On April 25, 1883, on the farm Kozyurin (now the Proletarsky district of the Rostov region), a Soviet military leader, a hero of the Civil War, commander of the 1st Cavalry Army, one of the first Marshals of the Soviet Union, was born into a peasant family Se Myon Mikhailovich Budyonny .
Semyon Budyonny began serving in the army in 1903. At the beginning, he served in the 46th Don Cossack Regiment, participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. In 1908 he graduated from the St. Petersburg school of equestrians. Until 1914, Budyonny served in the Primorsky Dragoon Regiment. Participated in the 1st World War as a senior non-commissioned officer of the 18th Seversky Dragoon Regiment on the German, Austrian and Caucasian fronts, was awarded four St. George's crosses and medals for bravery.

Non-commissioned officer Budyonny received the first cross of the 4th degree for the capture of a German convoy and prisoners of war on November 8, 1914. By order of the squadron commander, captain Krym-Shamkhalov-Sokolov, Budyonny was to lead a reconnaissance platoon of 33 people, with the task of conducting reconnaissance in the direction of the town Brzezins. Soon the platoon discovered a large convoy column of German troops moving along the highway. In response to repeated reports to the captain about the discovery of enemy convoys, a categorical order was received to continue to conduct covert surveillance. After several hours of aimless observation of the unpunished movement of the enemy, Budyonny decides to attack one of the convoys. With a surprise attack from the forest, the platoon attacked an escort company armed with two heavy machine guns and disarmed it. Two officers who resisted were hacked to death. In total, about two hundred prisoners were captured as a result, including two officers, a wagon with revolvers of various systems, a wagon with surgical instruments and thirty-five wagons with warm winter uniforms. The platoon lost two men killed. However, by this time the division had managed to retreat far, and the platoon with the convoy caught up with its unit only on the third day.

For this feat, the entire platoon was awarded St. George's crosses and medals. Received the St. George Cross and captain Krym-Shamkhalov-Sokolov, who did not take part in the sortie. The royal military press, covering the events on Western front, wrote that the valiant Caucasian cavalry division defeated the Germans with a dashing attack near Brzeziny, capturing large trophies.

After the redeployment of the division to Caucasian Front, by order of the division, he was deprived of his first St. George Cross of the 4th degree, which he received on the German front, for assaulting a senior in rank - sergeant-major Khestanov, who before that insulted and hit Budyonny in the face. Again he received a cross of the 4th degree on the Turkish front, at the end of 1914. In the battle for the city Van, being in reconnaissance with his platoon, penetrated into the rear of the enemy’s location, and at the decisive moment of the battle attacked and captured his battery of three guns. Cross of the 3rd degree received in January 1916 for participation in attacks under Mendelage. In March 1916, Budyonny was awarded the 2nd degree cross. In July 1916, Budyonny received the St. George Cross of the 1st degree, for bringing 7 Turkish soldiers from a sortie behind enemy lines with four comrades.

In the summer of 1917, together with the Caucasian division, he arrived in the city of Minsk, where he was elected chairman of the regimental committee and deputy chairman of the divisional committee. In August 1917, together with M.V. Frunze, he led the disarmament of the echelons of the Kornilov troops in Orsha. After the October Revolution, he returned to the Don, to the village of Platovskaya, where he was elected a member of the executive committee of the Salsky District Council and appointed head of the district land department.

stanitsa Platovskaya

In February 1918, S.M. Budyonny created a revolutionary cavalry detachment that operated against the White Guards on the Don, which grew into a regiment, brigade, and then a cavalry division, which successfully operated near Tsaritsyn in 1918 - early 1919.

In the second half of June 1919, the first large cavalry unit was created in the young Red Army - the Cavalry Corps under the command of S.M. Budyonny, who in August 1919 played a decisive role in the defeat of the main forces of the Caucasian army of General Wrangel in the upper Don, in the Voronezh-Kastornensky operation of 1919, together with the divisions of the 8th Army, utterly defeated the Cossack corps of Generals Mamontov and Shkuro.

K.K. Mamontov A.G. Shkuro

liberation of the railway castor

Parts of the corps occupied the city of Voronezh, closing a 100-kilometer gap in the positions of the Red Army troops in the Moscow direction. Victory Cavalry Corps S.M. Budyonny over the troops of General Denikin near Voronezh and Kastorna accelerated the defeat of the enemy on the Don.
On November 19, 1919, the command of the Southern Front, on the basis of a decision of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, whose meeting was held in the village of Velikomikhailovka, now Novooskolsky District, Belgorod Region, signed an order to rename the Cavalry Corps into the 1st Cavalry Army. S.M. was appointed commander of this army. Budyonny.

The legendary 1st Cavalry Commander Budyonny, which he led until October 1923, played an important role in a number of major operations of the Civil War to defeat the troops of Denikin, the armies of Pilsudski in Ukraine and Wrangel in Northern Tavria and Crimea.

CM. Budyonny, M.V. Frunze, K.E. Voroshilov

K.E. Voroshilov, S.M. Budyonny

P.N. Wrangel

Trumpeters of the 1st Cavalry Army

carts of the 1st Cavalry Army

during the Civil War

The name of Budyonny was so popular. that the cloth helmet of the Red Army, originally called the hero, was first nicknamed, and then officially named Budenovka .

monument to the 1st Cavalry Army

In 1921-1923, Budyonny was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council, and then deputy commander of the North Caucasian Military District. During these years, he did a great job of organizing and managing stud farms, which, as a result of many years of work, bred new breeds of horses - Budyonnovskaya and Terek.

In 1923, Budyonny was appointed assistant to the commander-in-chief of the Red Army for cavalry and a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. In 1924-1937 he was an inspector of the cavalry of the Red Army. In 1932 he graduated from the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze.
On September 22, 1935, the "Regulations on the service of the command and command staff of the Red Army" introduced personal military ranks. In November 1935, the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR awarded the new military rank of "Marshal of the Soviet Union" to the five largest Soviet commanders. Among them was Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny.

Sitting: Tukhachevsky, Voroshilov, Egorov standing: Budyonny, Blucher

In the prewar years, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.M. Budyonny from 1937 to 1939 commanded the troops of the Moscow Military District, from 1939 he served as a member of the Main Military Council of the NPO of the USSR, Deputy People's Commissar and from August 1940 1st Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR.

After the Civil War, participating in solving the issues of building the Armed Forces of the USSR, their technical reconstruction, he was guided by her experience, exaggerating the role of cavalry in a future war and underestimating the technical re-equipment of the army, did not approve of the formation of tank formations.
During the Great Patriotic War, he was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, participated in the defense of Moscow, commanded a group of troops of the Stavka reserve army (June 1941), then commander-in-chief of the troops of the South-Western direction (July - September 1941), commander of the Reserve Front (September - October 1941), commander-in-chief of the troops of the North Caucasian direction (April - May 1942), commander of the North Caucasian Front (May - August 1942).

at the forefront

From January 1943 he was the commander of the cavalry of the Soviet Army, and in 1947-53 at the same time he was the deputy minister of agriculture of the USSR for horse breeding. From May 1953 to September 1954 cavalry inspector. Since 1954, at the disposal of the Minister of Defense of the USSR.

What kind of person was the legendary Marshal?

The surname Budyonny is associated with the magnificent mustache of the main cavalryman of the Soviet Union. Until his death, Budyonny's mustache was an integral part of his image. He was very jealous of them. During the Civil War, Semyon's brother also served in the First Cavalry Army, who grew the same mustache. Budyonny didn't like it very much. Once, having invited him to visit him, he contrived and cut off the ends of his mustache, saying: "Budyonny should be alone." Already being a marshal, Semyon Mikhailovich ordered to paint his portrait to the artist Nikolai Meshkov. Naturally, the portrait painter painted Budyonny at his home. The picture was close to completion, when Semyon Mikhailovich, looking at her, came to the conclusion that his mustache looked unnatural - it sticks out like a cat's, and the clasp on his uniform is above the prescribed level. Without thinking twice, Budyonny took a brush and corrected the portrait as he wanted. In general, the artist and the marshal quarreled. But both soon cooled off. Meshkov depicted the mustache as Budyonny wanted.
While studying at the Academy. Frunze Semyon Mikhailovich became addicted to reading books. His pre-war library was considered unique. It collected more than ten thousand volumes. Even after graduating from the academy, Budyonny not only educated himself, but did not hesitate to take lessons from Andrei Snesarev, an associate professor at Moscow University, by the way, a general of the tsarist army, one of the leading teachers of its General Staff. And this was far from safe for an officer of the highest command of the Red Army. Budyonny was very proud of his marshal rank. This was especially true in clothing. At home and in the country, on holidays and weekdays, Semyon Mikhailovich always wore marshal's trousers. He could wear any top: at home - pajamas or a shirt, in the country a jacket or jacket. Budyonny had few civilian clothes. According to his wife Maria Vasilievna, he had only two civilian suits.

in the family

With the filing of Budyonny, a course of modern and folk dances was introduced in Soviet military educational institutions. The fact is that in 1938 the Soviet military delegation visited Turkey. The hosts arranged a chic reception, prepared a concert program. And then they invited the guests to present something from Russian dance creativity. It turned out that neither old nor young Soviet officers were trained in this art. Then the head of the delegation, Kliment Voroshilov, asked for help. Semyon Mikhailovich, despite his already considerable age, danced so that he caused a storm of delight and applause among the Turks.
The marshal was indifferent to alcohol: a couple of glasses of cognac and that's it. He didn't like it when others got drunk. Being a favorite of Stalin, Budyonny could not drink at his dinners - he was allowed to. The marshal did not smoke much, but he always had a couple of packs of Kazbek cigarettes for guests at hand.

In food, Budyonny was very unpretentious and did not perceive any frills. He loved simple folk cuisine, especially kander. This is a half-soup-half-porridge: the broth is boiled in old lard, and then it is seasoned with boiled millet and fried onions.

Semyon Mikhailovich had two hobbies: horses and billiards. Being "legendary", he accepted as a gift horses, which were brought to him from all republics. He handed over gifts to horse-breeding collective farms. Marshal was simply obsessed with horse breeding. He dreamed of breeding a new, Budenov breed, which would take at least 20 years of selection. And with the help of scientists, he achieved his goal: Budennovsky horses had good agility, endurance, and most importantly, they were suitable for both cavalry and agriculture.
Semyon Mikhailovich enjoyed the sincere love and respect of the people. Moving away from military affairs, he received hundreds of letters. Reading them, he said to his wife: “How much did a person have to endure in order to decide to write to Budyonny himself ?!” Yes, and the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Budyonny was awarded on the initiative of the people, more precisely, the inhabitants of the Kherson region. This is how the people of Kherson appreciated the merits of Budyonny in the liberation of the region from the German occupiers. His horse-mechanized group in the fall of 1943 through Serogozy, Askania-Nova, Chaplinka, having reached Perekop, cut the German group into two parts. The second cavalry-mechanized military unit, together with the 4th mechanized corps, through Rubanovka-Kakhovka went to the Hola Pristan, liberated it, thereby cutting off the German withdrawal through the crossings on the Dnieper near Kakhovka and Kherson. It was not difficult for Budyonny to carry out reconnaissance on the territory of our region, since he remembered these places from the time of the civil war.
Semyon Mikhailovich lived with dignity: ascended to the Soviet "Olympus", he did not tarnish either the officer's uniform or his conscience.

at the Mausoleum: S.M. Budyonny, I.V. Stalin, G.K. Zhukov

His signature is not on any execution protocol or repressive act against colleagues or party comrades. Until his death, Budyonny remained the chief cavalryman of the USSR, although this branch of service was canceled long ago. The last time Semyon Mikhailovich put his foot in the stirrups was when he was 84 years old. He carried his love of horses throughout his life. A year before his death, Budyonny, saying goodbye to his last horse, which he decided to give to the stud farm, said: “Well, old man, goodbye! It is not known who will outlive whom, because you and I are both old men.
Budyonny died at the age of 91, on October 26, 1973. He was buried in Moscow on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.
By decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 1, 1958, April 24, 1963 and February 22, 1968, the People's Hero of the Land of Soviets, the legendary commander of the 1st Cavalry, one of the first Marshals of the Soviet Union, Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union three times.

He was awarded seven Orders of Lenin, six Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov 1st degree, the Order of the Red Banner of the Azerbaijan SSR, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the Uzbek SSR; medals "For the Defense of Moscow", "For the Defense of Odessa", "For the Defense of Sevastopol", "For the Defense of the Caucasus", "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "For the Victory over Japan", "Twenty years of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "For military prowess. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin", "XX years of the Red Army", "30 years of the Soviet Army and Navy", "40 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR", "50 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR", "In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow", "In memory of the 250th anniversary of Leningrad", as well as awards of the Mongolian People's Republic - the Order of the Red Banner of the 1st degree, two orders of Sukhe- Bator. He was awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Arms three times.

City Prikumsk Stavropol Territory in 1973 was renamed Budyonnovsk. Since 1933, the name of the legendary Marshal has been borne by the Military Academy of Communications (in 1933-1941 - the Military Electrotechnical Academy of the Red Army, in 1941-1946 - the Military Electrotechnical Academy of Communications).

grave of S.M. Budyonny near the Kremlin wall

April 25, 1883 in a poor peasant familyon the farm Kozyurin (now the Proletarsky district of the Rostov region)born Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, the future Soviet military leader, hero of the Civil War, commander of the 1st Cavalry Army, one of the first Marshals of the Soviet Union.

Hero of the Revolution, Thrice Hero of the Soviet Union, the legendary Marshal Budyonny managed not only to win great military glory, but also to become a real people's favorite. Enemies feared him, his comrades-in-arms bowed before him, ill-wishers envied him, women adored him.

Semyon Budyonny, who is used to be considered a symbol of Cossack prowess, was not really a Cossack. His grandfather, a serf from near Voronezh, released by decree of the liberator Tsar Alexander II, moved to the Don with his family in search of a better life. It was there, not far from the village of Platovskaya, on April 25, 1883, the future marshal, the idol of several generations, Semyon Budyonny, was born.

The pre-revolutionary biography of Budyonny was not advertised too much. Semyon Mikhailovich did not participate in any peasant unrest and anti-government speeches. He lived like most Cossacks, worked as a hammerman in a forge, was known as the best rider in the district, and from his youth dreamed of becoming a horse breeder - Budyonny had a passion for horses from childhood.

In 1903, at the age of 20, Semyon Budyonny got married. Nadezhda Ivanovna Budyonnaya, a Cossack woman from a neighboring farm, was considered one of the first beauties. But Budyonny did not have to enjoy family comfort for a long time. The wedding was played in the winter, and the very next autumn Semyon Mikhailovich went to the army. Budyonny's military career advanced rapidly. The best rider of the regiment quickly won the respect of his colleagues and superiors, earned an officer rank. During World War I, Budyonny received four St. George's Crosses.

But they really started talking about Budyonny during the Civil War. In 1917, having learned about the abdication of the throne of Tsar Nicholas II, Semyon Mikhailovich went over to the side of the Bolsheviks. “I decided that it was better to be a marshal in the Red Army than an officer in the white,” Budyonny later joked. Well, he did not fail. The capture of the Cossack capital of Novocherkassk and Rostov-on-Don, the defeat of the detachment of General Kornilov - all this provided Semyon Mikhailovich with simply fabulous fame.

In the war with Poland, Budyonny's army as part of the Southwestern Front acted on the southern flank and was quite successful. Budyonny broke through the defensive positions of the Polish troops and cut off the supply lines of the Kyiv group of Poles, launching an offensive against Lvov.

In this war, the legend of the "invincible" strategist Tukhachevsky was destroyed. Tukhachevsky did not critically perceive the reports received by the headquarters of the Western Front that the Poles were completely defeated and were fleeing in panic. Budyonny, on the other hand, more reasonably assessed the state of affairs, as evidenced by the lines from his memoirs: “From the operational reports of the Western Front, we saw that the Polish troops, retreating, did not suffer heavy losses, it seemed that the enemy was retreating in front of the armies of the Western Front, saving forces for decisive battles ...”.

In mid-August, the Polish army attacked the Red Army troops that were bypassing Warsaw from the north. The right flank of Tukhachevsky was defeated. Tukhachevsky demands to withdraw Budyonny's army from the battle and prepare it for a strike on Lublin. At this time, the 1st Cavalry Army was fighting on the Bug River and could not simply withdraw from the battle. As Budyonny wrote: “It was physically impossible to withdraw from the battle within one day and make a hundred-kilometer march in order to concentrate in the indicated area on August 20. And if this impossible had happened, then with access to Vladimir-Volynsky, the Cavalry would still not be able to take part in the operation against the enemy’s Lublin grouping, which operated in the Brest region.

The war was lost, but Budyonny personally did everything to win, the troops entrusted to him acted quite successfully.

From 1937 to 1939, Budyonny was appointed commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District, from 1939 he was a member of the Main Military Council of the NPO of the USSR, deputy people's commissar, from August 1940 - first deputy people's commissar of defense of the USSR. Budyonny noted the important role of cavalry in maneuver warfare, at the same time advocating the technical re-equipment of the army, and initiated the formation of cavalry-mechanized formations.

He correctly identified the role of the cavalry in a future war: “The reasons for the rise or decline of the cavalry should be sought in relation to the basic properties of this type of troops to the basic data of the situation of a certain historical period. In all cases, when the war acquired a maneuverable character, and the operational situation required the presence of mobile troops and decisive actions, the horse masses became one of the decisive elements of the armed force. This is manifested by a well-known pattern throughout the history of cavalry; as soon as the possibility of a maneuver war developed, the role of the cavalry immediately increased, and certain operations were completed with its strikes ... We are stubbornly fighting for the preservation of a powerful independent red cavalry and for its further strengthening solely because a sober, real assessment of the situation convinces us of the undoubted need to have such cavalry in the system of our Armed Forces".

Unfortunately, Budyonny's opinion on the need to maintain a strong cavalry was not fully appreciated by the country's leadership. At the end of the 1930s, the reduction of cavalry units began, 4 corps and 13 cavalry divisions remained for the war. The Great War confirmed his correctness - the mechanized corps turned out to be less stable than the cavalry units. Cavalry divisions did not depend on roads and fuel, like mechanized units. They were more mobile and maneuverable than motorized rifle divisions. They successfully operated against the enemy in wooded and mountainous areas, successfully carried out raids behind enemy lines, in combination with tank units developed a breakthrough of enemy positions, developed an offensive and coverage of Nazi units.

By the way, the Wehrmacht also appreciated the importance of the caval parts and quite seriously increased their numbers in the war. The Red Cavalry went through the entire war and ended it on the banks of the Oder. The cavalry commanders Belov, Oslikovsky, Dovator entered the elite of the Soviet commanders.

During the Great Patriotic War, Budyonny was part of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. He was appointed commander of the Stavka reserve army group (June 1941), then commander-in-chief of the troops of the South-Western direction (July 10 - September 1941).

The southwestern direction quite successfully held back the onslaught of the Nazi troops, counterattacked. In the North, in the Baltic, troops also operated under the general command of Voroshilov. As a result, Berlin realized that the troops of Army Group Center were under great threat - it became possible to strike from the flanks, from the North and from the South. The blitzkrieg failed, Hitler was forced to throw Guderian's 2nd tank group south in order to reach the flank and rear of the Soviet group defending Kyiv.

On September 11, towards Guderian from the Kremenchug bridgehead, the division of the 1st Panzer Group Kleist launched an offensive. Both tank groups connected on September 16, closing the ring around Kyiv - the troops of the Southwestern Front were in the boiler, the Red Army suffered heavy losses. But, having tied up significant enemy forces with heavy battles, she won time to strengthen the defense in the central strategic direction.

Marshal S. M. Budyonny warned the Stavka about the danger threatening the troops of the Southwestern Front, recommended leaving Kyiv and withdrawing the armies, that is, he proposed to wage not a positional war, but a maneuver one. So, when Guderian's tanks broke into Romny, General Kirponos turned to the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal B.M. Shaposhnikov, with a request to allow the evacuation of Kyiv and the withdrawal of troops, however, he was refused. Budyonny supported his subordinate and, in turn, telegraphed to Headquarters: “For my part, I believe that by this time the enemy’s plan to encircle and encircle the Southwestern Front from the Novgorod-Seversky and Kremenchug directions was completely outlined. To counter this plan, it is necessary to create a strong group of troops. The Southwestern Front is not in a position to do this. If the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, in turn, does not have the ability to concentrate such a strong group at the moment, then the withdrawal for the Southwestern Front is quite overdue ... Delay in the withdrawal of the Southwestern Front can lead to the loss of troops and a huge amount of materiel ".

Unfortunately, in Moscow the situation was seen differently, and even such a talented General Staff officer as B. M. Shaposhnikov did not see the impending danger in time. It can be added that Budyonny had great courage to defend his point of view, because the marshal knew about Stalin's desire to defend Kyiv at all costs. A day after this telegram, he was removed from this position, a few days later the troops of the front fell into the encirclement.

In September-October 1941, Budyonny was appointed commander of the Reserve Front. On September 30, the Wehrmacht launched Operation Typhoon, the Wehrmacht broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops, and the troops of the Western (Konev) and Reserve Fronts were surrounded in the Vyazma region. It was a disaster, but Budyonny cannot be blamed for this. Firstly, the reconnaissance of the General Staff was unable to reveal the concentration areas of the Wehrmacht strike groups, so the available troops were stretched along the entire front and could not withstand a blow of such power when the defending division had 3-4 enemy divisions (on the main directions of strikes). Secondly, Budyonny could not use his favorite tactics of maneuver, it was impossible to retreat. It is stupid to accuse him of military mediocrity, Konev became one of the most famous heroes of the war, but he could not do anything either.

In fact, only in the North Caucasus was he appointed commander-in-chief of the troops of the North Caucasian direction (April - May 1942) and commander of the North Caucasian Front (May - August 1942), he was able to show his skill. When the Wehrmacht reached the Caucasus in July 1942, Budyonny proposed to withdraw troops to the borders of the Main Caucasian Range and the Terek, reducing the overextended front, and also to form two reserve armies in the Grozny region. Stalin considered these proposals rational and approved them. The troops retreated to the line planned by Budyonny in August 1942 and, as a result of fierce fighting, stopped the enemy.

In January 1943, Budyonny became commander-in-chief of the cavalry, apparently Stalin decided that it was time to show his skills to the young. The merit of Budyonny is that he helped the Red Army survive and learn how to fight.

The most objective assessment of the activities of Marshal Budyonny in the Great Patriotic War can be called the words of the Chief of Staff of the South-Western Direction, General Pokrovsky: “He himself did not propose solutions, he himself did not understand the situation in such a way as to offer a solution, but when they reported to him, offered certain decisions, a program, this or that, of actions, he, firstly, quickly grasped the situation and, secondly, second, as a rule, supported the most rational decisions. And he did it with sufficient determination.”.

The son of the Russian peasantry did not let his homeland down. He honestly served the Russian Empire on the fields of the Russian-Japanese, the First World War, his courage and skill earned him awards. He supported the construction of a new state and honestly served him.

After the war, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 1, 1958, April 24, 1963 and February 22, 1968 and became the Hero of the USSR Three times. He well deserved it.

Of the personal qualities of this worthy Man, personal courage and courage can be noted (for example: in July 1916, Budyonny received the St. George Cross of the 1st degree for bringing 7 Turkish soldiers from a sortie behind enemy lines with four comrades). There is a legend that once the Chekists decided to “feel” the marshal. The marshal met the armed night guests with a saber unsheathed and shouting "Who is first!!!" rushed at the guests (according to another version, he put a machine gun out the window). They hurried back. The next morning, Lavrenty Pavlovich reported to Stalin about the need to arrest Budyonny (and described the event in colors). Comrade Stalin replied: "Well done, Simon! That's how they should be!" Budyonny was no longer disturbed. According to another version, having shot the Chekists who came after him, Budyonny rushed to call Stalin: “Joseph, counter-revolution! They came to arrest me! I won't give up alive!" After that, Stalin gave the command to leave Budyonny alone. Most likely, this is a historical anecdote, but even he characterizes Budyonny as a very brave person.

Budyonny virtuoso played the button accordion, danced well - during the reception of the Soviet delegation in Turkey, the Turks performed folk dances, and then invited the Russians to respond in kind. And Budyonny, despite his age, danced, puffing for everyone. After this incident, Voroshilov ordered the introduction of dance lessons in all military universities. He spoke three languages, read a lot, collected a large library. He did not tolerate drunkenness. In food he was unpretentious.

Semyon Mikhalovich Budyonny was buried in Moscow, near the Kremlin wall.

Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (1883-1973) is one of the most famous Soviet military leaders. This three times Hero of the Soviet Union became one of the first marshals of the young country. The brightest part of Budyonny's career took place during the Civil War. On the territory of the former Russian Empire, this commander helped organize the Red Cossack movement. His 1st Cavalry Army became a real force, taking an active part in the south of the country.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Budyonny continued his military career, becoming the first deputy people's commissar for defense. During the Great Patriotic War, the marshal was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, participated in the defense of Moscow, led the Reserve and North Caucasian fronts. After the war, Budyonny held various honorary, but not so significant positions.

The fate of the commander is amazing - he is one of the few heroes of the Civil War who was able to avoid Stalin's repressions, despite the arrest of his second wife and accusing her of espionage. The personality of Budyonny is ambiguously assessed by modern historians.

In Soviet memoirs and encyclopedias, he appears as a hero, but popular rumor considered him either a real peasant, direct, honest and simple-hearted, or even a careerist, an ordinary martinet. We will try to take a closer look at the personality of this unusual person and debunk the main myths about him.

Budyonny came up with Budyonovka. From the name of the famous headdress, one of the symbols of the Civil War, it is clear in whose honor it got its name. In fact, according to one version, the history of the appearance of Budyonovka originates from Nicholas II. He wanted to create a new element of the military uniform, symbolizing the coming victory in the First World War. It is no coincidence that the form of Budyonovka is similar to a heroic helmet, it was supposed to personify the power of the Russian state and the strength of its army. Many well-known artists worked on the design of the new headdress, including Viktor Vasnetsov and Boris Kustodiev. By 1917, there were a huge number of sets of new uniforms in warehouses. A two-headed eagle was embroidered on the front of the Budyonovka, which the new authorities covered with a five-pointed star. But according to the official Soviet version, after the birth of the Red Army in February 1918, it became necessary to create a uniform uniform for it. It was then that the artists Vasnetsov and Kustodiev and others took part in a competition for the creation of a new winter cloth headdress. The new helmet has become a classic sign of a Red Army soldier. He was called by the name of the parts that were the first to use such a dress. The helmet was called Frunzevka, and then Budyonovka. This headgear was used until 1940. Its abolition was due to poor performance in the conditions of warfare in severe frosts, but not with the personality of the marshal.

Budyonny, with his First Cavalry, played a decisive role in the defeat of Wrangel in the Crimea in 1920. In 1973 Budyonny's memoirs were published. There he questions the merits of Frunze in the liberation of the Crimea. And in an interview with Pravda in 1960, the marshal confirmed his version. In fact, he tried to oppose himself to the commander of the Southern Front and implement his own plan. But even with the support of Voroshilov, these ideas were not supported by the Revolutionary Military Council. Separatism was not needed in the army at such a critical moment. In October 1920, the Southern Front and the 1st Cavalry Army launched an offensive in the south. One of the most important tasks was to cut off Wrangel's path to the Crimea. It was Budyonny who was responsible for reaching the isthmuses and cutting off the white paths to retreat. The commander did not cope with the task, but he was not accused of this. The onslaught of armored detachments and tanks was already painfully strong. But Budyonny himself in his memoirs directly accused the 2nd Cavalry Army of this. True, a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Southern Front, Gusev, in hot pursuit, refutes this myth, emphasizing the valor of the 2nd Cavalry. The assessment happened just a few weeks after the events. On November 8, the Red Army began its offensive against the Crimea. In his memoirs, Budyonny recalled that his army was marching on land where fighting had recently taken place. The author himself sparingly mentions that the 2nd Cavalry Army fought in front of his units. The decisive battles were on November 11 and 12, when Wrangel tried to turn the tide. And again he was opposed by the 2nd Cavalry Army of Mironov. And only when on November 13 Wrangel declared the army dissolved, Budyonny entered the Crimea with his army. And in Simferopol, he met with Mironov, impudently accusing him of aiding the enemy. In the memoirs of Budyonny, one can read how the lava of the red cavalry poured into the Crimea, sweeping away the troops of Wrangel. That's just the merits of the future marshal himself in this was not. He did not command the victorious cavalry.

Semyon Budyonny was a Cossack. This man is considered a symbol of Cossack prowess, but in fact he was not a Cossack. Budyonny's grandfather was a Voronezh serf who received his freedom by decree of Alexander II. Together with his family, this commoner went to the Don, in search of a better life. There, on the farm Kozyurin of the village of Platovskaya, Semyon Mikhailovich was born. But a poor peasant family was considered out-of-town and alien here. Such people, who did not belong to the local class, were usually poor. They were forced to put up with their origin, not having a chance to acquire large land plots, like the Cossacks. Budyonny himself preferred not to talk about his pre-revolutionary biography. Enduring the ridicule of his fellow villagers, Semyon could only try to learn horseback riding better than them. And he succeeded - he famously handled the horse, winning even in local competitions. And being drafted into the army, Budyonny served in a dragoon regiment. In the Russo-Japanese War, he was listed in the 26th Don Cossack Regiment.

Budyonny was a religious man. It was rumored that this man, who served under the king, secretly preserved his faith. In Soviet times, it was impossible to openly talk about religiosity. And how could the marshal, the living symbol of the Red Army, the idol of the younger generation, undermine the ideological guidelines of the state and the course towards atheism? But Budyonny himself recalled that even at a meeting with Lenin he said that things were going with God's help. Then it was taken as a joke. Later, this topic was not raised. So if Budyonny retained his religiosity, then this remained a deeply personal matter of his. There was talk in the family circle about the meeting of Semyon Mikhailovich with the Mother of God. She asked the young soldier not to let her family be defiled, promising protection from bullets.

Budyonny had a full St. George's bow. This term implies four St. George's crosses and four St. George's medals for bravery. Although the valor of Budyonny is not questioned, the number of awards should be clarified. Although there are detailed descriptions of the feats for which Budyonny received his crosses, only two such awards are confirmed in the archives - the 4th and 3rd degrees, as well as only one medal. So even all four crosses are also a dubious fact in the biography of the marshal. It is worth saying that he did not have these awards. He himself said that in Soviet times he gave the royal crosses and medals for remelting, to the OSOAVIAKhIM support fund. It looks very strange for a person who has a tender affection for awards and distinctions.

Budyonny created the 1st Cavalry Army. The name of Budyonny is closely connected with the 1st Cavalry Army, which brought him fame. In the autumn of 1919, the Red Army turned the tide of the war. The large cavalry forces of the white generals Shkuro and Mamontov were defeated, the front rolled back from Voronezh to the south, in the region of the Don Cossacks. On November 19, 1919, the 1st Cavalry Army officially appeared. According to the official Soviet history, it was created by Voroshilov and Budyonny. Already in perestroika times, they began to talk about the leading role of Boris Dumenko. And although a unit appeared on the basis of the Budyonny Cavalry Corps, which appeared from the Dumenko Cavalry Corps, neither one nor the other was the initiator of the creation of an entire army. Initially, General Mamontov spoke about the creation of a large cavalry unit capable of solving strategic tasks. The implementation of this idea almost turned into a disaster for the young republic. The mass desertion of the Cossacks, who did not want to fight far from the Don, did not allow Mamontov's army to occupy Moscow. The creators of the Soviet 1st Cavalry Army were Klim Voroshilov and the former tsarist general Alexander Yegorov. These units had to complete an important task - to cut off the White Volunteer Army from the Cossack Don Army and defeat them separately. Budyonny himself learned about the formation of the 1st Cavalry Army and his appointment at the end of November. And Dumenko by that time had nothing to do with the corps at all. In theory, its units could become the basis of a new army, but the choice was made in favor of Voroshilov's protégé. And to make the appointment of Budyonny look more logical for the Revolutionary Military Council, he was retroactively admitted to the communists. The statement was written back in March 1919, but it was not signed. Now they remembered this, and on the recommendation of Stalin, Budyonny suddenly found himself accepted into the party six months ago.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, Budyonny showed himself to be a military leader thinking in terms of the past. The events of that war did not bring additional glory to Budyonny. His resignations from the post of commander-in-chief of the South-Western direction, the North Caucasian direction, and the fronts indicated that the commander's talents turned out to be either exaggerated or unclaimed in modern conditions. However, there are several facts that cast doubt on this. So, in September 1941, Budyonny sent a telegram to Headquarters, offering to withdraw troops from Kyiv. The situation threatened to turn into a large encirclement. But the front commander informed Stalin that this was not necessary. As a result, the obstinate Budyonny was removed from the post of commander of the South-Western direction. But history has shown that the marshal was right. If Stalin had listened to him, there would have been no "Kyiv cauldron" with 650 thousand captured soldiers. Yes, and in the winter of 1941 near Moscow, it was the cavalry, who was under the tutelage of Budyonny, who helped crush the Germans. In those cold weather, all the equipment stood up.

Budyonny, even in the late 1930s, advocated the preservation of the cavalry, opposing tank fans. Budyonny was an inspector of the cavalry, and therefore defended the preservation of a kind of troops. It is believed that he was opposed by Tukhachevsky, who saw the future of the Red Army in tanks. But Budyonny himself did not argue about the superiority of technology over horses. His opponent believed that tanks should be light and mobile, while Budyonny himself insisted on their reliable armor and heavy weapons. As a result, during the war, cavalry-mechanized units were created, about which the marshal spoke. Budyonny understood that the time of the cavalry was running out. It could be used in certain conditions, in the same swamps heavy equipment may not pass. There is no need to talk about the reassessment of the role of the cavalry in the prewar years, which is imputed to Budyonny - its share in the army was constantly decreasing.

Budyonny served in the royal stables. After the end of the Russo-Japanese War, a promising rider was sent to study in St. Petersburg, at the Cavalry Officer School for rider courses for the lower ranks. They even wanted to leave Budyonny there, but he returned to Primorye. And the dragoon really met with Emperor Nicholas II - he shook hands with the winner of equestrian competitions. But Budyonny did not serve in the royal stables.

Budyonny was just an illiterate non-commissioned officer. This myth appeared, thanks to envious people and ill-wishers who want to reduce the merits of an outstanding, whatever one may say, personality. In 1932 Budyonny graduated from the Frunze Military Academy. He was constantly engaged in self-education, knew several languages. In addition to German, French and Turkish, Budyonny also learned English after the war, as the language of a potential enemy. It was the "uneducated non-commissioned officer" who insisted on re-testing the Katyusha, which Marshal Kulik rejected due to low accuracy. It was Budyonny who initiated the creation of the airborne troops. At the age of 48, he personally made a parachute jump to assess the capabilities of a new kind of troops. And during the war, education allowed Budyonny to adequately perceive the current situation. But in the first months there was no need to talk about any non-standard winning solutions. And the ideas of operational and tactical methods of Budyonny from the time of the Civil War were adopted by the Germans for their blitzkriegs.

Budyonny lived only one service. The real element of Budyonny was not military service, but horses. Budyonny was even actively engaged in breeding new breeds for the army and agriculture. Thanks to his intelligence and enthusiasm, the marshal achieved outstanding results in this field. The bred Budenovskaya breed combines strength, beauty and endurance. For one such horse, the Dutch queen even paid a million dollars. Budyonny also had other talents - he played the button accordion and even performed before Stalin.

Budyonny killed his first wife. Budyonny's first wife, Nadezhda Ivanovna, died in 1924 in an accident. Officially, she picked up a revolver and jokingly stated that she would try to shoot herself. Unfortunately, the gun was loaded and the safety removed - a shot rang out. After that, they began to say that Budyonny had an affair on the side. Having found out about this, Nadezhda Ivanovna threw a scandal on her husband. Whispers of gossip even began to accuse the commander of the murder. It is not clear whether it was an accident, or whether the wife hid despair behind simulated gaiety, but she killed herself. Everything happened in the presence of guests. The version of suicide has never been officially refuted.

Budyonny renounced his second wife. Just a few months after the tragedy, Budyonny had a new woman - a student at the conservatory Olga Mikhailova. It was she who was called the ill-fated homeowner. Problems in the relationship appeared immediately. Budyonny's wife led a bohemian lifestyle, she was only interested in theater. She visited foreign embassies, suspicious figures circled next to her. Olga Stefanovna did not want to have children and generally openly cheated on her husband. As a result, Stalin called Budyonny, and then Yezhov. They drew attention to the inappropriate behavior of his wife. The NKVD quickly collected dirt on her, and Budyonny's wife was arrested in 1937. The marshal himself did not bother for her, but in the conclusion he helped. Moreover, he moved to his house and attached his mother-in-law. And her niece, Masha, began to visit her. It was she who became the third wife of Budyonny, having given birth to his children. And Olga Stefanovna was released in 1956 with the active assistance of Semyon Mikhailovich. He moved his ex-wife to Moscow, supported her and even invited her to visit.

Budyonny helped Stalin to repress the highest command of the Red Army. The wave of repression bypassed Budyonny, affecting only his wife. Meanwhile, many of his colleagues in the Civil War were arrested. Budyonny himself was a member of the commission on the case of Bukharin and Rykov, was a member of the court that sentenced Tukhachevsky to death. However, the marshal did not welcome mass arrests in the military leadership. It is believed that he personally carried to Stalin the lists of those who could not be arrested. Allegedly, Budyonny told the leader that both of them should be arrested then. As a result, many military leaders were returned to service. Among them is General Chumakov, a former brigade commander of the 1st Cavalry Army, and also a cavalryman, General Rokossovsky. But Budyonny was not shy about his participation in the courts, believing that pests and traitors got what they deserved. The marshal believed that the guilty were mostly punished, but there were also worthy people among them.

Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny is one of the most famous characters in Soviet history. In the days of the USSR, he was admired, he was praised, and the awards he received barely fit on his chest. After the collapse of the USSR, they began to accuse him of all mortal sins, challenge his military leadership talent, and look for flaws in his personal life. The truth, as always, lies in the middle. Marshal was not a reference hero, but his talent and achievements are undeniable. Why was Semyon Budyonny awarded glory and honor? Biography, interesting facts will be presented to your attention in the article.

Voronezh on the Don

The dashing cavalryman Budyonny appears to everyone as a Cossack, since he was born (April 25 (13), 1883) on the Don, on the Kozyurin farm, near the Platovskaya village. But his parents were aliens, originally from and did not have Cossack rights (on the Don they were called non-residents).

The family was poor and large (8 children), but friendly and respected. Semyon (the second son) had to go to work for the merchant Yatskin at the age of 8. He served with him until 1903 (at first he performed small assignments, then he worked in a forge, later he became a machinist), and during this time he managed to learn to read and write with the help of a clerk.

Not being a Cossack, Semyon Budyonny, whose brief biography is interesting to all connoisseurs of history, mastered the Cossack military wisdom well and managed to surprise even Minister of War Kuropatkin with his ability to cut a vine (a demonstration exercise for a cavalryman).

Two wars and St. George's bow

In 1903, Semyon Budyonny (by that time already married) was drafted into the army. He began his service in the Far East, was a participant in the war with Japan in 1904-1905.

After military service, Budyonny remained in the army and in 1907 was sent to an officer's school for courses for lower ranks (as the best soldier of the regiment). As a result, in the First World War he was already a non-commissioned officer, fought with the Germans and Turks.

Budyonny fought so well that he became the owner of a "full bow" - St. George's crosses of all degrees and St. George's medals, also of all degrees. He had, strictly speaking, five crosses. The first fourth degree was taken away after Budyonny gave the sergeant in the teeth. He was to blame himself - he dirtyly cursed the non-commissioned officer and hit him first. But he was a senior in rank, and the award was taken away from Budyonny.

After the fall of tsarism, Budyonny became chairman of the regimental committee. He happened to take part in the suppression of the Kornilov rebellion.

There are many of us at Budyonny

The biography of Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich tells that after October he returned home to the Don, and there he created a revolutionary cavalry detachment. Thus began the legendary First Cavalry…

First, his detachment joined P. Dumenko's regiment. Then the regiment turned into a brigade, later - a division that distinguished itself in the battles near Tsaritsyn.

In the summer of 1919, it was decided to create a large cavalry formation in the Red Army - the First Corps. It was headed by Budyonny. In the autumn of the same year, the corps was transformed into She became the most famous red military unit. The civil war has not yet ended, and legends have already begun to tell about the "Budyonovites". The army and its commander were very popular in Soviet art, they were composed instructive stories for children, mentioned in Soviet program songs; "Budyonovtsy" became the heroes of such writers as I. Babel, A. Tolstoy, M. Sholokhov. It was in this army that the "elusive avengers" - the young heroes of the cult revolutionary adventure film - went to serve. The conspicuous budenovka (a cloth helmet used by cavalrymen as a uniform headdress) became one of the symbols of the USSR (although there is a version that it was invented back in tsarist times): “Where does the Motherland begin? in the closet we found ... ".

The first horse fought against Denikin, Mamontov, Shkuro, Wrangel, participated in the Soviet-Polish war of 1920-1921. Most of her operations were successful, which proves the undoubted talent of the commander. Naturally, there were also sensitive defeats; in particular, the war with Poland ended unsuccessfully.

Its commander joined the party in 1919.

Marshal-horse breeder

Budyonny commanded the first cavalry until 1923. Then he became deputy commander-in-chief (for cavalry), a year later he became an inspector of cavalry troops, and he remained in this position until 1937.

At the same time, Budyonny improved his qualifications - in 1932 he graduated from the Military Academy. Frunze. In 1935 he was awarded the rank of marshal (one of the first five).

From 1937 until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Budyonny was the commander of the Moscow Military District, was a member of the Main Military Council, was a deputy, and later first deputy people's commissar of defense.

During this time, Semyon Mikhailovich did a lot for domestic horse breeding. He is even reproached for this, arguing that his love for horses made him an enemy of modern military equipment. Indeed, the marshal did not like tanks. However, the cavalry units created with his light hand proved to be excellent in the war against the Nazis. Yes, and Budyonny military innovations bravely endured, and even made a parachute jump in 1931 (this is 48 years old!).

The marshal is also reproached for participating in repressions against prominent Soviet military figures. Yes, he spoke sharply against Tomsky, Rykov, Uborevich, Tukhachevsky. He did not intercede for his own second wife, who was arrested in 1937. But at the same time, he stood up for the management of his stud farms in the most decisive way and, of course, did not give up his wife to the Lubyanka. And according to legend, he personally proved that it is not so easy to repress a determined person. Allegedly, having seen an NKVD car near his house one night, Budyonny threatened them with a machine gun, and then also complained about them to Stalin, calling them "counter-revolutionaries." Stalin allegedly then ordered to leave the marshal alone, realizing that he would not fight for power.

Get up, the country is huge ...

During the Great Patriotic War, Semyon Mikhailovich did not play such a prominent role as in the Civil War, his time had already passed. But he was part of the Headquarters, was one of the leaders of the defense of Moscow, commanded the front in the Caucasus. He initiated an increase in the number of cavalry formations in the army (some believe that this was Zhukov's idea), and the plan paid off.

In addition, it was Budyonny, whose biography is full of interesting facts, who ordered the explosion of the Dneproges dam. Today, many call this order criminal, since it de facto led to the death of many retreating Red Army soldiers, as well as civilians. But most historians argue that the number of victims (of course they were) is greatly exaggerated, and the decision was made correctly. In addition, during the battles for Ukraine, Budyonny repeatedly suggested retreat as a means of preserving personnel.

peaceful life

At the end of the war, commander Budyonny, whose biography is rich and interesting, was a cavalry inspector, a member of the group of general inspectors of the Ministry of Defense, and also (from 1947 to 1953) - Deputy Minister of Agriculture (horse breeding has not been canceled!). He was a member of the country's top leadership (CEC, Presidium of the Supreme Council).

The marshal lived a long life (he died at the age of 91, and without long illnesses, from a stroke), and was distinguished by great strength, endurance, and good health. As already mentioned, at the age of 48 he jumped with a parachute, and his children (three!) were born to him when he was well over 50. Budyonny himself, whose biography was the subject of our review, claimed that at 50 he could descend from second floor of the house in the courtyard on hand. At the age of 84, he impressed journalists from Voronezh with his cheerful appearance, whom he met on the occasion of the anniversary of the liberation of the city in the Civil War.

The marshal died on October 26, 1973, and was buried in Red Square. But, like all great people, he was destined to life after death, and legends still tell about him.

Family troubles

The biography of Semyon Budyonny in terms of relations with women was not the best. Some family troubles are connected with the attitude of the marshal towards women. There are a lot of "black" detectives here. They say that Semyon Mikhailovich shot his first wife and handed over his second to the NKVD.

Nadezhda, the first wife of Budyonny, was in charge of the medical unit of the First Cavalry. There really were quarrels between the spouses - the wife was not distinguished by fidelity, and Budyonny also happened to "go to the left." In 1924, Nadezhda died from a pistol shot, which gave rise to rumors. In fact, there were witnesses to the incident - an accident took place.

Olga Stefanovna, the second wife, was 20 years younger than her husband. An opera singer, she led a very wild life, "twisted an affair" with a tenor, often visited foreign embassies and refused to have children (for the sake of her figure!). For "visiting" the embassies, she was arrested. Budyonny really did not stand up for her, but there is a version that he believed that she had died. In any case, he married a third time, and Maria was Olga's cousin. Olga Stefanovna was released in 1956, and her ex-husband helped her move to Moscow and supported her financially.

Grandpa's buddy

The third marriage was successful, two sons and a daughter were born in it. The marshal loved and spoiled both his wife and children.

Budyonny's daughter, Nina, was the wife of the famous actor Mikhail Derzhavin, and he got along well with his father-in-law and noted his affection for his grandchildren. He also told how his grandson, seeing a portrait of Stalin, told a foreign journalist: "This is a friend of my grandfather."

Extensive iconostasis

It is customary to joke about Budyonny's love for awards. Yes, he received three after the end of the Great Patriotic War. He also had 7 Orders of Lenin and 6 Orders of the Red Banner. But the full St. George bow, unequivocally, proves that the matter here is not only in a high position ...

Armored train, steamer, district ...

The name of Budyonny is immortalized not only in the "Budyonovka", there is also a breed of racehorses - Budennovskaya. This name was worn by an armored train that fought in the Great Patriotic War, and a large passenger steamer, and an area in the city of Donetsk.

The area was called so twice - until 1958 and then since 1980. Until now, there are people in the city who lived "twice in the Budyonnovsky district." And they are not going to change the name!

And one should not measure the outstanding people of the past by modern standards. They lived in a different time.

Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich a brief biography of the hero of the Civil War, one of the first Marshals of the USSR is set out in this article.

Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich biography briefly

On the farm Kozyurin in April 1883, Semyon Budyonny was born. He was the second child in a family of six children. The difficult financial condition forced their father to go to work. But in 1892, a particularly difficult situation developed and Mikhail Budyonny borrowed money from the merchant Yatskin, which he could not return. The merchant offered the father of the family to give him his son Semyon as a laborer for a year. Despite the protests and tears of his wife, the father was forced to agree. Simon was 9 years old at the time.

But a year later, Yatskin did not return Semyon. The boy agreed with him about education in exchange for cleaning the room, washing dishes and shining shoes.

Working during the day and teaching lessons at night, he developed a masculine and firm character in himself. The girls began to look at the smart and handsome guy. In 1903, Semyon married a certain Nadezhda, and in the same year he was drafted into the army. Here began his brilliant military career. He distinguished himself in the Don Cossack regiment, participating in the Russo-Japanese War. In 1907, Budyonny was sent to St. Petersburg to study at the Cavalry Officer School.

With the outbreak of the First World War, Budyonny fought on 3 fronts - the Caucasian, German and Austrian. He was in the 18th Dragoon Northern Regiment with the rank of senior non-commissioned officer. For this he received St. George medals of four degrees and St. George's crosses of the same levels. There was a case that the first George Cross was taken away from Budyonny for assault. But he was able to return it by participating in the battle on the Turkish front in the city of Van.

In 1917, Semyon Mikhailovich arrived with the Caucasian Cavalry Division in Minsk. He was elected to the post of chairman of the regimental committee. After the October Revolution ended, Budyonny returned home. But he did not manage to enjoy his native places for a long time. He was drafted into the Civil War.

In 1918, Budyonny created his own detachment, which fought with the White Guards. Later he was appointed deputy commander, first of the regiment, then of the brigade and division. The victories of his detachment contributed to the rapid defeat of the enemy forces on the Don. He directed it until 1923. Under the leadership of Budyonny, the troops of Wrangel and Denikin were defeated.

After the end of hostilities, he was engaged in the organization of stud farms and brought out new breeds of horses - "Terskaya" and "Budyonnovskaya". Semyon Mikhailovich in 1932 graduated from the Military Academy. Frunze and received the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

In 1940, he was appointed to the post of First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, and took up the formation of cavalry-mechanized formations. By the beginning of World War II, Budyonny was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. And in the autumn he commanded the Southwestern and Southern fronts.

After the Great Patriotic War, the marshal was 62 years old. He was engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry.

As for his personal life, his first wife, Nadezhda, died in 1924. Not even half a year had passed since the death of his wife, Budyonny married Olga Budnitskaya, an opera singer. His third wife was Maria, a cousin of his second wife, who was 30 years younger than him. She gave birth to Semyon Mikhailovich 3 children - Sergei, Nina and Misha.