I woke up - the plane falls to the ground in a tailspin. Gathering all his strength, the pilot with difficulty stopped the rotation of the machine and brought it out of a steep dive. He could not fly further and had to land the car at the station...

Having healed, Muravitsky returned to his regiment. And again fights. The flight commander flew into battle several times a day. He was eager to fight and again, as before the injury, the fuselage of his fighter was carefully displayed: "For Anya." By the end of September, the brave pilot already had about 40 air victories, won personally and as part of a group.

Soon one of the squadrons of the 29th IAP, which included Luka Muravitsky, was transferred to the Leningrad Front to reinforce the 127th IAP. The main task of this regiment was to escort transport aircraft along the Ladoga highway, cover their landing, loading and unloading. Acting as part of the 127th IAP, Senior Lieutenant Muravitsky shot down 3 more enemy aircraft. On October 22, 1941, Muravitsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command, for the courage and bravery shown in battle. By this time, 14 enemy aircraft were already downed on his personal account.

On November 30, 1941, the commander of the 127th IAP, Senior Lieutenant Maravitsky, died in an unequal air battle, defending Leningrad ... The total result of his combat activities, in various sources, is estimated differently. The most common figure is 47 (10 victories won personally and 37 as part of a group), less often - 49 (12 personally and 37 in a group). However, all these figures do not fit in with the figure of personal victories - 14, given above. Moreover, in one of the publications it is generally stated that Luka Muravitsky won his last victory in May 1945, over Berlin. Unfortunately, exact data is not yet available.

Luka Zakharovich Muravitsky was buried in the village of Kapitolovo, Vsevolozhsky District, Leningrad Region. A street in the village of Dolgoye is named after him.

Introduction

This short article contains only a drop of information about the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. In fact, there are a huge number of heroes and collecting all the information about these people and their exploits is a titanic work and it is already a little beyond the scope of our project. Nevertheless, we decided to start with 5 heroes - many of them have heard about some of them, there is a little less information about others and few people know about them, especially the younger generation.

The victory in the Great Patriotic War was achieved by the Soviet people thanks to their incredible efforts, dedication, ingenuity and self-sacrifice. This is especially vividly revealed in the heroes of the war, who performed incredible feats on and behind the battlefield. These great people should be known to everyone who is grateful to their fathers and grandfathers for the opportunity to live in peace and tranquility.

Viktor Vasilievich Talalikhin

The history of Viktor Vasilievich begins with the small village of Teplovka, located in the Saratov province. Here he was born in the autumn of 1918. His parents were simple workers. He himself, after graduating from a school that specialized in the production of workers for factories and factories, worked at a meat processing plant and at the same time attended an flying club. After he graduated from one of the few pilot schools in Borisoglebsk. He took part in the conflict between our country and Finland, where he received a baptism of fire. During the period of confrontation between the USSR and Finland, Talalikhin made about five dozen sorties, while destroying several enemy aircraft, as a result of which he was awarded the honorary Order of the Red Star in the fortieth year for special successes and the fulfillment of assigned tasks.

Viktor Vasilyevich distinguished himself by heroic feat already during the battles in the great war for our people. Although he has about sixty sorties, the main battle took place on August 6, 1941 in the sky over Moscow. As part of a small air group, Viktor took off on an I-16 to repel an enemy air attack on the capital of the USSR. At an altitude of several kilometers, he met a German He-111 bomber. Talalikhin fired several machine-gun bursts at him, but the German plane skillfully dodged them. Then Viktor Vasilievich, through a cunning maneuver and regular shots from a machine gun, hit one of the bomber's engines, but this did not help stop the "German". To the chagrin of the Russian pilot, after unsuccessful attempts to stop the bomber, there were no live cartridges left, and Talalikhin decides to ram. For this ram, he was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

During the war there were many such cases, but by the will of fate, Talalikhin became the first who decided to ram, neglecting his own safety, in our sky. He died in October of the forty-first year in the rank of squadron commander, performing another sortie.

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

In the village of Obrazhievka, a future hero, Ivan Kozhedub, was born in a family of simple peasants. After graduating from school in 1934, he entered the Chemical Technology College. The Shostka flying club was the first place where Kozhedub received flying skills. Then in the fortieth year he entered the army. In the same year, he successfully entered and graduated from the military aviation school in the city of Chuguev.

Ivan Nikitovich took a direct part in the Great Patriotic War. On his account there are more than a hundred air battles, during which he shot down 62 aircraft. Of the large number of sorties, two main ones can be distinguished - a battle with a Me-262 fighter having a jet engine, and an attack on a group of FW-190 bombers.

Battle with jet fighter Me-262 happened in mid-February 1945. On this day, Ivan Nikitovich, together with his partner Dmitry Tatarenko, flew out on La-7 planes to hunt. After a short search, they came across a low-flying aircraft. He flew along the river from the direction of Frankfupt an der Oder. Approaching closer, the pilots discovered that this was a new generation Me-262 aircraft. But this did not discourage the pilots from attacking an enemy aircraft. Then Kozhedub decided to attack on the opposite course, since this was the only way to destroy the enemy. During the attack, the wingman fired a short burst from a machine gun ahead of schedule, which could confuse all the cards. But to the surprise of Ivan Nikitovich, such an outburst of Dmitry Tatarenko had a positive effect. The German pilot turned around in such a way that he eventually fell into the sight of Kozhedub. He had to pull the trigger and destroy the enemy. Which he did.

The second heroic feat Ivan Nikitovich accomplished in mid-April of the forty-fifth year in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe capital of Germany. Again, together with Titarenko, performing another sortie, they found a group of FW-190 bombers with full combat kits. Kozhedub immediately reported this to the command post, but without waiting for reinforcements, he began an attacking maneuver. German pilots saw two Soviet aircraft, having risen, disappeared into the clouds, but they did not attach any importance to this. Then the Russian pilots decided to attack. Kozhedub descended to the height of the Germans and began shooting them, and Titarenko fired in short bursts in different directions from a higher altitude, trying to give the enemy the impression of the presence of a large number of Soviet fighters. The German pilots believed at first, but after a few minutes of battle, their doubts dissipated, and they proceeded to take active steps to destroy the enemy. Kozhedub was on the verge of death in this battle, but his friend saved him. When Ivan Nikitovich tried to get away from the German fighter, who was chasing him and being in the position of shooting the Soviet fighter, Titarenko was ahead of the German pilot in a short burst and destroyed the enemy machine. Soon a support group arrived in time, and the German group of aircraft was destroyed.

During the war, Kozhedub was twice recognized as a Hero of the Soviet Union and was elevated to the rank of Marshal of Soviet Aviation.

Dmitry Romanovich Ovcharenko

The homeland of the soldier is the village with the speaking name Ovcharovo of the Kharkov province. He was born into the family of a carpenter in 1919. His father taught him all the intricacies of his craft, which later played an important role in the fate of the hero. Ovcharenko studied at school for only five years, then went to work on a collective farm. He was drafted into the army in 1939. The first days of the war, as befits a soldier, met on the front lines. After a short service, he received minor damage, which, unfortunately for the soldier, caused him to move from the main unit to serve at the ammunition depot. It was this position that became the key for Dmitry Romanovich, in which he accomplished his feat.

It all happened in the middle of the summer of 1941 in the area of ​​the village of Arctic fox. Ovcharenko carried out the order of his superiors to deliver ammunition and food to a military unit located a few kilometers from the village. He came across two trucks with fifty German soldiers and three officers. They surrounded him, took away the rifle and began to interrogate him. But the Soviet soldier did not lose his head and, taking an ax lying next to him, cut off the head of one of the officers. While the Germans were discouraged, he took three grenades from a dead officer and threw them towards the German cars. These throws were extremely successful: 21 soldiers were killed on the spot, and Ovcharenko finished off the rest with an ax, including the second officer who tried to escape. The third officer still managed to escape. But even here the Soviet soldier did not lose his head. He collected all the documents, maps, records and machine guns and took them to the General Staff, while bringing ammunition and food at the exact time. At first, they did not believe him that he single-handedly dealt with a whole platoon of the enemy, but after a detailed study of the battlefield, all doubts were dispelled.

Thanks to the heroic act of the soldier, Ovcharenko was recognized as a Hero of the Soviet Union, and he also received one of the most significant orders - the Order of Lenin, along with the Gold Star medal. He did not live to win just three months. The wound received in the battles for Hungary in January became fatal for the fighter. At that time he was a machine gunner of the 389th Infantry Regiment. He went down in history as a soldier with an axe.

Zoya Anatolyevna Kosmodemyanskaya

Homeland for Zoya Anatolyevna is the village of Osina-Gai, located in the Tambov region. She was born on September 8, 1923 in a Christian family. By the will of fate, Zoya spent her childhood in gloomy wanderings around the country. So, in 1925, the family was forced to move to Siberia in order to avoid persecution by the state. A year later they moved to Moscow, where her father died in 1933. The orphaned Zoya begins to have health problems that prevent her from studying. In the fall of 1941, Kosmodemyanskaya joined the ranks of intelligence officers and saboteurs of the Western Front. In a short time, Zoya underwent combat training and began to fulfill her tasks.

She accomplished her heroic deed in the village of Petrishchevo. By order of Zoya and a group of fighters, they were instructed to burn a dozen settlements, which included the village of Petrishchevo. On the night of November 28, Zoya and her comrades made their way to the village and came under fire, as a result of which the group broke up and Kosmodemyanskaya had to act alone. After spending the night in the forest, early in the morning she went to carry out the task. Zoya managed to set fire to three houses and escape unnoticed. But when she decided to return again and finish what she had begun, the villagers were already waiting for her, who, seeing the saboteur, immediately reported German soldiers. Kosmodemyanskaya was seized and tortured for a long time. They tried to find out from her information about the unit in which she served, and her name. Zoya refused and did not tell anything, but when asked what her name was, she called herself Tanya. The Germans considered that they could not get more information and hung it in public. Zoya met her death with dignity, and her last words went down in history forever. Dying, she said that our people numbered one hundred and seventy million people, and all of them could not be outweighed. So, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya died heroically.

Mentions of Zoya are associated primarily with the name "Tanya", under which she went down in history. She is also a Hero of the Soviet Union. Her distinguishing feature- the first woman to receive it honorary title posthumously.

Alexey Tikhonovich Sevastyanov

This hero was the son of a simple cavalryman, a native of the Tver region, was born in the winter of the seventeenth year in the small village of Kholm. After graduating from a technical school in Kalinin, he entered a school military aviation. Sevastyanov finished her with success in the thirty-ninth. For more than a hundred sorties, he destroyed four enemy aircraft, of which two individually and in a group, as well as one balloon.

He received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously. The most important sorties for Aleksey Tikhonovich were fights in the sky over the Leningrad region. So, on November 4, 1941, Sevastyanov, on his IL-153 aircraft, patrolled the sky over northern capital. And just during his watch, the Germans made a raid. Artillery could not cope with the onslaught and Alexei Tikhonovich had to join the battle. German aircraft The He-111 managed to keep the Soviet fighter away for a long time. After two unsuccessful attacks, Sevastyanov made a third attempt, but when it was time to pull the trigger and destroy the enemy in a short burst, the Soviet pilot discovered the lack of ammunition. Without thinking twice, he decides to go to the ram. The Soviet plane pierced the tail of an enemy bomber with its propeller. For Sevastyanov, this maneuver was successful, but for the Germans it all ended in captivity.

The second significant flight and the last for the hero was an air battle in the sky over Ladoga. Alexei Tikhonovich died in an unequal battle with the enemy on April 23, 1942.

Conclusion

As we have already said, not all the heroes of the war are collected in this article, there are about eleven thousand of them in total (according to official data). Among them are Russians, and Kazakhs, and Ukrainians, and Belarusians, and all other nations of our multinational state. There are those who did not receive the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, having committed an equally important act, but by coincidence, information about them was lost. There was a lot in the war: the desertion of soldiers, and betrayal, and death, and much more, but the most great importance had feats - these are the heroes. Thanks to them, victory was won in the Great Patriotic War.

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

Heroes men

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

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

Rice. 1. Nikolai Gastello.

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

Women's heroes

Separately, it is worth highlighting the women heroes of the Great Patriotic War.
Some of them:

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

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

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