1. Twice Hero Soviet Union,
Lieutenant General of Aviation Yakov Vladimirovich Smushkevich

* * *
4. Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation Petr Ivanovich Pumpur

Since June 1934 - commander and military commissar of the 403rd fighter aviation brigade. In February 1936, he was enrolled as a student in the operational department of the Air Force Academy named after prof. N. E. Zhukovsky. From October 1936 to May 1937 he was in Republican Spain (pseudonym “Colonel Julio”). He supervised the actions of fighter pilots, making a major contribution to the air defense of Madrid. He often personally participated in air battles and shot down five enemy aircraft. For military exploits in Spain On July 4, 1937 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The nomination for this high rank noted: “...His merit is the creation and direct leadership of a fearless group of Republican fighter aviation on the Madrid front, which gained air supremacy over Madrid. During the battles, he managed to create brilliant tactics for fighting in the air, ensuring constant and unchanging success. Through personal heroism and leadership in air battles, he trained a cadre of undaunted air fighters who never conceded the battlefield to the enemy. Personally participated in most air battles. Flighted about 250 hours. He himself shot down several enemy planes. Being a generally recognized authority in the entire republican aviation, he surrounded the title of Soviet pilot with an aura of heroism and invincibility.” Upon returning from Spain, he received the extraordinary military rank of “comor commander” (he left for Spain as a brigade commander).

Since October 1937 - Commander of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District. Since November of the same year - Commander of the Air Force OK-TWO. Then for some time he was at the disposal of the head of the Red Army Air Force. From December 1938 - head of the flight test station of aircraft factory No. 1. For some time he worked as head of the Combat Training Directorate of the Red Army Air Force. During the war with Finland, he headed a group of combat training instructors. In 1940-1941 - Commander of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District. http://1937god.info/node/1108
By a resolution of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks of May 10, 1941, he was accused of inaction in organizing combat training, removed from his post and placed at the disposal of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. Lieutenant General P.I. Pumpur was arrested on May 31, 1941 “as a participant in an anti-Soviet military conspiracy, based on the testimony of Bergoltz, Rychagov, Alekseev, Ionov and confrontations with the last two; he is exposed in sabotage activities by the act of surrendering Pumpur to the Air Force of the Moscow Military District to another commander and by NKO order No. 0031 dated May 31, 1941. He testified that he was a participant in an anti-Soviet military conspiracy, recruited by Smushkevich, but refused this testimony.”
Even before the trial, on June 9, 1941, he was stripped of his military rank, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and state awards. Convicted by a Special Meeting of the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR on February 13, 1942 to capital punishment. At the trial he pleaded not guilty. Shot in the city of Saratov on March 23, 1942.
Rehabilitated by the determination of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR dated June 25, 1955. On November 17, 1965, he was restored to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the rights to awards.
* * *
5. Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation Petr Vasilievich Rychagov


From November 1936 to February 1937, he participated as a flight commander in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and shot down 6 enemy aircraft.
On December 31, 1936, for the courage and heroism shown in battles with enemies, Pavel Rychagov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (“ Golden Star"No. 86) with the presentation of the Order of Lenin.
From December 1937 - senior military adviser on the use of Soviet volunteer pilots in China during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), commander of Soviet aviation. Commander of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District (March-April 1938), Primorsky Group of Forces, OKDVA, Far Eastern Front (April-September 1938), 1st Separate Red Banner Army (September 1938-1939), commands. aviation of the 9th Army during the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940).
In 1940, at the age of 29, he was appointed to senior management positions in the Red Army Air Force.
From June 1940 - Deputy Chief of the Red Army Air Force, from July - 1st Deputy Chief of the Red Army Air Force, from August 1940 appointed Head of the Main Directorate of the Red Army Air Force.
From February to April 1941 - at the same time Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR for Aviation.

P.V. Rychagov is known for the fact that, being the deputy of the USSR NCO for aviation, at one of the meetings, in response to Stalin’s question about the reasons for the high accident rate in the Air Force, replied “... you are making us fly on coffins!”

On June 24, 1941, P.V. Rychagov was arrested. During the investigation, beatings and torture were regularly used against those arrested. The former head of the Investigation Unit of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant General Vlodzimirsky, testified during interrogation on October 8, 1953:

“In my office, measures were actually taken physical impact... to Meretskov, Rychagov, ... Loktionov. They beat the arrested people with a rubber stick, and they naturally moaned and groaned. I remember that Rychagov was severely beaten once, but he did not give any evidence despite the beating.”

The investigation dragged on and, due to the threat of the Germans approaching Moscow, many of those arrested on various cases were evacuated.
October 28, 1941 in the village of Barbysh near Kuibyshev By order of L.P. Beria, a group of arrested officers, including P.V. Rychagov, was shot without trial. Together with Rychagov, his wife, deputy commander of the special-purpose air regiment, Major Maria Nesterenko, was shot, accused of “... being Rychagov’s beloved wife, she could not help but know about her husband’s treasonous activities.” On July 23, 1954, he was completely rehabilitated.

“Turning around, Shvartsman hit Rychagov in the face with a baton. Blood sprayed. Leverages fell on the floor. On the same day he was arrested in Riga Colonel General Loktionov (who had received news of his promotion the day before) and was transported by plane to Moscow. General Loktionov was also confronted with Rychagov. The old general swore at both Rychagov and the investigators. They knocked him off the stool with a blow from a rubber truncheon and began to beat him with boots. Bloodied, he was again seated on a stool and investigator Wlodzimirski asked if he pleaded guilty to being a member of a criminal organization.
- Yes, - answered the general, wiping the blood from his face with his palm, - I admit that all my life I was a member of a criminal organization called the Bolshevik Party.” http://lib.rin.ru/doc/i/73710p3.html Read more about
* * *
6. Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of Aviation Ernst Genrikhovich Shakht

Hero of the Soviet Union (12/31/36). Awarded two Orders of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner
From September 1936 to February 1937, Schacht took part in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the republican government - first he trained Spanish pilots, and from October 1936 he commanded the 1st squadron of the newest Soviet high-speed bombers SB designed by A. N. Tupolev (in total there were three such squadrons were formed). Shakht flew several hundred combat missions in Spain on an SB bomber. The war was difficult - a group of Soviet SBs lost half of their flight personnel in Spain.
On December 31, 1936, a message was published in Soviet newspapers that eleven Soviet participants in the Spanish Civil War (officially they were called volunteers), including Shakht, were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Schacht became the first German to receive such a high award.
In submission to the title Hero of the Soviet Union Shakhty characterized as “one of our outstanding aviation commanders, leader and participant in all battles and operations carried out by high-speed bombers.”


photo from https://museum1998.livejournal.com/5801.html

In 1939, the wave of repressions in the country and the army decreased slightly, but in the first half of 1941 more than forty major military leaders were arrested.
On May 30, 1941, Ernst Schacht also found himself in the dungeons of the NKVD. For six months he endured torture and humiliation, but then he nevertheless signed the unfounded charges brought against him.
On January 29, 1942, Stalin was presented with a list with the names of forty-six arrested, “listed as belonging to the NKVD of the USSR.” The document stated that Schacht exposed as a German spy, who since 1922 has been transmitting information to the Germans about Soviet aircraft manufacturing, and also as a member of an anti-Soviet military conspiracy (since 1936).

Stalin imposed a resolution: “Everyone named on the list should be shot.”

“The army surrendered cities, but people were still tortured in Beria’s basements”

Ernst Schacht was shot on February 23, 1942 year in the city of Engels - the same one that, until September 1941, before the dispersal of the Autonomous Republic of Volga Germans and the deportation of German citizens of the USSR, was its capital. There, in Engels, in April 1942, his wife was shot as a German spy. The place of their burial has not been established.
On November 26, 1955, by the determination of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of Aviation Ernst Genrikhovich Schacht was posthumously rehabilitated“due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions.” On April 2, 1960, he was restored to rights and awards. https://ukhudshanskiy.livejournal.com/6200038.html
* * * * *
7. Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Grigory Mikhailovich Stern

From January 1937 to April 1938 - chief military adviser to the government of Republican Spain (pseudonym "Grigorovich"), highly appreciated the work of G. M. Stern in this post I. V. Stalin in his speech on June 2, 1937 at an extended meeting of the Military Council under the People's Commissar of Defense:

“...Do you know Stern? He was simply secretary to Comrade Voroshilov. I think that Stern is not much worse than Berzin (G. M. Stern’s predecessor as the chief military adviser in Spain. - Author), maybe not only worse, but better...”

From May 1938 - chief of staff of OKDVA, then of the Far Eastern Front. In August 1938 he led the military operations of troops in the area of ​​Lake Khasan. Since September 1938 - Commander of the 1st Separate Red Banner Army. During the fighting in the area of ​​the Khalkhin Gol River, he headed the front-line command and coordinated the combat operations of Soviet and Mongolian troops. The order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 0040 dated September 4, 1939 noted:

“...The Japanese were defeated and thrown beyond our borders thanks to the skillful leadership of operations against the Japanese Comrade Stern and proper leadership etc. Rychagova actions of our aviation."

In 1939 he was awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union”. In the war with Finland he commanded the 8th Army. From the memoirs of retired Major General A. N. Pervushin: “Grigory Mikhailovich was distinguished by exceptional scrupulousness in preparing the organization and directing combat operations or field exercises of troops. He repeatedly drew our attention to the fact that each operation unfolds in its own special situation. There cannot be a single template scheme even for two operations, even if based on the most brilliant historical examples. Positive and negative experiences of war and battle must be deeply studied, systematized and taken into account for its best use in conditions of sober consideration of the emerging real situation.” From June 1940 to January 1941 - commander of the Far Eastern Front. In January - June 1941. - Head of the Main Directorate of Air Defense (Air Defense) of the Red Army.
Arrested on June 7, 1941. Accused of espionage and participation in a military conspiracy. Shot without trial by order of L.P. Beria on October 28, 1941 in the village of Barbysh, Kuibyshev region. By resolution of the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office rehabilitated in 1954

Heroes without Gold Stars. Cursed and forgotten. – Konev V.N. – M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2008. – 352 p. (Series “War and Us”). Circulation 5100 copies. Add. circulation 3100 copies.

"ANTILEVSKY Bronislav Romanovich
(07.1916–29.11.1946)
Senior Lieutenant

Born in the village of Markovtsy, Ozersky district, now Dzerzhinsky district (Minsk region - Author) of the Republic of Belarus. Belarusian. Graduated from the Minsk College of National Economic Accounting with a civilian specialty - economist in 1937. In the Red Army from October 3, 1937. From November 1937 to July 1938 - cadet at the Moninsky Special Purpose Aviation School. Since July 1938 - junior commander, gunner-radio operator of the 1st squadron of the 21st airborne regiment (long-range bomber aviation regiment. - Author).

Participant in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940. Hero of the Soviet Union (04/07/1940).

Graduated from the Kachin Red Banner Military Aviation School in 1942. On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since April 1942. Fighter pilot, flight commander, deputy squadron commander of the 20th IAP 303rd IAD (fighter air division. - Author) 1st VA (Air Army - Author), then in the 203rd IAP. Lieutenant (09/17/1942). Senior Lieutenant (07/25/1943). Awarded the Order of the Red Banner (08/3/1943).

In August 1943, he was shot down over enemy territory and captured. He tarnished his name by collaborating with the enemy.

In 1946, the military tribunal of the Moscow District sentenced him to capital punishment. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union and orders were deprived by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 12, 1950.”

This is the first of 27 short “introductory” biographies of military pilots, which opens Vladimir Konev’s book “Heroes without Gold Stars. Cursed and forgotten." Each such certificate is followed by a more or less detailed essay deciphering a laconic biography. So, about the same Antilevsky it is known that, a gunner-radio operator of a long-range bomber DB-3, he was the only one from the 21st DBAP who was nominated for the highest distinction. He was awarded the Gold Star of Hero of the Soviet Union No. 304 in the Kremlin on April 28, 1940.

In the same year, Antilevsky began to retrain as a fighter pilot, and from April 1942, having received his first officer rank, he fought on the Western Front. In the summer of 1943 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Soon after this, Hero again acted bravely in air combat against 12 Nazi Fokkers (FV-190) while escorting Pe-2 bombers. Of the two enemy planes shot down, Antilevsky “stuck” one into the ground; the Pe-2 group did not lose a single aircraft. “In total, in the August battles, Antilevsky personally and in a group shot down three enemy aircraft in three days,” notes Konev.

On August 28, Antilevsky was shot down. The regiment considers him missing in action, but in fact he is in captivity and gives in detail the information he knows. “The motives that pushed the hero pilot onto the path of betrayal are still unclear,” writes the author. – One can only assume that one of his relatives was repressed. On this, as well as on the fact that for surrendering he would inevitably be shot in the Soviet Union, the former Red Army colonel V.I. Maltsev, who recruited him, apparently played into it.”

Hero of the Soviet Union Bronislav Antilevsky took the oath of the Vlasov ROA - Russian liberation army and with the rank of lieutenant he took part in military operations against partisans in the Dvinsk region. He also ferried planes from German aircraft factories to the Eastern Front and led the Ju-87 squadron on bombing missions. In 1944, General Vlasov awarded him the order and promoted him to captain.

Surprisingly, in June 1945, Antilevsky, with documents from a participant in the anti-fascist movement B. Berezovsky (a symbolic coincidence!), tried to get into the territory of the USSR. Detained by NKVD officers, he easily passed the first check. But when he did it again, they found a Gold Star in his heel. By the number they immediately found out whose it was. The fate of the traitorous hero was decided.

In 2001, Antilevsky’s case was reviewed by the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office in compliance with the Law of the Russian Federation of October 18, 1991 “On the rehabilitation of victims of political repression.” “In conclusion, it was noted that Antilevsky was convicted legally and is not subject to rehabilitation,” this is how this first biography in the book ends.

Konev delicately, without focusing on the “dirty” or “mean” sides of the fate of this or that “former Hero,” fully showed the drama of each of them. He did this on the basis of fragmentary and little-known information, as well as with the use of archival sources. While narrating, he does not condemn or justify the characters in his book.

It presents both little-known names (and even Antilevsky), as well as fairly well-known ones. For example, aviation lieutenant generals arrested in the first week of the war and shot on October 28, 1941 as enemies of the people: Ivan Proskurov, a professional pilot who in 1939–1940 headed the GRU of the Red Army; Pavel Rychagov - at a Politburo meeting on April 9, 1941, when discussing the issue of numerous military aircraft crashes, he told Stalin: “There will be a lot of accidents, because you are forcing us to fly on coffins.” On the same October day of the 41st, the pilot from God, the hero of Spain and Khalkhin Gol (Marshal G.K. Zhukov valued him very highly), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937, 1939) Lieutenant General of Aviation Yakov, was shot along with them Smushkevich, arrested a week and a half before the start of the war... However, these three were later rehabilitated. The first air marshal Alexander Novikov was also rehabilitated, whom, fortunately, Stalin’s executioners could not put to the wall; he, who slandered himself and others under torture, including Marshal G.K. Zhukov, survived.

In general, according to statistics available on the Internet resource “Heroes of the Country,” out of 12,874 Heroes of the Soviet Union (the title was awarded in 1934–1991), 86 people (all front-line soldiers) were deprived of it. Why did the author select only aviators for his book? As he explains, the pilots became the first Heroes in 1934 (rescuers of the Chelyuskinites), but they were the first to lose Gold Stars (in 1941 - the generals mentioned above). “From that time on, the practice of depriving him of this high title began,” notes Konev.

Each of the 27 stories of those who, for one reason or another, were deprived heroic title, is amazing in its own way. A participant in the legendary Victory Parade, senior lieutenant Mikhail Kossa (received the title of Hero in 1946), on September 22, 1950, having once again quarreled with his wife, having drunk heavily, put on new uniform, went to the airfield and stole a combat La-9t to Romania. Arrested, sentenced, executed┘ rehabilitated in 1966. Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Poloz (awarded the Gold Star in 1942) in 1963, in his Kyiv apartment, shot and killed the head of the personal security of the head of state N.S. Khrushchev - General Fomichev and his wife, whom he himself invited to visit (bloody everyday life). Captain Nikolai Rykhlin (became a Hero in 1943) in 1950 in Grozny, “thanks to” his Chechen wife, was sentenced to 15 years “for theft of socialist property”; in 1977, he was again imprisoned for 12 years.

The squadron commander, Hero of the Soviet Union (1944), senior lieutenant Anatoly Sinkov in Korea (his regiment was stationed there after the defeat of imperialist Japan), while drunk, threatened with a weapon, raped a 19-year-old Korean girl in front of her parents, and then robbed the apartment of a Korean citizen. ("From point of view normal person, his actions were simply inexplicable,” this is how the author of the book “Heroes Without Gold Stars” commented on Sinkov’s act in one sentence.) By the way, doesn’t this example remind you of anything? And the modern Colonel Yuri Budanov, demoted to the rank and file (a holder of two Orders of Courage, deprived of them), who, according to the investigation, while drunk, raped (at first he was charged with this, but then the court did not recognize it), and then strangled 18-year-old Chechen Elsa Kungaeva ?..

The main benefit of this book is that it involuntarily forces you to ask a number of serious questions. If with people like Antilevsky, as they say, “everything is clear,” then with the wounded aces-Heroes who were captured (there are several essays about such people), not everything is “clear.” They refused to cooperate with the Nazis, went through concentration camps, but did not become traitors. Thus, Konev notes, “the hero pilots behaved with dignity in captivity: V.D. Lavrinenkov, A.N. Karasev and others. Heroes of the Soviet Union, ADD (long-range aviation) pilot V.E. Sitnov and attack pilot N.V. Pysin, even in the harshest conditions of captivity, managed to preserve the Golden Stars.”

Thus, Nikolai Pysin, whose plane crashed near Liepaja in February 1945, before being captured, managed to tear the Golden Star from his tunic and put it in his mouth, and then hid it so that the Gestapo could not find it; While in concentration camps for two months, according to the website “Heroes of the Country,” he kept his award in his mouth almost the entire time. With her he made a successful escape from captivity. Sitnov, shot down by an anti-aircraft shell in June 1943, went through several concentration camps, including such an ominous one as Buchenwald (here the Soviet pilot was one of the organizers of the armed uprising), hid the Hero’s Star from the enemy for a year and a half. He died in December 1945 at the hands of a Polish nationalist; buried in Brest. The Golden Star of Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Vlasov also returned to his homeland from captivity, which he handed over to General M.F. Lukin, who was there in captivity, before his next escape from the concentration camp. The fighter pilot himself, betrayed by the traitor as one of the organizers of the impending uprising, was burned alive by the Nazis after cruel torture in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria.

Other captured Heroes later, in the second half of the 1940s, already released and continuing to serve in aviation or working in civilian industries, were arrested and convicted, deprived of their Stars. Some of them were even shot. The author of the book himself reasonably asks: “How justified was the practice of depriving the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, which has always been additional measure punishment?

We have all heard or know about the existence of the highest award in the Soviet Union, the title “Hero of the Soviet Union,” which was given for performing a real feat, but not everyone knows that among the heroes there were also those who lost this high title. If you want to know why you could lose this high title, then read this article.

A total of 74 heroes were stripped of the highest rank in the country. Among them there are marshals, generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, captains and lieutenants. Many of them are sergeants and privates: hard workers on the front line - “war workers.” Each of them has their own fate at the front and their own in peaceful life.

And if you look at this list more carefully, perhaps, with enough full analysis, then you can see a completely different picture than in official sources - a picture of human indifference to heroes and extreme demands for a high rank instead of extreme care and attention. Let's try.

It is in vain that statistics is called a “dry” science, because with its numbers it brings to life not only history, but also people. Let us not repeat the words of the “leader of the peoples” that the death of one is a tragedy, and the death of thousands is a statistic. It is these statistics that will allow us to figure out what happened to those who walked forward, despite the fact that “there are four steps to death.”

Let's start with the simplest one. The title of Hero was deprived of 14 privates, 24 sergeants and sergeants, 18 lieutenants and senior lieutenants, 4 captains, 5 majors, one commander partisan detachment, three lieutenant colonels, two colonels, two generals and one marshal.

In the first place, of course, are the “queen of the fields” and the “god of war, i.e. representatives of the infantry and artillery, because the number of dispossessed among them is the largest - 47 people. But the second position is occupied by front-line scouts, dashing and brave guys who crossed the front lines more than a dozen times. There are 15 of them. It was Sharapov and Levchenko who were representatives of this glorious team. The pilots came third - 10, and one representative each went to the partisans and the Navy.

And now, after statistics of numbers, I would like to give statistics of “qualitative indicators”, i.e. who and for what.

Treason to the Motherland was considered the most terrible crime during the war. And there were 4 people who were deprived of the title of Hero. These are the pilots Antilevsky and Bychkov, who, having been captured, voluntarily joined Vlasov’s army. Accordingly, after the war both were shot. Only other examples, the same pilot Antonov, tell a different story - and in captivity they remained Heroes.

Another traitor to the Motherland is KGB Colonel Kulak, who was stripped of his rank after his death in 1990 for being an American spy for 15 years. He is still called the “second Penkovsky.”

The fourth is Korovin, who received this title during the Soviet-Finnish war. But only in 1949 was he deprived of it for treason to the Motherland while in captivity, although he escaped from captivity and fought bravely from 1942. But they “got off” with only 7 years in the camps, which allows us to doubt the correctness of the thesis about treason.

Another type of crime of the gravest level was service in police teams and auxiliary units of the enemy. Six Heroes were convicted for this type of crime - Vanin, Kazakov, Litvinenko, Mesnyankin, Dobrobabin and Kilyushek. Regarding the first three, it is worth noting that they hid their service in the police, which was rightly punished. It is worth special mention about Litvinenko, because he did not hide his service in the police, and twice went through the purgatory of the penal battalion. But, after graduating from the infantry school and receiving the rank of lieutenant, he was reminded of everything again... Dobrobabin was one of the 28 Panfilov men, but did not die, as it turned out, and after being captured he served in the police. He was convicted legally, although there are versions that the decision to send him to the camps was made after he called the feat of himself and his fellow soldiers “an invention of the commissars.”

And the last of this list is Ivan Kilyushek, the only Hero who served with Bandera. He got into the gang under duress when he arrived on vacation in his native village in the Rivne region and, under the threat of shooting his parents and wife with their young daughter, went into the forest. After the war, he was sentenced to 10 years, went through the “Kolyma resorts” and was forever reunited with his family in the Irkutsk region.

In 2009, when opening a UPA bunker in the village of Gorkaya Polonka, Lutsk district, Volyn region, the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union was discovered under No. 4142. It belonged to Ivan Sergeevich Kilyushek, but he never found out about it.

When Viktor Yushchenko was handing out the title of Hero of Ukraine, I had a desire to write to him, why did you “dear man” forget about Kilyushek, but I realized that he doesn’t really need history.

The next type of trial was responsibility for escaping to the West, as previously said. The first and obvious one was Major Antonov, commander of an artillery regiment, who in May 1949 fled from the Soviet to the American zone of occupation of Austria along with his mistress, because he was expecting to be sent to the Union for committing an administrative offense. Convicted in absentia.

But the second defector was former tanker Grabsky, who in 1982 officially emigrated to the United States to join his sister. The country's leadership regarded his departure as a betrayal, so for treason against his Motherland he was deprived of the title of Hero and all awards. It is difficult for young people to understand this, but then Yuri Andropov ruled.

The official data lists another “defector” - captain 3rd rank Malyshev, who in 1944, after accepting the submarine, allegedly remained in England. But this is not true at all.

The submariner hero did not run away, he returned with his crew to his home base, but he just couldn’t resist the “bitter water”, he was fired and, while drinking, killed his son, who was preventing him from living with his new ... third wife, for which he was sentenced received and lost his title.

In the previous criminal codes of the times of Stalin and Khrushchev, there was responsibility for the loss of political vigilance, which entailed a threat to the interests of the Motherland. Two people were punished for such a crime - two military leaders. These are Marshal of the Missile Forces and Artillery Varentsov and Army General Serov. The reason for such severity is the betrayal of their subordinate and family friend, who was the notorious spy Oleg Penkovsky. And instead of the deprived “Gold Star”, one major general’s star shone on the shoulder straps of the former commanders. This is what Khrushchev ordered.

Military legislation has an article for criminal liability for crimes against civilians. The commander of the Belarusian army was convicted under this article. partisan brigade“Assault” Boris Lunin for numerous and causeless killings of Soviet civilians. Only he was deprived of this title after Stalin’s death, since all complaints against the suspect in these crimes were attributed to the harsh realities of partisan warfare.

Another Hero’s surname is associated with a case for which it is impossible to find an article in the modern criminal code. We are talking about Kiev resident Nikolai Magdik, who received this title during the Soviet-Finnish war. And he was deprived of it in May 1940 for criticizing the Soviet military leadership.

We examined those types of crimes committed by Heroes that cannot be called criminal in nature, since the level of their commission is on the verge - from treason to the murder of civilians in war time. In total, these crimes were committed by 15 Heroes (not counting Malyshev, since information about his escape was not confirmed), including 9 officers and five privates who served in police teams or in the UPA. But what about the other types of offenses for which Heroes were deprived of their high ranks? After all, there are 59 cases and what happened. Now let's look at this direction.

The most serious criminal offense was murder, both with and without aggravating circumstances. After the war, the murders were committed by former and current officers Gladilin, Zolin, Ivanov Valentin, Kudryashev, Kukushkin, Lelyakin, Malyshev (as already mentioned) Osipenko, Poloz, Solomakhin, Stanev, Tyakhe and the “war workers” Golubitsky, Ivashkin, Kulba, Kutsym, Panferov, Pasiukov, Yashin and Chernogubov. There are only 20 cases and not a single one was committed due to negligence - either in a drunken stupor, or in a state of passion. For example, Gladilin and Tyakhe killed their wives and their lovers, caught in the moment of... “sexual immorality,” to say the least. And the “hot Estonian guy” Eduard Tähe actually served in the police at that time and, coming on New Year’s Day 1951 after the capture of a gang of “forest brothers,” he saw this and without hesitation pulled the trigger twice. Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Osipenko killed two drinking companions on May 9, 1965, on Victory Day, because they called him “a fake Stalinist falcon.”

Fighter pilot Zolin killed a girl pioneer leader because she refused intimacy Hero, and the young officer Solomakhin celebrated his award in such a way that he shot a five-year-old girl. The fighter Kukushkin shot and killed a senior officer during a drunken argument over the right to possess a girl. All other crimes are similar in nature and essence - drunkenness, fight, murder. And all of them were completed in the dock, except for one case, which is worth mentioning in particular.

The name of the pilot Peter Poloz became known during the battles at Khalkhin Gol, where he won his first victory.

From the first days of the Great Patriotic War he participated in the defense of Odessa, Sevastopol, and the Caucasus. On February 10, 1942, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but due to a serious injury he was transferred to the Moscow Military District, where he served as an inspector pilot. In the same regiment, Khrushchev’s son from his first marriage, Leonid, with whom he developed an a good relationship. After the end of the war, Poloz continued to serve in Moscow, and in 1947, the reserve lieutenant colonel moved to live in Kyiv, which Nikita Sergeevich himself contributed to.

But on April 17, 1963, on Khrushchev’s birthday, a tragedy occurred. The Fomichev couple came to visit the hero, and the husband was a KGB officer and served in Nikita Sergeevich’s personal security. Their arrival in Kyiv was not accidental, since “Nikita himself” sent the officer to visit his mother’s grave (Khrushchev’s mother died in 1945 in Kyiv, where she was buried), and at the same time to visit a front-line friend dead son, which Poloz was. What happened that evening at the apartment of the combat pilot and what the true motives and reasons for what he did remained a secret of history. But according to one version, Pyotr Poloz got into an argument with the family of the security officer about the “voluntarism” of the Soviet leader, and then, based on hostile relations, killed both of them. On May 16, 1963, after a quick and closed trial, Hero was sentenced to capital punishment and on the same day he was shot, which was reported to Khrushchev. Already posthumously he was deprived of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and all awards. This was the only case of execution of a Hero who had not stained himself with treason or betrayal.

After 1947, the most dangerous crime against society, according to the relevant resolution, was violence against women - rape, the number of which began to increase catastrophically after the demobilization of the “starved heroes”. Alas, the Heroes of the Union did not escape the stigma of rapists. Among their total number of 6 people there is not a single private - all are officers. This is Captain Vorobyov, the hero of the defense of Sevastopol, whose rank was restored quite recently; Colonel Lev, regiment commander; Major Severilov; Colonel Shilkov; Lieutenant Loktionov and Captain Sinkov. Regarding the last two, it should be noted that Loktionov was convicted of rape German girl while serving in Germany, and Sinkov - Korean, when his squadron was based in North Korea. This is another example of how rapists were dealt with, both in their homeland and in the occupation zones. An example of this is the Shilkov case.

Since 1940, he has conquered the sky above the sea waves. At first he flew in the skies of the Black Sea, and from 1943 - in the Baltic. On July 22, 1944, he was awarded a high rank for 32 air battles and 15 downed enemy aircraft. With the end of the war he continued to serve in the navy. Squadron commander, deputy regiment commander in the Northern Fleet. He was one of the first to master new jet fighters, successfully graduated from the aviation department of the Naval Academy, and served on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force. But at the age of 45, the promising colonel was unexpectedly transferred to the reserve “at his own request.” The reason turned out to be terrible - the rape of a girl he liked... The Military Tribunal of the Black Sea Fleet sentenced him to imprisonment for 7 years, and by Decree of the Presidium he was deprived of the title of Hero. He was released early in October 1961, lived in the city of Saki, where he died on April 9, 1972. As can be seen from the above example, the scale of this type of crime was so widespread that the relevant authorities did not spare anyone.

The cup of responsibility for the robberies, robberies and thefts of yesterday's Heroes has not passed. There are seven known cases of criminal liability for these crimes by yesterday's Heroes Grigin, Medvedev, Pilosyan, Sidorenko, Skidin, Shtoda and Yusupov. And Grigin and Pilosyan even became kind of anti-heroes, because Grigin has 9 walkers behind him, and Pilosyan has 5, and the total period of their stay in “places not so distant” is 39 years between them...

No less common types of liability among Heroes was malicious hooliganism. 16 names and only one officer - captain Anatoly Motsny. All other sentences fall on privates and sergeants Artamonov, Bannykh, Grichuk, Dunaev, Ivanov Sergei, Konkov, Kuznetsov, Loginov, Mironenko, Morozov, Posteluk, Chebotkov, Chernoryuk, Chizhikov, Chirkov, Shapovalov. The main reason is drunken fights, stabbings, and resistance to police officers. The front-line heroes could not find themselves in peaceful life. Many of them came as physically disabled, mentally disabled, but there was no one around who could stop them or take them away from a drunken company, where the Hero was always welcome...

Stabbing, beatings, violence, killing innocent people with weapons, and even the one with which you killed the enemy, all this is terrible and cannot be explained. But what is even more terrible and disgusting is that among the heroes there were those who went on to steal state property, which was no longer left after the war. The “Lucky Seven” identified the Heroes who sat in the dock. Alexandrov, Anikovich, Arsenyev, Gitman, Ignatiev, Lynnik, Rykhlin. And what kind of people were they in their previous life? Aleksandrov’s two pistols were stolen from a warehouse (nowadays they steal tanks, and nothing); Anikovich became a loader and stole a box of vodka and five kilograms of sausage; Arsenyev, already being a division commander and a major general, together with the chief of logistics, stole cars; Gitman got a job as a storekeeper and did not save property for 6 years in prison; Ignatiev worked as a district security inspector and stole money from soldiers’ widows; Lynnik, the hero of the landing on Liinakhamari and Petsamo, about whom Valentin Pikul wanted to write a book, stole so much in Rostov that he received 15 years; Rykhlin, who shot down three fighters in one battle, and even on an Il-2, while working as an inspector of the State Bank, stole half a million...

Only one case does not fit into this mournful and sad list - the conviction of the reconnaissance company sergeant major Bikasov for refusing to carry out the illegal order of the regiment commander. What kind of order it is is unknown, and although he was deprived of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the other awards were not.

Thus, the fates of those who, having shown heroism during the war years, ceased to be so in peaceful life, are more or less known. True, a number of historians supplement this list with those Heroes who were shot for misdeeds and crimes before and during the Great Patriotic War. And they name the names of Marshal Kulik, Army General Pavlov, Colonel Generals Stern and Gordov, Lieutenant Generals Smushkevich, Proskurov, Ptukhin, Pumpur and Rychagov, as well as Major Generals Shakht, Chernykh and Petrov. But there is no confirmation that they were deprived of this title by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR...

On the eve of memorable events in our history, I would like to note that many documents of this kind have been preserved in archival documents, testifying to drunken sprees and inappropriate antics of the Heroes of the Soviet Union, their moral degradation and criminal offenses committed. Many liberator soldiers were convicted by tribunals for committing crimes against foreign citizens in the countries where our units were stationed after the victory. These were mainly robberies, rapes and assaults. There were also Heroes among them, who have already been mentioned. This was not mentioned earlier, although it was clearly stated: A hero is not a hero, but must obey the laws. And apparently this is correct, especially today, when in our sick society the attitude towards different layers is very specific - if you are a “major”, then you are a “hero”. But, as history shows, everyone must pay equally for their misdeeds, whether you are a Hero or not.

©Bortakovsky T.V., 2012
©Veche Publishing House LLC, 2012

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet or corporate networks, for private or public use without the written permission of the copyright owner.

©The electronic version of the book was prepared by liters company ()

state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic feat, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
2. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded exclusively by resolution of the Central Executive Committee USSR.
3. Heroes of the Soviet Union are given a special certificate..."
For the first time, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded by a resolution of the USSR Central Executive Committee dated April 20, 1934 to seven pilots for saving the polar expedition and the crew of the icebreaker “Chelyuskin” (M.V. Vodopyanov, I.V. Doronin, N.P. Kamanin, S.A. Levanevsky, A.V. Lyapidevsky, V.S. Molokov and M.T.
By decree of the USSR Central Executive Committee of July 29, 1936, the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were first established. It introduced the procedure for awarding Heroes of the Soviet Union, in addition to the CEC diploma, also the Order of Lenin, the highest award of the USSR. The Order of Lenin was retroactively awarded to 11 Heroes who were awarded this title before the decree was issued.
November 2, 1938 for a non-stop flight from Moscow to Far East on the twin-engine ANT-37 “Motherland” aircraft and the courage and heroism shown by pilots V. S. Grizodubova, captain P. D. Osipenko and senior lieutenant M. M. Raskova were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin. V. S. Grizodubova became the first woman to be awarded such a high title.
By the summer of 1939, there were already 122 Heroes of the Soviet Union in the USSR (two of them - pilots S. A. Levanevsky and V. P. Chkalov - had died by that time, and 19 titles were awarded posthumously). The emerging need to distinguish this category of citizens from other segments of the population was resolved by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On additional insignia for Heroes of the Soviet Union”, issued on August 1, 1939: “...For the purpose of special distinction of citizens awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and performing new heroic feats: 1. Establish the “Gold Star” medal, shaped like a five-pointed star... The medal is awarded simultaneously with the awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the presentation of the Order of Lenin.” Article 3 of the Decree introduced a major change to the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union of 1936, according to which the title of Hero of the Soviet Union could be awarded only once: “A Hero of the Soviet Union who committed a secondary heroic feat ... was awarded the second medal “Hero of the Soviet Union”, and... a bronze bust is being built in the Hero’s homeland.” The presentation of the second Order of Lenin upon re-awarding was not envisaged.
On August 29, 1939, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, pilots Major S. I. Gritsevets and Colonel G. P. Kravchenko were the first for the exemplary performance of combat missions and outstanding heroism shown in battles with Japanese invaders on the Khalkhin Gol River on the territory of the Mongolian Republic. awarded the second title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
From the end of autumn 1939, the issuance of Gold Star medals began in the order in which titles were awarded, starting with the very first award. In this case, the number of the medal corresponded to the number of the CEC certificate. The Gold Star medal No. 1 was awarded to Hero of the Soviet Union A.V. Lyapidevsky.
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were 626 Heroes of the Soviet Union in the country. Five were awarded this title twice: military pilots S. I. Gritsevets (died on September 16, 1939), S. P. Denisov, G. P. Kravchenko, Ya. V. Smushkevich (arrested, was under investigation) and polar explorer I. D. Papanin.
The greatest number of times the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded during the Great Patriotic War - 11,739 (of which 3,051 were posthumous).
On May 8, 1965, on the eve of Victory Day, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by its Decree, approved the Regulations on the highest degree of distinction - the title of “Hero City” with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. This honorary title was awarded to: Volgograd (Stalingrad), Kyiv, Leningrad, Moscow, Odessa, Sevastopol. The Brest Fortress was awarded the title of “hero-fortress”. Later, the number of hero cities was increased to 12. They successively became: Kerch (09/14/1973), Novorossiysk (09/14/1973), Minsk (06/26/1974), Tula (12/07/1976), Murmansk (05/06/1985), Smolensk (05/06/1985).
Last time the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded on December 24, 1991, for participation in a diving experiment simulating long-term work at a depth of 500 meters under water, junior researcher- diving specialist, captain 3rd rank L. M. Solodkov.
In total, during the existence of the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 12,862 people (of which 3,266 were posthumous). 154 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union twice (9 posthumously). Three people were awarded three Gold Star medals:
Marshal of the Soviet Union Budyonny S. M. (02/01/1958, 04/24/1963, 02/22/1968);
Colonel General of Aviation Kozhedub I.N. (02/04/1944, 08/19/1944, 08/18/1945);
Air Marshal Pokryshkin A.I. (05/24/1943, 08/24/1943, 08/19/1944).
Two people were awarded four Gold Star medals:
Marshal of the Soviet Union G. K. Zhukov (08/29/1939, 07/29/1944, 06/01/1945, 12/01/1956) and
Marshal of the Soviet Union Brezhnev L.I. (12/18/1966, 12/18/1976, 12/19/1978, 12/18/1981).
The total number of Heroes of the Soviet Union is 95 women, among them pilot-cosmonaut S. E. Savitskaya, who was awarded this title twice.
44 citizens of foreign countries were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including the only foreign woman A.T. Kzhivon, a private submachine gunner of the division named after. T. Kosciuszko of the Polish Army, awarded this title posthumously on November 11, 1943.
People who were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were showered with national glory, honor and love. Their portraits were published in newspapers, and their names became known throughout the country. But not everyone could bear such a burden of fame. Over 100 people in different time and by various reasons were stripped of their honorary title. Many of their number were subsequently restored to the rank of Hero. Error! Invalid hyperlink object. in connection with an unfounded nomination for an award. Currently, 73 people are deprived of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for one reason or another (the vast majority for crimes).
The book brought to your attention traces the fate of those Heroes of the Soviet Union who were exalted by power and raised to unprecedented heights, and then were deprived by it of the most important and precious thing - life.
Various reasons lay behind the execution of one or another Hero of the Soviet Union. The majority were subjected to illegal repression. Shortly before the start of the Great Patriotic War, another large group senior officers. Among them were several awarded the title of Hero. The NKVD workers began to refer to the fabricated case among themselves as a “conspiracy of Heroes.” But the war prevented the new high-profile process. Few people are lucky enough to be released. Most were shot without trial between October 1941 and March 1942. Among them were 7 Heroes of the Soviet Union (twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation Y.V. Smushkevich; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation I.I. Proskurov; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation E.S. Ptukhin; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation P. I. Pumpur; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation P. V. Rychagov; Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of Aviation E. G. Shakht; Colonel G. M. Stern).
For failures in the first months of the Great Patriotic War, 2 Heroes of the Soviet Union were arrested and shot - Army General D. G. Pavlov and Aviation Major General S. A. Chernykh.
Repressions among army command personnel continued in post-war period, until the death of I.V. Stalin. At this time, 3 Heroes of the Soviet Union were shot (guard Colonel General V.N. Gordov, pilot, Major M.I. Kossa and Major General (former Marshal of the Soviet Union) G.I. Kulik).
All of the above 12 executed Heroes of the Soviet Union were found innocent due to the lack of corpus delicti in their actions and were rehabilitated in the period from 1956 to 1966.
But among the executed Heroes of the Soviet Union there were also those who, by their deeds and actions, actually deserved a bullet in the back of the head. Standing apart among them is the figure of the pilot, Guard Lieutenant Colonel P.V. Poloz, who killed two people in a state of passion in a domestic quarrel.
Another category of executed Heroes is represented by pilots who took the path of treason and went over to the enemy’s side during the Great Patriotic War: senior lieutenant B. R. Antilevsky and captain S. T. Bychkov. In the post-war period, their cases were also subject to revision more than once, but even after many years they were never rehabilitated for their actions.

Part one. "Conspiracy of Heroes"

Hero of the Soviet Union, Aviation Lieutenant General Ivan Iosifovich Proskurov
18.02.1907-28.10.1941

Ivan Iosifovich Proskurov was born on February 18, 1907 into a Ukrainian family in the village of Malaya Tolmachka, Zaporozhye region. His father worked as a maintenance worker at railway, but in 1914 he and his household moved to the village of Verkhnyaya Khortitsa. Having made friends with the children of the German colonists who lived nearby, Ivan easily and quickly mastered conversational German. In an effort to give his son a decent education, his father sent him in 1914 to study at the Aleksandrovskoye (Zaporozhye) Railway School. But I soon had to leave my studies, the reason for this was the outbreak of Civil War.
Ivan Proskurov began working early - from the age of 11 he helped his parents in the household, and at the age of 15 he hired himself as a farm laborer for the German colonists in the village of Khortitsa. In August 1924, he got a job as an assistant cupola worker in the foundry of the F. Engels plant in Zaporozhye. Back in 1923, Ivan Proskurov became a Komsomol member, and therefore find mutual language He had no difficulty with the youth of the enterprise. Along with his professional skills, his authority among the plant workers as a fighter for their social rights quickly grew. In 1926, Ivan Proskurov was elected chairman of the regional secretariat of trade unions in the villages of Khortitsa and Tokmakovka. He worked in this position for two years.
In October 1927, I. Proskurov was accepted into the ranks communist party. To improve his educational level, he is sent to study at the workers' faculty (working faculty) of the Agricultural Institute in Kharkov. After graduating in May 1930, Proskurov became a student at the Kharkov Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture.
In April 1931, Ivan Proskurov was drafted into the Red Army. At this time, the cry thundered across the country: “Komsomolets, get on the plane!” Proskurov himself later recalled: “I was even afraid of flying, but I was called to the district Komsomol committee and there they encouraged me to go to flight school". So, on a Komsomol ticket, he became a cadet at the 7th Stalingrad Military Pilot School. The years of study flew by quickly. And in December 1933, Ivan Proskurov became an instructor pilot in the 2nd light bomber squadron in the 23rd aviation brigade of the Moscow Military District, stationed in Monino. In March - May 1934, he completed the courses for ship commanders at the Military School of Naval Pilots and Letnabs in Yeisk. After which he becomes the crew commander of the TB-3 heavy bomber.
In 1934, it was Proskurov’s crew who were tasked with testing a modified TB-3 aircraft intended for the transport of airborne troops. Determination, courage and excellent organizational skills were quickly noticed by the command. In December 1934, Ivan Proskurov became commander of the aviation detachment. Without stopping there, he continues to improve his flying qualities, gaining more and more authority among his colleagues. Everyone knew: if Proskurov takes on a task, there is no need to worry about its outcome, everything will be done accurately and on time. Therefore, when in the fall of 1935 the command of the unit was faced with the question of who to entrust with a responsible task, the choice without hesitation fell on I. Proskurov.
In October 1935, the International Aviation Meeting was held in the capital of Romania, Bucharest. On it, the crew under the command of Proskurov took 1st place in the climb competition. This was a great achievement for all Soviet aviation in the international arena. On May 25, 1936, for success in combat, political and technical training, senior lieutenant I. I. Proskurov was awarded the Order of the Red Star.
On July 20-22, 1936, the ANT-25 aircraft under the command of Valery Chkalov made a record non-stop flight Moscow - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Udd Island (now Chkalov Island). The whole country watched the flight with interest and concern. In 56 hours and 20 minutes, Chkalov’s crew flew 9,347 kilometers. On July 22, 1936, the plane was damaged while landing on Udd Island. It was necessary to urgently deliver a group of aviation specialists and spare parts from Moscow to repair it. People's Commissar of Defense Marshal K.E. Voroshilov ordered the operation to be carried out within three days.
The responsible task was entrusted to the detachment commander of the 89th Heavy Bomber Squadron, Senior Lieutenant I. I. Proskurov. The crew included only proven pilots, true masters of their craft. Gavriil Mikhailovich Prokofiev was appointed navigator.
Almost the entire flight took place in difficult conditions. We had to fly to Omsk in a continuous shroud of thick smoke from forest fires. After Omsk there was low cloudiness, the attempt to break through to clear skies had to be abandoned at an altitude of four thousand meters, because thin air began to have a bad effect on the passengers. Outside Krasnoyarsk, the plane was caught in heavy rain and thunderstorms. In the Lake Baikal area the weather has gotten really bad. The four-engine heavy bomber TB-3 was thrown around like a toy. Due to the air bump, the cargo inside the plane moved dangerously. The mechanics of the repair crew rushed to secure their mooring. Both pilots of the plane could barely control the plane. And over the eastern coast of Lake Baikal the weather was excellent. Thanks to the skill of the pilots and navigator, most of the route was covered in almost 24 hours.
After a short rest, the flight continued. In Khabarovsk, the flight participants were met by Marshal V.K. Blucher. Thanking and hugging each of the overgrown, exhausted, but happy pilots, he said: “Eagles! Well, real eagles!”
On August 19, 1936, People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR K.E. Voroshilov issued order No. 0124, which stated: “For exemplary work in preparing the ship for the flight in a short time (one day) and excellent performance of the flight itself from Monino to Khabarovsk... distance 6860 km overcome in 29 hours 47 minutes of flight time, a day earlier than the deadline I had appointed, without any incidents along the way... I express my gratitude to the entire crew and award senior lieutenant Comrade I. I. Proskurov with a personalized gold watch.”
Proskurov and Prokofiev returned to their place of deployment by train. Upon arrival, they were given vouchers to sanatorium near Moscow"Arkhangelskoye" On vacation, they learn from the newspapers about the outbreak of a fascist rebellion in Spain. Volunteers began to arrive from many countries to help the Spanish people. Proskurov and Prokofiev submit a report with a request to be sent to Spain. In order not to waste time, read all the available literature about Spain and study the Spanish language.
Having received permission and documents, Proskurov and Prokofiev, under the guise of representatives of the Moscow automobile plant, arrived in France to study work experience at Renault. After staying in Paris for three days, they illegally crossed the Franco-Spanish border. Ivan Proskurov had documents with him in the name of the Czech Soldier. Under this name, in September 1936, a new brave and courageous pilot appeared in the Republican Air Force.
The Republican Air Force was armed with obsolete types of aircraft: Breguet-19, Nieuport, Potez-54. Nazi Germany supplied General Franco with modern Heinkel and Junkers vehicles. The Italian fascists supplied Fiat, Savoy and Caproni aircraft. It was difficult to compete with such modern technology.
In mid-October 1936, the formation of the 1st International Bomber Squadron “Spain” took place at the airfield in Albacete. There were 3 detachments in it. Two of them had three Potez-54 bombers, and the third had three Breguet-19s and several civil aircraft of different brands. The Belgian Berner, the Frenchman Bourget, the Italian Primo Gibelli, and the Bulgarian Volkan Goranov fought bravely in the squadron.
Ivan Proskurov was assigned to the squadron as the crew commander of the Potez-54 bomber. It was an outdated French-made twin-engine vehicle. Her place should have been in a museum rather than in a battle formation. Soviet pilots they jokingly called it a “prosthesis.” But there was nothing to choose from.
Ivan Proskurov quickly mastered the aircraft placed at his disposal. There was no need to count on its flight performance. The plane had a very low speed. With a full bomb load, it developed no more than 270 kilometers per hour. Unlike the SB, it could not escape enemy fighters, and its own weapons, as a rule, did not allow the Potez to defend itself on its own. Realizing this, Proskurov learned to skillfully maneuver the plane. He managed to bomb enemy targets and evade attacks from fascist fighters.
From the very first days of its formation, the “Spain” squadron took part in hostilities. On October 15, 1936, General Franco's rebels launched an attack on Madrid. The international squadron carried out bombing attacks on Nazi units. Having returned from one combat mission, the pilots received something new. To inflict more damage on the enemy, along with four 100-kilogram external bombs, 50 small fragmentation and incendiary bombs were taken onto the plane, which were dropped manually, as during the First World War.
On October 30, 1936, the 1st International Bomber Squadron was tasked with striking a concentration of rebel troops and equipment in Navalcarnero, 30 kilometers southwest of Madrid. On the way back, the pilots had to carry out aerial reconnaissance of the roads running from Toledo north to the front, turning Special attention on settlements Grignon, Cubas, Illescas.
This area was intensively patrolled by enemy fighters, so the decision was made to fly out on a mission at night, an hour before dawn. The strike was supposed to be carried out by 6 aircraft. However, at the start it turned out that the engines of 3 cars were disabled by supporters of the rebels. As a result, the crews of the Spaniard Major Sapillo and the Soviet volunteer pilots senior lieutenants Goranov and Proskurov took off with a great delay.
Due to lack of agreement and darkness, the group in the air could not gather together for a long time. They flew in circles until it was dawn. During the flight, the lead Major Sapillo changed the route. Instead of going around Madrid from the north, as indicated in the mission, he led the group south of Madrid. As a result, Republican planes flew almost 60 kilometers over rebel territory, parallel to the front line. As it turned out later, Sapillo did this with the treacherous purpose of giving the Nazis the opportunity to call fighters.
The pilots were well aware of the risks they were taking - dawn had already arrived, and a meeting with the enemy in the air was inevitable. And so it happened. On the way to the target, the group was attacked by five Franco Heinkel-51 fighters. Goranov's "pothesis" had one engine damaged, and he began to lag behind the leader. Ivan Proskurov hastened to help his comrade. He slowed down and, together with Goranov's crew, fought off enemy fighters. After bombing the target, the Republican planes came under further attacks by rebel fighters. Goranov's Potez was hit and landed in no man's land. Proskurov's plane, heavily riddled with bullets, made an emergency landing on one engine on a grape field, a little short of reaching its airfield.
Despite the failure, I. I. Proskurov continues to rush into battle. In his notebook, he records the combat missions in which he takes part: “November 16, 1936 - flight to Cadiz, bombed the port and gun factory in S. Carlos. The hits are good. January 9, 1937 - flight to the Madrid front to bomb Cosa de Campo. We met about 20 fighters."
For success in providing assistance to the republican government, on January 2, 1937, senior lieutenant Ivan Iosifovich Proskurov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
On February 3, 1937, after the departure of Hero of the Soviet Union Ernst Schacht from Spain, Ivan Proskurov was appointed commander of the 1st Bomber Squadron. The squadron was armed with Soviet SB bombers, which, even with a full load, could evade any enemy fighter. As of February 14, 1937, Proskurov’s squadron had 9 aircraft (5 SBs were based in San Javier, and 4 in San Clemente). An old friend and battle-tested comrade, Gavriil Prokofiev, became the navigator in Proskurov’s crew. He recalled these days: “During this period, his organizational abilities and talent as a courageous air fighter were revealed with particular force.”
In March 1937, General Franco attempted to capture Madrid from the province of Guadalajara. The main blow was to be delivered by parts of the Italian expeditionary force, which included four divisions. On March 8, aerial reconnaissance reported that a multi-kilometer column of tanks and vehicles with infantry was moving along the French Highway towards Guadalajara. There was no air cover as the weather was very bad. The Nazis were convinced that Republican pilots would not be able to fly either. But they badly miscalculated.
The squadron of Senior Lieutenant Proskurov was tasked with bombing the main supply station of the Italian corps - Siguenza. To achieve surprise, he led the squadron to the target from the east, from where the enemy least expected an attack. They walked at an extremely low altitude, hiding behind the hilly terrain. Unnoticed by the enemy, the squadron approached the target. The station turned out to be extremely crowded with trains, among which a train with fuel stood out. It was possible to bomb without aiming. The explosion of the tanks turned Siguenza into a fiery inferno. Proskurov turned the bombers towards the highway. A barrage of machine gun fire fell on the fascist column. Panic gripped the Italians. The trucks, having lost control, collided and burned, the surviving soldiers fled.
From March 9, 1937, the Republican Air Force organized a conveyor belt of air raids, in which 45 fighters, 15 attack aircraft and 11 bombers took part. While one group was striking, another was heading towards the target, the third was refueling, and the fourth was already taking off. Proskurov's squadron made several sorties a day.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is the highest and most honorable title in the Soviet award hierarchy. It was established by a resolution of the USSR Central Executive Committee dated April 16, 1934: “1. Establish the highest degree of distinction - awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for personal or collective services to the state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic feat.

2. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded exclusively by resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.

3. Heroes of the Soviet Union are given a special certificate...” For the first time, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded by a resolution of the USSR Central Executive Committee dated April 20, 1934 to seven pilots for saving the polar expedition and the crew of the icebreaker “Chelyuskin” (M.V. Vodopyanov, I.V. Doronin, N.P. Kamanin, S.A. Levanevsky, A.V. Lyapidevsky and M.T.

By decree of the USSR Central Executive Committee of July 29, 1936, the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were first established. It introduced the procedure for awarding Heroes of the Soviet Union, in addition to the CEC diploma, also the Order of Lenin, the highest award of the USSR. The Order of Lenin was retroactively awarded to 11 Heroes who were awarded this title before the decree was issued.

November 2, 1938 for a non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East on a twin-engine ANT-37 Rodina aircraft and the courage and heroism shown to pilots V.S. Grizodubova, captain P.D. Osipenko. and senior lieutenant Raskova M.M. was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin. B.C. Grizodubova became the first woman to be awarded such a high title.

By the summer of 1939, there were already 122 Heroes of the Soviet Union in the USSR (two of them - pilots S.A. Levanevsky and V.P. Chkalov - had died by that time, and 19 titles were awarded posthumously). The emerging need to distinguish this category of citizens from other segments of the population was resolved by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On additional insignia for Heroes of the Soviet Union”, issued on August 1, 1939: “...For the purpose of special distinction of citizens awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and performing new heroic deeds: 1. Establish the “Gold Star” medal, shaped like a five-pointed star... The medal is awarded simultaneously with the conferment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the presentation of the Order of Lenin.” Article 3 of the Decree introduced a serious change to the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union of 1936, according to which the title of Hero of the Soviet Union could be awarded only once: “A Hero of the Soviet Union who has performed a secondary heroic feat... is awarded the second medal “Hero of the Soviet Union” ", and... a bronze bust is being built in the Hero’s homeland.” The presentation of the second Order of Lenin upon re-awarding was not envisaged.

On August 29, 1939, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, for the exemplary performance of combat missions and outstanding heroism shown in battles with Japanese invaders on the Khalkhin Gol River on the territory of the Mongolian Republic, pilots Major S.I. Gritsevets and Colonel G.P. Kravchenko were the first to be awarded the second title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

From the end of autumn 1939, the issuance of Gold Star medals began in the order in which titles were awarded, starting with the very first award. In this case, the number of the medal corresponded to the number of the CEC certificate. The Gold Star medal No. 1 was awarded to Hero of the Soviet Union A.V. Lyapidevsky.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were 626 Heroes of the Soviet Union in the country. Five were awarded this title twice: military pilots S.I. Gritsevets (died on September 16, 1939), S.P. Denisov, G.P. Kravchenko, Ya.V. Smushkevich (arrested and under investigation) and polar explorer I.D. Papanin.

The greatest number of times the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded during the Great Patriotic War - 11,739 (of which 3,051 were posthumous).

On May 8, 1965, on the eve of Victory Day, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by its Decree, approved the Regulations on the highest degree of distinction - the title of “Hero City” with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. This honorary title was awarded to: Volgograd (Stalingrad), Kyiv, Leningrad, Moscow, Odessa, Sevastopol. The Brest Fortress was awarded the title of “hero-fortress”. Later, the number of hero cities was increased to 12. They successively became: Kerch (09/14/1973), Novorossiysk (09/14/1973), Minsk (06/26/1974), Tula (12/07/1976), Murmansk (05/06/1985), Smolensk (05/06/1985).

The last time the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded was on December 24, 1991, for participation in a diving experiment simulating long-term work at a depth of 500 meters under water, to a junior research fellow - diving specialist, captain of the 3rd rank L.M. Solodkov.

In total, during the existence of the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 12,862 people (of which 3,266 were posthumous). 154 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union twice (9 posthumously). Three Gold Star medals were awarded to three: Marshal of the Soviet Union S.M. Budyonny. (02/01/1958, 04/24/1963, 02/22/1968); Colonel General of Aviation Kozhedub I.N. (02/04/1944, 08/19/1944, 08/18/1945); Air Marshal Pokryshkin A.I. (05/24/1943, 08/24/1943, 08/19/1944).

Two people were awarded four Gold Star medals: Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. (08/29/1939, 07/29/1944, 06/01/1945, 12/01/1956) and Marshal of the Soviet Union Brezhnev L.I. (12/18/1966, 12/18/1976, 12/19/1978, 12/18/1981).

The total number of Heroes of the Soviet Union is 95 women, among them pilot-cosmonaut S.E. Savitskaya, awarded this title twice.

44 citizens of foreign countries were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including the only foreign woman A.T. Kzhiwon - private submachine gunner of the division named after. T. Kosciuszko of the Polish Army, awarded this title posthumously on November 11, 1943.

People who were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were showered with national glory, honor and love. Their portraits were published in newspapers, and their names became known throughout the country. But not everyone could bear such a burden of fame. Over 100 people at different times and for various reasons were deprived of their honorary title. Many of their number were subsequently restored to the rank of Hero. For 13 people, Decrees on conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were canceled due to unfounded nominations for the award. Currently, 73 people are deprived of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for one reason or another (the vast majority for crimes).

The book brought to your attention traces the fate of those Heroes of the Soviet Union who were exalted by power and raised to unprecedented heights, and then were deprived by it of the most important and precious thing - life.

Various reasons lay behind the execution of one or another Hero of the Soviet Union. The majority were subjected to illegal repression. Shortly before the start of the Great Patriotic War, another large group of senior officers was arrested. Among them were several awarded the title of Hero. The NKVD workers began to refer to the fabricated case among themselves as a “conspiracy of Heroes.” But the war prevented the new high-profile process. Few people are lucky enough to be released. Most were shot without trial between October 1941 and March 1942. Among them were 7 Heroes of the Soviet Union (twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation Y.V. Smushkevich; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation I.I. Proskurov; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation E.S. Ptukhin; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation P.I. Pumpur; Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation P.V.; Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of Aviation E.G. Colonel G.M. Stern).