Taking insterburg. The night before the assault on Tilsit

23.10.202027.05.2017

As you know, the oldest snapshot of Koenigsberg dates back to 1860, which is incredibly late for the cities of Germany, which began filming since 1839. Moreover, officially Koenigsberg was considered the "Eastern Capital", where the emperors were crowned (that is, approximately had the status of Moscow in imperial Russia).
Tilsit (now Sovetsk) was the second most important city in the region (the territory of the modern Kaliningrad region).
I had never seen his pictures before the end of the 19th century, and when I set out to find something, the earliest ones found were the views of the 1870s.
Perhaps some of the readers have met Tilsit's photographs of the 1860s?

German street (Deutsche Strasse) and the main church of the city, 1870s:

German Street again, 1870s:

Again she, 1878-79:

Tilsit. Port and view of the old bridge over Memel, 1878-79:

I found a short chronology of Tilsit on the page on the history of the city.

1289 - the possible date of the foundation of the fortress by the Livonian Order;
1313 - construction of the first crossing of the Memel (Neman) river;
1410 - construction of the Order's fortress at the mouth of the Tilse;
1552 - the settlement near the fortress received the city law and the coat of arms;
1562 - construction of a dam on Tilsa and formation of a pond;
1612 - construction of the city church, destroyed after 1945;
1679 - Swedes at Tilsit;
1709 - the plague raged for two years, the city lost half of its inhabitants;
1757 - construction of the Land Kirk (Lithuanian Church), destroyed in 1945;
1758 - the stay of Russian troops in the city (until 1762);
1782 - the population of Tilsit was 7,700;
1783 - the poet Max Schenkendorf was born in Tilsit (died 1817);
1805 Tilsit Castle was handed over to merchants (casino, then prison);
1807 - Tilsit is occupied by French troops, the emperors Napoleon I Bonaparte, Alexander I, King Frederick William III with his wife Louise visited here;
1865 Tilsit is connected by railway with Insterburg;
1875 - construction of a railway bridge across the Neman;
1876 \u200b\u200b- the castle burned down on December 27;
1891 - opening of the Tilsit-Königsberg railway line;
1892 - writer Wilhelm Vidunas-Storosta (1868-1953) came to Tilsit, left the city in 1944;
1893 - the city theater was built in Tilsit;
1895 Tilsit left the subordination of Ragnit and became a district city;
1907 - completion of the Queen Louise Bridge across Memel;
1914 - Russian occupation of Tilsit;
1917 - the writer I. Bobrovsky was born in Tilsit (died in 1965);
1921 - the air service Danzig - Königsberg - Tilsit - Memel was opened;
1926 - the air traffic Berlin-Königsberg-Tilsit-Revel-Leningrad and Berlin-Königsberg-Tilsit-Moscow were opened;
1939 - the population of Tilsit was 55,000;
1941 - bombing of Tilsit by Soviet aviation;
1944 - Soviet and British air raids on Tilsit;
1945 - the capture of Tilsit by units of the Soviet army;
1946 - Tilsit was renamed Sovetsk;
1990 - the population of the city was about 43,000 people.

Velau (Znamensk) The city was taken on January 23, 1945 during the Insterburg-Königsberg operation.
Gumbinnen (Gusev) Having launched an offensive on January 13, 1945, the soldiers of the 28th Army were able to overcome the enemy's resistance and by the end of January 20, break into the eastern outskirts of the city. At 22:00 on January 21, by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the capture of the city was announced, gratitude and salute were announced to the troops who distinguished themselves and the 12th art. volleys from 124 guns.
Darkemen (Ozersk) The city was captured on January 23, 1945 during the Insterburg-Königsberg operation. In 1946 the city was renamed Ozersk. After the Second World War, the city was badly damaged, but the city center still retains its historical appearance.
Insterburg (Chernyakhovsk) Troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, 22.1..45. led the offensive along the entire front. On the Königsberg direction, with a decisive blow, they broke the fierce enemy resistance on the Pregel River and took by storm a powerful stronghold, a communications hub and the vital center of East Prussia, the city of Instenburg ... ... Seventh: 6 The army continued its attack on Instenburg. As a result of decisive actions of the right flank and center, they broke through the resistance of the enemy's Instenburg lines. On the left flank, by the end of the day, they were still fighting ...
Krantz (Zelenogradsk) Krantz was occupied by Soviet troops on February 4, 1945. Fierce battles were fought on the Curonian Spit, but Krantz himself practically did not suffer during the war. In 1946, Krantz was renamed Zelenogradsk.
Labiau (Polessk) The city was captured on January 23, 1945 during the Insterburg-Königsberg operation. In 1946 it was renamed Polessk in honor of the historical and geographical region of Polesie.
Neuhausen (Guryevsk) On January 28, 1945, the village of Neuhausen was taken by the 192nd Rifle Division under the command of Colonel L. G. Bosanets. On April 7 of the same year, the Königsberg district with the center in Neuhausen was formed, and on September 7, 1946, the city was renamed in honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General Stepan Savelyevich Guryev (1902-1945), who died during the assault on Pillau
Pillau (Baltiysk) The city was captured on April 25, 1945 by the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front and the forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet during the Zemland operation. The 11th Guards Army of Colonel General Galitsky took part in the assault on Pillau. On November 27, 1946, Pillau was named Baltiysk.
Preussisch-Eylau (Bagrationovsk) The city was captured on February 10, 1945 during the East Prussian operation. On September 7, 1946, the city was renamed in honor of the Russian commander, the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, General Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration.
Ragnit (Neman) The fortified city of Ragnit was taken by storm on January 17, 1945. After the war, Ragnit was renamed Neman in 1947.
Raushen (Svetlogorsk) In April 1945, Rauschen and the adjacent settlements were occupied without fighting. In 1946 it was renamed Svetlogorsk.
Tapiau (Gvardeysk) The city was captured on January 25, 1945 by the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front during the Insterburg-Königsberg operation: 39 A - part of the 221 SD forces (Major General V.N. Kushnarenko), 94 Sk (Major General Popov I.I.)
Tilsit (Sovetsk) The troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, decisively developing the offensive, defeated the enemy's Tilsit grouping and cut all the routes connecting Tilsit with Insterburg. Subsequently, with a swift blow of units of the 39th and 43rd Army at 22h. 30m. On January 19, 1945, they captured the powerful German defense center in East Prussia, the city of Tilsit.
Fischhausen (Primorsk) The city was captured on April 17, 1945 during the Zemland operation.
Friedland (Pravdinsk) The city was captured on January 31, 1945 by the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front during the East Prussian operation: 28 A - part of the forces of the 20 SD (Major General Myshkin A.A.), 20 SR (Major General Shvarev N.A.)
Hazelberg (Krasnoznamensk) On January 18, 1945, the city was taken by the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front during the Insterburg-Königsberg operation. In 1946 it was renamed into Krasnoznamensk.
Heiligenbeil (Mamonovo) The city was captured on March 25, 1945 during the destruction of the Heilsberg enemy group.
Stallupenen (Nesterov) The city was captured on October 25, 1944 by the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front during the Gumbinnen operation.

German street (Deutsche Strasse) and the main church of the city, 1870s:

German Street again, 1870s:

Again she, 1878-79:

Tilsit. Port and view of the old bridge over Memel, 1878-79:

I found a short chronology of Tilsit on the page on the history of the city.

The night before the assault on Tilsit.

Black towers on white snow

Spiers that pierced the sky.

What awaits us on a foreign shore -

Glory? Doom? Victory?

Tomorrow we will storm a foreign city,

The first enemy city.

Probably a tough battle awaits us

In this frosty season.

Attack on slippery ice tomorrow

The commanders will lead us.

We will take trouble from the planet

If we stay alive.

We will storm tomorrow, which means it's time

Sleep - let Victory dream,

Peaceful summer dream, heat,

But for some reason I can't sleep.

(A. Zhdanov)

Chronicle
hostilities in Tilsit

1939 March 23 German troops enter Memelgebit (Klaipeda region) across the Queen Louise Bridge.

The first Soviet planes in the skies over Tilsit.

The population leaves the city.

22 October 1944, the 2nd Guards Army, which included the 54th Rifle Corps, pursuing the retreating enemy, reached the northern bank of the Neman in the Tilsit area.

Bthey on the approaches to the Neman were fierce, but with bold and decisive actions, the Soviet soldiers broke the resistance of the Nazis and forced them to withdraw to the southern bank of the river.

Hthe Germans managed to blow up the bridges across the river, and the attempts of our soldiers to cross the river on the move were unsuccessful. The Hitlerites from the opposite bank fired heavily from all types of weapons. The approaches to the river were completely mined. The coastal part of the city has been carefully fortified. Before overcoming the water obstacle, it was necessary to scout everything in detail, to prepare in order to act for sure. Our units went over to the defensive. The 2nd Guards Army soon left here, handing over a sector to the 43rd Army and leaving it to the 54th Corps.

Zthe task of capturing Tilsit was later assigned to units of the 39th Army (commanded by Lieutenant General I.I.Lyudnikov), which was fighting on the outer bank of the Neman. And during the battles in January 1945, the 54th Rifle Corps of the 43rd Army (corps commander Lieutenant General A.S. Ksenofontov) was also involved in the direct implementation of this task, transferred to the southern bank of the river near Jurbarkas and transferred to temporary subordination 39th Army.

Bwere ready to go over to the offensive and the rest of the 43rd Army. They were only waiting for a more convenient moment to take the city.

Bformer squad leader Sergeant N.I. Chekrygin says:

“It was January 1945. Neman froze. Blizzards raged with frost at 15 degrees below zero. We spent the nights on the flight in the trenches, trying not to let the enemy come to our side ... We were dressed warmly, but the frost on the long January night reached our bones. During the day, German snipers, disguised in the attics of Tilsit, haunted them. The enemy pressed us with mortar and artillery fire ... We needed exceptional vigilance and caution ... During the defense at Tilsit, we had insignificant losses, but the more acutely we endured the death of our comrades.

ATthey were waiting for the order to storm ... "

15 On January 1945, the 54th Rifle Corps received an order to concentrate on a night march in the Jurbarkas area, 60 km east of Tilsit. A crossing over the Neman was established there. Having crossed the Neman here, he received an order to advance along the southern bank of the river and, in cooperation with the right-flank formations of the 39th Army, seize first Ragnit, and then Tilsit.

18 and on January 19 there were battles for Ragnit (Neman). The Nazis stubbornly defended this city, bringing SS units into battle. By 16 o'clock on January 19, 1945, the enemy's resistance was broken, the units of the 995th and 997th rifle regiments of the 263rd Sivash rifle division under the command of Colonel K.G. Cherepanov was one of the first to reach the city center.

FROMunions of the 54th Rifle Corps by the same time reached its western outskirts, from where the Nazis, firing back, hurriedly left along the highway to Tilsit. It was getting dark, a cold January night was coming ... But the offensive did not stop.

Dhero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Colonel P.L. Rogalev contacted by radio the commander of the 995th regiment, Lieutenant Colonel M.I. Volkov, and they decided, without waiting for dawn, to break into Tilsit on the shoulders of the fleeing Germans and take the city by night assault. The divisional commander approved this decision.

Hface-to-face combat in a strange, unfamiliar city is associated with many additional difficulties - it was necessary to fight literally "by touch", to unexpectedly make sure that every house and street was prepared by the enemy for all-round defense.

Pmaking a decision to storm the city at night, the regimental commanders counted, of course, first of all on the courage of their soldiers, on the surprise of the attack. This expectation was fully justified.

FROM from the very beginning of the assault on Tilsit, riflemen, artillerymen, sappers, tankmen - soldiers of all branches of the armed forces acted boldly and decisively, while showing resourcefulness, unbending will to win. When from the vanguard detachment, far from the neighbors and the first to reach the outskirts of Tilsit, a liaison was needed to send an urgent report to the regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Rogalev, the choice fell on Sergeant Abytai Kusmetov, who distinguished himself in the battles for Ragnit.

AT On the way, the brave warrior unexpectedly met a group of German soldiers stuck in our rear. Kusmetov, riding on horseback, tried to quickly slip through the dangerous place, but the horse under him was killed. Hiding behind the corpse of a horse, the warrior prepared for battle. But the Germans were in a hurry and, having decided that the sergeant had been killed, left. Kusmetov ran several kilometers to report the incident to the commander. The dispatch was delivered at the right time, and assistance was delivered to the vanguard.

263 -I rifle Sivash division at 19.30 came close to the eastern part of Tilsit. At 21.00, the forward battalion of the 997th Rifle Regiment occupied the city center, and the main forces of the regiment broke into the eastern part of Tilsit. The 995th Rifle Regiment cleared the southern part of Tilsit by 21.30.

Pcolonel P.L. Rogalev, who commanded the 997th Rifle Regiment, says:

« When a battle began on the eastern outskirts of Tilsit, our units, stationed on the right bank of the Neman, opened heavy fire on the city from the north. The enemy took this for the beginning of an offensive of the Soviet troops across the Neman and transferred here part of the forces opposing us. This made our task easier.

Bthe regiment's atalons, destroying the enemy's firing points installed in houses and on roofs, began to successfully advance towards the city center. Only in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shipyard and the market, where the enemy had strong mortar positions and pillboxes, connected by a continuous line of trenches, the regiment met stubborn resistance and was forced to wage a protracted battle ... "

AT 23.00, crossing the Neman ice, units of the 115th Kholmsk rifle division entered the northern and western outskirts of Tilsit. At this time, the 995th regiment was fighting for the southeastern part of the city, where the enemy was in a semi-encirclement and panic began among the enemy soldiers ...

2 The 1st and 3rd battalions of this regiment under the command of captains Pestov and Burov, having cleared the southeastern part of the city from the enemy, approached the Tilze river near the bridge. The bridge suddenly took off into the air, and from the opposite bank the enemy opened strong rifle-machine-gun and mortar fire. Both battalions lay down.

Do you remember we stood

On the parade ground wide ̶

In the center, all broken

Someone's pedestal

And around the sockets

Burnt out windows

Yes, some kind of scary

The houses grin ...

Dit became clear to everyone that the decisive moments had come, the delay - unnecessary sacrifices. At this critical moment, the assistant platoon commander, Sergeant Murbekov, exclaimed “For the Motherland! Hooray!" He quickly rushed onto the ice, the soldiers rose behind him and, despite the increased fire from the Germans, quickly reached the opposite bank. Having secured themselves on the captured line, the hero-infantrymen covered the crossing of both battalions with their fire, which were soon in the center of the city.

ATduring the crossing of Tilsa, our main forces opened fire on the ice by an enemy tank dug into the ground, and from the windows of the building of the current boarding school, the Nazis fired strong rifle fire. The deputy regiment commander, Major Yegorov, who was in charge of the crossing, ordered Senior Lieutenant P.P. Isaev to destroy the enemy tank with his assault group and suppress the fire from the building.

TOthe commander of the anti-tank gun, Hero of the Soviet Union, Sergeant I.P. Nechaev, quickly spotted the location of the tank by flashes and silenced him with well-aimed shots. Taking advantage of this, Isaev's group broke into the building, destroyed more than 20 Nazi soldiers there, and captured 17, led by an officer.

ABOUTnazis put up a fierce resistance on one of the central streets of the city (now Sovetskaya Street), especially in the area of \u200b\u200bthe church. To knock out the Nazis from here, anti-tank grenades were used. After a while, the garrison of the church is forced to surrender. Heated battles flared up in the northwestern outskirts of Tilsit, where the 115th Kholm Infantry Division was advancing.

Phaving crossed the Neman on the ice, battalions under the command of officers Seredko and Lozovsky captured the first enemy trenches in hand-to-hand combat and began to move towards the city center. Ahead were the units of officers Kovalev and Kuznetsov. The enemy repeatedly launched counterattacks, but they successfully fought back.

TO at one o'clock in the morning, the soldiers of the 1st battalion of the 995th regiment, having broken the stubborn resistance of the Nazis in the area of \u200b\u200bthe locomotive depot, broke into the territory of the railway station. By the same time, battalions of the 997th Infantry Regiment had reached the area of \u200b\u200bthe paper mill. The fascist command tried to send several trains with equipment and troops to Labiau (Polessk). But this was not done, the station soon fell. Among the trophies of our troops were several steam locomotives in pairs with dozens of loaded wagons

Hand on the territory of a paper mill, where the 2nd battalion of the 997th regiment entered under the command of Major Malafeevsky, a stubborn struggle was going on for the mastery of every shop and building. Here the soldiers of the 4th rifle company Komsomol Samburov and Gavrusev especially distinguished themselves. They entered into single combat with twenty Nazis and defeated them.

Mthe calculation was already in effect

76-mm gun, in which the Heroes of the Soviet Union fought sergeants L.I. Kuznetsov and V.E. Glazkov. The gunners destroyed the enemy tank, self-propelled artillery unit and cannon.

Pwith the support of neighboring units, the battalion of Major Malafeevsky by two o'clock in the morning seized the entire factory territory. At the same time, the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 995th Rifle Regiment, having crossed Tilsa, approached the city center.

FROMthe rapidity of the battle disorientated the enemy garrison. The Nazis did not know which streets and quarters were still in their hands. The Nazis tried to somehow maneuver, but these were always thwarted by the bold attacks of our soldiers.

TO at two o'clock in the morning the Germans began to surrender in large groups. And by dawn on January 20, Tilsit was completely cleared of Nazi troops.

« Pthe last major German defense center on the left bank of the Neman, which covered the exit to the Baltic Sea, fell. In the battle for Tilsit, the Germans suffered huge losses. Among the trophies our troops got are the banners of two defeated fascist regiments, ”wrote the front-line newspaper Krasnoarmeyskaya Pravda on January 21, 1945.

Bthe rapid fall of Tilsit was facilitated not only by the courage and courage of the soldiers who fought directly in the city, but also by the skillful actions of their neighbors - other divisions of the 54th corps, soldiers of the 90th rifle corps of the 43rd army, who crossed the Neman west of Tilsit, near the present village of Yasnoe , a soldier of the 103rd Rifle Corps of the 39th Army and the 1st Guards Tank Corps operating in the Gros-Skaisgirren (Bolshakovo) area. The Motherland highly appreciated the military exploits of those who hoisted the Red Banner of Victory in Tilsit. Dozens of officers and hundreds of soldiers were awarded high government awards. By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 19, 1945, 35 units and formations were awarded orders for excellent actions to destroy the entire Tilsit group of the enemy. The 997th, 995th and 576th rifle regiments, which fought directly on the streets of Tilsit, were awarded the Orders of Kutuzov.

Pon the order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 016 of February 19, 1945 113th Rifle Corps, 85th Rifle Regiment (115th Division), 801st Rifle Regiment (235th Division), 993rd Rifle Regiment (263 Division), 576th Rifle Regiment, 313rd Artillery Regiment (115th Division), 354th Guards Separate Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Red Banner Regiment, 853rd Artillery Regiment (263rd Division), 108th Separate mortar regiment, 89th Tank Order of Kutuzov Brigade (1st Guards Tank Corps), 182nd Assault Aviation Division, 90th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, 305th Fighter Aviation Regiment, 203rd Separate Aviation Order of the Red Star Squadron communications, the 28th separate engineer brigade of the Order of Kutuzov, the 1st separate order of the Red Star regiment - began to be called "Tilsit".

21 January 1945 in "Krasnaya Zvezda" a poem by the poet A. Zharov was published

"Tilsit Regiment":

Volleys thundered ten ... twenty ...

And then the fireworks of Moscow fell silent.

From now on, my infantry regiment

Tilsit will be called.

It's dark in the eyes of Germany:

The gate at the fortress is split! ..

Tilsit was the first Prussian city,

Whose name has been awarded to us.

It is well deserved

Forever a memorable battle

Everywhere will be with respect

To meet me in my country ...

FROM of this day, the history of the ancient German city, which had known different times - both dawn and decline, is a thing of the past. From now on, the city opened a new page of life, with new owners and new aspirations.

AND in memory of the days of heavy battles in the center of the city, in a picturesque park, on a marble pedestal, a T-34 tank is installed, heroically fighting thousands of kilometers along the road of that memorable war.

FROMthe people of Sheep sacredly honor the memory of the soldiers who died in the battles for the city, who gave their lives so that there was always peace on this earth. On the days of remembrance, there are always many young and old people and an endless sea of \u200b\u200bflowers.

Please accept my bow, front-line soldiers!

All my life I have one thing: while I live - I am in debt

For a difficult Victory in the forty-fifth, -

And I know that no payment

I can't pay you!

ADVISORY -

PARTICIPANTS IN THE FIGHTS FOR TILZIT

I. D. Kovalchuk

TO at the beginning of the East Prussian operation of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel Kovalchuk was the deputy regiment commander for combat units. And he tied his fate with the army back in 1930, when, being a 9-year-old boy, he became a pupil of the regiment. He studied the science of war directly in the unit, then at the infantry school - he received an officer's diploma on June 21, 1941, and the next day there was already a war. He also had time before the Great Patriotic War, realizing his artistic abilities, to pass exams externally for the course of the theater school. Shchepkina.

FROMiD Kovalchuk finished his howl military campaign on the shores of the Baltic Sea, in the port of Pillau, having received 6 wounds and two concussions on the fronts. In the same 1945, he was demobilized from the army. He worked in various theaters in the country, including the drama theater in our city.

A.A. Yudaev

Tso it happened that the Great Patriotic War officer Yudaev finished almost in the same places where he started. His company took the first battle at dawn on June 22 near the Lithuanian city of Taurage. Several orders and medals adorned his chest during the war, which he went through from start to finish.

Pbefore the East Prussian operation, Major Yudaev fought in the Baltic States, under his leadership, there were two reconnaissance groups called "Sailor" and "Charon". With his participation, data was collected for the army headquarters about Tilsit, its fortifications and the concentration of Nazi troops there.

Pafter the end of the war, Andrei Andreevich served in the army for another 10 years, and after leaving the reserve, he settled in Sovetsk, began to work in the convoy number 1704. The fame of an excellent locksmith, the author of interesting rationalization proposals, was fixed in him.

A.V. Artamonov

AT1943 Kostroma boy Alexander Artamonov, who was not yet eighteen, went to the front at the Komsomol appeal. Force then was not offended - before that he rafted wood along the rivers. I got into a rifle unit, then into a separate mine blasting platoon. In 1944 he was sent to a dog breeding school located in the Moscow region. Returning to the front, he became the guide of a service dog that helped him in clearing mines.

Pafter the war he stayed in our city, for many years he worked as a mechanic in a military consumer services plant.

THEM. Take a walk

FROMmain battle and labor path with Ivan Mikhailovich Walking. He found himself in a frantic military cycle from the first day of the fascist invasion. He then lived in the Lviv region, and worked as a deputy director of a brick factory. I had to go east, already in Vinnitsa I changed civilian clothes for military uniforms.

Phe received his first serious baptism of fire on the Stalingrad front. Participated in Operation Bagration, during which Belarus was liberated. Then - in the East Prussian operation.

Pafter the end of the war he again worked in Ukraine, and in 1953 he moved to Sovetsk, where, until retirement, he held various positions in a bath and laundry plant, in Zagotzerno, at a petroleum storage depot.

A.V. Fedotova

Rshe was dressed on February 15, 1924 in the Oryol region of the Pokrovsky district in the village of Nizhnyaya Sergeevka. In June 1941, a bomb hit the plant where she worked, and work stopped.

30 April 1942, Anna Vasilievna volunteered for the front because she wanted to avenge her land occupied by the invaders for her sister and brother who were in slavery.

20 august 1942 she was sent to the Kaliningrad front in the 90th communications regiment as a telegraph operator. Near Rzhev on August 30, 1942, the front suffered heavy losses. Soon they were disbanded in connection and formed a separate and later the Order of the Red Star by the Borisov communications battalion, which served the 113th Rifle Corps, which was part of the 39th Army. As part of these troops, she went through two wars - with Germany and Japan.

M.N. Golovin

Pwent through the entire Great Patriotic War. He defended Moscow, liberated Gzhdatsk, Vyazma, Borisov, Vilnius, Kaunas. Came to East Prussia - went through Tilsit, Koenigsberg.

AND then from the far west the path went through the whole country to the Far East, where there was a war with Japan. And there the battle path went through Manchurino, South Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands

Hawarded with the Order of the Patriotic War II degree, medals "For Victory over Germany", "For Victory over Japan", three thanks from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin.

S.V. Grigoriev

Rhe was dressed on February 17, 1924 in the village of Dubrovka, Lychkovsky district, Novgorod region.

AT As part of the sapper battalion, he participated in the clearance of minefields. I had to build crossings, install pontoon bridges, sometimes be in the water.

Pafter the war, he continued his military service. In 1951 he was appointed battery commander of the 149th Guards Artillery Regiment. In April 1964, he retired due to illness.

ANDholds the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree and the Red Star, medals “For Courage” “For Military Merit”, “For Victory over Germany”, Zhukov's medal, and several jubilee ones.

E.I. Kitaeva

Rdressed in the Vitebsk region. After graduating from school, she studied in Minsk as a technician-topographer. In 1939 she received a referral to the Polesie region. There the war found me.

Pwith enemy bombing and raids, they had to make their way to the east. We got to Tambov. There we were met, fed, and when checking the documents it turned out that we needed specialists like me.

Mi had to go through a lot. During one of the reconnaissance I came across a cache of weapons and skis. She got up on skis, hung on herself, as much as she could, weapons. I barely got there.

Di met Victory Day in my native Belarus.

Hawarded with the Order of the Patriotic War, the sign of a front-line soldier, medals.

S.I. Bartashevsky

Rdressed in 1923 in the Byelorussian SSR, where he finished 6 classes of the local school. In autumn 1943 he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army. He took part in the battles for the liberation of Ukraine and Belarus.

Pafter the end of the war, this unit was disbanded. Stanislav Iosifovich was transferred to the service in the summer part, where he served until 1949, outside Berlin. After demobilization he immediately arrived in Sovetsk. For two years he worked at the TsBZ, seven years at the railway, then worked as a driver.

Hand retired at 70. Awards: Order of the Red Star, Order of the Patriotic War-II degree, medal For Courage, For the capture of Konigsberg, Zhukov's medal and many other commemorative medals.

The clatter of caterpillars, Katyusha discharges

And mine was a deafening howl.

"forward! For the homeland! ", -

The battalion commanders shouted

And hundreds of soldiers were leading them.

It is very difficult to rise to the attack

And conquer the banks of the height.

But are our guys afraid of the bullet ?!

To those who carried a dream about victory ?!

We remember all who fell victim to:

The streets were named after them.

And to Victory Park, where the tank was lifted,

We bring flowers to the mass grave.

(N. Lebedev)

ATduring the preparation for the assault on Tilsit, the Jack reconnaissance group operated under the leadership of the group commander Pavel Krylatykh.

Eher scouts delivered 18 "tongues", presented the exact location of the enemy troops.

It was one of the best reconnaissance groups in the world.

The detachment lasted six months.

Used Books

1. Through fiery whirlwinds // Combat path of the 11th Army. - M.: Military Publishing, 1987, p. 22

2. Beloborodov A.P. Always in action. M., 1984

3. Great Patriotic War. Encyclopedia. M., 1985

4. USSR in the Second World War 1941-1945 // Brief Chronicle. M., 1970

5.BOB. 1041-1945: A Brief History. M., 1084

6. Military encyclopedic dictionary. M., 1983

7. Liberation of cities // Handbook on the liberation of cities during the Second World War 1941-1945. Moscow, 1983

8.Galitsky K.N. In the battles for East Prussia. M., 1970

9.Tilsit-Sovetsk, publishing house "KLADEZ" Kaliningrad 2007

10.Searching material of the Museum of the College of Technology

11.Newspaper materials

He continues to talk about the first victories of the Red Army on the territory of Nazi Germany. Today, January 20, marks the 70th anniversary of the capture of the city of Tilsit (now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad region).

On the evening of January 19, 1945, the Red Army went to the eastern outskirts of the city of Tilsit. At night, three rifle regiments of the 54th corps fought street battles, making their way to the city center. The 115th Kholmsk Red Banner Division was advancing from the right northern bank of the Memel River. On the morning of January 20, after a powerful artillery preparation with a swift throw on the ice, they crossed the river and struck a counter strike. From the south, the city was stormed by the 89th tank brigade under the command of the colonel Andrew Sommernamed after a street in the center of Kaliningrad.

The enemy was in a semi-encirclement, and panic broke out among the enemy soldiers. By two o'clock in the morning, on January 20, the Germans began to surrender in large groups. By 10 o'clock in the morning, Tilsit was taken.

In honor of the successful completion of the assault on Tilsit at 22:00 on January 20, 1945, a salute was given in Moscow with 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns.

On the same day, the city of Heinrichswalde (now Slavsk) was occupied without a fight.

Soviet troops on one of the central streets of Tilsit. February 1, 1945 Photo: Victory.rusarchives.ru.

By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the honorary title "Tilsit" was given to several regiments. On January 21, 1945, Krasnaya Zvezda published a poem by the poet A. Zharov “Tilsit Regiment”:

Volleys thundered ten ... twenty ...
And then the fireworks of Moscow fell silent.
From now on, my infantry regiment
Tilsit will be called.
It's dark in the eyes of Germany:
The gate at the fortress is split! ..
Tilsit was the first Prussian city,
Whose name has been awarded to us.
It is well deserved
Forever a memorable battle
Everywhere will be with respect
To meet me in my country ...

The veteran of the Great Patriotic War from Kaliningrad, 89-year-old Boris Petrovich Pirozhkov, who took Tilsit. Photo from the NewsBalt archive

Veteran of the Great Patriotic War from Kaliningrad Boris Petrovich Pirozhkov, who took Tilsit as part of Sommer's 89th Tank Brigade, recalls in an interview with Baltic Plus radio station:

- Everyone wanted to live. Just imagine - you go on the attack and everyone is shooting at you. The sniper hits! In Sovetsk, only our Pohitkoleaned out - once, a bullet immediately in the forehead. Pokhitko was a good boy, he was a Ukrainian himself, he was older than us. He was buried in a mass grave somewhere near Sovetsk. Do you think it's so easy to go on the attack? The gunners will definitely shoot at you. Two or three guns are aimed at you. And anti-aircraft guns, and mortars! We even had such a soldier's rumor: the Fritzes have better mortars than ours. But our artillerymen are better than Fritz's. This is our soldier's bike ( laughs).

To be continued…

Soviet troops on one of the central streets of Tilsit. February 1, 1945 Photo: Victory.rusarchives.ru.

The veteran of the Great Patriotic War from Kaliningrad, 89-year-old Boris Petrovich Pirozhkov, who took Tilsit. Photo from the NewsBalt archive

Order 1 on the democratization of the army adopted

Order number 1 introduced

Alexander Mikhailovich (grandson of Nicholas I)