Vasily Margelov: brief biography, photos, quotes

As you know, people create a story. Far from each of us is given any significant contribution to the development of science, technology, sports, culture and other spheres of life. However, there are individual individuals whose life path should be considered in detail and in detail. And one of such heroes of our time is Vasily Margelov.

The Milestones of the Commander's Life

The father of the Airborne Forces was born on December 27, 1908. Vasily Margelov is a native of Ukraine, after all his native city is the present Dnepropetrovsk (at that time Ekaterinoslav). He came from a simple working family. Vasily's father was a metallurgist. In addition to the future commander in the family, there were three more sons and one daughter. Lived, of course, quite poor. The head of the family was forced to work day and night in the foundry. All children were active au pairs. Vasily Margelov Already from an early age was accustomed to work and early went to work. His first profession was tanning, and a little later - work in the mine, where he pushed coal-laden carts. In 1921, a young man graduated from a parochial school. And in 1923 he became a member of the Komsomol.

In 1925 he received a distribution to Belarus as a forester. To this work, he reacted very responsibly, examining the area of the earth many kilometers a day, both in winter and in summer. Thanks to his zeal and dedication on his site, poaching disappeared completely.

The year 1927 was marked for the young man by election to the position of chairman of the working committee of the timber enterprise. He is also approved by the head of the tax commission and a candidate member of the party.

Commencement of military service

In the ranks of the Red Army Vasily Margelov Was drafted in 1928. He was enrolled in the United Belarusian Military School, located in Minsk. In the beginning, the young soldier was trained in a group of snipers, and already starting with the second course he became the foreman of the machine-gun company. In April 1931 he graduated with honors.

Career

In 1931, Margelov was appointed commander of a regimental school platoon. And at the beginning of 1933 he returned to his native school as a platoon commander.

The commander of the company of machine-gunners Margelov Vasily Filippovich, whose biography is saturated with various key dates, becomes in May 1936.

Beginning January 25, 1938, he holds the post of head of all intelligence of the eighth rifle division named after Dzerzhinsky of the Special Military District of Belarus.

The First War

Short biography of Vasiliy Filippovich Margelov Tells us that he was a participant in the war of the Union with Finland. During this armed conflict, the legendary battalion commander of the reconnaissance ski battalion was able to personally capture the Swedish officers of the General Staff.

On March 21, 1940, he was given the military rank "major".

At the conclusion of the war, Margelov becomes assistant commander of the 596th regiment for the combat unit.

The war with Germany

Literally three days before the Great Patriotic War, Margelov Vasily Filippovich (biography It says that his real name is Markelov) receives a new army appointment. He becomes commander of the regiment of the first motorized rifle division, based in Berezovka.

With the outbreak of hostilities against the fascists, a Soviet officer receives an appointment as commander of the first special ski regiment of the sailors of the KBF.

In general, Margelov went through the whole war, having risen to the rank of Major-General. Under his leadership were regiments, divisions. His fighters fought on various fronts, and he proved himself to be an experienced, energetic, fearless and demanding commander, who in critical situations can show courage by example.

A brief biography of Vasily Filippovich Margelov tells us that the whole life of this man was full of trials. He had eight wounds, two of which were very heavy.

Contribution to the development of the Airborne Forces

After completing the course of the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1948, Margelov was placed commander of the 76th Guards Airborne Division, which was located in Pskov. In the same year he for the first time in his life jumps from an airplane with a parachute.

Six years later, Vasily Filippovich receives in his leadership all the airborne troops. At first this large army unit consisted of infantry with light weapons. But Vasily Margelov, whose biography is full of rationalization proposals, has done a tremendous job of modernizing the troops, transferring them to a fundamentally new level both technically and tactically. Thanks to him, the paratroopers received the most advanced weapons and landing gear. Margelov proved that fighters can act even in the enemy's deepest rear, land on the terrain at any time of the day or night, and almost instantly turning to active military operations after landing. This knowledge and skills allowed the "Bath" (which was the nickname of the general) to defend his thesis and write a number of scientific papers.

Attitude to soldiers

Margelov was famous for the fact that he was always very respectful of ordinary fighters. History has preserved many quotations of the military general. So, he always maintained that victory is forged by the rank and file, not by the generals. The paratroopers loved their commander, because he did not shy away from going to the barracks, the dining room or the hospital. In addition, Margelov sought to encourage soldiers.

By the way, an amazing fact in our times. Vasily Filippovich made his last jump with a parachute at the age of sixty-five. In total for his life he jumped more than sixty times. Here is one of his statements: "One who has never left a plane in his life, from where the towns and villages seem to be toy, who has never experienced joy and fear of free fall, whistling in his ears, a stream of wind pouring into his chest, he never Will understand the honor and pride of the paratrooper ... "

Recognition by the country's leadership

During his career, Margelov experienced not only ups, but also downs. Even the Minister of Defense of the USSR Marshal Grechko once said in one of his private conversations that it was a mistake to demean Vasily Filippovich. But justice still prevailed. And on October 25, 1967 Markelov was awarded the rank of army general.

Personal life

The first wife Margelova Vasily Filippovich - Maria. She became his legal wife in 1930. And a year later they had a son, Gennady.

Not all the sons of Vasily Margelov, of whom there are five, followed in the footsteps of his father. But none of them disgraced him. In particular, the son of Margelov Vasily Filippovich Alexander was an airborne officer, and in 1996 became Hero of Russia. And in 2003, when he was already retired, he wrote a book about his father with his brother Vitali.

Hero's Awards

General Margelov for his life was awarded a great many awards, which are extremely difficult to list. Among them there are not only regalia of the USSR, but also foreign orders and medals. The highest rank to which he was awarded is, of course, the Hero of the Soviet Union.

In addition, Vasily Filippovich was installed monuments in his native Dnepropetrovsk, as well as in Omsk, Tula, Ryazan, St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk and other cities and villages.

For today in the defense department of the Russian Federation there is a medal "General of the Army Margelov".

In February 2010, a general's bust was put up in Kherson, as an eternal tribute to his memory. Also on the house in which he lived for twenty years in the capital of the Union, nowadays a memorial plaque has been hanged.

The date of death of the famous military is March 4, 1990. They buried him in the Novodevichye Cemetery, which is located in Moscow.