Who is Uncle Vasya VDV. Hero of the Soviet Union Army General Vasily Filippovich Margelov

Margelov Vasily Filippovich
Born: December 14 (27), 1908
Died: March 4, 1990 (aged 81)

Biography

Vasily Filippovich Margelov - Soviet military leader, commander of the Airborne Forces in 1954-1959 and 1961-1979, army general (1967), Hero of the Soviet Union (1944), laureate of the USSR State Prize (1975), candidate of military sciences (1968).

Youth years

VF Markelov (later Margelov) was born on December 14 (27), 1908 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now the city of Dnepr, Ukraine), into a family of immigrants from Belarus. Father - Filipp Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgical worker (Vasily Filippovich's surname Markelov was later recorded as Margelov due to an error in the party card).

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

Since 1924 he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M. I. Kalinin as a laborer, then a horse-racer (driver of horses carrying trolleys).

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

Service start

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

In April 1931 he graduated with honors from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School. CEC of the BSSR. Appointed commander of a machine-gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment of the 33rd Belarusian rifle division (Mogilev).

Since 1933 - platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor OBVSh them. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR (since November 6, 1933 - named after M.I. Kalinin, since 1937 - the Order of the Red Banner of Labor Minsk Military Infantry School named after M.I. Kalinin). In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.

From October 25, 1938 he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd rifle regiment of the 8th Minsk rifle division named after. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the chief of the 2nd division of the division headquarters. In this position, he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.

During the war years

During the years of the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940) he commanded the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division (it was originally stationed in Brest, in November 1939 it was sent to Karelia). During one of the operations he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.

After the end of the Soviet-Finnish war, he was appointed assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District (15th division, Novgorod region). At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in July 1941, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division of the People's Militia of the Leningrad Front (the basis of the regiment was the fighters of the former 15th division).

November 21, 1941 - appointed commander of the 1st Special Ski Regiment of sailors of the KBF. Contrary to talk that Margelov "would not take root", the Marines accepted the commander, which especially emphasized the appeal to him by the naval equivalent of the rank of "major" - "Comrade captain of the 3rd rank." Margelov, however, sunk into the heart of the prowess of the "brothers". Subsequently, becoming the commander of the Airborne Forces, as a sign that the paratroopers adopted the glorious traditions of their older brother - the marines and continued them with honor, Margelov ensured that the paratroopers got the right to wear vests, but in order to emphasize belonging to the sky, they are blue in the paratroopers.

Since July 1942 - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. After the division commander K. A. Tsalikov was wounded, the command for the duration of his treatment passed to the chief of staff Vasily Margelov. On July 17, 1943, under the leadership of Margelov, the fighters of the 3rd Guards Division broke through 2 lines of defense of the Nazis on the Mius Front, captured the village of Stepanovka and provided a springboard for the assault on the Saur-Mogila.

Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. He led the division during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division participated in the liberation of Southeastern Europe.

During the war, Commander Margelov was mentioned ten times in the gratitude orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Major General Margelov commanded a battalion in the consolidated regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

In the airborne troops

After the war in command positions. Since 1948, after graduating from the Order of Suvorov, I degree of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was the commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.

In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps (Far East).

From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In March 1959, after an emergency in the artillery regiment of the 76th Airborne Division (gang rape of civilian women), he was demoted to the 1st Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces. From July 1961 to January 1979 - again commander of the Airborne Forces.

On October 28, 1967, he was awarded the military rank of General of the Army. He supervised the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).

Since January 1979 - in the group of general inspectors of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces, was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School.

During his service in the Airborne Forces, he made more than sixty jumps. The last of them at the age of 65.
Lived and worked in Moscow.
Died March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Theory of combat use

In military theory, it was believed that after the immediate use of nuclear strikes and the maintenance of high rates of attack, the widespread use of airborne assault forces was necessary. Under these conditions, the Airborne Forces had to fully comply with the military-strategic goals of the war and meet the military-political goals of the state.

According to Commander Margelov:

“In order to fulfill their role in modern operations, our formations and units must be highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, be well controlled, be able to land at any time of the day and quickly switch to active combat operations after landing. This is, by and large, the ideal to which we should strive."

To achieve the goals set, under the leadership of Margelov, a concept was developed for the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. Margelov wrote a number of works on this topic, and on December 4, 1968, he successfully defended his Ph. In practical terms, exercises and command meetings of the Airborne Forces were regularly held.

Armament

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

Margelov initiated the creation and mass production at the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of landing equipment, heavy parachute platforms, parachute systems and containers for landing cargo, cargo and human parachutes, parachute devices. “You can’t command technology, so strive to create reliable parachutes in the design bureau, industry, during testing, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment,” Margelov said when setting tasks for his subordinates.

For the paratroopers, modifications of small arms were created to simplify its landing by parachute - less weight, a folding butt.

By the end of the 1950s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were put into service and entered the army, which had a payload capacity of up to 10-12 tons and a sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups of personnel with standard military equipment and weapons. Later, through the efforts of Margelov, the Airborne Forces received new military transport aircraft - An-22 and Il-76.

At the end of the 1950s, parachute platforms PP-127 appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of artillery, vehicles, radio stations, engineering equipment and others. Parachute-jet means of landing were created, which, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, made it possible to bring the landing speed of the cargo closer to zero. Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing due to the abandonment of a large number of large-area domes.

On January 5, 1973, at the parachute track of the Airborne Forces "Slobodka" (see on Yandex. Maps) near Tula, for the first time in world practice in the USSR, landing on parachute-platform means in the "Centaur" complex was carried out from the An-12B military transport aircraft of a tracked armored combat vehicle BMD-1 with two crew members on board. The crew commander was Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev, and the operator-gunner was Senior Lieutenant Margelov Alexander Vasilyevich.

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

Family

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

Mother - Agafya Stepanovna, was from the Bobruisk district.
Two brothers - Ivan (older), Nikolai (younger) and sister Maria.
V. F. Margelov was married three times:
The first wife, Maria, left her husband and son (Gennady).
The second wife is Feodosia Efremovna Selitskaya (mother of Anatoly and Vitaly).

The last wife is Anna Alexandrovna Kurakina, a doctor. He met Anna Alexandrovna during the Great Patriotic War.

Five sons:
Gennady Vasilyevich (1931-2016) - major general.

Anatoly Vasilyevich (1938-2008) - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, author of more than 100 patents and inventions in the military-industrial complex.

Vitaly Vasilievich (born 1941) - a professional intelligence officer, an employee of the KGB of the USSR and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, later - a public and political figure; colonel general, deputy of the State Duma.

Vasily Vasilyevich (1945-2010) - retired major; First Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Russian State Broadcasting Company "Voice of Russia" (RGRK "Voice of Russia").

Alexander Vasilievich (1945-2016) - Airborne Forces officer, retired colonel. On August 29, 1996, "for the courage and heroism shown in testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment" (landing inside the BMD-1 on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, carried out for the first time in world practice in 1976) was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. After retiring, he worked in the structures of Rosoboronexport.

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

Awards and titles

USSR awards

Medal "Gold Star" No. 3414 of the Hero of the Soviet Union (03/19/1944);
four orders of Lenin (03/21/1944, 11/3/1953, 12/26/1968, 12/26/1978);
Order of the October Revolution (05/04/1972);
two Orders of the Red Banner (3.02.1943, 20.06.1949);
the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree (04/28/1944) was originally presented to the Order of Lenin;
two orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree (01/25/1943, 03/11/1985);
Order of the Red Star (November 3, 1944);
two Orders "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 2nd (12/14/1988) and 3rd degree (04/30/1975);
medals.
Orders (thanks) of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in which VF Margelov was noted.

For crossing the Dnieper River in the lower reaches, and capturing the city of Kherson - a major junction of railway and water communications and an important stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Dnieper River. March 13, 1944. No. 83.

For the capture by storm of the large regional and industrial center of Ukraine, the city of Nikolaev - an important railway junction, one of the largest ports on the Black Sea and a strong stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Southern Bug. March 28, 1944. No. 96.

For capturing by storm on the territory of Hungary the city and the large railway junction of Szolnok - an important stronghold of the enemy's defense on the Tisza River. November 4, 1944. No. 209.

For breaking through the heavily fortified defenses of the enemy southwest of Budapest, capturing by storm the cities of Szekesfehervar and Bichke, large communications centers and important strongholds of the enemy's defense, were seized. December 24, 1944. No. 218.

For the complete capture of the capital of Hungary, the city of Budapest - a strategically important center of German defense on the way to Vienna. February 13, 1945. No. 277.

For breaking through the heavily fortified defenses of the Germans in the mountains of Verteshhegysheg, west of Budapest, defeating a group of German troops in the Esztergom area, and also capturing the cities of Esztergom, Nesmey, Felshe-Galla, and Tata. March 25, 1945. No. 308.

For the capture of the city and an important road junction of Madyarovar and the city and railway station of Kremnica - a strong stronghold of the German defense on the southern slopes of the Velkafatra ridge. April 3, 1945. No. 329.

For the capture of the cities and important railway junctions of Malacky and Bruk, as well as the cities of Prewidza and Banovce - strong strongholds of the German defense in the Carpathian zone. April 5, 1945. No. 331.

For the encirclement and defeat of a group of German troops that tried to retreat from Vienna to the north, and at the same time capturing the cities of Korneiburg and Floridsdorf - powerful strongholds of the German defense on the left bank of the Danube. April 15, 1945. No. 337.

For the capture of the cities of Jaromerice and Znojmo in Czechoslovakia and the cities of Hollabrunn and Stockerau in Austria - important communications centers and strong strongholds of the German defense. May 8, 1945. No. 367.

honorary titles

Hero of the Soviet Union (1944).
Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1975).
Honorary citizen of the city of Kherson.
Honorary soldier of the military unit.

Memory

In 2014, Vasily Margelov's office-museum was opened in the main building of the headquarters of the Airborne Forces.

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

By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 182 dated May 6, 2005, the departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation "General of the Army Margelov" was established. In the same year, a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow, in Sivtsev Vrazhek lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.

Every year on the birthday of VF Margelov on December 27 in all cities of Russia, military personnel of the Airborne Forces pay tribute to the memory of Vasily Margelov.

monuments

Monuments to V. F. Margelov are installed:
In Belarus: Kostyukovichi
In Moldova: Chisinau

In Russia: Alatyr (bust), Bronnitsy (bust), Gorno-Altaisk, Yekaterinburg, Ivanovo, Istomino village, Balakhna district, Nizhny Novgorod region, Krasnoperekopsk, Omsk, Petrozavodsk, Ryazan (two monuments; one of them is located on the territory of the Airborne Forces school, the other - in the square in the immediate vicinity of the checkpoint of this school) and Villages (training center of the Airborne Forces School near Ryazan), Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region (bust), St. Petersburg (in the square named after V. F. Margelov), Simferopol, Slavyansk-on-Kuban , Tula, Tyumen, Ulyanovsk, Lipetsk, Hill (Novgorod region).

Ukraine: Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Zhytomyr (in the location of the 95th brigade), Krivoy Rog, Lvov (in the location of the 80th brigade), Sumy, Kherson, Mariupol.

Timeline of discovery

On February 21, 2010, a bust of Vasily Margelov was erected in Kherson. The bust of the general is located in the city center near the Youth Palace on Perekopskaya Street.

On June 5, 2010, a monument to the founder of the Airborne Forces (VDV) was unveiled in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. The monument was built at the expense of former paratroopers living in Moldova.

On November 4, 2013, a memorial monument to Margelov was opened in Victory Park in Nizhny Novgorod.

Monument to Vasily Filippovich, a sketch of which was made from a well-known photograph from a divisional newspaper, in which he, being appointed commander of the 76th Guards. airborne division, preparing for the first jump, - installed in front of the headquarters of the 95th separate airmobile brigade (Ukraine).

On October 8, 2014, a memorial complex dedicated to the founder of the USSR Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, General of the Army Vasily Margelov was opened in Bendery (Transnistria). The complex is located on the territory of the square near the city House of Culture.

On May 7, 2014, a monument to Vasily Margelov was unveiled on the territory of the Memorial of Memory and Glory in Nazran (Ingushetia, Russia).

On June 8, 2014, as part of the celebration of the 230th anniversary of the founding of Simferopol, the Alley of Glory and the bust of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General, Commander of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov were solemnly opened.

On December 27, 2014, on the birthday of Vasily Fillipovich in the city of Saratov, a memorial bust to Margelov V.F.

On April 25, 2015 in Taganrog in the city center, in the historical square "At the barrier", a bust of Vasily Margelov was solemnly unveiled.

April 23, 2015 in Slavyansk-on-Kuban (Krasnodar Territory, Russia) a bust of the General of the Airborne Forces V.F. Margelov was unveiled.

On June 12, 2015, a monument to General Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Yaroslavl near the headquarters of the Yaroslavl Regional Children's and Youth Military Patriotic Public Organization Paratroopers named after Guards Sergeant of the Airborne Forces Leonid Palachev.

On July 18, 2015, a bust to the commander who took part in the liberation of the city in the Second World War was unveiled in Donetsk.
On August 1, 2015, a monument to General Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Yaroslavl on the eve of the 85th anniversary of the Airborne Forces.
On September 12, 2015, a monument to Vasily Margelov was opened in the city of Krasnoperekopsk (Crimea).
A monument to V. F. Margelov was erected in Bronnitsy.

On August 2, 2016, busts of V.F. Margelov were unveiled in Petrozavodsk and Alatyr (Chuvashia); Also on this day, a memorial was opened in the city of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region.

On November 4, 2016, a bronze monument over two meters high was erected in the center of Yekaterinburg.
April 19, 2017 in Vladikavkaz, on the Alley of Glory, a bust of a Soviet military leader was installed.
June 30, 2017 in the city of Kholm, Novgorod region.

Naming

The name of V. F. Margelov is:
Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School;
Department of the Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;
Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps (NKSHI);
MBOU "Secondary School No. 27", Simferopol;

streets in Moscow, Zapadnaya Litsa (Leningrad region), Omsk, Pskov, Taganrog, Tula, Ulan-Ude and the border village of Naushki (Buryatia), an avenue and a park in the Zavolzhsky district of Ulyanovsk, a square in Ryazan, public gardens in St. Petersburg, in the city of Belogorsk (Amur Region). In Moscow, the street "projected passage No. 6367" was given the name "Margelov Street" on September 24, 2013. In honor of the 105th anniversary of the birth of Vasily Filippovich, a memorial plaque was opened on the new street.

In Belarus - secondary school No. 4 in Gomel, streets in Minsk and Vitebsk. In Vitebsk, the memory of V. F. Margelov was immortalized on June 25, 2010. Vitebsk City Executive Committee in the spring of 2010 approved the petition of the veterans of the Airborne Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation to name the street connecting the street. Chkalova and ave. Victory, General Margelov Street. On the eve of the City Day on the street. General Margelov, a new house was put into operation, on which a memorial plaque was installed, the right to open it was granted to the sons of Vasily Filippovich.

In art

During the Great Patriotic War, a song was composed in the division of V. Margelov, one verse from it:
The song praises the Falcon
Brave and daring...
Is it close, is it far
Margelov's regiments marched.

In 2008, with the support of the Moscow government, director Oleg Shtrom filmed the eight-episode series "Dad", in which Mikhail Zhigalov played the main role.

The ensemble "Blue Berets" recorded a song dedicated to V.F. Margelov, assessing the current state of the Airborne Forces, after his departure from the post of commander, which is called "Forgive us, Vasily Filippovich!".

Other

At the Sumy distillery "Gorobina" memorial vodka "Margelovskaya" is produced. Fortress 48%, in the recipe - alcohol, pomegranate juice, black pepper.

In honor of the centenary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of V. Margelov in the Airborne Forces.

Vasily Filippovich Markelov(subsequently Margelov) (December 14, 1908 (December 27, 1908, new style), Yekaterinoslav, Russian Empire - March 4, 1990, Moscow) - Soviet military leader, commander of the Airborne Forces in 1954-1959 and 1961-1979, Hero of the Soviet Union (1944) , Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1975).

Biography

Youth years

VF Markelov (later Margelov) was born on December 14, 1906 (December 27, 1906 according to the new style) in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine), in a family of immigrants from Belarus. Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgical worker. (surname Mar to spruce from Vasily Filippovich was subsequently recorded as Mar G ate due to an error in the membership card.)

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

Since 1924 he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M. I. Kalinin as a laborer, then a horse-racer (driver of horses carrying trolleys).

Service start

In 1928 he was drafted into the Red Army. Sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School (OBVSh) named after. TsIKBSSR in Minsk, enrolled in a group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine-gun company.

In April 1931 he graduated with honors from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR, appointed commander of the machine-gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment of the 33rd territorial rifle division (Mogilev, Belarus). Since 1933 - the commander of a platoon in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor OBVSh them. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR (since November 6, 1933 - named after M. I. Kalinin, since 1937 - the Order of the Red Banner of Labor Minsk Military Infantry School named after M. I. Kalinin). In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.

From October 25, 1938 he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd rifle regiment of the 8th rifle division named after. Dzerzhinsky, Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the chief of the 2nd division of the division headquarters. In this position, he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.

During the war years

During the years of the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940) he commanded a separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division. During one of the operations he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.

After the end of the Soviet-Finnish war, he was appointed assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. From October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District (15 odisb, Novgorod region). At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in July 1941, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division of the People's Militia of the Leningrad Front (the basis of the regiment was the fighters of the former 15 odisb).

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

Later - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. After the division commander P. G. Chanchibadze was wounded, the command for the duration of his treatment passed to the chief of staff Vasily Margelov. On July 17, 1943, under the leadership of Margelov, the soldiers of the 3rd Guards Division broke through 2 lines of defense of the Nazis on the Mius Front, captured the village of Stepanovka and provided a springboard for the assault on the Saur-Mogila.

At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Major General Margelov commanded a combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

In the Airborne Forces After the war, in command positions. Since 1948, after graduating from the Order of Suvorov, I degree of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was the commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.

In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps (Far East).

From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In 1959-1961 he was appointed with a demotion, First Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces. From 1961 to January 1979 - returned to the post of Commander of the Airborne Forces.

After watching the film “Such is the sporting life” in 1964, he ordered the introduction of rugby into the training program for paratroopers.

On October 28, 1967, he was awarded the military rank of General of the Army. He supervised the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).

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

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

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

Contribution to the formation and development of the Airborne Forces

General Pavel Fedoseevich Pavlenko:

In the history of the Airborne Forces, and in the Armed Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, his name will remain forever. He personified a whole era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces, their authority and popularity are associated with his name, not only in our country, but also abroad ...

…IN. F. Margelov realized that in modern operations, only highly mobile, capable of wide maneuver landing forces would be able to successfully operate deep behind enemy lines. He categorically rejected the installation of holding the area captured by the landing until the approach of the troops advancing from the front by the method of tough defense as disastrous, because in this case the landing would be quickly destroyed.

Colonel Nikolai Fedorovich Ivanov:

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

Margelov's contribution to the formation of the Airborne Forces in their current form is reflected in the comic decoding of the abbreviation Airborne- "Uncle Vasya's troops."

Theory of combat use

In military theory, it was believed that in order to immediately use nuclear strikes and maintain a high rate of attack, the widespread use of airborne assault forces was necessary. Under these conditions, the Airborne Forces had to fully comply with the military-strategic goals of the war and meet the military-political goals of the state.

According to Commander Margelov:

To achieve the goals set, under the leadership of Margelov, a concept was developed for the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. Margelov wrote a number of works on this topic, and also successfully defended his Ph. In practical terms, exercises and command meetings of the Airborne Forces were regularly held.

Armament

For the paratroopers, modifications of small arms were created to simplify its landing by parachute - less weight, a folding butt.

Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces in the post-war years, new military equipment was developed and modernized: airborne self-propelled artillery installation ASU-76 (1949), light ASU-57 (1951), floating ASU-57P (1954), self-propelled installation ASU-85, tracked combat vehicle Airborne - landing troops BMD-1 (1969). After the first batches of BMD-1 were received by the troops, a family of weapons was developed on its basis: Nona self-propelled artillery guns, artillery fire control vehicles, R-142 command and staff vehicles, R-141 long-range radio stations, anti-tank systems, reconnaissance vehicle. Anti-aircraft units and subunits were also equipped with armored personnel carriers, which housed crews with portable systems and ammunition. By the end of the 50s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were put into service and entered the army, which had a payload capacity of up to 10-12 tons and sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups of personnel with standard military equipment and weapons. Later, through the efforts of Margelov, the Airborne Forces received new military transport aircraft - An-22 and Il-76.

At the end of the 50s, parachute platforms PP-127 appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of artillery, vehicles, radio stations, engineering equipment, etc. Parachute-rocket landing equipment was created, which, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, made it possible to bring the landing speed closer cargo to zero. Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing due to the abandonment of a large number of large-area domes.

On January 5, 1973, at the parachute track of the Airborne Forces "Slobodka" (see on Yandex. Maps) near Tula, for the first time in world practice in the USSR, landing on parachute-platform means in the "Centaur" complex was carried out from the An-12B military transport aircraft of a tracked armored combat vehicle BMD-1 with two crew members on board. The crew commander was the son of Vasily Filippovich, senior lieutenant Margelov Alexander Vasilyevich, and the driver was lieutenant colonel Zuev Leonid Gavrilovich.

Family

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

V. F. Margelov was married three times:

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

Five sons:

Gennady Vasilievich (born 1931) - Major General.
Anatoly Vasilyevich (1938-2008) - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, author of more than 100 patents and inventions in the military-industrial complex.
Vitaly Vasilievich (born 1941) - a professional intelligence officer, an employee of the KGB of the USSR and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, later - a public and political figure; colonel general, deputy of the State Duma.
Vasily Vasilyevich (1945-2010) - retired major; First Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Russian State Broadcasting Company "Voice of Russia" (RGRK "Voice of Russia")
Alexander Vasilyevich (born 1945) - officer of the Airborne Forces. On August 29, 1996, "for the courage and heroism shown in testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment" (landing inside the BMD-1 on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, carried out for the first time in world practice in 1976) was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. After retiring, he worked in the structures of Rosoboronexport.

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

Awards and titles

USSR awards

Medal "Gold Star" No. 3414 of the Hero of the Soviet Union (03/19/1944)
four Orders of Lenin (03/21/1944, 11/3/1953, 12/26/1968, 12/26/1978)
Order of the October Revolution (4.05.1972)
two Orders of the Red Banner (3.02.1943, 20.06.1949)
Order of Suvorov 2nd degree (04/28/1944) was originally presented to the Order of Lenin,
two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st class (01/25/1943, 03/11/1985)
Order of the Red Star (3.11.1944)
two Orders "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 2nd (12/14/1988) and 3rd degree (04/30/1975)
medals

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

Awards of foreign countries

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

Hungarian People's Republic:

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

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

Medal of "Chinese-Soviet Friendship" (02/23/1955)

two anniversary medals (1978, 1986)

Mongolian People's Republic:

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

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

SR Romania:

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

Order of the Legion of Honor of the degree of an officer (05/10/1945)
medal "Bronze Star" (05/10/1945)

Czechoslovakia:

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

honorary titles

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

Proceedings

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

Memory

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

Monuments were erected to V.F. Margelov in Dnepropetrovsk, Krivoy Rog, Simferopol, Sumy, Kherson (Ukraine), Chisinau (Moldova), Kostyukovichi (Belarus), Ryazan and Seltsy (training center of the Airborne Forces School), Omsk, Tula, Tyumen, St. Petersburg (in the public garden named after Margelov V.F.), Ulyanovsk, Ivanovo, Istomino village, Balakhna district, Nizhny Novgorod region. A memorial plaque was erected in Taganrog. Every year, officers and paratroopers, veterans of the Airborne Forces come to the monument to their commander at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow to pay tribute to his memory.

The name of Margelov is the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, the Department of the Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps (NKSHI).

A square in St. Petersburg, a square in Ryazan, streets in Moscow, Vitebsk (Belarus), Omsk, Pskov, Tula and Zapadnaya Litsa, Ulan-Ude, an avenue and a park in the Zavolzhsky district of Ulyanovsk are named after Margelov.

During the Great Patriotic War, a song was composed in the division of V. Margelov, one verse from it:

The song praises the Falcon
Brave and daring...
Is it close, is it far
Margelov's regiments marched.

Memorial vodka "Margelovskaya" is produced at the Sumy distillery "Gorobina". Fortress 48%, in the recipe - alcohol, pomegranate juice, black pepper.

By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 182 dated May 6, 2005, the departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation "General of the Army Margelov" was established. In the same year, a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow, in Sivtsev Vrazhek lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.

In honor of the centenary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of V. Margelov in the Airborne Forces.

In 2008, with the support of the Moscow government, directed by Oleg Shtrom, an eight-episode series "Landing Batya" was filmed, in which Mikhail Zhigalov played the main role.

On February 21, 2010, a bust of Vasily Margelov was erected in Kherson. The bust of the general is located in the city center near the Youth Palace on Perekopskaya Street.

On June 5, 2010, a monument to the founder of the Airborne Forces (VDV) was unveiled in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. The monument was built at the expense of former paratroopers living in Moldova.

On June 25, 2010, the memory of the legendary commander was immortalized in the Republic of Belarus (Vitebsk). The Vitebsk City Executive Committee, headed by Chairman V.P. Nikolaykin, in the spring of 2010 approved a petition from veterans of the Airborne Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation to name the street connecting Chkalova Street and Pobeda Avenue General Margelov Street. On the eve of the City Day on General Margelov Street, a new house was put into operation on which a memorial plaque was installed, the right to open which was granted to the sons of Vasily Filippovich.

Monument to Vasily Filippovich, a sketch of which was made from a well-known photograph in the divisional newspaper, in which he, being appointed commander of the 76th Guards. airborne division, preparing for the first jump, - installed in front of the headquarters of the 95th separate airmobile brigade (Ukraine).

The ensemble "Blue Berets" recorded a song dedicated to V.F. Margelov, assessing the current state of the Airborne Forces, after his departure from the post of commander, which is called "Forgive us, Vasily Filippovich!".

On May 7, 2014, a monument to Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Nazran (Ingushetia, Russia).

The initiator and founder of the Airborne Forces, Vasily Margelov, personifies the image of the airborne troops of the USSR. Among the servicemen who are related to these troops, he is paratrooper No. 1. He is a Hero of the USSR and a laureate of the State Prize.

Childhood and youth

Margelov Vasily Filippovich was born in the city of Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk) on December 27, 1908 (January 9, according to the new style). His father, Philip Ivanovich, worked as a metallurgist, his mother, Agafya Stepanovna, was engaged in housework and gardening.

The family of the future general is from Belarus. In 1913 they returned to their homeland (Mogilev province). According to some reports, Vasily graduated from a church school in 1921. He started working as a loader, then tried his hand at carpentry. In the same year, he went to study leather craft in a workshop. In the twenty-third year, the future general got a job as an auxiliary worker at the Khlebprodukt enterprise. At the same time he studied at the school of rural youth. Then he worked as a freight forwarder, delivering mail and various cargoes along the Kostyukovichi-Khotimsk line.

In 1924, he got a job as a laborer, then a horse-racer in Yekaterinoslav at the Kalinin mine. Since 1927 - chairman of the timber industry committee and a member of the local Council of Kostyukovichi. In 1925 he was sent to Belarus, to the timber industry.

Start of military service

Vasily Margelov, whose biography is set out in this article, was drafted into the army in 1928. There he was sent to study at the OBVSh (United Belarusian Military School), which was located in Minsk. Was enrolled in a sniper group. In the second year he became a foreman of a machine-gun company.

In the spring of 1931, he graduated from the OBVSh with honors and the leadership appointed him commander of the machine gun crew of the 99th regiment of the 33rd rifle division. In 1933 he became a platoon commander, and the following year he was appointed assistant commander of a company. In 1936, the future general was already in charge of a machine gun company. Since the autumn of 1938 he commanded the second battalion of the 23rd regiment of the eighth rifle division. He headed the reconnaissance, being the head of the second branch of the division headquarters. While in this position, he took part in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.

Feat Margelov

Vasily Margelov has already become a real legend during his lifetime. During the war years with the Finns, he commanded a reconnaissance ski battalion (122nd division), making several raids behind enemy lines. During one of them, the future general was able to capture several officers of the German General Staff, who were officially (at that time) allies of the Soviet Union.

In 1941 he was made commander of a regiment of marines in the Baltic Fleet. There were opinions that a "land officer" would not be able to take root in the navy. Margelov's regiment was considered "the guard of Admiral Tributs", he sent it in besieged Leningrad, even to those places where it was difficult to send a penal battalion.

For example, when the Nazis stormed the Pulkovo Heights, Margelov's regiment landed in the rear of the Germans on the coast of Lake Ladoga. The Marines showed heroism and forced the Germans to stop the assault on Pulkovo in order to resist the Russian landing. Major Margelov was seriously wounded, but survived.

Further exploits

In 1943, Vasily Filippovich Margelov was already a division commander, stormed the Saur-Mogila, and took part in the liberation of Kherson. In 1945, the Nazis gave him a nickname - "Soviet Skorzeny." This happened after the famous German tank divisions "Grossdeutschland" and "Dead Head" surrendered to him without a fight.

In early May 1945, the command set a task for Margelov: to destroy or capture the remnants of the glorified SS units that wanted to break through to the Americans. Vasily Margelov took a dangerous step. He, with a small group of officers armed with machine guns and grenades, with a battery of cannons, approached the enemy headquarters and ordered to open fire if he did not return in 10 minutes.

The brave man went to the German headquarters and presented an ultimatum: surrender and save lives or be destroyed. He gave little time to think - until the lit cigarette ends. The Nazis have surrendered.

In the Airborne Forces

At the victory parade in Moscow, the founder of the Airborne Forces, Vasily Margelov, commanded a regiment of the Second Ukrainian Front. After the victory over the Nazis, Vasily Margelov, whose biography is set out in this article, continued to serve.

From 1950 to 1954 was the commander of the 37th Airborne Svir Corps. From 1954 to 1959 commanded the airborne troops of the Soviet Union. In 1964, under the impression of the film “Such is the sporting life”, he introduced rugby into the training program for paratroopers.

On October 28, 1967, he received the rank of General of the Army. He commanded paratroopers during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia. For all the time of his service he made more than sixty parachute jumps, the last when he was sixty-five years old. Thus, he set a personal example to his subordinates.

Contribution to the development of the Airborne Forces

The name of Margelov will forever remain in the history of the Airborne Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union. His person personifies the era of development and formation of the Airborne Forces. Their popularity and authority both in our country and abroad are forever associated with his name.

General Margelov Vasily realized that military operations behind enemy lines could be carried out by mobile and maneuverable paratroopers. He always rejected the idea of holding the areas captured by the landing until the approach of the troops that were advancing from the front. In this case, the paratroopers could be quickly destroyed.

Vasily Margelov led the USSR Airborne Forces for more than 20 years, and thanks to his merits, they became one of the most mobile troops in the structure of the country's Armed Forces. The general's contribution to the formation of the Airborne Forces was reflected in the playful decoding of this abbreviation - "Uncle Vasya's Troops."

The concept of the role of the Airborne Forces

In military theory, it was believed that in order to use nuclear strikes and maintain a high pace during the offensive, the use of landing troops was necessary. Under such conditions, airborne troops must comply with the strategic goals of military conflicts and meet the political goals of the country.

Margelov believed that in order to fulfill their role in operations, it was necessary that Soviet formations be maneuverable, covered with armor, perfectly controlled, have fire efficiency, and be able to land behind enemy lines at any time of the day and proceed to hostilities immediately. Such an ideal must be striven for, as the famous general believed.

Under his leadership, the concept of the place and role of the Airborne Forces in military operations was developed. On this topic, he wrote many works and defended his dissertation.

Armament of the airborne troops

Time passed, and more and more there was a need to bridge the gap between the theory of the use of airborne troops and the layered structure of the troops and the capabilities of military transport aviation. Having become commander, Vasily Margelov (VDV) received troops at his disposal, which consisted of lightly armed infantry and aviation equipped with Il-14, Li-2, Tu-4 aircraft. Opportunities were seriously limited and the military personnel were unable to solve serious problems.

The general began by initiating mass production of landing gear, parachute systems and platforms, as well as cargo containers. For the Airborne Forces, modifications of weapons were developed that were easy to parachute - a folding butt, light weight.

Also, specifically for the Airborne Forces, military equipment was modernized: self-propelled assault guns ASU-76, ASU-57, ASU-57P, ASU-85, tracked vehicle BMD-1 and others. Radio stations, anti-tank systems, reconnaissance vehicles were also developed. Anti-aircraft systems were equipped with armored personnel carriers, they housed calculations with ammunition and portable systems.

Closer to the 60s, the AN-8 and An-12 aircraft, with a payload capacity of up to twelve tons, entered service with the landing force, they could fly for long distances. A little later, the airborne troops received the AN-22 and IL-76 aircraft.

Everlasting memory

After retiring, Vasily Margelov lived in Moscow. "Uncle Vasya" passed away on March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery. Monument to Vasily Margelov erected in Tyumen. There are also monuments in his honor in Krivoy Rog, Dnepropetrovsk, Kherson, Chisinau, Ryazan, Kostyukovichi, Omsk, Ulyanovsk, Tula, St. Petersburg.

In Taganrog there is a memorial plaque dedicated to the general. Officers and soldiers of the airborne troops annually visit the monument to "Uncle Vasya" at the Novodevichy Cemetery and pay tribute to his memory.

Vasily Filippovich Margelov was drafted into the Red Army in 1928. Even before the start of World War II, he showed himself during the Polish campaign, the Soviet-Finnish war. But, perhaps, it was during the Great Patriotic War that he revealed himself as an outstanding commander. What is one surrender without a fight to the "Soviet Skorzeny" (as the Germans called him) of the divisions of the SS Panzer Corps "Dead Head" and "Great Germany" on May 12, 1945, which were ordered not to be allowed into the area of responsibility of the Americans. The enemy driven into a corner is capable of much - there is nothing to lose. For the SS men, retribution for the atrocities was inevitable, and new victims were inevitable. And the order was clear - to capture or destroy.

Margelov took a decisive step. With a group of officers armed with machine guns and grenades, the divisional commander, accompanied by a battery of 57-mm cannons on his "jeep" arrived at the headquarters of the group. By ordering the battalion commander to set up direct fire guns at the enemy headquarters and shoot if he does not return in ten minutes.

Margelov presented an ultimatum to the Germans: Either they surrender and save their lives, or complete destruction using all the fire weapons of the division: “by 4.00 in the morning - the front to the east. Light weapons: machine guns, machine guns, rifles - in piles, ammunition - nearby. The second line - military equipment, guns and mortars - vents down. Soldiers and officers - we are building to the west. Time to think - just a few minutes: "until his cigarette burns out." The nerves of the Germans cracked first. The picture of the surrender of the SS was amazing. The exact count of trophies showed the following figures: 2 generals, 806 officers, 31,258 non-commissioned officers, 77 tanks and self-propelled guns, 5847 trucks, 493 trucks, 46 mortars, 120 guns, 16 locomotives, 397 wagons. For this military feat, at the Victory Parade, Margelov was entrusted with the command of the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

In September 1928, he was drafted into the Red Army and, on a Komsomol ticket, was sent to study as a red commander at the United Belarusian Military School (OBVSh) named after the Central Executive Committee of the BSSR in Minsk.

In April 1931 he graduated with honors from the Minsk Military School. Appointed commander of a machine-gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th rifle regiment of the 33rd rifle division (Mogilev, Belarus).

In 1933 he was appointed to the post of platoon commander at the Minsk Military Infantry School. M.I. Kalinina.

In February 1934, Vasily Margelov was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.

From October 25, 1938, Captain Margelov commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division named after M. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the chief of the 2nd division of the division headquarters.

During the years of the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940), Margelov commanded the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th rifle regiment of the 122nd division. During one of the operations, he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.

After the end of the Soviet-Finnish war, Margelov was appointed to the post of assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units.

Since October 1940, Vasily Margelov has been the commander of the 15th Separate Disciplinary Battalion (ODB).

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