Vasily Filippovich Margelov (December 27, 1908 (January 9, 1909, new style), Yekaterinoslav, Russian Empire - March 4, 1990, Moscow) - Soviet military leader, commander of the airborne troops in 1954-1959 and 1961-1979, Hero Soviet Union(1944), laureate State Prize USSR (1975).

Author and initiator of creation technical means Airborne Forces and methods of using units and formations of the airborne troops, many of which embody the image of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces and the Russian Armed Forces, which currently exists. Among the people related to these troops, it is considered Paratrooper No. 1.

Biography

Youth years

VF Markelov (later Margelov) was born on December 27, 1908 (January 9, 1909 according to the new style) in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine), in a family of immigrants from Belarus. By nationality - Belarusian. Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgical worker. (The surname Markelov of Vasily Filippovich was subsequently recorded as Margelov due to an error in the party card.)

In 1913, the Margelov family returned to the homeland of Philip Ivanovich - to the town of Kostyukovichi, Klimovichi district (Mogilev province). The mother of V. F. Margelov, Agafya Stepanovna, was from the neighboring Bobruisk district. According to some reports, VF Margelov graduated from the parochial school (TsPSh) in 1921. As a teenager, he worked as a loader, carpenter, and delivered mail. In the same year, he entered a leather workshop as an apprentice, and soon became an assistant master. In 1923 he entered the local Hleboprodukt as a laborer. Joined the Komsomol. There is information that he graduated from the school of rural youth, and worked as a forwarder for the delivery of postal items on the Kostyukovichi-Khotimsk line.

Since 1924, on a Komsomol ticket, he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M. I. Kalinin as a laborer, then as a horse-racer (driver of horses carrying trolleys). Due to health reasons, he was forced to change jobs.

In 1925 he was sent back to Belarus as a forester in the timber industry. I inspected many kilometers of forest lands every day, in the summer on a horse, in the winter on skis. After some time, thanks to the efforts of Margelov, none of the poachers encroached on his site. He worked in Kostyukovichi, in 1927 he became chairman of the working committee of the timber industry enterprise - SHLR (Kostyukovichi). Elected as a member of the local Council and appointed as the chairman of the tax commission, appointed as an authorized representative for Komsomol line for work among farm laborers and for military work. Became a candidate member of the party.

Service start

He was drafted into the Red Army in 1928. On a Komsomol voucher, he was sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School (OBVSh) named after. CEC of the BSSR in Minsk. From the first months of his studies, cadet Margelov was among the excellent students in fire, tactical and physical training. Was enrolled in a group of snipers. He enjoyed well-deserved prestige among his schoolmates, and was distinguished by his zeal in his studies. From the second year he was appointed foreman of a machine-gun company. After some time, his company became one of the foremost in both combat and physical training. 1929 - transferred to full members of the CPSU (b) (i.e. received a party card). He was a member of the bureau of the Komsomol cell of the OBVSh, led the Komsomol education. 1930 - elected a member of the bureau of the VKP(b) cell.

April 1931 - graduated from the Minsk Military School (the former United Belarusian Military School (OBVSh) named after the Central Executive Committee of the BSSR) "first class" ("with honors"). Appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment 33rd Territorial Rifle Division (Mogilev, Belarus). From the first days of command of a platoon, he established himself as a competent, strong-willed and demanding leader. After some time, he became a platoon commander of a regimental school in which junior commanders of the Red Army were trained.

Since 1933 - platoon commander at the Minsk Military Infantry School. M. I. Kalinina. In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company. Within the walls of the school, he formed as a military teacher, taught classes in firearms, physical training and tactics. From October 25, 1938 - Captain Margelov commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd rifle regiment of the 8th rifle division named after. F. E. Dzerzhinsky of the Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the chief of the 2nd division of the division headquarters.

During the war years

During the years of the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940) he commanded a separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division. During one of the operations, he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff. March 21, 1940 Margelov received military rank"major".

After the end of the Soviet-Finnish war, he was appointed assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. From October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion (15 ODISB). On June 19, 1941 he was appointed commander of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the 1st motorized rifle division(the basis of the regiment was the fighters of 15 ODISB). The regiment was stationed in Berezovka.

November 21, 1941 - appointed commander of the 1st Special Ski Regiment of Sailors of the KBF. Contrary to talk that Margelov "won't take root", the marines accepted the commander, which especially emphasized the appeal to him by the naval equivalent of the rank of "major" - "Comrade captain of the 3rd rank." Margelov, however, sunk into the heart of the prowess of the "brothers". In order for the paratroopers to adopt the glorious traditions of their older brother, the marines, and continue them with honor, Vasily Filippovich ensured that the paratroopers received the right to wear vests. After the battles on Lake Ladoga, he was in the hospital for some time.

On January 22, 1942, he was appointed commander of the 218th Infantry Regiment of the 80th Infantry Division of the 54th Army of the Leningrad Front. He achieved the transfer of fighters from the 15th ODISB to the regiment.

July 1942 - took command of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division.

Since January 10, 1944 - ID of the commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. For some time he was in the hospital.

March 25, 1944 - approved as commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division.

He led the division during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division participated in the liberation of the peoples of Southeastern Europe.

In the airborne troops

January 29, 1946 - February 1948 - studied at the Higher Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR named after K. E. Voroshilov. From the final attestation: “Comrade. Margelov, a disciplined, strong-willed, resolute and well-trained general in combat. Possesses perseverance and assertiveness in work. Healthy. Politically and morally stable. modest at home and good friend. hosted Active participation in the party-political life of the course.

April 30, 1948 - an order was signed on the appointment of Major General V.F. Margelov as commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division. May 19, 1948 - approved as commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division. April 15, 1950 - for the successes of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division in combat training, its commander, Major General V.F. Margelov, was appointed commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svirsky Red Banner Corps to the Far East.

May 31, 1954 - appointed by order of the Minister of Defense as Commander of the Airborne Troops. From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In 1959-1961 he was appointed with a demotion, First Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces. From 1961 to January 1979 - returned to the post of Commander of the Airborne Forces. In a private conversation with Lieutenant General S. M. Zolotov, USSR Minister of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union A. A. Grechko admitted that the decision to demote General Margelov was a mistake of the military leadership.

October 25, 1967 - by a decree of the Council of Ministers, the commander of the Airborne Forces V.F. Margelov was awarded the high military rank of "general of the army". He supervised the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).

December 4, 1968 - by the decision of the Council of the Military Order of Lenin of the Red Banner Order of the Suvorov Academy named after M. V. Frunze Margelov V. F. was awarded the degree of candidate of military sciences.

January 9, 1979 - appointed Inspector General of the General Inspectorate under the Minister of Defense of the USSR, in charge of the Air landing troops. He continued to go on business trips to his troops, was the chairman of the State examination committee at the Ryazan Airborne School.

During his service in the Airborne Forces, he made more than 60 jumps. The last of them at the age of 65.

“The one who has never left an airplane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced joy and fear free fall, whistling in the ears, a stream of wind beating in the chest, he will never understand the honor and pride of a paratrooper ... "

Lived and worked in Moscow. Died March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Contribution to the formation and development of the Airborne Forces

General Pavel Fedoseevich Pavlenko:

"In the history of the Airborne Forces, and in the Armed Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, his name will remain forever. He personified a whole era in the development and the formation of the Airborne Forces, their authority and popularity are associated with his name not only in our country, but also abroad. Even the American paratroopers considered him the main and first paratrooper on an international scale and expressed their respect.

Some may doubt my objectivity in describing the role of V.F. Margelov in the development of the Airborne Forces and his qualities as a military leader. He served, they say, with him for about three decades and praises. What can I say? Only one thing: my conscience is clear.

It may be asked: did the other commanders of the Airborne Forces who preceded him work little for the benefit of strengthening their power and weight in the Armed Forces? After all, after the end of the Great Patriotic War the troops were commanded by such prominent military leaders as Air Marshal S. I. Rudenko, Army General A. V. Gorbatov and others. Yes, they undoubtedly contributed to the formation of this young branch of the military. But they failed to take the right strategic course in their development. And not only because they commanded for a short time.

Like none of them, V.F. Margelov realized that in modern operations, only highly mobile landing forces capable of wide maneuver would be able to successfully operate deep behind enemy lines. He categorically rejected the idea of ​​holding the area captured by the landing until the approach of the troops advancing from the front by the method of tough defense as disastrous, because in this case the landing would be quickly destroyed. Personal courage and the highest diligence are the characteristic features and inalienable qualities of V.F. Margelov. Everyone who knew him had no doubt that he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for personal courage in the war, daring and courageous deeds, and not for the heroism of his subordinates, as happened with some other bosses. Moreover, Vasily Filippovich always in communication with equals and subordinates, not to mention the bosses, behaved very modestly and never talked about himself, about his merits and exploits, considering all this just an honest fulfillment of duty.

Colonel Nikolai Fedorovich Ivanov:

Under the leadership of Margelov for more than twenty years, the landing troops became one of the most mobile in the combat structure of the Armed Forces, prestigious service in them, especially revered by the people ... Vasily Filippovich's photograph in demobilization albums went to the soldiers at the highest price - for a set of badges. Competition in Ryazan airborne school blocked the figures of VGIK and GITIS, and applicants who were cut off in exams for two or three months, before snows and frosts, lived in the forests near Ryazan in the hope that someone would not withstand the stress and it would be possible to take his place. The spirit of the troops soared so high that the rest of the Soviet Army was included in the category of "tanning beds" and "screws".

Margelov's contribution to the formation of the airborne troops in their current form was reflected in the comic interpretation of the abbreviation of the Airborne Forces - "Uncle Vasya's Troops."

Theory of combat use

An important matter of the Commander, his Headquarters and the Directorate of the Airborne Forces was the constant study of the development of the theory combat use troops, which by that time, using the experience of using airborne assaults in last war, was significantly ahead of the organizational structure of the troops and the capabilities of military transport aviation. The military theory of the time was that for immediate use nuclear strikes and maintaining a high rate of advance requires the widespread use of airborne assault forces. Under these conditions, the Airborne Forces had to fully comply with the military-strategic goals modern war and meet the military-political goals of the state.

The commander, like no one else, understood this. He said: “In order to fulfill their role in modern operations, it is necessary that our formations and units are highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, are well controlled, are able to land at any time of the day and quickly switch to active combat operations after landing. Here, by and large, an ideal to which we should aspire."

To this end, the Commander demanded the development of a concept of the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. However, he not only demanded, but also personally joined in the development of the theory of the use of landing forces and defended PhD thesis on this topic. By the decision of the Council of the Military Order of Lenin of the Red Banner Order of the Suvorov Academy. MV Frunze Margelov Vasily Filippovich was awarded the degree of Candidate of Military Sciences. Diploma of candidate of sciences number 800 was issued on December 4, 1968. The dissertation is stored at the special faculty of the same Military Academy where the defense took place.

The theory was supported by practice - exercises and commanders' gatherings were regularly held. In addition to his dissertation, V. F. Margelov wrote a number of other works related to the development of the concept for the development of the Airborne Forces, as well as aimed at increasing their prestige.

Armament

Assuming the position of Commander, Margelov received troops consisting mainly of infantry with light weapons and military transport aviation (as an integral part of the Airborne Forces), which was equipped with Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu- 4 with significantly limited landing capabilities. In fact, the Airborne Forces were not able to solve major tasks in military operations. It was necessary to bridge the gap between the theory of combat use of the Airborne Forces and the established organizational structure of the troops, as well as the capabilities of military transport aviation.

Commander Margelov devoted a lot of time and effort to the development of airborne equipment. “You can’t order technology,” he often repeated, setting tasks for his subordinates on these important issues- therefore, strive to create in the design bureau, industry, in the course of testing reliable parachutes, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment. He himself contributed in every possible way to the creation at existing enterprises of the military-industrial complex (MIC) of areas for the mass production of landing equipment, heavy parachute platforms, parachute systems and containers for landing loads up to 500 kg, cargo and human parachutes, parachute devices.

Modifications were created for the paratroopers small arms, simplifying its landing by parachute - less weight, folding butt.

Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces in post-war years new military equipment was developed and modernized: airborne self-propelled artillery installation ASU-76 (1949), light ASU-57 (1951), floating ASU-57P (1954), self-propelled installation ASU-85, tracked combat vehicle of the Airborne Forces BMD-1 (1969). After the arrival of the first batches of BMD-1 to the troops, a family of weapons was developed on its basis: Nona self-propelled artillery guns, artillery fire control vehicles, R-142 command and staff vehicles, R-141 long-range radio stations, anti-tank systems, reconnaissance vehicle. Anti-aircraft units and subunits were also equipped with armored personnel carriers, which housed crews with portable systems and ammunition.

By the end of the 50s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were put into service and entered the army, which had a carrying capacity of up to 10-12 tons and a sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups personnel with standard military equipment and weapons. Later, through the efforts of Margelov, the Airborne Forces received new military transport aircraft - An-22 and Il-76.

At the end of the 50s, parachute platforms PP-127 appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of artillery, vehicles, radio stations, engineering equipment, etc. landing cargo to zero. Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing due to the abandonment of a large number large domes.

The whole complex of these difficult questions I had to closely deal with the new Commander of the Airborne Forces. General Margelov immediately established close contacts with research institutes, design bureaus, designers, scientists, repeatedly traveled to enterprises, design bureaus and research institutes, invited designers and scientists to the troops. Creators new technology we saw the deep interest of the Commander, constantly felt his practical help and moral support in the creation and testing of new types of equipment.

If the designers willingly met the requests of the Commander, then in the "upper echelons of power", including the Ministry of Defense, everything had to be achieved, explaining the need to equip the Airborne Forces with the most modern models of equipment and weapons. The commander always and everywhere proved that the paratrooper, performing his dangerous combat missions in isolation from the main troops, risks his head. So, if he has to give his life, then it must go to the enemy very dearly. But still, he considered the main thing to be the fulfillment of a combat mission in the interests of the main forces and the return home with a victory.

On January 5, 1973, for the first time in world practice in the USSR, landing was carried out on parachute-platform means in the Centaur complex from the An-12B military transport aircraft of the BMD-1 tracked armored combat vehicle with two crew members on board. The crew commander was the son of Vasily Filippovich, Senior Lieutenant Margelov Alexander Vasilievich, and the driver was Lieutenant Colonel Zuev Leonid Gavrilovich.

On January 23, 1976, also for the first time in world practice, landing from the same type of aircraft, BMD-1 made a soft landing on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, also with two crew members on board - Major Margelov Alexander Vasilievich and Lieutenant Colonel Shcherbakov Leonid Ivanovich. The landing was carried out at a huge risk to life, without personal means of salvation. Twenty years later, for the feat of the seventies, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

Family

Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov - a metallurgical worker, in the First World War he became a knight of two St. George's crosses.

Mother - Agafya Stepanovna, was from the Bobruisk district.

Two brothers - Ivan (older), Nikolai (younger) and sister Maria.

VF Margelov was married three times: the first wife, Maria, left her husband and son (Gennady); second wife - Feodosia Efremovna Selitskaya (mother of Anatoly and Vitaly); last wife - Anna Aleksandrovna Kurakina, doctor. He met Anna Alexandrovna during the Great Patriotic War.

Five sons:

• Gennady Vasilievich (born 1931) - Major General.
• Anatoly Vasilyevich (1938-2008) - doctor technical sciences, professor, author of more than 100 patents and inventions in the military-industrial complex.
• Vitaly Vasilievich (born 1941) - a professional intelligence officer, an employee of the KGB of the USSR and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, later - a public and political figure; colonel general, deputy of the State Duma.
• Vasily Vasilyevich (1943-2010) - reserve major; First Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Russian State Broadcasting Company "Voice of Russia" (RGRK "Voice of Russia")
• Alexander Vasilyevich (born 1943) - officer of the Airborne Forces. On August 29, 1996, "for the courage and heroism shown in testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment" (landing inside the BMD-1 on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, carried out for the first time in world practice in 1976) was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. After retiring, he worked in the structures of Rosoboronexport.

Vasily Vasilyevich and Alexander Vasilyevich are twin brothers. In 2003, they co-authored a book about their father - "Paratrooper No. 1 Army General Margelov."

Awards and titles

USSR awards

• Medal " Golden Star» No. 3414 Hero of the Soviet Union (03/19/1944)
• four Orders of Lenin (03/21/1944, 11/3/1953, 12/26/1968, 12/26/1978)
• order October revolution (4.05.1972)
• two Orders of the Red Banner (3.02.1943, 20.06.1949)
• Order of Suvorov, 2nd class (1944)
• two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st class (01/25/1943, 03/11/1985)
• Order of the Red Star (3.11.1944)
• two Orders "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 2nd (12/14/1988) and 3rd degree (04/30/1975)
• medals
• He was awarded twelve Gratitudes of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (03/13/1944, 03/28/1944, 04/10/1944, 11/4/1944, 12/24/1944, 02/13/1945, 03/25/1945, 04/3/1945, 04/05/1945, 1905. May 8, 1945).

Awards of foreign countries

• Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, 2nd class (09/20/1969)
• four commemorative medals of Bulgaria (1974, 1978, 1982, 1985)

Hungarian People's Republic:

• star and badge of the Order of the People's Republic of Hungary, 3rd class (04/04/1950)
• medal "Brotherhood in Arms" gold degree (09/29/1985)

• order "Star of Friendship of Peoples" in silver (23.02.1978)
• medal "Arthur Becker" in gold (23.05.1980)

• medal "Sino-Soviet friendship" (23.02.1955)

Cuba:

• two anniversary medals (1978, 1986)

Mongolian People's Republic:

• Order of the Battle Red Banner (06/07/1971)
• seven anniversary medals (1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1982)

• medal "For Odra, Nisa and Baltic" (05/07/1985)
• medal "Brotherhood in Arms" (10/12/1988)
• Officer of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland (6.11.1973)

SR Romania:

• Order of Tudor Vladimirescu 2nd (10/1/1974) and 3rd (10/24/1969) degree
• two commemorative medals (1969, 1974)

• order "Legion of Honor" degree of commander (05/10/1945)
• medal "Bronze Star" (05/10/1945)

Czechoslovakia:

• Order of Klement Gottwald (1969)
• medal "For Strengthening Friendship in Arms" 1st class (1970)
• two anniversary medals

honorary titles

• Hero of the Soviet Union (1944)
• Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1975)
• Honorary Citizen of Kherson
• Honorary soldier of the military unit of the Airborne Forces

Proceedings

1. A young, developing branch of the military. Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant General V. Margelov. "Red Star", 12/28/1957. To the 40th anniversary of the USSR Armed Forces.
2. Airborne troops improve their skills. Colonel General V. Margelov, Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of the Airborne Forces. "Technique and weapons" No. 5, 1963, 96 pages, pp. 8-11, price 35 kopecks.
3. Be at the forefront. Colonel General V. Margelov, Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of the Airborne Forces. "Military Bulletin" No. 8, 1963, 128 pages, pp. 29-31, price 30 kopecks.
4. To improve the field training of paratroopers. "Military Bulletin" No. 5, May 1964, 128 pages, pp. 6-9, price 30 kopecks.
5. Winged troops. V. Margelov, Colonel General. "Nuclear Age and War". Military reviews. Izvestia Publishing House, Moscow, 1964, pp. 145-150, circulation 100,000 copies.
6. Winged infantry. Colonel General V. Margelov, GSS, Commander of the Airborne Troops of the Soviet Army. "Wings of the Motherland" No. 8, August 1965, pp. 2-3, price 30 kopecks.
7. Airborne troops. Colonel General V. Margelov. "Military Bulletin" No. 7,1967, 128 pages, pp. 3-9, price 30 kopecks.
8. Airborne troops of the Soviet Army. Colonel General V. Margelov. "Military Thought" No. 8, 1967, pp. 13-20.
9. The Motherland can rely on us. Conversation with the Commander of the USSR Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union General of the Army VF Margelov. Bulletin for Komsomol Newspapers No. 15, two pages. The conversation was led by L. Pleshakov.
10. Air Guard. V. F. Margelov, General of the Army. the interview was taken by E. Mesyatsev. Collection "There is to get in line!", pp. 41-48. Publishing house of the Central Committee of the Komsomol "Young Guard", December 1967, 256 pages with illustrations, circulation 100,000 copies.
11. Guards attack from the sky. VF Margelov, General of the Army, Commander of the Airborne Forces, GSS. "Change" No. 18, September 1968, pp. 3-7.
12. Courage and learning. Army General V. Margelov, Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Soviet Army, GSS, Ph.D. "Spark" No. 8, February 1970, p. 16, circulation 1,970,000, price 30 kopecks.
13. Troops of courage and skill. Army General V. Margelov, candidate of military sciences. “Military Bulletin” No. 7,1970, 128 pages, pp. 10-13 (on p. 13 photo “Commander of the Airborne Forces, General of the Army V. Margelov, presents the commander of the Guards, General Mayr V. Kostylev, the Lenin Jubilee Certificate of Honor), price 30 kopecks .
14. "Swiftness, courage, audacity ...". Commander of the Airborne Forces General of the Army V.F. Margelov, Hero of the Soviet Union, Candidate of Military Sciences. Magazine "Sergeant Major Sergeant", No. 7, 1970, pp. 10-11, price 15 kopecks.
15. Years of maturity of the winged guard. To the 40th anniversary of the Airborne Forces. Hero of the Soviet Union Army General V. Margelov, Hero of the Soviet Union, Commander of the Airborne Forces. "Communist of the Armed Forces", 96 pages, pp. 24-30, price 15 kopecks.
16. Landing character. Conversation with the commander of the Airborne Forces, GSS General of the Army Vasily Filippovich Margelov. The conversation was led by Lieutenant Colonel A. Danilov. "Soviet Warrior" No. 4 1973, pp. 2-4, circulation 69,000 types. copy, price 20 kop.
17. Soviet Airborne Troops. General of the Army V.Margelov, Commander-in-Chief of the Airborne Troops and Hero of the Soviet Union answers questions put by “Soviet Military Review” correspondent major A.Bundyukov. “Soviet Military Review” No. 5, 1973, pp. 2-4, price 30 kopecks. Magazines in English and Arabic.
18. Trends in the development of the use of airborne assault forces. Hero of the Soviet Union, General of the Army, Candidate of Military Sciences V. MARGELOV. “Military Thought” No. 12, 1974, pp. 3-13.
19. Development of the theory of the use of airborne troops in the post-war period. Hero of the Soviet Union, Candidate of Military Sciences, General of the Army V.F. MARGELOV. “Military History Journal”, No. 1, 1977, pp. 53-59
20. In constant combat readiness. Army General V.F. MARGELOV, Commander of the Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, Candidate of Military Sciences. "Military Bulletin", No. 7, 1977, pp. 61-65.
21. Airborne troops. V.F.Margelov. Publishing house "Knowledge", Moscow, 1977. Library 60 years of the Soviet Army and Navy 1918-1978, 64 pages, 50,000 copies, price 10 kopecks.
22. Soviet Airborne. Editorial committee: D.S. Sukhorukov (chairman), P.F. Pavlenko, I.I. Bliznyuk, S.M. Smirnov. Team of authors: candidate of military sciences V.F. Margelov (supervisor), candidate historical sciences I.I. Lisov, Ya.P. Samoilenko, V.I. Ivonin. Military-historical essay, Order of the Red Banner of Labor Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Moscow-1980, 312 pages, shooting gallery. 40,000 copies, price 1 rub. 20 kop.
23. Soviet Airborne. Team of authors: Candidate of Military Sciences V.F. Margelov (supervisor), Candidate of Historical Sciences I.I. Lisov, Ya.P. Samoylenko, V.I. Ivonin. Editorial committee: D.S. Sukhorukov (chairman), S.M. Smirnov. Military-historical essay, 2nd edition, corrected and supplemented, Moscow, Military publishing house, 1986, 400 pages, shooting range. 30,000 copies, price 1 rub. 50 kop.
24. The will to win. Army General V.F. Margelov, Hero of the Soviet Union, "Red Star", 01/19/1984, p. 2.
25. In the distant garrisons, the prospect is closer. Advice to a young officer. Army General V. Margelov, Hero of the Soviet Union. "Military Bulletin", organ of the USSR Ministry of Defense, No. 2, 1984, Krasnaya Zvezda publishing house, pp. 51-53, 96 pages in total, price 40 kopecks.
26. WE ARE PARATROOPERS. Army General V.F. Margelov, "Nedelya", No. 19 (1259), 1984.
27. Endless feat. Hero of the Soviet Union General of the Army V.F. Margelov (to the Victory Day). " Soviet warrior» No. 8, April 1984, pp. 4-5, price 30 kopecks.
28. Word to the reader. Army General VF Margelov, Hero of the Soviet Union. introduction to the book by I.I. Gromov and V.N. Pigunov “Paratroopers went into battle”, pp. 3-4. Minsk "Belarus", 1989, 223 pages, 8 sheets. ill., circulation 30 thousand copies, price 1 rub. 20k.

Memory

• Monument at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow
• Monument to V. F. Margelov in Dnepropetrovsk
• Postcard of Russia, 2008
• By order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR of April 20, 1985, V.F. Margelov was enlisted as an Honorary Soldier in the lists of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division.
• Monuments to V. F. Margelov were erected in Tyumen, Krivoy Rog (Ukraine), Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine), Chisinau (Moldova), Kostyukovichi (Belarus), Ryazan and Seltsy (training center of the Airborne Forces Institute), Omsk, Tula, St. Petersburg , Ulyanovsk. Every year, officers and paratroopers, veterans of the Airborne Forces come to the monument to their commander at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow to pay tribute to his memory.
• The name of Margelov is the Ryazan Military Institute of Airborne Troops, Department of the Airborne Forces Combined Arms Academy Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod cadet boarding school(NCSI).
• A square in Ryazan, streets in Vitebsk (Belarus), Omsk, Pskov, Tula and Zapadnaya Litsa are named after Margelov.
• During the Great Patriotic War, a song was composed in the division of V. Margelov.
• By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 182 dated May 6, 2005, the departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation "General of the Army Margelov" was established. In the same year, a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow, in Sivtsev Vrazhek lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.
• In honor of the centenary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of V. Margelov in the Airborne Forces.
• In 2009, the television series "Dad" was released, telling about the life of V. Margelov.
• On February 21, 2010, a bust of Vasily Margelov was erected in Kherson. The bust of the general is located in the city center near the Youth Palace on Perekopskaya Street.
• On June 5, 2010, a monument to the founder of the Airborne Forces (VDV) was unveiled in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. The monument was built at the expense of former paratroopers living in Moldova.
• On June 25, 2010, the memory of the legendary commander was immortalized in the Republic of Belarus (Vitebsk). The Vitebsk City Executive Committee, headed by Chairman V.P. Nikolaykin, in the spring of 2010 approved a petition from veterans of the Airborne Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation to name the street connecting Chkalova Street and Pobeda Avenue General Margelov Street. On the eve of the City Day on General Margelov Street was put into operation new house on which a memorial plaque is installed, the right to open which was granted to the sons of Vasily Filippovich.
• Monument to Vasily Filippovich, a sketch of which was made from a well-known photograph in the divisional newspaper, in which he, being appointed commander of the 76th Guards. airborne division, preparing for the first jump, - installed in front of the headquarters of the 95th separate airmobile brigade (Ukraine).
• The ensemble "Blue Berets" recorded a song dedicated to V. F. Margelov, estimating state of the art Airborne Forces, after his departure from the post of commander, which is called “Forgive us, Vasily Filippovich!”.

August 2 to Russian cities blue splashes, as well as water from park fountains. The most publicly connected branch of the military will celebrate the holiday. "Defend Russia" remembers the legendary "Uncle Vasya" - the one who created the Airborne Forces in their modern form.

There is no such number of myths and tales as about "Uncle Vasya's troops" about any other unit Russian army. It seems that strategic aviation flies the farthest, the presidential regiment strikes a step like robots, space troops they know how to look beyond the horizon, the GRU special forces are the worst of all, underwater strategic missile carriers are capable of destroying entire cities. But "there are no impossible tasks - there are landing troops." There were many commanders of the Airborne Forces, but they had one most important commander.

Vasily Margelov was born in 1908. Until Yekaterinoslav became Dnepropetrovsk, Margelov worked at a mine, a stud farm, a forestry enterprise, and a local deputy council. Only at the age of 20 did he enter the army. Measuring career steps and kilometers on the march, participated in Polish campaign Red Army and Soviet-Finnish war. In July 1941, the future "Uncle Vasya" became a regiment commander in a division of the people's militia, and 4 months later, very far away - from skiing - began the creation of the Airborne Forces.

Being the commander of a special ski regiment of marines of the Baltic Fleet, Margelov ensured that vests were transferred from the marines to the "winged" ones. Already commander Margelov in 1944 became a hero of the Soviet Union for the liberation of Kherson. At the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945, Major General printed a step in the columns of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

Margelov headed the Airborne Forces in the year following Stalin's death. He left office three years before Brezhnev's death - an amazing example of team longevity. It was with his command that not only the main milestones in the formation of the airborne troops were connected, but also the creation of their image as the most combat-ready troops in the entire huge Soviet army.

Margelov was the number one paratrooper formally not all the time of his service. His history of relationships with the post of commander, and with the country and its regime, is similar to the career path of Nikolai Kuznetsov, commander-in-chief of the Soviet fleet. He also commanded with a short break: Kuznetsov had four years, Margelov had two (1959–1961). True, unlike the admiral, who survived two disgraces, lost and received ranks again, Margelov did not lose the stars on his shoulder straps, but only grew them, becoming an army general in 1967.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces were more tied to the ground. The infantry became winged precisely under the command of Margelov. Firstly, "uncle Vasya" jumped himself. During his service, he made more than 60 jumps - last time at 65 years old.

Margelov significantly increased the mobility of the Airborne Forces (in Ukraine, for example, they are called airmobile troops). Actively working with the military-industrial complex, the commander achieved the commissioning of the An-22 and An-76 aircraft, which even today release parachute dandelions into the sky. For the paratroopers, new parachute and rifle systems were developed - the massive AK-74 was "cut off" to the AKS-74U with a shortened barrel and a folding butt. They began to land not only people, but also military equipment - due to the enormous weight, parachute systems were developed from several domes with the placement of jet thrust engines, which worked out a short period of time when approaching the ground, thus extinguishing the landing speed.

In 1969, the first of the domestic airborne combat vehicles was adopted for service. The floating tracked BMD-1 was intended for landing - including using parachutes - from the An-12 and Il-76. In 1973, the world's first landing on the BMD-1 parachute system took place near Tula. The crew commander was Margelov's son Alexander, in the 90s for a similar landing in 1976 he received the title of Hero of Russia.

Vasily Margelov can be compared with Yuri Andropov in terms of his influence on the perception of the subordinate structure by the mass consciousness. If the term "public relations" existed in the Soviet Union, Commander of the Airborne Forces and the chairman of the KGB would certainly be considered cool "signalmen".

Andropov clearly understood the need to improve the image of the department, which inherited the people's memory of the Stalinist repressive machine. Margelov was not up to the image, but it was under him that the most famous films about the paratroopers who created them positive image. It was the commander who insisted that “In the zone of special attention” the fighters of the group of captain Tarasov, as part of the exercises conducting reconnaissance behind the lines of a mock enemy, wore blue berets - a symbol of paratroopers, which obviously unmasks the scouts, but creates an image.

Suvorov of the twentieth century

“Suvorov of the twentieth century” - this is how General of the Army Vasily Filippovich Margelov (1908 - 1990) began to be called during his lifetime by Western historians (Soviet long time It was forbidden to use this name in the press for reasons of secrecy).

Having commanded the Airborne Forces in total almost a quarter of a century (1954 - 1959, 1961 - 1979), he turned this branch of the army into a formidable strike force that knew no equal.

But Vasily Filippovich was remembered not only as an outstanding organizer by his contemporaries. Love for the Motherland, remarkable military abilities, steadfastness and selfless courage were organically combined in him with the greatness of the soul, modesty and crystal honesty, kind-hearted, truly fatherly attitude towards the soldier.

Youth years

V. F. Markelov (later Margelov) was born on December 27, 1908 (January 9, 1909 according to the new style) in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk , Ukraine), in a family of immigrants from Belarus. By nationality - Belarusian. Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgical worker. (The surname Markelov of Vasily Filippovich was subsequently recorded as Margelov due to an error in the party card.)

In 1913, the Margelov family returned to the homeland of Philip Ivanovich - to the town Kostyukovichi Klimovichi district (Mogilev province). The mother of V. F. Margelov, Agafya Stepanovna, was from the neighboring Bobruisk district. According to some reports, VF Margelov graduated from the parochial school (TsPSh) in 1921. As a teenager, he worked as a loader and carpenter. In the same year, he entered a leather workshop as an apprentice, and soon became an assistant master. In 1923 he entered the local Hleboprodukt as a laborer. There is information that he graduated from the school of rural youth, and worked as a forwarder for the delivery of postal items on the Kostyukovichi line - Khotimsk .

Since 1924 he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M. I. Kalinin as a laborer, then as a horse-racer.

In 1925 he was sent back to Belarus as a forester in the timber industry. Worked in Kostyukovichi, in 1927 he became chairman of the working committee of the timber industry, was elected to the local Council.

Service start

He was drafted into the Red Army in 1928. Sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School (OBVSh) named after. CEC of the BSSR Minsk, enlisted in the group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine-gun company. In April 1931 he graduated with honors from the Minsk Military School (former OBVSh).

After graduating from college, he was appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment of the 33rd territorial rifle division ( Mogilev, Belarus). Since 1933 - platoon commander at the Minsk Military Infantry School. M. I. Kalinina. In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company. From October 25, 1938 he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd rifle regiment of the 8th rifle division named after. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the chief of the 2nd division of the division headquarters.

How a paratrooper got a vest

In the Soviet-Finnish war of 1940, Major Margelov was the commander of the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division. His battalion made daring raids on enemy rear lines, set up ambushes, causing great damage to the enemy. In one of the raids, they even managed to capture a group of officers of the Swedish General Staff, which gave grounds for the Soviet Government to make a diplomatic demarche about the actual participation of the supposedly neutral Scandinavian state in the hostilities on the side of the Finns. This step had a sobering effect on the Swedish king and his cabinet: Stockholm did not dare to send its soldiers into the snows of Karelia ...

The experience of ski raids on enemy rear lines was remembered in the late autumn of 1941 in besieged Leningrad. Major V. Margelov was assigned to lead the First Special Ski Regiment of sailors of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet formed from volunteers.

The veteran of this part N. Shuvalov recalled:

As you know, sailors are a peculiar people. In love with the sea, they do not particularly favor their land brothers. When Margelov was appointed commander of a regiment of marines, some used to say that he would not take root there, his “brothers” would not accept him.

However, this prophecy did not come true. When the regiment of sailors was built to be presented to the new commander, Margelov, after the command "Attention!" seeing many gloomy faces looking at him not particularly friendly, instead of the words of greeting “Hello, comrades!”, which are customary in such cases, without hesitation, he shouted loudly:

Hey, buggers!

A moment - and in the ranks not a single gloomy face ...

Many glorious feats were accomplished by sailors-skiers under the command of Major Margelov. The tasks were set personally by the commander of the Baltic Fleet, Vice Admiral Tributs.

Vladimir Filippovich Tributs

Deep daring raids by skiers on the German rear in the winter of 1941-42 were an unceasing headache for the command of the Nazi Army Group North. What was even worth the landing on the coast of Ladoga in the direction of Lipka - Shlisselburg, which alarmed Field Marshal von Leeb so much that he began to remove troops from Pulkovo to eliminate him, tightening the noose of the blockade of Leningrad.

Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb

Two decades later, the commander of the Airborne Forces, General of the Army Margelov, ensured that the paratroopers received the right to wear vests.

The prowess of the "brothers" sunk into my heart! he explained. - I want the paratroopers to adopt the glorious traditions of their older brother - the marines and continue them with honor. For this, I introduced the paratroopers vests. Only stripes on them to match the color of the sky - blue ...

When, at a military council chaired by the Minister of Defense, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union S. G. Gorshkov, began to blame that, they say, paratroopers steal vests from sailors, Vasily Filippovich sharply objected to him:

I myself in marines I fought and I know what paratroopers deserve and what sailors deserve!

And Vasily Filippovich fought famously with his "marines". Here's another example. In May 1942, in the Vinyaglovo area near the Sinyavinsky Heights, about 200 enemy infantrymen broke through the defense sector of a neighboring regiment and entered the rear of the Margelovites. Vasily Filippovich quickly gave the necessary orders and himself lay down behind the Maxim machine gun. Then he personally destroyed 79 Nazis, the rest were finished off by reinforcements that came to the rescue.

By the way, during the defense of Leningrad, Margelov always had an easel machine gun at hand, from which in the morning he made a kind of shooting exercise: he “trimmed” the tops of trees in bursts. Then he mounted a horse and practiced cutting with a sword.

AT offensive battles the regiment commander more than once personally raised his battalions to attack, fought in the forefront of his fighters, dragging them to victory in hand-to-hand combat where he had no equal. Because of such terrible fights, the Nazis nicknamed the marines "striped death."

Officer's ration - in a soldier's cauldron

Caring for a soldier has never been a secondary matter for Margelov, especially in a war. His former brother-soldier, senior lieutenant of the guard Nikolai Shevchenko recalled that, having accepted the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment in 1942, Vasily Filippovich began to increase its combat effectiveness by improving the catering of all personnel.

At that time, the officers in the regiment ate separately from the soldiers and sergeants. The officers were entitled to increased rations: in addition to the combined arms norm, they received animal butter, canned fish, biscuits or cookies, Golden Fleece or Kazbek tobacco (non-smokers were given chocolate). But, besides this, some battalion commanders and company commanders brought personal chefs with a common catering unit. It is not difficult to understand that some part of the soldier's cauldron went to the officer's desk. This was discovered by the regimental commander when bypassing the units. He always started it with an inspection of the battalion kitchens and a sample of soldiers' food.

On the second day of Lieutenant Colonel Margelov's stay in the unit, all of its officers had to eat from a common boiler along with the soldiers. The regiment commander ordered his additional ration to be transferred to a common boiler. Soon other officers began to do the same. " Good example Father gave us! - the veteran Shevchenko recalled. Surprisingly, Batey Vasily Filippovich was called in all the regiments and divisions that he happened to command ...

God forbid, if Margelov noticed that the fighter had leaky shoes or shabby clothes. Here the business executive received to the fullest. One day, noticing that the machine-gunner sergeant had cutting edge the boot "asks for porridge", the regimental commander called the head of the clothing supply to him and ordered him to exchange shoes with this fighter. And he warned that if he saw this again, he would immediately transfer the officer to the front line.

Vasily Filippovich could not stand cowards, weak-willed, lazy people. Theft under him was simply impossible, because he punished him mercilessly ...

Hot Snow

Whoever read Yuri Bondarev's novel "Hot Snow" or saw the film of the same name based on this novel, let him know: the Margelovites were the prototype of the heroes that stood in the way of Manstein's tank armada, which was trying to break the encirclement around the 6th army of Paulus in Stalingrad. It was they who found themselves in the direction of the main attack of the fascist tank wedge and managed to prevent a breakthrough, holding out until reinforcements arrived.

In October 1942, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Margelov became the commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, which was part of the 2nd Guards Army, Lieutenant General R. Ya. Malinovsky, which was formed specifically to complete the defeat of the enemy, who had broken through into the Volga steppes. For two months, while the regiment was in reserve, Vasily Filippovich intensely prepared his fighters for fierce battles for the Volga stronghold.

Near Leningrad, he more than once had to engage in single combat with fascist tanks, he knew well their weak spots. And now he personally taught tank destroyers, showing armor-piercers how to dig a trench in full profile, where and from what distances to aim with an anti-tank rifle, how to throw grenades and Molotov cocktails.

When the Margelovites held the defense at the turn of the river. Myshkov, having taken on the blow of the Goth tank group advancing from the Kotelnikovsky area to join the Paulus breakthrough group, they were not afraid of the newest heavy Tiger tanks, they did not flinch in front of the many times superior enemy. They did the impossible: for five days of fighting (from December 19 to 24, 1942), without sleep and rest, carrying heavy losses, burned and knocked out almost all enemy tanks in their direction. At the same time, the regiment retained combat readiness!

In these battles, Vasily Filippovich was severely shell-shocked, but did not leave the line. He met the New Year of 1943 with his fighters, with a Mauser in his hand, dragging the attacking chains to storm the Kotelnikovsky farm. With this rapid throw of parts of the 2nd guards army in the Stalingrad epic, a bold point was put: last hopes Paulus' armies melted like smoke on the deblockade. Then there was the liberation of Donbass, the forcing of the Dnieper, fierce battles for Kherson and the "Iasi-Kishinev Cannes" ... Thirteen thanks from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief were earned by the 49th Guards Kherson Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division - Margelov's Division!

The final chord is the bloodless capture in May 1945 on the border of Austria and Czechoslovakia of the SS tank corps, which broke through to the West to surrender to the Americans. This included the elite armored forces of the Reich - the SS divisions " Greater Germany and Dead Head.

As the best of the best guards, Major General Hero of the Soviet Union V.F. Margelov (1944), the leadership of the 2nd Ukrainian Front entrusted the honor of commanding a front-line composite regiment at the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945.

V.F. Margelov - right flank

After graduating from the Higher Military Academy in 1948 (since 1958 - the Military Academy of the General Staff), Vasily Filippovich accepted the Pskov Airborne Division.

This appointment was preceded by a meeting between Major General V. Margelov and Minister of Defense of the USSR Marshal of the Soviet Union Nikolai Bulganin. There was another general in the office, also a Hero of the Soviet Union.

The Minister of Defense began the conversation with kind words about the Airborne Troops, their glorious combat past, and that a decision had been made to develop this relatively young branch of the military.

We believe in them and consider it necessary to reinforce them with combat generals who distinguished themselves during the Great Patriotic War. What is your opinion, comrades?

He, the second general, began to complain about the wounds received at the front, said that the doctors did not recommend him to make parachute jumps. In general, he refused the proposal of the minister.

General Margelov, who had many wounds during three wars, including severe ones, and even in the legs, asked a single question in response:

When can I go to the troops?

Today, - answered the Minister of Defense and firmly shook his hand.

Margelov understood that he would have to start from scratch and how to comprehend the tricky landing science for a beginner. But he also knew something else: there is a special attraction in this kind of troops - audacity, a strong male adhesion.

Years later, he told the correspondent of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper:

Until the age of 40, I vaguely imagined what a parachute was, and I never dreamed of jumping in a dream. It turned out on its own, or rather, as it should be in the army, by order. I am a military man, if necessary, ready to go to hell. And so it was necessary, already being a general, to make the first parachute jump. The impression, I tell you, is incomparable. A dome opens above you, you soar in the air like a bird, - by God, I want to sing! I sang. But you won't go away on rapture alone. I was in a hurry, I didn’t follow the ground, as a result I had to walk for two weeks with a bandaged leg. Got a lesson. Parachuting is not only romantic, but also a lot of work and impeccable discipline...

Then there will be many jumps - with weapons, day and night, from high-speed military transport aircraft. During his service in the Airborne Forces, Vasily Filippovich made more than 60 of them. Extreme - at the age of 65.

Anyone who has never left an airplane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced the joy and fear of free fall, a whistle in his ears, a stream of wind beating in his chest, he will never understand the honor and pride of a paratrooper, - Margelov will say something.

"Uncle Vasya" before the jump

What did Vasily Filippovich see when he accepted the 76th Guards Airborne Division Chernigov? The material and technical base of combat training is at zero. The simplicity of the sports equipment was discouraging: two jumping boards, a cradle for a balloon suspended between two pillars, and the skeleton of an aircraft that vaguely resembled an airplane or glider. Injuries and even deaths are common. If Margelov was a novice in the landing business, then in the organization of combat training, as they say, he ate the dog.

In parallel with combat training, at least important work for the arrangement of personnel, families of officers. And here everyone was surprised by the persistence of Margelov.

A soldier must be well-fed, clean in body and strong in spirit, - Vasily Filippovich liked to repeat Suvorov's statement. It was necessary - and the general became a real foreman, as he called himself without any irony, and on his desktop, mixed with plans for combat training, exercises, landing, there were calculations, estimates, projects ...

Working in his usual mode - day and night - a day away, General Margelov quickly ensured that his unit became one of the best in the landing troops.

In 1950, he was appointed commander of the airborne corps in the Far East, and in 1954, Lieutenant General V. Margelov led the Airborne Forces.

And soon he proved to everyone that he was not a rustic servant, as some perceived Margelov, but a man who saw the prospects of the Airborne Forces, who had a great desire to turn them into the elite of the Armed Forces. To do this, it was necessary to break stereotypes and inertia, win the trust of active, energetic people, involve them in a joint productive work. Over time, V. Margelov formed a circle of like-minded people carefully selected and nurtured by him. And the outstanding sense of the new, combat authority and the ability of the commander to work with people made it possible to achieve the set goals.

Year 1970, operational-strategic exercise "Dvina". Here is what the newspaper of the Belarusian Military District “For the Glory of the Motherland” wrote about them: “Belarus is a country of forests and lakes, and it is incredibly difficult to find a landing site. The weather wasn't good, but it didn't give us any reason to be discouraged either. Attack fighters ironed the ground, from the commentator's booth it sounded: "Attention!" - and the eyes of those present turned upward.

Here, large points separated from the first aircraft - these are military equipment, artillery, cargo, and then paratroopers rained down like peas from the hatches of the An-12. But the crown of the throw was the appearance in the air of four "Anteys". A few minutes - and now there is a whole regiment on the ground!

AN-22 "Antey"

When the last paratrooper touched the ground, V.F. Margelov stopped the stopwatch on the commander's watch and showed it to the Minister of Defense. It took a little over 22 minutes for eight thousand paratroopers and 150 units of military equipment to be delivered to the rear of the "enemy".

Brilliant results in the major exercises "Dnepr", "Berezina", "South" ... It became common practice: to raise an airborne assault, say, in Pskov, make a long flight and land near Fergana, Kirovabad or in Mongolia. Commenting on one of the exercises, Margelov told the Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent:

Application airborne assault became practically unlimited. For example, we have this type of combat training: on the map of the country, a point is arbitrarily chosen where troops are dropped. Warrior parachutists jump into a completely unfamiliar area: into the taiga and deserts, lakes, swamps and mountains ...

It was after the Dvin exercises, declaring gratitude to the guardsmen for their courage and military prowess, that the commander casually asked:

Margelov could be understood: there was a need to reduce the time for preparing airborne units for combat after landing. The landing of military equipment from one aircraft, and the crews from another led to the fact that the spread sometimes amounted to five kilometers. While the crews were looking for equipment, it took a lot of time.

A little later, Margelov again returned to this idea:

I understand that it is difficult, but no one but us will do it.

Moreover, when - it was rather difficult to make a fundamental decision to conduct the first such experiment - Vasily Filippovich proposed his candidacy to participate in the first test of this kind, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff were categorically against it.

However, even without this, there were legends about the courage of the commander. It manifested itself not only in a combat situation. At one of the festive receptions, where they could not help but invite the disgraced Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Vasily Filippovich, stretched out at attention, congratulated him on the holiday. Zhukov, being the Minister of Defense, repeatedly observed the actions of the paratroopers in the exercises and expressed satisfaction with their high skill, admired their courage and courage. General Margelov was proud of the respect of such military leaders for himself, and therefore did not change his attitude towards honored people in favor of temporary workers and high-ranking sycophants.

The troops of "Uncle Sam" and the troops of "Uncle Vasya"

At the end of the spring of 1991, an official visit to the United States was made by USSR Minister of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union D.T. Yazov.

Dmitry Timofeevich Yazov

Returning to Moscow, the minister met with officers of the Information Department of the Ministry of Defense.

Subsequently, reflecting on this meeting that lasted more than two hours in the hall where meetings of the Collegium of the Ministry of Defense usually took place, I came to the conclusion that communication with us, ordinary employees of the department, was primarily aimed at conveying to the general public through officers who, on duty, maintain contacts with the press, his very skeptical opinion about the merits of the military equipment of the richest power in the world and about the level of preparedness of the American "pros", which were then excitedly admired by the Ogonyok magazine and related publications.

During the visit military base at Fort Bragg, the Soviet Minister of Defense was invited to a demonstration exercise of one of the parachute battalions the famous "regiment of devils" - the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States.

Fort Bragg

This division became famous for participating in almost all post-war conflicts in which the United States intervened ( Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, etc.). She was the first to land in the Middle East before the start of the anti-Iraq Desert Storm in 1990. In all operations, the "devils" were at the forefront of the attack as the most dexterous, courageous, invincible.

And it was these “understudies of Satan” who were instructed to surprise the Soviet minister with their class of training and fearlessness. They were parachuted in. Part of the battalion landed in combat vehicles. But the effect of the “show-off” turned out to be the opposite of what was expected, because Dmitry Timofeevich could not talk about what he saw in North Carolina without a bitter smile.

What grade would I give you for such a landing? - Asked, slyly narrowing his eyes, the Minister of Defense of the then Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces for combat training, Lieutenant General E. N. Podkolzin, who was part of the Soviet military delegation.

You would tear off my head and I ..., Comrade Minister! - Evgeny Nikolaevich minted.

It turns out that almost all American paratroopers thrown out of aircraft in combat vehicles received serious injuries and injuries. There were also those who died. After landing, more than half of the cars did not budge...

This is hard to believe, but even in the early 90s, the vaunted American professionals did not have the same equipment as ours and did not know the secrets of the safe landing of "winged infantry" units on equipment that were mastered in "Uncle Vasya's troops" (as fighters of the Airborne Forces called themselves, hinting at a special warmth of feelings for the commander) back in the 70s.

And it all began with the courageous decision of Margelov to put the responsibility of a pioneer on his shoulders. Then, in 1972, in the USSR full swing tests of the recently created Centaur system were underway - for landing people inside an airborne combat vehicle on parachute platforms. The experiments were risky, so they started on animals. Far from everything went smoothly: either the parachute canopy was torn, or the active deceleration engines did not work. One of the jumps even ended in the death of the dog Buran.

Something similar happened with Western testers of identical systems. True, they experimented on people there. A man sentenced to death penalty. It crashed, and for a long time the West considered it inexpedient to continue development work in this direction.

Despite the risk, Margelov believed in the possibility of creating safe systems for landing people on equipment and insisted on complicating tests. Since further "dog" jumps were going well, he sought a transition to a new phase of R & D - with the participation of warriors. In early January 1973, he had a difficult conversation with the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union A. A. Grechko.

Anton Andreevich Grechko

Do you understand, Vasily Filippovich, what you are doing, what you are risking? - Andrey Antonovich urged Margelov to abandon his plan.

I understand perfectly, that's why I stand on my own, - answered the general. - And those who are ready for the experiment also understand everything perfectly.
On January 5, 1973, the historic leap took place. For the first time in the world, the crew was parachuted inside the BMD-1 on parachute-platform means. It included Major L. Zuev and Lieutenant A. Margelov - in the car next to an experienced officer was younger son commander Alexander, at that time a young engineer of the scientific and technical committee of the Airborne Forces.

Sending a son to such a complex, unpredictable experiment would only be decided very courageous man. It was an act akin to the feat of Lieutenant General Nikolai Raevsky, when Kutuzov's favorite in 1812 near Saltanovka fearlessly led his young sons in front of the front of the battalions faltering from the French buckshot and with this amazing example breathed stamina into the discouraged grenadiers, held the position, deciding the outcome of the battle. Sacrificial heroism of this kind in the world military history is a unique phenomenon.

N. Raevsky with his sons

A combat vehicle was dropped from the AN-12, five domes were opened, - Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov, now an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, recalled the details of the unprecedented jump. - Of course, it is dangerous, but one thing reassured me: the system has been successfully used for more than one year. True, no people. Landed normally. In the summer of 1975, on the basis of the parachute regiment, which was then commanded by Major V. Achalov, Lieutenant Colonel L. Shcherbakov and I inside the BMD and four officers outside, in the joint landing cabin, jumped again ...

Vasily Filippovich was awarded the USSR State Prize for this bold innovation.

The Centaur was replaced (not least thanks to the commander of the Airborne Forces, who stubbornly argued in the highest party and government authorities of the country that a new method of delivering fighters and equipment to the target, its early development to enhance the mobility of the "winged infantry") soon came a new, more perfect system "Reactavr". The rate of decline on it was four times higher than on the Centaur. In psychophysical terms, it is correspondingly more difficult for a paratrooper (a deafening roar and roar, a flame escaping from jet nozzles is very close). On the other hand, the vulnerability to enemy fire and the time from the moment of being thrown out of the aircraft to bringing the BMD into combat position were sharply reduced.

From 1976 to 1991, the Reaktavr system was used about 100 times, and always successfully. Year by year, from exercise to exercise, the "blue berets" gained experience in its application, polished their own skills at various stages of landing.

For more information about the creation of the “Centaur” and “Reaktaur” systems, see the website: Spurs on OVS - Military equipment - Taming of the "Centaur".

Since 1979, Vasily Filippovich was no longer with them, having surrendered the post of commander of the Airborne Forces and transferred to the Group of General Inspectors of the Ministry of Defense. Eleven years later, on March 4, 1990, he passed away. But the memory of Paratrooper number one, his precepts blue berets imperishable.

The name of Army General V.F. Margelov wear the Ryazan Higher command school Airborne Forces, streets, squares and squares of St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Omsk, Pskov, Tula ... Monuments were erected to him in St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Pskov, Omsk, Tula, the Ukrainian cities of Dnepropetrovsk and Lvov, the Belarusian Kostyukovichi.

Paratroopers, veterans of the Airborne Forces every year come to the monument of their commander at the Novodevichy cemetery to honor his memory.

But the main thing is that the spirit of Margelov is alive in the troops. The feat of the 6th parachute company of the 104th guards regiment The 76th Pskov division, in which Vasily Filippovich began his journey to the Airborne Forces, is an eloquent confirmation of this. He is also in other accomplishments of the paratroopers of recent decades, in which the "winged infantry" covered itself with unfading glory.

Family

• Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov - a metallurgical worker, in the First World War he became a holder of two St. George's crosses.
• Mother - Agafya Stepanovna, was from Bobruisk county.
• Two brothers - Ivan (senior), Nikolai (younger) and sister Maria.

V. F. Margelov was married three times:

• The first wife, Maria, left her husband and son (Gennady).
• The second wife is Feodosia Efremovna Selitskaya (mother of Anatoly and Vitaly).
• The last wife is Anna Alexandrovna Kurakina, a doctor. He met Anna Alexandrovna during the Great Patriotic War.

Five sons:

• Gennady Vasilievich (born 1931) - Major General.
• Anatoly Vasilyevich (1938-2008) - Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor, author of more than 100 patents and inventions in the military-industrial complex.
• Vitaly Vasilievich(born 1941) - a professional intelligence officer, an employee of the KGB of the USSR and the SVR of Russia, later - a public and political figure; colonel general, deputy of the State Duma.
• Vasily Vasilyevich (1943-2010) - reserve major; First Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Russian State Broadcasting Company "Voice of Russia" (RGRK "Voice of Russia")
• Alexander Vasilievich(born 1943) - officer of the Airborne Forces. On August 29, 1996, "for the courage and heroism shown in testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment" (landing inside the BMD-1 on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, carried out for the first time in world practice in 1976) was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. After retiring, he worked in the structures of Rosoboronexport.

Vasily Vasilyevich and Alexander Vasilyevich are twin brothers. In 2003, they co-authored a book about their father - "Paratrooper No. 1 Army General Margelov."

Awards and titles

USSR awards

• Medal "Gold Star" No. 3414 of the Hero of the Soviet Union (03/19/1944)
• four Orders of Lenin (03/21/1944, 11/3/1953, 12/26/1968, 12/26/1978)
• Order of the October Revolution (4.05.1972)
• two Orders of the Red Banner (3.02.1943, 20.06.1949)
• Order of Suvorov, 2nd class (1944)
• two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st class (01/25/1943, 03/11/1985)
• Order of the Red Star (3.11.1944)
• two Orders "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 2nd (12/14/1988) and 3rd degree (04/30/1975)
• medals

He was awarded twelve Gratitudes of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (03/13/1944, 03/28/1944, 04/10/1944, 11/4/1944, 12/24/1944, 02/13/1945, 03/25/1945, 04/3/1945, 04/05/1945, 1905. May 8, 1945).

Awards of foreign countries

• Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, 2nd class (09/20/1969)
• four commemorative medals of Bulgaria (1974, 1978, 1982, 1985)

Hungarian People's Republic:

• star and badge of the Order of the People's Republic of Hungary, 3rd class (04/04/1950)
• medal "Brotherhood in Arms" gold degree (09/29/1985)

• order "Star of Friendship of Peoples" in silver (23.02.1978)
• medal "Arthur Becker" in gold (23.05.1980)

• medal "Sino-Soviet friendship" (23.02.1955)

• two anniversary medals (1978, 1986)

Mongolian People's Republic:

• Order of the Battle Red Banner (06/07/1971)
• seven anniversary medals (1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1982)

• medal "For Odra, Nisa and Baltic" (05/07/1985)
• medal "Brotherhood in Arms" (10/12/1988)
• Officer of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland (6.11.1973)

SR Romania:

• Order of Tudor Vladimirescu 2nd (10/1/1974) and 3rd (10/24/1969) degree
• two commemorative medals (1969, 1974)

• order "Legion of Honor" degree of commander (05/10/1945)
• medal "Bronze Star" (05/10/1945)

Czechoslovakia:

• Order of Klement Gottwald (1969)
• medal "For Strengthening Friendship in Arms" 1st class (1970)
• two anniversary medals

honorary titles

• Hero of the Soviet Union (1944)
• Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1975)
• Honorary Citizen of Kherson
• Honorary soldier of the military unit of the Airborne Forces

Proceedings

• Margelov VF Airborne troops. - M .: Knowledge, 1977. - 64 p.
• Margelov VF Soviet Airborne. - 2nd ed. - M .: Military publishing house, 1986. - 64 p.

Memory

• By order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR of April 20, 1985, V.F. Margelov was enlisted as an Honorary Soldier in the lists of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division.
Ulyanovsk Western Face.

monument to V.F. Margelov in Dnepropetrovsk

memorial plaque in Moscow

medal of V.F. Margelov

In rare family footage, Vasily Margelov, to whom two German tank corps surrendered without a fight in 1945, does not at all look like a formidable military leader. Cigarettes "Belomor-kanal", vest, breeches...

In rare family footage, Vasily Margelov, to whom two German tank corps surrendered without a fight in 1945, does not at all look like a formidable military leader. Cigarettes "Belomor-kanal", a vest, riding breeches - everything is like ordinary people. Nearby is his wife Anna Alexandrovna, whom he met in 1941 on Leningrad Front and five sons. The last two - Alexander and Vasily - are twins, who later wrote about their legendary father the book "Paratrooper No. 1 Army General Margelov".

Two St. George's crosses at Father Margelov

Born in an ordinary family of a metallurgical worker, who returned home with two St. George crosses on his chest and was able to hug his three sons and daughter, the father for Vasily became absolute example courage and thoughtfulness. Father taught Vasily that the one who can think and fight wins. These postulates of his father became the main ones for Vasily, he did not leave the enemy a single chance, except for one - to surrender in order to live on.

Mines, forest, ski run to Moscow

But the first testament of his father - not to lose heart - was useful to Vasily when he got into a blockage in the mine, where he worked and dug out heavy stones with his comrades. After that, he got a lung disease and was sent as a forester, which also came in handy for him in the ability to disguise and shoot, which he showed after being drafted into the ranks of the Red Army with excellent marks. He was sent to a military school in Belarus, to study as a red commander, where he organized a ski run to Moscow. On the way, they lost one cadet, returned, although they had traveled several kilometers. It is seen, strong wind knocked down a cadet, he fell, he was immediately covered with snow, he could not get out. After this incident, Margelov walked the rest of the way at the rear, and not the first, as it was before. So, gradually, the talent of a military teacher was formed in Margelov - you should always take care of others more than yourself.

"Hey, claws!"

In 1941, Vasily Margelov had the most difficult, as he himself wrote, test: he had to sign several hundred funerals at a time. Then he was appointed commander of the first special regiment of sailors of the Baltic Fleet. Margelov already had a weighty military burden behind him: Finnish war, where he became famous by capturing several generals from the enemy General Staff, commanding a disciplinary battalion. However, the sailors are a people of a special warehouse: they received the land major gloomily. When Vasily saw the frowning faces, he said out of the ordinary: “Great, pincers!” And that's it. Of course they smiled. He had to become related to the brothers and take, perhaps, the most main fight In my life. This happened at the end of November 1941. The Soviet command made another attempt to break through the blockade of Leningrad: Margelov's regiment was ordered to attack the positions of the Germans in the area Lake Ladoga. An infantry division was also supposed to support the attack of the sailors, but for unknown reasons it did not reach the starting lines in time. In such a difficult situation, Margelov refused to throw his people into battle without support, realizing that they could all die there to no avail, in vain. The head of the special department then told him: “Either Major Margelov will attack, or he will be shot according to the laws of war.” Then Margelov gathered all his commanders and told them that he would not force them into battle, it would be better to let him be shot.

Vest - in memory of the sailors

Both in peacetime and in wartime, those commanders who protect their children and do not hide behind their backs are always respected. The sailors, realizing that the situation was extremely difficult, volunteered to go with their commanders in a deadly attack. On the night of November 27, 1941, they captured the first line German defense, price huge losses they stayed there for several hours, until the command ordered them to retreat to their previous positions. Later, the command of the division, which gave the criminal order, was shot. And Margelov personally testified against divisional commanders during the consideration of the case by a military tribunal. But the dead could not be returned. And Vasily understood this, again experiencing and remembering that terrible night when the sailors followed him. In 1968, in memory of the brothers, Vasily Margelov insisted that the uniform of the paratroopers should be in without fail vest introduced. And although this caused a certain amount of jealousy on the part of the representatives of the navy, Vasily was able to convince the Minister of Defense and his deputies that the paratroopers are the successors of the traditions of the fleet and recognize for him, "for the elder brother" superiority in this type of clothing. But gradually these lappings came to naught, and for decades the paratroopers lovingly wore naked vests, this warm and comfortable clothing for everyday wear.

Margelov always treated his subordinates with care and real respect, he delved into all the details of the life of soldiers. When, in 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Margelov took command of the 13th Rifle Regiment, the first thing he did was go to the canteen, where he discovered that the soldier's ration was not so rich and ordered to give his additional ration to the canteen. Other officers followed suit. It is not surprising that for such care, the soldiers sincerely loved their commander, who led them into battle on the Mius Front: they were able to break through the German defense in depth in the Saur-mogila area.

Troops need armor

Vasily Margelov, who returned from the front with the Golden Star of the Hero for the capture of Kherson and the formation of the Dnieper and walked at the Victory Parade on Red Square, graduated from the military academy in 1948 and set about the main idea of ​​his life - a radical change in the structure of the military landing troops. He was literally obsessed with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bprotecting his paratroopers with armor because these troops were usually sent into the thick of it, so that when they landed, they steadfastly held the defenses in anticipation of the approach of the main forces. And if the landing could not hold out for several precious hours, then this meant one thing - death behind enemy lines. Margelov's pupils needed reliable protection: in modern conditions the conduct of hostilities was no longer enough feats based on the skillful throwing into the rear of several people who are able to run, crawl and neutralize the enemy. Certainly physical and moral character were one of the main conditions for survival during complex operations, but it was necessary to fight in such a way as to avoid as much as possible loss of life. And so Margelov firmly raised the question before the Minister of Defense about the need to equip the airborne troops with armored vehicles, artillery, and aviation.

In the 50s years of the Airborne Forces in the army it was also deciphered as "it is unlikely that you will return home." Margelov went around many corridors to the military departments. He stood his ground: the troops needed a light armored vehicle equipped with the most modern weapons, which is capable of parachuting from an aircraft. And such a machine was finally created: on the footage of military newsreel, you can see how a car falls out of the belly of an An-12 aircraft at an altitude of 800 meters at a flight speed of 300-350 kilometers per hour, the parachute dome opens and it lands successfully, next to in theory, paratroopers should have landed on it. But in reality, two crew members landed at a significant distance from each other, and the location of the car was determined by special signals: a special transceiver was mounted inside the car and on the chest of the paratroopers. At first glance, this seemed like a great success.

In memory of the Man of Honor - Hero of the Soviet Union General of the Army

Margelov Vasily Filippovich,

our father, with gratitude and Best wishes veterans of all wars, current and future defenders of our Fatherland.

Margelovy A.V. and V.V.

Zolotov Semyon Mitrofanovich, Kukushkin Alexey Vasilyevich, Kraev Vladimir Stepanovich, Gudz Pavel Danilovich, Bardeev Igor Alexandrovich, Shcherbakov Leonid Ivanovich, Orlov Georgy Alexandrovich, Borisov Mikhail Ivanovich, Kostin Boris Akimovich, Dvugroshev Yuri Ivanovich, Dragun Boris Antonovich, Volgar Vladimir Ivanovich, Shevchenko Arsentievich, Alexei Semenovich Kurteev, Nikolai Pavlovich Molchanov, Vladimir Andreevich Markelov, Alexei Petrovich Lushnikov, Boris Georgievich Zhukov, Sharip Khabeevich Minigulov, Gennady Vasilievich Ryabov, Vladimir Denisovich Paramonov, Vladimir Yakovlevich Anpilogov, Gennady Aleksandrovich Melkov, Aleksey Dyachenko Palatnikov Alexander Samoilovich, Gnilenko Valery Pavlovich, Ponizovsky Vladimir Semenovich, Ismailov Agamehti Mamed oglu (Mikhail Mikhailovich), Tamindarov Khusnutdin Shaikhutdinovich, Kostenko Yuri Petrovich, Skrynnikov Mikhail Fedorovich, whose materials and the memoirs are used in the book by those who helped in their collection, as well as by those who assisted the authors in preparing this book for publication - first of all, Igrinev Yuri Ivanovich, Dronov Sergey Vasilyevich and Zakharenkov Valery Nikolaevich. Special thanks to the grandson of Army General Margelov, reserve officer Alexander Alexandrovich, an excellent computer scientist, without whose help the book would have appeared much later.

We bow our heads before the blessed memory of Pavlenko Pavel Fedoseevich, Lisov Ivan Ivanovich, Kulishev Oleg Fedorovich, Shubin Valery Fedorovich, Davydov Ivan Nikolaevich, Doronin Vladimir Dmitrievich, Mikhalev Nikolai Sergeevich.

Their memories of Vasily Filippovich Margelov are a tribute to the outstanding military leader and parting words to the current defenders of the Fatherland.

After the publication of the book "General of the Army Margelov V.F." (Publishing house "Polygraphresursy", Moscow, 1998) many readers asked to write a book about the service of Vasily Filippovich Margelov in the Airborne Forces of the USSR - from his first steps airborne paratrooper to the Commander of the Airborne Forces.

The first written request of this kind was a letter from Igor Nikolaevich Sheptukhin from the city of Odintsovo, Moscow Region, which the authors took the liberty of reproducing in full:

“Dear Alexander Vasilyevich, hello!

I read your book "Army General Margelov". Thank you very much for it. People like your father, Vasily Filippovich, are the golden fund of our country, its pride, honor, glory! The memory of General Margelov live forever! In our difficult time, Vasily Filippovich serves as an example of a real Russian officer not only for the Airborne Forces, but also for our entire long-suffering Army. Our growing youth, who seem to have other guidelines, should also know about such people. It is on such books that you need to educate her!

Unfortunately, I did not have to link my fate with the Airborne Forces, but my dad served for 8 years, first in the 114th Vienna Airborne Forces, and then in the 103rd Vitebsk Airborne Forces. It was thanks to his stories about the Airborne Forces that the love for these troops came to me. Your book has been a real gift to me.

With your permission, I have a request for you. You should definitely write another book, where you will cover all the years of Vasily Filippovich's work in the Airborne Forces in more detail. The book "Army General Margelov" is wonderful, but there is too little about the paratrooper Margelov.

That's all I wanted to write. Again thank you very much you for your book. Accept as a sign of respect the poem about "Paratrooper No. 1", believe me, it was written with all my heart!

Goodbye, regards,

Sheptukhin Igor Nikolaevich.

Naturally, with deep gratitude from the entire Margelov family, as well as from many other people who are completely different in relation to military service, age and education, the authors cite this wonderful poem.

V.F. Margelov

In the history of the landing glorious

There are many brave commanders,

But first on the list is legendary

Vasil Filippovich Margelov!

Betrothed for a century with glory,

Having passed the path of dashing years,

He is a Patriot, Soldier, Scientist,

Paratrooper number one!

Great Son of his country,

He served as an example for the soldiers.

He carried the roads of war

Worthy of an officer's rank.

Suvorov traditions banner

He held calloused hands.

Taught soldiers - Victory is with us!

And where it is difficult - he won.

The soldiers loved the commander,

Always, everywhere noticed.

For intelligence, courage, prowess, strength

Lovingly called Batey.

"Margelovets" - there is no higher rank!

And they were proud of this title:

They went with him on a mission,

With him - in hand-to-hand converged,

Always fought bravely, deftly,

Courage is the key to success.

And Neva Dubrovka remembers

Bayonets of the Margelov Marines!

And in a difficult hour near Stalingrad

They did the right thing.

Guardsmen led not for awards,

For the Motherland dashing Margelov!

Having drunk the Dnieper water

And crossed the Dnieper rapids,

Even more courageous began to fight

With the enemy in that terrible time.

Fought in trenches and trenches

Margelovtsy for the land is holy,

Bravely drove the Germans in the neck