Suvorik

History of traitors and heroes

A year ago, I wrote about this unprecedented battle (“Your Son and Brother”, “Izvestia”, No. 138). Our command released 2500 Chechen militants from Chatea - parted, opened the way to the Argun Gorge. But the paratroopers of the 6th company of the 104th regiment did not know about this, the regiment who did not know anything gave them the task of taking four heights. They walked calmly until at an altitude of 776 they ran into the militants.

The company fought, holding height, 20 hours. Two battalions of “white angels” - Khattaba and Basayev, more than 600 people pulled up to the militants.

3000 versus 90.

Who pulled ours?

Nearby there were two companies (one - scouts), about 130 people, but the Chechens put up external guards, ours did not accept the battle, left. Helicopters arrived, for some reason without aircraft carrier, they were circled, they gave a volley blind and flew away (now they found another reason: it has become darkened). Front aviation was not involved (later referred to bad weather - a lie). The regimental artillery worked weakly, the shells barely reached.

The company was driven without preliminary air and ground intelligence.

There were many criminal oddities. Pskov, military and civilian, specialists and inhabitants are sure that the militants bought the corridor from our military leaders to retreat. (They called the amount - half a million dollars.) And at the regimental level they did not know this.

Of the 90 paratroopers of the company, 84 died.

The switchman was punished: the commander of the regiment Melentyev was transferred to Ulyanovsk by the chief of staff of the brigade. The commander of the eastern group, General Makarov, also remained on the sideline (six times asked him Melentiev to give the company the opportunity to move away, not to destroy the guys) and another general - Lentsov, who headed the operational group of the Airborne Forces.

After the publication, I thought that offended military leaders would sue Izvestia. Not served. And there was no answer to the editorial office, the General Staff and other departments were silent.

The silence of the generals is like a conspiracy against everyone. They are silent, thereby creating the conditions for future disasters.

"The company was set up"

I wrote about the possible treachery of military ranks and the heroism of the 6th company. Now I will say about miscalculations at the company level. For what? At least to avoid new victims. Unless, of course, the military leaders do not hide again and make public conclusions.

In January 2000, the 6th company, as part of the 104th regiment, was replaced by the paratroopers of Colonel Isokhonyan. The mood was carefree-forced, inspired by the example of his predecessors: under the argon they touched the gang of Gelaev, laid more than 30 people, and only two combat losses.

Lieutenant Colonel A .:

• The company was the national team, formed before leaving. Due to the lack of junior officers, people from the entire division were stuffed, and they scored from the 34th regiment, and from their 104th, but from other companies. The company commander Eremin at that time was in Chechnya. Roman Sokolov was preparing paratroopers. And in the end, the company was appointed the third commander of the company - Molodov, he is a stranger - from special forces, there is no combat experience - commanded a company of young soldiers. He was the first to die in this battle from a sniper bullet. The commander - and the first was substituted. Combat Mark Evtyukhin, who led the company to a height, was only a month in Chechnya - on a business trip. There is no combat experience - neither he nor the commander of the regiment Melentyev. At the training ground, of course, they were engaged. But how ... I think they were not ready for battle.

Events in Chechnya are already a consequence. Error on the error. Evtyukhin reported one thing, but it was really another. They climbed to height very slowly, stretched for three kilometers. As a result, two plates rose, but the third did not have time, the militants shot on the rise. Fatal error - did not dug. The battalion commander sent reconnaissance to the next height of the Korda, gave the command to the business executives to prepare dinner, but he did not give the order to dug.

• If you dug, have you fought off?

• Yes. In the mountains, every small line must be fixed - to open the trenches, organize a fire system. There were enough ammunition. Then only artillery or aviation could take them. The enemy had neither one nor the other.

... On a neighboring hill, Deputy Evtyukhin Major Alexander Zapavalalov, along with the 4th company, dug. The militants stangled, but, having met a rebuff, left. There were 15 people in the company.

When the battalion commander Yevtyukhin realized that the matter was very bad, he contacted Znalov: “Help”. Zavavalov and Evtyukhin were friends, in Pskov they lived nearby, in the same hostel. And the 6th company was his native, he previously commanded it for several years. But he had an order of command: do not leave his height.

• Nevertheless, is it true, ”I asked the lieutenant colonel,“ that they sold the road, and the 6th company was framed - for plausibility to cover the tracks? ”

• The company was set up. The betrayal was. 2500 people cannot be noticed. At this time, there is also no green.

And do not notice. They knew about the militants, it is possible - they were led. It looks like the truth that, moving at night, they gave a sign with lanterns and ours did not shoot without an order. So it was or otherwise - it does not matter.

Derevalovs

Vasily Vasilievich Dostavalov, father:

• The son was born in 1963, in Ufa, I served there. Immediately called Alexander. So that there was Alexander Vasilievich, like Suvorov. I was transferred to Kuibyshev, to Odessa, to Sevastopol - there I was already the deputy commander of the regiment. Sasha ran to me in the unit, all childhood surrounded by infantry, sappers, artillerymen. At school, he was friends with weak guys and girls - to protect. We called him Suvorik. "Dy yourself, and help out a comrade."

To the call, I went to the military registration and enlistment office. "The infantry himself, I want the son to serve in the elite troops." - "In which?" - "In the landing." Now I am visiting him - in Ryazan. The battalion commander praised: "If everyone served like that!" And I kissed my son. In 1987, he graduated from the famous Ryazan School. A shining, in lieutenant units arrived. I will never forget this day. We cried with his wife with happiness.

Then - Bender, Transnistria, battles. I'm already retired. There are no letters. It turns out that they wounded in the shoulder. For three months he was in the hospital: “Dad, until you come, I’m completely thin, then you will come.”

And then - Chechnya. I did not spend it on the first war, he left suddenly, I did not tell me so as not to worry. But where there ... I’ll tell the truth, even began to drink. There was no money. I sold the cottage, I take half of the money to Chechnya: "Sasha, buy yourself a car." - "For what? I will buy the car myself. " Returned - the Order of Courage. And I have a second stroke.

He lived in Tver with his wife and mother -in -law. January 3 calls: "Dad, sleep calmly, everything is in order." And on February 4, I’m calling my mother -in -law, congratulations on my birthday, she is to me: "And Sasha is in Chechnya." Again I did not want to worry me, and again I did not spend it.

On February 10, he took the first battle, accompanied the column, and found an ambush. Destroyed 15 militants, the column passed without loss.

And on February 29, Mark Evtyukhin asked: "Help." And Mark is a friend, and the 6th company is Sashino brainchild.

***

• Help.

One word turned out to be enough for Major Favvalov contrary to the order from above to rush with a platoon to a height of 776.

Did Zavavalov know that he was going to death? The experienced paratrooper is the third war, I realized that the battalion commander was dying and no one helped him. At night he walked along the rear of the militants, stumbled on ambushes twice, left, with the third attempt he brought a platoon to height. Without a single loss.

Minutes of happiness. The doomed people at the height decided that they were suitable for help, they were not forgotten, they were not abandoned.

The Dostalalovites burned in this fire. The major himself died one of the last.

Vasily Vasilievich Dostavalov:

• My wife called from Tver Sashin: “Sasha died! ..” I fell.

Alexander Nikolaevich Shevtsov:

• My Volodya was also in this platoon. He wrote a letter to me as an explanation of love to his commander. The castle community has never called his son and other ordinary people by last name. Only by name or name-patronymic. And he greeted only by the hand. Discipline, order. These guys would have gone to the fire and water behind Dostalov. They went.

When the son decided to go to Chechnya under a contract, I said: "You are 21 years old, adult, decide for yourself." Then it seemed that the war was by the end. He comes: "We are going in the evening." In a sports bag, ointments, cologne, iron, a shoe cream for boots were thrown into a sports bag. I say - you look at the TV, there are mud, tanks are skidding. You will walk in rubber boots. And they also bought sweets with a friend, gingerbread - half -Sumka. Sweet. Children, adult children. "Are you a machine gunner, where will you attach a machine gun?" - "I will hang around the neck." I took him to the gate of the unit, he jumped off and, not saying goodbye, ran to the unit. Like a pioneer camp. I called out, he returned, we said goodbye.

Here, in the division, a wall newspaper came out, in it a story was ambushed, and Volodya with a machine gun helped them out.

When they brought a notice: “I fell by the death of the hero ...”, my hair stood on end for two days, shook, goosebumps on the skin. I did not want to believe everything until the credits went on television.

Alexander Nikolaevich travels to the grave of his son every day, takes sweets.

Monument

Two years ago, Vladimir Putin proposed to create a monument to the 6th company.

The installation of the monument was accompanied by scandals (Izvestia was told about this on August 3, 2002). The military won. Despite the objections of the regional administration, the Pskov City Hall, relatives of the dead, they erected a monument near the checkpoint of the 104th parachute regiment in the pet: it will be educated for fighters. They considered the case to be departmental. A 20-meter structure in the form of an open parachute was erected. High under the dome - 84 autographs of the dead paratroopers copied from their personal documents. "To whom do we wear flowers, parachute, or what?" - asked the relatives of the dead.

Putin was waiting for the opening, after all his order.

***

Vasily Vasilievich Dostavalov now lives abroad. IN

Simferopol. To the festival of the Airborne Forces, they did not invite the monument to the opening of the monument, but this worried him little. There, in Pskov, the grave of his son, this is the main thing, once or twice a year he visits him. And then financial problems arose.

• Suddenly, Crimean paratroopers came to my house, they also graduated from the Ryazan School. Probably your Izvestia read. "Are you Vasily Vasilievich Dodvalov?" They sat down. We drank a little. I am talking about the opening of the monument. "Will you go?" “No guys, I can't - empty -handed.” They say: "These are not your problems." And they bring me tickets to both ends. They asked to convey to Putin: "Russian paratroopers in Crimea are ready to protect Russia."

***

All year, six fighters who survived did not come out of their heads. The last one that was left without a single cartridge, when the militants went to him with a dark wall, raised his hands: "I give up." He was hit with an butt on the head, lost consciousness. I woke up from the cold. Under the body of the murdered I found a machine gun, went around the height, did not meet the wounded. He himself told everything, honestly, as it was. I would have hid, said nothing - no one would ever know anything.

At home, he tried to commit suicide, his mother pulled out of the loop. The military prosecutor’s office conducted an investigation, crime, and there were no gross violations. The guy, like others, was awarded the Order of Courage. And completely right. But the pain did not subside: “Why didn't I die with everyone? I am to blame that I have not died. ” The guy did not come to the opening of the monument, ended up in a mental hospital. And one more did not come: also in a psychiatric hospital.

And two more have not arrived. Christ -Lubs and Komarov. I saw them in the TV show "how it was." We sat: hands on their knees, eyes on the floor. The presenter tried to squeeze out of them how the battle on the top passed, it was scary or not, what they thought about. They stupidly looked down, like zombie. They answered quietly: “Yes. No". They did not remember anything. As it turned out later, and could not remember.

They slowly climbed the top in the tail of the third platoon, which did not reach the hill. Khristolubov and mosquitoes carried a stove, a machine gun. When the shooting began, the grenade launcher jumped up, grabbed the machine gun and rushed up. And these two disappeared, appeared when everything was subsided.

Senior Officer Oleg P.:

• Khristolyubov and Komarov went down, hid in the crevice, heard a moan: "Guys, help!" This was called the senior lieutenant Vorobyov, the castle commander of the reconnaissance. Both bite, washed off. After the battle below, at the foot of the hill, they mumbled: "There, on the slope, the officer remained, still alive." When ours rose, Vorobyov was already dead. Khristolyubova and Komarov were also awarded the Order of Courage. The chief of staff of the Teplinsky regiment was against, and we, all officers, against it, but, apparently, in Moscow decided differently: the whole company is the heroes. The most amazing, Christ -loving and mosquitoes are quickly used to this role.

And two more of those who survived.

After the death of Podnavalov, the last officer, senior Lieutenant Kozhemyakin, survived. He ordered to crawl to the cliff and jump, he picked up the machine gun in his hands to cover it. Fulfilling the order, the Suponinsky and Porshnev jumped, the height of the cliff is from the five -story building.

Private Suponinsky, the only one of the survivors, was awarded the Golden Star of the hero. Airborne Forces helped him with an apartment in Tatarstan. But with the work - it did not work: wherever it comes - is not needed. (So ​​they told the press service of the Airborne Forces.) The heroes rely on the hero, vouchers, leave. I hid the star - they took it without any problems.

I found his phone, called, said that I want to come, talk, help. “No,” he refused. - And I did not hide the golden star. I’m going to the Pskov at the opening of the monument, I will travel in Moscow for two days. ” I left the mobile phone number, some other - for communication. I called him fifteen times. The phones were silent. He resolutely avoided me.

I decided to go to Pskov at the opening of the monument.

Opening

The lieutenant colonel met me on the platform and then did not leave. The person is honest, he warned: “It is not recommended to meet with the parents of the dead. Officers are instructed, they themselves will refuse to speak. ”

In anticipation of Putin, all soldiers and officers worked for a month on cleaning the military unit, the territory of the 104th regiment is now like an English park.

But Putin did not arrive. And Kasyanov did not come. The representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North-Western District and Vice Speaker of the Federation Council arrived. The head of the administration of the Pskov region, the mayor of Pskov. Of the current and former military leaders - Shpak, Podkolzin and Shamanov. They followed the regulations in the event of the arrival of the president. They spoke solemnly and treasury. There were those who did not quite understand where they went, the vice-speaker Spicked the memory of those who died "in the fleeting" (!) Battle.

Nobody performed from parents and widows. Colonel Vorobyov, who lost his son, went to the microphone, but he was considered a man from the command: "He is no longer ours." And really, there was also a report.

None of the speakers named after the dead by name.

Vasily Vasilievich Dostavalov tried to break through to the surrounded rostrum, but he blocked the road. He came up, upset, caught my breath, the heat was 30 degrees, took off his jacket. “The son made his way to the hill, but I won’t be able to go to the rostrum? ..” No, did not break through. The mighty colonels stood breasts, or rather, with their stomachs.

I was very afraid, no matter how the old man had a third stroke.

• There he is, there is Suponinsky! - My guardian lieutenant colonel pointed to the speakers. Telepatia: Suponinsky turned sharply in our direction.

After his short performance, I came up and handed the promised last year's Izvestia - there were good words about him.

• I will not talk about anything with you! - squinted unkindly, as if preparing for hand -to -hand.

• Why, I want to tell you about you. Read more.

• All! No stories, - cut off evil and walked away.

The instruction, of course, was. But the matter is not at all about it. The only Hero of the Russian of the surviving paratroopers seemed to be afraid of a conversation.

***

• Why are they so on me? - It was painful to look at Zapavalov. - For what?!

• They were afraid that you would talk about your son ...

Evtyukhin, Molodov and Vorobyov were forever enrolled in the lists of the military unit. And the surname of Alexander Zavavalov was deleted. For rushing to help out comrades. The castle comprehensive man explained to his father: "Your son left his hill, violated the order." That is, he had to sit and observe how the comrades died.

They were afraid: the living word of the father will break the pathos script.

***

Of course, it would be necessary to give the word the representative of the Public Committee “Memory of the 6th company”. The committee does not forget any of the relatives of the dead Pskov.

Gennady Maksimovich Semenkov, member of the Committee:

• The deputies of the regional assembly and I drove 14 regions of the region, visited all 22 burials, and have seen with parents and widows. They found out to whom repairs, to whom the phone, to whom is psychological rehabilitation ... Some local administrations hid the parents of the paratroopers from us: dysfunctional - they drink.

The work of the committee began with full cooperation with the command of the division. But then the committee members began to find out the details of the battle - who died like? How could all this happen? The commander of Major General Stanislav Yuryevich Semenyuta began to be annoyed: "This is not your business, these are military issues."

• Before the opening of the monument, three sleepless nights were held, they wandered to St. Petersburg to have time to print posters with photographs of paratroopers on August 2. On one poster, all 84 people. We prepared this for relatives.

Managed.

But even before the rally, Semenkov found the deposit of educational work: "The presence of the public committee is undesirable here, this is the order of the commander." Semenkov and Rear Admiral Alexei Grigorievich Krasnikov with the rolons of posters stood aside from the monument, from the rally. The castle commander of the 104th regiment approached them: "You were not invited here." Semenkov showed the newspaper with an announcement: “Here: all the townspeople are invited. At the request of relatives, we must give out posters of the heroes. ” "I am instructed to follow your group - where and what." The celebrations were already in full swing when soldiers with a mortar approached Semenkov and Krasnikov: "It was ordered to check for mines and landmines." They gutted rolls with portraits of heroes, in front of everyone began to check the flowers around the defender: what if these, deeply respectable age, people, whom, by the way, the organizers of the celebrations knew perfectly well, threw out explosives? ..

The shameful spectacle was to complete the loss of officer honor.

После митинга все двинулись на территорию полка, там, на стадионе, десантники должны были демонстрировать боевое искусство. Там Семенков и Красников должны были вручить родственникам плакаты. К ним присоединился и Доставалов. Не спеша шли по парку. Доставалову стало плохо. «Я дальше не пойду», - сказал он и прислонился к дереву.

До стадиона оставалось метров 50, когда их догнал офицер: «Вам находиться здесь запрещено! Я провожу вас до выхода». Семенков с контр-адмиралом от конвоя отказались, развернулись и ушли.

После показательных выступлений десантников был торжественный обед.

Возле памятника горько плакала бабушка погибшего десантника Дениса Зенкевича. Мать скончалась после гибели Дениса - сердечный приступ. Бабуля плакала потому, что фотография внука на плакате получилась хуже всех - большое темное пятно закрывает почти все лицо, и потому, что росписи Дениса под куполом не видит - больно высоко.

Никто - ни офицер, ни солдат - не взял ее под руку.

Герои и орденоносцы

Из 84 погибших - 18 Героев, у остальных - ордена Мужества. Кто и как разделил их посмертно на Героев и орденоносцев? Все офицеры - Герои.

Из тех, кто пришел с Доставаловым на выручку, Герои трое - сам Александр Доставалов, это понятно, командир взвода лейтенант Олег Ермаков и сержант Дмитрий Григорьев. Оставшиеся 13 человек - рядовые, ни один не Герой, хотя они пошли на гибель добровольно!

Все же мне удалось поговорить и с офицерами, и с родителями. Это было на другой день, 3 августа.

Офицер (не только имени, но и звания не назову):

• Всех офицеров предупредили - интервью никому не давать...

Рядовых наградили Золотой Звездой исходя из послужного списка: кто как показал себя в процессе службы - исполнительность, дисциплина.

• Но героизм часто проявляют люди непокладистые, неординарные.

• Я говорю, как было. Теперь о том, почему Супонинский от вас бегал. Что он был одним из последних защитников на сопке и его с Поршневым отпустил Кожемякин - ложь. Что они прыгали с обрыва высотой с пятиэтажный дом - ложь. Покажите мне этот обрыв. Я эту сопку излазил вдоль и поперек. 1 марта по свежим следам поднимался, 2-го, 3-го и 4-го, когда всех погибших уносили с высоты. Поле боя о многом говорит. Кожемякин, командир разведвзвода, - хороший рукопашник и, видно, здорово сопротивлялся. У него лицо было полностью разбито прикладами, а рядом валялись несколько зарезанных боевиков. Его, наверное, как последнего офицера, хотели взять живым.

Утром 1 марта, когда все стихло, я встретил у подножия сопки Супонинского и Поршнева. Супонинский что-то лихорадочно говорил, как они отходили, а Поршнев молчал, потупив глаза. Он еще не успел придумать свою легенду. И как это - отступали вместе, а Героем стал один? У Супонинского голень была сильно рассечена осколком, с такой раной он бы с высоты не спустился.

Не были они на высоте. Спрятались, переждали и вышли.

Вскоре у подножия появились и Христолюбов с Комаровым. Да, они тяжелораненого Воробьева бросили, это верно. У обоих стволы чистые и полный комплект патронов. Не сделали ни выстрела.

Последним вышел Тимошенко, связной комбата.

Супонинскому у нас один офицер прямо сказал: «Сними звездочку»... Их всех шестерых не надо было награждать.

...С матерями погибших я встретился в редакции газеты «Новости Пскова». Пахомова Людмила Петровна, у нее погиб сын Роман, 18 лет. Кобзева Раиса Васильевна, ее сыну Саше было 18.

Людмила Пахомова:

• Только наши сыновья под командой Доставалова и ротного Ермакова кинулись выручать 6-ю роту. No one else. 2 августа 2000 года, по свежим следам, я показала фотографию сына Супонинскому: «Саш, ты не видел моего Рому?» Он говорит: «Нет, меня в начале боя ранило и меня вынесли».

В начале боя!

Мужу начальник дал машину, и мы поехали в Ростов за сыном. Живем в Липецкой области, город Грязи. Гробов было много, все запаяны. Я сказала: мне цинк не нужен, вы сына заморозьте, мне недалеко везти. Они долго отказывались, а потом говорят: «За заморозку надо платить». Десантник из Тульской дивизии Саша Тонких, он приехал Рому сопровождать, сказал: «Вы не волнуйтесь, я сам все заплачу».

• А вам надо было убедиться, что это он?

• Что это он. И если б он остался в цинковом гробу, его бы не зашили и не помыли. Они ему глаз зашили и бедро, а руки я сама дома домывала. Саша Тонких дома и венки покупал, и все делал. И деньги мне на сопровождение отдал - 5000. Мы же не по железной дороге, а на машине. И сказал своим: «Деньги за бензин матери отдайте». Ох, какой парень хороший.

Раиса Кобзева:

• И у меня гроб открытый. А сопровождал Саша Смолин, тоже десантник, но из Наро-Фоминской дивизии. Он тоже пошел за заморозку платить, выходит: «Тетя Рая, ничего не надо, парень сказал: «Я со своих не беру»... У сына лицо изуродовано, рук нет - одной до кисти, другой - до локтя, ног нет - раздроблены. Одно тело, и то живот разорван. Это, видимо, снаряд.

Людмила Пахомова:

• Нас, родителей, 2 августа с утра, до торжеств, собрали в актовом зале Дома офицеров, чтобы мы сказали, кому какая помощь нужна. Объявили: «С родителями Героев - отдельный разговор, остальные - отсядьте в сторону». Видимо, для них - другие средства, пособия.

Мы, доставаловские, и другие из 6-й роты вышли в коридор...

А наши дети все равно герои, хоть и не Герои.

***

Это была наградная акция, в которой не должно было быть места ни одному растерявшемуся или трусу и среди оставшихся в живых тоже должен быть Герой.

Let. Не мне, штатскому, судить. В конце концов десантник Супонинский был там, где я никогда не был, и видел то, чего не увижу я. Важнее другое - чтобы не было ни одного обиженного.

***

Всю правду мы не узнаем никогда. Но офицеры полка обещали рассказать многое из того, что знают, когда уйдут в отставку. Isn't it too late? Уходят из жизни очевидцы и участники. За месяц до открытия памятника скончался от сердечного приступа бывший командир полка Мелентьев - единственный, кого наказали.

Я отправился на кладбище вместе с Доставаловым и Шевцовым. Перед этим Василий Васильевич по моей просьбе прочитал свое несостоявшееся выступление: «Уважаемые псковичи, дорогие родители... Этот памятник - каждому из наших сыновей в отдельности... Этот памятник - продолжение жизни наших сыновей... Они погибли, но вышли победителями... В жизни все проходит и уходит. Уйдем и мы, останется на земле только то, что мы смогли, успели сделать для людей. Мы с вами родили, воспитали детей и подарили их России...»

Хорошее было бы выступление, а главное - от первого лица.

О сыне - ни слова.

На кладбище Александр Николаевич Шевцов держался спокойно. Как всегда, привез на могилу конфеты.

А Доставалов встал на колени, плакал.

Они похоронены рядом - сладкоежка и Суворик.

Эд. ПОЛЯНОВСКИЙ
16 ноября 2002