Sergei Alekseev's stories about the war. Stories: Balloon and Shock. These are stories about the exploits of the military detachment of balloonists and about the heroes of the 1st Shock Army.

AEROSTATIC

Among the defenders of Moscow there was a detachment of balloonists. Balloons rose into the Moscow sky. With the help of metal cables they created barriers against fascist bombers.

Once the soldiers were lowering one of the balloons. The winch creaks monotonously. A steel cable, like a thread, crawls along a reel. With the help of this cable the balloon is lowered. He's getting lower and lower. There are ropes hanging from the shell of the balloon. These are halyards. The fighters will now grab the balloon by the halyards. Holding the halyards, they will drag the balloon to the parking area. They will strengthen it and tie it to the supports.

The balloon is huge, huge. Looks like an elephant, like a mammoth. The colossus will obediently follow people. This is the rule. But sometimes the balloon gets stubborn. This is if there is wind. At such moments, the balloon, like a restive horse, breaks and breaks from its leash.

That memorable day for the soldier Veligura turned out to be windy.

The balloon descends. Private Veligura is standing. There are others standing. Now they'll grab you by the halyards.

He grabbed Veligur. Others didn't have time. The balloon exploded. Veligur hears some kind of cotton. Then Veliguru jerked. The earth moved away from my feet. The fighter looked, and he was already in the air. It turned out that the cable used to lower the balloon with a winch had broken. Veliguru dragged the balloon behind him into the sky.

- Drop the halyards!

- Drop the halyards! - Veligura’s comrades shout from below.

Veligur didn’t understand what was going on at first. And when I figured it out, it was too late. The ground is far below. The balloon is getting higher and higher.

The soldier is holding a rope. The situation is simply tragic. How long can a person hold on like this? A minute more, a minute less. Then his strength will leave him. The unfortunate man will fall down.

The same would have happened with Veligura. Yes, apparently the fighter was born wearing a shirt. Although, more likely, Veligura is simply a resourceful fighter. He grabbed the rope with his feet. It's easier to hold on now. I caught my breath and took a breath. He is trying to make a noose on the rope with his feet. A soldier of fortune has achieved. The fighter made a noose. He made a loop and sat down in it. The danger has completely disappeared. Veligur cheered up. It’s interesting even now for a fighter. For the first time I rose so high. Soars like an eagle over the steppe.

The soldier looks at the ground. Moscow floats beneath it in a labyrinth of houses and streets. And here is the outskirts. The city is over. Veligura flies over the countryside area. And suddenly the fighter realizes that the wind is carrying him towards the front. Here is the battle area, here is the front line.

The Nazis saw a Soviet balloon. They opened fire. Shells explode nearby. The balloon fighter feels uncomfortable.

The same would happen, of course, with Veligura. Yes, apparently, the fighter was indeed born wearing a shirt. They don't touch you, explosions pass by.

But the main thing is that suddenly, as if on command, the wind changed direction. Veliguru was carried away again to Moscow. The fighter returned almost to the same place from where he left. I went down safely.

The soldier is alive. Unharmed. Healthy.

So it turned out that Private Veligura flew to the enemies in a balloon almost in the same way as the famous Baron Munchausen in his time flew to the enemy fortress riding on a cannonball.

Everything is fine. There's only one problem. Few people believed in this flight. As soon as Veligura starts telling his story, his friends immediately shout:

- Well, well, lie, bend, twist!

Veligura is no longer Veligura. As soon as the poor fellow opens his mouth, he immediately rushes:

- Baron Munchausen!

War is war. Anything can happen here. It happens that they later consider it a fairy tale.

SHOCK

Ivan Kharlov served as a machine gunner in the 1st Shock Army.

On November 28, 1941, the Nazis attacked the city of Yakhroma with a tank attack. Yakhroma is located exactly north of Moscow, on the banks of the Moscow-Volga canal. The Nazis burst into the city and went to the canal. They captured the bridge over the canal and crossed to its eastern bank.

Enemy tank formations bypassed Moscow from the north. The situation was difficult, almost critical.

The 1st Shock Army received orders to stop the enemy.

Shock was drawn into the battle. Kharlov is in battle with others. He is experienced in battle. A rifle company went on the offensive. Kharlov fell to the machine gun. Protects Soviet riflemen with fire from his machine gun. Acts like Kharlov. Take your time. In vain he doesn’t let bullets into the field. Saves ammo. It hits right on target. Fires in short bursts. Kharlov feels somewhat responsible for the lives of the infantrymen. As if every extra death was on his account.

It’s good for the fighters to be under such protection.

And suddenly, a fragment of a fascist mine distorted the barrel of Kharlov’s machine gun.

It broke off and the fire died out.

And the enemy goes on the attack again. Kharlov looked - the Nazis took advantage of the fact that his machine gun had died down and moved the cannon forward. The cannon is about to hit our company. Kharlov’s hands clenched into fists from resentment. Then he stood there and suddenly fell to the ground, pressed himself and somehow crab-like, sideways, taking a slight detour, crawled towards the enemy cannon.

The soldiers saw it and froze.

“Fathers, certain death!”

The soldiers glared at Kharlov. Here it is closer to Kharlov’s gun, here it is closer. It's very close. He rose to his height. Swung it. Threw a grenade. Destroyed the fascist crew.

The soldiers could not restrain themselves:

- Hurray for Kharlov!

- Well, Ivan Andreich, now run.

As soon as they shouted, they saw: fascist tanks had come out from behind the hill and were heading straight for Kharlov.

- Run! - the soldiers shout again.

However, Kharlov hesitates. Doesn't run back.

The soldiers looked more closely.

- Look, look! - one shouts.

The soldiers see that Kharlov is turning the fascist cannon towards the tanks. Unfolded. Crouched down. He fell to the sight.

Shot. A fascist tank caught fire. The hero knocked out two tanks. The rest turned aside.

The battle lasted until the evening. The Shock Army pushed the fascists back across the canal. I restored the situation here.

Happy soldiers:

- How else! That's what Udarnaya is for!

- How could it be otherwise, since there are people like Kharlov.

From fiction I will move on to textbooks.
"For children about the Great Victory. Conversations about the Second World War" is a very good informative publication. It's small children's book about the Great Patriotic War. The material is presented in the form of lessons and conversations; the book is understandable to schoolchildren of all ages. In the text you can find poems about war. After each topic, the reader is asked to answer several questions. The book is small, thinly bound, but the price is modest. I conducted conversations using this book-brochure on May 9th with my children. The book can also be used by school teachers and kindergarten teachers to conduct thematic lessons and activities.

Unfortunately, the book is not in stores now (at the time of writing these lines). However, it is often republished, so I will leave links to it. Perhaps at the time you are reading this text, the book has appeared in stores.

»
»
»

Annotation:
The manual presents lesson-conversations dedicated to the Second World War and the most important events of the Great Patriotic War: the beginning of the war, the defense of Moscow, decisive battles, the victory of our country over Nazi Germany, the liberation of the peoples of Europe from fascism.
The proposed material is simple in form, accessible in content and can be used when conducting classes on the moral and patriotic education of preschoolers and primary schoolchildren.
The manual is addressed to preschool teachers, primary school teachers, tutors and parents.

Much more information is presented in the book "Heroes of the Great Patriotic War. People and Feats." This publication can rightfully be called an encyclopedia of the Great Patriotic War for schoolchildren. The book is not very large, but it is informative and at the same time affordable. And for now it can still be found in stores, although not in all.

»
»
»
»
»

Annotation:
The book "Heroes of the Great Patriotic War. People and Feats" presents a brief history of the war of 1941-1945, talks about the main creators of victories - Soviet commanders, and those who embodied their plans - people's heroes. Clear maps will help you trace the course of the war, the sequence of military operations and the advancement of troops. Photos of the war years will immerse you in the atmosphere of that time. Colorful illustrations will introduce you to weapons, equipment, military uniforms and awards of that era. Informative articles, written in simple language and supplemented with interesting facts, will captivate any reader.
The design uses real photographs of the war years obtained from authoritative archives, which gives even a fairly brief presentation factual accuracy.

Lately, educational publications written by Elena Uleva have become popular. She has already published many books. One of them - "Conversations about war, an encyclopedia for kids".

This book is structured in the form of a conversation between a grandfather who went through the war and his grandson Misha, who lives in our time. Grandfather talks about who the Nazis are, how the war began, the defense of the Brest Fortress, mobilization... Each conversation is devoted to a separate topic. “Concentration camps”, “Dogs in war”, “Concert brigades”, “Second front”, “Evacuation”, “The feat of Ivan Kozhedub”, “Nuclear explosion in Japan” - a total of 91 topics. The articles are short and usually begin with a dialogue between grandfather and grandson, followed by a detailed story. There are not very many illustrations, mostly portraits or small thematic pictures - a tank, a walkie-talkie, a medal. But there are more interesting illustrations: types of weapons, military equipment, uniforms and equipment of soldiers and officers.

The book has many topics and a lot of information, but it is presented clearly, in short stories. Perhaps the book will be a little complicated for preschoolers, since the topics discussed are very difficult. But for younger schoolchildren such reading will be feasible and useful.

Several different editions of this book can now be found on sale.

“MONUMENT TO THE SOVIET SOLDIER”

L. Kassil

The war went on for a long time.
Our troops began to advance on enemy soil. The fascists have nowhere to run anymore. They settled in the main German city of Berlin.
Our troops attacked Berlin. The last battle of the war has begun. No matter how the Nazis fought back, they could not resist. The soldiers of the Soviet Army in Berlin began to take street by street, house by house. But the fascists still don’t give up.
And suddenly one of our soldiers, a kind soul, saw a little German girl on the street during a battle. Apparently, she has fallen behind her own people. And they, out of fear, forgot about her... The poor thing was left alone in the middle of the street. And she has nowhere to go. There is a battle going on all around. Fire is blazing from all the windows, bombs are exploding, houses are collapsing, bullets are whistling from all sides. He’s about to crush you with a stone, or kill you with a shrapnel... Our soldier sees that a girl is disappearing... “Oh, you bastard, where has this taken you, you wicked thing!..”
The soldier rushed across the street right under the bullets, picked up the German girl in his arms, shielded her from the fire with his shoulder and carried her out of the battle.
And soon our soldiers had already raised the red flag over the most important house in the German capital.
The Nazis surrendered. And the war ended. We won. The world has begun.
And now they have built a huge monument in the city of Berlin. High above the houses, on a green hill, stands a hero made of stone - a soldier of the Soviet Army. In one hand he has a heavy sword, with which he defeated the fascist enemies, and in the other - a little girl. She pressed herself against the broad shoulder of a Soviet soldier. His soldiers saved her from death, saved all the children in the world from the Nazis, and today he looks menacingly from above to see if the evil enemies are going to start a war again and disrupt the peace.

"FIRST COLUMN"

S. Alekseev

(stories by Sergei Alekseev about Leningraders and the feat of Leningrad).
In 1941, the Nazis blockaded Leningrad. The city was cut off from the entire country. It was possible to get to Leningrad only by water, along Lake Ladoga.
In November there were frosts. The water road froze and stopped.
The road stopped - that means there will be no supply of food, that means there will be no supply of fuel, there will be no supply of ammunition. Leningrad needs a road like air, like oxygen.
- There will be a road! - said the people.
Lake Ladoga will freeze, and Ladoga (as Lake Ladoga is called for short) will be covered with strong ice. The road will go on the ice.
Not everyone believed in such a path. Ladoga is restless and capricious. Blizzards will rage, a piercing wind will blow over the lake, and cracks and gullies will appear on the ice of the lake. Ladoga breaks its ice armor. Even the most severe frosts cannot completely freeze Lake Ladoga.
Capricious, treacherous Lake Ladoga. And yet there is no other way out. There are fascists all around. Only here, along Lake Ladoga, can the road go to Leningrad.
The most difficult days in Leningrad. Communication with Leningrad stopped. People are waiting for the ice on Lake Ladoga to become strong enough. And this is not a day, not two. They look at the ice, at the lake. The thickness is measured by ice. Old-time fishermen also monitor the lake. How is the ice on Ladoga?
- It's growing.
- It's growing.
- Takes strength.
People are worried and rushing for time.
“Faster, faster,” they shout to Ladoga. - Hey, don't be lazy, frost!
Hydrologists (those who study water and ice) arrived at Lake Ladoga, builders and army commanders arrived. We were the first to decide to walk on the fragile ice.
The hydrologists passed through and the ice survived.
The builders passed by and withstood the ice.
Major Mozhaev, commander of the road maintenance regiment, rode on horseback and withstood the ice.
The horse train walked across the ice. The sleigh survived the journey.
General Lagunov, one of the commanders of the Leningrad Front, drove across the ice in a passenger car. The ice crackled, creaked, became angry, but let the car through.
On November 22, 1941, the first automobile convoy set off across the still-unhardened ice of Lake Ladoga. There were 60 trucks in the convoy. From here, from the western bank, from the side of Leningrad, trucks left for cargo to the eastern bank.
There is not a kilometer, not two, but twenty-seven kilometers of icy road ahead. They are waiting on the western Leningrad coast for the return of people and convoys.
- Will they come back? Will you get stuck? Will they come back? Will you get stuck?
A day has passed. And so:
- They're coming!
That's right, the cars are coming, the convoy is returning. There are three or four bags of flour in the back of each car. Haven't taken any more yet. The ice is not strong. True, the cars were towed by sleighs. There were also sacks of flour in the sleigh, two and three at a time.
From that day on, constant movement on the ice of Lake Ladoga began. Soon severe frosts struck. The ice has strengthened. Now each truck took 20, 30 bags of flour. They also transported other heavy loads across the ice.
The road was not easy. There was not always luck here. The ice broke under the pressure of the wind. Sometimes cars sank. Fascist planes bombed the columns from the air. And again ours suffered losses. The engines froze along the way. The drivers froze on the ice. And yet, neither day nor night, nor in a snowstorm, nor in the most severe frost, the ice road across Lake Ladoga did not stop working.
These were the most difficult days of Leningrad. Stop the road - death to Leningrad.
The road did not stop. Leningraders called it “The Road of Life”.

"TANYA SAVICHEVA"

S. Alekseev

Hunger is spreading deathly through the city. Leningrad cemeteries cannot accommodate the dead. People died at the machines. They died on the streets. They went to bed at night and didn’t wake up in the morning. More than 600 thousand people died of hunger in Leningrad.
This house also rose among the Leningrad houses. This is the Savichevs' house. A girl was bending over the pages of a notebook. Her name is Tanya. Tanya Savicheva keeps a diary.
Notebook with alphabet. Tanya opens a page with the letter “F”. Writes:
“Zhenya died on December 28 at 12.30 p.m. morning. 1941."
Zhenya is Tanya's sister.
Soon Tanya sits down again to her diary. Opens a page with the letter “B”. Writes:
“Grandmother died on January 25th. at 3 o'clock in the afternoon 1942." A new page from Tanya's diary. Page starting with the letter "L". We read:
“Leka died on March 17 at 5 a.m. 1942.” Leka is Tanya's brother.
Another page from Tanya's diary. Page starting with the letter "B". We read:
“Uncle Vasya died on April 13. at 2 am. 1942." One more page. Also with the letter "L". But it is written on the back of the sheet: “Uncle Lyosha. May 10 at 4 p.m. 1942.” Here is the page with the letter "M". We read: “Mom May 13 at 7:30 am. morning 1942." Tanya sits over the diary for a long time. Then he opens the page with the letter “C”. He writes: “The Savichevs have died.”
Opens a page starting with the letter “U”. He clarifies: “Everyone died.”
I sat. I looked at the diary. I opened the page to the letter “O”. She wrote: “Tanya is the only one left.”
Tanya was saved from starvation. They took the girl out of Leningrad.
But Tanya did not live long. Her health was undermined by hunger, cold, and the loss of loved ones. Tanya Savicheva also passed away. Tanya died. The diary remains. "Death to the Nazis!" - the diary screams.

"FUR COAT"

S. Alekseev

A group of Leningrad children were taken out of Leningrad, besieged by the Nazis, along the “Dear Life”. The car set off.
January. Freezing. The cold wind whips. Driver Koryakov is sitting behind the steering wheel. It drives the lorry exactly.
The children huddled together in the car. Girl, girl, girl again. Boy, girl, boy again. And here's another one. The smallest, most frail. All the guys are thin, like thin children's books. And this one is completely skinny, like a page from this book.
Guys gathered from different places. Some from Okhta, some from Narvskaya, some from the Vyborg side, some from Kirovsky Island, some from Vasilievsky. And this one, imagine, from Nevsky Prospekt. Nevsky Prospekt is the central, main street of Leningrad. The boy lived here with his father and mother. A shell hit and my parents died. And the others, those who are now traveling in the car, were also left without mothers and fathers. Their parents also died. Some died of hunger, some were hit by a Nazi bomb, some were crushed by a collapsed house, and some had their lives cut short by a shell. The boys were left completely alone. Aunt Olya accompanies them. Aunt Olya is a teenager herself. Less than fifteen years old.
The guys are coming. They clung to each other. Girl, girl, girl again. Boy, girl, boy again. In the very heart is a baby. The guys are coming. January. Freezing. Blows the children in the wind. Aunt Olya wrapped her arms around them. These warm hands make everyone feel warmer.
A lorry is walking on the January ice. Ladoga froze to the right and left. The frost over Ladoga is getting stronger and stronger. The children's backs are stiff. It's not children sitting - icicles.
I wish I had a fur coat now.
And suddenly... The truck slowed down and stopped. The driver Koryakov got out of the cab. He took off his warm soldier's sheepskin coat. He tossed Ole up and shouted: . - Catch!
Olya picked up the sheepskin coat:
- How about you... Yes, really, we...
- Take it, take it! - Koryakov shouted and jumped into his cabin.
The guys look - a fur coat! Just the sight of it makes it warmer.
The driver sat down in his driver's seat. The car started moving again. Aunt Olya covered the boys with a sheepskin coat. The children huddled even closer to each other. Girl, girl, girl again. Boy, girl, boy again. In the very heart is a baby. The sheepskin coat turned out to be big and kind. Warmth ran down the children's backs.
Koryakov took the guys to the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga and delivered them to the village of Kobona. From here, from Kobona, they still had a long, long journey ahead of them. Koryakov said goodbye to Aunt Olya. I started saying goodbye to the guys. Holds a sheepskin coat in his hands. He looks at the sheepskin coat and at the guys. Oh, the guys would like a sheepskin coat for the road... But it’s a government-issued sheepskin coat, not your own. The bosses will immediately take off their heads. The driver looks at the guys, at the sheepskin coat. And suddenly...
- Eh, it was not! - Koryakov waved his hand.
I went further with the sheepskin sheepskin coat.
His superiors did not scold him. They gave me a new fur coat.

"BEAR"

S. Alekseev

In those days when the division was sent to the front, the soldiers of one of the Siberian divisions were given a small bear cub by their fellow countrymen. Mishka has gotten comfortable with the soldier's heated vehicle. It’s important to go to the front.
Toptygin arrived at the front. The little bear turned out to be extremely smart. And most importantly, from birth he had a heroic character. I wasn't afraid of bombings. Didn't hide in corners during artillery shelling. He only rumbled dissatisfiedly if shells exploded very close.
Mishka visited the Southwestern Front, and then was part of the troops that defeated the Nazis at Stalingrad. Then for some time he was with the troops in the rear, in the front reserve. Then he ended up as part of the 303rd Infantry Division on the Voronezh Front, then on the Central Front, and again on the Voronezh Front. He was in the armies of generals Managarov, Chernyakhovsky, and again Managarov. The bear cub grew up during this time. There was a sound in the shoulders. The bass cut through. It became a boyar fur coat.
The bear distinguished himself in the battles near Kharkov. At the crossings, he walked with the convoy in the economic convoy. It was the same this time. There were heavy, bloody battles. One day, an economic convoy came under heavy attack from the Nazis. The Nazis surrounded the column. Unequal forces are difficult for us. The soldiers took up defensive positions. Only the defense is weak. The Soviet soldiers would not have left.
But suddenly the Nazis hear some kind of terrible roar! “What would it be?” - the fascists wonder. We listened and took a closer look.
- Ber! Ber! Bear! - someone shouted.
That's right - Mishka stood up on his hind legs, growled and went towards the Nazis. The Nazis didn’t expect it and rushed to the side. And ours struck at that moment. We escaped from the encirclement.
The bear walked like a hero.
“He should be a reward,” the soldiers laughed.
He received a reward: a plate of fragrant honey. He ate and purred. He licked the plate until it was shiny and shiny. Added honey. Added again. Eat, fill up, hero. Toptygin!
Soon the Voronezh Front was renamed the 1st Ukrainian Front. Together with the front troops, Mishka went to the Dnieper.
Mishka has grown up. Quite a giant. Where can soldiers tinker with such a huge thing during a war? The soldiers decided: if we come to Kyiv, we’ll put him in the zoo. We will write on the cage: the bear is an honored veteran and participant in a great battle.
However, the road to Kyiv passed. Their division passed by. There was no bear left in the menagerie. Even the soldiers are happy now.
From Ukraine Mishka came to Belarus. He took part in the battles near Bobruisk, then ended up in the army that marched to Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a paradise for animals and birds. The best place on the entire planet. The soldiers decided: this is where we’ll leave Mishka.
- That's right: under his pine trees. Under the spruce.
- This is where he finds freedom.
Our troops liberated the area of ​​Belovezhskaya Pushcha. And now the hour of separation has come. The fighters and the bear are standing in a forest clearing.
- Goodbye, Toptygin!
- Walk free!
- Live, start a family!
Mishka stood in the clearing. He stood up on his hind legs. I looked at the green thickets. I smelled the forest smell through my nose.
He walked with a roller gait into the forest. From paw to paw. From paw to paw. The soldiers look after:
- Be happy, Mikhail Mikhalych!
And suddenly a terrible explosion thundered in the clearing. The soldiers ran towards the explosion - Toptygin was dead and motionless.
A bear stepped on a fascist mine. We checked - there are a lot of them in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
The war moved further west. But for a long time, wild boars, handsome elk, and giant bison exploded on mines here, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
The war marches on without pity. War has no weariness.

"STING"

S. Alekseev

Our troops liberated Moldova. They pushed the Nazis beyond the Dnieper, beyond Reut. They took Floresti, Tiraspol, Orhei. We approached the capital of Moldova, the city of Chisinau.
Here two of our fronts attacked at once - the 2nd Ukrainian and the 3rd Ukrainian. Near Chisinau, Soviet troops were supposed to surround a large fascist group. Carry out the front directions of the Headquarters. The 2nd Ukrainian Front advances north and west of Chisinau. To the east and south is the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Generals Malinovsky and Tolbukhin stood at the head of the fronts.
“Fyodor Ivanovich,” General Malinovsky calls General Tolbukhin, “how is the offensive developing?”
“Everything is going according to plan, Rodion Yakovlevich,” General Tolbukhin answers General Malinovsky.
The troops are marching forward. They bypass the enemy. The pincers begin to squeeze.
“Rodion Yakovlevich,” General Tolbukhin calls General Malinovsky, “how is the environment developing?”
“The encirclement is going well, Fyodor Ivanovich,” General Malinovsky answers General Tolbukhin and clarifies: “Exactly according to plan, on time.”
And then the giant pincers closed in. There were eighteen fascist divisions in a huge bag near Chisinau. Our troops began to defeat the fascists who were caught in the bag.
The Soviet soldiers are happy:
“The animal will be caught again with a trap.”
There was talk: the fascist is no longer scary, even take it with your bare hands.
However, soldier Igoshin had a different opinion:
- A fascist is a fascist. A serpentine character is a serpentine character. A wolf is a wolf in a trap.
The soldiers laugh:
- So what time was it!
- Nowadays the price for a fascist is different.
“A fascist is a fascist,” Igoshin said again about himself.
That's a bad character!
It’s getting more and more difficult for the fascists in the bag. They began to surrender. They also surrendered in the sector of the 68th Guards Rifle Division. Igoshin served in one of its battalions.
A group of fascists came out of the forest. Everything is as it should be: hands up, a white flag thrown over the group.
- It’s clear - they’re going to give up.
The soldiers perked up and shouted to the fascists:
- Please, please! It is high time!
The soldiers turned to Igoshin:
- Well, why is your fascist scary?
Soldiers are crowding around, looking at the Nazis coming to surrender. There are newcomers to the battalion. This is the first time that the Nazis have been seen so close. And they, newcomers, are also not at all afraid of the Nazis - after all, they are going to surrender.
The Nazis are getting closer, closer. Very close. And suddenly a burst of machine gun fire rang out. The Nazis started shooting.
A lot of our people would have died. Yes, thanks to Igoshin. He kept his weapon ready. Immediately the response opened fire. Then others helped.
The firing on the field died down. The soldiers approached Igoshin:
- Thank you brother. And the fascist, look, actually has a snake-like sting.
The Chisinau “cauldron” caused a lot of trouble for our soldiers. The fascists rushed about. They rushed in different directions. They resorted to deception and meanness. They tried to leave. But in vain. The soldiers squeezed them with their heroic hand. Pinched. Squeezed. The snake's sting was pulled out.

"A BAG OF OATMEAL"
A.V. Mityaev

That autumn there were long, cold rains. The ground was saturated with water, the roads were muddy. On the country roads, stuck up to their axles in mud, stood military trucks. The supply of food became very bad. In the soldier's kitchen, the cook cooked only soup from crackers every day: he poured cracker crumbs into hot water and seasoned with salt.
On such and such hungry days, soldier Lukashuk found a bag of oatmeal. He wasn't looking for anything, he just leaned his shoulder against the wall of the trench. A block of damp sand collapsed, and everyone saw the edge of a green duffel bag in the hole.
What a find! the soldiers rejoiced. There will be a feast on the mountain. Let's cook porridge!
One ran with a bucket for water, others began to look for firewood, and still others had already prepared spoons.
But when they managed to fan the fire and it was already hitting the bottom of the bucket, an unfamiliar soldier jumped into the trench. He was thin and red-haired. The eyebrows above the blue eyes are also red. The overcoat is worn out and short. There are windings and trampled shoes on my feet.
-Hey, bro! - he shouted in a hoarse, cold voice. - Give me the bag here! Don't put it down, don't take it.
He simply stunned everyone with his appearance, and they gave him the bag right away.
And how could you not give it away? According to front-line law, it was necessary to give it up. Soldiers hid duffel bags in trenches when they went on the attack. To make it easier. Of course, there were bags left without an owner: either it was impossible to return for them (this is if the attack was successful and it was necessary to drive out the Nazis), or the soldier died. But since the owner has arrived, the conversation will be short.
The soldiers watched silently as the red-haired man carried away the precious bag on his shoulder. Only Lukashuk could not stand it and quipped:
-He’s so skinny! They gave him extra rations. Let him eat. If it doesn't burst, it might get fatter.
It's getting cold. Snow. The earth froze and became hard. Delivery has improved. The cook was cooking cabbage soup with meat and pea soup with ham in the kitchen on wheels. Everyone forgot about the red soldier and his porridge.

A big offensive was being prepared.
Long lines of infantry battalions walked along hidden forest roads and along ravines. At night, tractors dragged guns to the front line, and tanks moved.
Lukashuk and his comrades were also preparing for the attack. It was still dark when the cannons opened fire. The planes began to hum in the sky.
They threw bombs at fascist dugouts and fired machine guns at enemy trenches.
The planes took off. Then the tanks began to rumble. The infantrymen rushed after them to attack. Lukashuk and his comrades also ran and fired from a machine gun. He threw a grenade into a German trench, wanted to throw more, but didn’t have time: the bullet hit him in the chest. And he fell. Lukashuk lay in the snow and did not feel that the snow was cold. Some time passed and he stopped hearing the roar of battle. Then he stopped seeing the light, it seemed to him that a dark, quiet night had come.
When Lukashuk regained consciousness, he saw an orderly. The orderly bandaged the wound and put Lukashuk in a small plywood sled. The sled slid and swayed in the snow. This quiet swaying made Lukashuk feel dizzy. But he didn’t want his head to spin, he wanted to remember where he saw this orderly, red-haired and thin, in a worn out overcoat.
-Hold on, brother! Don’t live in timidity!.. he heard the orderly’s words.
It seemed to Lukashuk that he had known this voice for a long time. But where and when I heard it before, I could no longer remember.
Lukashuk regained consciousness when he was transferred from the boat onto a stretcher to be taken to a large tent under the pine trees: here, in the forest, a military doctor was pulling out bullets and shrapnel from the wounded.
Lying on a stretcher, Lukashuk saw a sled-boat on which he was being transported to the hospital. Three dogs were tied to the sled with straps. They were lying in the snow. Icicles froze on the fur. The muzzles were covered with frost, the dogs' eyes were half-closed.
The orderly approached the dogs. In his hands he had a helmet full of oatmeal. Steam was pouring out of her. The orderly stuck his helmet into the snow to tap the dogs because it was dangerously hot. The orderly was thin and red-haired. And then Lukashuk remembered where he had seen him. It was he who then jumped into the trench and took a bag of oatmeal from them.
Lukashuk smiled at the orderly with just his lips and, coughing and choking, said:
-And you, redhead, haven’t gained weight. One of them ate a bag of oatmeal, but he was still thin.
The orderly also smiled and, stroking the nearest dog, answered:
-They ate the oatmeal. But they got you there on time. And I recognized you immediately. As soon as I saw it in the snow, I recognized it.
And he added with conviction: You will live! Don't be timid!

"TANKMAN'S STORY"

A. Tvardovsky

It was a difficult fight. Everything now is as if from sleep,


What’s his name, I forgot to ask him.
About ten or twelve years old. Bedovy,
Of those who are the leaders of children,
From those in the front-line towns
They greet us like dear guests.
The car is surrounded in parking lots,
Carrying water to them in buckets is not difficult,
Bring soap and towel to the tank
And unripe plums are put in...
There was a battle going on outside. The enemy fire was terrible,
We made our way forward to the square.
And he nails - you can’t look out of the towers, -
And the devil will understand where he’s hitting from.
Here, guess which house is behind
He sat down - there were so many holes,
And suddenly a boy ran up to the car:
- Comrade commander, comrade commander!
I know where their gun is. I scouted...
I crawled up, they were over there in the garden...
- But where, where?.. - Let me go
On the tank with you. I'll give it straight away.
Well, no fight awaits. - Get in here, buddy! -
And so the four of us roll to the place.
The boy is standing - mines, bullets whistling,
And only the shirt has a bubble.
We've arrived. - Here. - And from a turn
We go to the rear and give full throttle.
And this gun, along with the crew,
We sank into loose, greasy black soil.
I wiped off the sweat. Smothered by fumes and soot:
There was a big fire going from house to house.
And I remember I said: “Thank you, lad!” -
And he shook hands like a comrade...
It was a difficult fight. Everything now is as if from sleep,
And I just can’t forgive myself:
From thousands of faces I would recognize the boy,
But what’s his name, I forgot to ask him.

"The Adventures of the Rhinoceros Beetle"
(A Soldier's Tale)
K. G. Paustovsky

When Pyotr Terentyev left the village to go to war, his little son Styopa
didn’t know what to give my father as a farewell gift, and finally gave him an old one
rhinoceros beetle. He caught him in the garden and put him in a matchbox. Rhinoceros
angry, knocking, demanding to be let out. But Styopa didn’t let him go, but
I slipped blades of grass into the box so that the beetle would not die of hunger. Rhinoceros
He chewed blades of grass, but still continued to knock and curse.
Styopa cut a small window in the box for fresh air. Bug
he stuck his furry paw out the window and tried to grab Styopa’s finger - he wanted to
must have scratched from anger. But Styopa didn’t give a finger. Then the beetle began
Buzzing so loudly out of annoyance that Styopa Akulina’s mother shouted:
- Let him out, damn it! All day long he's buzzing and buzzing, he's giving me headaches
swollen!
Pyotr Terentyev grinned at Styopa’s gift and stroked Styopa’s head.
with a rough hand and hid the box with the beetle in his gas mask bag.
“Just don’t lose it, take care of it,” said Styopa.
“It’s okay to lose such gifts,” answered Peter. - Somehow
I'll save it.
Either the beetle liked the smell of rubber, or Peter smelled pleasantly of his overcoat and
black bread, but the beetle calmed down and rode with Peter all the way to the front.
At the front, the soldiers marveled at the beetle, touched its strong horn with their fingers,
They listened to Peter’s story about his son’s gift and said:
- What did the boy come up with! And the beetle, apparently, is a fighting one. Directly a corporal, not
bug.
The fighters wondered how long the beetle would last and how it was doing with
food allowance - what Peter will feed and water him with. Although he is without water
beetle, but it won’t be able to live.
Peter smiled embarrassedly and replied that if you give a beetle a spikelet, he
and eats for a week. How much does he need?
One night, Peter dozed off in a trench and dropped the box with the beetle from his bag. Bug
He tossed and turned for a long time, opened a crack in the box, climbed out, moved his antennae,
listened. In the distance the earth rumbled and yellow lightning flashed.
The beetle climbed onto an elderberry bush at the edge of the trench to get a better look around. Such
he had not yet seen a thunderstorm. There was too much lightning. The stars didn't hang still
in the sky, like a beetle in its homeland, in Petrova Village, but took off from the ground,
illuminated everything around with a bright light, smoked and went out. Thunder roared continuously.
Some beetles whizzed past. One of them hit the bush like that
elderberry, that red berries fell from it. The old rhinoceros fell, pretended
dead and was afraid to move for a long time. He realized that it was better not to deal with such beetles.
get in touch - there were too many of them whistling around.
So he lay there until the morning, until the sun rose.

How to tell your child about war? What is it for?
Of course, the military theme is too difficult for preschoolers. There is no point in introducing children to the horror and tragedy of the war years. This information will come to them with age. But children 5-7 years old can get an initial understanding of historical events, military exploits and the heroism of their ancestors now.
Many writers have created stories, tales, and poems on military themes especially for preschoolers: these are Lev Kassil, Konstantin Paustovsky, Arkady Gaidar, Sergei Alekseev, Sergei Baruzdin and many other classic writers. Their books about war instill in young readers the spirit of patriotism, teach them to value peace and love home, family, and loved ones.
No matter how distant the past, the memory of it is important: our children, having become adults, must do everything to ensure that the tragic pages of history are never repeated in the life of the people.

"THIS IS HOW IT WAS..."
books about war and the army for older preschool children

Alekseev S. “There is a people’s war”, fig. A. Lurie, Children's literature, 1986.
Alekseev S. “They defended Moscow”, art. Y. Kopeiko, Baby 1975.
Alekseev S. “Orlovich-Voronovich”, fig. E. Chernyatina, Children's literature, 1983.
Alekseev S. “The Last Assault”, art. M. Petrov, Baby 1981.
Baruzdin S. “A soldier was walking down the street,” drawing by A. Itkin, Children's literature, 1969.
Baruzdin S. “Complicated assignment”, art. L Khailov, Malysh, 1977.
Baruzdin S. “A soldier walked down the street,” fig. A. Itkina, Children's literature, 1985.
Bakhrevsky V. “Helicopter pilots”, art by V. Trubkovich, Baby 1987.
Blinov A. “Mysterious box”, fig. L. Khailova, Baby, 1973.
Bogdanov N. “Good proverb”, fig. A. Yatskevich, Children's literature, 1984.
Bogomolov V. “For the Defense of Stalingrad”, art. K. Finogenov, Baby 1980.
Vnukov N. “Order for the sixth regiment”, fig. I. Kharkevich, Children's literature 1970.
Vnukov N. “Old cartridge case”, fig. N. Kochergina, Children's literature, 1972.
Vorobyov E. “The Thirteenth Skier”, artist P. Pinkisevich, Malysh 1983.
Voskoboynikov V. “In the city on the Kama”, artist V. Yudin, Malysh 1983.
Voskoboynikov V. “Nine hundred days of courage”, artist D. Borovsky, Baby 1984.
Gaidar A. “The Tale of the Military Secret, of Malchish-Kibalchish and his firm word.”
Georgievskaya S. “Galina’s mother”, artist N. Tseitlin, Baby 1985.
Grebenina A. “Vera Ivanova”, art. M. Petrov, Baby 1979.
Dazhin D. “For the liberation of Prague”, art. V. Tarakanov, Baby 1979.
Dazhin D. “Yanek”, artist V. Kulkov, Malysh, 1974.
Danenburg V. “Spring music of Vienna”, artist L. Durasov, Baby 1980.
Dlugolensky Y. “Once upon a time there were soldiers”, drawing by M. Mayofis, Children's literature, 1987.
Ivanov S. “Underwater Tale”, art. L. Khailov, Baby 1987.
Kassil L. “Main Army”, fig. A. Ermolaeva, Children's literature 1977.
Kassil L. “The Story with the Beard”, drawing by S. Trofimov, Baby 1980.
Cassil L. “Your defenders”, ill. A. Ermolaeva, Children's literature, 1980.
Koval Y. “Special task”, fig. V. Trubkovich, Children's literature, 1970.
Kozlov V. “Pashkin’s plane”, artist P. Pinisevich, Baby 1989.
Kondyrev L. “Brave Joy”, art.M. Saltykov, Malysh 1973.
Korzhikov V. “What happened at the border”, drawing by I. Kharkevich, Children's literature, 1978.
Korolkov Y. “Lenya Golikov”, art. V. Yudin, Malysh 1982.
Kryuchek A. “First Flight”, art. A. Lurie, Children's literature, 1967.
Livanov A., Davydov V. “Friendly guys”, artist A. Lurie, Baby 1973.
Lobodin M. “For the Defense of Leningrad”, art by D. Borovskoy, Malysh 1976.
Lukin V. “Zhora Artemenkov”, art. M. Petrov, Baby 1978.
Makarenko Y. “Victory Banner”, art. V. Trubkovich, Baby 1985.
Markusha A. “I am a soldier and you are a soldier”, art. Y. Kiselev, N. Lyamin, Children's literature, 1970.
Markusha A. “In flight”, artist A. Pakhomov, Baby 1989.
Mityaev A. “Dugout”, fig. N. Tseitlina, Children's literature 1986.
Mityaev A. “Letter from the front”, White City, Moscow 2007.
Mityaev A. “Why is the army dear to everyone”, artist P. Piniskevich, Malysh 1987.
Mityaev A. “Samovar”, art. N. Tseitlin, Children of Literature, 1974.
Mityaev A. “Sixth Incomplete”, fig. N. Tseitlina, Moscow, Children's literature, 1987.
Mityaev A., Yu. Kopeiko “Our Weapon”, art. Y. Kopeiko, Children's literature, 1989.
Mityaev A. “Sixth-incomplete”, art. Yu. Molokanov, ed. Children's literature, 1979.
Morozov V. “Lenya Ankinovich”, art. M. Petrov, Baby 1978.
Mustafin R. “Red Daisy”, fig. V. Galdyaev, Baby 1983.
Nasibov A. “For the defense of the Caucasus”, artist B. Malinkovsky, Malysh 1978.
Nekrasov A. “Sea Boots”, fig. G. Dmitrieva, Children's literature, 1964.
Nekrasov V. “Borya Zenelevsky”, art. M. Petrov, Baby 1972.
Nikolsky B. “Do as I do”, fig. M. Mayofisa, Children's literature, 1980.
Nikolsky B. “How the airfield lives”, drawing by Yu. Kopeiko, Malysh 1987.
Nikolsky B. “How the airfield lives”, drawing by Yu. Smolnikov, Malysh, 1980.
Nikolsky B. “Soldier’s School”, fig. V. Shevchenko Children's literature, 1973.
Nikolsky N. “What tank crews can do,” art. N. Nikolsky, Children's literature, 1972.
Olshansky A. “Rex”, fig. M. Mayofisa, Malysh, 1977.
Osipov Yu. “Flying Family”, art. G. Bedarev, Baby 1978.
Pavlinov P., A. Belyaev “I want to be a military sailor”, art. P. Pavlinov, “Baby”, 1975.
Pavlov B. “Vovka - from No Man’s Land”, artist V. Markin, Malysh 1968.
Paustovsky K. “The Adventures of the Rhinoceros Beetle”, artist M. Petrov, Malysh 1991.
Pentegov D. “Steam locomotive “Sheep””
Sakharnov S. “Three Captains”, drawing by A. Slepkov, Children's literature, 1985.
Selikhov K., Deryugin Y. “Parade on Red Square”, art. Y. Kopeiko, Baby 1980.
Sementsova V. “Ficus leaf. Stories about war"
Sorokin Z. “Duel in the snowy desert”, art. P. Piniskevich, Baby 1989.
Strekhnin Yu. “City of the Brave”, art. S. Trofimov, Baby 1978.
Tyurin V. “We go, we swim, we fly,” artist A. Beslik, Baby 1986.
Cherkashin G. “Doll”
Chekhovich D. “Manya Golofaeva”, art. M. Petrov, Baby 1978.
Yurmin G. “Secret on Wheels”, art. Y. Kopeiko, Baby 1976.
Yakovlev Yu. “Where the battery stood,” art. A. Borisenko, ed. Baby, 1990.
Yakovlev Yu. “Girls from Vasilievsky Island”, fig. S.Ostrova, Baby 1978.
Yakovlev Yu. “How Seryozha went to war”, art.S. Island, Baby 1985.
Yanovsky L. “Vanya Ozeryansky”, art. M. Petrov, Baby 1970.

Target: Foster pride in the Russian army

Tasks:

Developmental. Introduce children to literary works describing service in the modern Russian army, broaden their horizons.

Educational.Teach children to think about the actions of the hero of a literary work and see in them manifestations of his character; help extract generalized features of a positive image of a Russian soldier from specific stories.Strengthen the ability to answer a question using a detailed phrase.Expand words knowledge.

Educational. Cultivate interest in the world around you;

Arouse interest in military service and a positive attitude towards it;

Cultivate interest in Russian National Holidays;

Cultivate a respectful attitude towards the defenders of the Fatherland.

Preliminary work.Learning: poems, songs about the army and the military; dancing.

Art activities classes.

Conversations on the topics: “Conversations about courage and bravery”, “Relatives serving in the Army”, “Profession - military”, “Our army”, “Branches of the military”, “My dad, grandfather, brother - what are they like”, “Uniforms ", "Difference by rank", looking at illustrations about the Russian Army, reading newspaper clippings about our valiant Army.

Didactic games: “Branches of the Armed Forces”, “Guess who is gone”, “Tools”, “Who needs what for work”.

Outdoor games: “Dexterous and brave”, “Tug of war”, “Crossing”, “Deliver a report”, “Sailors and pilots”.

Materials and equipment:slides about the army.

Vocabulary work:Courage, bravery,specialty, frontier, self-control, resourcefulness, undisciplined, barracks, reconnaissance, platoon, indulgence, updraft,endurance, composure, intelligence,gas mask, simulator, gyroscope, paratrooper, caterpillar, tower, crew, armored, periscope, driver, tankodrome.

Introductory part.

Educator. Guys, the holiday is approaching - Defender of the Fatherland Day. The military has many different specialties. Tell me which of them are familiar to you?

Children: Artillerymen, tank crews, sailors, radio operators, etc.

Educator. Why are there such different troops?

Children: In order to ensure the security of the borders of our country.

Educator. Is it difficult to defend the Motherland? What qualities should a person who has dedicated his life to military service have?

Children's answers.

Educator. I invite you to listen to two stories about how young soldiers serve in the army, what and how they are taught.

Reading the story “Private Bashmakov” by Boris Nikolsky. After reading, the teacher asks the children:

Did you like the story?

Why did everyone consider soldier Bashmakov unlucky? What was happening to him? (Bashmakov’s bullet hit someone else’s target, he tangled his boots, sprained his ankle, everything was not like with people.)

Are there really unlucky people in the world? What did the commander, Lieutenant Petukhov, say about this? (There are no unlucky people, there are undisciplined people.) What incident helped Bashmakov stop being unlucky? (When Bashmakov jumped from the parachute.) What qualities did the soldier Bashmakov show in this situation? (Composure and resourcefulness.)

Educator: Guys, what are “self-control” and “resourcefulness”?

Children: Self-control is when a person has the ability to control himself, he has great self-control and composure. Resourcefulness -ability to quickly find a way out of a difficult situation, quick wits.Please give examples from your experience when someone showed these qualities.

Children's answers.

Physical education minute.

Like soldiers on parade

We walk row by row,

Left - one, right - one!

Look at us!

We squat quickly and deftly.

Sailors need skill

To strengthen muscles

And walk along the deck! (squats - arms forward)

Guys, I suggest you listen to another story by Boris Nikolsky, “How a tank went down into the water.”

Educator. How are tank crews trained for underwater driving?

Children: Tankers are examined by doctors: they check their ears, throat, nose, and listen to their lungs. Soldiers must know the device of a gas mask and be able to work under water. Future tank crews train on special tank simulators under water.

Educator. Who determines how the car will pass along the river bottom?

Children. From the driver.

Educator. What device helps the driver drive a tank blindly?

Children. Gyroscope.

Educator. Guys, can anyone tell me what a floating tank simulator looks like?

Children. It looks like half a tank: no tracks, no gun and the rear part is cut off. The armor and turret, the hatch cover are real.

Educator. What qualities should future tank crews—submariners, paratroopers—have?

Children's answers: Patience, endurance, health, resourcefulness, courage, willpower, ingenuity, etc.

Reflection.

Educator. Guys, what military specialties did we get acquainted with today? (Paratrooper, reconnaissance officer, driver, tank driver).

What qualities should you train in yourself to cope with difficult situations in life? (Courage, resourcefulness, ingenuity, willpower.)

What does it mean to love your homeland? (It means being proud of your country,love her, protect and protect her; to be a worthy citizen of your country, through your efforts to help the prosperity and development of the country, to know the history of your people, to respect the elders and the weak; be kind and honest.)

Preview:

War stories for children

A soldier's secret. Boris Nikolsky

To be honest, the first time I truly understood that I was actually going to jump with a parachute was only when I arrived at the airfield in full landing uniform. Overalls, helmet, main parachute - behind, behind the back, reserve - in front, everything is as it should be. Previously, while we were training, while we were doing all sorts of tricky exercises, I kept thinking: it’s still a long way off, it won’t be long before it comes to the jump.
And then we arrived at the airfield, and before I had time to look back, the command was heard:
- By planes!
The little An-2 was already waiting for us. Now we will climb onto the plane, it will fly into the air and...

Is it a joke to say - to fly down from a thousand meters! As I thought about it, I felt it: goosebumps ran down my spine.
I looked at the soldiers, at my comrades, and they didn’t care! One by one they climb onto the plane as if nothing had happened. And Smirnov from Leningrad, and Nurpeisov from Alma-Ata, and Sinitsyn from the village of Malye Grebeshki. And my fellow countryman Vasya Vasiliev - he even smiles.
“Am I really the only one who is so nervous?” I think?
And I’m ashamed, I’m trying my best not to show that I’m afraid.
We got on the plane and sat down.
The engine hummed and our An-2 took off into the air.
I looked out the window, and the earth was floating further and further down. The road below winds like a ribbon, the tractor runs very small, like a toy. And so at that moment I envied the tractor driver - I can’t describe it in words! It’s good for him - he doesn’t have to jump anywhere! No, apparently I won’t make a paratrooper.
I looked at my comrades, and they were sitting quietly. And Smirnov from Leningrad is calm, and Nurpeisov from Alma-Ata, and Sinitsyn from the village of Malye Grebeshki. And my fellow countryman Vasya Vasiliev - he even closed his eyes and was dozing.
As if jumping with a parachute is the most common thing for him.
I also closed my eyes and thought:
“It turns out they’re not scared at all, but I’m scared? What secret do they know, or what?”
And here they give the command:
- Get ready!
And all the soldiers stand up at this command. And Smirnov from Leningrad, and Nurpeisov from Alma-Ata, and Sinitsyn from the village of Malye Grebeshki. And my fellow countryman Vasya Vasiliev - he even stretches slightly, as if he really slept well.
And I stand up with everyone.
The wind rushes into the plane. The door is already ajar, and our commander, who is letting us out, is standing near the door.
- Let's go!
The door swings wide open.
Air vortices swirl outside. Just a few steps separate me from this open door. And immediately my legs weaken, and a nasty chill runs through my stomach. No, I will never take these few steps!
- Let's go!
And Smirnov had already jumped from Leningrad. And Nurpeisov from Almaty! And Sinitsyn from the village of Malye Grebeshki! And my fellow countryman Vasya Vasiliev - he even winked at me goodbye.
Even the evil was dismantled, honestly! Am I the worst of all, or something...
But I didn’t have time to figure it out. Because the releaser’s hand fell on my shoulder.
- Let's go!
And I flew after Smirnov from Leningrad, after Nurpeisov from Alma-Ata, after Sinitsyn from the village of Malye Grebeshki.
Then I was shaken and the parachute opened.
And I felt so happy!
I swayed smoothly under a huge white dome, and above there was a blue, blue sky, and clouds floated above me.
And to my right, Smirnov from Leningrad, Nurpeisov from Alma-Ata and Sinitsyn from the village of Malye Grebeshki descended on their parachutes. And my fellow countryman Vasya Vasiliev - he even sang a song.
On this day, all there was talk in the barracks was about the first jump.
“I confess honestly, guys,” said Smirnov from Leningrad. “I was already thinking: I would never jump.” When the door opened slightly, when I looked down, my knees began to shake, honestly! And then I look at Nurpeisych, I look at Sinitsyn - at least they care! The secret, I think they know, or what? Am I the only one so indecisive? No, I think, no matter what happens, I won’t leave others behind...
- And I was looking at you! - Nurpeisov is surprised.
- And I took you as an example! - says Sinitsyn.
- And I'm with you! - my fellow countryman Vasya Vasiliev tells me.
And then we all looked at each other and burst out laughing.
And our platoon commander, lieutenant, says:
- It turns out that you, without knowing it, were encouraging each other. That's how it should be. You were talking about a secret just now. And it’s true that the paratroopers have one secret. An ordinary soldier's secret - no matter how difficult it is for you, support and encourage your comrade. This is the law for a soldier. Well, what was scary before the first jump - there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not without reason that they say: the brave man is not the one who knows no fear, but the one who can overcome his fear. Fear won, which means you became a real soldier. That's it.
- Good story! - the tanker agreed. - But it’s not just the paratroopers who need courage. You've jumped from the sky more than once, but you probably never had to go under water, huh?
“No,” the paratrooper answers. - Under water - I didn’t have to.
“Then,” says the tanker, “I’ll tell you a story about...

Like a tank sank under water. Boris Nikolsky

A powerful machine - a tank. On land he is not afraid of any obstacles. What if there is a river on the way? What then? Stop and wait for the sappers to get across?
It used to be like that.
But now - no, now even the river is not an obstacle for tankers. There are tanks that float, and there are tanks that boldly go underwater, right along the bottom.
Only, of course, no one will let a tanker go under water without training, without preliminary preparation. And tankers are prepared for underwater driving of vehicles, it must be said, no less carefully than paratroopers for the first jump.
A medical examination is one time. Doctors will definitely check your ear, nose and throat and listen to your lungs.
Learning the device of a special gas mask by heart is two things.
Learning to work in an underwater pool is three things.

I remember they took us to the pool for the first time. We were still newbies. I look: in the pool, some soldiers are wearing life jackets and walking under water in gas masks, while others... To be honest, I didn’t even immediately understand what the others were doing.
I see some strange structure rising in the corner, near the pool. It looks like a tank, only there are no tracks, no cannon and the entire rear part is cut off. In a word, half the tank. And so - the armor, the turret, and the hatch cover - everything is real.
“Now look from the outside,” the commander tells us. - And then you will have to do this exercise too.
We stand and watch.
Meanwhile, four tankers, the entire crew, climb into the turret one after another. Close the hatch cover tightly behind you.
“Look here, look here,” the commander tells us.
Only then did we notice: it turns out that the armor had a window made of it, as if it were made of thick mica. Through it you can see everything that is going on inside the tank.
The tankers have taken their places and are talking to each other. Of course, you can’t hear the words, you can only see the lips moving.
And suddenly... Water poured into the tank!
It was as if a waterfall had collapsed.
The soldiers pulled the rubber masks of insulating gas masks out of their bags and quickly pulled them on.
And the water is rising.
Here she is already knee-deep. That's up to the waist. It’s already swaying in my throat.
The soldiers can be seen showing each other something with gestures and moving their hands. And we look at them through glass - sort of like fish in an aquarium.
The water has already completely hidden them, is already licking the back side of the armored hatch cover... So a minute passes, then another...
And suddenly - once! - The armored cover opened. Again, one after another, in turn, the tankers are released. Wet, water flows from them.
“The exercise,” they report, “is completed!”
Frankly speaking, I was surprised then. “What kind of strange exercise,” I think, “is it? We sat in the water, swam and got out - why is that?”
And the commander explains to us:
- Imagine that something happened to a tank under water. The engine stalled, or the caterpillar, if it happens in a war or battle, was torn apart by a mine. In a word, the tank was stuck at the bottom. What to do? It seems as simple as shelling pears - put on a gas mask and get out of the tank. No such luck! Do not open the hatch for tankers. No matter what strongman is found among them, it still won’t be opened.
Because water is pressing on the manhole cover from the outside. Presses with great force. So it turns out: the tankers are walled up in their tank.
What does that mean there is no way out? Wait and wait for help to come? No, there is a way out. To get out of the tank, you must first flood the tank. Yes, yes, flood it. The tank crews put on gas masks, open inspection slits, and through these slits water rushes into the tank. As soon as the water fills the tank, the pressure from inside and outside will be equal, and then opening the hatch cover is no more difficult than on land. Just? But in fact, try not to get confused when it’s dark in the tank, water is gushing around, a rubber mask is tightening your face, it’s hard to breathe... So that tank crews don’t get confused, so that they are ready for any surprises, they are first trained on land.
This turns out to be an important exercise!
Then, of course, I myself did this exercise more than once. And I learned to work in the pool underwater - there were a lot of different training sessions.
But the most careful preparation for the descent into the water is the driver mechanics. After all, it depends on the driver, on his skill, how the car will pass along the bottom of the river, whether it will get lost, whether it will not go astray.
Have you ever seen tanks play blind man's buff?
No? And I saw it.
Seal and tightly close all inspection slots in the tank. It's like blindfolding a person. Then the driver climbs into the tank. The officer gives a command over the radio, and the tank moves off. And - what a miracle! - walks smoothly, confidently, as if following a ruler.
At first I couldn’t even believe that the driver was driving the tank blindly.
Maybe he’s still sneaking a peek? Can he see the way?
I even later asked our driver-mechanic, Sasha Morozov: “Tell me honestly: aren’t you peeking?” And he laughs.
Yes, I myself knew that there was no need to peek at him. He is helped by a special smart device - a gyroscope. The instrument needle is always in front of the driver’s eyes. As long as the tank is moving straight, the needle does not waver. Just as the target tank deviates from the direct path, the arrow will immediately become restless and swing to the side. Attention, driver, don’t yawn!
After all, along the bottom of the river, the tanker will have to drive his car blindly: except for water, he will not see anything through the viewing devices. So the driver learns to control the tank using a gyroscope, first on land, at a tankodrome, before going under water.
Finally the day arrived for which we had all been so diligently preparing.
The first tank has already moved towards the water. The caterpillars and the tower disappeared under the water, only the cannon barrel still looked menacingly out of the water. But it was no longer visible - now only the top of the pipe, like the periscope of a submarine, furrows the surface of the river. Air is now entering the tank through this high, five-meter pipe.
It's our turn.
We climb into the car through the driver's hatch.
For the first time in my life I had to sink to the bottom of the river, under the water. Not to dive for a few seconds, but to descend in a huge steel machine. Interesting! And a little uneasy.
The engine roars loudly, the car shakes - the tank enters the water.
And suddenly there is silence. For a second I was even scared: had the engine stalled? But no, the tank continues to move. It’s just that he has already plunged into the water - and the water dampens the roar of the engine.
The water, turbid, yellow, fluctuates behind the glass of viewing devices.
Ahead, right, left. Everywhere.
Now the fate of the tank is in the hands of the driver, our Sasha Morozov. Will he cope, won't he get confused? Now he holds the answer to what he learned on land, at the tankodrome.
The roar of the engine began as suddenly as it had ended.
The tank crawls out of the water, climbs onto the shore, and stops, its tracks clanking.
We get out of the tank, jump off the armor, and look at the opposite bank. How long would it take to build a bridge and transport tanks across the bridge! And then in a matter of minutes the tank is ready for battle again. Great!
To be honest, I was even a little offended then: because it was all over so quickly. We prepared and prepared, and then two minutes - and that’s it!
But then I thought: this is what our soldier’s service is like. You try, you train for such decisive minutes. So that during these Main Minutes during exercises or, if necessary, in a real battle with the enemy, not to get confused, not to make a mistake, to act skillfully, accurately - in a word, like a soldier!

Private Bashmakov

In our platoon, a platoon of paratroopers, there was a soldier named Bashmakov - a surprisingly unlucky man. He was constantly unlucky. Always and in everything. We go to the shooting range - everyone shoots normally, he will definitely manage to put a bullet into someone else's target. We get up in alarm - the boots will be mixed up. If we run cross country, he will sprain his leg. In short, everything with him is not like with people.

Therefore, the platoon commander tried to keep Bashmakov away from the eyes of his superiors. As soon as the training or inspection begins, Bashmakov is either sent to the kitchen detail to peel potatoes, or to the orderly in the barracks, or somewhere else - as long as it’s far away.

This was the case until our platoon commander changed.

The new commander, Lieutenant Petukhov, summoned Bashmakov and said:

There are no unlucky people, Bashmakovs - there are people who are not-dis-ci-pli-ni-ro-van-ny-e. Clear?

From now on you will not have any concessions,” says the lieutenant. - And drop your tricks. Clear?

That’s right,” says Bashmakov. - Clear.

And then a few days later it’s just a training exercise. And our platoon had a special task - to conduct reconnaissance behind enemy lines.

Lieutenant Petukhov, just in case, did not take his eyes off Bashmakov. And on the plane he sat next to me. On purpose.

And he jumped right after him.

Their parachutes opened almost simultaneously.

And then suddenly the lieutenant saw that Bashmakov was flying not down, but up.

Yes, yes, his parachute was rising!

Private Bashmakov! - the lieutenant shouted. - Where are you going?

I can not know! - Bashmakov shouted.

Return immediately! - the lieutenant shouted.

But Bashmakov continued to slowly fly upward.

Come back now! - the lieutenant shouted even louder.

He no longer heard what Bashmakov answered. After all, the lieutenant was flying down, and Bashmakov was flying up, and the distance between them was increasing.

Meanwhile, everything was explained simply: Bashmakov’s parachute fell into an upward flow of warm air.

If another soldier had been in Bashmakov’s place, he would probably have been confused and done something stupid out of fear. But Bashmakov was not afraid. He wasn't even surprised. Because he is used to something always happening to him.

He flew calmly, as if in a balloon, and looked down.

And I remembered everything that was below.

And below there was a forest. And in the fishing line there are “enemy” tanks.

So Bashmakov flew for quite a long time. And when he landed, he immediately made his way to his people. And he reported about the tanks. And Lieutenant Petukhov, after the exercise, thanked him for his self-control and resourcefulness.

GENNADY STALINGRADOVICHDuring the Great Patriotic War, not only adults, but also children experienced suffering and grief. You will learn about one such boy by reading the story of Sergei Alekseev. You will learn about the kind heart of the Soviet soldier.

In the fighting of Stalingrad, in the midst of the fighting, among smoke, metal, fire and ruins, soldiers picked up a boy. The boy is tiny, a beady boy.

What is your name?

Gena.

How old are you?

“Five,” the boy answered importantly.

The soldiers warmed, fed, and sheltered the boy. They took the bead to headquarters. He ended up at the command post of General Chuikov.

The boy was smart. Only a day has passed, but he already remembers almost all the commanders. Not only did he not mix things up by sight, he knew everyone’s last name and even, imagine, he could call everyone by their first and patronymic names.

The little one knows that the commander of the army, Lieutenant General Chuikov, is Vasily Ivanovich. Chief of Army Staff, Major General Krylov - Nikolai Ivanovich. Member of the Military Council of the Army, Divisional Commissar Gurov - Kuzma Akimovich. The commander of the artillery, General Pozharsky, is Nikolai Mitrofanovich. The head of the armored forces of the Vainrub army is Matvey Grigorievich.

The boy was amazing. Brave. I immediately noticed where the warehouse was, where the kitchen was, what the staff cook Glinka was called by his first name and patronymic, what to call the adjutants, messengers, messengers. He walks around with dignity and greets everyone:

Hello, Pavel Vasilievich!..

Hello, Atkar Ibrahimovic!..

I wish you good health, Semyon Nikodimovich!..

Hello to you, Kayum Kalimulinovich!..

Both generals, officers, and privates - everyone fell in love with the boy. They also began to call the baby by his first and patronymic names. Someone was the first to say:

Stalingradovich!

And so it went. They will meet a bead boy:

We wish you good health, Gennady Stalingradovich! The boy is happy. Pouts lips:

Thank you

War is raging all around. There is no place in hell for a boy.

To the left bank of it! To the left! The soldiers began to say goodbye to the boy:

Good journey to you, Stalingradovich!

Gain strength!

Man up!

Grow!

Take care of your honor from a young age, Stalingradovich! He left with a passing boat. A boy is standing at the side. He waves his little hand to the soldiers.

The soldiers escorted the bead and returned to their military duties. It was as if the boy did not exist, as if he had just dreamed.

Baby

"Malyutka" is a tank. Tank T-6O. It really is small compared to other Soviet tanks. The crew of such a tank consisted of only two people.
Tanks helped Soviet troops break through the fascist encirclement near Leningrad. Including “Little Ones”. The “Malyutki” became famous in these battles. They are smaller in size. More evasive. The areas near Leningrad are damp and swampy. It’s easier for the “Little Ones” to stay on swampy, muddy ground.
The tank, whose commander was Lieutenant Dmitry Osatyuk, and whose driver was Sergeant Major Ivan Makarenkov, especially distinguished himself. The tank commander and driver became friends. They understood each other instantly, without words.
The soldiers of the Leningrad Front crossed the ice across the Neva River, stormed the fascist coastal fortifications, and began to break forward to join forces with the troops of the Volkhov Front coming towards them from the Volkhov River and the city of Volkhov. Osatyuk’s “Baby” was also rushing forward.
“Malyutka” was advancing, and suddenly three huge fascist tanks appeared in front of “Malyutka” on the left, right and in front. Like in the “Baby” trap. Fascist tanks will shoot “Malyutka”. They will launch shells - goodbye "Malyutka".
The Nazis fell to their gunsights. A second, and shells will fly towards the target.
Lieutenant Osatyuk sees trouble.
- Vanya, dance! - shouted to the driver.
Driver mechanic Ivan Makarenkov understood the command. A Soviet tank spun in front of the Nazis, as if in a dance.
The Nazis are aiming, and the tank is dancing. There's no way you can get a hold of him.
- Let's go to Kabardian! Let's go lezginka! - Osatyuk shouts.
You look at the tank at that moment, and indeed, the tank is dancing the lezginka.
The fascists shoot, they shoot - everything goes by. The Soviet tank is evasive. The tank maneuvered under fascist fire, and the “Malyutka” emerged from the encirclement.
The Nazis rushed in pursuit of her. They catch up and shoot with guns. Yes, only Lieutenant Osatyuk keeps a vigilant eye on the enemies. He himself returns fire to the fire of the Nazis. Gives commands to the driver mechanic. The tank is maneuvering: it will rush to the right, then it will turn to the left, then it will slow down a little, then it will speed up its pace. “Baby” is not given to the fascists.
Lieutenant Osatyuk did not just escape the fascist fire. He led fascist tanks to the place where Soviet batteries were hidden.
Brought it out. The batteries hit. Second, second. And there are no more fascist tanks.
The batteries then admired:
- Oh yes, “Malyutka”, that’s how “Malyutka”! Small spool but precious!
The soldiers said then:
- Eagle - Lieutenant Osatyuk!
- Eagle - Sergeant Major Makarenkov!
And after that, Lieutenant Osatyuk’s “Baby” accomplished many feats. She crushed the enemy’s machine gun nests, bravely walked towards the fascist guns, and burst into the midst of the fascist soldiers. More than two hundred fascists were destroyed in these battles by “Malyutka”.
And again there is a rumor about the tank:
- He has no price, he is priceless!
And again among the soldiers:
- Eagle - Lieutenant Osatyuk!
- Sergeant Major Makarenkov is his equal!
Lieutenant Dmitry Ivanovich Osatyuk and foreman Ivan Mikhailovich Makarenkov became heroes of the Soviet Union. The tank brought fame to these names. They glorified the family tank.

SHOVEL
War is war. Anything can happen here. The shovel also shoots. Moscow was preparing for a battle with the enemy. Defensive lines were erected around the city. Trenches were being dug. Barricades and blockages were created, wire fences were erected, hedgehogs and obstacles were installed. Thousands of women, old people and teenagers took picks, crowbars, shovels in their hands...
The ditch runs out in a long strip. Here he is walking straight, here he bends a little, makes a knee. I crawled a little up the hill. He ran to the low ground. Crossed a bare field. He left for the nearest forest. This is an anti-tank ditch. There are many of them near the borders of Moscow. And this one. And a little to the right. And a little to the left. And further - behind the forest. And further - beyond the field. And further and further - blocking the horizon.
Kostya Nezlobin is a textile student. In an earthmoving student brigade. Kostya asks to join the army:
- I want to join the company. I'm a sniper.
They didn’t take Nezlobin into the army. His eyesight turned out to be weak. And now Nezlobin is among the diggers. Together with others he digs a ditch. Girls nearby, teenagers, women. The eldest is old man Ordyntsev.
- Kostya explains:
- They didn’t hire me as a sniper.
- Here too. Nezlobin, front,” Ordyntsev answers.
“Just think, the front,” Kostya grinned, “a ditch, a ditch.”
“It’s not a ditch, but a military facility,” corrects old man Ordyntsev.
As soon as he said it, a fascist pilot flew low in the sky, completely above the ground, above the people, above the trench. He threw a bomb. Opened fire.
- Get down! - Ordyntsev shouted.
People rushed to the bottom of the trench. We waited out the enemy fire. The Nazis came here three times that day.
“Well, why not the front,” old man Ordyntsev grinned, looking at Kostya.
Night fell over the forest, over the field. The detachments went on vacation. There is a village on a hill nearby. We settled down in cozy huts.
Nezlobin had just begun to fall asleep when suddenly a voice said:
- Anxiety! Anxiety!
Nezlobin jumped up. The moment is on the street. I found out what was going on. It turned out that a fascist landing party had been dropped from the air. People woke up. They are running onto the field. Horses rushed by - a guard outfit. Kostya returned to the hut, to the barn. Grabbed a shovel - forward, behind everyone.
He runs to the trenches, where the meeting place is. And here are the girls, and here is Ordyntsev. Suddenly from the sky - a fascist soldier. Hanging from the slings. And straight to the group.
The girls were not expecting a “guest”.
- Ay, ay! - out of fear.
And Kostya seemed to be just waiting for the moment. Nezlobin grabbed the axe-spade. Fascist in the back.
- A-ah-ah! - the paratrooper roared. The donkey collapsed. Lying down with his arms outstretched.
Kostya's girl friends kissed him.
“A sniper, well, really, a sniper,” said Ordyntsev.
People repulsed the fascist landing. We returned to the huts, to sleep, to peace. And in the morning the wake-up call sounds again. And again people in a harsh field.
The rear and convoys mixed with the front. All around the motto, all around the password:
“We won’t let the enemy in!”
“We will defeat the enemy!”
And the swing of the shovel is like a shell explosion. And if necessary, she digs. And if necessary, she shoots.

General Panfilov

Many troops distinguished themselves in the battles near Moscow. Especially the division commanded by General Panfilov. 28 Panfilov heroes are just from General Panfilov’s division.
Panfilov is no longer young. Gray hair ran up to my temples. There are wrinkles on the face and forehead. Panfilov always pulls up like a soldier. Hat with ear flaps. Siberian short fur coat. The chest is strapped from a pistol and grabbed crosswise from a commander's bag.
Panfilov does not know fatigue. Often found among soldiers. The soldiers love Panfilov. And now the general is in combat positions.
It’s difficult for Panfilov’s people. Five enemy divisions storm one, Soviet, for 30 days. And all the fight and fight.
Panfilov arrived to the artillerymen:
- Hello, magic bombers!
The artillerymen are smiling. Nice to hear that.
“Kill the fascist, sons,” Panfilov instructs, “with direct fire.” Don't forget - guns have wheels. You can push a gun, sons, right up to the devil himself.
“That’s right, it’s possible,” the gunners laugh.
This is what artillerymen do. Guns are advanced towards the enemy. They defeat the fascists with fire and steel.
The general arrived to the machine gunners:
- Hello, young, sharp eyes!
Machine gunners bloom in their smiles. Praise and warmth in the general’s words. Soldier Panfilov instructs:
- Don’t bother, sons, with a long flight of bullets. Hit the enemy from close range.
- Yes, Comrade General! - the machine gunners answer cheerfully.
Soldiers carry out the general's advice in battle. They let the fascists come within close range.
Panfilov arrived to the tank destroyers and grenade launchers:
- Hello, Durov trainers, tamers of the fascist beast!
The grenade launchers smile. It’s not for nothing that words are like that. Indeed, they are tamers. Soldiers do not know fear.
Panfilov instructs the soldiers:
- The fascist is sitting behind the armor. That's why he's brave. And you tear off the shell from it. The shell, the shell, sons, tear it off.
The soldiers laugh. They like about the shell. The grenade launchers fight bravely. They hit fascist tanks point-blank. The shells are torn off from enemies.
The soldiers love General Panfilov. He is a caring general. Is the soldier fed, watered, warmly dressed, shod? Are there any delays in smoking? How long has it been since the soldier washed himself in the bathhouse? Everything worries Panfilov. The soldiers love their general. With him, either into the fire or into the abyss.
Major General Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov did not live to see victory. Defending Moscow from the Nazis, General Panfilov died the death of the brave. The general died, but left Panfilov's men - brave and persistent warriors. Panfilov's men distinguished themselves more than once in battles near Moscow.
If you say “Panfilov’s men,” memory immediately gives birth to heroes.

Separate tank battalion

The fierce battle with the Nazis continues. Heavy fighting is taking place near the village and Kryukovo station. The Nazis are pressing here with particular force. There are not enough soldiers. The soldiers are about to leave.
Commanders call senior commanders. They ask for urgent help. Senior bosses have no help. All reserves have been in battle for a long time.
Things are getting more and more difficult under Kryukov. The commanders are calling their superiors again.
“Okay,” the bosses say. - Wait for the tank battalion.
And sure enough, soon a tank officer appeared at the command post of the regiment fighting here. Young, handsome tanker. In a leather jacket and a tank helmet. The eyes are blue-blue. As if in May he grabbed azure from the sky and stuck it under his eyelids.
The tankman approached the regiment commander, raised his hand to his helmet, and introduced himself:
- Comrade regiment commander, a separate tank battalion has arrived at your disposal. The battalion commander, Senior Lieutenant Logvinenko, reports.
Satisfied - no strength - regiment commander. Not only is he happy, happy. Hugged the officer:
- Thank you, brother, thank you. - And straight to the point: - How many tanks are there in the battalion?
“One car,” the tanker answers. And he looks at the commander with heavenly azure.
- How many? - the regiment commander cannot believe his ears.
“One car,” the tanker repeats. - There is only one left... A T-37 type tank.
The Nazis suffered heavy losses near Moscow. But even among ours they are considerable... All the joy on the face of the regiment commander - as if someone had blown a huge blow - disappeared in a second. The T-37 tank is the most outdated Soviet tank. The oldest and the smallest. One machine gun - that's all the weapons. Armor as thick as your little finger.
“I’m waiting for a combat mission,” said the tanker.
“Go to hell - that’s the whole combat mission,” the regiment commander wanted to say. However, he restrained himself and mastered himself.
“Head to the disposal of the first battalion,” said the regiment commander.
This battalion was now attacked the most by the Nazis.
The tankman arrived at the battalion and immediately rushed into battle with the infantrymen. The tanker acted smartly. Either in one place it will support the infantrymen with armor, then it quickly changes positions. And now you can see it in a new place. The soldiers see the armor. Easier for soldiers in battle. Rumor goes from soldier to soldier - a tank battalion has arrived.
The heroes survived then. They didn’t let the fascists forward. Slide 1

Tank forces