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 worth 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 "Grossdeutschland" on May 12, 1945, which were ordered not to be allowed into the zone 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 group's headquarters. 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 commanding the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

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The story of how Margelov first jumped with a parachute or a general's receipt for 6 jumps:
It is known that ... in 1948, during the first jump, he was 40 years old (for the Airborne Forces, this is a “pre-retirement” age, doctors sometimes do not recommend jumping if there is no appropriate physical fitness). The height was - 400 meters (today it is the height for extreme sports), we jumped from the balloon basket.

It is known that ... before starting to command the paratroopers, General Margelov, in the reception room of the Commander of the Airborne Forces, made a bet on 6 jumps with General Denisenko. On the third jump, the new commander of the Airborne Forces, General Denisenko, tragically died. Margelov did not stop - he only broke his legs twice during the first jumps (during the war, he had the most severe shrapnel wounds in his legs). Perhaps (my version) from that time - the recruit of the Airborne Forces had to make 6 jumps before the oath (which we did).

It is known that ... for all the jumps, Margelov took weapons with him (including the first one) - a Mauser and grenades, saying: “Already in the sky, a soldier needs to join the battle!”. In the presence of Margelov, everyone jumped with weapons, otherwise it was possible to get “on the neck”, however, after Margelov retired, they jumped with weapons only during exercises.

The story of how the people's medal "Margelov" appeared or who has the right to present the "landing non-governmental award":
It is known that ... only in Belarus there is an official state medal "Margelov", approved by the President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko ...

It is known that ... in Russia and the CIS, the Margelov medal (it appeared on the 70th anniversary of the Airborne Forces) is unofficially presented by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR under the leadership of Sazha Umalatova (25 rubles per medal), and they also established their own medal in the Moscow Cadet Corps named after . G. Zhukov (medal No. 1 - A.V. Margelov).

It is known that ... the Union of Veterans of the Airborne Forces (established at the end of 2002) comes out with a statement addressed to the Commander of the Airborne Forces on the introduction in the troops (until the end of 2003) of the official landing award named after Army General V. F. Margelov ...

It is known that ... in different parts of the CIS and Russia, where they remember "Batya" Margelov, competitions in boxing and wrestling, shooting, parachuting, and skiing are held in honor of his name. Veterans of the Airborne Forces open teenage clubs "Margelovets".

It is known that ... five monuments to Margelov have been erected in the world (Moscow - Novodevichy Cemetery, Ryazan, Tula, Omsk and Dnepropetrovsk), busts have been erected in Pskov and Kosovo (there is information that in Ecuador, local special forces to combat drug lords at the entrance to their headquarters hung a portrait of Margelov. Since then, drug dealers believe that the General is their leader. Perhaps someone studied in Ryazan and met Margelov). Craftsman sculptors mastered the issue for the Day of the Airborne Forces: a bust of Margelov and figures of paratroopers with parachutes - “for an amateur”.

The story of how Margelov "cooked" cooks for charred porridge or "Stalingrad cauldron" in Margelov's way:
It is known that ... as soon as Margelov accepted the unit, he went to the kitchen - to check the rear service. He believed that food was essential to a soldier's fighting ability.

Once... after tasting burnt porridge before the battles near Stalingrad, Margelov put the cook into a cooled cauldron of porridge, accusing him of complicity with the Germans, who would see in battle not the weapons of the Red Army, but lowered pants. In addition, after this incident, he ordered the officers to eat with the soldiers so that the commanders could see how their soldiers were eating.
It is known that... The Margelov regiment was on the defensive, preventing Guderian's German tanks from releasing Field Marshal Paulus from the Stalingrad Cauldron. For the first time, Hitler launched a super-tank with a new armor "Royal Tiger-4" for a breakthrough. In 1945, the German generals remembered the Margelov regiment in December 1942 near Stalingrad and decided that it was better to surrender than to fight again with a commander like Margelov.

It is known that ... that the commander of the corps, Major General Chanchibidze, after the defeat of the German troops of the Goth group, called Margelov to him and, at a meeting, without talking, hit the lieutenant colonel in the cheekbone. Having resisted, Margelov also silently punched the general in the face with his fist. In response, he heard: "Maladets - you will be the division commander," after which he began to accept Margelov's report.

The story of how Margelov shot motorcycles or "the intoxicating air of Europe":
Once ... in Romania, Margelov ended up in a hospital with a broken leg after recklessness on a captured German motorcycle (good Bessarabian wine also played a role). And then he saw that with similar injuries lies (or lay) half of his officers. Standing on crutches, Margelov went out to the hospital yard and shot all the motorcycles that were in the yard from his Mauser, and then ordered all owners of "trophy horses on wheels" to do this.

It is known that ... Margelov with the officers of his headquarters visited the Carpathians in 1944 at a real noble ball, where they almost married his guarantor to the princess's daughter.

The story of how in 1953 Margelov met the Voroshilov amnesty or Death of Stalin:
It is known that ... On November 7, 1953, Margelov alone, before the arrival of the soldiers of the commandant's office, pacifying the debauchery (the echelon of amnestied fines stood at a dead end) at the station of Svobodny station, said to the drunken and angry crowd of former prisoners - “Who am I? Uncle Vasya (and showed, throwing back the collar of his overcoat, the Star of the Hero of the USSR), and my troops are standing behind me, and if it doesn’t stop .... ”. Former convicts "surrendered" and received 15 days of arrest "for disturbing public order" in the guardhouse of the airborne regiment on behalf of Margelov, the commander of the Far Eastern Airborne Corps (from the author - soldiers of other types of troops are most afraid of falling into the hands of an airborne patrol and on the "lip" Airborne)

It is known that ... when tens of thousands of prisoners were released from Stalin's camps. Margelov ordered all officers to carry weapons around the clock in order to defend themselves against unpunished "amnestied" bandits. He himself slept with a Mauser under his pillow and once almost shot in the dark his 7-year-old son Alexander, who accidentally went into his father's bedroom.
It is known that ... in 1953, after the death of Stalin and the arrest of Beria, Margelov was offered to take the post of military commandant of Moscow or work in the Foreign Ministry. He replied that he did not want to be a Moscow policeman, but in a "citizen" to spoil friendly relations with all ambassadors, since "I'm not used to picking up words - I say what I have."

It is known that ... Margelov met with Klim Voroshilov twice (the first - as a cadet he was awarded a nominal watch, the second time - he pulled him out wounded from the front line on the Leningrad front). But the liberal Voroshilov amnesty in the Stalinist camps in the summer of 1953 "did not accept."

The story of how the vest appeared and takes in the Airborne Forces or "Don't show me fly agaric ...":
Once ... in November 1941, near Leningrad, Major Margelov was instructed to create the first Special Ski Regiment from volunteer sailors who presented their commander with a black and white vest ...

It is known that ... Margelov's son, Alexander, keeps his father's blue and white vest, which Batya wore until the last day ...

Once ... The commander of the Airborne Forces, Margelov, began to reform his troops. Along with the introduction of new technology, he changed shape. Defense Minister Marshal Grechko and the Commander of the Navy were against wearing berets and vests by paratroopers, considering that only "naval" ones have this right.

It is known that ... Behind his back, in the corridors of the Ministry of Defense, Margelov was called respectfully - "our Chapaev" (who was also called Vasily). The beret was allowed, but crimson (the color of the landing troops of European countries), and Margelov “recaptured” the vest for the air infantry, in a dispute with the fact that he commanded the marines in 1941 ...

It is known that ... the first parade of paratroopers in the new "Margelov" uniform (in crimson berets) was held in 1967 on Aviation Day near Domodedovo Airport. When Margelov saw crimson berets for the second time at the Ryazan Airborne School at a drill review, he left the parade, telling the head of the school that he “shouldn’t show him any more fly agarics.”

It is known that ... only after 2 years, the guards of the Airborne Forces received officially authorized by the USSR Ministry of Defense to wear blue berets and vests, which Soviet citizens saw during the 1969 military parade on Red Square (but in 1968 a new uniform was allowed in the Airborne Forces, in which the paratroopers were already dressed before they entered the territory of Czechoslovakia).

It is known that ... crimson berets appeared in Russia 10 years ago in special forces.

It is known that ... American propaganda of the 70s of the Pentagon and NATO on the posters about the "red threat" replaced a Red Army soldier from the USSR with a Budyonovka and a star with a paratrooper in a vest and a blue beret.

The story of how a Soviet tank fell on the head of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU or why Leonid Brezhnev fell in love with Margelov:
It is known that ... Leonid Brezhnev liked to be present and observe military exercises.

Once ... in the fall of 1967, the Dnepr exercises were held in Ukraine, in which one of the tanks dropped from an airplane flew to the tower where the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, the Minister of Defense and Margelov stood. Everyone who saw this picture scattered to the sides, but Margelov was calm. Seeing the calmness of the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Brezhnev thought that this was planned during the exercises, although in reality an emergency had occurred.

It is known that ... conducting a "debriefing" at the exercises in the office of the Commander, from the lips of General Pavlenko (First Deputy Margelov) it sounded - "You are not an air group, but an air group", which became a "catch phrase" in the troops.

The story of how US President Ronald Reagan scared the Pentagon with the Margelovs:
One day ... US President R. Reagan said: "I would not be surprised if on the second day of the war I see guys in blue berets on the threshold of the White House" ...

It is known that ... the "red threat" from Hollywood was given to the Americans - the nuclear weapons of the USSR and paratroopers.

It is known that ... Margelov was no longer the Commander of the Airborne Forces, but a new hero Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) appeared in American cinema, who fights cruel paratroopers in blue berets in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and the film "Invasion of the USA" shows how in a week The US captures the Airborne Forces from Russia.

One day... US Army General Hake expressed his wish: "If they gave me a company of Russian paratroopers, I would bring the whole world to its knees."
It is known that ... American intelligence for many years conducted round-the-clock monitoring of the movement of only one Commander of the Forces - Margelov. Since his troops were troops of the "first echelon" - those who are the first to engage in battle anywhere in the world (this was the topic of Margelov's doctoral dissertation at the General Staff Academy, but the Minister of Defense forbade the Commander to develop such a topic).

The story of how Margelov lived for 30 years in the Moscow region or why Margelov's sons lost their father-general's dacha:
One day… Margelov decided that land should be brought to the dacha from Ryazan.

It is known that ... Dad spent all his free time at the dacha, (for decades) he himself worked in the garden and in the garden (Vnukovo district). He invited those people whom he trusted to the dacha.

It is known that ... Twice in his life he gathered all his sons together. These meetings took place in the country.

It is known that ... in the spring of 1990, there was a "quick privatization" of Margelov's dacha by the rear service of the Ministry of Defense (after the death of Uncle Vasya). At that moment, Margelov's widow was seriously ill, and the sons believed that no one would take the dacha.

The story of why Margelov did not become a pilot or the first party reprimand "for swearing ditties":
One day... after completing the Red Commander courses in Minsk, Margelov went to study at a flight school in Orenburg (before being drafted into the army, he wanted to be a tanker).

It is known that ... military pilot Margelov mastered flying the U-2.

It is known that ... while cleaning weapons, Margelov sang ditties "for the pilots".

Of course, Vasily Margelov is a legendary person. The role he played in the development of the Airborne Forces cannot be overestimated. The unofficial decoding of the abbreviation of the Airborne Forces - Uncle Vasya's Troops, did not appear by chance.

But to call him the founder and creator of the Airborne Forces is still hardly correct. Suffice it to recall that on August 2, 1930, when an airborne unit was parachuted for the first time during an aviation exercise (Air Force) of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, which is considered to be the birthday of the Airborne Forces, Margelov was still studying at the United Belarusian Military School named after . Central Executive Committee of the BSSR, which he graduated in 1931.

The thirties are the time of the rapid construction of the Soviet Airborne Forces. Already at the Kyiv maneuvers in 1935 and the maneuvers in Belarus in 1936, observers were amazed by a hitherto unseen spectacle - a mass landing.

In 1939, the 212th airborne brigade took part in the battle on the Khalkhin Gol River. The 201st, 204th and 214th brigades (airborne at that time) are fighting in the Finnish War. And by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, airborne corps had already been created.

Only the service of Vasily Margelov, both in the pre-war period and during the Great Patriotic War, did not take place at all in the ranks of the "winged infantry". He served in a military school, rifle units, even had a chance to command a disciplinary battalion.

And in the fall of 1941, Margelov became commander of the 1st Special Ski Regiment of Sailors of the KBF. It is with this period in the life of Vasily Filippovich that it is customary to associate the appearance of a vest in the “winged infantry” decades later, only in its own, landing version.

At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Hero of the Soviet Union Guards Major General Margelov commanded a battalion in the consolidated regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. His army fate had already developed in such a way that Vasily Margelov deserved the general rank and the Gold Star (1944) not at all in the landing units.

It is no coincidence that he once said in an interview: “Until the age of 40, I had a vague idea of ​​​​what a parachute was, I never dreamed of jumping in a dream. It turned out by itself, or rather, as it should be in the army, by order. In 1948, Margelov (born in 1908) was appointed commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.

Well, how can one, considering the first day of the existence of the Airborne Forces on August 2, 1930, call the general who began serving in these troops in 1948 their "founder" and "creator"? What do you want to do with the eighteen-year "pre-Margelov" period of the existence of the "winged infantry"?

Another thing is that it was under the command of Vasily Margelov (1954-1959; 1961-1979) that the airborne troops were transformed, became in the full sense of the elite structure of the Soviet Army, received their unique for that time airborne armored vehicles, which dramatically increased their combat capabilities .

The form of paratroopers that appeared - the now familiar beret and vest, became part of a kind of "cult of landing" and "landing chauvinism" skillfully created by Margelov.

Which of the boys of the seventies does not remember the legends about the omnipotence of the paratroopers, which many dreamed of becoming? In the country's only Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, the competition was some kind of prohibitive. And when the undeclared war in Afghanistan began, the paratroopers really showed themselves as elite fighters.

And in the last years of the existence of the USSR, when ethnic slaughter in different parts of the disintegrating state became commonplace, the use of paratroopers became the most important means of pacifying it.
Even in the most, perhaps, the most difficult years for our army - in the mid-nineties of the twentieth century, the Airborne Forces retained their "speciality". In August 1996, the author of these lines happened to be in Grozny in a unit of the 104th Airborne Division. How tangibly different for the better was the discipline and mood of the fighters in the reconnaissance platoon, commanded by Lieutenant Evgeny Korolev, from what happened to be observed in some units of other, “non-winged” troops ...

The paratroopers have retained the feeling of their “speciality” to this day. And, to a large extent, this is the merit of Vasily Margelov, the great reformer, inspirer, and not at all the "founder" of the Airborne Forces.

DECEMBER 2008 IS CELEBRATED THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY of the birth of the legendary Commander of the Airborne Forces (VDV), Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Filippovich Margelov.

“He who has never left a plane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced the joy and fear of 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. ..”
V.F. Margelov

Vasily Filippovich Margelov was born on December 27 (January 9), 1908 in Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine). Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov - a metallurgical worker. The surname Margelov "received" because of a mistake made by an official in the party ticket - his surname was written down through "g". Mother - Agafya Stepanovna - as they say now, a housewife.

In the Red Army since 1928. He was sent to study as a commander at the Joint Belarusian Military School (OBVSh) named after the Central Executive Committee of the Byelorussian SSR in Minsk.

In 1931 he graduated from the Minsk Military School (former OBVSh). He served as a commander of a platoon, company, battalion. Member of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. During the Great Patriotic War - commander of a rifle regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of a rifle division. 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 the peoples of Southeastern Europe.

With the name of V.F. Margelov, many bright pages in the history of the Airborne Forces of our country are inextricably linked.

In 1948, after graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR named after K.E. Voroshilova Margelov V.F. appointed commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.

In 1950-1954 he was the commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svirsky Red Banner Corps stationed in the Far East.

From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces.

Commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division V.F. Margelov

In 1959, Vasily Filippovich was appointed first deputy commander of the Airborne Forces with a demotion.

In 1961 V.F. Margelov was again appointed to the post of commander of the Airborne Forces, which he served until January 1979.

Since 1979 - in the group of general inspectors of the USSR Ministry of Defense.

Assuming the post of commander of the Airborne Forces, Margelov took command of the troops, consisting mainly of infantry with light weapons and military transport aviation (as an integral part of the Airborne Forces), 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.

Being the commander of the Airborne Forces, V.F. Margelov said: “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, capable of landing at any time of the day and quickly switch to active combat operations after landing. This, by and large, is the ideal we should strive for.”

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.

To achieve the goals set under the leadership of V.F. Margelov developed the concept of 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 successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis. In practical terms, exercises and command meetings of the Airborne Forces were regularly held.

V.F. Margelov initiated the creation at the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of mass production 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 design bureaus, industry, during testing, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment,” Margelov said when setting tasks for his subordinates.

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, combat vehicle of the Airborne Forces BMD-1 (1969). On the basis of the BMD-1, a large family of vehicles was developed: the 2S9 Nona self-propelled gun, the 1V119 Rheostat artillery fire control vehicle, the BTR-D multi-purpose armored personnel carrier, the BREM-D repair and recovery vehicle, etc. New models were adopted weapons and means of communication.

By the end of the 1950s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were adopted, with 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 V.F. Margelov Airborne troops have mastered the landing of the new military transport aircraft An-22 and Il-76.

Commander of the Airborne Forces in the troops

Various parachute platforms appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of military equipment, vehicles and various cargoes. Parachute-jet means of landing were created, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, which 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 domes of a large area.

On January 5, 1973, for the first time in world practice in the USSR, parachute-platform landings were carried out in the Centaur complex from an An-12B BMD-1 military transport aircraft with two crew members on board. The crew commander was the son of Vasily Filippovich, Major Alexander Vasilievich Margelov, and the driver was Lieutenant Colonel Zuev Leonid Gavrilovich.

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 Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel Shcherbakov Leonid Ivanovich. The landing was carried out at a huge risk to life, without personal means of salvation. After 20 years, for the feat of the 1970s, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

It was V.F. Margelov achieved the introduction of the now famous blue beret and blue and white vest into the uniform of paratroopers. Everyone who served in the Airborne Forces is proud of these attributes.

Vasily Filippovich was awarded 13 orders and 19 medals of the Soviet Union, including four orders of Lenin, 34 orders and medals of foreign countries. The name of V.F. Margelov wears the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School (military institute), an area in the city of Ryazan, the streets of Omsk, Pskov and Tula. Monuments were erected to him in Ryazan, Omsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Tula, St. Petersburg. Officers and paratroopers, veterans of the Airborne Forces every year come to the grave of their Commander at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, where a monument is also erected to pay tribute to his memory.

Having gone from the commander of the formation to the commander of the Airborne Forces, V.F. Margelov turned the Airborne Troops into the elite of the Armed Forces. And it is not at all accidental that even today the abbreviation "VDV" is revealed both jokingly and seriously, as "Uncle Vasya's Troops", and Margelov's winged words have become the motto of the paratroopers for all time: "No one but us!".

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of Vasily Filippovich Margelov in the Airborne Forces.

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and public relations of the Airborne Forces