Pyotr Ivanovich Savinov has been on the front of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. He fought on the Western, Bryansk, Central and 1st Ukrainian fronts. During his service he showed himself to be a courageous, enterprising, tactically competent commander.

So in the battles of November 5 and 6, 1943, acting with a company in the forward detachment of the 69th mechanized brigade in the direction of Romanovka-x. Shevchenko, P. I. Savinov ensured the advancement of the main forces of the brigade. Pursuing the enemy, did not allow him to gain a foothold on the lines, defeated him by destroying: 5 tbsp. machine guns, 8 light machine guns, 2 cannons and up to two companies of infantry. Coming out on the Kyiv-Zhitomir highway, he cut off the enemy's retreat along this route, which contributed to the paralysis of the enemy forces by destroying: 5 vehicles with cargo and up to an infantry company. In the battles for the settlement of Chervona Comrade. Savinov, with skillful and decisive actions from the flank, delivered a surprise blow to the enemy, as a result of which the regiment defeated the artillery armored division and the headquarters of the grenadier regiment of the 25th Wehrmacht Panzer Division. In this battle, 11 guns, 4 mortars, 6 vehicles with ammunition and food, 14 armored personnel carriers were destroyed and captured, and up to 150 enemy soldiers were destroyed.

During the night battle for the village of Vilnya on December 25, 1943, Savinov's company, having made a night march behind enemy lines, suddenly attacked the village and defeated the rear of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. The daring and skillful leadership of P. I. Savinov ensured the complete success of the operation. At the same time, up to 150 vehicles, 15 motorcycles, 5 six-barreled mortars, 50 carts with cargo, up to 40 enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed and 6 enemy tanks were put to flight. At dawn, having made a new throw, the company of Savinov P.I. took possession of the village of Voitashevka, threw the enemy back over the river. Dubovik and entrenched on the left bank. On 12/26/1943, Savinov's company P. I. entered the Kyiv-Zhitomir highway with a roundabout maneuver through the forest, destroying 1 self-propelled gun, an anti-tank gun, and 2 armored cars.

On January 12, 1944, during a battle in the rear of the enemy, P. I. Savinov personally destroyed with his tank: 2 self-propelled guns, 20 vehicles, a Henschel-123 aircraft, up to 40 Nazis, knocked out one tank of the Panther type.

This is not a complete list of the victories of the brave Soviet tanker. For military merit during the war P.I. Savichev was awarded: Order of Kutuzov III degree, Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Star, Order of the Patriotic War II degree, Medal "For Courage".

The last battle in which the captain, the commander of a company of self-propelled guns Pyotr Savichev took part, was described in his memoirs by the commander of the 9th Kiev-Zhytomyr mechanized corps of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Hero of the Soviet Union Malygin K.A .:

“On the morning of March 4, after a powerful artillery preparation, the 70th and 69th mechanized brigades went on the attack, the 71st was in the second echelon, the 226th rifle division followed the tanks of the 53rd tank regiment of Colonel D. G. Sukhovarov. The enemy almost did not resist, hastily retreating ten kilometers. The Nazis made their first counterattack only near the village of Okop. About fifteen tanks and an infantry battalion were abandoned by the enemy command to delay our advance. In this battle, the self-propelled gunners of the company of Captain P.I. Savinov distinguished themselves. The commander, being on the lead vehicle, established where the enemy tanks were firing from, and without wasting a second, made a bold decision - to attack them from the flank. Using the folds of the terrain, the officer brought the installation to the flank of the enemy. The Germans did not expect the appearance of self-propelled guns from this side.

After the first shot, thick clouds of black smoke poured out of the engine compartment of the enemy vehicle. The crew of the second tank, seeing what fate befell the first, rushed about in search of shelter, turned around, exposing the side to the blow of our self-propelled gun. One more shot - and another hit target on the captain's account. The German tankers and infantry were clearly confused. Fire from the front and flank crushed their counterattack. They stomped on the spot, then turned back.

Forward! - commanded P. I. Savinov.

The surviving tanks, turning around, moved back at full speed, into cover.

However, one of them suddenly turned sharply, slightly covered himself behind a hillock and managed to fire several shots from there. One shell hit the car of junior lieutenant S. K. Kulinchenko, knocked it out.

We all knew that in a tank battle, seconds decide: whoever acts more dexterously, harmoniously, wins. The case with Kulinchenko, as it turned out during the analysis of the course of the battle, once again confirmed this truth. Although his car pulled ahead, the crew acted at random, blindly, without having a specific goal in front of them. People wanted to do a good deed, but in search of an easy target, they put their side under the fire of an enemy tank and were severely punished. And the crew of the self-propelled guns, which was headed by the capital of P. I. Savinov, left the battle unscathed. Of the seven wrecked tanks, four fell to his share.

However, during the continuation of the offensive on this day, P. I. Savinov dies from a “crazy” projectile. P. I. Savinov was buried in the village. Gulevtsy (Calm).

This article was automatically added from the community

The Great Patriotic War made commonplace the concept of "mass heroism" in relation to the Soviet people. Decades later, this phrase was considered by many as a cliché, a propaganda exaggeration. Like, there can be no mass heroism.

Perhaps this skepticism was also generated by the fact that the heroes who went through the war never boasted of their exploits. They worked as teachers, engineers, builders, and sometimes even relatives did not know what miracles their husbands, fathers and grandfathers performed.

Documents of the Great Patriotic War, however, testify that Soviet people who did not have superpowers, in reality, did what only superheroes are capable of in Hollywood films.

peasant son Semyon Konovalov did not dream of feats. Coming from a Russian family who lived in Tatarstan, in the village of Yambulovo, he graduated from school, worked as a postman, and in 1939 was drafted into the Red Army.

Before the war in the Soviet Union, the military was highly respected, especially pilots and tankers. In 1939, the film "Tractor Drivers" was released, in which the legendary song "Three Tankers" was subsequently sounded. In the same year, Semyon Konovalov was sent to Kuibyshev, to an infantry school, but a year later he became a tank cadet - after the annexation of Lithuania to the USSR, the school was transferred to the city of Raseiniai and made armored.

"My place at the front"

In May 1941, a school graduate, Semyon Konovalov, was appointed commander of a tank platoon in a separate tank company of the 125th Border Rifle Division, located in the same place, in Lithuania.

The company was equipped with BT-7 tanks - fast, but inferior to German vehicles both in terms of security and armament.

Tank BT-7 model 1937. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Less than a month later, the young lieutenant found himself in the epicenter of the most difficult battles with the rapidly advancing Nazis. In August 1941, Konovalov was seriously wounded and sent to the rear hospital in Vologda.

The guy was eager to go to the front, but the doctors were against it. Only at the end of October, when the enemy was already approaching Moscow, Konovalov was discharged from the hospital, but was sent not to the walls of the capital, but to Arkhangelsk - to the training center, where he served as an instructor for training young soldiers.

Many officers who found themselves in Konovalov's place bombarded the command with reports - they say, I don't belong here, I have to fight the Nazis. Simon did the same. He received the “Good” in April 1942 - Lieutenant Konovalov was heading to the front as a platoon commander of heavy KV tanks of the 5th Separate Guards Tank Brigade. In June 1942, he was transferred to the same position as part of the 15th Tank Brigade of the 9th Army.

One tank platoon

The spring and summer of 1942 were a difficult and unsuccessful time for the Red Army. The onslaught of the Nazis became stronger, the enemy rushed to the Volga.

The 15th tank brigade fought heavy defensive battles. By July 13, Lieutenant Konovalov's platoon had only one tank left - his own, and even that was pretty battered in battle. In addition to the lieutenant himself, the KV crew included a driver Kozyrentsev, gunner Dementiev charging Gerasimlyuk, junior mechanic-driver Akinin and radio operator Chervinsky. By joint efforts, by the morning of July 13, they brought the tank into working condition.

At dawn, the tank brigade received an order to advance to a new line in order to block the path of the advancing enemy.

On the march "KV" Konovalova stood up - the fuel supply system failed. brigade commander Pushkin could not wait - this jeopardized the fulfillment of the combat mission.

A lieutenant technician was given to help Konovalov Serebryakova. Colonel Pushkin gave the order - to make repairs and catch up with the brigade, in the event of the appearance of the enemy, to restrain his advance at this turn. The column of Soviet tanks moved on, leaving a lone KV on the road.

Tank lost in the Battle of Stalingrad. The armor has numerous dents. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

We take the fight!

Konovalov understood perfectly well that without a move and in an open place, his car was an excellent target, and therefore, together with the crew, he was in a hurry to finish the repair.

To the relief of the tankers, they managed to "revive" the car again. But at that moment, when Konovalov was about to rush after the departed brigade, two German armored vehicles appeared on the hillock, carrying out reconnaissance.

The meeting was unexpected for both sides, but Konovalov got his bearings faster. "KV" opened fire, knocking out one of the armored vehicles. The second managed to get away.

For the lieutenant, the moment of truth had come. He understood perfectly well that the main forces should appear after the scouts. What to do in this situation? Catch up with the brigade or stay at this line in order to prevent the further advance of the Nazis? There was no radio contact with the brigade, it had already gone far.

Lieutenant Konovalov chose the second option. Having chosen a position in the hollow, the slopes of which were covered by the KV, while the enemy was in full view, the tankers began to wait.

The wait was short. Soon a long German military column appeared, moving towards the Nizhnemityakin farm. There were 75 German tanks in the column.

"KV" fought to the last shell

Soviet tankers had strong nerves. Having let the first part of the column to a distance of 500 meters, the KV crew opened fire. 4 German tanks were destroyed. The Germans did not accept the battle and retreated.

Apparently, it simply did not occur to the German command that the ambush was set up by a single Soviet tank.

After some time, 55 tanks, deployed in combat formation, went on the attack, believing that the farm was protecting a large Soviet unit.

Lieutenant Konovalov tried to convince the Germans that this was the case. "KV" put out of action 6 more enemy tanks, as a result of which the attack bogged down.

Regrouping, the Germans launched a new attack. This time, a wave of enemy fire fell on the KV, but the well-armored vehicle remained in service. When repelling this attack, Konovalov's crew knocked out 6 more enemy tanks, 1 armored vehicle and 8 vehicles with soldiers and officers.

But the hits of the Germans did their job - "KV" finally lost its course. The ammunition was running out.

The Nazis managed to pull up a heavy 105-millimeter gun to a distance of 75 meters to the KV. Soviet tank shot at direct fire ...

Awarded posthumously

The next day, July 14, brigade commander Pushkin ordered the scouts to return to the place where Konovalov's KV had stopped due to a breakdown, and to establish the fate of the crew.

The scouts completed the task - they found a burned-out KV, and in it the remains of dead tankers, saw the equipment destroyed by Konovalov's crew, and even talked with local residents who saw some details of the battle.

It was reported to the brigade commander that the crew of Lieutenant Konovalov died heroically, having chalked up 16 destroyed tanks, 2 armored vehicles, 8 vehicles with enemy manpower.

“Lieutenant Konovalov showed courage, unshakable stamina, selfless courage. For the heroism shown in the defense of the Motherland, comrade. Konovalov is worthy of the posthumous award of the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, ”the award sheet signed on November 17, 1942 by the command of the 15th tank brigade said.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 31, 1943, for exceptional courage and bravery, Lieutenant Semyon Vasilyevich Konovalov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

"Resurrected" with a "trophy"

But the story of Semyon Konovalov does not end there. Already after the representation of the deceased hero went to higher authorities, a letter came to the brigade from ... Semyon Konovalov. The commander of the KV turned out to be alive and told what the scouts did not know.

At that moment, when the Germans rolled out a 105-mm gun to the position, Konovalov warned that as soon as the KV used up the last shell, the crew would leave the car. But when the KV fired its last shot, the Germans had already begun shelling.

Three managed to survive and get out through the lower hatch - Konovalov, Lieutenant Serebryakov, and gunner Dementyev.

The tankers were lucky - twilight was gathering over the battlefield, the smoke from the burning tanks blocked the Germans' view, and the Soviet soldiers managed to escape unnoticed.

Konovalov and his comrades began to make their way to their own. We walked carefully, for a whole week, bypassing settlements, eating raw grain and grass.

On the fourth day of their journey, they stumbled upon their "colleagues" - the crew of a German tank, who carelessly stopped to rest, clearly not expecting a meeting with the enemy. Soviet tankers destroyed the Nazis and moved on in the same captured enemy vehicle.

On it, they broke through the front line, surprising both the Germans and the Soviet soldiers, who almost knocked out the "lost" enemy tank.

hero street

The crew of Konovalov went to his own far from the location of the 15th tank brigade. After checking the lieutenant's story, he, along with his comrades, was enlisted in another tank unit - it was too difficult to return them to their old duty station under the current conditions.

By the way, for another three months, Lieutenant Konovalov fought on a “trophy” obtained from the Germans.

The tanker fought near Stalingrad, was repeatedly wounded. He remained in the army until 1946, when he was demobilized. But in 1950, he was back in the ranks, graduated from the Leningrad Higher Armored Officer School, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Semyon Konovalov finally retired to the reserve in 1956. He lived in Kazan, worked as an engineer at one of the local factories for a quarter of a century. In retirement, he was engaged in social work, was a freelance lecturer in the Knowledge Society, met with young people ...

Hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Vasilyevich Konovalov died on April 4, 1989 and was buried at the Arsk cemetery in Kazan.

In 2005, the Kazan authorities decided to name one of the streets of the city after the tanker Semyon Konovalov.

Born on June 30, 1919 in the village of Verkhniye Kazyli, Kazyl volost, Laishevsky district, Kazan province (now Pestrechinsky district of Tatarstan). Until the seventh grade, he studied at a secondary school in the village of Yantsovary. In 1930, the family moved to a permanent place of residence in the village of Rybnaya Sloboda, where he continued to study at Rybnosloboda secondary school No. 1 and graduated from it in 1938. During his studies, he showed himself to be a capable student and the school administration entrusted him to teach in the lower grades.

After graduating from school in August 1938, he entered the literary department of the Kazan Pedagogical Institute, where he studied before being drafted into the Red Army. After being drafted into the Red Army in 1939, he was sent to a flight school. During his studies, an accident occurred (an explosion of gunpowder), as a result of which Petr Savinov injured his eyes. He was expelled from the flight school and sent to the infantry school, from which he was transferred to the Kamyshin tank technical school. He graduated from the tank technical school in June 1942 with the rank of lieutenant.

On the front of the Great Patriotic War from June 1941, he fought on the Western, Bryansk, Central and 1st Ukrainian fronts.

During the fighting of the battalion from March 14, 1943, P. I. Savinov skillfully organized the repair of combat vehicles under enemy fire. The disabled T-60 tank remained on the battlefield. P. I. Savinov personally, not having a tool at hand, repaired and put the tank on alert and entered the battle. Near the village of Lepeshino, P. I. Savinov repaired and put into combat readiness another T-60 tank.

In September 1943, among the first, the 1st tank company of the 53rd tank regiment of the 69th mechanized brigade of the 9th mechanized corps of the 3rd tank army was transferred to the Bukrinsky bridgehead. P. I. Savinov in battle on September 27, 1943 in the area of ​​​​the village. Grigorovka showed himself to be a bold, enterprising, tactically competent commander. When the enemy, up to an infantry battalion with the support of four tanks, went on the offensive, he knocked out a T-4 tank with two tanks, the rest turned back. In this battle, his tank destroyed up to a platoon of enemy infantry. In the battle of September 29, 1943, P. I. Savinov, under heavy artillery fire, managed to organize and personally supervise the delivery of ammunition to tanks, and at the same time evacuated the wrecked tanks.

In the battles from November 5, 1943 to November 13, 1943, to blockade the city of Kyiv, to liberate and hold the city of Fastov, Art. Technician Lieutenant P. I. Savinov showed exceptional heroism, high ability to command a tank company in battle, and correctly use the strike force of tanks and their firepower. In the battles of November 5 and 6, acting with a company in the forward detachment of the 69th mechanized brigade in the direction of Romanovka-x. Shevchenko, P. I. Savinov, with his skillful and decisive actions, ensured the advancement of the main forces of the brigade. Pursuing the enemy, did not allow him to gain a foothold on the lines, defeated him by destroying: 5 tbsp. machine guns, 8 light machine guns, 2 cannons and up to two companies of infantry. Coming out on the Kyiv-Zhitomir highway, he cut off the enemy's retreat along this route, which contributed to the paralysis of the enemy forces by destroying: 5 vehicles with cargo and up to an infantry company. In the battles for the settlement of Chervona Comrade. Savinov, with skillful and decisive actions from the flank, delivered a sudden blow to the enemy, as a result of which the regiment defeated the artillery armored division and the headquarters of the grenadier regiment of the 25th tank division. In the battle, 11 guns, 4 mortars, 6 vehicles with ammunition and food, 14 armored personnel carriers were destroyed and captured, and up to 150 enemy soldiers were destroyed. Personally, P. I. Savinov himself was always in the battle formations of the company and, by his example, inspired the personnel for decisive action. For exceptional valor and heroism, the ability to manage a tank company in battle, Savinov P.I. was presented with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but the award was replaced with the Order of Kutuzov III degree.

During the night battle for the village of Vilnya on December 25, 1943, the company of Pyotr Ivanovich Savinov, having made a night march along the rear of the enemy, suddenly attacked the village and defeated the rear of the enemy tank division of the SS REICH. The daring and skillful leadership of P. I. Savinov ensured the complete success of the operation. At the same time, up to 150 vehicles, 15 motorcycles, 5 six-barreled mortars, 50 cargo carts, up to 40 enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed and 6 enemy tanks were put to flight. At dawn, having made a new throw, the company of Savinov P.I. took possession of the village of Voitashevka, threw the enemy back over the river. Dubovik and entrenched on the left bank. On 12/26/1943, Savinov's company P. I. entered the Kyiv-Zhitomir highway with a roundabout maneuver through the forest, destroying 1 self-propelled gun, an anti-tank gun, and 2 armored cars. Without stopping for a minute, the company crossed the river. Teterev and took possession of the village of Kazievka. This ensured the further advancement of all units operating along the highway, the capture of the city of Korystyshev and operations on the city of Zhitomir. For the skillful conduct of the operation on the near approaches to the city of Zhitomir, the heroism and exceptional courage shown at the same time, Savinov P.I. was re-introduced to the rank of Hero of the Soviet Union, but the award was replaced by the Order of the Red Banner.

On January 12, 1944, during a battle in the rear of the enemy, P. I. Savinov personally destroyed with his tank: 2 self-propelled guns, 20 vehicles, a Henschel-123 aircraft, up to 40 Nazis, knocked out one tank of the Panther type. Upon returning from the operation, being seriously wounded in the head, P. I. Savinov crossed the front line. Leading a group of tankers in the area with. Petrikovtsy, P. I. Savinov broke into the enemy trenches, strangling one sentry, took another prisoner and crossed the front line, delivering the prisoner to the headquarters of the regiment.

On the morning of March 4, 1944, after a powerful artillery barrage, the 69th mechanized brigade launched an offensive. The enemy almost did not resist, hastily retreating ten kilometers. The Nazis made their first counterattack only near the village of Okop. In this battle, the self-propelled gunners of Captain Savinov's company distinguished themselves. Of the seven wrecked tanks, the crew of P. I. Savinov personally knocked out four "tigers". During the continuation of the offensive from the "stray" projectile, P. I. Savinov dies. P. I. Savinov was buried in the village. Gulevtsy (Calm). For this fight, P. I. Savinov did not posthumously receive any award.

The commander of the 9th Kiev-Zhytomyr mechanized corps, Hero of the Soviet Union Malygin K. A. describes this battle in his memoirs:

On the morning of March 4, after a powerful artillery preparation, the 70th and 69th mechanized brigades went on the attack, the 71st was in the second echelon, the 226th rifle division followed the tanks of the 53rd tank regiment of Colonel D. G. Sukhovarov. The enemy almost did not resist, hastily retreating ten kilometers. The Nazis made their first counterattack only near the village of Okop. About fifteen tanks and an infantry battalion were abandoned by the enemy command to delay our advance. In this battle, the self-propelled gunners of the company of Captain P.I. Savinov distinguished themselves. The commander, being on the lead vehicle, established where the enemy tanks were firing from, and without wasting a second, made a bold decision - to attack them from the flank. Using the folds of the terrain, the officer brought the installation to the flank of the enemy. The Germans did not expect the appearance of self-propelled guns from this side.

After the first shot, thick clouds of black smoke poured out of the engine compartment of the enemy vehicle. The crew of the second tank, seeing what fate befell the first, rushed about in search of shelter, turned around, exposing the side to the blow of our self-propelled gun. One more shot - and another hit target on the captain's account. The German tankers and infantry were clearly confused. Fire from the front and flank crushed their counterattack. They stomped on the spot, then turned back.

- Forward! - commanded P. I. Savinov.

The surviving tanks, turning around, moved back at full speed, into cover.

However, one of them suddenly turned sharply, slightly covered himself behind a hillock and managed to fire several shots from there. One shell hit the car of junior lieutenant S. K. Kulinchenko, knocked it out.

We all knew that in a tank battle, seconds decide: whoever acts more dexterously, harmoniously, wins. The case with Kulinchenko, as it turned out during the analysis of the course of the battle, once again confirmed this truth. Although his car pulled ahead, the crew acted at random, blindly, without having a specific goal in front of them. People wanted to do a good deed, but in search of an easy target, they put their side under the fire of an enemy tank and were severely punished. And the crew of the self-propelled guns, which was headed by the capital of P. I. Savinov, left the battle unscathed. Of the seven wrecked tanks, four fell to his share.

They were presented to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, but 189 natives of Tatarstan and called to the front from our republic did not receive it. Private Amyshkin, Guards Sergeant Podgorny, Junior Lieutenant Galiakhmetov... Sometimes even their direct descendants do not know about the exploits of these people. All 189 names will be included in the second volume of the Book of Heroes, which will be published in Kazan on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Victory.

The publisher of the book, the head of the Museum-Memorial of the Great Patriotic War of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mikhail Cherepanov, considers it necessary to tell the inhabitants of the republic about the heroic countrymen. He also suggests naming streets, schools, and erecting monuments to them. After all, the fact that the heroes, for various reasons, were not officially awarded such a title does not detract from their feat.

NOT FOR EVERY FEAT A MILITARY COMMANDER IS FOUND

In August 1943, machine gunner Private Abdulla Salimov, mobilized from Kazan, in the battles near Rostov covered the embrasure of an enemy machine gun with his body, - says Mikhail Cherepanov. - He was presented to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union three months later. Agree, the feat of Salimov is no less significant than the feat of Matrosov! But the deceased was awarded only the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree. Was he a different sort of man, or were the bullets that killed him different?

According to data received by Cherepanov from the archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Matrosov's feat was accomplished by 13 participants in the war, mobilized from Tatarstan. But only three of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously.

Feats in the war were performed everywhere, and heroes appeared only where there were military correspondents, - Mikhail Cherepanov explains such a historical injustice.

BREZHNEV DECIDED WHAT DESERVES

The Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation keeps an award list for Kazan citizen Nikolai Shchetsov, who was called to the front at the age of 20 in early 1943.

On November 10, 1943, the commander of the 1511th anti-tank artillery regiment, Major Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (apparently, the full namesake of the future Secretary General) described the feat that Nikolai Shchetsov had accomplished the day before in a difficult battle for the Crimea:

“Corporal, castle Shchetsov, in the battle for the Turkish Wall, left alone at the gun, despite heavy artillery fire, continued to fire from his gun. Repulsed 4 counterattacks of enemy tanks, destroyed a machine-gun point and near an infantry company. Deserves the title "Hero of the Soviet Union".

The opinion of Major Brezhnev was supported by the commander of the armored and mechanized troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Major General Novikov. But in the end, Corporal Shchetsov, who died of wounds in the hospital, did not receive the title of Hero, but was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

"YET I AM NOT A HERO"

The dashing tanker Pyotr Savinov, who went to the front from Rybnaya Sloboda, was jokingly called by his comrades-in-arms a "rear man". In one of his letters home, which are carefully kept by Savinov's relatives, the 24-year-old self-propelled battery commander explains where such a nickname came from:

“I, brother, fight everything in the rear. That's what they call me - "rear man" ... We broke into the village with our lads, in which the Fritz left 150 cars, 60 wagons, 2 warehouses of vodka and a lot of food. They had Christmas, and they were drunk... And as I opened fire, the village had already been cleared in an hour.

I will not brag, but in part they love me, appreciate me. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, the medal "For Courage". The second time was presented to the Hero of the Soviet Union. But right now I'm not a Hero yet..."

Captain Pyotr Savinov, who died on March 4, 1944, having been at the front for only six months, managed to earn, in addition to the above awards, the Order of the Red Banner, the Red Star and Kutuzov III degree. But he never received the title of Hero.

It is worth noting that military historians included Pyotr Savinov in the list of tank aces of the Second World War. On account of the so-called "tigroboy" Savinov - 7 destroyed "tigers" and "panthers", 3 self-propelled guns, 14 armored personnel carriers, etc. In total, this list contains about two hundred names of Soviet officers. The vast majority of them are Heroes of the Soviet Union.

"NO REASON"

In the last battle, his self-propelled gun knocked out four “tigers,” Vladimir Savinov, the nephew of the tank hero, told the Vechernaya Kazan correspondent. - And for this feat, the command for the third time could present him to the title of Hero. But a few days later the regiment commander died, and it was no longer up to that.

In 2014, Vladimir Savinov decided to restore justice. I wrote a letter to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation with a request to once again consider the documents of the guard captain Savinov and submit him to the title of Hero of Russia.

Petitioned for the awarding of the title of Hero of Russia to Petr Savinov by the chief military commissar of the republic, the office of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan and personally Rustam Minnikhanov.

But the answer came from the apparatus of the President of Russia: “... repeated awarding for the same military distinctions is not provided, there are grounds for conferring the title of Hero of the Russian Federation to Savinov P.I. (posthumously) not available.

TO REMEMBER

Only in 2010, when the public data bank "The Feat of the People" was opened in Russia, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the heroes were able to find out how their grandfathers distinguished themselves in battles, what awards they were awarded and which ones they were presented with. However, Mikhail Cherepanov believes that the heroes deserve more than the information on the site:

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Victory, it would be right to perpetuate the names of the heroes. At least at the level of the republic. Each city and district has its own Walk of Fame, there are schools that can be named after heroic countrymen.

In Rybnaya Sloboda, where Petr Savinov lived before the war, they plan to install a bust of a tank hero on the Walk of Fame on the 70th anniversary of the Victory. Also, according to Cherepanov, they want to name a street after him, and install a memorial plaque at the school where he worked as a teacher.