Secret heroes

Closed decrees of gold stars for Nord-Ost are distributed to the authorities. What the fighters of the Alpha group wrote about (this material was first released in 2003)

This material was published in No. 16 (849) of March 3, 2003. We published it in an anniversary issue. You can buy it here

Of course, this is not the news of the week. But sometimes we will learn the news of one day in a year, sometimes - after a century, sometimes - through a millennium. What I found out, I found out last Thursday.

I remember how on that October night we talked on Dubrovka. As doctors, deputies, journalists, including from Novaya Gazeta, dragged water to people who were captured by terrorists. As together mourned those who could not be saved. In principle, it was normal work in an abnormal situation.

But there were still guys whose names we did not know, and we do not know today: those who took this storm to the world -famous house of culture. Together we laughed at how some deputies of the Moscow City Duma took honorary signs for participating in the operation to release hostages and even blushed for it. But in fact, from the special services only fighters from Alfa and Vympel, two special forces of the FSB of Russia, were worthy of awards. And suddenly ...

And what's “suddenly”, you will understand this letter ...

Letter from the fighters of the Alpha group
“The fighters of the Alpha group of the Central Department Store FSB of Russia, who participated in the Nord-Ost assault group, write to you.

Immediately after the New Year, the orders and medals of employees of the FSB special forces took part in the assault took awarding. Including five were awarded the high rank of Hero of Russia.

Of these, one fighter of the Alpha and Vympel groups received the hero of the hero - the guys in all respects well -deserved: all hot spots passed.

Who are the other three “heroes” who were added to other people's merits?

This is the first FSB deputy director General V. Pronichev - head of the hostage headquarters - and the head of the Central Administrative District, General A. Tikhonov. Moreover, it is Pronichev and Tikhonov who are responsible for the fight against terrorism in Russia.

Not only did they not suffer any punishment for the penetration of the terrorists into the center of Moscow, but also received the stars of the heroes, taking them, in fact, from more worthy guys who really risked their lives.

Fifth? Another (three of them) “hero” is a chemist who has launched gas to the theater center. A person who has become a savior and a killer for many hostages. <...>

Sincerely, fighters of the Alpha group

I began to find out: is it true or not? What, they also gave heroes to people who did not participate in liberation?

It turned out to be pure truth. President Putin himself with a closed decree awarded his former colleagues - two FSB generals - and personally handed the stars of heroes at the collegium of the FSB of Russia.

Why are the guys from Alpha and Vympel offended? It turns out that at their officer meetings in the presence of their superiors they decided to reward only those who were there in that building, in that darkness and nightmare.

But, as usual, on the darkness and nightmare, others make their own bright future.

I don’t understand what is happening with closed secret decrees about the assignment of the title of Hero of Russia. It used to be clear: illegal scouts, nuclear academics. But only recently, the heroes of the FSB Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of Rushailo, Prosecutor General Ustinov became the heroes of Russia. Should they be awarded secretly, fearing for their lives? But the generals - the same Kazantsev or Troshev - are not embarrassed to wear their stars.

Rushailo, Ustinov and Patrushev became heroes for successes in the Chechen war. How many more such heroes?

I called the Association of the Heroes of the USSR and Russia, headed by General Varennikov. I was informed of the exact numbers how many heroes were assigned for the 9-year Afghan war: 40 Army-44, KGB-6, Ministry of Internal Affairs-1, Border-7.

When we began to find out how many heroes were assigned for the Chechen war, they answered us: we do not know. "Why?" - we were surprised. We were informed that this is secret data.

And I understand why they are secret: of those who fought and fights in Chechnya, 90% were awarded posthumously.

I remember how the sad Major of counterintelligence in Chechnya, who had just lost his comrade told me: “If I’ll die and give me a hero star posthumously, maybe my family will live in an apartment.” Those who are fighting know what it is. And “secret” are “leftist heroes” who follow the backs of the heroes of the real. As happened with the Nord-Ost.

I don’t understand why our president gives out great titles not to those who do something, but to those whose support he can count on. This usually happens in African and Latin American countries during periods of military dictatorship.

And therefore I understand the insult of the guys from Alpha and Vimpel: they - what, only accompaniment for these generals?

I think that any boss was ashamed to receive awards for Nord-Ost. So they would give them to those who honestly engaged in their working military affairs.

We have a friend - Sasha Shell. The heroic guy, twice wounded, he always went to his soldiers again so that they are not alone. He has two orders of courage, twice he was represented by the title of Hero of Russia. The first time, after his first wound, he was lying in the hospital, he was asked to send a box of cognac to Moscow, and all his guys took off his little money to do it. Then they asked to transfer the money. He did not have them.

I will give only one of his ideas to the title of the hero:

“Warrant Officer Shell Alexander Viktorovich, commander of the commandant platoon of the 205th separate motorized rifle brigade, from August 13, 1999 to January 17, 2000, he carried out a government task to destroy armed gangs in the Republic of Dagestan ...

October 6 Warrant Officer Oskan A.V. He was headed by a courting detachment crossing the Terek River. The bandits prepared the bridge for the undermining. Warrant Officer Oilskin A.V., jumping off the bridge, cut off the wires with his weight and thereby saved the only bridge over the Terek River.

... November 15, 1999 ... went on the enemy’s flank and threw grenades ...

... December 31 ... January 9 ... January 17 ... seriously wounded, but continued to lead the battle ...

Conclusion: for personal courage and heroism, committed in the performance of military duty, in conditions associated with a risk to life, ensign, Sinkan Alexander Viktorovich, worthy of conferring the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

The commander of the operational group of troops "West" Colonel Stroolov S.N. "

I remember how the Hero of Russia Sergey Stroolov, the commander of Sasha, called me: “I am ashamed: I got a hero, but Sasha did not. Do something. "

I wrote letters to the Minister of Defense, the president. There were no answers. Hero of Russia, Colonel Balland, died. No one else asks me for their guys.

And if these new “secret” heroes will be given another “secret” star, then according to the not yet canceled Soviet law it is necessary to put a bust on the ground where they were born. Imagine this bust: an empty pedestal with the inscription: "General Kizhe." (“Lieutenant Kizhe” is the story of Yuri Tynyanov, named after the virtual hero who appeared as a result of the Pisar error. “The lieutenants” was written as follows: “Lieutenant Kizhe”. This hero of Russia of the XIX century made a stormy career.)

Under the text
At first they classified their awards. Then - your property. And in 2021, the FSB of Russia issued order No. 379, which forbade Russian journalists to cover 60 most important topics.