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Twice Hero of the Soviet Union: stories of exploits in the name of the Motherland. List of twice Heroes of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union - the highest rank, the greatest difference and achievement, which could only be achieved in the USSR. A reward in the form of a golden star, universal respect and honor was given to those who performed a real feat during the war or other hostilities, as well as in peacetime, but, most likely, it was a rare exception than the rule. To receive once such a title was not easy, what already to speak about those who were awarded it several times?
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union ... Such exceptionally brave there were already 154 people. Of these, 23 survived to the present day - this is data as of November 2014.
The first twice heroes of the USSR
They became pilots. Their awards they received back in 1939 during clashes with Japanese fighters. This is Colonel Kravchenko, Major Gritsevets and Comcourt Smushkevich. Unfortunately, the fate to them was ruthless. The pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Gritsevets, shooting down a dozen enemy fighters in the sky, died a month after receiving the award.
As for Smushkevich, after all his valor in Spain in 1937 and receiving the highest awards, in June 1941 he was taken into custody by representatives of the NKVD. The hero was accused of conspiring and conducting agitation aimed at reducing the defensive capability of the Red Army. He was shot a few months after his arrest.
Boris Safonov
One of those who was the first to receive the title "Twice Hero of the Soviet Union" was this world-famous pilot. He distinguished himself already in the first air battles with the Nazis in 1941. They say that the Germans, when they noticed on the horizon of his plane, relayed to each other a message: "Safonov in the air." This was a signal for all enemy fighters to return immediately to the base. With the Soviet pilot were afraid not only to go into battle one on one, even a whole group of aircraft tried not to collide with him in the sky.
Leonov Viktor Nikolaevich
There were two namesake who were honored with this high award. And I want to tell you about these brave people, so different, but such significant exploits are inscribed in gold letters in the history of our homeland. The first one is twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov. In 1944, his unit, fearlessly attacking the enemy and seizing the Germans, created all conditions for the Soviet landing successfully landed at the port of Liinakhamari and liberated the city: the Finnish Petsamo and the Norwegian Kirkenes.
Leonov Alexey Arkhipovich
The namesake of Viktor Nikolaevich did not run under bullets and did not blow up dugouts, but his deeds not only glorified him, but the entire Soviet Union. Alexey Arkhipovich is a famous cosmonaut. He received a high award for being the first man in the history of mankind to venture into open space. His famous "walk" lasted 12 minutes and 9 seconds. He showed his gallantness when, due to a damaged inflated suit, he could not return to the ship. But taking force into his fist and showing ingenuity in unforeseen conditions, he guessed to pour out excess pressure from his attire and got on board.
The feat of the Kazakhs
This nation played a big role in the destruction of fascism and the Third Reich. Like other republics of the USSR, Kazakhstan did everything for the front during the Second World War. On the battlefield more than a million of ordinary soldiers left the volunteers. 50 regiments and battalions, 7 rifle brigades, 4 cavalry and 12 rifle divisions were mobilized. The Kazakhs were among the first to break into the Berlin Town Hall, painting the walls of the Reichstag. Many of them, without thinking of themselves, closed their bodies with enemy dots and dropped their planes onto German "goods".
Svetlana Savitskaya
In the list of Heroes of the USSR 95 names of women. But only one of them, Svetlana Savitskaya, managed to get the highest award several times. A woman, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, she absorbed with the milk of her mother the desire to be the best. Many qualities of character were transmitted by genes, many of this strong personality brought up in itself.
Amet-Khan-Sultan
The famous pilot is remembered and honored in his native Dagestan. In his honor here are named the airport, streets, squares and parks. But Soviet citizens many years ago claimed that twice Hero of the Soviet Union Amet-khan-Sultan has another homeland: the city of Yaroslavl. He was recognized as an honorary citizen of this settlement, where he was placed a monument. The old-timers remember this young 21-year-old boy, who was not afraid to go on a ram with an enemy plane right above the roofs of the houses and thereby save the city from bombing.
Ivan Boyko
Heroes were not only among the pilots. In the Great Patriotic War, the tankmen distinguished themselves, among them Ivan Boyko. He fought in Belarus, in the Smolensk direction and the Kursk arc. He commanded a tank regiment, which distinguished itself on the Ukrainian front during the Zhitomir-Berdychiv operation. Having traveled almost 300 kilometers, the tankmen liberated a hundred cities. They captured 150 Germans with all their weapons and combat vehicles. Defeated several enemy echelons, a strategically important cargo from which they captured.
Sergey Gorshkov
The title of "Hero of the Soviet Union" among the maritime brotherhood was not received so many soldiers and officers. But Sergei Gorshkov succeeded. He led the landing of the first sea assault on the Black Sea, which further contributed to the successful counteroffensive of the Red Army units in this sector. He commanded the Azov and Danube military flotillas. In 1944 he was promoted to Vice Admiral.
Athanasius Shilin
The first time the highest award was received in the winter of 1944 for the successful crossing of the Dnieper. Here he showed courage, which helped our fighters to keep the bridgehead on the right bank. In this battle, Shilin independently managed to liquidate two machine guns of the Germans, two officers and 11 soldiers. When the Fritzes surrounded him, he did not hesitate to fire on himself. Thanks to this, our troops succeeded in gaining a foothold on the beachhead and throwing the enemy far back.
Twice Heroes of the Soviet Union ... The list includes the names of pilots and astronauts, sea wolves and tankmen, artillerymen and partisans. But even more than those who, having shown exceptional courage, abandoned by the unknown, were exiled or repressed, despite their merits and faithful service to the Fatherland. Remember not only awarded participants of the war, but all ordinary and officers, each of which is a Hero.
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