Education, History
Banner of Victory. Egorov and Kantaria. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag
To date, everyone has the opportunity to look at how the Banner of Victory looked over the Reichstag. Photos that were made after the installation, are distributed in a fairly large number. However, how this team was carried out and under whose leadership, few know in the modern world. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight this issue in more detail, the disputes over which lasted a rather long period of time. And for the present there is no unequivocal opinion as to who exactly installed the symbol of Victory.
Historical reference on the attacks on the German capital
Three times our troops managed to gain a foothold in the territory of Berlin. This happened for the first time in the years of the Seven Years' War. At that time, the troops that attacked the capital of Prussia were commanded by Major General Totleben. The second time Berlin was taken during the war with Napoleon, namely in 1813. And in 1945 the capital of Germany was taken the third time by the Red Army.
When did you have to start the assault?
There were many doubts. Back in February, according to Marshal Chuikov, there was an opportunity to gain a foothold in the German capital. In addition, many thousands of lives could be saved. However, Marshal Zhukov reasoned differently and canceled the attack. In this he was guided by the fact that the soldiers were tired. And the rear did not have time to catch up to this time. The Americans, together with the British, decided to abandon the assault on Berlin, believing that the losses would be too great.
About 352,000 people were killed and wounded during the Berlin operation. The Polish armies did not count about 2892 soldiers.
Attack in two directions and inconsistency of commanders
Naturally, it was immediately clear that Berlin has virtually no chance. But the commanders of the Soviet troops decided to begin the assault. It was decided to attack immediately from two sides. Marshal Zhukov, who commanded the First Byelorussian Front, attacked from the north-east. Marshal Konev, who led the First Ukrainian Front, launched an attack from the south-west.
The plan for encircling the city was rejected. Two marshals in all tried to get ahead of each other. The essence of the original plan was that Konev attacked one half of the German capital, and Zhukov - another.
On April 16, the attack of the Belarusian Front began. During her at Seelow Gate, approximately 80,000 soldiers were killed. The 1st Ukrainian Front crossed the Spree River on April 18. Marshal Konev ordered the attack on Berlin on April 20. Exactly the same team gave Zhukov on April 21, stressing that this should be done at any cost. At the same time, the success of the operation had to be reported immediately to Comrade Stalin himself.
In connection with the inconsistency of the actions of the two armies, many soldiers died. It should be noted that such a "competition" was completed in favor of Marshal Zhukov.
Acknowledgments that were made in advance
It was decided in advance to make a battle banner. But, after a little thought, they were made in the number of nine in the number of divisions that attacked the Reichstag. One of these banners later was transferred under the command of Major-General Shatilov to the 150th division, which fought in close proximity to the Reichstag. It was this Banner of Victory and swept over the structure of the German Bundestag.
With the onset of April 30 at about three o'clock in the afternoon Shatilov was given an order from Zhukov. He was absolutely secret. In it, the marshal declared gratitude to the troops who hoisted the Banner of Victory. This was done in advance. But after all, the Reichstag still had to break through about 300 meters. And the battle had to be literally for every meter.
Beat the Banner at any cost!
On the first attempt, the attack failed. But it should be noted that Marshal Zhukov in his order singled out the exact date. According to the official paper, this was necessary to be done on April 30 at 14.25.
Naturally, the order could not be violated. Therefore, Shatilov gave the command to hoist the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag at any cost, taking any measures at the same time. And if the flag itself can not be hoisted, then at least raise a small flag above the entrance to the building. Perhaps Shatilov feared that he would be beaten by the commander of the 171nd division of Negoda. Thus, for Berlin the competition took place between marshals, and for the Reichstag - between commanders of divisions.
Trying to comply with the order, the volunteers, taking home-made red flags, rushed to the main German building. It should be noted that in conventional combat operations, first of all it is necessary to master the main point, and only then to hoist the Banner of Victory. But in this war everything happened quite the contrary.
The 674th Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Plekhodanov, received the appropriate task to hoist the flag. During this operation, Lieutenant Koshkarbaev distinguished himself. In order to cope with the task, under his command were given to the soldiers of the reconnaissance, led by Lieutenant Sorokin.
The appearance of the first Victory symbols on the German building
And now, after 7 hours, the red Banner of Victory (namely his miniature copy) was fixed on the wall of the Reichstag. Needless to say, with what difficulty the soldiers have been overcome the last meters of the Royal Square! Movement was accompanied by a constant flurry of fire. However, they coped with their task. By the way, a flag on the wall was attached by one of the soldiers - Bulatov. At the same time he stood on the shoulders of Lieutenant Koshkarbaev himself.
Thus, the fighters Koshkarbaev and Bulatov first reached the main German building. It happened on April 30 at 18.30.
Skeptical attitude of the command to the championship of Koshkarbaev and Bulatov
Attacked by the Reichstag and battalion under the command of Neustroev, who was a member of the 756th Regiment of the same 150th Division. Three times the assault fell through. And only with the fourth attempt the soldiers were able to reach the building. Three soldiers fought their way to the door: Major Sokolovsky and two privates. But there they were already waiting for Koshkarbaev and Bulatov.
There is such information, the essence of which is that the miniature Victory flag was fixed on the column of Private Pyotr Shcherbina. He raised it from the hands of the man killed on the steps of Pyotr Pyatnitsky, who was the commander of the battalion Neustroev. However, it is not known whether he became the first.
Naturally, the command did not want to believe in the championship of Koshkarbayev and Bulatov. At 19.00, all the other fighters of the 150th Division made their way to the Reichstag building. The front door was hacked. After a furious skirmish, the building passed under the control of Soviet troops.
The battles for the Reichstag lasted a very long time
The fighting inside the building lasted for two days. The main SS troops were knocked out before the 1st of May. However, some individual soldiers, who had settled in basements, resisted until May 2. During these days, as long as hostilities were going on, about two and a half thousand enemy soldiers were killed and wounded. The captivity managed to capture as much. Rifle divisions were able to help in the assault. However, in addition to the battles in the building itself, the war continued around him. Soviet troops were crushing the Berlin groupings, which prevented them from taking the capital.
The appearance of the symbol of victory
The campaign of the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag began after the attack of the building itself. First and foremost, Colonel Zinchenko, who led the 756th Regiment, congratulated the soldiers on the successful operation. It was he who gave the order for the delivery of the Banner from the headquarters. In addition, there is information that it was he who gave the command to choose two heroes who would raise the Victory flag. They became Yegorov and Kantaria.
Somewhere at 21.30 they were able to make their way to the roof of the Reichstag. After that they first of all fixed the banner on the pediment, located above the main entrance. Then, having received the appropriate command, under constant bombardment and with a risk to break Egorov and Kantaria climbed to the very top of the dome and hoisted the symbol of Victory on it. And it happened already at one in the morning, respectively, on May 1. This version is official.
So who was the first?
But, according to the historian Sychev, this version is incorrect. Investigating archival materials and conducting personal meetings with soldiers who stormed the main German building, he established that there was another homemade Victory symbol that belonged to Sorokin's group. Thus, in his opinion, the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag planted Bulatov and Provators, who serve in the 674th intelligence regiment. And it happened at seven o'clock in the evening. This fact was fully confirmed by archival documents of the 674th Regiment.
It should be noted that there are some contradictions in the documents of the 756th Regiment, which refers to the storming of the Reichstag and the banner that Egorov and Kantaria erected. For example, the date of installation does not always indicate the same. It should be noted that the scouts, commanded by Sorokin, immediately after the capture of the Reichstag, received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The feat of the group is covered in sufficient detail in the award-winning sheets. However, they did not receive the Heroes' Stars. And all because of the fact that with Egorov had to become the hero of Cantaria. Nobody else was needed to raise the banner.
A large number of Victory symbols over the Reichstag
There is an opinion that the first Banner was hoisted by the ordinary Kazantsev. It should be understood that during the whole assault on the Reichstag was placed about 40 different cloths, among which were both large banners and miniature flags. They could be seen almost everywhere. Windows, doors, roof, walls and columns - everything was in the red symbols of Victory.
The confusion in this matter arose immediately for several reasons. On the first hand, the fighting for the Reichstag lasted more than a day. German artillery was able to do everything else several times to destroy banners due to the well sent missiles. On the other hand, several groups were immediately ordered to hoist the flag above the building. And all the soldiers acted, not knowing that, apart from them, others carried out this order. In order not to look for that single group that first coped with the goal, the command decided to hoist a single banner that would summarize all the other combat canvases.
It should be noted that Kazantsev went through the whole war. Naturally, he often went to the hospital. But, quickly recovering, he again returned to the line of attack. However, the irony of fate was that on the very next day after the installation of the Banner Kazantsev was seriously injured and died on May 13.
The Banner on the Red Square did not manage to be carried
To my great regret, no one saw the Victory symbol on the parade that went down in history. The notable group was removed after the dress rehearsal. Preparation for the parade was held for a month. However, the heroes themselves could fly to him at a time when he was only two days away. The parade was held under the command of Rokossovsky. Marshal Zhukov accepted him.
Neustroev, who was holding the Banner, Egorov and Kantaria, was to start the parade. At the moment when the march sounded, Neustroyev was very hard. Because of the wound, he practically became disabled. So at one point he just lost his foot and pattered. It was precisely because of this moment and it was decided by Zhukov that the standard-bearers in the parade should not be.
The huge role of absolutely all participants of the war
In total, about 100 people received the award for the capture of the Reichstag, as well as for the installation of the Victory symbol. We can say that the Victory symbol was hoisted by every single soldier. And young border guards who were killed at the very beginning of the war in the Brest Fortress, and blockade Leningraders, and even evacuated workers. Everyone who survived, and all who could not see the Victory Parade, absolutely everyone took part not only in the Victory itself, but also in the installation of its symbol on the building of the German Bundestag.
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