Interesting facts from the life of Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky. How and from whose hands General Chernyakhovsky died

"Life is short, but fame may last forever"
Cicero

The military biography of the youngest army general in the USSR, Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky, is described in detail in numerous articles and research works. The thirty-eight-year-old front commander was the most interesting and versatile person of his time, a man who managed to make an amazing military career with dizzying speed during the Second World War and almost receive the rank of marshal. In commanding troops, Ivan Chernyakhovsky successfully combined the courage and swiftness of youth with the wisdom and experience of an old man. He did not know the fear of defeat, his decisions and actions were daring, but always supported by extensive military knowledge, strict calculations, and a comprehensive study of victories and defeats.

Commander of the 60th Army I. D. Chernyakhovsky (left) and member of the Military Council of the Army A. I. Zaporozhets. March 1943

According to official sources, Ivan Chernyakhovsky was born in Ukraine in the village of Oksanina, Cherkasy region, on June 29 (according to the new calendar) 1907 (although some publications indicate the year 1906). His father, Danila Chernyakhovsky, worked as a simple farm laborer for a local gentleman, and later got a job as a switchman at the Vapnyarka railway station.

As you can see, the birth and nationality of Ivan Chernyakhovsky is quite clear. However, articles periodically appeared in the foreign and late Soviet press about the alleged Jewish origin of the future hero. Some “writings” indicate that Chernyakhovsky carefully concealed his true origins, fearing that it might prevent him from pursuing a military career. Other authors, citing the few recollections of eyewitnesses, claim that the general even emphasized his Jewish roots. Emphasis is also placed on huge contribution Chernyakhovsky to help Jewish families and children after the liberation of Vilnius, which was repeatedly written about by Yitzhak Kowalsky, a heroic underground fighter and activist of Jewish resistance in the Vilnius ghetto. The future burial place of the general after his death is also explained by his belonging to the Jewish race, because Vilnius is called the Lithuanian Jerusalem. However, all the evidence and memories raise great doubts among experts and are not supported by any documentary evidence. So it’s a mystery Jewish origin Chernyakhovsky remains sealed under seven seals.

In April 1913, following the master for whom Danila Nikolaevich was a groom, the Chernyakhovsky family had to move to the owner’s new estate in the village of Verbovo. Here in September of the same year, Ivan was enrolled in a railway school, where he studied for three years. Chernyakhovsky’s first teacher said many years later that she remembered this hardworking and diligent boy well. He was always collected, disciplined, honest. Produced on adults only the most best impressions and helped weaker students with assignments. Despite his excellent academic performance and great popularity among children, according to Lyubov Andreevna Donets, Vanya was a surprisingly modest, patient and resilient child.

It should be noted that the Chernyakhovsky family had six children who were constantly in need. Their situation worsened even more when, at the very beginning of the First World War, their father was mobilized and sent to the front. At the end of 1915, he was wounded in battle and after hospitalization he managed to return home, finding his family in terrible poverty. In March 1919, the Petliurites almost shot Danila Nikolaevich, and soon he fell ill and died of typhus. A week after the funeral, Ivan’s mother also died. Having survived such heavy losses, the boy quickly matured. At the time of the death of her parents, the eldest daughter Maria Chernyakhovskaya was already eighteen years old, and she, having married a military man, a commander of the Red Army, went to Tulchin, taking her younger sister Nastya with her. And the eldest of the sons, fourteen-year-old Mikhail, was soon enrolled as a student of Kotovsky’s cavalry brigade. The remaining three children: sixteen-year-old Elena, twelve-year-old Ivan and ten-year-old Sasha were sheltered ex-friend father a certain I.P. Tseshkovsky.

Feeling like a parasite in someone else’s family, Ivan got a job as a shepherd. As neighboring residents recall, the boy did not want to be a burden to anyone, he wanted to independently earn at least a little money for his own maintenance. During the day, in the pasture, he read books, trying to independently understand the new material, and in the evening he came to the village teacher for clarification of incomprehensible points. With the onset of autumn cold, the boy decided to go on a journey in search of a better life, traveling with other street children on the brake platforms of freight cars.

After several months of unsuccessful wandering, Ivan returned to Vapnyarka and, with the help of Tseshkovsky’s relatives, got a job at the railway station as a track worker. It was at this time that an extra year was added to the teenager’s age, since otherwise he simply would not have been hired, which subsequently became the cause of an error in the hero’s date of birth. In addition, one year was not enough to be admitted to the Komsomol organization, where the young man strove with all his heart.

Well-developed physically and smart beyond his years, Ivan was immediately noticed and within six months he was transferred to a mechanic’s assistant. Chernyakhovsky began to take an active part in public life working youth under the influence of Ivan Tseshkovsky, who was the leader of the rural Komsomol cell. Together with him, Vanya constantly attended meetings and gatherings, and participated in political conversations. After Lenin’s incendiary speech at the Third Congress of the RKSM, eagerly reading every word of the leader, Ivan Chernyakhovsky firmly decided to continue self-education. Soon he began studying privately with former teacher M.K. Bochkarev.

His thirst for knowledge and inhuman perseverance helped him in May 1921 to successfully pass all exams in the incomplete course as an external student. high school. In the same year, Ivan Chernyakhovsky was elected secretary of the Komsomol cell in the village of Verbovo. Despite difficult times, the future military leader never gave up and always strived for new progressive endeavors. For example, on Ivan’s initiative and with his direct participation, a club was built in the village, where cultural evenings began to be held. In addition, a choir and a drama club were founded, in which Ivan was also a member. According to recollections, he was very artistic and had a wonderful voice. The next personal achievement of the cell leader was the opening of a library, the books for which were taken from a local priest posing as the priest of a former colonel tsarist army. By the way, this fact of the biography of a church minister was also revealed by Chernyakhovsky.

Ivan began to become familiar with the art of war after his Komsomol cell was assigned to the Tulchinsky battalion as part of special forces units in 1921. Then he and his guys, who joined the Verbovsky platoon, which was headed by Chernyakhovsky, had the opportunity to participate in the defeat of bandit formations in the local forests. For his courage during combat operations, the young commander was awarded a personal Mauser in May 1923.

In January 1924, Ivan and his friend moved to Novorossiysk to work and further studies. The Komsomol City Committee sent him to the Proletary plant, where Chernyakhovsky first worked as an apprentice and then as a cooper. Within six months, the well-deserved popularity of the young man allowed him to be elected as the secretary of first the workshop and then the factory Komsomol bureau. Outside of work, Ivan completed a driving course and soon began working part-time as a driver. He devoted all his free time to sports, technology and classes in a shooting circle.

In June 1924, Chernyakhovsky's dream finally came true. The Komsomol organization of the plant sent him to study at the Odessa Infantry School. Some time after arriving in Odessa, Ivan showed excellent results in shooting, and also became a winner in a number of disciplines based on the results of competitions. For excellent results in various types of combat training, the diligent and capable cadet was awarded a cash bonus personally from the head of the school. Soon the Komsomol members of the company in which Ivan studied elected him as their leader. Some time later, he submits a request to be transferred to the Kyiv Artillery School. At first the request was rejected, but Chernyakhovsky always knew how to show perseverance, and besides, the development of artillery at that time was given priority, talented specialists were extremely necessary. Ivan was not at all frightened by the fact that he was radically changing his military specialization and he needed to catch up on the material in special disciplines for the entire first year of study. Subsequently, he not only managed to pass all exams with “excellence,” but also served as the captain of a football team, and also actively participated in amateur performances. In addition, he managed to engage in horse riding, shooting and athletics.

In April 1927, Chernyakhovsky proposed to a Kyiv girl named Nastya. He had been dating her for a long time and was afraid that after graduation he might part with her forever. The young girl agreed, and the school management allowed the cadet to move into the apartment of Anastasia’s parents. Now Ivan had a new incentive; Chernyakhovsky made every effort to graduate from artillery school with honors and be among the first to choose his place of further service. Successful growth was also facilitated by the fact that three months before graduation, Ivan became a member of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks).

In September 1928, he was appointed platoon commander of the Seventeenth Corps Artillery Regiment, which was based in Vinnitsa. The young family had to move to a new place. The political instructor of the battery gave one valuable piece of advice to the young commander who asked for help, which Ivan will remember and adhere to for the rest of his life: “The commander must be able to find an approach to each subordinate, be demanding, but fair!”

Representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters Marshal Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky and commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front I.D. Chernyakhovsky is interrogated by the captured commander of the 53rd Army Corps, General of the Infantry Golvintser, and the commander of the 206th Infantry Division, Lieutenant General Zitger. Vitebsk area, 1944

In 1929, the Chernyakhovskys had a daughter, whom they named unusual name- Neoniloy. In the same year, Ivan Danilovich was appointed to the position of political instructor of the battery, and then its commander. After graduating from evening school in 1930, Chernyakhovsky began preparing to enter the Leningrad Military-Technical Academy named after Dzerzhinsky, which he became a student of in 1931. After each year of study, the academy cadets underwent military training. In 1933, Chernyakhovsky, during an autumn internship, acted as a battalion commander, and after the third year he was sent to intern as a deputy chief of staff of a division, where the intern’s abilities and his ability to quickly delve into the very essence of the assigned tasks were highly appreciated.

Almost before graduation, the head of the academy received a letter with information that cadet Chernyakhovsky had hidden his true social origin. The note put forward a proposal to expel him from the academy and from the ranks of the Red Army. The “vigilant” party worker who wrote the letter pointed out the lack of information in his personal file about his father’s service in the White Guard army, which was unacceptable for a future Soviet officer. Only intervention saved Chernyakhovsky from a hasty and unfair decision younger sister Lenina M.I. Ulyanova, who was then the head of the Joint Complaints Bureau of the People's Commissariat of the RKI. After a thorough investigation, a refutation was signed, and Ivan was able to calmly begin his studies again.

Neonila Chernyakhovskaya spoke in an interview about her father: “All my memories of him are very vivid. Dad was a brilliant officer, handsome and fit. The uniform is always ironed, not a speck, not a speck of dust. He wore it well, like the old Russian officers. When we walked down the street, everyone turned to look at him. Unfortunately, he had little free time and was rarely with us. Therefore, whenever my father took us somewhere - to the theater, to the cinema, or to his regiment, where he and my mother loved to play volleyball - it was a holiday.”

In October 1936, after graduating with honors from the academy, Chernyakhovsky was ordered to remain in the capital as chief of staff of a tank battalion. Soon after the brigade commander's petition, Ivan Danilovich was awarded the rank of captain, and after some time he became battalion commander. The further career of the talented military leader developed with lightning speed. Having received the rank of major in 1938, Chernyakhovsky went to Belarus to begin his duties as commander of a tank regiment, and already in 1939, after the regiment under the command of Ivan Danilovich took first place during an inspection, he was prematurely awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel. After the outbreak of hostilities on the border with Finland in the winter of 1940, Chernyakhovsky, like most officers, submitted a report with a request to be sent to the active army, but the answer came after the conclusion of a peace treaty with the Finns.

In August 1940, Ivan Danilovich became commander of the second tank division, and already in March 1941 he was appointed to the post of commander of the newly formed twenty-eighth tank division, which is why he had to go to Riga. A month later, the division commander received the rank of colonel out of turn.

With the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, Chernyakhovsky's division fought intense defensive battles near Siauliai, a city in northern Lithuania, holding back the advance and inflicting significant losses on the Nazis' Forty-First Tank Corps. In particular, without waiting for reinforcements, Chernyakhovsky made a daring decision to counterattack the advanced units of the approaching enemy tank avalanche. As a result of a fierce battle, the Nazi offensive was stifled. An entire battalion of Nazi motorized infantry ceased to exist, more than two dozen of their tanks and artillery pieces were destroyed.
In August 1941, the Chernyakhovites continued defensive battles near Novgorod. The soldiers fought for every piece of land, in fact, “until the last tank.” After this, the thinned twenty-eighth division was withdrawn to the second echelon, and Ivan Danilovich himself became seriously ill with pneumonia and went to the hospital. For the skillful organization of the defense of Novgorod and personal courage, Chernyakhovsky received his first Order of the Red Banner of Battle. After being discharged in the fall of 1941, in the most difficult battles near Demyansk, Chernyakhovsky’s division forced the Germans to stop and switch to defensive actions, which made it possible to prevent the transfer of Nazi units to the Leningrad direction. In December, Chernyakhovsky's tank division was reorganized into the 241st Rifle Division, which became part of the North Western Front. In January 1942, the unit received an order to make a breakthrough in the direction of Monakovo - Vatolino.

Anastasia Grigorievna, the commander’s wife, kept a letter dated August 27, 1941. Chernyakhovsky wrote to his wife: “If you saw me now, you wouldn’t recognize me - I’ve lost seventeen kilograms. Not a single belt fits, all are too big. Even the watch bracelet slips off my hand. I also dream of washing and shaving. The beard, like that of a sixty-year-old grandfather, has long been accustomed to it. However, all this does not prevent me from commanding with the same passion as always ... "

In February 1942, the Chernyakhovites took an active part in encircling and holding the enemy army of seventy thousand in the “Demyansk Cauldron” for two months. During the same period of time, the military council of the army nominated Chernyakhovsky for the second time to the rank of general. And for successful offensive battles to encircle enemy troops, Ivan Danilovich received the second Order of the Red Banner of Battle. On May 5, 1942, the young military leader was awarded the rank of major general. In July of the same year, during intense fighting near Voronezh, Chernyakhovsky was shell-shocked. Soon he was appointed commander of the Sixtieth Army, which in January 1943 took part in the Voronezh-Kostornensky offensive operation on the Upper Don. On February 4, 1943, the Presidium of the Supreme Council presented the young army commander with the third Order of the Red Banner of Battle for his significant contribution to the successful conduct of this offensive operation.

Army General Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky, commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, 1944

In February, in just five days, Chernyakhovsky’s army, shackled by continuous battles, managed to reach Kursk, covering ninety kilometers and liberating more than three hundred and fifty villages and villages from the Germans. On the day of the liberation of Kursk, February 8, the general was awarded the Order of Suvorov, first degree, and on February 14 he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. The Sixtieth Army showed itself heroically during the Kharkov offensive operation, overcoming over three hundred kilometers in battles. During the winter battles, the Chernyakhovites managed to destroy about thirty-five thousand Nazis, over sixteen thousand enemy officers and soldiers were captured.

From the memoirs of Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky’s second child, Oleg: “Our father loved music very much. We moved often, but we always took the guitar with us. He played it well and sang in a beautiful baritone. He preferred Ukrainian songs. He was strict in his upbringing. We had to study well so as not to let him down. He told us about this all the time. Even from the front he wrote: “Join the ranks of excellent students. This is your father's position." He was convinced that everyone should do their duty, and our duty was to study well. By the way, my sister and I graduated from school with gold medals.”

After the liberation of Chernigov, on September 21, the Supreme Council issued a Decree awarding Chernyakhovsky the second Order of Suvorov, first degree, for his personal contribution and skillful leadership of the operations to liberate Glukhov, Konotop and Bakhmach. In October 1943, Ivan Danilovich’s army, already as part of the Voronezh Front, took part in crossing the Dnieper River, and for his heroism and courage during the fighting, on October 17 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. After participating in stubborn battles on the Kiev bridgehead and liberating territories in the Zhytomyr direction from the Nazis, on January 10, 1944, Chernyakhovsky was again presented with an award - the Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky, first degree, and in March he became a colonel general.

The skill of the young military leader grew from battle to battle. Ivan Danilovich worked painstakingly on each operation, polishing everything down to the smallest detail and always adding something new to them, born in battle. In April 1944, Chernyakhovsky was summoned to Joseph Stalin, where from the leader’s lips he learned that he had become commander of the third Belorussian Front (and this at the age of thirty-eight). Under the leadership of Ivan Danilovich, units of the Third Belorussian Front from the end of June to the end of August successfully carried out the Vitebsk-Orsha, Minsk, Vilnius and Kaunas operations. And during October, separate parts of the Chernyakhovsky Front participated together with the First Baltic in the Memel operation, when large German forces were isolated, after which Soviet troops were able to enter East Prussia. Chernyakhovsky was never afraid of his opponent, but he also did not underestimate him, patiently studied the wolfish manners of the fascists and swiftly struck in their most sensitive places and at the most unexpected time. Later, the Nazis began to follow him. Everywhere where his troops appeared, the enemy tried to improve and further strengthen his defenses.

In July, units of the Third Belorussian Front liberated Minsk, and then Vilnius. For the successful conduct of the Belarusian operation, Chernyakhovsky was awarded the Gold Star medal for the second time with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. And already in early August, after the liberation of Kaunas, one of the artillery brigades, which was part of the front commanded by Chernyakhovsky, was the first to begin shelling German territory from a distance of seventeen and a half kilometers. From mid-October 1944, troops of the Third Belorussian Front carried out the Gumbinnen-Goldap operation, and from January 13, 1945, Chernyakhovsky was at the head of the Insterburg-Koenigsberg operation, during which his troops reached Konigsberg, blocking a large East Prussian group of Nazis. On November 3, 1944, Ivan Danilovich was awarded the fourth Order of the Red Banner of Battle.

When Chernyakhovsky’s troops entered Lithuania and fought for the liberation of Vilnius, Ivan Danilovich, in order to save this wonderful city from destruction, gave the order not to fire at it with heavy guns or bomb it. The city was taken as a result of roundabout maneuvers, avoiding destruction. For this, the Lithuanian people expressed great gratitude to the commander; our troops in Vilnius were greeted with flowers. It’s insulting and sad to see how recently the newly minted SS sycophants and Baltic national revanchists have been doing everything to denigrate and belittle the feat of our soldiers and officers, the role of Commander Chernyakhovsky in the liberation of the Baltic republics.

Such a brilliant and victorious career of the most talented Russian general ended unexpectedly and horribly. On February 18, 1945, during Chernyakhovsky’s tour of the units entrusted to him in the area of ​​the Polish city of Melzak (Penenzhno), twenty meters behind the all-terrain vehicle in which the commander was riding, a shell exploded from nowhere. A heavy fragment, having pierced the wall of the cabin and the seat, mortally wounded Chernyakhovsky, who was sitting behind the wheel, in the chest. The military leader was conscious for some time and even managed to tell General A.V. Gorbatov, the first to arrive at the scene of the tragedy, had his farewell words: “Is this really all? Am I killed? Then Ivan Danilovich lost consciousness and died on the way to the nearest medical battalion.

It is known that Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky once said: “I don’t want to die in my bed, I prefer dying in a hot battle.”

The body of Ivan Danilovich was first buried in one of the Vilnius squares. A monument to the hero was erected nearby, and the city of Insterburg, located in the Kaliningrad region, was renamed Chernyakhovsk in recognition of the general’s services to the people of Lithuania. During the funeral of the military leader in the capital of the Soviet Union, a salute of one hundred and twenty-four guns thundered in honor of the hero. This is exactly how many victories the military units he led won during combat operations.

An interesting fact is that on February 19, an order was to be issued to award Chernyakhovsky the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union, which was revoked by Stalin immediately after his death.

The dazzling star of Chernyakhovsky traced the sky and crashed in front of everyone. Many military experts are sure that he did not have time to demonstrate his talent to its full potential, but what he did arouses great admiration. Ivan Danilovich began as a shepherd.

His opponents - the best German commanders - went through elite cadet schools and trenches of the First World War, and had vast experience in brainstorming. However, the Ukrainian orphan outplayed the Aryans, defeating them over and over again on their own fields. Armed with specialized literature, anyone can familiarize themselves with the original decisions of General Chernyakhovsky, his “increasing” and “double” strikes of infantry and tank formations in swampy and forested areas, sudden counter-offensives that led to the dismemberment and encirclement of enemy formations. Ivan Danilovich was a true master of ranking infantry, mechanized and cavalry attacks, massive fire suppression of well-fortified enemy bastions, as well as many other tactical innovations.

The name of Ivan Chernyakhovsky was well known not only here, but also abroad. Having learned about the tragedy, in a special letter to Stalin dated February 20, 1945, Winston Churchill expressed condolences over the death of the general, emphasizing that “the skill and deeds of this brilliant, brave officer aroused great admiration among the entire British army and the British government.”

Information sources:
http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=327
http://www.rg.ru/2005/02/18/chernyaxovskiy.html
http://www.marshals-victory.senat.org/amvasilevsky/Suharev_A.html
http://militera.lib.ru/bio/sharipov/index.html

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The officially accepted version of “from a random fragment” these days flourishes in the memories of some veterans with details like the following: “Commander of our 3rd Belorussian Front Chernyakhovsky died in February 1945 by accident: I didn’t listen to the traffic controller and came under fire.”

But there are other versions.

The text fragments published below are not the result of my independent archival and documentary investigation. In Minsk we have no documents from SMERSH counterintelligence about the death of Chernyakhovsky. I can judge responsibly about some other military events, because I examined documents in the National Archive, in the Central Archive of the KGB of the Republic of Belarus. But in this case, a selection of texts is offered that does not contain references to documents of the “fund-inventory-case-sheet” type. What I bought for is what I sell for. So what to do...

Someday in Russia the materials of the investigation into the death of Chernyakhovsky will be declassified. In the meantime, we have to read free speeches on this topic. They began with an article in the Belarusian newspaper “Banner of Youth” dated May 16, 1995, under the fashionable heading in the era of glasnost “History without blank spots”:

A new version death of General Chernyakhovsky

In April 1945, Paklya wrote in his diary: “ ...Everyone loved him - and now this is an absurd death. About 10–15 kilometers from the front line, where Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky often visited, a random shell exploded. A large fragment, passing between two adjutants sitting behind him, hit the general in the back. The wound was fatal. The funeral train from Insterburg (East Prussia) headed to Vilnius, which had recently been liberated by troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front. Here, on the main street in a small park, Ivan Danilovich was buried...»

“Tow” is a playful nickname for Mikhail Ivanovich Savin, a photojournalist for the newspaper of the Belarusian Military District (the correct name in those days was “Belarusian-Lithuanian Military District.” - S.K.) “Krasnoarmeyskaya Pravda.” Mikhail Savin went through the Patriotic War, as they say, “from bell to bell.” The lens of his camera captured I.D. Chernyakhovsky lying in a coffin before the general was lowered into a grave in the center of Vilnius. But Paklya did not know, and probably could not know, the true circumstances of the death of the famous commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

On a February morning, General Chernyakhovsky, together with his adjutants, accompanied by guards, left in a passenger car for Kovno (Kaunas). The entire front knew that Chernyakhovsky had a luxurious German Opel Admiral, which the commander valued very much. The general, in a captured limousine, was heading to the army hospital where his “combat girlfriend”, a military doctor from the medical service, worked. We had a great time in Kovno: there was a lot of drinking, music, and dancing. In the morning, the black Opel was already rushing the general and his retinue west to the location of the front headquarters. On the way, trouble happened: the driver of the car “caught” a T-34 tank going towards the front. Of course, it was a pity for the Opel: the entire front was dented. The enraged general got out of the car and demanded the commander of the combat vehicle. " Commander of the first tank reconnaissance company, senior lieutenant Savelyev", the tanker introduced himself. Eyewitnesses claim that Chernyakhovsky, drunk since the night before, pulled a pistol from his holster and shot the lieutenant right there on the spot. Then the general got back into the dented limousine and, overtaking the tank column, drove on. A few moments later, Chernyakhovsky, as Paklya described in his diary, was mortally wounded by a shell fragment that exploded next to the retreating Opel Admiral. The orphaned crew of the ill-fated tank fired at the car of the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front from a distance of about 400 meters... It happened on February 18, 1945.

Our information: Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich. Born in the village of Oksanina, Uman district, Kyiv province (now Cherkasy region of Ukraine) in the family of a railway worker. Soviet military leader, in the Red Army since 1924, army general (1944), twice Hero of the Soviet Union, since April 24, 1944 - commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. J. Stalin's favorite.

Ales VETER, especially for the newspaper “Banner of Youth”.

A decade and a half after this publication, the tragic events of February 18, 1945 were described in a blog run by a military observer “ Komsomolskaya Pravda» Colonel Viktor Baranets:

“How did Chernyakhovsky die?

My longtime acquaintance, Pyotr (reserve officer), a man maniacally in love with military history, sent me material entitled “A New Version of the Death of Chernyakhovsky.” The author is a hereditary officer.

I have my own attitude towards this material. It's contradictory. Probably, it cannot be different if you “test your teeth” with a strong mixture of documents, witness statements and semi-lyrical tales.

But in any case, all this is interesting. Reading the text:

“The army’s favorite Ivan Chernyakhovsky once said: “I don’t want to die in bed, I prefer to die in a hot battle.”

On February 18, 1945, troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front surrounded the city and fortress of Königsberg. On the same day, the front commander, Army General Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky, died in battle...

How did the general die? In the epic film “Liberation,” director Ozerov filmed the scene of the death of the Soviet military leader in some detail. It would seem that what else should be added? But when you start comparing archival documents, memoirs of commanders with the memories of ordinary participants in the war, you come across a lot of contradictions...

February 18, 1945. East Prussia. South-west of the city of Melzak (now Penenzhno, Poland).

Two staff vehicles were racing along the road towards the front - an Emka and an open Willys behind it. The cars, without slowing down, drove around potholes and craters from bombs and shells. At the same time, the headlights hummed and flashed continuously. Forcing drivers of oncoming trucks to hug the side of the road. But what about it? From everything you can see - high management. And with him - no joke.

A tank column appeared ahead. "Thirty-four" stretched for one and a half kilometers. “Emka” and “Willis” take to the left and immediately begin overtaking. But the horn signal melts into the roar of powerful tank engines and the clanging of tracks. The mechanics sitting behind the levers in their leather headsets do not see the overtaking cars.

The column occupied the lion's share of the roadway. Therefore, cars had to drive along the side of the road.

One of the tanks marching in the column suddenly turned sharply to the left. The driver of the Emka turns the steering wheel abruptly to avoid a collision. But the car still clings to the tank’s track with its wing. "Emka" is thrown to the side, it slides into a ditch and falls on its side.

"Willis" manages to slow down. People in the uniform of NKVD officers jump out of it. The three run towards the overturned car. The fourth fires a rocket launcher and stops the tank column. The tankers are ordered to get out of their combat vehicles and form one line on the highway. Nobody understands anything. Why all this fuss? Well, the car fell into a ditch. Well, what's wrong with that? This doesn’t happen at the front. Tea, not a tragedy...

It turned out to be a tragedy. The general gets out of the overturned car. This is General Chernyakhovsky - commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. He tears and rushes. The tankers hook the Emka with a cable and pull it onto the highway. The car seems to be fine. He can go further.

Meanwhile, the NKVD captain brings the crew commander of the T-34 tank into the field. The same one that he threw the Emka into the ditch. He talks about treason, about working for the Germans, about espionage. To top it all off, he accuses him of trying to kill the general. After this, he takes out his TT and, in front of the tank crew who does not understand anything, shoots the commander of the combat vehicle.

"Emka" is already on the move. The officers take their places. Who's at Emka? Who's at Willys? But the general continues to swear. He yells at the driver. Then he kicks him out of the car, calling him “a worthless degenerate who doesn’t see where he’s going...”. And he gets behind the wheel. The driver sits in the back with the adjutant. The cars suddenly take off and disappear around the bend.

The tankers stand stunned. Unable to say a word. Then they take their places in the combat vehicles. The engines roar and the column begins to move. Suddenly, the turret of one of the tanks begins to move and turns in the direction where the road turns. And where the cars just disappeared. The barrel changes angle and... the gun fires. The column continues to move as if nothing had happened...

The Emka has already moved quite far from the scene of the accident. Suddenly, a whistling sound was heard.

Shelling! - the adjutant shouts. - Comrade General! Take right!

Explosion. The ground shook. One of the fragments pierces the back wall of the car, pierces the back of the seat of the general sitting behind the wheel and gets stuck in the instrument panel.

The general presses the brakes and, with a groan, falls with his chest on the steering wheel...

Nikolai, save me,” Chernyakhovsky groaned, turning to his driver.

Then the general barely got out of the car. I took two steps and fell...

I heard this story several times from war participants. The last time was on the eve of the celebration of the 64th anniversary of the Great Victory at a meeting with veterans. And for the first time - a very long time ago. Still at school. At the lesson of courage in honor of February 23 - Soviet Army Day and Navy. Classroom teacher invited a participant in the Great Patriotic War - the grandfather of our classmate - Andrei Solnintsev. Solnintsev Sr. appeared before us in full regalia - orders, medals. He served as front-line drivers throughout the war. He made one and a half hundred flights along the Road of Life during the siege of Leningrad. He drowned in the ice hole along with his lorry. When he was transporting sacks of flour to a besieged city. Then part of it was transferred to the west. On the roads of East Prussia, he also managed to turn the steering wheel. It was there that I first learned about the strange circumstances of the death of the front commander. SMERSH and the NKVD were furious then. Under threat of being sent to a penal battalion, they were forbidden to talk about it. Because the official version looked completely different - the general died on the battlefield as a hero. From an accidentally flying enemy shell. And why the shell was fired from our rear - we were not allowed to delve into such details...”

And here is an even more fictionalized version of the same story about the “revenge of Soviet tank crews” (Ion Degen. The war never ends):

“... The shooter barely squeezed out the words:

We're tired. Took a nap. And the mechanic trudged along quietly. As you ordered. And the general’s “Jeep” followed us. Who knew him? The road is narrow. There was no way I could overtake him. And when he drove around, he stopped us and let’s scrub. Who, he says, allowed you to sleep on the march? Why, he says, is there no surveillance? For a whole hour, he says, they tricked me. What time is it there? You know it yourself, we just left the forest. The lieutenant, then, is to blame, they say, he was in battle all night, he was tired. And he says - slobs! Why, he says, are the shoulder straps wrinkled? Why isn't the collar buttoned? And let’s go, then, into the mother and into the soul. And the lieutenant say, they say, there is no need to touch the mother. We fight for mothers, they say, and for our homeland. Then the general pulled out a pistol and... And those two, senior lieutenants, had already shot at the dead man, at the lying man. And the driver kicked me off the road. Drunk, apparently.

What were you watching?

What about us? General, after all.

Which general?

Who knows? General Normal. Combined arms.

Lesha was lying face down by the side of the road. puny. Black blood stains, dusted with dust, spread around the holes on the back of the tunic. A lilac-red burdock clung to the sleeve. The feet in boots with wide tops fell into a ditch.

I held on to the towbar. How is this?.. So many attacks and he remained alive. And a letter from mom. And he sent her the certificate. And at school in adjacent beds. And how he fought!

The guys stood silently. The tower was crying, leaning against the armor. I looked at them, seeing almost nothing.

Eh, you! General! They're bastards! Fascists! - I rushed to the tank. It was like lightning struck my crew. A moment - and everyone is in place, faster than me. I didn't even give a command.

The starter howled. The thirty-four rushed down the road like crazy.<...>

"Willis" slipped in front of our noses. I was even able to see these bastards. Somewhere I have already seen the shiny red muzzle of a general. And these are senior lieutenants! Are you scared, you bastards? Scary? Look how they are hung with orders. In battle, you probably won’t live to see such an iconostasis. Warmed up under the general's ass, damned cowards! Is it scary when a tank is chasing you? Even your own. In the crew you would be taught to hide fear to the very bottom of your vile little soul!<...>

Charge!

Yes, shrapnel without a cap!<...>

Calmly. All questions later. Slightly higher than the body. In the interval between senior lieutenants. I tightened the lifting mechanism. Like this. His fingers gently wrapped around the handle. Calmly. Once. Two. Fire!

Rollback. The cartridge clanked. The release handle dug painfully into my palm.

Shattered!

And I still couldn’t tear myself away from the sight. It seemed that what was left of the Jeep was only a few meters away from us.

Dim flame. Black smoke. Brash. Pieces of bloody human flesh. Gray forest, like a German jacket.

Empty. Quiet. Only boiling water bubbles in the radiators. 1957"

Noteworthy is one of the reader’s comments to the above text:

“...for the front commander comrade. Stalin (a bloody villain in the opinion of most forum participants) would have crushed this entire regiment, along with the tanks, into powder. And I don’t think that SMERSH hushed up this matter because (if it had happened) that some lieutenant was spanked. Apparently, no one saw the investigation materials, and in such a large company that was at the scene of the death, someone would have made a mistake... The death of the front commander would not have happened without an investigation. The military prosecutor’s office should have dealt with this, and they don’t give a damn about SMERSH, someone should shoot SMERSH too...”

Let's talk about the main thing again. Someday in Russia the materials of the investigation into the death of Chernyakhovsky will be declassified. In the meantime, we have to read speeches like those quoted above.

Chernyakhovsky

Ivan Danilovich

Battles and victories

Soviet military leader, army general (1944), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1943, 1944). One of the most talented young commanders who emerged during the Great Patriotic War.

He most distinguished himself as commander of the 60th Army and the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

Born in the city of Uman, Cherkasy region (Ukraine), in the family of a railway worker. In 1915 he entered the railway school. After the death of his parents in 1919 from typhus, he began to engage in agricultural work. “After the death of his parents, Vanya was forced to leave school and become a shepherd. It happened that he would drive the herd out into the field, and he would take up his books. Having barely had dinner, he immediately comes to me for an explanation of the new material,” recalled his first teacher L.A. Donets.

From 1920 he worked on the railway as a repair worker and a mechanic's assistant. His Komsomol cell was assigned to the Tulchinsky battalion of special forces (CHON) as the Verbovsky “platoon” of the Vapnyarsky company of CHON. Ivan Chernyakhovsky led the “platoon”, which was equipped with 6 rifles, 2 revolvers, 4 grenades and a box of cartridges. Chernyakhovsky takes part in the defeat of the gangs of Maruska in the Krizhopol forests and Zeleny in the Tomashpol forests. In 1923, Chernyakhovsky’s detachment destroyed the bandit formation of Father Knysh in the Krizhopol area. For the organization of combat operations and personal courage, the commander was awarded a personal combat weapon - a Mauser.

In 1922-1923 - cargo conductor of the 1st state procurement office, then - easel cooper, driver of the Proletary cement plant (Novorossiysk).

The Novorossiysk district committee of the Komsomol in September 1924 sent I.D. Chernyakhovsky to study at the Odessa Infantry School. In 1928 he graduated from the Kyiv Artillery School. “At the artillery school, Chernyakhovsky was one of the most advanced cadets, an excellent athlete, captain of the football team, an active participant in amateur performances, and a battery singer. He had a pleasant baritone and good hearing... For cadet Chernyakhovsky, who was in love with military affairs, there were no such words as “I can’t fulfill”, “I can’t know.” (From the memoirs of Colonel I.I. Tseshkovsky, friend and relative of I.D. Chernyakhovsky.)

Then he served as a platoon commander, head of the regiment's topographic department, assistant battery commander for political affairs, and commander of a reconnaissance training battery in the 17th Horse Artillery Regiment. In 1930 he graduated from evening high school.

In 1931 he entered the Military Technical Academy of the Red Army (since 1932 - student of the command faculty of the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army). After graduating from the Academy with honors, he served as chief of staff of the 2nd separate tank battalion of the 8th mechanized brigade, commander of the 1st separate tank battalion of the 8th mechanized brigade. Since May 1938 - commander of the 9th separate light tank regiment.

In July 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Chernyakhovsky was appointed commander of the 28th Tank Division. The division included more than two hundred tanks and one hundred armored vehicles, about ten thousand soldiers and commanders.

In the spring of 1941, a new division commander arrived in the 28th Tank Division, where I served. It was Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky. Despite his youth, the lieutenant colonel showed exceptional maturity in determining the degree of combat and political training. Everyone understood that quiet life ended... If someone was driving the tank uncertainly or did not meet the fire standard, Ivan Danilovich, with particular kindness, showed how to achieve good results. There was no case where he would reprimand someone who made a mistake. Being a naturally generously gifted person (he played the guitar, accordion, and sang well), Chernyakhovsky paid attention to the mental state of soldiers and soldier cohesion. He really loved and appreciated cheerfulness in people. All these wonderful qualities of the strong-willed division commander, who soon became a colonel, cemented us and drew us warmly to him.

B.I. Vinogradov, driver I.D. Chernyakhovsky

It was in this position that Chernyakhovsky met the war. He fought in battles southwest of Siauliai, on the Western Dvina, near Soltsy, and defended Novgorod. According to recollections, the division commander himself went on the attack and knocked out a German T-IV. January 16, 1942 By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “for the clear organization of the defense of Novgorod, personal participation in the organization and conduct of battles, the education of dozens of young fearless commanders, courage and courage” I.D. Chernyakhovsky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Until June 1942, he commanded the 241st Rifle Division, which performed well in the winter of 1942 when surrounded by units of the 16th German army in the Demyansk region. By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 3, 1942 “for offensive battles to encircle the Demyansk group of the 16th German Army” I.D. Chernyakhovsky was awarded the second Order of the Red Banner. On May 5, 1942, Colonel Chernyakhovsky was awarded the rank of major general.

In June - July 1942 he led the newly formed 18th Tank Corps on the Voronezh Front. During fierce battles he received a shell shock. Despite enormous difficulties, the 18th Tank Corps, together with formations of the 40th and 60th armies, stopped the further advance of the enemy near Voronezh. At the urgent request of General N.F., who headed the Voronezh Front on July 14. Vatutin, who highly appreciated the actions of this young, strong-willed and educated commander, Chernyakhovsky was appointed commander of the 60th Army (until April 1944). Three days I.D. Chernyakhovsky was checking the condition of the units and was extremely dissatisfied with the situation. The army commander carried out a number of measures to strengthen the defense.

Army troops successfully operated in the Voronezh-Kastornensky operation, during which they squeezed the ring around the enemy from the south and east and captured over 5,000 enemy soldiers and officers. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 4, 1943, I.D. Chernyakhovsky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for the third time for the liberation of Voronezh.

Getting acquainted with the troops of the 60th Army, transferred to us from the Voronezh Front, I looked closely at General I.D. Chernyakhovsky. He was a wonderful commander. Young, cultured, cheerful. Amazing man! It was clear that the army loved him very much.

Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky

In February 1943, Chernyakhovsky's army took part in the liberation of Kursk. In five days of continuous fighting, army troops marched 90 kilometers from the Tim River to the city of Kursk and liberated 350 Soviet villages. K.K. Rokossovsky recalled: “If in the main direction our units, as a result of heavy fighting during the four days of the offensive, advanced only 20-25 kilometers, then the skillfully organized attack by Chernyakhovsky immediately brought more tangible results. Without encountering strong enemy opposition, the troops of the 60th Army advanced far forward. Taking advantage of the emerging success in this direction, we immediately began to strengthen Chernyakhovsky’s army with front-line reserves and gave it aviation.” On the day of the liberation of Kursk - February 8 - the young commander was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. On February 14, 1943, Ivan Danilovich received the rank of lieutenant general.

Having rather timidly begun his first offensive army operation, and in extremely unfavorable weather conditions, he, quickly gaining control of himself and taking the army into his hands, brilliantly completed the task, liberating Voronezh on the very first day. An even more brilliant result of the operational leadership on the part of the young army commander was fighting his army during the capture of Kursk: the city was taken within 24 hours.

Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky

By the beginning of March 1943, the 60th Army reached the Seim River. The army was reassigned to the Kursk Front, then included in the Central Front, in which it took part in Battle of Kursk and the liberation of Left Bank Ukraine. During the offensive in August - September 1943, the army of I.D. Chernyakhovsky was liberated by Glukhov, Konotop, Bakhmach, Nezhin, expanding the breakthrough along the front to hundreds of kilometers. The army took part in crossing the Desna and Dnieper.

“I visited Chernyakhovsky after his troops liberated Nizhyn. The soldiers and officers experienced an unprecedented upsurge. They forgot about fatigue and rushed forward. Everyone lived with one dream - to take part in the liberation of the capital of Ukraine, recalled K.K. Rokossovsky. - Chernyakhovsky, of course, had this mood. All his actions were permeated by the desire to quickly reach Kyiv. And he achieved a lot. The troops of the 60th Army, sweeping away the remnants of the defeated enemy divisions on their way, moved rapidly, they were already on the approaches to the Ukrainian capital...” On September 21, Chernyakhovsky was awarded the second Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. On September 24, 1943, 306 soldiers of the 60th Army, including its commander, were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Bust I.D. Chernyakhovsky.

1945Sculptor E. Vuchetich

On October 6, the 60th Army was transferred to the Voronezh Front, from November 1943 to April 1944 it was subordinated to the 1st Ukrainian Front, as part of which it took part in the Kyiv offensive operation. Covering the right flank of the 38th Army K.S. Moskalenko, army under the command of I.D. Chernyakhovsky quickly moved west. The commander of the 60th skillfully created superiority over the enemy over the enemy in narrow sectors of the front with the forces and means of the army; his troops broke through the defenses of the German troops, and then expanded the front along the perimeter. Then, during the Kyiv defensive operation of 1943, Soviet troops lost some of the conquered positions, including the city of Zhitomir, which were returned at the beginning of 1944 during the Zhitomir-Berdichev operation.

General Chernyakhovsky was demanding both of the soldiers and of himself. In battle he loved strict discipline. He was always smart. Even in his external image, discipline was visible, and in his gaze one could feel the great willpower of the commander and the deep intelligence of a man. In appearance, General Chernyakhovsky is a handsome Russian hero, in whom one could feel not only physical strength, but also the great willpower of the commander.

Captain L.S. Tserlevskaya

Army General I.D. Chernyakhovsky,

commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. 1944

In the spring of 1944, Chernyakhovsky’s army took part in the Rivne-Lutsk and Proskurov-Chernivtsi operations, during which they liberated hundreds of settlements. Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, who took command of the 1st Ukrainian Front after Vatutin was wounded and a member Supreme Council General Krainyukov, in a telegram to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on March 7, 1944, assessed the actions of Army Commander Chernyakhovsky as follows: “Based on his knowledge and ability to manage troops, the commander of the 60th Army fully deserves the rank of Colonel General.” Ivan Danilovich received a new rank on March 5, 1944.

On April 15, Colonel General Chernyakhovsky was appointed commander of the Western Front (on April 24, the department of the Western Front was renamed the department of the 3rd Belorussian Front). From the memoirs of A.M. Vasilevsky: “I remember Stalin asked me who I could recommend for the post of commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front... As commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, I recommended the candidacy of Colonel General I.D. Chernyakhovsky... First impression of I.D. Chernyakhovsky as a front commander has very good things to say: he works a lot, skillfully and confidently...”

Shtemenko, who was a representative of the Headquarters on the Western Front during this period, also wrote warmly in his memoirs about this appointment: “Chernyakhovsky was not yet widely popular. But he had proven himself excellent as an army commander, had thorough operational training, and had excellent knowledge of artillery and tank forces. He was young (38 years old), energetic, demanding, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to his harsh and difficult work.”

Chernyakhovsky demanded that the task be brought to the attention of the soldier on such a scale that he, following Suvorov’s rule, “understood his maneuver.” The ideas formulated in the commander’s decisions took hold of all the soldiers and found recognition and support among them. I have often heard from the lips of soldiers and commanders: “With such a commander, there is no fear of thick and thin.” We, front staff workers, expected reproaches from the new commander for failures in recent offensive operations. However, to everyone's satisfaction, no one had to hear them. Ivan Danilovich was very polite, self-possessed, sociable, he understood well when to use the word “I”, and never abused it. He was a man of great tact, controlled himself perfectly, and never resorted to reprimands that humiliated the dignity of a warrior. With his arrival, a calm, business-like atmosphere was established at headquarters.

Colonel General A.P. Pokrovsky, former boss headquarters of the 3rd Belorussian Front

During the Belarusian strategic operation in the summer of 1944, I.D. Chernyakhovsky fully demonstrated his talent as a military leader and his ability to quickly and accurately assess the situation and make bold but informed decisions. Front troops led by Chernyakhovsky, together with the 1st Baltic Front, defeated the enemy’s Vitebsk group, and on June 26, 1944, Vitebsk was liberated. Near Minsk, together with the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts, they completed the encirclement of more than 100,000 enemy forces, and on July 3, 1944 they liberated Minsk. In July 1944, troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front carried out the Vilnius operation, as a result of which the cities were liberated. Vilnius and Lida, then crossed the river. Neman. During the assault on Vilnius, Chernyakhovsky ordered not to use heavy weapons and air raids in order to save the city. June 28, 1944 to Chernyakhovsky I.D. was awarded the rank of army general, and on July 29, 1944, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

A.M. Vasilevsky recalled these days: “The day before, I turned to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief by telephone with a petition to assign I.D. Chernyakhovsky for excellent work at the post of front commander with the rank of army general. Stalin advised to send the performance. And on the second day the decision was made, and I gladly welcomed Ivan Danilovich to his new rank.” A.M. Vasilevsky highly appreciated the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front: “Good knowledge of the troops, diverse and complex military equipment, skillful use of the experience of others, deep theoretical knowledge allowed Chernyakhovsky to perfectly control the troops that were part of his front, to solve the most difficult tasks that the Supreme Commander set for him.” High Command. In battle, Chernyakhovsky was in the most critical sectors, closely monitoring the actions of his troops and the enemy. He listened sensitively to the opinions of his subordinates. He boldly used everything new and useful in training troops and organizing battles. Soldiers, officers and generals loved their commander, first of all, for his humanity and concern for them, for courage and fearlessness, for firmness and perseverance in implementing decisions, for directness and simplicity in handling, for humanity and restraint, for being demanding of himself and others. subordinates. Yes, he was strict and demanding. But I never allowed myself to humiliate a person’s dignity...”

On August 1, 1944, the forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front took part in the Kaunas offensive operation and, having liberated the city of Kaunas, reached the borders of East Prussia. Then the front troops took part in the Memel operation of the 1st Baltic Front and carried out the Gumbinnen operation. During the Baltic strategic offensive operation, a 700,000-strong enemy group in the Baltic states was defeated, and 33 German divisions were blocked in Courland. In January 1945, troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, together with units of the 1st Baltic Front, took part in the East Prussian strategic offensive operation and reached the approaches to Koenigsberg. During the fighting, the German 3rd Tank Army was defeated. By the end of the operation, the troops advanced to a depth of 130 km.

A broad military outlook, high general and professional culture, unusual performance and rich experience in training and leading troops allowed him to quickly assess the situation and correctly determine the main thing necessary for making rational decisions... By his very presence, Chernyakhovsky instilled cheerfulness and faith in success into the hearts of the soldiers, directed their enthusiasm towards defeating the enemy.

Marshal I.Kh. Baghramyan

“During the war, some commanders sought to achieve their once-made decision at all costs, although its implementation, due to the changed situation, was often associated with great difficulties and losses in people, material resources, as well as time. General Chernyakhovsky boldly changed the tasks of the front troops, and they achieved brilliant success in defeating the East Prussian enemy group,” recalled Colonel General I.I. Lyudnikov, commander of the 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

On February 18, 1945, near the city of Melzak (now Poland) I.D. Chernyakhovsky was mortally wounded by a fragment of an exploding shell. Chernyakhovsky and his adjutant Komarov were driving a covered GAZ-61 car, and the guards were driving a Jeep. It was quiet at the front. Suddenly, a shell exploded behind the car in which the commander was driving with Komarov. A shrapnel pierced the rear of the car and hit the commander in the upper left back. Ivan Danilovich, feeling that he was wounded, found the strength in himself, got out of the car, but, having taken a step, fell. Addressing Komarov by name, he said: “Is that all, am I really killed?” The commander was quickly taken to the nearest medical unit. But it was impossible to save him; the fragment broke the vessels leading to the heart.

A.M. Vasilevsky recalled with bitterness the death of the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front: “I took the loss of Ivan Danilovich very hard. I knew him closely and well, appreciated in him an excellent commander, the boundless honesty of a communist, and an exceptional human soul.”

“The war spared no one... Chernyakhovsky was already the third front commander who suffered such a sad fate. I was so stunned by this tragic news that I fell silent for a long time, vividly recalling my last meeting with General Chernyakhovsky, his beautiful, unusually expressive face, soulful gaze, energetic gestures, sonorous voice, wrote I.Kh. Bagramyan. - Subsequently it turned out that when Chernyakhovsky was going to the command post of the 3rd Army of General A.V. Gorbatov, a fragment of a shell that exploded nearby pierced his chest. Three quarters of an hour later, Ivan Danilovich died.”

There is evidence that I.D. Chernyakhovsky was nominated for the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union, but died before the promulgation of the Decree. The troops were notified of the death of the commander. We called for merciless revenge on the enemy for our great loss. It was truly a grave loss for the Red Army - Chernyakhovsky was young, talented and could still give a lot to our Armed Forces.

A.V. Gorbatov, commander of the 3rd Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front

I.D. Chernyakhovsky was buried in Vilnius, liberated by his troops, and a monument was erected on his grave. In 1991, the monument was moved to Voronezh, and the general’s ashes were reburied in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery. The city of Insterburg, Kaliningrad region, was renamed Chernyakhovsk in 1946.

Awards: Order of Lenin, 4 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of Kutuzov 1st degree, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 1st degree, medals.

GLUKHAREV N.N., Ph.D.

Literature

Alekseev.N.I. A life cut short by a shrapnel. M., 1983

Karpov V. Army General Chernyakhovsky. M., 2006

Kuznetsov P.G. General Chernyakhovsky. M., 1969

Daines V.O. General Chernyakhovsky. Genius of defense and offense. M., 2007

Sukharev A.Ya. The legendary Chernyakhovsky: all life is a feat. M., 2005

Tatarenko L.S. Ivan Chernyakhovsky. Kyiv, 1985

Internet

Izylmetyev Ivan Nikolaevich

Commanded the frigate "Aurora". He made the transition from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka in a record time for those times in 66 days. In Callao Bay he eluded the Anglo-French squadron. Having arrived in Petropavlovsk together with the governor of the Kamchatka Territory, Zavoiko V. organized the defense of the city, during which the sailors from the Aurora, together with local residents They threw an outnumbered Anglo-French landing force into the sea. Then they took the Aurora to the Amur Estuary, hiding it there. After these events, the English public demanded a trial of the admirals who had lost the Russian frigate.

His Serene Highness Prince Wittgenstein Peter Christianovich

For the defeat of the French units of Oudinot and MacDonald at Klyastitsy, thereby closing the road for the French army to St. Petersburg in 1812. Then in October 1812 he defeated the corps of Saint-Cyr at Polotsk. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian-Prussian armies in April-May 1813.

Monomakh Vladimir Vsevolodovich

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

The commander under whose command white army With smaller forces, in 1.5 years she won victories over the Red Army and captured the North Caucasus, Crimea, Novorossia, Donbass, Ukraine, Don, part of the Volga region and the central black earth provinces of Russia. He retained the dignity of his Russian name during the Second World War, refusing to cooperate with the Nazis, despite his irreconcilably anti-Soviet position

Baklanov Yakov Petrovich

An outstanding strategist and a mighty warrior, he achieved the respect and fear of his name among the uncovered mountaineers, who had forgotten the iron grip of the “Thunderstorm of the Caucasus”. At the moment - Yakov Petrovich, an example of the spiritual strength of a Russian soldier in front of the proud Caucasus. His talent crushed the enemy and minimized the time frame of the Caucasian War, for which he received the nickname “Boklu”, akin to the devil for his fearlessness.

Because he inspires many by personal example.

Gorbaty-Shuisky Alexander Borisovich

Hero of the Kazan War, first governor of Kazan

Spiridov Grigory Andreevich

He became a sailor under Peter I, participated as an officer in the Russian-Turkish War (1735-1739), and ended the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) as a rear admiral. His naval and diplomatic talent reached its peak during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. In 1769 he led the first passage of the Russian fleet from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the difficulties of the transition (the admiral's son was among those who died from illness - his grave was recently found on the island of Menorca), he quickly established control over the Greek archipelago. Chesme fight in June 1770 remained unsurpassed in terms of loss ratio: 11 Russians - 11 thousand Turks! On the island of Paros, the naval base of Auza was equipped with coastal batteries and its own Admiralty.
The Russian fleet left the Mediterranean Sea after the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace in July 1774. The Greek islands and lands of the Levant, including Beirut, were returned to Turkey in exchange for territories in the Black Sea region. However, the activities of the Russian fleet in the Archipelago were not in vain and played a significant role in world naval history. Russia, having made a strategic maneuver with its fleet from one theater to another and achieved a number of high-profile victories over the enemy, for the first time made people talk about itself as a strong maritime power and an important player in European politics.

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich

“There is a city in vast Russia to which my heart is given, it went down in history as STALINGRAD...” V.I. Chuikov

Paskevich Ivan Fedorovich

Hero of Borodin, Leipzig, Paris (division commander)
As commander-in-chief, he won 4 companies (Russian-Persian 1826-1828, Russian-Turkish 1828-1829, Polish 1830-1831, Hungarian 1849).
Knight of the Order of St. George, 1st degree - for the capture of Warsaw (the order, according to the statute, was awarded either for the salvation of the fatherland, or for the capture of the enemy capital).
Field Marshal.

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

He made the greatest contribution as a strategist to the victory in the Great Patriotic War (aka World War II).

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

During the Patriotic War, Stalin led all the armed forces of our homeland and coordinated their military operations. It is impossible not to note his merits in competent planning and organization of military operations, in the skillful selection of military leaders and their assistants. Joseph Stalin proved himself not only as an outstanding commander who competently led all fronts, but also as an excellent organizer who carried out enormous work to increase the country's defense capability both in the pre-war and during the war years.

A short list of military awards of I.V. Stalin received by him during the Second World War:
Order of Suvorov, 1st class
Medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
Order "Victory"
Medal "Golden Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union
Medal "For victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Medal "For Victory over Japan"

Stalin (Dzhugashvilli) Joseph

Pozharsky Dmitry Mikhailovich

In 1612, during the most difficult time for Russia, he led the Russian militia and liberated the capital from the hands of the conquerors.
Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky (November 1, 1578 - April 30, 1642) - Russian national hero, military and political figure, head of the Second People's Militia, which liberated Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian occupiers. His name and the name of Kuzma Minin are closely associated with the country’s exit from the Time of Troubles, which is currently celebrated in Russia on November 4th.
After the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the Russian throne, D. M. Pozharsky plays a leading role at the royal court as a talented military leader and statesman. Despite the victory of the people's militia and the election of the Tsar, the war in Russia still continued. In 1615-1616 Pozharsky, on the instructions of the tsar, was sent at the head of a large army to fight the detachments of the Polish colonel Lisovsky, who besieged the city of Bryansk and took Karachev. After the fight with Lisovsky, the tsar instructs Pozharsky in the spring of 1616 to collect the fifth money from merchants into the treasury, since the wars did not stop and the treasury was depleted. In 1617, the tsar instructed Pozharsky to conduct diplomatic negotiations with British Ambassador John Merik, appointing Pozharsky as governor of Kolomensky. In the same year, the Polish prince Vladislav came to the Moscow state. Residents of Kaluga and its neighboring cities turned to the tsar with a request to send them D. M. Pozharsky to protect them from the Poles. The Tsar fulfilled the request of the Kaluga residents and gave an order to Pozharsky on October 18, 1617 to protect Kaluga and surrounding cities by all available measures. Prince Pozharsky fulfilled the tsar's order with honor. Having successfully defended Kaluga, Pozharsky received an order from the tsar to go to the aid of Mozhaisk, namely to the city of Borovsk, and began to harass the troops of Prince Vladislav with flying detachments, causing them significant damage. However, at the same time, Pozharsky became very ill and, at the behest of the tsar, returned to Moscow. Pozharsky, having barely recovered from his illness, took an active part in defending the capital from Vladislav’s troops, for which Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich awarded him new fiefs and estates.

Kornilov Lavr Georgievich

KORNILOV Lavr Georgievich (08/18/1870-04/31/1918) Colonel (02/1905). Major General (12/1912). Lieutenant General (08/26/1914). Infantry General (06/30/1917). Graduated from the Mikhailovsky Artillery School (1892) and with a gold medal from the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff (1898). Officer at the headquarters of the Turkestan Military District, 1889-1904. Participant in the Russian-Japanese War 1904 - 1905: staff officer of the 1st Infantry Brigade (at its headquarters). During the retreat from Mukden, the brigade got surrounded. Having led the rearguard, he broke through the encirclement with a bayonet attack, ensuring freedom of defensive combat operations for the brigade. Military attaché in China, 04/01/1907 - 02/24/1911. Participant in the First World War: commander of the 48th Infantry Division of the 8th Army (General Brusilov). During the general retreat, the 48th Division was surrounded and General Kornilov, who was wounded, was captured on 04.1915 at the Duklinsky Pass (Carpathians); 08.1914-04.1915. Captured by the Austrians, 04.1915-06.1916. Dressed in the uniform of an Austrian soldier, he escaped from captivity on 06/1915. Commander of the 25th Rifle Corps, 06/1916-04/1917. Commander of the Petrograd Military District, 03-04/1917. Commander of the 8th Army, 04/24-07/8/1917. On 05/19/1917, by his order, he introduced the formation of the first volunteer “1st Shock Detachment of the 8th Army” under the command of Captain Nezhentsev. Commander of the Southwestern Front...

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

October 3, 2013 marks the 80th anniversary of the death in the French city of Cannes of the Russian military leader, commander of the Caucasian Front, hero of Mukden, Sarykamysh, Van, Erzurum (thanks to the complete defeat of the 90,000th Turkish army Constantinople and the Bosphorus with the Dardanelles), the savior of the Armenian people from the complete Turkish genocide, holder of three Orders of George and the highest order of France, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor, General Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich, went to Russia.

It's simple - It was he, as a commander, who made the greatest contribution to the defeat of Napoleon. He saved the army under the most difficult conditions, despite misunderstandings and grave accusations of treason. It is to him that ours is practically a contemporary of those events great poet Pushkin dedicated the poem "Commander".
Pushkin, recognizing Kutuzov's merits, did not oppose him to Barclay. In place of the common alternative “Barclay or Kutuzov,” with the traditional resolution in favor of Kutuzov, Pushkin came to a new position: both Barclay and Kutuzov are both worthy of the grateful memory of posterity, but Kutuzov is revered by everyone, but Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly is undeservedly forgotten.
Pushkin mentioned Barclay de Tolly even earlier, in one of the chapters of “Eugene Onegin” -

Thunderstorm of the twelfth year
It has arrived - who helped us here?
The frenzy of the people
Barclay, winter or Russian god?...

Saltykov Petr Semenovich

One of those commanders who managed to inflict exemplary defeats on one of the best commanders in Europe in the 18th century - Frederick II of Prussia

Saltykov Pyotr Semyonovich

The commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War, was the main architect of the key victories of the Russian troops.

Donskoy Dmitry Ivanovich

His army won the Kulikovo victory.

Romanov Pyotr Alekseevich

During the endless discussions about Peter I as a politician and reformer, it is unfairly forgotten that he was the greatest commander of his time. He was not only an excellent organizer of the rear. In the two most important battles of the Northern War (the battles of Lesnaya and Poltava), he not only himself developed battle plans, but also personally led the troops, being in the most important, responsible directions.
The only commander I know of who was equally talented in both land and sea battles.
The main thing is that Peter I created a domestic military school. If all the great commanders of Russia are the heirs of Suvorov, then Suvorov himself is the heir of Peter.
The Battle of Poltava was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) victory in Russian history. In all the other great aggressive invasions of Russia, the general battle did not have a decisive outcome, and the struggle dragged on and went to exhaustion. It was only in the Northern War that the general battle radically changed the state of affairs, and from the attacking side the Swedes became the defending side, decisively losing the initiative.
I believe that Peter I deserves to be in the top three on the list of the best commanders of Russia.

Rumyantsev Pyotr Alexandrovich

Russian military leader and statesman, who ruled Little Russia throughout the reign of Catherine II (1761-96). During the Seven Years' War he commanded the capture of Kolberg. For victories over the Turks at Larga, Kagul and others, which led to the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace, he was awarded the title “Transdanubian”. In 1770 he received the rank of Field Marshal. Knight of the Russian orders of St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. George 1st class and St. Vladimir 1st class, Prussian Black Eagle and St. Anna 1st class

Kotlyarevsky Petr Stepanovich

Hero of the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813.
"Meteor General" and "Caucasian Suvorov".
He fought not with numbers, but with skill - first, 450 Russian soldiers attacked 1,200 Persian Sardars in the Migri fortress and took it, then 500 of our soldiers and Cossacks attacked 5,000 askers at the crossing of the Araks. They destroyed more than 700 enemies; only 2,500 Persian soldiers managed to escape from ours.
In both cases, our losses were less than 50 killed and up to 100 wounded.
Further, in the war against the Turks, with a swift attack, 1,000 Russian soldiers defeated the 2,000-strong garrison of the Akhalkalaki fortress.
Then again, in the Persian direction, he cleared Karabakh of the enemy, and then, with 2,200 soldiers, he defeated Abbas Mirza with a 30,000-strong army at Aslanduz, a village near the Araks River. In two battles, he destroyed more than 10,000 enemies, including English advisers and artillerymen.
As usual, Russian losses amounted to 30 killed and 100 wounded.
Kotlyarevsky won most of his victories in night assaults on fortresses and enemy camps, not allowing the enemies to come to their senses.
The last campaign - 2000 Russians against 7000 Persians to the Lenkoran fortress, where Kotlyarevsky almost died during the assault, lost consciousness at times from loss of blood and pain from wounds, but still commanded the troops until the final victory, as soon as he regained consciousness, and then was forced take a long time to heal and retire from military affairs.
His exploits for the glory of Russia are much greater than the “300 Spartans” - for our commanders and warriors more than once defeated an enemy 10 times superior, and suffered minimal losses, saving Russian lives.

Tsarevich and Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich

Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the second son of Emperor Paul I, received the title of Tsesarevich in 1799 for his participation in the Swiss campaign of A.V. Suvorov, and retained it until 1831. In the Battle of Austrlitz he commanded the Guards Reserve of the Russian Army, took part in the Patriotic War of 1812, and distinguished himself in the foreign campaigns of the Russian Army. For the “Battle of the Nations” at Leipzig in 1813 he received the “golden weapon” “For bravery!” Inspector General of the Russian Cavalry, since 1826 Viceroy of the Kingdom of Poland.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

Participated in the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-91 and the Russian-Swedish War of 1788-90. He distinguished himself during the war with France in 1806-07 at Preussisch-Eylau, and from 1807 he commanded a division. During the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-09 he commanded a corps; led the successful crossing of the Kvarken Strait in the winter of 1809. In 1809-10, Governor-General of Finland. From January 1810 to September 1812, Minister of War, held great job to strengthen the Russian army, he separated the intelligence and counterintelligence service into a separate production. In the Patriotic War of 1812 he commanded the 1st Western Army, and, as Minister of War, the 2nd Western Army was subordinate to him. In conditions of significant superiority of the enemy, he showed his talent as a commander and successfully carried out the withdrawal and unification of the two armies, which earned M.I. Kutuzov such words as THANK YOU DEAR FATHER!!! SAVED THE ARMY!!! SAVED RUSSIA!!!. However, the retreat caused discontent in noble circles and the army, and on August 17 Barclay surrendered command of the armies to M.I. Kutuzov. In the Battle of Borodino he commanded the right wing of the Russian army, showing steadfastness and skill in defense. He recognized the position chosen by L. L. Bennigsen near Moscow as unsuccessful and supported M. I. Kutuzov’s proposal to leave Moscow at the military council in Fili. In September 1812, due to illness, he left the army. In February 1813 he was appointed commander of the 3rd and then the Russian-Prussian army, which he successfully commanded during the foreign campaigns of the Russian army of 1813-14 (Kulm, Leipzig, Paris). Buried in the Beklor estate in Livonia (now Jõgeveste Estonia)

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

Linevich Nikolai Petrovich

Nikolai Petrovich Linevich (December 24, 1838 - April 10, 1908) - a prominent Russian military figure, infantry general (1903), adjutant general (1905); general who took Beijing by storm.

Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich

Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak (November 4 (November 16), 1874, St. Petersburg, - February 7, 1920, Irkutsk) - Russian oceanographer, one of the largest polar explorers late XIX- beginning of the 20th century, military and political figure, naval commander, full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (1906), admiral (1918), leader of the White movement, Supreme Ruler of Russia.

Participant of the Russian-Japanese War, Defense of Port Arthur. During the First World War, he commanded the mine division of the Baltic Fleet (1915-1916), the Black Sea Fleet (1916-1917). Knight of St. George.
The leader of the White movement both on a nationwide scale and directly in the East of Russia. As the Supreme Ruler of Russia (1918-1920), he was recognized by all the leaders of the White movement, “de jure” by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, “de facto” by the Entente states.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.

Vatutin Nikolay Fedorovich

Operations "Uranus", "Little Saturn", "Leap", etc. and so on.
A true war worker

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War. Under his leadership, the Red Army crushed fascism.

Minich Burchard-Christopher

One of the best Russian commanders and military engineers. The first commander to enter Crimea. Winner at Stavuchany.

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich

Soldier, several wars (including World War I and World War II). passed the way to Marshal of the USSR and Poland. Military intellectual. did not resort to “obscene leadership”. He knew the subtleties of military tactics. practice, strategy and operational art.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief during the Great Patriotic War, in which our country won, and made all strategic decisions.

Vorotynsky Mikhail Ivanovich

“Drafter of the statutes of the watchdog and border service” is, of course, good. For some reason, we have forgotten the Battle of YOUTH from July 29 to August 2, 1572. But it was precisely with this victory that Moscow’s right to many things was recognized. They recaptured a lot of things for the Ottomans, the thousands of destroyed Janissaries sobered them up, and unfortunately they also helped Europe. The Battle of YOUTH is very difficult to overestimate

Markov Sergey Leonidovich

One of the main heroes of the early stage of the Russian-Soviet war.
Veteran of the Russian-Japanese, First World War and Civil War. Knight of the Order of St. George 4th class, Order of St. Vladimir 3rd class and 4th class with swords and bow, Order of St. Anne 2nd, 3rd and 4th class, Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd and 3rd th degrees. Holder of the St. George's Arms. Outstanding military theorist. Member of the Ice Campaign. An officer's son. Hereditary nobleman of the Moscow Province. He graduated from the General Staff Academy and served in the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade. One of the commanders of the Volunteer Army at the first stage. He died the death of the brave.

Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky Pyotr Alexandrovich

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

according to the only criterion - invincibility.

Blucher, Tukhachevsky

Blucher, Tukhachevsky and the whole galaxy of heroes of the Civil War. Don't forget Budyonny!

Gavrilov Pyotr Mikhailovich

From the first days of the Great Patriotic War - in the active army. Major Gavrilov P.M. from June 22 to July 23, 1941 he led the defense of the Eastern Fort Brest Fortress. He managed to rally around himself all the surviving soldiers and commanders of various units and divisions, closing the most vulnerable places for the enemy to break through. On July 23, he was seriously wounded by a shell explosion in the casemate and was captured in an unconscious state. He spent the war years in the Nazi concentration camps of Hammelburg and Revensburg, experiencing all the horrors of captivity. Liberated by Soviet troops in May 1945. http://warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=484

Shein Mikhail Borisovich

He headed the Smolensk defense against Polish-Lithuanian troops, which lasted 20 months. Under the command of Shein, multiple attacks were repelled, despite the explosion and a hole in the wall. He held back and bled the main forces of the Poles at the decisive moment of the Time of Troubles, preventing them from moving to Moscow to support their garrison, creating the opportunity to gather an all-Russian militia to liberate the capital. Only with the help of a defector, the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth managed to take Smolensk on June 3, 1611. The wounded Shein was captured and taken with his family to Poland for 8 years. After returning to Russia, he commanded the army that tried to recapture Smolensk in 1632-1634. Executed due to boyar slander. Undeservedly forgotten.

Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich

One of the best Russian generals of the First World War. In June 1916, troops of the Southwestern Front under the command of Adjutant General A.A. Brusilov, simultaneously striking in several directions, broke through the enemy’s deeply layered defenses and advanced 65 km. IN military history This operation was called the Brusilov breakthrough.

Kotlyarevsky Petr Stepanovich

Hero of the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813. At one time they called Suvorov of the Caucasus. On October 19, 1812, at the Aslanduz ford across the Araks, at the head of a detachment of 2,221 people with 6 guns, Pyotr Stepanovich defeated the Persian army of 30,000 people with 12 guns. In other battles, he also acted not with numbers, but with skill.

Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich

Participant in the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars, one of the main leaders (1918−1920) of the White movement during the Civil War. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in Crimea and Poland (1920). General Staff Lieutenant General (1918). Knight of St. George.

Belov Pavel Alekseevich

He led the cavalry corps during the Second World War. He showed himself excellently during the Battle of Moscow, especially in defensive battles near Tula. He especially distinguished himself in the Rzhev-Vyazemsk operation, where he emerged from encirclement after 5 months of stubborn fighting.

Rurikovich Svyatoslav Igorevich

Great commander of the Old Russian period. The first known to us Kyiv prince, having a Slavic name. The last pagan ruler of the Old Russian state. He glorified Rus' as a great military power in the campaigns of 965-971. Karamzin called him “Alexander (Macedonian) of our ancient history.” The prince freed the Slavic tribes from vassal dependence on the Khazars, defeating the Khazar Khaganate in 965. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, in 970, during the Russian-Byzantine War, Svyatoslav managed to win the battle of Arcadiopolis, having 10,000 soldiers under his command, against 100,000 Greeks. But at the same time, Svyatoslav led the life of a simple warrior: “On campaigns he did not carry carts or cauldrons with him, did not cook meat, but, thinly slicing horse meat, or animal meat, or beef and roasting it on coals, he ate it like that; he did not have a tent , but he slept, spreading a sweatshirt with a saddle in his head - the same were all the rest of his warriors. And he sent envoys to other lands [usually before declaring war] with the words: “I’m coming to you!” (According to PVL)

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

One of the most talented and successful commanders of the First World War. Coming from a poor family, he made a brilliant military career, relying solely on his own virtues. Member of the RYAV, WWI, graduate of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. He fully realized his talent while commanding the legendary “Iron” brigade, which was then expanded into a division. Participant and one of the main characters of the Brusilov breakthrough. He remained a man of honor even after the collapse of the army, a Bykhov prisoner. Member of the ice campaign and commander of the AFSR. For more than a year and a half, possessing very modest resources and much inferior in numbers to the Bolsheviks, he won victory after victory, liberating a vast territory.
Also, do not forget that Anton Ivanovich is a wonderful and very successful publicist, and his books are still very popular. An extraordinary, talented commander, an honest Russian man in difficult times for the Motherland, who was not afraid to light a torch of hope.

Alekseev Mikhail Vasilievich

Outstanding employee of the Russian Academy of the General Staff. Developer and executor of the Galician operation - the first brilliant victory Russian army in the Great War.
Saved the troops of the North-Western Front from encirclement during the “Great Retreat” of 1915.
Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in 1916-1917.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in 1917
Developed and implemented strategic plans for offensive operations in 1916 - 1917.
He continued to defend the need to preserve the Eastern Front after 1917 (the Volunteer Army is the basis of the new Eastern Front in the ongoing Great War).
Slandered and slandered in relation to various so-called. “Masonic military lodges”, “conspiracy of generals against the Sovereign”, etc., etc. - in terms of emigrant and modern historical journalism.

Grachev Pavel Sergeevich

Hero of the Soviet Union. May 5, 1988 “for completing combat missions with minimal casualties and for the professional command of a controlled formation and the successful actions of the 103rd Airborne Division, in particular, in occupying the strategically important Satukandav pass (Khost province) during the military operation “Magistral” "Received the Gold Star medal No. 11573. Commander of the USSR Airborne Forces. In total, during his military service he made 647 parachute jumps, some of them while testing new equipment.
He was shell-shocked 8 times and received several wounds. Suppressed the armed coup in Moscow and thereby saved the system of democracy. As Minister of Defense, he made great efforts to preserve the remnants of the army - a similar task to few people in the history of Russia. Only because of the collapse of the army and the reduction in the number of military equipment in the Armed Forces was he unable to victoriously end the Chechen War.

Voronov Nikolay Nikolaevich

N.N. Voronov - artillery commander Armed Forces THE USSR. For outstanding services to the Motherland, N.N. Voronov. the first in the Soviet Union to be awarded the military ranks of “Marshal of Artillery” (1943) and “Chief Marshal of Artillery” (1944).
...carried out general management of the liquidation of the Nazi group surrounded at Stalingrad.

Dragomirov Mikhail Ivanovich

Brilliant crossing of the Danube in 1877
- Creation of a tactics textbook
- Creation of an original concept of military education
- Leadership of the NASH in 1878-1889
- Enormous influence in military matters for a full 25 years

Yuri Vsevolodovich

Kuznetsov Nikolay Gerasimovich

He made a great contribution to strengthening the fleet before the war; conducted a number of major exercises, initiated the opening of new maritime schools and maritime special schools (later Nakhimov schools). On the eve of Germany's surprise attack on the USSR, he took effective measures to increase the combat readiness of the fleets, and on the night of June 22, he gave the order to bring them to full combat readiness, which made it possible to avoid losses of ships and naval aviation.

Loris-Melikov Mikhail Tarielovich

Known mainly as one of the minor characters in the story “Hadji Murad” by L.N. Tolstoy, Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov went through all the Caucasian and Turkish campaigns of the second half of the mid-19th century.

Having shown himself excellently during the Caucasian War, during the Kars campaign of the Crimean War, Loris-Melikov led reconnaissance, and then successfully served as commander-in-chief during the difficult Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, winning a number of important victories over the united Turkish forces and in the third once he captured Kars, which by that time was considered impregnable.

Skobelev Mikhail Dmitrievich

A man of great courage, an excellent tactician and organizer. M.D. Skobelev had strategic thinking, saw the situation both in real time and in the future

Prince Svyatoslav

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

Successfully commanded Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War. Among other things, he stopped the Germans near Moscow and took Berlin.

Dzhugashvili Joseph Vissarionovich

Assembled and coordinated the actions of a team of talented military leaders

Grand Duke of Russia Mikhail Nikolaevich

General Feldzeichmeister (Commander-in-Chief of the Artillery of the Russian Army), younger son Emperor Nicholas I, Viceroy in the Caucasus since 1864. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in the Caucasus in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. Under his command the fortresses of Kars, Ardahan, and Bayazet were taken.

Momyshuly Bauyrzhan

Fidel Castro called him a hero of World War II.
He brilliantly put into practice the tactics of fighting with small forces against an enemy many times superior in strength, developed by Major General I.V. Panfilov, which later received the name “Momyshuly’s spiral.”

Muravyov-Karssky Nikolai Nikolaevich

One of the most successful commanders of the mid-19th century in the Turkish direction.

Hero of the first capture of Kars (1828), leader of the second capture of Kars (the largest success of the Crimean War, 1855, which made it possible to end the war without territorial losses for Russia).

Minikh Christopher Antonovich

Due to the ambiguous attitude towards the period of Anna Ioannovna’s reign, she is a largely underrated commander, who was the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops throughout her reign.

Commander of Russian troops during the War of the Polish Succession and architect of the victory of Russian weapons in the Russian-Turkish War of 1735-1739.

Kazarsky Alexander Ivanovich

Captain-lieutenant. Participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. He distinguished himself during the capture of Anapa, then Varna, commanding the transport "Rival". After this, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and appointed captain of the brig Mercury. On May 14, 1829, the 18-gun brig Mercury was overtaken by two Turkish battleships Selimiye and Real Bey. Having accepted an unequal battle, the brig was able to immobilize both Turkish flagships, one of which contained the commander of the Ottoman fleet. Subsequently, an officer from the Real Bay wrote: “During the continuation of the battle, the commander of the Russian frigate (the notorious Raphael, which surrendered without a fight a few days earlier) told me that the captain of this brig would not surrender, and if he lost hope, then he would blow up the brig If in the great deeds of ancient and modern times there are feats of courage, then this act should overshadow all of them, and the name of this hero is worthy of being inscribed in gold letters on the Temple of Glory: he is called captain-lieutenant Kazarsky, and the brig is “Mercury”

Makarov Stepan Osipovich

Russian oceanographer, polar explorer, shipbuilder, vice admiral. Developed the Russian semaphore alphabet. A worthy person, on the list of worthy ones!

Senyavin Dmitry Nikolaevich

Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin (6 (17) August 1763 - 5 (17) April 1831) - Russian naval commander, admiral.
for courage and outstanding diplomatic work shown during the blockade of the Russian fleet in Lisbon

Rurik Svyatoslav Igorevich

Year of birth 942 date of death 972 Expansion of state borders. 965 conquest of the Khazars, 963 march south to the Kuban region, capture of Tmutarakan, 969 conquest of the Volga Bulgars, 971 conquest of the Bulgarian kingdom, 968 founding of Pereyaslavets on the Danube (the new capital of Rus'), 969 defeat of the Pechenegs in the defense of Kyiv.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

In front of the Kazan Cathedral there are two statues of the saviors of the fatherland. Saving the army, exhausting the enemy, the Battle of Smolensk - this is more than enough.

Rurikovich (Grozny) Ivan Vasilievich

In the diversity of perceptions of Ivan the Terrible, one often forgets about his unconditional talent and achievements as a commander. He personally led the capture of Kazan and organized military reform, leading a country that was simultaneously fighting 2-3 wars on different fronts.

Uborevich Ieronim Petrovich

Soviet military leader, commander of the 1st rank (1935). Member of the Communist Party since March 1917. Born in the village of Aptandrius (now Utena region of the Lithuanian SSR) in the family of a Lithuanian peasant. Graduated from the Konstantinovsky Artillery School (1916). Participant of the 1st World War 1914-18, second lieutenant. After the October Revolution of 1917, he was one of the organizers of the Red Guard in Bessarabia. In January - February 1918 he commanded a revolutionary detachment in battles against Romanian and Austro-German interventionists, was wounded and captured, from where he escaped in August 1918. He was an artillery instructor, commander of the Dvina brigade on the Northern Front, and from December 1918 head of the 18th Infantry divisions of the 6th Army. From October 1919 to February 1920, he was the commander of the 14th Army during the defeat of the troops of General Denikin, in March - April 1920 he commanded the 9th Army in the North Caucasus. In May - July and November - December 1920, commander of the 14th Army in battles against the troops of bourgeois Poland and the Petliurites, in July - November 1920 - 13th Army in battles against the Wrangelites. In 1921, assistant commander of the troops of Ukraine and Crimea, deputy commander of the troops of the Tambov province, commander of the troops of the Minsk province, led the military operations during the defeat of the gangs of Makhno, Antonov and Bulak-Balakhovich. Since August 1921, commander of the 5th Army and the East Siberian Military District. In August - December 1922, Minister of War of the Far Eastern Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the People's Revolutionary Army during the liberation of the Far East. He was commander of the troops of the North Caucasus (since 1925), Moscow (since 1928) and Belarusian (since 1931) military districts. Since 1926, a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, in 1930-31, deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and chief of armaments of the Red Army. Since 1934 member of the Military Council of NGOs. He made a great contribution to strengthening the defense capability of the USSR, educating and training command staff and troops. Candidate member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in 1930-37. Member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee since December 1922. Awarded 3 Orders of the Red Banner and Honorary Revolutionary Weapon.

Shein Mikhail Borisovich

Voivode Shein is a hero and leader of the unprecedented defense of Smolensk in 1609-16011. This fortress decided a lot in the fate of Russia!

Golovanov Alexander Evgenievich

He is the creator of Soviet long-range aviation (LAA).
Units under the command of Golovanov bombed Berlin, Koenigsberg, Danzig and other cities in Germany, striking important strategic targets behind enemy lines.

Peter I the Great

Emperor of All Russia (1721-1725), before that the Tsar of All Rus'. He won the Northern War (1700-1721). This victory finally opened up free access to the Baltic Sea. Under his rule, Russia ( Russian empire) became a Great Power.

Peter the First

Because he not only conquered the lands of his fathers, but also established the status of Russia as a power!

Svyatoslav Igorevich

I would like to propose the “candidacies” of Svyatoslav and his father, Igor, as the greatest commanders and political leaders of their time, I think that there is no point in listing to historians their services to the fatherland, I was unpleasantly surprised not to see their names on this list. Sincerely.

Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich

A prominent military figure, scientist, traveler and discoverer. Admiral of the Russian Fleet, whose talent was highly appreciated by Emperor Nicholas II. The Supreme Ruler of Russia during the Civil War, a true Patriot of his Fatherland, a man of a tragic, interesting fate. One of those military men who tried to save Russia during the years of turmoil, in the most difficult conditions, being in very difficult international diplomatic conditions.

Skopin-Shuisky Mikhail Vasilievich

I beg the military historical society to correct the extreme historical injustice and include in the list of the 100 best commanders, the leader of the northern militia who did not lose a single battle, who played an outstanding role in the liberation of Russia from the Polish yoke and unrest. And apparently poisoned for his talent and skill.

Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich

Successes in the Crimean War of 1853-56, victory in the Battle of Sinop in 1853, defense of Sevastopol 1854-55.

Kappel Vladimir Oskarovich

Without exaggeration, he is the best commander of Admiral Kolchak’s army. Under his command, Russia's gold reserves were captured in Kazan in 1918. At 36 years old, he was a lieutenant general, commander of the Eastern Front. The Siberian Ice Campaign is associated with this name. In January 1920, he led 30,000 Kappelites to Irkutsk to capture Irkutsk and free the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Kolchak, from captivity. The general's death from pneumonia largely determined the tragic outcome of this campaign and the death of the Admiral...

Generals of Ancient Rus'

...Ivan III (capture of Novgorod, Kazan), Vasily III (capture of Smolensk), Ivan IV the Terrible (capture of Kazan, Livonian campaigns), M.I. Vorotynsky (battle of Molodi with Devlet-Girey), Tsar V.I. Shuisky (battle of Dobrynichi, capture of Tula), M.V. Skopin-Shuisky (liberation of Moscow from False Dmitry II), F.I. Sheremetev (liberation of the Volga region from False Dmitry II), F.I. Mstislavsky (many different campaigns, repulse Kazy-Girey), There were many commanders during the Time of Troubles.

My choice is Marshal I.S. Konev!

Active participant in the First World War and civil wars. Trench General. He spent the entire war from Vyazma to Moscow and from Moscow to Prague in the most difficult and responsible position of front commander. Winner in many decisive battles of the Great Patriotic War. Liberator of several countries of Eastern Europe, participant in the storming of Berlin. Underestimated, unfairly left in the shadow of Marshal Zhukov.

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich (born June 29, 1907 - death February 18, 1945) - Soviet commander, army general (1944) Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1943, 1944) In military service since 1924. Party member since 1928. He held a number of command positions. During the Great Patriotic War (WWII) he commanded tank and rifle divisions, a tank corps, and army commander. Since 1944, commander of the troops of the Western and 3rd Belorussian Fronts. During the East Prussian operation he was mortally wounded.
Origin. early years
Ivan Chernyakhovsky was born in the village of Oksanino (Uman district, Kiev province), in the family of a railway worker. There were six children in the Chernyakhovsky family. He received his education at a railway school, which he had to leave in 1915 due to the death of his parents (they died of typhus). Ivan got a job as a worker on the railroad. 1922 - 16-year-old Ivan joined the Komsomol. After 2 years I went to study at the Kyiv Artillery School. After graduating from school, he was assigned to an artillery regiment as a platoon commander.
Military service
Then Ivan Danilovich is appointed battery commander. Continuing his military education, Chernyakhovsky entered the Military Academy mechanization and motorization of the Red Army and successfully graduated in 1936. Before the start of the Second World War, he alternately held the positions of chief of staff, commander of a tank battalion, regiment and division. He met the war as the commander of the 28th Tank Division, which in December 1941 was reorganized into the 241st Rifle Division. 1942, summer - commander of the 18th Tank Corps. 1942, July - Ivan Danilovich was appointed commander of the 60th Army.

The troops under his command distinguished themselves in the battle of Kursk, during the crossing of the Desna and Dnieper. 1944, April - Ivan Chernyakhovsky is appointed commander of the troops of the Western Front, later renamed the 3rd Belorussian Front. He becomes the youngest front commander, at that time he was only 37 years old.
He was destined to go through the entire war from its beginning to almost the very end. He commanded military units in the battles of Siauliai and Novgorod, on the Western Dvina and Soltsy. Then there were successfully carried out operations - Voronezh-Kastornenskaya, Kursk, Kiev, Zhitomir-Berdichevskaya, Rovno-Lutskaya, Proskurovsko-Chernivtsi, Belorussian, Vilnius, Kaunas, Memel and others, in which troops under the command of Ivan Chernyakhovsky took part.

Awards
His military activities were highly appreciated - for his military services, Chernyakhovsky was twice awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union”, awarded the Order of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov, 1st degree, Orders of Kutuzov, 1st degree, and Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 1st degree.
Death of a General
1945, February 18 - commanding troops during the defeat of the East Prussian German group, Ivan Danilovich was mortally wounded near the city of Melzack, currently located in Poland.

That afternoon, Army General Chernyakhovsky was driving a passenger car, accompanied by adjutants and guards, to Kovno (Kaunas). Unexpectedly, a shell fragment pierced the back of the seat on which the general was sitting, and literally pierced the commander right through.
Mortally wounded, the general got out of the car, but immediately fell. He was taken to the medical unit. However, Ivan Danilovich was not destined to reach her. He died on the way. The arteries leading to the heart were broken by shrapnel, so the commander had virtually no chance.

Strange death
And although the circumstances of Chernyakhovsky’s death, at first glance, may seem obvious, they still raise many questions among researchers and historians. For example, another general Gorbatov in the book “Years and Wars,” describing the death of an army general, indicated that the enemy fired one single shot. At the same time, the fragment passed directly between the adjutants, who were sitting in the back seat of the car, and mortally wounded only Chernyakhovsky, while it did not hit the rest at all.
Among the various versions of Chernyakhovsky’s death, there is one that he died from a shell that was fired from the muzzle of a Soviet tank moving in a column along with the general’s vehicle. Moreover, if it was actually the Germans who fired, then for what reason did the fragment come from the rear?

After death
General Chernyakhovsky was buried in Vilnius. 1992 - the Vilnius authorities dismantled the monument to the general and transported it to Voronezh, a city that was defended at the end of 1942 and liberated in January 1943 by the 60th Army under his leadership.
In the same year, Chernyakhovsky’s ashes were reburied in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery.
Interesting Facts
. At the age of 18, adding a year, he volunteered for the Red Army;
. During the Patriotic War, every 11th fireworks display in Moscow (34 out of 363) was in honor of the military units commanded by Ivan Danilovich;
. He became the youngest army general and the youngest front commander in the History of the Soviet Armed Forces.
. On February 19, an order was to be issued to award Chernyakhovsky the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union, which Stalin recalled immediately after his death.

Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky was called the second Suvorov. And he himself said that he would prefer to die in battle than in a warm bed. That's almost exactly what happened. Death actually overtook him at the front. But in battle?

From shepherd to general

Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky was born in the Ukrainian village of Oksanino in 1907. At one time, he tended cattle and was a simple factory worker.

However, in 1924 he joined the Red Army and then became a cadet at the infantry school. Later he entered the artillery school, and then the Military Technical Academy in the northern capital.

Over 20 years of service in the Red Army, Chernyakhovsky rose to the rank of general. This title was awarded to him during the war, in 1944. At the same time, Ivan Danilovich twice became a Hero of the Soviet Union.

stray projectile

General Chernyakhovsky died shortly before the victory on February 18, 1945. This happened in East Prussia, in the city of Melzack (now Penenzhno). Then he commanded the 3rd Belorussian Front.

On that day, Chernyakhovsky was driving a car, accompanied by adjutants and guards. Unexpectedly, a shell fragment pierced the back of the seat on which Ivan Danilovich was, and literally pierced the general through and through.

Being mortally wounded, Chernyakhovsky got out of the car, but immediately fell. He was taken to the medical unit. But the general was not destined to reach her. He died on the way. The shrapnel broke the arteries leading to the heart, so Chernyakhovsky had virtually no chance.

Suspicious facts of death

Despite the fact that the circumstances of the general’s death, at first glance, seem obvious, they still raise many questions among researchers and historians. For example, another general Gorbatov in the book “Years and Wars,” describing the death of Chernyakhovsky, indicated that the enemy fired one single shot. Moreover, the shell passed directly between the adjutants sitting in the back seat of the car and struck death blow exclusively according to Chernyakhovsky, while the others were not affected at all.

There is even a version that the front commander was killed by a shell fired from the muzzle of a Soviet tank moving in a convoy along with the general’s car. Moreover, if it was really the Nazis who fired, then why did the shrapnel come from the rear?

Burial

Be that as it may, Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky was buried in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius. However, in 1992, his monument there was removed, and the general’s ashes were transported to Moscow, to the Novodevichy Cemetery.

In addition, in 2015, in the Polish city of Penenzhno, a monument erected in honor of Chernyakhovsky at the site of his death was demolished. The Polish authorities explained this by the fact that, allegedly under the leadership of Chernyakhovsky, thousands of Poles were exiled to Stalin’s camps and also shot. However, no documentary evidence has yet been provided regarding this accusation.