Today, Russian paratroopers and veterans of the Russian Airborne Forces celebrate their professional holiday.
The history of our Airborne Forces began on August 2, 1930. On this day, during the Air Force exercises of the Moscow Military District, which were held near Voronezh, 12 people were dropped from the air as part of a special unit. The experiment showed the enormous capabilities and prospects of parachute units.
From this moment on, the USSR began to rapidly develop new troops; in its tasks for 1931, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army determines: “... airborne landing operations must be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Headquarters of the Red Army in order to develop and distribute appropriate instructions to the localities.” Which is what was done.
In 1931, an airborne detachment consisting of 164 people was formed in the Leningrad Military District. For landing, they use the TB-3& aircraft, which carried 35 paratroopers on board, and on the external sling - either a light tank, or an armored car, or two 76 mm caliber guns. The idea was verified by experiment.
On December 11, 1932, a resolution was adopted by the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR on the creation of massive Airborne Forces. An entire brigade is being formed on the basis of the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District, which has been landing all year. The main task is the training of paratrooper instructors plus the development of operational-tactical standards. By March 1933, instructors were trained, standards were calculated, and special-purpose aviation battalions began to be formed in the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Moscow and Volga military districts.
For the first time, a massive parachute landing was carried out in the presence of foreign delegations during maneuvers in the Kiev Military District in September 1935. 1,200 specially trained military personnel landed and quickly captured the airfield. This impressed observers. At the next major exercise in the Belarusian Military District, 1,800 paratroopers were dropped. This impressed German military observers, including Goering. who was “in the know.” In the spring of that year, he gave the order to form the first German airborne regiment. The experience of the Soviet Airborne Forces was deservedly appreciated abroad from the very beginning.
Soon the troops new to our armed forces will have the opportunity to test their capabilities in real combat conditions. In 1939, the 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the battles of Japanese troops on the Khalkhin Gol River. During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940), the 201st, 204th and 214th Airborne Brigades fought.
By the summer of 1941, five airborne corps were formed, each numbering 10 thousand people. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, all five airborne corps took part in fierce battles on the territory of Latvia, Belarus, and Ukraine. During the counteroffensive near Moscow at the beginning of 1942, the Vyazma airborne operation took place with the landing of the 4th Airborne Corps. This is the largest airborne operation during the war. In total, about 10 thousand paratroopers were dropped behind German lines.
During the war, all airborne units receive the rank of guards. 296 paratroopers - title of Hero Soviet Union.
Based on the experience of the war in 1946, the Airborne Forces were withdrawn from the Air Force and included in the reserve troops of the Supreme High Command and directly subordinate to the Minister of the USSR Armed Forces. At the same time, the position of commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces was established.
The first commander of the Airborne Forces was Colonel General V.V. Glagolev.
In 1954, V.F. became commander of the Airborne Forces. Margelov (1909-1990), who remained in this position with a short break until 1979. An entire era in the history of the Russian airborne troops is associated with the name of Margelov; it is not without reason that the Airborne Forces received the unofficial name “Uncle Vasya’s Troops.”
In the 1950s, during the exercises of airborne units, special attention began to be paid to new methods of defense behind enemy lines, and to the actions of landing troops in conditions of the use of nuclear weapons. Airborne units begin to receive heavy weapons - artillery mounts (ASU-76, ASU-57, ASU-85), tracked airborne combat vehicles (BMD-1, BMD-2). Military transport aviation is equipped with An-12 and An-22 aircraft, which were capable of delivering armored vehicles, cars, artillery, and ammunition behind enemy lines. On January 5, 1973, for the first time in history, a tracked BMD-1 with two crew members on board landed from an An-12B military transport aircraft using parachute-platform vehicles in the Centaur complex. The crew commander is the son of Vasily Filippovich Margelov, senior lieutenant Alexander Margelov, the driver is lieutenant colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev.
The Airborne Forces take part in the Czechoslovak events of 1968. Units of the 7th and 103rd Guards Airborne Divisions captured and blocked the airfields of Ruzina (near Prague) and Brno; paratroopers prepared them to receive military transport aircraft. Two hours later, the paratroopers captured four bridges across the Vltava, the buildings of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, publishing houses, the buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the main post office, the television center, banks and other important objects in Prague. This happens without a single shot being fired.
Subsequently, airborne units participate in the war in Afghanistan, military conflicts in the territory of the former USSR - Chechnya, Karabakh, South and North Ossetia, Osh, Transnistria and in the zone of Georgian-Abkhaz confrontation. Two airborne battalions carry out missions
UN Peacekeeping Forces in Yugoslavia.
Now the Airborne Forces are one of the most combat-ready units of the Russian Army. They form the backbone of the Special Operations Forces. The ranks of the Airborne Forces number about 35 thousand soldiers and officers.
World experience
The US Airborne Forces have a rich tradition and extensive combat experience. Unlike Russia, in the United States the Airborne Forces are not a separate branch of the military; Americans consider the Airborne Forces as a special component of the ground forces. Organizationally, the US Airborne Forces are united in the 18th Airborne Corps, which also includes tank, motorized infantry, and aviation units. The corps was formed in 1944 in the British Isles and took part in hostilities in Western Europe. Formations and units from its composition participated in combat operations in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf zone, Haiti, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The corps currently includes four divisions and a variety of units and support units. The total number of personnel is 88 thousand people. The corps headquarters is located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
British Airborne Forces
In the British Army, the Airborne Forces also do not form a separate branch of the military, but are part of the Ground Forces.
Today, the British Armed Forces have one - the 16th Air Assault Brigade as part of the 5th Division of the British Army. It was formed on September 1, 1999, incorporating units of the 5th Airborne Brigade and the 24th Airborne Brigade. It consists of airborne, infantry, artillery, medical and engineering units.
The main emphasis in the British military doctrine of the use of airborne forces is on airborne assault with the support of helicopter units.
The brigade received its name as an inheritance from the 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions during the Second World War. The "Attacking Eagle" emblem was borrowed from the Special Training Center, which was located in Lochilot, Scotland.
The 16th Brigade is the main strike unit of the British Army, so it takes part in all military operations conducted by the UK: Sierra Leone, Macedonia, Iraq, Afghanistan.
The brigade has 8,000 personnel, making it the largest brigade in the British Army.
French Airborne Forces
The French Airborne Forces are part of the Ground Forces and are represented by the 11th Parachute Division. The division is divided into two brigades and consists of seven units corresponding in strength to the battalion: 1st Marine Parachute Regiment, 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment of the Foreign Legion, 1st and 9th Parachute Commando Regiments (light infantry) , 3rd, 6th and 8th Marine Parachute Regiments.
The division's headquarters is located in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrenees province. The personnel numbers about 11,000 people.
French paratroopers participated in all recent military conflicts in France, from the war in Indochina to the peacekeeping operation in Mali.
German Airborne Forces
German paratroopers form the backbone of the Bundeswehr's special operations forces. Organizationally, the airborne troops are represented in the form of the Special Operations Division with headquarters in Regensburg. The Division includes: the KSK special forces detachment (“Kommando Spezialkrafte”), formed on the basis of the former 25th Parachute Brigade; 26th Parachute Brigade; 31st Parachute Brigade; and the 4th control and communications regiment; anti-aircraft missile battery; 310th separate reconnaissance company; 200th reconnaissance and sabotage company. The personnel numbers 8 thousand people.
Bundeswehr paratroopers take an active part in all UN and NATO peacekeeping and military operations carried out recently.
Airborne Forces of China
In China, airborne troops are part of the Air Force. They are consolidated into the 15th Airborne Corps (headquarters in Xiaogan, Hubei Province), which consists of three airborne divisions - the 43rd (Kaifeng, Hubei Province), the 44th (Yingshan, Hubei Province) and 45th (Huangpi, Hubei Province).
Currently, the airborne forces of the PLA Air Force number, according to various estimates, from 24 to 30 thousand personnel.
Margelov Vasily Filippovich
Born: December 14 (27), 1908
Died: March 4, 1990 (age 81)
Biography
Vasily Filippovich Margelov - Soviet military leader, commander of the Airborne Forces in 1954-1959 and 1961-1979, army general (1967), Hero of the Soviet Union (1944), laureate of the USSR State Prize (1975), candidate of military sciences (1968).
Youth years
V. F. Markelov (later Margelov) was born on December 14 (27), 1908 in the city of Ekaterinoslav (now Dnieper, Ukraine), into a family of immigrants from Belarus. Father - Filipp Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgist (Vasily Filippovich's surname Markelov was later written down as Margelov due to an error in the party card).
In 1913, the Markelov family returned to the homeland of Philip Ivanovich - to the town of Kostyukovichi, Klimovichi district, Mogilev province. V.F. Margelov’s mother, Agafya Stepanovna, was from the neighboring Bobruisk district of Minsk province. According to some information, V.F. Margelov graduated from a parochial school in 1921. As a teenager he worked as a loader and carpenter. In the same year, he entered the leather workshop as an apprentice and soon became an assistant master. In 1923, he became a laborer at the local Khleboproduct. There is information that he graduated from a rural youth school and worked as a forwarder delivering mail on the Kostyukovichi - Khotimsk line.
Since 1924 he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M.I. Kalinin as a laborer, then a horse driver (driver of horses pulling trolleys).
In 1925, he was sent again to the BSSR, as a forester at a timber industry enterprise. He worked in Kostyukovichi, in 1927 he became the chairman of the working committee of the timber industry enterprise, and was elected to the local Council.
Start of service
In 1928 he was drafted into the Red Army. Sent to study at the United Belarusian military school(OBVSH) named after. Central Election Commission of the BSSR in Minsk, enrolled in a group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine gun company.
In April 1931, he graduated with honors from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR. Appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Belorussian rifle division(Mogilev).
Since 1933 - platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the General Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR (from 11/6/1933 - named after M.I. Kalinin, from 1937 - Order of the Red Banner of Labor Minsk Military Infantry School named after M.I. Kalinin). In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.
From October 25, 1938, he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd rifle regiment of the 8th Minsk rifle division named after. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the head of the 2nd department of the division headquarters. In this position he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.
During the wars
During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940) he commanded the Separate Reconnaissance Ski Battalion of the 596th Infantry Regiment of the 122nd Division (initially stationed in Brest, in November 1939 sent to Karelia). During one of the operations he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.
After the end of the Soviet-Finnish War, he was appointed to the position of assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District (15th detachment, Novgorod region). At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in July 1941, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division of the People's Militia of the Leningrad Front (the basis of the regiment was made up of fighters of the former 15th Odisb).
November 21, 1941 - appointed commander of the 1st Special Ski Regiment of Red Banner Baltic Fleet sailors. Contrary to talk that Margelov “wouldn’t take root,” the Marines accepted the commander, which was especially emphasized by addressing him by the naval equivalent of the rank of “major” - “Comrade Captain 3rd Rank.” The prowess of the “brothers” sank into Margelov’s heart. Subsequently, having become the commander of the Airborne Forces, as a sign that the paratroopers had adopted the glorious traditions of their older brother - the Marine Corps and continued them with honor, Margelov ensured that the paratroopers received the right to wear vests, but in order to emphasize their belonging to the sky, the paratroopers have them blue.
Since July 1942 - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. After division commander K. A. Tsalikov was wounded, command passed to Chief of Staff Vasily Margelov for the duration of his treatment. Under the leadership of Margelov, on July 17, 1943, soldiers of the 3rd Guards Division broke through 2 lines of Nazi defense on the Mius Front, captured the village of Stepanovka and provided a springboard for the assault on Saur-Mogila.
Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. He led the division's actions during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division took part in the liberation of South-Eastern Europe.
During the war, Commander Margelov was mentioned ten times in the gratitude orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Guard Major General Margelov commanded a battalion in the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
In the airborne troops
After the war in command positions. Since 1948, after graduating from the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree, from the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.
In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps (Far East).
From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In March 1959, after an emergency in the artillery regiment of the 76th Airborne Division (gang rape of civilian women), he was demoted to 1st Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces. From July 1961 to January 1979 - again commander of the Airborne Forces.
On October 28, 1967 he was awarded military rank"army General". He led the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).
Since January 1979 - in the group of inspectors general of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces and was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School.
During his service in the Airborne Forces he made more than sixty jumps. The last of them is at the age of 65.
Lived and worked in Moscow.
Died March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.
Theory of combat use
In military theory, it was believed that after the immediate use of nuclear strikes and maintaining a high rate of attack, widespread use of airborne assaults was necessary. Under these conditions, the Airborne Forces had to fully comply with the military-strategic goals of the war and meet the military-political goals of the state.
According to Commander Margelov:
“To fulfill our role in modern operations, it is necessary that our formations and units be highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, be well controlled, capable of landing at any time of the day and quickly proceed to active combat operations after landing. This, by and large, is the ideal to which we should strive."
.To achieve these goals, under the leadership of Margelov, a concept of the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of war. Margelov wrote a number of works on this topic, and on December 4, 1968, he successfully defended his candidate’s dissertation (he was awarded the title of Candidate of Military Sciences by decision of the Council of the Military Order of Lenin, Red Banner Order of Suvorov Academy named after M.V. Frunze). In practical terms, Airborne Forces exercises and command meetings were regularly held.
Armament
It was necessary to bridge the gap between the theory of the combat use of the Airborne Forces and the existing organizational structure of the troops, as well as the capabilities of military transport aviation. Having assumed the post of Commander, Margelov received troops consisting mainly of infantry with light weapons and military transport aviation (as an integral part of the Airborne Forces), which was equipped with Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu-2 aircraft. 4 with significantly limited landing capabilities. In fact, the Airborne Forces were not capable of solving major problems in military operations.
Margelov initiated the creation and serial production at the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of landing equipment, heavy parachute platforms, parachute systems and containers for landing cargo, cargo and human parachutes, parachute devices. “You cannot order equipment, so strive to create in the design bureau, industry, during testing, reliable parachutes, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment,” Margelov said when setting tasks for his subordinates.
Modifications of small arms were created for paratroopers to make them easier to parachute - lighter weight, folding stock.
Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces in the post-war years, new military equipment was developed and modernized: airborne self-propelled artillery unit ASU-76 (1949), light ASU-57 (1951), amphibious ASU-57P (1954), self-propelled unit ASU-85, tracked combat vehicle Airborne troops BMD-1 (1969). After the first batches of the BMD-1 entered service with the troops, a family of weapons was developed on its basis: Nona self-propelled artillery guns, artillery fire control vehicles, R-142 command and staff vehicles, R-141 long-range radio stations, anti-tank systems, and a reconnaissance vehicle. Anti-aircraft units and subunits were also equipped with armored personnel carriers, which housed crews with portable systems and ammunition.
By the end of the 1950s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were adopted and entered service with the troops, which had a payload capacity of up to 10-12 tons and a sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups of personnel with standard military equipment and weapons. Later, through the efforts of Margelov, the Airborne Forces received new military transport aircraft - An-22 and Il-76.
At the end of the 1950s, the PP-127 parachute platforms appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of artillery, vehicles, radio stations, engineering equipment and others. Parachute-jet landing aids were created, which, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, made it possible to bring the cargo landing speed closer to zero. Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing by eliminating a large number of large-area domes.
On January 5, 1973, at the Slobodka airborne parachute track (view on Yandex. Maps) near Tula, for the first time in world practice in the USSR, a parachute-platform landing was carried out in the Centaur complex from an An-12B military transport aircraft of a tracked armored combat vehicle BMD-1 with two crew members on board. The crew commander was Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev, and the operator-gunner was Senior Lieutenant Margelov Alexander Vasilyevich.
On January 23, 1976, also for the first time in world practice, a BMD-1 was parachuted from the same type of aircraft and made a soft landing on a parachute-rocket system in the Reactavr complex, also with two crew members on board - Major Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Shcherbakov Ivanovich. The landing was carried out at great risk to life, without personal means of rescue. Twenty years later, for the feat of the seventies, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
Family
Father - Philip Ivanovich Margelov (Markelov) - a metallurgist, became a holder of two St. George's Crosses in the First World War.
Mother - Agafya Stepanovna, was from Bobruisk district.
Two brothers - Ivan (eldest), Nikolai (younger) and sister Maria.
V. F. Margelov was married three times:
The first wife, Maria, left her husband and son (Gennady).
The second wife is Feodosia Efremovna Selitskaya (mother of Anatoly and Vitaly).
The last wife is Anna Aleksandrovna Kurakina, a doctor. I met Anna Alexandrovna during the Great Patriotic War.
Five sons:Gennady Vasilyevich (1931-2016) - Major General.
Anatoly Vasilyevich (1938-2008) - Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor, author of more than 100 patents and inventions in the military-industrial complex.
Vitaly Vasilyevich (born 1941) - professional intelligence officer, employee of the KGB of the USSR and the SVR of Russia, later - a social and political figure; Colonel General, Deputy of the State Duma.
Vasily Vasilyevich (1945-2010) - retired major; First Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Russian State Broadcasting Company "Voice of Russia" (RGRK "Voice of Russia").
Alexander Vasilyevich (1945-2016) - Airborne Forces officer, retired colonel. On August 29, 1996, “for the courage and heroism shown in testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment” (landing inside the BMD-1 using a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, carried out for the first time in world practice in 1976) he was awarded the title of Hero Russian Federation. After retiring, he worked in the structures of Rosoboronexport.
Vasily Vasilyevich and Alexander Vasilyevich are twin brothers. In 2003, they co-authored a book about their father - “Paratrooper No. 1, Army General Margelov.”
Awards and titles
USSR awards
Medal "Gold Star" No. 3414 of the Hero of the Soviet Union (03/19/1944);four Orders of Lenin (03/21/1944, 11/3/1953, 12/26/1968, 12/26/1978);
order October revolution (4.05.1972);
two Orders of the Red Banner (02/3/1943, 06/20/1949);
the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree (04/28/1944) was originally presented to the Order of Lenin;
two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st degree (01/25/1943, 03/11/1985);
Order of the Red Star (11/3/1944);
two Orders “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR” 2nd (12/14/1988) and 3rd degree (04/30/1975);
medals.
Orders (gratitude) of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in which V. F. Margelov was noted.
For crossing the Dnieper River in the lower reaches, and capturing the city of Kherson - a large junction of railway and water communications and an important stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Dnieper River. March 13, 1944. No. 83.
For taking by storm the large regional and industrial center of Ukraine, the city of Nikolaev - an important railway junction, one of the largest ports on the Black Sea and a strong stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Southern Bug. March 28, 1944. No. 96.
For the assault on the territory of Hungary on the city and large railway junction of Szolnok - an important stronghold of the enemy’s defense on the Tisza River. November 4, 1944. No. 209.
For breaking through the enemy's heavily fortified defenses southwest of Budapest, the cities of Szekesfehérvár and Biczke - large communications hubs and important strongholds of the enemy's defense - were captured by storm. December 24, 1944. No. 218.
For the complete capture of the capital of Hungary, the city of Budapest - a strategically important center of German defense on the routes to Vienna. February 13, 1945. No. 277.
For breaking through the heavily fortified German defenses in the Värteshegyszeg mountains, west of Budapest, the defeat of a group of German troops in the Esztergom region, as well as the capture of the cities of Esztergom, Nesmey, Felshe-Halla, Tata. March 25, 1945. No. 308.
For the capture of the city and the important road junction of Magyarovar and the city and railway station of Kremnica - a strong stronghold of the German defense on the southern slopes of the Velkafatra ridge. April 3, 1945. No. 329.
For the capture of the cities and important railway junctions of Malacky and Bruk, as well as the cities of Previdza and Banovce - strong strongholds of German defense in the Carpathian belt. April 5, 1945. No. 331.
For the encirclement and defeat of a group of German troops trying to retreat from Vienna to the north, and at the same time capturing the cities of Korneyburg and Floridsdorf - powerful strongholds of German defense on the left bank of the Danube. April 15, 1945. No. 337.
For the capture of the cities of Jaroměřice and Znojmo in Czechoslovakia and the cities of Gollabrunn and Stockerau in Austria - important communications hubs and strong strongholds of German defense. May 8, 1945. No. 367.
Honorary titles
Hero of the Soviet Union (1944).Laureate of the USSR State Prize (1975).
Honorary citizen of the city of Kherson.
Honorary soldier of a military unit.
Memory
In 2014, the office-museum of Vasily Margelov was opened in the main building of the headquarters of the Airborne Forces.By order of the USSR Minister of Defense dated April 20, 1985, V. F. Margelov was enrolled as an Honorary Soldier in the lists of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division.
By Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 182 of May 6, 2005, the departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Army General Margelov” was established. In the same year, a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow, in Sivtsev Vrazhek Lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.
Every year on V. F. Margelov’s birthday, December 27, in all cities of Russia, servicemen of the Airborne Forces pay tribute to the memory of Vasily Margelov.
Monuments
Monuments to V. F. Margelov were erected:In Belarus: Kostyukovichi
In Moldova: Chisinau
In Russia: Alatyr (bust), Bronnitsy (bust), Gorno-Altaisk, Yekaterinburg, Ivanovo, Istomino village, Balakhninsky district, Nizhny Novgorod region, Krasnoperekopsk, Omsk, Petrozavodsk, Ryazan (two monuments; one of them is located on the territory of the Airborne Forces School, the other - in the park in the immediate vicinity of the checkpoint of this school) and Seltsy (training center of the Airborne Forces School near Ryazan), Rybinsk, Yaroslavl region (bust), St. Petersburg (in the park named after V.F. Margelov), Simferopol, Slavyansk-on-Kuban , Tula, Tyumen, Ulyanovsk, Lipetsk, Kholm (Novgorod region).
Ukraine: Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Zhitomir (at the location of the 95th brigade), Krivoy Rog, Lvov (at the location of the 80th brigade), Sumy, Kherson, Mariupol.
Chronology of discoveryOn February 21, 2010, a bust of Vasily Margelov was erected in Kherson. The bust of the general is located in the city center near the Youth Palace on Perekopskaya Street.
On June 5, 2010, a monument to the founder of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) was unveiled in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. The monument was built with funds from former paratroopers living in Moldova.
On November 4, 2013, a memorial monument to Margelov was opened in Victory Park in Nizhny Novgorod.
Monument to Vasily Filippovich, a sketch of which was made with famous photograph from the divisional newspaper, on which he, being appointed division commander of the 76th Guards. Airborne Division, preparing for the first jump, is installed in front of the headquarters of the 95th separate airmobile brigade (Ukraine).
On October 8, 2014, a memorial complex dedicated to the founder of the USSR Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General Vasily Margelov was opened in Bendery (Transnistria). The complex is located on the territory of the park near the city House of Culture.
On May 7, 2014, a monument to Vasily Margelov was unveiled on the territory of the Memorial of Memory and Glory in Nazran (Ingushetia, Russia).
On June 8, 2014, as part of the celebration of the 230th anniversary of the founding of Simferopol, the Walk of Fame and a bust of Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General, Commander of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov were inaugurated.
On December 27, 2014, on the birthday of Vasily Fillipovich in Saratov, a memorial bust of V. F. Margelov was erected on the Alley of Cossack Glory of the Municipal Educational Institution “Secondary School No. 43”.
On April 25, 2015, in Taganrog in the city center, in the historical park “At the Barrier,” a bust of Vasily Margelov was inaugurated.
April 23, 2015 in Slavyansk-on-Kuban ( Krasnodar region, Russia) a bust of Airborne Forces General V.F. Margelov was unveiled.
On June 12, 2015, a monument to General Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Yaroslavl at the headquarters of the Yaroslavl regional children's and youth military-patriotic public organization TROOPERS named after Guard Sergeant of the Airborne Forces Leonid Palachev.
On July 18, 2015, a bust of the commander who took part in the liberation of the city during the Second World War was unveiled in Donetsk.
On August 1, 2015, a monument to General Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Yaroslavl on the eve of the 85th anniversary of the Airborne Forces.
On September 12, 2015, a monument to Vasily Margelov was unveiled in the city of Krasnoperekopsk (Crimea).
A monument to V.F. Margelov was erected in Bronnitsy.
On August 2, 2016, busts of V.F. Margelov were unveiled in Petrozavodsk and Alatyr (Chuvashia); Also on this day, a memorial was opened in the city of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl region.
On November 4, 2016, a bronze monument more than two meters high was erected in the center of Yekaterinburg.
On April 19, 2017, a bust of the Soviet military leader was installed on the Walk of Fame in Vladikavkaz.
June 30, 2017 in the city of Kholm, Novgorod region.
Naming
The names of V. F. Margelov are:Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School;
Department of Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;
Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps (NKSHI);
MBOU "Secondary School No. 27", Simferopol;
streets in Moscow, Western Litsa (Leningrad region), Omsk, Pskov, Taganrog, Tula, Ulan-Ude and the border village of Naushki (Buryatia), an avenue and park in the Zavolzhsky district of Ulyanovsk, a square in Ryazan, public gardens in St. Petersburg, in Belogorsk (Amur region). In Moscow, the name “Margelova Street” was assigned to the street “projected passage No. 6367” on September 24, 2013. In honor of the 105th anniversary of the birth of Vasily Filippovich, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the new street.
In Belarus - secondary school No. 4 in Gomel, streets in Minsk and Vitebsk. In Vitebsk, the memory of V.F. Margelov was immortalized on June 25, 2010. In the spring of 2010, the Vitebsk City Executive Committee approved the petition of the Airborne Forces veterans of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation to name the street connecting the street. Chkalova and ave. Pobeda, General Margelov Street. On the eve of City Day on the street. General Margelov was commissioned new house, on which the memorial plaque is installed, the right to open it was given to the sons of Vasily Filippovich.
In art
During the Great Patriotic War, a song was composed in V. Margelov’s division, one verse from it:The song praises the Falcon
Brave and courageous...
Is it close, is it far
Margelov's regiments were marching.
In 2008, with the support of the Moscow government, director Oleg Shtrom shot the eight-episode series “Dad,” in which Mikhail Zhigalov played the main role.
The Blue Berets ensemble recorded a song dedicated to V.F. Margelov, assessing the current state of the Airborne Forces after his resignation as commander, which is called “Forgive us, Vasily Filippovich!”
Other
The Sumy distillery "Gorobina" produces memorial vodka "Margelovskaya". Strength 48%, recipe contains alcohol, pomegranate juice, black pepper.
In honor of the centenary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of V. Margelov in the Airborne Forces.
The story of how Margelov jumped with a parachute for the first time or the general’s receipt for 6 jumps:
It is known that... in 1948, during his first jump, he was 40 years old (for the Airborne Forces this is “pre-retirement” age; doctors sometimes do not recommend jumping if there is no appropriate physical preparation). The height was 400 meters (today this is the height for extreme sports enthusiasts), we jumped from a balloon basket.
It is known that... before he began to command the paratroopers, General Margelov made a bet on 6 jumps with General Denisenko in the reception room of the Airborne Forces Commander. On the third jump, the new airborne division commander, General Denisenko, died tragically. Margelov did not stop - he only broke his legs twice during the first jumps (during the war, his most severe shrapnel wounds were in his legs). Perhaps (my version) from that time on, a recruit of the Airborne Forces had to make 6 jumps before taking the oath (which is what we did).
It is known that... for all the jumps, Margelov took weapons with him (including the first one) - a Mauser and grenades, saying: “Already in the sky, a soldier must join the battle!” In the presence of Margelov, everyone jumped with weapons, otherwise they could get hit in the neck, but after Margelov retired, they only jumped with weapons during exercises.
The story of how the people's medal "Margelov" appeared or who has the right to present the "airborne non-governmental award":
It is known that... only in Belarus there is an official state medal “Margelov”, approved by the President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko...
It is known that ... in Russia and the CIS the Margelov medal (it appeared on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Airborne Forces) is unofficially presented by the “Supreme Council of the USSR” under the leadership of Sazha Umalatova (25 rubles per medal), and their medal was also established in the Moscow Cadet Corps named after . G. Zhukov (medal No. 1 - A.V. Margelov).
It is known that ... the Union of Airborne Veterans (created at the end of 2002) issues a statement addressed to the Commander of the Airborne Forces about the introduction in the troops (until the end of 2003) of an official airborne award named after Army General V. F. Margelov ...
It is known that... in different parts of the CIS and Russia, where “Father” Margelov is remembered, boxing and wrestling, shooting, parachuting, and skiing competitions are held in honor of his name. Veterans of the Airborne Forces open teenage clubs “Margelovets”.
It is known that... five monuments to Margelov have been erected in the world (Moscow - Novodevichye Cemetery, Ryazan, Tula, Omsk and Dnepropetrovsk), busts have been erected in Pskov and Kosovo (there is information that in Ecuador, local special forces are fighting drug lords at the entrance to their headquarters hanged a portrait of Margelov. Since then, drug dealers believe that the General is their leader. Perhaps someone studied in Ryazan and met with Margelov). Skilled sculptors mastered the production for Airborne Forces Day: a bust of Margelov and figurines of paratroopers with parachutes - “for an amateur.”
The story of how Margelov “boiled” cooks for charred porridge or the “Stalingrad Cauldron” in Margelov’s style:
It is known that... as soon as Margelov received the unit, he went to the kitchen to check the rear service. He believed that food was important to a soldier's fighting ability.
Once... having tasted burnt porridge before the battles near Stalingrad, Margelov shoved the cook into a cold cauldron of porridge, accusing him of aiding the Germans, who would see in battle not the weapons of the Red Army soldiers, but their lowered pants. In addition, after this incident, he ordered the officers to eat with the soldiers so that the commanders could see how their soldiers were eating.
It is known that... the Margelovsky regiment stood in a tough defense, not allowing Guderian’s German tanks to free Field Marshal Paulus from the “Stalingrad Pocket”. For the first time, Hitler threw a super-tank with new armor, the “Royal Tiger-4,” into a breakthrough. In 1945, German generals remembered the Margelov regiment in December 1942 near Stalingrad and decided that it was better to surrender than to fight again with such a commander as Margelov.
It is known that... that the corps commander, Major General Chanchibidze, after the defeat of the German troops of the Goth group, summoned Margelov and, at the meeting, without talking, hit the lieutenant colonel in the cheekbone. Resisting, Margelov also silently punched the general in the face. In response I heard: “Maladetz - you will be the division commander,” after which he began to accept Margelov’s report.
The story of how Margelov shot motorcycles or the “heady air of Europe”:
Once... in Romania, Margelov was hospitalized with a broken leg after reckless driving on a captured German motorcycle (good Bessarabian wine also played a role). And then he saw that half of his officers were (or were) lying with similar injuries. Standing on crutches, Margelov went out into the hospital yard and shot all the motorcycles that stood in the yard from his Mauser, and then ordered all owners of “trophy horses on wheels” to do the same.
It is known that... Margelov and the officers of his headquarters visited the Carpathians in 1944 at a real noble ball, where they almost married his guarantor to the princess’s daughter.
The story of how in 1953 Margelov met the Voroshilov amnesty or the Death of Stalin:
It is known that... On November 7, 1953, Margelov, alone before the arrival of the commandant’s office soldiers, pacifying the brawl (a train of amnestied penal prisoners stood at a dead end) at the Svobodny station, said to a drunken and angry crowd of former prisoners - “Who am I? Uncle Vasya (and he showed, turning back the collar of his overcoat, the Star of the Hero of the USSR), and my troops are behind me and if it doesn’t stop...” The former prisoners “capitulated” and received 15 days of arrest “for violating public order” at the guardhouse of the airborne regiment on behalf of Margelov, the commander of the Far Eastern Airborne Corps (from the author - what soldiers of other types of troops are most afraid of is falling into the hands of an airborne patrol and into the “lip” Airborne Forces)
It is known that... when tens of thousands of prisoners were released from Stalin’s camps. Margelov ordered all officers to carry weapons around the clock to protect themselves from unpunished “amnestied” bandits. He himself slept with a Mauser under his pillow and once almost shot in the dark his 7-year-old son Alexander, who accidentally walked into his father’s bedroom.
It is known that... in 1953, after the death of Stalin and the arrest of Beria, Margelov was offered the position of military commandant of Moscow or a job in the Foreign Ministry. He replied that he did not want to be a Moscow policeman, but in “civilian life” to ruin friendly relations with all the ambassadors, since “I’m not used to choosing words - I say what is.”
It is known that... Margelov met with Klim Voroshilov twice (the first time - as a cadet he was awarded a personalized watch, the second time - he pulled him wounded from the front line to Leningrad Front). But he “did not accept” Voroshilov’s liberal amnesty in Stalin’s camps in the summer of 1953.
The story of how the vest appeared and took to the Airborne Forces or “Don’t show me fly agarics...”:
One day... in November 1941, near Leningrad, Major Margelov was assigned to create the first Special Ski Regiment of volunteer sailors who presented their commander with a black and white vest...
It is known that... Margelov’s son, Alexander, keeps his father’s blue and white vest, which Dad wore until his last day...
One day... Commander of the Airborne Forces Margelov began to reform his troops. Along with the introduction of new technology, it changed its form. Minister of Defense Marshal Grechko and the Commander of the Navy were against the wearing of a beret and vest by paratroopers, believing that only “naval” personnel had this right.
It is known that... Behind his back, in the corridors of the Ministry of Defense, Margelov was called respectfully - “our Chapaev” (who was also called Vasily). The beret was allowed, but in crimson color (the color of the landing troops of European countries), and Margelov “won” the vest for the air infantry, in a dispute because he commanded the marines in 1941...
It is known that... the first parade of paratroopers in the new “Margelov” uniform (in crimson berets) took place in 1967 on Aviation Day in the area of Domodedovo Airport. When Margelov saw the crimson berets for the second time at the Ryazan Airborne School at a parade review, he left the parade telling the head of the school not to “show him fly agarics again.”
It is known that... only 2 years later the Airborne Guardsmen received official permission from the USSR Ministry of Defense to wear blue berets and vests, which Soviet citizens saw during the 1969 military parade on Red Square (but in 1968 the Airborne Forces were allowed new form, in which the paratroopers were already dressed before they entered the territory of Czechoslovakia).
It is known that... crimson berets appeared in Russia 10 years ago in special forces.
It is known that... American propaganda of the 70s of the Pentagon and NATO on posters about the “Red Threat” replaced a Red Army soldier from the USSR with a Budenovka and a star with a paratrooper in a vest and a blue beret.
The story of how a Soviet tank fell on the head of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee or why Leonid Brezhnev fell in love with Margelov:
It is known that... Leonid Brezhnev loved to attend and observe military exercises.
Once upon a time... in the fall of 1967, the Dnepr exercise was held in Ukraine, in which one of the tanks dropped from an airplane flew onto the tower where the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, the Minister of Defense and Margelov stood. Everyone who saw this picture ran away, but Margelov was calm. Seeing the calmness of the Airborne Forces Commander, Brezhnev thought that this was the plan during the exercise, although in reality an emergency had occurred.
It is known that... while conducting a “debriefing” during exercises in the Commander’s office, General Pavlenko (Margelov’s first deputy) said: “You are not an air group, but an air asshole,” which became a “catch phrase” among the troops.
The story of how US President Ronald Reagan frightened the Pentagon with Margelov:
One day... US President R. Reagan said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if on the second day of the war I see guys in blue berets on the threshold of the White House”...
It is known that... the “red threat” from Hollywood was given to the Americans - USSR nuclear weapons and paratroopers.
It is known that... Margelov was no longer the Commander of the Airborne Forces, but in American cinema a new hero appeared, Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), who in Vietnam and Afghanistan fights with brutal paratroopers in blue berets, and the film “Invasion of the USA” shows how in a week The US is captured by the Airborne Forces from Russia.
One day... General of the US Armed Forces Hake expressed his wish: “If they gave me a company of Russian paratroopers, I would bring the whole world to its knees.”
It is known that... American intelligence for many years conducted round-the-clock surveillance of the movements of only one Commander of the troops - Margelov. Since his troops were the “first echelon” troops - those who are the first to go into battle anywhere in the world (this was the topic of Margelov’s doctoral dissertation at the General Staff Academy, but the Minister of Defense forbade the Commander to develop such a topic).
The story of how Margelov lived in the Moscow region for 30 years or why Margelov’s sons lost their father-general’s dacha:
One day... Margelov decided that land should be brought from Ryazan to the dacha.
It is known that... Dad spent all his free time at the dacha, (for decades) he himself worked in the garden and vegetable garden (Vnukovo district). He invited those people whom he trusted to the dacha.
It is known that... Twice in his life he gathered all his sons together. These meetings took place at the dacha.
It is known that ... in the spring of 1990, there was a “quick privatization” of Margelov’s dacha by the rear service of the Ministry of Defense (after the death of Uncle Vasya). At this moment, Margelov’s widow was seriously ill, and her sons believed that no one would take away the dacha.
The story of why Margelov did not become a pilot or the first party reprimand “for foul-mouthed ditties”:
One day... after completing the Red Commanders course in Minsk, Margelov went to study at a flight school in Orenburg (before being drafted into the army, he wanted to be a tank driver).
It is known that... military pilot Margelov mastered flying the U-2.
It is known that... while cleaning weapons, Margelov sang ditties “for the pilots.”
On August 2, blue water will splash across Russian cities, as will water from park fountains. The most connected branch of the military will celebrate the holiday. “Defend Russia” remembers the legendary “Uncle Vasya” - the same one who created the Airborne Forces in their modern form.
There are no other units about as many myths and tales as there are about “Uncle Vasya’s troops.” Russian army. It seems that strategic aviation flies the farthest, the presidential regiment paces like robots, the space forces can look beyond the horizon, the GRU special forces are the most terrible, and underwater strategic missile carriers are capable of destroying entire cities. But “there are no impossible tasks - there are landing troops.”
There were many commanders of the Airborne Forces, but they had one most important commander.
Vasily Margelov was born in 1908. Until Ekaterinoslav became Dnepropetrovsk, Margelov worked at a mine, a stud farm, a forestry enterprise and a local deputy council. Only at the age of 20 did he join the army. Measuring career steps and kilometers on the march, he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army and the Soviet-Finnish War.
In July 1941, the future “Uncle Vasya” became a regiment commander in a people’s militia division, and 4 months later, from a very long distance—on skis—he began the creation of the Airborne Forces.
As the commander of a special ski regiment of the Marines of the Baltic Fleet, Margelov ensured that vests were transferred from the Marine Corps to the “winged” ones. Already division commander Margelov in 1944 became a hero of the Soviet Union for the liberation of Kherson. At the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945, the major general printed a step as part of the columns of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
Margelov took charge of the Airborne Forces in the year following Stalin's death. He left office three years before Brezhnev's death - an amazing example of team longevity.
It was with his command that not only the main milestones in the formation of the airborne troops were associated, but also the creation of their image as the most combat-ready troops in the entire huge Soviet army.
Margelov was technically paratrooper number one not during his entire service. His history of relationships with the post of commander, and with the country and its regime, is similar to the career path of the commander-in-chief of the Soviet fleet Nikolai Kuznetsov. He also commanded with a short break: Kuznetsov had four years, Margelov two (1959-1961). True, unlike the admiral, who survived two disgraces, lost and received ranks again, Margelov did not lose, but only gained them, becoming an army general in 1967.
To the Great Patriotic War The Airborne Forces were more tied to the ground. The infantry became winged precisely under the command of Margelov.
Firstly, “Uncle Vasya” jumped himself. During his service, he made more than 60 jumps - the last time at 65 years old.
Margelov significantly increased the mobility of the Airborne Forces (in Ukraine, for example, they are called airmobile troops). Actively working with the military-industrial complex, the commander achieved the introduction of aircraft and the An-76 into service, which even today release parachute dandelions into the sky. New parachute and rifle systems were developed for paratroopers - the mass-produced AK-74 was “cut down” to .
They began to land not only people, but also military equipment- due to the enormous weight, parachute systems were developed from several domes with the placement of jet thrust engines, which worked for a short period of time when approaching the ground, thus extinguishing the landing speed.
In 1969, the first of the domestic airborne combat vehicles was put into service. The floating tracked BMD-1 was intended for landing - including using parachutes - from An-12 and Il-76. In 1973, the world's first landing using the BMD-1 parachute system took place near Tula. The crew commander was Margelov’s son Alexander, who in the 90s received the title of Hero of Russia for a similar landing in 1976.
In terms of influence on the perception of the subordinate structure by the mass consciousness, Vasily Margelov can be compared with Yuri Andropov.
If the term “public relations” existed in the Soviet Union, the commander of the Airborne Forces and the chairman of the KGB would probably be considered classy “signalmen.”
Andropov clearly understood the need to improve the image of the department, which inherited the people's memory of the Stalinist repressive machine. Margelov had no time for image, but it was under him that the people who created their positive image came out. It was the commander who insisted that “In the zone of special attention” the soldiers of Captain Tarasov’s group, as part of the exercises conducting reconnaissance behind the enemy lines, wear blue berets - a symbol of paratroopers, which obviously unmasks the scouts, but creates an image.
Vasily Margelov died at the age of 81, several months before the collapse of the USSR. Four of Margelov’s five sons connected their lives with the army.
In September 1928, he was drafted into the Red Army and, with a Komsomol voucher, was sent to study as a red commander at the United Belarusian Military School (UBVSH) named after the Central Executive Committee of the BSSR in Minsk.
In April 1931 he graduated with honors from the Minsk Military School. Appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Infantry Division (Mogilev, Belarus).
In 1933, he was appointed to the position of platoon commander at the Minsk Military Infantry School. M.I.Kalinina.
In February 1934, Vasily Margelov was appointed assistant company commander, and in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.
Since October 25, 1938, Captain Margelov commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division named after. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the head of the 2nd department of the division headquarters.
During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940), Margelov commanded the Separate Reconnaissance Ski Battalion of the 596th Infantry Regiment of the 122nd Division. During one of the operations, he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.
After the end of the Soviet-Finnish War, Margelov was appointed to the position of assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units.
Since October 1940, Vasily Margelov has been the commander of the 15th Separate Disciplinary Battalion (ODB).