Tank column created at the expense of the church. Tank column of the Russian Orthodox Church named after Dmitry Donskoy. Tank column "Dmitry Donskoy"

Annotation. The report discusses the organization of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church to collect donations among Orthodox believers and clergy for the creation of the column. are given specifications modifications of the tanks included in the column, the places of their production, the combat path of the tanks of the column in 1944. Keywords: tank column "Dimitriy Donskoy", Russian Orthodox Church, Tula tank camp, OT-34 tanks, Krasnoe Sormovo plant.

One of the most interesting topics in history is the history of the tank column. Being created with funds raised by Orthodox believers of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the column was one of 150 tank columns formed during the war years at the expense of the country's population. The tanks of the column and their crews actively participated in the combat operations of the Soviet Army in 1944 and contributed to our common victory over the enemy. The column has become one of the symbols of our victory. The historiography on this topic cannot be called extensive. The column is devoted to a number of short articles published in print and on electronic resources. Information about it is presented in reports of tank columns and reference publications1, as well as in works on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church1. Despite the attention of church historians to the tank column, there are still some gaps regarding various aspects of its creation (organization of fundraising, places of production of tanks, their combat path, etc.).

Involvement in the study of the history of the column of new factual data from the studies of historians tank troops, documents on the combat path of military units 2 in which the tanks of the column operated, allow us to highlight new aspects of its history. In general, the history of the column appears before us as one of the episodes of the war. Of course, the same episodes in the history of the war are the stories of all other tank columns and air squadrons created during the war years at the expense of the country's population.

In this regard, it seems important in scientific terms to develop approaches to the study of similar episodes in the history of the Great Patriotic War using the example of this tank column. Patriotic War. First of all, it should be noted that the history of the Dimitry Donskoy tank column is the first experience of cooperation between the Soviet state and the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The sphere of this cooperation was their joint activity in organizing the defense of the country, concerning its liturgical, propaganda and practical activities, contributing to the defeat of the enemy. The church organized a collection of donations among believers for the National Defense Fund. By October 1944, these donations totaled 150 million rubles. In total, during the war years, 300 million rubles were transferred. 3 . These fees joined the general movement of the working people of the USSR to raise funds for the Red Army Defense Fund for the construction of tanks, aircraft, warships.

From a spiritual point of view, this movement became an expression of the enduring patriotism of the country's population during the war years. The principled position of the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate, expressed by its hierarchs already in the first days of the war, contributed to the development of the church's activities. The personal qualities of the hierarchs of the church, who were patriots of their Motherland, sincerely wished for victory over fascism and contributed to it with their activities, played their role. At the same time, the Soviet state, faced with the need to rally the entire population of the country and mobilize it to achieve victory over the enemy, began to abandon frontal militant atheism, anti-religious propaganda and repressive policies against the church and believers.

It met the aspirations and requests of the hierarchs of the church and the faithful. Great importance The historic meeting of Metropolitan Sergius with I. V. Stalin on September 4, 1943 was necessary for the development of the church’s activities. In January 1943, the Moscow Patriarchate received his permission to open a bank account, which turned it into a legal entity and gave it the opportunity to carry out its collections of donations legally . A special place in the collection of funds for the Defense Fund of the Moscow Patriarchate is occupied by the tank column "Dimitri Donskoy". Starting the collection of funds for tanks, the hierarchs of the church never hid their desire to be with the people in the difficult period of the country's existence and to help defeat the enemy. In his appeal to the flock with an appeal to raise funds for the construction of a tank column named after Dmitry Donskoy (December 30, 1942), Metropolitan Sergius wrote: “Let our church column bear the blessing of our Orthodox Church and its unceasing prayer for the success of Russian weapons. But it will give us all a comforting realization that we will not stand aside, that we, according to our strength and ability, are participating in the holy work of saving the motherland. The ideological and substantive basis for cooperation between the church and the Soviet state in the course of creating a tank column was the history of Russia, expressed in the image of its historical personality - the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy. The very act of transferring the tanks of the column to military units carried a great patriotic charge.

All the tanks created at the expense of believers and clergymen were brought together and solemnly handed over to the active army. For the first time in Soviet practice, hierarchs were given the opportunity not only to personally hand over tanks to military units, but also to admonish soldiers before being sent to the front. On March 7, 1944, during the transfer of tanks, Metropolitan Nikolai personally presented the tank commanders with passports (forms) of tanks and gifts from the patriarchate, accepted their reports, and delivered a pep talk at a rally dedicated to the transfer of tanks. This was the first official meeting of a representative of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church with soldiers and commanders of the Red Army. For the leadership of the country, this solemn transfer of the column was an action that significantly increased the morale of Soviet soldiers. It is important to note that the efforts of the church resonated with the Soviet soldiers. The tankers of the 516th separate tank regiment, who received these tanks, in their letter of thanks thanked Metropolitan Nikolai for military equipment and expressed readiness to fight on it. In form, this letter could be called a typical document of the era, in which the soldiers are thankful for the support and help of home front workers. But in terms of its addressee, it is unique for Soviet reality. The command of the unit, its party and Komsomol organizations thanked the church hierarch! In the process of creating the column received its further development and the ideological and historical basis of cooperation - the history of the country and the state, its historical figures - in particular, the great Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy.

In their patriotic messages of the first months of the war, in search of historical examples of the struggle of the leaders of the Russian state, church hierarchs turn to historical figures Russian history. In the “Message to the Shepherds and Flocks of the Orthodox Church of Christ,” Metropolitan Sergius, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, said: “Let us remember the holy leaders of the Russian people, Alexander Nevsky and Dimitry Donskoy, who sacrificed their souls for the people and the Motherland ... this is not the first time the Russian people have to endure such trials. With God's help, this time too, he will scatter the fascist reptile into dust." Metropolitan Sergius also refers to the images of Dmitry Donskoy and Sergius of Radonezh as examples of Russia's struggle for independence in his Message to the pastors and flock on October 14, 1941 2 . By the first half of 1942, in the sermons and addresses of church hierarchs, Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy were most often mentioned. The name Alexander Nevsky in April - November 1942 was used for Aircraft Squadron 3. Now it's the turn for the name of Dmitry Donskoy.

Starting from the XV century. was revered in the Russian Orthodox Church as a locally venerated saint (his all-Russian canonization took place at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988). In his veneration, the merit of the Grand Duke was often emphasized not only as a conductor of faith, but also as a defender of the Fatherland 1 . Turning to the image of Dmitry Donskoy, church hierarchies constantly emphasized the continuity of his exploits and the exploits of the soldiers of the Red Army. In an appeal to start raising funds for a tank column, Locum Tenens Sergius wrote: “Let us repeat, on behalf of our entire Orthodox Church, the example of St. Sergius of Radonezh and send our army, along with our prayers and blessings, material evidence of our participation in the common feat: we will build a column of tanks with our donations named after Dmitry Donskoy. The same idea was emphasized by Sergius in his speech at the reception on the occasion of the transfer of the column on March 30, 19442.

Thus, this appeal became an expression of the unwavering commitment of the Russian Church to its historical traditions. Historical continuity sounded in the very name of the column. It was precisely the church version of the spelling of the name of the great Moscow prince, Dimitry Donskoy, that was chosen. The Church has always glorified him by the name given to him in baptism. This edition of his name was recorded in literary works, icons, prayers of the church and was used in all liturgical practice of the church. It is characteristic that in 1988 he was canonized precisely as "Holy and Righteous Prince Dimitry Donskoy"3. The appeal to outstanding Russian historical figures also lay in line with changes in the official Soviet state. Already from the beginning of the 1930s, as the external threat to the USSR increased, there was a strengthening of national-patriotic tendencies and the appeal of Russian state with external enemies to the image of Alexander Nevsky. The peak of Dmitry Donskoy's ideological popularity also took place during the war years.

By the autumn of 1941, a circle of historical figures was identified who should be used in official propaganda. Stalin’s speech at the parade on Red Square on November 7 said: “Let the courageous image of our great ancestors - Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Kuzma Minin, Dmitry Pozharsky, Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov inspire you in this war”1. The images proposed by the Moscow Patriarchate corresponded to this official list of historical figures. Among other tank columns, single tanks, aircraft, created during the war years, the tank column "Dimitri Donskoy", due to the historical and patriotic content of its name, took a special place. Among the purely Soviet, class names, there were very few names reflecting the state, its outstanding personalities (Dimitri Donskoy, Suvorov, Kutuzov).

Our column became the first experience of using the country's historical past to develop patriotism in Soviet troops Oh. In total, over 8 million rubles were collected for the column. In the total amount of funds contributed to the Defense Fund during the war years and used to create military equipment for the front (5,873,000 rubles), the amount seems to be very modest (about 0.4) 2 . But patriotic and psychological significance tank column was that for the first time the Orthodox believers of the USSR got the opportunity to make their contribution to the victory, to feel not like outcasts condemned by the atheistic majority, but as equal citizens of the country who sincerely worked for victory. The tank column became the first symbol of spiritual reconciliation and unity of the country's population. The gatherings were held in an organized manner, and their order was outlined in the Appeal of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens on December 30, 1942 3 . They were carried out by church clergy and parishes. Church mugs were established in churches. Collections could be carried out by special collectors who went from house to house. The collected funds were deposited in local branches of the State Bank and then transferred to the main office of the State Bank, to a special fund for the construction of the column. Individuals, parishioners, clergy, persons who wished to remain anonymous could transfer funds directly at the branch of the State Bank.

The leaders of the dioceses were informed about donations and through them - the Locum Tenens himself, who transmitted collected funds at the disposal of the Chairman of the Defense Council I. V. Stalin, along with reports on donors and their donations. Metropolitan Nicholas was quite sincere when he wrote: “The collection of these donations ... proceeded with great enthusiasm. It was a demonstration of the high patriotic sentiments of the Russian Church, the complete unity of the Church with all the people in a common impulse to defend the Motherland from the vile enemy. There are many testimonies of such sincerity of the donations of believers. The historian M. Spirin, referring to the story of his grandfather, wrote that Nikiforov, a toolmaker, who had already given all his savings to the defense fund, having learned about the fees for the column, “signed off” to “Dimitri Donskoy” his entire salary for six months in advance”2. Gatherings were held in the territories recently liberated from the enemy. Archpriest of the church Troitsky of the Dnepropetrovsk region recalled: “There was no money in the church cash desk, but we had to get it ... I blessed two 75-year-old old women for this great deed. Let their names be known to people: Kovrigina Maria Maksimovna and Gorbenko Matrena Maksimovna. And they went, they went after all the people had already made their contribution through the village council. Two Maksimovnas went to ask in the name of Christ to protect their dear Motherland from rapists. They went around the entire parish - villages, farms and towns, located 5-20 kilometers from the village, and as a result - 10 thousand rubles, a significant amount in our places devastated by German monsters.

By March 1944, 1,814,455 rubles had been collected in the Saratov and Stalingrad diocese. In December 1943, Archpriest G. Pakhanov, temporarily acting as dean, called on his flock in the Donbass to participate in the creation of the column. AT besieged Leningrad 1 million rubles were collected. Gatherings were held even on the territory occupied by the Nazi troops. Having no money, the inhabitants of these places brought their wedding rings, watches, icons salaries. Priest Fyodor Puzanov from the village of Brodovichi Zapolye in the occupied Pskov region managed to collect a whole sack of gold coins, silver, church utensils and money among the faithful. These donations for total amount about 500 thousand rubles. were transferred through the partisans to the mainland5. Among the most active fundraising regions were Kuibyshev, Astrakhan, Penza, Vologda, Kazan, Saratov, Perm, Ufa. 2 million rubles was collected in Moscow, of which only in the Moscow Epiphany Cathedral - more than 400 thousand rubles. There were also more modest donations.

The parishioners of the Vvedenskaya Church of the Kirovsky District of Kursk collected 10,000 rubles. The money was transferred by the clergy themselves. In January 1943, 100 thousand rubles were transferred. Moscow Patriarchy, 300 thousand rubles. Elohovsky Cathedral in Moscow and 100 thousand rubles. personally by the priest of the cathedral N. F. Kolchitsky1. The next aspect of the history of the war, with which the history of the Dimitry Donskoy tank column is closely connected, is the military aspect, which includes the organization of military units that received the tanks of the column, their combat operations, the military technical characteristics of these tanks and places of their production. Solemn transfer of tanks of the column to tank units Soviet army March 7, 1944 took place near Tula near the village of Gorelki on the territory of the Tula tank camp, (Tula training camp for tankers), where in 1944-1945. tank units and subunits were formed and were being reorganized. The Tula camp was created in 1943 on the basis of the camp transferred first to the Ryazan - Voronezh - Tula region, and then near Tula in the village. Tatishchevo Saratov region. Here he lived until the end of the war.

The Tula camp was located north of Tula in the area of the villages of Volot, Khomyakovo, Gorelka, and the Tesnitsky camps. Tank columns have never been either permanent military units or temporary tactical units. They were groups of tanks sent to be handed over to military units. Named tank columns were groups of combat vehicles created at the expense of individuals, various groups and strata of the population. Our tank column really existed as a whole only from the moment the tanks were created at the factory until they were handed over to military units. After the transfer, the tanks were divided among different tank regiments and never fought together. All of them were united only by the inscription “Dimitry Donskoy” painted on their dirty-white towers. And this inscription was of great psychological significance at the front. M. Kolomiets, I. Moshchansky write: “The slogans, drawings and inscriptions applied to the combat vehicle had not only identification, but also moral and psychological significance. A tank or armored car, which had a personal name, was likened to a living creature, fighting together with the crew against a common enemy. This kind of fetishism quite effectively strengthens the psyche of a warrior in especially difficult combat situations. The tanks of the column were transferred to separate 38th and 516th flamethrower tank regiments. These military units were not part of tank and mechanized brigades and corps. They were directly subordinate to the front commanders and were assigned to the combined arms armies and rifle and engineering units to perform specific combat missions. According to the state number 010/507 of March 4, 1944, a separate tank regiment had 21 tanks, distributed between two tank companies.

Flamethrower tank regiments began to form starting in 1944 on the basis of separate flamethrower tank battalions and had specific 500 numbers. According to the state number 010/463 (February 1944), 21 tanks were also provided for in such a regiment, of which 18 were flamethrower and 3 ordinary linear ones1. Both tank units already had experience in combat operations on the fronts of the war. Back in January - the first half of February 1944, they operated as part of the 2nd Baltic Front 2, where in heavy battles with the enemy they completely lost their military equipment. On February 22, the 38th regiment arrived at the Tula tank camp (regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel I.F. Gorlach) 3 . Around the same time, the 516th regiment arrived here (regiment commander, Major N. I. Lobanov) 4 . The column transferred to the indicated regiments included 40 tanks. The 516th Separate Flamethrower Tank Regiment received 21 vehicles. These were special OT-34 flamethrower tanks, produced in the USSR since 1942 and discontinued shortly thereafter. While maintaining the main gun (76.2 mm), such a tank was also armed with an ATO-42 powder piston flamethrower (since the beginning of 1943) instead of a course machine gun Flamethrower, the rate of fire of which was 24-30 rounds per minute, throwing range 100 - 130 meters , fired a special viscous fire mixture ejected by compressed air. The crew of the tank included three people 5 .

Approaching enemy fortifications, flamethrower tanks literally poured fire on the enemy, destroyed and destroyed his fortifications, thereby facilitating the subsequent assault by the infantry, significantly reducing its losses6. Since the second half of 1943, during the unfolding Soviet offensive to destroy the strong fortifications of the enemy and suppress his firing points, the need for such tanks was great. 19 vehicles were transferred to the 38th separate tank regiment. These were the newest T-34-85 tanks, the serial production of which had just begun in December 1943 (they were adopted by the army on January 23, 1944. 1st Regiment received them one of the first. Being armed with a more powerful 85-mm gun D-5T ( created on the basis of an anti-aircraft gun) and having enhanced armor protection, the T-34-85 tank retained the maneuverability and mobility of previous models of the T-34 tank and could also engage in fights with heavy and medium German tanks. The shell of his cannon pierced with a direct hit the armor of the German "Panthers" and "Tigers" up to 111 mm thick at a distance of up to 1 km and up to 138 mm from a distance of 500 meters.

A distinctive feature of this tank was also a commander's observation turret with a radio station on the turret wall, which provided the commander with observation of the battle scene and fire adjustment 2 . The crew of the tank was 5 people. By the middle of 1944, the T-34-85 tank became the main Soviet medium tank, produced in the USSR until 1950 and for quite a long time in some countries of Europe and Asia. D. Ustyantsev, S. Kolmakov write: “Unlike the “thirty-four” of the 1941 model, no one calls the T-34-85 tank a “wonder weapon” or a “super tank”. That's right - he had enough shortcomings, however, in terms of the totality of the main parameters: maneuver, fire, armor - the T-34-85 had no equal rivals. Tank T-3485 was not perfect car. It was simply the best medium tank of World War II. After receiving tanks, already by April 1, 1944, the 38th regiment was sent with new equipment to the 2nd Ukrainian Front, where it was subordinated to the command of the 53rd Army 4 . Even before May 1, 1944, the 516th regiment was in the Tula camp, then on June 1, 1944 it was in the reserve of the Supreme High Command, and by July 1, 1944 it was sent to the 1st Belorussian Front, where it was included in the 2 th Assault Engineer Brigade, operating jointly with the 28th Army 5 . This was one of the five flamethrower tank regiments included in the spring of 1944 in the assault engineer-engineer brigades, along with tank engineer regiments, to better ensure the assault on enemy fortifications. The formation of the 2nd brigade was completed by June 1944, which, apparently, was the reason for the delay in sending the regiment to front 1. Separate consideration requires the question of the place of production of the tanks of the column. In most articles on this topic, the place of their production is called the Chelyabinsk plant2. However, this enterprise mainly produced heavy KV tanks and only in July 1942 was connected to the production of T-34 tanks, among which there could be OT-34 flamethrower tanks.

In March 1944, by order of the State Defense Committee, the production of T-34 at the Chelyabinsk plant was stopped to increase the production of heavy IS-2 tanks, and by April of this year it was completely curtailed. Thus, T-34s were produced at the plant only in July 1942 - April 1944. T-34-85 tanks in Chelyabinsk began to be produced only in the first half of 1945 3 . Therefore, the production of column tanks at the Chelyabinsk plant can only be discussed in relation to the OT-34. The place of production of the T-34-85 tanks included in the column is also called the Nizhny Tagil Tank Plant (plant No. 183, named after the Comintern, Uralvagonzavod) 4 . But by a GKO decree in November 1943, the production of these tanks was initially entrusted only to plant No. 112 (Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorky). It was supposed to start here in December 1943, but it really began only in February 1944. And until March 15, when Uralvagonzavod began production of the T-35-85 (and actually in April), these tanks were produced only by plant No. 112 .

In June 1944, plant No. 174 in Omsk mastered these tanks, in the first half of 1945 they were produced in equal measure by three plants - Krasnoye Sormovo, Uralvagonzavod and plant No. 174 in Omsk. In total, up to April 1944, 255 such tanks were produced at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant 5 . The erroneous conclusion about Uralvagonzavod as a place for the production of columns tanks is due to the fact that all design and testing work on the new T-34-85 tank was carried out precisely at Uralvagonzavod, which had a powerful production base, a design bureau and personnel from such large plants as the Kharkov Tractor plant, Moscow machine-tool plant named after V.I. S. Ordzhonikidze, Orlovsky plant, Mariupol. The transfer of mass production to the Krasnoye Sormovo plant can be explained primarily by the desire to work out

the technology of serial production of a new model of tanks, first at one enterprise, and then quickly introduce the already proven technology at all other enterprises, as well as a special secrecy regime in wartime conditions, the desire not to concentrate all production and documentation on one enterprise in order to avoid information from entering the enemy and his possible sabotage. Thus, the place of production of T-34-85 tanks should be considered the Gorky Krasnoye Sormovo plant. This point of view is also shared by such authoritative researchers of the history of Soviet tanks as M. Spirin and I. Moshchansky1. As for the place of production of the most massive tanks of the OT-34 war period, they could be produced both at the Uralvagonzavod (where, by the way, they were also developed), and at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant, as well as at the plant in Omsk (factory No. 79) and the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. The tanks of the 38th regiment were the first of the tanks of the Dimitry Donskoy column to enter the battle. The regiment participated in the Uman-Botoshansk operation of the 2nd Ukrainian Front (March 5 - April 17, 1944). On March 23-29, tankers, together with the 94th Guards Rifle Division of the 53rd Army in 1944, liberated a number of settlements in the area of Uman and Balta (Odessa region), Kotovsk, crossed the river. Dniester.

In April 1944, the regiment fought on the territory of Moldova together with the 25th and 89th Guards Rifle Divisions. In less than two months, the regiment fought more than 130 kilometers 2 . In the battles of the regiment, many officers and soldiers of the regiment distinguished themselves. In total, 49 tankers were awarded orders and medals of the USSR in the regiment. For all the time of the fighting, 21 soldiers and 10 regiments died the death of the brave on the battlefields. In the battles near the city of Kotovsk, the gunner-radio operator A. A. Morozov died the death of a hero. On April 8, 1944, in a battle near the village of Ustya, the crew of junior lieutenant N. M. Rumyantsev 3 fought the enemy in a burning tank to the last. For the successful completion of combat missions in April 1944, the regiment was awarded the honorary title "Guards" and the name "Dniester". After these heavy battles, the regiment was withdrawn from hostilities and sent back for reorganization. In June 1944, the 516th regiment entered the battle in Belarus. In June - August 1944, the 516th regiment, as part of the 2nd assault engineer-sapper brigade, participated in the Bobruisk operation (June 24-29, 1944), and then surrounded by the enemy's Brest grouping (Lublin - Brest operation). July 18 - August 2, 1944 The 28th Army, in the offensive zone of which the brigade operated, together with the 65th Army repulsed the enemy's counterattack, went to the Western Bug and engulfed the enemy troops from the north and northwest. Together with the 70th Army, the 9th Guards Rifle Corps of the 61st Army, its troops occupied Brest and completed the defeat of the enemy in the forests west of the city. On August 2, the regiment entered the territory of Poland and then participated in the battles to break through the Outer Warsaw defensive bypass. The 2nd brigade was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, and for participation in the Lublin-Brest operation, the personnel of the regiment were thanked by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief 1 . On June 19, 1944, the regiment, together with the engineering units, was attached to the 96th and 55th rifle divisions of the 3rd guards and 20 rifle corps, participated in very difficult battles for the settlements of Gorokhovishchi, Brody, Vyazhny, Dubrava, Springs, Korma. In these battles, the tankers of the regiment destroyed 68 guns and mortars, 83 machine guns and an anti-tank rifle of the enemy, a lot of manpower, 33 pillboxes were burned, 45 soldiers and the enemy were captured. In the battle for Gorokhovishchi, the tank commander, junior lieutenant S. I. Marchenko, jumping out of his tank after blowing it up on a mine, found a passage in the minefield and led the tanks to the enemy’s front line, and then he replaced the driver of another tank who was out of action.

In the battle for the village of Gleva, the driver-mechanic M. K. Dosov, having directed the tank at the enemy group, destroyed it with flamethrowing 2 . By 1945, the tactics of using flamethrower tanks as part of assault engineering teams. They were used along with backpack mortars to destroy tanks and other means of enemy defense, its fortifications and manpower. Coming into battle after engineer tanks that destroyed mines and made passages in enemy minefields, flamethrower tanks, moving into common line advancing and supporting the infantry, they literally poured fire on the enemy and his fortifications. If it was necessary to suppress the enemy's firing points, they moved forward, fired from flamethrowers, burned the infantry in the trenches and destroyed armored vehicles3. Of decisive importance in the battle was the successful interaction of tanks, infantry and sappers, which was achieved by training

Tanks with inscriptions "Dimitri Donskoy" were lost quickly enough. It is known that by the beginning of April 1944, only 9 vehicles remained in the 38th regiment, and by the end of April there were only two of them. April 24, 1944 tanks with the inscription "Dimitri Donskoy" took last Stand as part of the 38th regiment 1. The regiment was withdrawn from the front. On reorganization in the Moscow Military District in July, he receives heavy tanks and a new number - the 74th Guards Separate Heavy Tank Regiment, and then is renamed the 364th Self-Propelled Tank Artillery Regiment and ends the war under this number and name 2.

It can be assumed that a certain part of the Dimitry Donskoy tanks, after the withdrawal of the 38th regiment, continued to participate in hostilities as part of rifle units. They could also be used as repair and recovery vehicles and tractors for the delivery of wrecked and damaged equipment and captured equipment to the places of its repair, disposal and storage 3 . In this capacity, these tanks could operate in 1945. Perhaps these were the tanks that were transferred to museums after the war and are now installed in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery.

By October 10, 1944, only two tanks with the inscription "Dimitri Donskoy" remained in the 516th regiment, which were soon sent for overhaul. By October of this year, the regiment was no longer mentioned as a separate combat unit, although the 2nd Assault Engineer Brigade continued to fight as part of the 70th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. The regiment reappeared as a separate unit in January 1945 and operated as part of the said brigade until the end of the war4. This can only be explained by the fact that by this time the remaining tanks of the regiment were subordinated directly to the brigade units or even to other units in general. At the beginning of 1945, the 516th regiment, already with new equipment, took part in the battles on the territory of Poland and the liberation of Lodz, Poznan, on the Seelow Heights5.

Large losses of flamethrower and engineering tanks were typical for all assault engineering brigades. Being in the most dangerous forward sectors of the battle, they were used for a relatively short time 1 . The flamethrower tankers themselves were in mortal danger, not being able to quickly leave the tanks burning and exploding from their own mixture. Many of them were often burned alive in their war machines. In the 516th Regiment alone, 19 tankers burned alive in combat vehicles, fighting to their last breath2.

There is no further information about the tanks of the 516th regiment sent for repair. Hypothetically, it can be assumed that after the repair they could return to service and continue to fight. As N. Nikiforov writes, the heavy losses of flamethrower tanks led to the fact that they began to be used as simple linear tanks3. The same fate could have awaited the named tanks. At present, not a single OT-34 tank from the Dimitry Donskoy column has survived. In Russia, only one surviving example of this tank is known, which drowned while crossing the Moscow region in 1943 and was found in 1999. It is currently installed as a monument at Uralvagonzavod 4 .

The real combat path of the tanks of the tank column "Dmitry Donskoy" ended in the fall of 1944. The combat path of the column was relatively short. But along with the real combat history of this equipment, there is a spiritual and ideological aspect of its history as one of the symbols of the inseparable connection between our distant heroic past and the events of the Great Patriotic War. And in this sense, the tanks of the Dimitry Donskoy tank column and their crews contributed to our victory. They are also the heroes of this war.

S. I. Demidov GUK TO “Association “Historical, Local Lore and Art Museum”

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When talking about the role of the Church in the Victory, there are many misunderstandings.

It seems to some that our soldiers, with few exceptions, were zealous Christians. Such a rosy picture is drawn: Stalin meets with Metropolitan Sergius and Orthodox Red Army soldiers are twice as willing to rush to the bunkers. Something along those lines. But, of course, there was none of that.

Just a struggle with faith tore the country apart. I recall the story of my good old friend, Lyudmila Dmitrievna Petrova, whose father was, as they say, a fiery Chekist. Once she heard him say out loud: “I don’t know who rules everything - God, the Most High, but I believe that there is Someone over us and over the whole world.” Many thought so.

And when the war began, someone immediately, and someone by the fall, after the death of our best armies, inwardly realized that both believers and non-believers now need to stick together. On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. On the same day the civil war ended. Whether the authorities and the troops wanted this or not, they only had to admit the obvious: Someone is there. Not with Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), but with God, the former seminarian Joseph Stalin made peace.

He was one of the last to do so. In besieged Leningrad, even in the famine winter of 1941-1942, Orthodox parishes were regularly supplied with wine and flour, necessary for communion. True, wine was heavily diluted, sometimes replacing it with beetroot juice, and prosphora were baked the size of a five-kopeck coin. But there was an understanding of how much the surviving temples meant for the Victory in the city.

The final turning point in relations between the Church and the state occurred in 1943. Today we will talk about the symbol of this reconciliation - the tank column "Dmitry Donskoy", built with the money of the Orthodox. 8 million rubles were collected, not counting jewelry - wedding rings, earrings. They collected pennies.

As I. V. Ivlev, archpriest of the church in the village of Troitsky, Dnepropetrovsk region, recalled, “there was no money in the church cash desk, but they had to be obtained ... I blessed two 75-year-old old women for this great deed. Let their names be known to people: Kovrigina Maria Maksimovna and Gorbenko Matryona Maksimovna. And they went, they went after all the people had made their contribution through the village council. Two Maksimovnas went to ask in the name of Christ to protect their dear Motherland from rapists. They went around the entire parish - villages, farms and towns, located 5-20 kilometers from the village, and as a result - 10 thousand rubles, a significant amount in our places devastated by German monsters.

An important detail. To raise funds, on the personal instructions of Stalin, a special account was opened at the State Bank of the USSR. This was the first approval of the legal status of the Russian Orthodox Church during the years of Soviet power.

This is how forty of the best T-34-85 tanks in the world were born. These were not the “thirty-fours” with which we met the war, but completely new machines capable of fighting on equal terms with the German “tigers”. The new tanks had a more powerful gun, their armor was much stronger than before. This is not to mention the fact that more than half of the vehicles in the convoy - 21 out of 40 - were flamethrowers. It was a terrible weapon. A fire mixture charge of up to 10 liters was fired at a distance of 70-130 meters. Moreover, the rate of fire reached 30 rounds per minute, which made it possible to literally pour enemy fortifications with a stream of fire.

Drive the hated enemy out of our Great Russia. May the glorious name of Dmitry Donskoy lead us to the battle for the sacred Russian land. Forward, to victory, warrior brothers!" Fulfilling this order, the privates, sergeants and officers of our unit on the tanks handed over by you, full of love for their Motherland, for their people, successfully smash the sworn enemy, expelling him from our land. On With these formidable combat vehicles, the tankers broke through the heavily fortified long-term defense of the Germans and continue to pursue the enemy, freeing their native land from fascist evil spirits ... We will smash and pursue the German invaders as long as our eyes see, as long as our heart beats in our chests, not knowing mercy for the worst enemies of mankind The name of the great Russian commander Dmitry Donskoy, like the unfading glory of weapons, we will carry on the armor of our tanks forward to the West, to complete and final victory.

It can be seen from this text that the words of Vladyka made a very strong impression on the tankers. Tanks "Dmitry Donskoy" reached Berlin. Not all. Nineteen people were burned alive in combat vehicles.

It must be understood that there were no atheists in these regiments. Maybe there were, until they got into tanks, on the sides of which the name of Prince Dimitri was inscribed. And after that, it was like a hand removed. And if we, Orthodox, want to be respected, to be drawn to us, we must not ask, but give. Without this, no, even the best, sermon will be heard. Sacrifice for the most important, the most what people need. During the war, these were tanks, aircraft - in addition to the tank column, a squadron named after St. Alexander Nevsky. The church helped orphans and wounded Red Army soldiers, collecting 300 million rubles. To make it clearer, this would be enough for two tank armies. Thus the front of atheism was broken.

The defeat of the Nazi troops near Stalingrad meant the beginning of a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War. However, by this time the enemy still had a powerful military potential. His defeat required more effort. For decisive military operations, the Red Army did not have enough armored vehicles. Workers of tank factories worked tirelessly. All over the country there were fundraising for the construction of tanks. By December 1942 alone, about 150 tank columns were built at the expense of the workers.

The nationwide concern for the needs of the Red Army did not bypass the Church, which sought to make a feasible contribution to resolving the problem that had arisen.

On December 30, 1942, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius, appealed to the archpastors, pastors and parish communities to raise funds for the construction of a tank column named after Dmitry Donskoy. This call was accepted by the whole Church.

On January 5, 1943, an exchange of telegrams took place between Metropolitan Sergius and I. Stalin, who conveyed gratitude to the Russian clergy and believers for caring for the armored forces of the Red Army, after which an instruction was given to open a special account in the State Bank of the USSR, which was the first approval of the legal status of the Russian Orthodox Church during the years of Soviet power.

Over 8 million rubles, a large amount of gold and silver items were collected for the construction of 40 tanks. About 2 million rubles were donated by believers in Moscow and the Moscow region. 1 million rubles were received from believers in Leningrad. The receipt of funds from believers in other cities are given in the table.

CitiesCash Contribution

Moscow2 million rubles

Leningrad

1 million rubles

Kuibyshev650 thousand rubles

Astrakhan501.5 thousand rubles

Penza500 thousand rubles

Vologda400 thousand rubles

Kazan400 thousand rubles

Saratov400 thousand rubles

Perm305 thousand rubles

Ufa230 thousand rubles

The clergy and believers of rural churches also contributed large sums. For example, more than 146 thousand rubles were collected from the Ivanovo region. There was not a single parish that would not have made its feasible contribution to raising funds for the construction of the column. There was not even a single rural parish on land free from fascist invaders that did not make its feasible contribution to the cause of the whole people.

Evidence of deep patriotism is filled with the memoirs of the archpriest of the church of the village of Trinity, Dnepropetrovsk region I. V. Ivlev: “There was no money in the church cash desk, but we had to get it ... I blessed two 75-year-old old women for this great deed. Let their names be known to people: Kovrigina Maria Maksimovna and Gorbenko Matrena Maksimovna. And they went, they went after all the people had already made their contribution through the village council. Two Maksimovnas went to ask in the name of Christ to protect their dear Motherland from rapists. They went around the entire parish - villages, farms and towns, located 5-20 kilometers from the village, and as a result - 10 thousand rubles, a significant amount in our places devastated by German monsters. That's how those millions were going.

The baton from the believers was taken over by the workers of the tank factory in Chelyabinsk. In a short time, 40 T-34 tanks were built. They made up a column with inscriptions on the towers of military vehicles "Dimitri Donskoy". Its transfer to units of the Red Army took place near the village of Gorelki, which is 5 km northwest of Tula, at the location of the components of the military camps. Formidable equipment was received by the 38th and 516th divisions. etc. By that time, both had gone through hard times. combat ways. The first participated in the battles on the Demyansk bridgehead, near Vyazma and Rzhev, liberated the cities of Nevel and Velikiye Luki, beat the enemy near Leningrad and Novgorod. The second, which is especially noteworthy, before receiving the “thirty-fours” from the Russian Orthodox Church, honorably justified the trust of the Far Eastern youth, passing the roads of war on the tanks of the Khabarovsk Komsomolets column.

There, near Tula, the combat paths of the regiments would part. The 38th will go to the southwestern regions of Ukraine, the 516th to Belarus. It will turn out differently military destiny military vehicles "Dimitri Donskoy". It will be short and bright for the 38th regiment, long and secretive for the 516th. But on March 8, 1944, on the day of the delivery of the general church column, they stood on the same snowy field. Each, according to the state, was supposed to have 21 tanks. Only the 516th regiment received such a number, the 38th received 19. Considering the high significance of the patriotic act of believers, on the day of the transfer of the column, a solemn rally took place, at which Metropolitan Nikolai of Krutitsky spoke to the tankmen on behalf of the Patriarch of All Russia.

This was the first official meeting of a representative of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church with soldiers and commanders of the Red Army. Second for more high level took place on March 30, 1944 in Moscow. No, not on the initiative and without the support of Stalin. It was organized by the chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR G. G. Karpov, who at that time was in charge of relations between the government and the Patriarch. The reception was attended by: from the military council of the armored and mechanized troops of the Red Army - Lieutenant General N. I. Biryukov, from the Russian Orthodox Church - Patriarch Sergius of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad and Novgorod and Metropolitan Nikolai Krutitsy. For many years, due to the existing domestic policy states, this fact was hidden under the heading "secret". Today you can see a short transcript of the speeches at the reception. They do not contain secrets, but only express the unity of feelings and aspirations of people of polar worldviews, but held together by devotion to the Motherland in its difficult hour.

Lieutenant General of the tank troops N. I. Biryukov: “Let me, Ivan Nikolaevich (Ivan Nikolaevich Stragorodsky - the name of Patriarch Sergius before being tonsured a monk), first of all, thank you on behalf of the military council of the armored and mechanized troops of the Red Army, as the organizer of a large noble and patriotic cause aimed at helping the Red Army in defeating the enemies of humanity - fascism. Let me also, at the same time, assure you that the tanks that we built at the expense of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church and all believers were handed over to worthy people who will not hesitate to give their lives for the liberation of our Motherland from enemies, from German fascists.

I must also say that one of the regiments armed with your tanks ... is already participating in the battles at the front and, I would say, is participating with great success. As a tanker, it is doubly pleasant for me, perhaps, to realize that we have received solid assistance from you ... And I declare here again that the contributions made by the believers and the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, they will be honorably used by our officers and fighters of those units in which your tanks are located ... Let me thank you again, Ivan Nikolaevich, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, for your noble, patriotic cause.

Sergius - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia: “I am very glad that a small beginning has been made. We do not doubt for a moment and did not doubt that all simple people Those who love our Motherland, of course, will not hesitate to give their lives in order to fulfill their military duty. We have no doubts and can only rejoice that we here, although insignificant, have added a drop of our participation to this common feat, common labor, that we also participate in this work.

I wish you, as a representative of the tank troops, including our column, that the glory of Dimitry Donskoy rest on today's representatives of "Dimitry Donskoy" and that not only you and your comrades-in-arms inherit this glory, but (I'll put it simply) that you return safe back from this fiery furnace, into which you have to go and where you have to act, so that you return home healthy and unharmed and rejoice with us, with everyone, and with your loved ones. May God grant you that your words come true and that the glory of Dimitry Donskoy touches you and all representatives of the tank troops.

The 38th Division was the first to receive a baptism of fire. TP in the Uman-Botoshansk operation, participating in the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in the liberation of the southwestern regions of Ukraine and part of Bessarabia. Having made a twelve-day combined march in the region of Uman, the regiment took the battle on the night of March 23-24, 1944. Acting in conjunction with the infantry assault rifle units of the 94th Guards. rifle division of the 53rd Army, tankers met stubborn enemy resistance on the outskirts of settlements Korytnoe, Cossack and the city of Balta.

A fierce confrontation unfolded with the German "Tigers" and "Ferdinands". On a flurry of fire and repeated massive raids aviation (up to 15 - 25 aircraft at the same time), the personnel of the 38th regiment responded with stamina and determination. By March 25, together with rifle units, he liberated the settlements of Kazatskoye, Korytnoye and Bendzari.

The most fierce battles broke out for the city of Balta. For two sleepless days, tankers repelled enemy counterattacks. Having exhausted him, on March 27 at 19 o'clock the tanks of Dmitry Donskoy's column with troops on armor broke into the city. For almost two more days, bloody battles continued on its streets. Overcoming the stubborn resistance of the Germans, the tankers literally liberated the city house by house. By the end of March 29, the enemy was completely driven out of Balta.

Developing a rapid offensive, the combat vehicles outflanked the city of Kotovsk, creating a threat of encirclement of large German forces in it. The enemy faltered and hurriedly left Kotovsk. However, skillfully applying the tank maneuver, the regiment's personnel completely destroyed the enemy grouping. According to the report of the commander of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel I. A. Gorlach, in these battles the following distinguished themselves with special resourcefulness and fearlessness: the chief of staff of the regiment, Major M. F. Alenkin, senior technician-lieutenant V. I. Kravtsov, lieutenant V. P. Afanasyev, senior sergeants V V. Galkin, A.F. Kuznetsov, I.Kh. Another Morozov, Alexey Alexandrovich, a native of the village. Ivanteevka, Leningrad Region, a gunner-radio operator of a tank died a heroic death in the battles near Kotovsk. His posthumous award was the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class.

The first battles brought the first losses of combat vehicles. At the beginning of April 1944, only 9 tanks remained in the regiment. But the will to win and the desire of the soldiers to honorably carry the name of Dmitry Donskoy on the armor did not weaken.

Subsequent fighting were no less stressful. Within a month, changing the direction of attacks, the regiment fought more than 60 km. Boldly and decisively, the tankers suppressed the nodes of resistance and firing points of the Germans, ensuring the advance of the rifle units. During this time, four enemy counterattacks were successfully repelled with a force of up to an infantry regiment with the support of tanks. Ten more were added to the liberated 37 settlements.

The personnel of the 38th Regiment distinguished themselves with an unstoppable offensive impulse during the crossing of the Dniester River with subsequent access to state border USSR. For the successful performance of combat missions, by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on April 8, 1944, the regiment was given the honorary name "Dnestrovsky".

In an effort to prevent the bold and decisive actions of the tankers, the enemy brought down on them all firepower. Even anti-aircraft guns were used. Taking on the blows of the enemy, the combat crews fought steadfastly, but their numbers decreased. By April 25, only four tanks remained in the regiment.

On that day, near the height of 111.1 in the area of the Moldavian village of Ustya, the remaining combat vehicles with the landing units of the 25th and 89th Guards rifle divisions broke into the combat positions of the Germans, destroying the enemy force with fire and caterpillars. However, in the subsequent rapid attack of tankers and infantry was halted by fierce resistance from the enemy. From a direct hit, one of the combat vehicles, enveloped in smoke, froze. The paratroopers dug in. The fortifications of height 111.1 seemed impregnable. The infantry units could resume the offensive only after the breakthrough of the tankers and under the cover of their fire. The first to attack was the crew under the command of junior lieutenant Rumyantsev.

A flurry of fire met the car, but maneuvering it managed to cross two lanes of trenches before the gas tanks flared up. It was impossible to continue moving further, but the tankers understood the true cost of their every shot. The crew did not leave the flaming combat vehicle, sending shell after shell to the target until the last breath. Posthumously, the heroes were awarded the Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st class. Among the brave inseparable compatriots-Leningraders: junior lieutenant Rumyantsev Nikolai Mikhailovich, who lived before the war on Sedova Street, 20, and his friend foreman Morozov Konstantin Fedorovich from Pargolovo. There are no graves on earth, and until now the feat of the heroes was unknown to Leningraders.

Meanwhile, two tanks of the regiment continued to carry out their combat mission. We took the height. Developing the offensive, tankers with landing forces liberated the village of Zherven and crossed the Reut River. By 21 o'clock on April 24, 1944, the 38th division. the Dniester tank regiment completed its last battle. However, even after it, the remaining two combat vehicles in the rifle units smashed the enemy until May 5, 1944.

In less than two months, the regiment fought more than 130 kilometers, and managed to overcome more than 500 kilometers by marching off-road in its tanks. During this period, tankers destroyed about 1,420 Nazis, 40 various guns, 108 machine guns, knocked out and captured 38 tanks, 17 armored personnel carriers, 101 transport vehicles, captured 3 fuel depots and captured 84 German soldiers and officers.

21 soldiers and 10 officers of the regiment died a heroic death on the battlefields. For many of them, the words of Patriarch Sergius, who compared the battlefield with a fiery furnace, turned out to be prophetic. For their courage, valor and heroism, 49 tankers were awarded orders and medals of the USSR. But we note that only for the awarding of orders, the command of the regiment presented 82 people. Unfortunately, the fate of 33 performances remains unknown to date.

Subsequently, being in the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander, the 38th regiment was renamed the 74th division. ttp, and then reorganized into the 364th tsap. However, given the high military merit personnel during the Uman-Botoshansky operation, he was awarded the title of "Guards" and retained the honorary name "Dniester".

Another regiment that received combat vehicles from the column named after Dmitry Donskoy is the 516th division. flamethrower tank, began hostilities on July 16, 1944, together with the 2nd Assault Engineer Brigade (later the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov II class) of the 1st Belorussian Front. In view of the flamethrower weapons installed on the tanks (which were secret at that time), the units of this regiment were involved in the performance of special combat missions and in particularly difficult sectors of the front in cooperation with assault battalions.

In a letter of thanks from the command, party and Komsomol organizations of the regiment addressed to Metropolitan Nikolai, it was said: “Handing us the Dimitry Donskoy tank column on behalf of the clergy and believers of the Orthodox Russian Church ... You said: “Drive the hated enemy out of our Great Russia. May the glorious name of Dmitry Donskoy lead us to the battle for the sacred Russian land. Forward to victory, warrior brothers!” Fulfilling this order, the privates, sergeants and officers of our unit, on the tanks handed over by you, full of love for their Motherland, for their people, successfully smash the sworn enemy, driving him out of our land.

On these formidable combat vehicles, tankers broke through the heavily fortified long-term defense of the Germans and continue to pursue the enemy, freeing them from fascist evil spirits native land. Destroying the enemy, the personnel of our military unit showed true heroism and selflessness, ignorance of fear in battle, valor and courage. All combat crews were awarded high government awards for courage and skillful execution of the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

On behalf of the personnel, we thank you for the formidable military equipment handed over to us and declare that it is in faithful and reliable hands. In liberating our sacred Motherland, we will smash and pursue the German invaders as long as our eyes see, as long as our heart beats in our chest, knowing no mercy for the worst enemies of mankind. The name of the great Russian commander Dmitry Donskoy, like the unfading glory of weapons, we will carry on the armor of our tanks forward to the West, to complete and final victory. Tankers kept their word. In January 1945, they bravely stormed the strong fortifications of Poznan, and in the spring they fought on the Seelow Heights. Tanks "Dmitry Donskoy" reached Berlin.

The military affairs of the soldiers of the 38th division. tank regiment of the Dniester reflect their high state awards. Among them are holders of the following orders: the Red Banner of War - the commander of a tank company, Senior Lieutenant M. I. Kislyakov; World War I degree - tank commanders junior lieutenants P. V. Mishanin and I. P. Yatmanov, driver-mechanics senior sergeants A. I. Emelyanov, A. M. Danilov and p. G. Charkin; Red Star - tank commander Lieutenant I. M. Mosin, gun commanders Sergeant G. I. Basov, senior sergeants M. M. Vinogradov, P. P. Baranov and I. I. Akimov, gunners-radio operators Sergeants A. Ya. Lenidchev , M. V. Markov, senior sergeant V. B. Sergeev and many others.

Among the fallen were posthumously awarded Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st class: commander of a tank company, senior lieutenant A. A. Baukov, commander of a tank platoon, lieutenant A. N. Shumakov, tank commanders junior lieutenants V. T. Kuzmin, T. N. Shakulo and lieutenant I. N. Ivanchenko, driver-mechanics senior sergeant I. F. Tyshko and tank radio operator senior sergeant A. A. Morozov.

The boundless courage and heroism of the tankers is evidenced by the fact that 19 people, fighting to the last breath, were burned alive in combat vehicles. Among them posthumously awarded with orders Patriotic War I Art. tank platoon commander Lieutenant A. K. Gogin and driver A. A. Solomko.

Thus, in the struggle for common ideals during the Great Patriotic War, the patriotic aspirations of Russian believers and the clergy merged with the heroism and valor of the soldiers of the Red Army. How many years ago the banners of Dmitry Donskoy blew over them, personifying victory over a strong enemy.

Today it has become fashionable among the townsfolk to ask the Russian Church: what, they say, did she do for the country in general? In order not to spread our thoughts along the tree, we will focus on the contribution of the Church during the years of the Great Patriotic War. Namely, the creation of a tank column "Dmitry Donskoy" and an aviation squadron "Alexander Nevsky" with funds raised by the clergy and laity.

Tank column "Dmitry Donskoy"

In March 1944, Metropolitan Nikolay (Yarushevich) of Krutitsky went to the front to hand over to the Red Army a tank column named after Dimitry Donskoy, a gift from the Russian Orthodox Church.

On February 7, 1944, the Dmitry Donskoy tank column, built with money collected by the Church since the beginning of 1943, was handed over to the army. . The column consisted of 40 T-34-80 tanks.

Reporting on the patriotic activity of the Church, its indestructible unity with the people, the Metropolitan conveyed greetings to the fighters, gifts and blessings from the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Sergius. In his speech to the tankers, the bishop gave them a parting order: “Forward, dear warriors, in the name of the complete cleansing of our land, in the name of a peaceful life and the happiness of our people. For a holy cause - forward!

The tankers of the "Dmitry Donskoy" column took their first battle on the 1st Belorussian Front, where "... they broke through the heavily fortified defenses of the Germans."

In less than two months, the 38th regiment fought more than 130 km and managed to overcome more than 500 km off-road on their tanks. For the courage and heroism shown, 49 tankers of the Dimitry Donskoy column from the 38th regiment were awarded orders and medals of the USSR. 21 soldiers and 10 officers of the regiment died a heroic death on the battlefields, 19 of them were burned in combat vehicles.

Aviation Squadron "Alexander Nevsky"

Active disinterested assistance was rendered to the defenders of the Motherland by all strata of our society. I cannot but mention that during the Great Patriotic War the Russian Orthodox Church made large contributions to the National Defense Fund.

On January 5, 1943, Pravda published the Epistle of Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow. “With our special Message,” it said, “I invite the clergy and believers to donate for the construction of a column of tanks named after Dimitry Donskoy. To begin with, the patriarchate contributes 100,000 rubles, the Elohovsky Cathedral in Moscow - 300 thousand, the rector of the cathedral Kolchitsky Nikolai Fedorovich - 100 thousand " .

Literally all dioceses responded to the Message. So, a few days later, Pravda published a message that the Leningrad diocese, under the conditions of the blockade, collected and contributed 3,182,143 rubles to the Defense Fund. Dean of the city of Gorky, Archpriest Alexander Alexandrovich Arkhangelsky said:

"Our church community in 1942 contributed 2.5 million rubles in cash to the State Bank to the Defense Fund. The heroic offensive of the valiant Soviet troops, undertaken in recent times simultaneously on several fronts, and the successes achieved at the same time even more inspired all honest Russian people to exploits for the speedy liberation of their native land ...

I personally contribute 200 thousand rubles for the construction of a new combat aircraft of the squadron named after the famous Russian military leader Alexander Nevsky ...

I call on all Orthodox clergy to use their contributions to create a mighty combat squadron "Alexander Nevsky" that is formidable to the enemy.

On a fighter with an inscription on board "Alexander Nevsky" fought a famous fighter pilot, Hero Soviet Union, Alexander Dmitrievich Bilyukin. In total, during the war, he completed 430 successful sorties, in 36 air battles he personally shot down 23 and as part of a group 1 enemy aircraft.

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