Today the whole country congratulates veterans - heroes and heirs of the immortal glory of Russian soldiers and officers, who at all times were known as valiant and fearless warriors. “Never fight the Russians,” wrote Bismarck, and he never did. However, his followers, the rulers of Germany, were not so perspicacious. Knowing the heroism of Russian weapons during the world wars, the Germans paid tribute to them in diaries, monographs and memoirs.
First World War
At the end of the Masurian Battle of 1915, in which soldiers of the 20th Corps of the Russian Army, having shot all their ammunition, launched a bayonet attack on German machine guns, war correspondent Brandt wrote:
The attempt to break through was complete madness, but holy madness is heroism, which showed the Russian warrior as we know him from the time of Skobelev, the storming of Plevna, the battles in the Caucasus and the storming of Warsaw! The Russian soldier knows how to fight very well, he endures all sorts of hardships and is able to be persistent, even if he inevitably faces certain death!
The German military historian General von Poseck in his work “German Cavalry in Lithuania and Courland” praised the Russian cavalrymen:
The Russian cavalry was a worthy opponent. The personnel were magnificent... The Russian cavalry never shied away from battle on horseback or on foot. The Russians often attacked our machine guns and artillery, even when their attack was doomed to failure. They paid no attention either to the strength of our fire or to their losses.
The diary of an officer of the Austro-Hungarian army, Dietrich von Chodkiewicz, contains absolutely enthusiastic reviews of the enemy:
The Russians are a stubborn, valiant and extremely dangerous enemy... The Russian infantryman is unpretentious, hardy and, as a rule, with good command, extremely resilient. On the offensive, Russian infantry is extremely insensitive to losses. Near Dziwulki, the attack of the Siberian riflemen made an indelible impression on me. Looking at how they held up under our fire, I wanted to applaud them: “Bravo, gentlemen!”
World War II
German Field Marshal General Ludwig von Kleist believed that the initial successes of the German army were due solely to better preparations for war:
The Russians showed themselves to be first-class warriors from the very beginning, and our successes in the first months of the war were only due to better preparation. Having gained combat experience, the Russians became first-class soldiers. They fought with exceptional tenacity and had amazing endurance.
General Gunther Blumentritt, Chief of Staff of the 4th Army:
The Russian soldier prefers hand-to-hand combat. His ability to endure hardship without flinching is truly amazing. This is the Russian soldier whom we came to know and respect a quarter of a century ago.
And this is an excerpt from Blumentritt’s memoirs, written a few years after Germany’s surrender:
The behavior of Russian troops in defeat, even in the first battles, was in striking contrast with the behavior of the Poles and Western allies. Even surrounded, the Russians continued stubborn fighting. They always tried to break through... Our encirclement of the Russians was rarely successful.
Memoirs of an infantryman from Robert Kershaw’s book “1941 Through the Eyes of the Germans”:
During the attack, we came across a light Russian T-26 tank and immediately shot it with 37mm. When we began to approach, a Russian leaned out waist-high from the tower hatch and opened fire on us with a pistol. It soon became clear that he had no legs; they were torn off when the tank was hit. And, despite this, he fired at us with a pistol!
And one more quote, not about courage, but about the character of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. A captured soldier tried to comprehend the mysterious Russian soul:
Most often you helplessly ask yourself: why aren’t they telling the truth here? This could be explained by the fact that it is extremely difficult for Russians to say “no”. The Russian avoids at all costs the need to refuse any request. In any case, when his sympathy begins to stir, and this often happens to him. It seems unfair to him to disappoint a needy person; to avoid this, he is ready for any lie. And where there is no sympathy, lying is at least a convenient means of ridding oneself of annoying requests.
There are many legends about Russian soldiers; their exploits are known all over the world and command the respect of their fellow countrymen and citizens of other countries. The image of a Russian warrior is especially clearly formed from those qualities that characterize his opponents. Those who have encountered them in combat situations believe that Russians have a special set of traits, shaped by mentality, traditions and ethnic characteristics. So what qualities of our soldiers were most feared by our opponents?
The secret to the success of military operations
After the German army was able to destroy the French and British, whose armies were considered the strongest in Europe, in 1914 and 1940, but was defeated by the Russians during the Great Patriotic War, historians and military analysts began to wonder what the real reason was such outcomes? After a thorough analysis, experts came to the conclusion that it is not only a matter of equipment, modern weapons, tactical and technical training - the psychological and physiological characteristics of soldiers and officers, their national traditions, values and priorities play a huge role.
Fighting spirit
Many historians agree that it is in the mysterious fighting spirit that the secret of all the victories of the Russian army lies. This set of moral and psychological qualities determines combat effectiveness. During war, the morale of soldiers is supported by commanders. Raising morale is achieved by cultivating ideological convictions, cohesion, and courage. An integral part of building morale is an atmosphere of camaraderie and mutual assistance.
Fighting spirit determines the moral and physical readiness of soldiers to resist enemies, endure the hardships and hardships of military life, overcome themselves and constantly strive for victory. Napoleon also spoke about the importance of this quality: “One soldier with a high fighting spirit is worth three without this weapon.”
Determination and resilience
A Russian soldier always clearly knows what he is striving for. The ultimate goal of all actions is victory. Win every battle, every fight and ultimately win the war. As Europeans say about Russians, “for them there are no half measures - either everything or nothing.”
Studying episodes of military operations, analysts concluded that it was the determination of Russian soldiers that often played the role of a catalyst, because the most correct and balanced, but not completed, decision would ultimately lose in effectiveness to a spontaneous impulse, carried out with precision and logically completed.
Persistence is inherent in all Russian soldiers. In any battle, soldiers fight until their last bullet, their last breath. The Russians' tenacity in defense frightens their opponents. Thanks to this quality, many attacks and sieges were repelled.
Bravery
This quality of the Russian warrior is praised by many authors. Bravery is considered a national trait of the Russian person. The ability to save others at the cost of one’s own life, to throw oneself at tanks, to cover military shells with one’s body, realizing that this is necessary for the Motherland, for fellow countrymen, for future generations, is inherent in Russian officers and soldiers.
According to the confessions of those who met them in battle, “Russians boldly go to death, without fear or hesitation. They believe that if they are destined to die, death will find them anywhere. These people often say a strange phrase that two deaths cannot happen.” Russians despise cowardice just as other armies despise meanness.
The German military historian General von Poseck noted in his works: “The Russians often attacked our machine guns and artillery, even when their attack was doomed to defeat. They paid no attention either to the strength of our fire or to their losses.”
Coolness
The ability to maintain clarity of mind in any critical situation is another characteristic feature of Russian soldiers. The Russian soldier does not panic. On the battlefield, among killed and wounded colleagues, while under enemy bullets, he is able to collect his thoughts in a matter of minutes. There are many cases where, in a state close to death, soldiers took brilliant tactical actions and often emerged victorious from difficult situations.
A military observer for one of the Austrian newspapers considered composure to be one of the most striking features of the Russian military. He wrote: “Russian pilots are cold-blooded. The Russian attacks may lack order, just like the French, but in the air the Russian pilots are unshakable and can endure heavy losses without any panic. The Russian pilot is and remains a terrible adversary.”
Cohesion and solidarity
Both many years ago and now, Russians amaze everyone with their ability to unite in the most difficult situations. For foreigners, it is a real mystery how, at a time when everything is going very badly, Russians find strength, rise from their knees, and stand shoulder to shoulder. And at this moment they are able to resist enemies, confidently defending the interests of their country.
F. Engels noted: “There is no way to disperse the Russian battalions: the more menacing the danger, the more tightly the soldiers hold on to each other.”
This is still relevant today. The more dangerous the threat looming over the country and the Russian people, the stronger the desire to unite and fight for the Motherland without a shadow of a doubt.
Strength of will
Willpower is an integral trait of the Russian soldier. This ability to overcome difficulties helps to withstand harsh wartime conditions. Unbending willpower was reflected in various military episodes. Many Russian soldiers, officers, and partisans endured torture and bullying from their enemies to the end, but did not betray their Motherland, did not surrender, and did not give up secret information.
A Russian soldier is capable of enduring poverty and hardship for a long time. He can endure hunger, cold, and lack of basic living conditions for a long time.
Otto Carius(German: Otto Carius, 05/27/1922 - 01/24/2015) - German tank ace during the Second World War. Destroyed more than 150 enemy tanks and self-propelled guns - one of the highest results of the Second World War, along with other German masters of tank combat - Michael Wittmann and Kurt Knispel. He fought on Pz.38 and Tiger tanks, and the Jagdtiger self-propelled guns. Book author " Tigers in the mud».
He began his career as a tanker on the Skoda Pz.38 light tank, and from 1942 he fought on the Pz.VI Tiger heavy tank on the Eastern Front. Together with Michael, Wittmann became a Nazi military legend, and his name was widely used in propaganda for the Third Reich during the war. Fought on the Eastern Front. In 1944 he was seriously wounded, after recovery he fought on the Western Front, then, by order of the command, he surrendered to the American occupation forces, spent some time in a prisoner of war camp, after which he was released.
After the war he became a pharmacist, and in June 1956 he purchased a pharmacy in the city of Herschweiler-Pettersheim, which he renamed Tiger Apotheke. He headed the pharmacy until February 2011.
Interesting excerpts from the book "Tigers in the Mud"
The book can be read in full here militera.lib.ru
About the offensive in the Baltic states:
“It’s not bad to fight here,” said the commander of our tank, non-commissioned officer Deler, with a chuckle after he once again pulled his head out of a bucket of water. It seemed like there would be no end to this washing. The year before he was in France. The thought of this gave me confidence as I entered combat for the first time, excited but also a little afraid. We were enthusiastically greeted by the Lithuanian population everywhere. The local residents saw us as liberators. We were shocked that before our arrival, Jewish shops were plundered and destroyed everywhere..»
On the attack on Moscow and the armament of the Red Army:
“The attack on Moscow was given preference over the capture of Leningrad. The attack choked in the mud when the capital of Russia, which opened before us, was just a stone's throw away. What then happened in the infamous winter of 1941/42 cannot be conveyed in oral or written reports. The German soldier had to hold out in inhumane conditions against those accustomed to winter and extremely well-armed Russian divisions.»
About T-34 tanks:
“Another event hit us like a ton of bricks: Russian T-34 tanks appeared for the first time! The amazement was complete. How could it be that up there they didn’t know about the existence of this excellent tank?»
The T-34, with its good armor, perfect shape and magnificent 76.2 mm long-barreled gun, awed everyone, and All German tanks were afraid of him until the end of the war. What could we do with these monsters, thrown against us in great numbers?
About IS heavy tanks:
“We examined the Joseph Stalin tank, which was still intact to a certain extent. The 122 mm long-barreled gun commanded respect from us. The downside was that unitary rounds were not used in this tank. Instead, the projectile and powder charge had to be loaded separately. The armor and uniform were better than those of our "tiger", but we liked our weapons much better.
The Joseph Stalin tank played a cruel joke on me when it knocked out my right drive wheel. I didn't notice this until I wanted to back up after an unexpected strong impact and explosion. Sergeant Major Kerscher immediately recognized this shooter. It also hit him in the forehead, but our 88-mm cannon could not penetrate the heavy armor of the Joseph Stalin at such an angle and from such a distance.”
About the Tiger tank:
“Outwardly he looked handsome and was pleasing to the eye. He was fat; almost all flat surfaces are horizontal, and only the front slope is welded almost vertically. Thicker armor compensated for the lack of rounded shapes. Ironically, just before the war, we supplied the Russians with a huge hydraulic press with which they were able to produce their T-34s with such elegantly rounded surfaces. Our weapons specialists did not consider them valuable. In their opinion, such thick armor could never be needed. As a result, we had to put up with flat surfaces.”
“Even if our “tiger” was not handsome, his reserve of strength inspired us. It really drove like a car. With literally two fingers we could control a 60-ton giant with 700 horsepower, driving at a speed of 45 kilometers per hour on the road and 20 kilometers per hour over rough terrain. However, taking into account the additional equipment, we could only move on the road at a speed of 20-25 kilometers per hour and, accordingly, at an even lower speed off-road. The 22 liter engine performed best at 2600 rpm. At 3000 rpm it quickly overheated.”
On successful Russian operations:
« We looked with envy at how well equipped the Ivans were compared to us.. We experienced real happiness when several reinforcement tanks finally arrived to us from deep behind the rear.”
“We found the commander of the Luftwaffe field division at the command post in a state of complete despair. He did not know where his units were. Russian tanks crushed everything around before the anti-tank guns could fire a single shot. The Ivans captured the latest equipment, and the division fled in all directions.”
“The Russians attacked there and took the city. The attack came so unexpectedly that some of our troops were caught while moving. Real panic began. It was only fair that Commandant Nevel had to answer before a military court for his blatant disregard for security measures.”
About drunkenness in the Wehrmacht:
“Shortly after midnight, cars appeared from the west. We recognized them as our own in time. It was a motorized infantry battalion that did not have time to connect with the troops and moved to the highway late. As I learned later, the commander was sitting in the only tank at the head of the column. He was completely drunk. The disaster happened with lightning speed. The entire unit had no idea what was happening and moved openly through the space under fire from the Russians. A terrible panic arose when machine guns and mortars began to fire. Many soldiers were hit by bullets. Left without a commander, everyone ran back to the road instead of seeking shelter south of it. All mutual aid disappeared. The only thing that mattered was: every man for himself. Cars were driving right over the wounded, and the highway was a picture of horror.”
About the heroism of the Russians:
“When it began to get light, our infantrymen somewhat carelessly approached the T-34.” It was still standing next to von Schiller's tank. With the exception of a hole in the hull, there was no noticeable damage to it. Surprisingly, when they went to open the hatch, it did not budge. Following this, a hand grenade flew out of the tank, and three soldiers were seriously wounded. Von Schiller opened fire on the enemy again. However, until the third shot, the Russian tank commander did not leave his vehicle. Then he, seriously wounded, lost consciousness. The other Russians were dead. We brought the Soviet lieutenant to the division, but it was no longer possible to interrogate him. He died of his wounds on the way. This incident showed us how careful we must be. This Russian transmitted detailed reports to his unit about us. He only had to slowly turn his turret to shoot von Schiller at point-blank range. I remember how indignant we were at the stubbornness of this Soviet lieutenant at that time. Today I have a different opinion about this...”
Comparison of Russians and Americans (after being wounded in 1944, the author was transferred to the Western Front):
“In the middle of the blue sky they created a curtain of fire that left little to the imagination. It covered the entire front of our bridgehead. Only the Ivans could arrange such a barrage of fire. Even the Americans I later met in the West could not compare with them. The Russians fired multi-layered fire from all types of weapons, from continuously firing light mortars to heavy artillery.”
“Sappers were actively working everywhere. They even turned the warning signs in the opposite direction in hopes that the Russians would drive in the wrong direction! Such a ploy sometimes succeeded later on the Western Front against the Americans, but it never worked with the Russians.»
“If two or three tank commanders and crews from my company that fought in Russia had been with me, this rumor could well have been true. All my comrades would not fail to fire at those Yankees who were walking in “ceremonial formation.” After all, five Russians were more dangerous than thirty Americans.. We have already noticed this over the past few days of fighting in the west.”
« The Russians would never have given us so much time! But how much of it did the Americans need to liquidate the “bag”, in which there could be no talk of any serious resistance.”
“...we decided one evening to replenish our fleet with an American one. It never occurred to anyone to consider this a heroic act! The Yankees slept in their houses at night, as “front-line soldiers” were supposed to do. After all, who would want to disturb their peace! There was at best one sentry outside, but only if the weather was good. The war began in the evenings only if our troops retreated back, and they pursued them. If by chance a German machine gun suddenly opened fire, they asked for support from the air force, but only the next day. Around midnight we set off with four soldiers and returned quite soon with two jeeps. It was convenient that they did not require keys. All you had to do was turn on a small switch and the car was ready to go. Only when we had already returned to our positions did the Yankees open indiscriminate fire into the air, probably to calm their nerves. If the night had been long enough, we could have easily reached Paris."
On the night of February 2-3, 1945, prisoners of the Mauthausen concentration camp were awakened from their bunks by machine-gun fire. The shouts of “Hurray!” coming from outside. There was no doubt: there was a real battle going on in the camp. It was 500 prisoners from block No. 20 (suicide block) who attacked machine gun towers.
In the summer of 1944, block No. 20 appeared in Mauthausen, for Russians. It was a camp within a camp, separated from the general area by a 2.5-meter high fence, along the top of which there was an electrified wire. There were three towers with machine guns along the perimeter. Prisoners of the 20th block received ¼ of the general camp ration. They were not provided with spoons or plates. The block was never heated. There were no frames or glass in the window openings. There weren't even bunks in the block. In winter, before driving the prisoners into the block, the SS men poured water from a hose onto the floor of the block. People lay down in the water and simply did not wake up.
"Death prisoners" had a "privilege" - they did not work like other prisoners. Instead, they spent the entire day doing “physical exercise”—nonstop running around the block or crawling.
During the existence of the block, about 6 thousand people were killed in it. By the end of January, about 570 people remained alive in block No. 20.
With the exception of 5-6 Yugoslavs and several Poles (participants of the Warsaw uprising), all prisoners of the “death block” were Soviet prisoners of war officers sent here from other camps.
Prisoners were sent to the 20th Mauthausen block, even in concentration camps they posed a threat to the Third Reich due to their military education, strong-willed qualities and organizational abilities. All of them were captured wounded or unconscious, and were considered "incorrigible" during their time in captivity. In the accompanying documents of each of them there was a letter “K”, which meant that the prisoner was subject to liquidation as soon as possible. Therefore, those who arrived in the 20th block were not even branded, since the life of a prisoner in the 20th block did not exceed several weeks.
On the appointed night, around midnight, the “suicide bombers” began to take out their “weapons” from their hiding places - cobblestones, pieces of coal and fragments of a broken washbasin. The main “weapons” were two fire extinguishers. Four assault groups were formed: three were to attack machine-gun towers, and one, if necessary, was to repel an external attack from the camp.
Around one in the morning, shouting “Hurray!” The suicide bombers of the 20th block began to jump through the window openings and rushed to the towers. The machine guns opened fire. Foam jets of fire extinguishers hit the machine gunners' faces, and a hail of stones flew. Even pieces of ersatz soap and wooden blocks flew from the feet. One machine gun choked, and members of the assault group immediately began to climb the tower. Having taken possession of a machine gun, they opened fire on neighboring towers. The prisoners short-circuited the wire using wooden planks, threw blankets on it and began to climb over the wall.
Of the nearly 500 people, more than 400 managed to break through the outer fence and ended up outside the camp. As agreed, the fugitives split into several groups and rushed in different directions to make capture more difficult. The largest group ran towards the forest. When the SS men began to overtake her, several dozen people separated and rushed towards their pursuers in order to take their last stand and delay the enemies for at least a few minutes.
One of the groups came across a German anti-aircraft battery. Having removed the sentry and burst into the dugouts, the fugitives strangled the gun servants with their bare hands, seized weapons and a truck. The group was overtaken and made their last stand.
About a hundred prisoners who escaped to freedom died in the first hours. Stuck in deep snow, in the cold (the thermometer that night showed minus 8 degrees), exhausted, many simply physically could not walk more than 10-15 km.
But more than 300 were able to escape pursuit and hid in the surrounding area.
In the search for the fugitives, in addition to the camp guard, Wehrmacht units stationed in the vicinity, SS units and local field gendarmerie were involved. The captured fugitives were taken to Mauthausen and shot at the wall of the crematorium, where the bodies were immediately burned. But most often they were shot at the scene of capture, and the corpses were brought to the camp.
In German documents, the search for fugitives was called the “Mühlviertel hare hunt.” The local population was involved in the search.
Volkssturm fighters, members of the Hitler Youth, members of the local NSDAP cell and non-party volunteers eagerly searched for “hares” in the vicinity and killed them right on the spot. They killed with improvised means - axes, pitchforks, since they were saving their cartridges. The corpses were taken to the village of Ried in der Riedmarkt and dumped in the courtyard of the local school.
Here the SS men kept count, crossing out the sticks painted on the wall. A few days later, the SS declared that “the score was settled.”
However.
One person from the group that destroyed the German anti-aircraft battery survived. For ninety-two days, risking her life, the Austrian peasant woman Langthaler, whose sons were fighting in the Wehrmacht at that time, hid two fugitives on her farm. 19 of those who escaped were never caught. The names of 11 of them are known. 8 of them survived and returned to the Soviet Union.
In 1994, Austrian director and producer Andreas Gruber made a film about the events in the Mühlviertel district (“Hasenjagd: Vor lauter Feigheit gibt es kein Erbarmen”).
The history of the wars that the peoples of our country had to wage in defense of their Fatherland is, in essence, the history of military valor, the history of soldier's glory. And although it is impossible to name all the ordinary soldiers who always bore the brunt of the war on their shoulders, historical memory preserves for us the noble traits of a selfless defender of the Fatherland. Turning to the history of soldier's glory, we feel the connection of times, we better understand where we came from, how we crystallized, and from what sources the remarkable qualities of the Russian soldier are nourished.
In various countries of the world, the word “soldier” means the primary military rank or category of military personnel. In our country, soldiers are called privates, corporals, and in a broad sense - all soldiers, military people of all branches of the Armed Forces, veterans.
Sevastopol (artist A. Deineka)
Russian soldier invincible
The Russian soldier deserved fair recognition of his outstanding fighting qualities not only from friends, but also from enemies. From century to century he successfully defended his homeland from enemy invasions. From generation to generation, strengthening and multiplying, traditional courage, loyalty to military duty, endurance, mutual assistance, diligence, readiness for self-sacrifice, which constitute the integral qualities of the Russian soldier, were passed on. The constant struggle with numerous enemies formed among the Eastern Slavs the traits described already in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” and enshrined in popular memory in the images of epic heroes. The Russians of that time, according to the Word...” - “experienced knights: wooed under trumpets, nurtured under helmets, nourished at the end of a spear; the paths are known to them, the ravines are familiar to them, their bows are drawn, their quivers are open, they themselves gallop like gray wolves in the field, seeking honor for themselves and glory for the prince.”
The qualities of Slavic warriors are also described in detail by the Byzantine, who in the 6th-7th centuries created a kind of military textbook called “Strategikon”. Instructing how to deal with strong northern neighbors, the author of the Strategikon writes: “They are numerous, hardy, and easily tolerate heat, cold, rain, nakedness, and lack of food.” The Slavs, according to him, are kind to foreigners arriving in their country if they came with friendly intentions. They do not take revenge on their enemies either, keeping them in captivity for a short time and usually offering them either to go to their homeland for a ransom, or to remain living among the Slavs as free neighbors.
The foreigner was especially struck by the love of freedom of the Slavs. “The Ant tribes (i.e. Slavs - author's note) are similar in their way of life,” he noted, “in their morals, in their love of freedom; they cannot in any way be induced to be enslaved or subjugated in their own country.”
In ancient times, the Slavic warrior fought with the Scandinavians in the north, with the nomads in the south, with the Danube Bulgarians in the southwest and the Kama Bulgars in the east. At a later time, the Russian army, weakened by princely strife, was unable to withstand the onslaught of the Mongol-Tatars who poured into Europe. The Slavs resisted this invasion heroically, but fragmentedly.
The depressed, ruined and humiliated Russian land found it difficult and long to come to its senses and slowly accumulated strength. In a long and stubborn struggle, the character of the Russian warrior was formed, familiar with foreign oppression, persistent, stubborn, not expecting mercy.
Having taken upon themselves the full brunt of the fight against the Mongol-Tatars, serving as a barrier that protected Western Europe from their invasion, Russian soldiers were forced to fight with their neighbors, who sought to seize its lands from weakened Rus'. The long struggle with Lithuania, Poland, Livonia, Sweden, with the khanates of the Volga region, Siberia, and Crimea accelerated the formation of a single, centralized Russian military force and increased the skill of the Russian warrior.
In order to defend the vital interests of the Motherland, the Russian soldier had to later break the dominance of Sweden in the Baltic states, crush the power of Turkey in the Black Sea region, and shed his blood in many other places. Only the soldiers of a people who, already at the beginning of their historical existence, felt disgust for foreign violence, a people who preferred to abandon their land, homes and go to new unknown places, just to preserve their freedom, could fight so stubbornly and selflessly. Forced to endure foreign power for a long time, the Russian people not only overthrew, but also subjugated their previous conquerors. At the beginning of the 17th century. he independently, without the leadership of the central government, created a militia and expelled the Polish invaders from his land.
The feat of Major General V.G. Kostenetsky in the Battle of Borodino
(artist A. Yu. Averyanov, 1993)
Two hundred years later, Russian soldiers destroyed the army of the greatest conqueror of modern times - Napoleon Bonaparte. In a mortal battle with the fascist invaders, Soviet soldiers again amazed the world with heroism and exploits that have no equal in the world.
Soldier - liberator
The historical path of development of Russia, its foreign and military policies contributed to the Russian soldier’s understanding of the country’s national interests and the goals of the armed forces. This, in times of great danger, evoked a feeling of patriotism, a desire for unification, a desire to “with our souls and heads united” to defend the Fatherland, our brothers by blood and faith.
The ideas of reuniting Ukrainians and Belarusians together with the Great Russians in one state were understandable to the rank and file of the army not only from a socio-psychological point of view - “there are ours there too...”, but also from a political point of view. The Russian soldier sympathized with the Ukrainian and Belarusian peasants who were under the rule of Polish feudal lords. The idea of supporting the Slavs conquered by the Turks also persisted among the people.
The Russian soldier always quickly went to where he was expected as a liberator. In the brutal heat of the Asian deserts, the Russian soldier stopped intertribal robberies and robberies, overthrew medieval despots - khans, sultans and beks, who had oppressed peoples for centuries. In 1873, 40 thousand Persians, freed from captivity in Khiva, leaving for their homeland, cried out to the Russian soldiers: “Allow us, and we will lick the dust from your divine boots...”
Attack of the Russian Ulans (artist V. Boltyshev, 2011)
The history of many other nations testifies to the manifestation of sincere respect for Russian soldiers. Suvorov's soldiers established friendly ties with the population of the Czech Republic, Moravia and Slovakia when, at the beginning of 1799, they were heading to Northern Italy to help the Austrians and when returning to their homeland after the famous Swiss campaign.
Bravery and strength were not the only qualities that aroused friendly sympathy for the Russians among the Czech people. Other features of their character also played an important role: modesty, discipline, sincere attitude towards people. A correspondent for one of the Czech newspapers wrote: “Let the whole world know that a heart full of philanthropy beats in the Russian breast.” The Soviet soldiers who liberated the peoples of Europe from fascism also possessed these qualities.
Patriotism and devotion to duty
The Russian soldier at all times was distinguished by a highly developed sense of patriotism, love for his native land, the Fatherland. From ancient times, the native land was perceived by the Russian warrior as the place where he was born, associated with landscapes dear to his heart, home environment, family and friends. The lofty word “Fatherland” has always resonated in the soul of a Russian with the rise of filial civic feelings, pride in one’s country and belonging to a great people; it was inextricably linked by the Russian warrior with such concepts as “oath”, “duty”, “feat”. In conditions of mortal danger, the spiritual strength of the fighters supported, above all, the ideas of the Fatherland and camaraderie. “Why are you trying to persuade us to be fearless! - the soldiers said to their commander, who was trying to lift their spirits after leaving Moscow in 1812. “As soon as you look at Mother Moscow, you’ll go to hell.”
Unequal battle (artist Ivan Khivrenko)
Love for his native land was clearly expressed in the fate and deeds of Sergei Leontievich Bukhvostov. As is known, at the end of the 17th century. Peter I began to create a regular army recruited from volunteers. “...Prompted by his own desire, the first volunteer, Sergei Bukhvostov, stood before the sovereign.” By order of Peter, he was awarded the honorary title - First Russian Soldier. Bukhvostov took part in many battles, serving in the army until he was 68 years old! Wanting to celebrate his services to the Motherland, Peter I ordered the sculptor Rastrelli to cast a sculptural portrait of Bukhvostov in bronze.
The feeling of patriotism manifested itself in the most diverse forms. During the siege of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the monastery servant Oska Selevin ran over to the Poles. His brother Danilo wished to atone for this crime with his own death. At the head of his squad, he rushed at the enemies and fought heroically until he fell, exhausted by many wounds.
Violation of fidelity and treason to the Motherland have always been severely punished. During the Patriotic War of 1812, 18 peasants from the village of Bunkova were executed by their fellow villagers for trading with the French. The peasants of the village of Guslits did the same with the merchants from Moscow who arrived to buy food for the French, and the Russian “for joining the French as a soldier... was buried alive.” The epic about Ilya Muromets, who killed his traitor son Sokolnik, also tells about a similar story.
Endurance, resilience, camaraderie, discipline
Russian soldiers have always demonstrated the national qualities inherent in our people. Such qualities are the amazing endurance of the Russian person, perseverance, the ability to courageously endure the greatest hardships and at the same time not lose courage, a highly developed sense of camaraderie, and strong discipline. The Russian army has traditionally been distinguished by internal cohesion, the strong cohesion of parts of the military organism into one whole. The soldier was aware of his strength in the strength of the collective with which he organically merged. This connection is skillfully described by L.N. Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace". The soldier “is as surrounded, limited and drawn by his regiment as a sailor by the ship on which he is located. No matter how far he goes, no matter what terrible, unknown and dangerous latitudes he enters, around him - as for a sailor, there are always and everywhere the same decks, masts, ropes of his ship - always and everywhere the same comrades, the same rows, the same sergeant major Ivan Mitrich, the same company dog Zhuchka, the same superiors.”
The consciousness of an organic connection with one’s unit, unit, and in general with “ours,” multiplied the steadfastness of the Russian soldier. The desire to “help our own” is clearly confirmed by the battle of Groß-Jägersdorf (August 18, 1757), when soldiers who did not receive any orders from the senior command, on their own initiative, joined those regiments with which the then young General P.A. Rumyantsev “struggled through the forest to help the half-defeated Russian army.”
It is also traditional for a Russian soldier to be willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of saving his comrades and success in battle. At the same time, the principle of mutual support received the highest expression. For a Russian soldier to betray “his own people”, not to support them in danger at least at the cost of his own life, was not only a great shame, but also an organic impossibility. World famous doctor SP. Botkin, who knew our soldiers not from parades and theaters, but from a field hospital, among wounds, groans and bandages, wrote in August 1877: “Our soldiers, officers are holy people...”
Fragment of Mikhail Svatul’s diorama “Afghan War. How it was"
A special feature of the Russian fighter is his unsurpassed ability for hand-to-hand combat. Not a single enemy army could withstand a Russian bayonet strike.
The Russian soldier is cautious: “don’t stick your nose into the water without measuring the ford,” says an old Russian proverb. In war, this natural intelligence turns into military cunning, into ingenuity, into the ability to deceive the enemy.
The discipline of the Russian soldier has long been high. Of course, along with internal, conscious discipline in the army, there was also external, formal discipline. Built on harsh punishments, it was often carried to the point of absurdity. In those cases where discipline turned out to be reasonable, the need for it was recognized by the soldiers themselves. Such was the discipline of Suvorov's army. Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, Denis Davydov, wrote that Suvorov “put his hand on the heart of the Russian soldier and studied his beat... He tenfolded the benefits brought by obedience, combining it in the soul of our soldier with a sense of military pride and confidence in superiority over all soldiers in the world..."
Russian hero
The grenadier of the Finnish Guards Regiment, Leonty Korenny, was distinguished by his high discipline. For his mature age and military merits, his colleagues respectfully called Leonty “uncle.” For his distinction in the Battle of Borodino, Korenny was awarded a high award. But the most striking feat was accomplished by the grenadier Korenny in a battle near the village of Gossa near Leipzig in the fall of 1813.
The battalion in which Korennoy fought was surrounded. In a fierce battle, all the officers of the battalion were out of action. The surviving comrades gathered around Korenny, but soon the guardsman was left alone, continuing to fight. Without waiting for the Russian hero to surrender, the French stabbed him with bayonets until he collapsed among his dead comrades and enemies. The captured Russian hero, who received 18 bayonet wounds and fought to the last, was reported to Napoleon. The emperor ordered doctors to cure the Russian soldier and issued an order to the army, in which he instructed his troops to follow the example of the Russian miracle hero. Our soldiers also knew about this and sang:
And indeed, everyone knew Korenny at that time. A painting by the artist P. Babaev “The Feat of the Grenadier Leonty Korenny” was exhibited in the halls of the Russian Museum.
The feat of the grenadier of the Life Guards of the Finnish Regiment Leonty Korenny in the battle of Leipzig in 1813
(artist P.I. Babaev, 1846)
During the Crimean War, Tula gunsmiths made revolvers for the heroes of the defense of Sevastopol, the barrels and drums of which were decorated with etching and gilding of designs reflecting the feat of Leonty Korenny. At a later time, in 1903, when the Finnish Life Guards Regiment celebrated its centenary, the regiment’s officers commemorated it by installing a bronze monument to Korenny at the entrance to the officers’ meeting. Upon entering the meeting, the officers took off their caps, saluting the Russian soldier Leonty Korenny.
Hero of Russia - Evgeny Rodionov
Kindness, generosity, honesty
The characteristic features of the Russian soldier have always been the desire for justice, goodness, honesty, intransigence towards all evil and violence, and generosity towards the vanquished. Historical memory is rich in examples of this kind. During the wars with Frederick II, when Russian and Austrian troops occupied Berlin, the Austrians began brutal plunder and destruction of the Prussian capital. They burned expensive furniture in bonfires, smashed porcelain, broke open precious inlays with bayonets, chopped carved panels of walls and doors into splinters, and cut paintings of the great masters of the past into rags with knives. They destroyed ancient organs that delighted the whole of Europe with their sound. In the Trebbian Church, the Austrians opened the tombs, threw the bodies out of the coffins, and cut off the fingers of the dead with wedding rings.
Yesterday's peasants, Russian soldiers, sincerely condemned this barbaric destruction of cultural property and plunder of the population. Russian patrols stopped the atrocities of their allies by force of arms and at the cost of blood.
Russian soldiers showed nobility and generosity in January 1758, when the Russian army entered Konigsberg. The German historian Archenholtz wrote about this: “Never before has an independent kingdom been conquered as easily as Prussia. But never have the winners, in the rapture of their success, behaved as modestly as the Russians.”
In the forties of the last century, when another wave of defamation of Russia and its army began, F.I. Tyutchev, who was in diplomatic service in Germany, reminded the Germans that it was Russian soldiers who in 1813 saved Germany from Napoleonic tyranny and humiliation. In his rebuke, he noted: “If you meet a veteran of the Napoleonic army... ask which of the opponents with whom he fought on the fields of Europe was most worthy of respect... You can bet ten to one that the Napoleonic veteran will name you a Russian soldier . Walk through the departments of France... and ask the residents... which soldier from the enemy troops constantly showed the greatest humanity, the strictest discipline, the least hostility towards civilians... You can bet a hundred to one that they will name you a Russian soldier.”
“The same immortal Russian army”
During the Great Patriotic War, when our Motherland was again on the brink of destruction, the Soviet soldier showed all the greatness of the Russian soldier.
Already in the first days of the war, the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, F. Halder, noted the exceptionally persistent nature of the battles with the Russians. “The crews of enemy tanks,” we read in his diary, “in most cases lock themselves in tanks and prefer to burn themselves along with the vehicles.”
In the battles against fascism, our fathers and grandfathers again amazed the world with unprecedented feats. Gunner Alexander Serov destroyed 18 enemy tanks and assault guns in the battle of Siauliai in June 1941. Armor-piercer Ivan Derevyanko destroyed 10 tanks.
Ilya Kaplunov performed a unique military feat. On December 21, 1941, in a battle near the Nizhnekumsky farm, while repelling a tank attack, he destroyed 5 tanks using an anti-tank rifle and grenades. He was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield and destroyed 4 more tanks. Posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The history of the Great Patriotic War knows entire units of heroic warriors. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to all 68 participants in the landing at the seaport of Nikolaev, led by senior lieutenant K.F. Olshansky. In February 1945, a tank platoon of Lieutenant K. Tulupov performed a collective feat. During the battle near the village of Soldini (Czechoslovakia), which lasted eight days, three platoon crews destroyed 27 enemy tanks and 12 armored personnel carriers. All tank commanders, driver mechanics and gunners were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Nine heroes in one platoon: K. Tulupov, I. Deputatov, I. Borisov, L. Loginov, A. Marunov, P. Pisarenko, G. Nalimov, M. Mekhaev, V. Tolstov. The remaining crew members were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Having experienced the bitterness of defeat at the beginning of the war, the soldiers of the Red Army did not give up their weapons, did not become numb in fear, but, having overcome the most difficult trials, defeated a cruel, strong enemy and raised the Banner of Victory over the planet. Konstantin Simonov spoke very accurately and succinctly about the victorious soldier. Comparing the difficult and dangerous work of a war correspondent and an infantryman, Simonov writes that all the complaints of his colleagues “are simply ridiculous in the face of what an ordinary ordinary infantryman, one of millions... does, sometimes making... marches of forty kilometers a day . He has a machine gun around his neck and a full armor behind his back. He carries everything a soldier needs on the road. A person passes where a car does not pass, and in addition to what he already carried on himself, he also carries on himself what was supposed to go... And, of course,... in addition, and above all , he fights fiercely every day, exposing himself to mortal danger. French General Charles de Gaulle, who visited our country in 1944, impressed by the sight of the soldiers who met him in the evening of the same day, wrote: “Yes, it was still the same immortal Russian army.”
The soldiers of the Soviet Army showed their best fighting qualities during the war in Afghanistan. Demonstrating examples of courage and heroism, they did not think about honors and awards. The soldiers fulfilled their duty and believed that they were doing the right thing - helping the people of Afghanistan defend the right to a better life. 110 thousand soldiers and sergeants were awarded orders and medals of the Soviet Union for military exploits on the soil of Afghanistan.
The Order of the Red Star and the Medal “For Courage” were awarded to the “Afghan” soldier, Private Pyotr Denishchenkov, who served in an intelligence unit.
His father earned the medal “For Courage” during the Great Patriotic War at the age of fourteen. Grandfather was also a dashing intelligence officer and returned from the war with the Orders of Glory, the Order of the Patriotic War and the medal “For Courage”. The Denishchenkov family, like hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers, has always drawn strength from their native traditions and love for the Fatherland. For our army, the Afghan war lasted six years longer than the Great Patriotic War. But whatever her political assessments, the immutable truth remains the high combat capability of the Russian soldier - a worthy successor to the exploits of his ancestors.