Heroes of the war in Chechnya. Chechens are Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia. (Full list). The feat of the Orthodox spirit without official awards

My father's heart sank in apprehension as he stepped out into the yard of the helicopter factory where he worked for a smoke break. Suddenly he saw two white swans flying in the sky with a mournful cooing. He thought about Dima. It became bad from a bad feeling. At that moment, his son Dmitry Petrov, together with his comrades, repelled the attacks of bandits led by Khattab and Shamil Basayev near the foot of Hill 776 near Ulus-Kert.

White swans in the March sky - harbingers of the death of Pskov paratroopers

On the day when the detachment of paratroopers advanced to the combat mission area, wet sticky snow began to fall, the weather was non-flying. And the terrain - continuous gullies, ravines, the mountain river Abazulgol and beech forest - prevented the landing of helicopters. Therefore, the detachment moved on foot. They did not have time to reach the height when they were discovered by the bandits. The fight has begun. The paratroopers died one by one. They didn't wait for help. Commander-in-Chief Shamanov has already reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the war in Chechnya is over, all major bandit formations have been destroyed. The general hastened. The parents of the dead 84 Pskov paratroopers urgently demanded an independent investigation and punishment of the perpetrators who failed during the three days of the battle, from February 29 to March 1, 2000, to come to the aid of the dying company. 90 paratroopers fought against 2500 thousand bandits.

For this battle, 21 paratroopers received the Star of the Hero posthumously. Dima Petrov is one of them. The parents cherished the star like the apple of their eye. But they didn't save it. The thieves stole the relic. Local newspapers wrote about it. And a miracle happened. Even thieves have a heart. They tossed the award near the front door of the apartment.

A school in the city of Rostov-on-Don is named after the Hero of Russia. In 2016, a memorial plaque was installed on the house where Dima studied at the Young Pilot club. There is no monument to the hero in the city.

The feat of the Orthodox spirit without official awards

In the narrow, dead gorge Khanchelak during the first Chechen war in 1995, Chechen fighters ambushed. The time to rescue is only 25 minutes or less. Russian helicopter pilots succeeded. But after a short battle, the comrades missed Alexander Voronov. He was sitting on an armored vehicle and, apparently, was shot down by a shock wave. They were looking for him. To no avail. Only blood on the stones. Sasha was captured. For three more days they searched for him in the surrounding villages. Not found. Five years have passed. The second Chechen war began in 2000. After the assault on the village of Utam-Kala, local residents told the special forces that they had a special pit (zindan) in their backyard. A Russian man is sitting there.

A miracle happened. When the fighters descended the wooden stairs into the seven-meter hole, they hardly recognized the bearded man in decayed camouflage dressed in burlap as their lost friend. He staggered. Was very weak. Special Forces soldier Sasha Voronov was alive. He fell to his knees, wept and kissed the free land. He was saved by an indestructible will to live and an Orthodox cross. He took it in his hands, kissed it, rolled pellets of clay and ate. His hands were cut with the knives of bandits. They practiced hand-to-hand combat techniques on it. Not everyone gets these tests. This is a real feat. The feat of the human spirit. Even without official awards.

Zhukov walked through the minefield

In the Argun Gorge, the reconnaissance group was ambushed while performing a mission. She could not tear herself away, having two seriously wounded in her arms. Lieutenant colonel of the North Caucasian military headquarters of the district Alexander Zhukov receives an order to rescue his comrades. It is not possible to land helicopters in a dense forest. Fighters are being lifted by winch. To help evacuate the remaining wounded, Zhukov descends on the winch. Mi-24s, which are designed to provide fire support, cannot fire - a volley can destroy their own.

Zhukov lowers the helicopter. It turns out. At 100 meters, the militants surround him and the remaining two fighters from three sides. Heavy fire. And captivity. The militants did not kill the fighters. After all, a captured officer of the district headquarters can be profitably redeemed. The tractor driver - the head of the militants - orders the prisoners not to feed and beat them methodically. He sells Colonel Zhukov to field commander Gelaev. The gang of which is surrounded in the area of the village of Komsomolskoye. The area is mined. Gelayev orders the prisoners to go through the minefield. Alexander Zhukov was blown up by a mine, was seriously wounded and received the star of the Hero of Russia. Alive.

I did not attach the Star of the Hero to the front tunic

In 1995, in the vicinity of Minutka Square, Chechen fighters dressed in airborne uniforms with short haircuts characteristic of paratroopers killed the local population. The alleged atrocities of Russian soldiers were filmed on cameras. This was reported to Ivan Babichev, the general of the united group "West". He gives the order to Colonel Vasily Nuzhny to neutralize the militants.

The right one twice visited Afghanistan, had military awards. The idea of conferring the title of Hero of Russia had already been sent to him.

He and the soldiers began to clean up the ruins of houses. Found four militants. Surrounded. They were ordered to surrender. Suddenly, from the forks, shots were heard from other bandits who had sat in ambush. Vasily Nuzhny was wounded. Blood immediately came out in the place on the chest where it should have been hanging Golden Star. He died almost immediately.

Tanya and 17 children were rescued by scouts

In the village of Bamut, 18 children were rescued by a reconnaissance platoon under the command of Sergeant Danila Blarneysky. Children were held hostage by militants in order to use them as human shields. Our scouts suddenly broke into the house and began to carry the children out. The bandits went berserk. They fired at their defenseless backs. The fighters fell, but under heavy fire they grabbed the children and ran to hide them under the saving stones. 27 soldiers were killed. The last rescued girl, Tanya Blank, was wounded in the leg. All other children survived. Danil was seriously wounded and did not receive the Hero of Russia star because he was discharged from the army. Instead of this well-deserved award, he puts on his tunic the Order of Courage.

I wanted to write about the heroes of very recent times, namely the first and second Chechen wars. It was possible to compile a small list of Russian heroes of the Chechen war, each surname is a life, a feat, a destiny.
Officially, those events were called "measures to maintain constitutional order" and " fighting to repel the invasion of militants in Dagestan and eliminate terrorists on the territory of the Chechen Republic. "One hundred and seventy-five people in the first and three hundred and five - in the second Chechen war, soldiers and officers received the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, many posthumously.
Heroes of Russia in the Chechen war list
Ponomarev Victor Alexandrovich, 1961-1994
He became the first official Hero of Russia in the First Chechen War. Born in the village of Yelan, Volgograd Region. He served first in Belarus, then - in 1993 he was transferred to Russia.
In the photo, Viktor with colleagues in Belarus
In December 1994, heavy fighting was going on on the outskirts of Grozny. Formations of federal troops met fierce resistance from militants and suffered losses on the outskirts of the city. In order to ensure the advancement of the troops, a reconnaissance battalion was assigned to the lead detachment, in which Viktor Ponomarev served. The group was entrusted with an important task - to capture and hold the bridge over the Sunzha River until the approach of the main group of troops. The group held the bridge for about a day. General Lev Rokhlin came to the fighters, but Viktor Ponomarev convinced the general to leave this place and go to cover. The Dudayevites, whose detachment had a significant numerical superiority, went on the attack. Ponomarev realized that it would not be possible to hold the bridge and ordered the group to retreat. And he himself with Sergeant Arabadzhiev remained to cover their withdrawal. The sergeant was wounded, and ensign Ponomarev carried out a wounded comrade under fire. But from a shell that exploded nearby, the commander was seriously injured, but at the same time continued to retreat. When the forces were running out, and the fragments of the shells were literally exploding underfoot, Viktor Ponomarev covered the wounded sergeant Arabadzhiev with his body, thereby saving the soldier's life ... Reinforcements that soon arrived drove the militants out of this area. The movement of the column of Russian military forces to Grozny was secured.
Akhpashev Igor Nikolaevich, 1969-1995
Born in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the Republic of Khakassia. In the service in the Armed Forces of the USSR - since 1982, studied at the same time, graduated from the Kazan Tank School, with honors, since 1992 he has already commanded a tank platoon, and since 1994 - a tank company as part of the Siberian Military District, in the Kemerovo region.
When the first Chechen war began, everything turned out so that the combat ability of our army was at a relatively low level, for sending to the North Caucasus they collected and sent fighting forces from all over the country. And already on the spot they organized joint units, where, for obvious reasons, there was often no coordinated and clear interaction between commanders and personal staff. Add here not the newest equipment and, most importantly, the difficult political and economic situation in the country at a turning point in history. And it was then that our people, however, as always, showed courage and heroism. The exploits of soldiers in Chechnya are striking in terms of the level of concentration of forces and courage.
In January 1995, tankers under the command of senior lieutenant Akhpashev covered motorized rifle units and knocked out militants from fortifications in a city battle in Grozny. The key position of the militants was the building of the Council of Ministers of Chechnya. Igor Akhpashev, using fire and tactical actions, broke through to the building on his tank, destroyed the main firing points of the militants, and provided the way for the landing group and motorized riflemen. But with a shot from a grenade launcher, the militants stopped the course of the combat vehicle, the Dudaevites surrounded the tank. Akhpashev continued the fight in a burning tank and died like a hero - the ammunition detonated.
For the courage and heroism shown during the performance of the special task, Guards Senior Lieutenant Igor Vladimirovich Akhpashev was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, posthumously.
Every year, hand-to-hand combat competitions named after Akhpashev are held in Khakassia, and a memorial plaque has been installed at the school he graduated from.
Lais Alexander Viktorovich, 1982-2001
Private reconnaissance regiment of the airborne troops. Born in Altai, in the city of Gorno-Altaisk. He was called up for military service and served in the Airborne Forces in Kubinka near Moscow. In 2001, the unit where Alexander served was sent to the Chechen Republic, the Second Chechen War was going on. Private Lays spent only seven days in the combat zone and died heroically.
In August 2001, the airborne patrol searched for bandits who were attacking columns of federal troops in an organized manner. The gang was found in an ambush near one of the Chechen villages. It was possible to quickly eliminate the leader of the gang, but the organized patrol of the paratroopers was divided into separate groups by return fire from the militants. A fight ensued. Lays was next to the commander of the patrol, covering him during the correction of fire. Noticing the aiming sniper, Alexander Lays covered the commander with his body. The bullet hit the throat, Private Lays continued to fire and destroyed the sniper who wounded him, he himself fell unconscious and died from severe internal bleeding. And a few minutes later, the militants, having lost five members of their gang killed, retreated ...
For courage and heroism during the counter-terrorist operation in conditions with a risk to life, in 2002, Private Alexander Viktorovich Lais received the title of Hero of Russia, posthumously.
Alexander Lays was buried at home. The name of the Hero is the school in the Altai village where he studied.
Lebedev Alexander Vladislavovich, 1977-2000
Senior reconnaissance officer of the reconnaissance company of the airborne forces. Born in the Pskov region, grew up without a mother, father raised three children. After nine classes, he went to work with his father on a fishing ship. Before being drafted into the army, he worked on a collective farm. During his military service, he was part of the peacekeeping forces in Yugoslavia for a year and a half, and was awarded medals for his service. After the end of military service, he remained to serve in his division under a contract.
In February 2000, the reconnaissance group, which included Alexander, advanced to positions in the Shatoi region of Chechnya. The scouts had to engage in battle near Hill 776 with a large group of militants coming out of the Argun Gorge. The militants refused to offer to lay down their arms. Already wounded, Alexander carried the wounded commander out of the fire, firing from a machine gun. The cartridges ran out, the grenades remained ... Having waited for the militants to come closer, Alexander rushed at them with the last remaining grenade.
For courage and bravery in the liquidation of illegal armed formations of the guard, Corporal Alexander Vladislavovich Lebedev was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, posthumously.
The Hero was buried in the city of Pskov.
The feat of the 6th company of the Pskov paratroopers, in which Lebedev served, is what is called "inscribed in history."
Twenty-two Pskov paratroopers received the title of Hero of Russia, twenty-one of them - posthumously ...
Commemorative plaque:
I will continue....
Heroes of the Chechen War
Bochenkov Mikhail Vladislavovich, 1975-2000
Reconnaissance Commander. Born in 1975 in Uzbekistan, graduated from the Leningrad Suvorov School, then, with honors, from the Leningrad Higher Combined Arms Command School. Since 1999, he took part in the hostilities in Chechnya and Dagestan.
In February 2000, as part of one of the four reconnaissance groups, Mikhail went on a mission to conduct reconnaissance in the area of \u200b\u200bthe established heights to prevent a surprise attack by militants on the formations of a motorized rifle regiment. Bochenkov's group, having discovered a large gang of the enemy, entered into battle with them and broke through to the designated height. The next day, Bochenkov's group was forced to fight again, coming to the aid of their comrades, and was defeated by a powerful fire strike. It was a tragic day for the GRU special forces. In just one day, more than thirty fighters were killed, including the entire group led by Mikhail Bochenkov. At the same time, the reconnaissance group defended itself until the ammunition ran out. Already in the last minutes of his life, the mortally wounded Captain Bochenkov himself covered another wounded scout with his body.
For the courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty, Captain Mikhail Vladislavovich Bochenkov was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, posthumously. Two servicemen who died in that battle were also awarded the title of Hero of Russia. And twenty-two servicemen were awarded the Order of Courage, all posthumously.
Dneprovsky Andrey Vladimirovich, 1971-1995
Commander of the naval reconnaissance squad of a separate special forces company Pacific Fleet, ensign, Russian, was born in the family of an officer in North Ossetia. He traveled a lot with his family to his father's places of service. In 1989 he entered military service in the Pacific Fleet. Even during military service, he tried to enter military school, but did not pass the medical examination due to vision. But he graduated from the school of ensigns of the Pacific Fleet. He received excellent training, went in for sports a lot and was not deprived of natural data - a hero under two meters tall.
During the first Chechen war, the best military units from all over the country were sent to the mountains. In 1995, a regiment of Pacific Marines arrived in Chechnya, in which Ensign Dneprovsky served. The tasks of the units were to capture prisoners, conduct military reconnaissance, block the paths of militant detachments, and direct artillery and aviation strikes. Ensign Dneprovsky's unit was "happy", brave and courageous servicemen returned from all assignments even without wounds. The militants even appointed a monetary reward for the "head" of Dneprovsky.
In March 1995, scouts led by Dneprovsky discovered a fortification of militants on a dominant height. The unit managed to stealthily get close to them, Dneprovsky personally "removed" two sentry militants, and the reconnaissance detachment took the height with a fight. The Dudaevites fiercely defended themselves, using the built pillboxes and bunkers. The battle was almost over when Andrey Dneprovskiy was killed by a sniper's bullet that had landed from one of their bunkers...
This battle ended in victory, ensign Dneprovsky was the only one killed on our side. But luck still did not turn away from the subordinates of the brave and courageous commander, they all returned alive from that war ...
For his courage and heroism in the performance of military duty, Andrei Vladimirovich Dneprovsky was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, posthumously.
The hero is forever enrolled in the lists of the Marine Corps of the Pacific Fleet. A school in Vladikavkaz, where he studied, was named after Dneprovsky, and a memorial plaque was installed on the house where he lived.
Russkikh Leonid Valentinovich, 1973-2002
Senior Lieutenant of Police. Born in the Novosibirsk region. After military service in the border troops, he entered the police service. He served in the PPS company in Novosibirsk. Six times during his service he went on business trips to the combat zone in the North Caucasus.
During his last business trip in September 2002, returning from a successful operation in one of the regions of Chechnya, he and his comrades in a UAZ car were ambushed by militants. There was an explosion, Russkikh was immediately wounded, however, he returned fire. Then Leonid Russkikh knocked out the jammed door of the car with a butt, and under fire from the militants, the wounded himself helped other servicemen get out of the burning car, saved five, covered their retreat with machine gun fire. At the same time, he was wounded again, died in this battle from a sniper's bullet. And the militants, having lost four of their dead, retreated ...
For his courage and heroism in the performance of his duty, senior warrant officer Leonid Valentinovich Russkikh received the title of Hero of Russia. He was buried in his native Novosibirsk. A memorial plaque was installed at the school where the Hero of the Russians studied.
Rybak Alexey Leonidovich, 1969-2000
Police major. Born in the family of a border guard officer in the village of Kamen-Rybolov, Primorsky Krai. Successfully graduated from the Far East Higher Command School. He retired from the army in 1999 and joined the internal affairs bodies. As part of the combined RUBOP detachment, he went on a business trip to the Chechen Republic.
Already in one of the first battles to eliminate a very large gang of militants R. Gelaev, Major Rybak showed himself to be a courageous and experienced officer. A group of Sobrovites remained in the open area, without cover. It was necessary to make a decision without delay, and then the commander decided to go on the attack on the militants, which actually stunned them. As a result, the Sobrovites escaped from this area without loss and joined with the main forces. Major Rybak in this battle severely dislocated his leg, but remained in the ranks.
In another battle, a brave officer took the place of a completely inexperienced tanker and covered the advancing attack aircraft with fire for several hours.
In March 2000, Major Rybak was appointed commander of the barrier on the path of the militants, the barrier took up positions in the house, and a group of more than a hundred militants went to break through. The fighters accepted the battle, shot at the approaching fighters point-blank. The militants also fired from machine guns, grenade launchers, a Shmel flamethrower. A group of servicemen fired back all night and did not allow the enemy to advance further. By morning, the militants, having received several dozen people killed, began to retreat. A pursuit ensued, during which Major Rybak was mortally wounded...
For the courage and heroism shown in the counter-terrorist operation, police major Alexei Leonidovich Rybak received the title of Hero of Russia, posthumously.
He was buried in Vladivostok, at the Marine Cemetery. And in the school where the Hero Alexey Rybak studied, his bust and a memorial plaque were installed.
Maidanov Nikolai (Kairgeldy) Sainovich, 1956-2000
Senior pilot, commander of a transport and combat helicopter regiment. Born in Western Kazakhstan, in a large family. Before the army, he worked at an elevator, at a brick factory. After completing military service, he entered the Higher Aviation School in Saratov. Nikolai Maidanov took part in the fighting in Afghanistan in the eighties. There, in Afghanistan, the young pilot Maidanov began to use special tactics for taking off helicopters.
The fact is, Mi-8 helicopters high in the mountains had problems with control during takeoff. Maidanov used an "aircraft" accelerating technique for a helicopter, and, as it were, riskily threw the flying machine down. This gave the result: in a quick “fall”, the helicopter propeller spun and made it possible for the car to pick up speed and take off. This tactic saved the lives of many soldiers. They said that if Maidanov pilots the helicopter, everyone will remain alive.
After the Afghan war, Nikolai Maidanov continued his studies and graduated from the Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy. In 1999-2000, he took part in the fighting in the North Caucasus as a commander of a helicopter regiment.
In January 2000, the helicopter of the regiment commander Maidanov, as part of the link, conducted reconnaissance of the area and the landing of paratroopers on one of the heights. Suddenly, heavy machine guns opened fire on the helicopters. Experienced helicopter pilots led by Colonel Maidanov took their combat vehicles out of the shelling, saved the lives of the paratroopers and the helicopters themselves. But one of the bullets, breaking through the glass of the cockpit of the commander's helicopter, turned out to be fatal for Nikolai Maidanov.
Nikolai Sainovich Maidanov in 2000 received the title of Hero of Russia posthumously. The Hero was buried at the Serafimovsky cemetery in the city of St. Petersburg. On the building of the flight school in Saratov, on the house in the village of Monino in the Moscow region and on the house in the village of Agalatovo (where the Hero lived), commemorative plaques were installed.

Last edit: Feb 12, 2017
Tamgin Vladimir Alexandrovich, 1974-2000
Junior inspector of the linear police department of Khabarovsk airport. Born in Ukraine, in the Kiev region. Served in military service Far East. After he entered the police service at the airport of the city of Khabarovsk. As part of a combined detachment from the Far Eastern Department of Internal Affairs, he was sent to Chechnya.
In January 2000, a group of several policemen and a motorized rifle platoon guarded a bridge across the stormy mountain river Argun. Suddenly, explosions began from the side of the railway station, our forces there requested reinforcements. Policeman Vladimir Tamgin led a group that moved to the rescue in a tank. The road was very difficult, all in sharp turns. Behind one of them, the group ran into an ambush of militants. A blow from a grenade launcher immediately damaged the tank, it could no longer shoot and caught fire. The wounded members of the group left the combat vehicle, crawled away, and fired back. The forces were not equal: first, one machine gun fell silent, then another ... The militants took those who were shooting back into the ring. Fortified behind large stones, individual members of the group defended themselves for about an hour, rarely fired, saving ammunition. With this, a group of policemen, practically blocking the road, gave time and helped the servicemen to stand at the station. It was a terrible battle - a scattering of shells, craters from grenades, snow in the blood ... Later, a militant captured near Argun told how our soldiers defended themselves near a burning tank. And as the last of the survivors, Vladimir Tamgin, when the cartridges ran out, all bloody, with a knife in his hand, he rushed into the last fight with the militants ... The militant said that he was terrible and brave, like a bear, this Russian.
Vladimir Alexandrovich Tamgin was buried in Khabarovsk, at the Central Cemetery. He received the title of Hero of Russia in 2000, posthumously.
Heroes of Russia posthumously - Chechnya
I wrote only about some of the Heroes, all of them were awarded a high title posthumously. All of them are my contemporaries and could, like me and the rest, live, love, work, raise children. And the children of these strong in spirit people would be strong too. But this is how their life turned out. I will not argue about what they fought for and who needed it. Each of them, in a certain situation, when duty, honor, friendship, love for the Motherland were at stake, did not get scared and did not hide. For me, all of them, first of all, are men capable of action, strong and courageous, able to protect their mothers, children, their land. It is either there or not. We need to talk more about them and their exploits to a new generation of boys.
When I wrote this material, I alternately felt pain for young lives cut short, then pride that these men are my contemporaries, residents of my country, brave and strong people.
And, finally, I will write about the living Hero of Russia, who took part in the hostilities in the North Caucasus at that very recent time.
Dmitry Vorobyov - hero of Russia, feat of the commander of a reconnaissance regiment

Dmitry Vorobyov - senior lieutenant of the guard. Born in Uzbekistan, in Tashkent. He graduated from the Omsk Higher Command All-Arms School. He served in Volgograd in a separate motorized rifle brigade. Participated in hostilities in Dagestan against militants who had broken through there from Chechnya.
In October 1999, as the commander of his motorized rifle platoon and the attached airborne unit, he captured a strategic object - a bridge across the Terek River. The troops secretly advanced from the rear of the militants, but found themselves in the area cleared of vegetation, and a battle ensued. And already from attacking motorized riflemen and paratroopers became defenders, moreover, in unfavorable positions. Meanwhile, reinforcements approached the militants. The most difficult battle lasted for about a day. Commander Dmitry Vorobyov showed his subordinates an example of courage and courage. For some time it was possible to fight back with the support of artillery. At night, ammunition began to run out, the situation became critical, the militants launched another attack. And then the commander decided to break through to the bridge with the group. A powerful volley of artillery introduced the militants into temporary confusion, Vorobyov raised his fighters to attack. As a result of such bold tactical actions, it was possible to gain a foothold on the bridge before reinforcements arrived.
For courage and heroism in the performance of military duty, Dmitry Alksandrovich Vorobyov received the title of Hero of Russia. The Hero lives in the Hero City of Volgograd.

18-year-old Yakut Volodya from a distant deer camp was a hunter-salter. It had to happen that he came to Yakutsk for salt and cartridges, accidentally saw in the dining room on TV piles of corpses of Russian soldiers on the streets of Grozny, smoking tanks and some words about "Dudaev's snipers."

It hit Volodya in the head, so much so that the hunter returned to the camp, took his earned money, and sold the washed gold. He took his grandfather's rifle and all the cartridges, stuffed the icon of Saint Nicholas into his bosom and went to fight.

It’s better not to remember how he was driving, how he was in the bullpen, how many times they took away a rifle. But, nevertheless, a month later the Yakut Volodya arrived in Grozny.

Volodya heard only about one general who was regularly fighting in Chechnya, and he began to look for him in the February thaw. Finally, the Yakut was lucky, and he got to the headquarters of General Rokhlin.

The only document besides his passport was a handwritten certificate from the military commissar stating that Vladimir Kolotov, a hunter-trader by profession, was going to war, signed by the military commissar. The paper, which got worn out on the way, had already saved his life more than once.

Rokhlin, surprised that someone came to the war of his own free will, ordered the Yakut to let him in.

Excuse me, please, are you that General Rokhlya? Volodya asked respectfully.

Yes, I am Rokhlin, - answered the tired general, inquisitively peering at a small man dressed in a worn padded jacket, with a backpack and a rifle on his back.

I was told that you came to the war on your own. For what purpose, Kolotov?

I saw on TV how Chechens of our snipers felled. I can't stand it, Comrade General. It's embarrassing, though. So I came to bring them down. You don't need money, you don't need anything. I, Comrade General Rokhlya, will myself go hunting at night. Let them show me the place where they will put the cartridges and food, and I will do the rest myself. I'll get tired - I'll come in a week, I'll sleep in a warm day and go again. You don't need a walkie-talkie and all that ... it's hard.

Surprised, Rokhlin nodded his head.

Take, Volodya, at least a new SVDashka. Give him a rifle!

No need, Comrade General, I'm going out into the field with my scythe. Just give me some ammo, I only have 30 left now...

So Volodya began his war, a sniper one.

He slept for a day in headquarters kungs, despite the mine attacks and the terrible firing of artillery. I took cartridges, food, water and went on the first "hunt". They forgot about him at headquarters.

Only reconnaissance regularly brought cartridges, food and, most importantly, water to the agreed place every three days. Each time I was convinced that the parcel had disappeared.

The radio operator-"interceptor" was the first to remember Volodya at a meeting of the headquarters.

Lev Yakovlevich, the "Czechs" panic on the air. They say that the Russians, that is, we, have a certain black sniper who works at night, boldly walks through their territory and shamelessly brings down their personnel. Maskhadov even appointed 30 thousand dollars for his head.

His handwriting is like this - this fellow of the Chechens hits exactly in the eye. Why only in the eye - the dog knows him ...

And then the staff remembered the Yakut Volodya.

He regularly takes food and ammunition from the cache, - the head of intelligence reported.

And so we didn’t exchange a word with him, we didn’t even see him even once. Well, how did he leave you then to the other side ...

One way or another, they noted in the summary that our snipers also give their snipers a light. Because Volodin's work gave such results - from 16 to 30 people laid the fisherman with a shot in the eye.

The Chechens figured out that the federals had a hunter-hunter on Minutka Square. And since the main events of those terrible days took place on this square, a whole detachment of Chechen volunteers came out to catch the sniper.

Then, in February 1995, at Minutka, thanks to Rokhlin's cunning plan, our troops had already crushed almost three-quarters of the personnel of the so-called "Abkhazian" battalion of Shamil Basayev. The carbine of the Yakut Volodya also played a significant role here. Basayev promised a gold Chechen star to anyone who would bring the corpse of a Russian sniper.

But the nights passed in an unsuccessful search. Five volunteers walked along the front line in search of Volodya's "beds", set up streamers wherever he could appear in direct line of sight of his positions. However, it was a time when groups, on both sides, broke through the enemy’s defenses and deeply wedged into its territory. Sometimes so deep that there was no longer any chance to break out to their own.

But Volodya slept during the day under the roofs and in the cellars of houses. The bodies of the Chechens - the night "work" of the sniper - were buried the next day.

Then, tired of losing 20 people every night, Basayev called out from the reserves in the mountains a master of his craft, a teacher from a camp for training young shooters, an Arab sniper Abubakar. Volodya and Abubakar could not but meet in a night battle, such are the laws of sniper warfare.

And they met two weeks later. More precisely, Abubakar hooked Volodya with a drill rifle. A powerful bullet that once in Afghanistan killed Soviet paratroopers right through at a distance of one and a half kilometers, pierced the padded jacket and slightly hooked the arm, just below the shoulder. Volodya, feeling the rush of a hot wave of oozing blood, realized that the hunt for him had finally begun.

The buildings on the opposite side of the square, or rather their ruins, merged into a single line in Volodya's optics. “What flashed, optics?” thought the hunter, and he knew cases when a sable saw a sight sparkling in the sun and went home. The place he chose was located under the roof of a five-story residential building.

Snipers always like to be at the top to see everything. And he lay under the roof - under a sheet of old tin, a wet snowy rain did not wet, which then went on, then stopped.

Abubakar tracked down Volodya only on the fifth night - tracked down his pants. The fact is that the Yakut pants were ordinary, wadded. This is American camouflage, which was often worn by Chechens, impregnated with a special composition, in which the uniform was indistinctly visible in night vision devices, and the domestic uniform shone with a bright light green light.

So Abubakar "figured out" the Yakut in the powerful night optics of his "Bur", made to order by English gunsmiths back in the 70s.

One bullet was enough, Volodya rolled out from under the roof and painfully fell back onto the steps of the stairs. "The main thing is that he didn't break the rifle," thought the sniper.

Well, then, a duel, yes, lord Chechen sniper! - the Yakut said to himself mentally without emotion.

Volodya deliberately stopped shredding the "Chechen order". The neat row of 200s with his sniper "autograph" on his eye stopped. "Let them believe that I was killed," Volodya decided.

He himself only did what he looked out for, where did the enemy sniper get to him from.

Two days later, already in the afternoon, he found Abubakar's "couch". He also lay under the roof, under the half-bent roofing sheet on the other side of the square. Volodya would not have noticed him if the Arab sniper had not given out a bad habit - he smoked marijuana.

Once every two hours, Volodya caught in the optics a light bluish haze that rose above the roofing sheet and was immediately blown away by the wind.

"So I found you, abrek! You can't live without drugs! Good...", the Yakut hunter thought triumphantly, he didn't know that he was dealing with an Arab sniper who had gone through both Abkhazia and Karabakh. But Volodya did not want to kill him just like that, shooting through the roofing sheet. Snipers didn't do that, and fur hunters didn't.

Well, you smoke lying down, but you will have to get up to go to the toilet, - Volodya decided coolly and began to wait.

Only three days later he figured out that Abubakar crawls out from under the sheet to the right side, and not to the left, quickly does the job and returns to the "couch". In order to "get" the enemy, Volodya had to change his position at night. He could not do anything again, because any new roofing sheet would immediately give away his new location.

But Volodya found two fallen logs from the rafters with a piece of tin a little to the right, about fifty meters from his point. The place was excellent for shooting, but very uncomfortable for a "couch". For two more days, Volodya looked out for the sniper, but he did not show up. Volodya had already decided that the enemy was gone for good, when the next morning he suddenly saw that he had "opened up". Three seconds to aim with a slight exhalation, and the bullet went to the target.

Abubakar was struck on the spot in the right eye. For some reason, against the impact of a bullet, he fell flat from the roof into the street. A large, greasy stain of blood spread through the mud on the square of the Dudayev Palace, where an Arab sniper was struck down by a single hunter's bullet.

“Well, I got you,” Volodya thought without any enthusiasm or joy. He realized that he must continue his fight, showing a characteristic handwriting. To prove thereby that he is alive, and that the enemy did not kill him a few days ago.

Volodya peered into the optics at the motionless body of the slain enemy. Nearby, he also saw the "Bur", which, he did not recognize, since he had not seen such rifles before. In a word, a hunter from the remote taiga!

And here he was surprised: the Chechens began to crawl out into the open to pick up the sniper's body. Volodya took aim. Three men came out and bent over the body. “Let them pick it up and carry it, then I’ll start shooting!” - Volodya triumphed.

The Chechens really raised the body together. Three shots were fired. Three bodies fell on the dead Abubakar.

Four more Chechen volunteers jumped out of the ruins and, throwing away the bodies of their comrades, tried to pull the sniper out. From the outside, a Russian machine gun fired, but the queues lay a little higher, without harming the hunched over Chechens.

Four more shots rang out, almost merging into one. Four more corpses had already formed a heap.

Volodya killed 16 militants that morning. He did not know that Basayev had given the order to get the Arab's body at all costs before it began to get dark. He had to be sent to the mountains to be buried there before sunrise, as an important and respectable Mujahideen.

A day later, Volodya returned to Rokhlin's headquarters. The general immediately received him as an honored guest. The news of the duel of two snipers has already spread around the army.

Well, how are you, Volodya, tired? Do you want to go home?

Volodya warmed his hands at the "potbelly stove".

Everything, comrade general, has done his job, it's time to go home. Spring work begins at the camp. The military commissar let me go only for two months. My two younger brothers worked for me all this time. It's time and honor to know...

Rokhlin nodded his head in understanding.

Take a good rifle, my chief of staff will draw up the documents ...

Why, I have a grandfather's. - Volodya lovingly hugged the old carbine.

The general did not dare to ask the question for a long time. But curiosity took over.

How many enemies did you kill, did you count? They say more than a hundred ... the Chechens were talking.

Volodya lowered his eyes.

362 militants, comrade general.

Well, go home, we can handle it ourselves...

Comrade General, if anything, call me again, I will deal with the work and come a second time!

On the face of Volodya, frank concern for the entire Russian Army was read.

By God, I'll come!

The Order of Courage found Volodya Kolotov six months later. On this occasion, the entire collective farm celebrated, and the military commissar allowed the sniper to go to Yakutsk to buy new boots - the old ones had worn out in Chechnya. A hunter stepped on some pieces of iron.

On the day when the whole country learned about the death of General Lev Rokhlin, Volodya also heard about what had happened on the radio. He drank alcohol for three days at the zaimka. He was found drunk in a makeshift hut by other hunters who returned from fishing. Volodya kept repeating drunk:

It's okay, Comrade General Rokhlya, if necessary, we will come, just tell me ...

After the departure of Vladimir Kolotov to his homeland, scum in officer uniforms sold his data to Chechen terrorists, who he is, where he came from, where he went, etc. The Yakut Sniper inflicted too many losses on the evil spirits.

Vladimir was killed by a 9mm round. pistol in his yard, while chopping wood. The criminal case was never opened.

First Chechen war. How it all started.

***

For the first time, I heard the legend of Volodya the sniper, or, as he was also called, Yakut (moreover, the nickname is so textured that it even migrated to the famous television series about those days) I heard in 1995. They told it in different ways, along with the legends of the Eternal Tank, the girl-Death and other army folklore.

Moreover, the most surprising thing is that in the story about Volodya the sniper, in an amazing way, there was an almost letter-like similarity with the story of the great Zaitsev, who put Hans, a major, head of the Berlin school of snipers in Stalingrad. To be honest, I then perceived it as ... well, let's say, as folklore - on a halt - and I believed it, and I did not believe it.

Then there was a lot of things, as, indeed, in any war, which you won’t believe, but turns out to be TRUE. Life is generally more complicated and more unexpected than any fiction.

Later, in the year 2003-2004, one of my friends and comrades-in-arms told me that he personally knew this guy, and that he really WAS. Whether there was that same duel with Abubakar, and whether the Czechs really had such a super sniper, to be honest, I don’t know, they had enough serious snipers, and especially in the Air Campaign.

And the weapons were serious, including the South African SWR, and cereals (including the B-94 prototypes, which were just going into the pre-series, the spirits already had them, and with the numbers of the first hundreds - Pakhomych would not let you lie.

How they got them is a separate story, but nevertheless, the Czechs had such trunks. Yes, and they themselves made semi-handicraft SWR near Grozny.)

Volodya-Yakut really worked alone, worked exactly as described - in the eye. And his rifle was exactly the one that was described - the old Mosin three-ruler of pre-revolutionary production, still with a faceted breech and a long barrel - an infantry model of 1891.

The real name of Volodya-Yakut is Vladimir Maksimovich Kolotov, originally from the village of Iengra in Yakutia. However, he himself is not a Yakut, but an Evenk.

At the end of the First Campaign, he was patched up in the hospital, and since he was officially a nobody and there was no way to call him, he simply went home.

By the way, his combat score is most likely not exaggerated, but underestimated ... Moreover, no one kept accurate records, and the sniper himself did not particularly brag about them.

Dmitry Travin

Rokhlin, Lev Yakovlevich

From December 1, 1994 to February 1995, he headed the 8th Guards Army Corps in Chechnya. Under his leadership, a number of districts of Grozny were captured, including the presidential palace. On January 17, 1995, Generals Lev Rokhlin and Ivan Babichev were appointed to the military command for contacts with Chechen field commanders in order to cease fire.

The assassination of a general

On the night of July 2-3, 1998, he was found murdered at his own dacha in the village of Klokovo, Naro-Fominsk district, Moscow region. According to the official version, his wife, Tamara Rokhlina, shot at the sleeping Rokhlin, the reason was a family quarrel.

In November 2000, the Naro-Fominsk City Court found Tamara Rokhlina guilty of premeditated murder of her husband. In 2005, Tamara Rokhlina applied to the ECtHR, complaining about the long pre-trial detention and the protracted trial. The complaint was satisfied, with the award of monetary compensation (8000 euros).

After a new consideration of the case, on November 29, 2005, the Naro-Fominsk City Court for the second time found Rokhlina guilty of the murder of her husband and sentenced her to four years of probation, appointing her also a probationary period of 2.5 years.

During the investigation of the murder in the forest belt near the crime scene, three charred corpses were found. According to the official version, their death occurred shortly before the assassination of the general, and has nothing to do with him. However, many of Rokhlin's associates believed that they were real killers, who were eliminated by the Kremlin's special services, "covering their tracks."

Not so long ago, we wrote about the five daring exploits of the tankers of the Great Patriotic War. But, as our readers rightly pointed out, in modern history There was no less heroism in Russia. Therefore, we continue the cycle of stories about tank heroes and their exploits.

Alexey Kozin: “I won’t leave the car!”

Evgeny Kapustin. Fight with an injured spine

In January 2000, Yevgeny Kapustin was seriously wounded in Grozny during street fighting. But, even having received a spinal injury, he did not leave the tank and continued to fight. Only after reinforcements approached was the tanker evacuated to the hospital. And this is not the only case when Eugene showed courage and courage in battle. During the assault on the villages of Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi in the Buynaksky district, a tanker killed more than ten militants with an accurate hit in the window of a house. For his courage in operations in the North Caucasus region, Yevgeny Kapustin received the well-deserved title of Hero Russian Federation.

Oleg Kaskov. When You Can't Lose

April 4, 1996 in Chechnya in the Vedeno region, a motorized rifle column with tank guards under the command of Senior Lieutenant Kaskov was ambushed. Oleg Kaskov was shell-shocked, the gunner and driver were seriously injured. It seemed that this battle was already lost. But, gathering his will into a fist, the senior lieutenant pulled the wounded out of the tank and gave them first aid. Then Kaskov put out the fire in the fighting compartment of the tank and, taking the place of the gunner, hit the most dangerous enemy position for the column with a direct hit. The tanker covered the exit of the column from the firing zone until the last shell. In 1997, Oleg Kaskov was awarded the title of Hero of Russia for his courage and heroism in carrying out a special task.

Sergei Mylnikov. Unexpected Maneuver

On August 8, 2008, Sergeant Sergei Mylnikov was part of a Russian peacekeeping group that defended the Ossetian people from genocide. In a street battle in the capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, the crew of the T-72 under the command of Mylnikov destroyed 2 tanks and 3 units of light armored vehicles, thus the tankers provided a breakthrough to the encircled peacekeepers and saved them from destruction. But the fight didn't end there. Mylnikov kept the defense to the last, and only after the car received four direct hits, the crew left the tank. The ring of Georgian troops around the peacekeepers was shrinking. It was decided to retreat towards our troops. However, due to the fierce fire of the enemy, this was impossible. Then Sergeant Mylnikov returned to his damaged and unarmed tank and moved towards the enemy at maximum speed. This unexpected maneuver did the trick. In a panic, the enemy scattered. This is what allowed the Russian peacekeeping battalion to break through to their own and take out the wounded and the dead.

Alexander Sinelnik. Enrolled forever

On February 21, 1995, the 3rd tank company under the command of Captain Sinelnik participated in the encirclement of Grozny and the capture of the dominant height in the Novye Promysla area. For 15 hours, the militants made furious attempts to shoot down motorized riflemen and tankers from a height. At the critical moment of the battle, Alexander Sinelnik led the armored group and, having called fire on himself, made it possible for the motorized riflemen to gain a foothold on their lines. 6 shots from a grenade launcher were fired at his tank, but the captain continued to fight. Being mortally wounded, Sinelnik ordered the crew to leave the burning car and brought the tank to a safe place.

Alexander Vladimirovich Sinelnik was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation of April 4, 1999, he was forever enlisted in the lists of the 3rd tank company tank battalion 506th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment.

Sergei Yesterday. Life for the wounded

December 1, 1980. Afghanistan. After a fierce battle, a tank was allocated to help the wounded, which was driven by the driver Sergey Yesterday. While the fighters crawled, under heavy fire, took away the dead and wounded, Sergei's car covered them from aimed fire, maneuvering under enemy fire. Taking the BRDM with the wounded in tow, the tank went on a reverse breakthrough. It was getting dark. In order to better see the road and bring the wounded as soon as possible, Sergey opened the hatch of the tank. The tanker did not notice how one of the dushmans got close to the road and fired from a grenade launcher point-blank. The grenade hit the cannon of the car and exploded. No one was hurt inside the tank. Of the entire detachment, only one fighter died - the driver himself, Sergey Yesterday, who did the most to save the detachment.

Yuri Yakovlev. Hold on to the last

The grandson of the Soviet tanker, participant of the Great Patriotic War Ivan Nikitich Yakovlev, Yuri continued the family tradition and, having graduated from the Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School in 2002, entered the 503rd motorized rifle regiment of permanent readiness of the North Caucasus Military District.

During the Ossetian events of August 2008, he was one of the first to advance towards the enemy at the head of a battalion tactical group. On the morning of August 9, Captain Yakovlev's advanced tank group entered Tskhinval, which was controlled by Georgian troops. The tankers managed to break through to the positions of the peacekeeping battalion of Russian troops. From close range, maneuvering and exposing the frontal armor of the T-72, Yakovlev continued to fight. The tank held out until the withdrawal of Georgian troops from Tskhinval. And this is after four direct hits! Yakovlev not only showed courage and courage in battle, but also skillfully commanded the unit: in his group, which consisted of four T-72s, only one vehicle was lost, and only one soldier was injured.

White swans in the March sky - harbingers of the death of Pskov paratroopers

The feat of the Orthodox spirit without official awards

Zhukov walked through the minefield

I did not attach the Star of the Hero to the front tunic

The right one twice visited Afghanistan, had military awards. The idea of conferring the title of Hero of Russia had already been sent to him.

He and the soldiers began to clean up the ruins of houses. Found four militants. Surrounded. They were ordered to surrender. Suddenly, from the forks, shots were heard from other bandits who had sat in ambush. Vasily Nuzhny was wounded. Blood immediately appeared in the place on the chest where the golden star should have been hanging. He died almost immediately.

Heroes of the war in Chechnya. Chechens are Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia. (Full list). The feat of the Orthodox spirit without official awards

White swans in the March sky - harbingers of the death of Pskov paratroopers

The feat of the Orthodox spirit without official awards

Zhukov walked through the minefield

I did not attach the Star of the Hero to the front tunic

Tanya and 17 children were rescued by scouts

Heroes of Russia in the Chechen war list

Heroes of the Chechen War

Heroes of Russia posthumously - Chechnya