Departure Dubosekovo: a memorial to the heroes-panfilovtsy as a symbol of the firmness of the defenders of Moscow

In the suburbs, many places, fanned by the glory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, fallen on the outskirts of the capital. The most famous is the field in the Volokolamsk district near the village of Nelidovo, where in autumn 1941 bloody battles took place at the Dubosekovo railway junction. The memorial to the Panfilov heroes, set on a hill to the 30th anniversary of the Victory, is the largest monument to the exploits of defenders of Moscow, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Immortal feat

It is difficult to imagine, but the offensive operation of the Hitlerites on Moscow under the name "Typhoon" in September-October 1941 brought them real successes. Parts of the three fronts of the Soviet troops were defeated near Vyazma, and the army waged heavy defensive battles, retreating with huge losses. The enemy came so close that on October 15 the defense committee announced the evacuation of the capital. This caused some people a real panic.

The unarmed 316th Division of General Panfilov was one of four, holding a defense in the Volokolamsk direction of 20 km. The legendary fourth company of the 1075th regiment held a stronghold on a hill near the railway near the village of Nelidovo, one and a half kilometers from the Dubosekovo station (the memorial was created here). Its location was so successful that the enemy could only advance along the railway, which was completely visible from the fortified positions of the company.

On November 16, in this direction, the fascists undertook a tank attack, throwing more than fifty units of military equipment against Soviet soldiers armed with combustible mixtures. For four hours the battle continued, during which the second panzer division of the Germans failed to gain a positional advantage. Not having the support of artillery, the fourth company, inspired by the political instructor Vasily Klochkov, did not give a single inch of land, leaving 15 enemy tanks burning on the battlefield (according to another version - 18). It was a massive feat not only of the fourth company. On the Volokolamsk direction heroically the whole division of I. Panfilov showed himself, and only 120 people remained alive from the personnel of the 1075th regiment. The witness of the events was a nearby village.

Dubosekovo: Memorial to the Victory Anniversary

After the appearance in the "Red Star" of an article on the twenty-eight heroes of the fourth company, their exploit became a symbol of the steadfastness of the defenders of Moscow. On the example of the Panfilovites, the spirit of the invincible army was formed, which on December 5 passed into a counteroffensive, despite the fact that the enemy managed to approach the capital for a distance of 20-25 km. The post-war generation, brought up on the standards of manifestation of patriotism, honors the feat of soldiers represented in 1942 to the Star of the Hero. This was the only time when the award was awarded posthumously to a whole list compiled by a company commander. In 1967, Nelidovo established a museum for the memory of Panfilov heroes, and on the 30th anniversary of Victory at Dubosekovo station, a memorial including:

• A sculptural group of six monumental figures of fighters with a height of 10 meters, embodying representatives of different nationalities, for the 316th division was created in Kazakhstan and Kirghizia. In its composition - the entire multinational Soviet Union.
• Concrete slabs symbolizing the cordon, which the fascists could not overcome.
• Granite slab with a description of the historical event.
• Ritual area with a star, where the laying of flowers.
• Museum-dot with an overview.

A whole team of architects, sculptors and engineers took part in the construction of the memorial complex: F. Fedorov, A. Postol, N. Lyubimov, I. Stepanov, J. Krivushchenko, V. Datyuk, S. Khadzhibaranov. Placement of stone heroes on the hill causes a feeling of spiritual awe at all visitors to the memorial. The sculptural group is divided into three parts. Ahead - the figure of political instructor Klochkov, peering into the distance from under the arm. Behind him are two fighters clutching grenades in their hands. They are internally ready for battle. The center of the composition is a figure of three warriors with faces full of determination. One of them - the commander, calling soldiers to battle.

Literary fiction or reality?

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Victory, archival documents on the investigation of the military prosecutor's office (1948) were handed out, the results of which refute the reality of the deed of 28 fighters of the fourth company of General Panfilov. The investigation was conducted in connection with the revealed fact that six fighters were still alive: two were taken prisoner, and four were seriously wounded. Subsequently, one of the soldiers tarnished his name, going to the service of the Nazis. The historical episode was listed in the literary fiction of journalist A. Krivitsky. Despite this, the most common question in the Volokolamsky district remains the question of where Duboussekovo (the memorial) is located, how to get there before him to pay the debt to the memory of the heroes.

For the conclusions of the commission are tendentious in nature and are connected with the desire to spoil the reputation of the outstanding military leader GK Zhukov, who is in disgrace with Stalin. All the testimonies of the participants, the memoirs of Zhukov himself, as well as the burial of more than one hundred fighters in the mass grave (Nelidovo village) testify to the historical fact. You can specify the personal composition of the Panfilov heroes, the number of podbitsyh tanks, but this does not detract from the massive feat of the defenders of Moscow.

Present day

Dubosekovo, a memorial near which has federal significance, in 2015 became the venue for the grandiose festival "Battlefield". For three days historical clubs recreated the reconstruction of events with immersion in the heroic era of the Great Patriotic War. More than 20 thousand spectators witnessed a unique spectacle, designed to tell the younger generation about the feats of their fathers and grandfathers. Such an event was also planned for 2016 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Panfilov's heroic deed. It was canceled due to large-scale works on the improvement of the territory of the memorial complex, which will last until October.

What is the name of the memorial (Dubosekovo)? How to get to the place of deed of the fourth company? Until 2015, the federal monument was not actually on the balance of any official organization, so you can meet many names of the memorial. The Moscow region took responsibility for the maintenance of the memorial site. Its official name is the "Podvigu 28" Memorial Complex.

Dubosekovo station is now a part of the rural settlement of Chismenskoe, which can be reached by train from the Riga railway station (itinerary: to Volokolamsk or Shakhovskoy). The journey time is just over 2 hours. By car, follow the Novorizhskoe highway to Volokolamsk. The city is 9 km from the memorial. Moving to the first intersection, you need to turn left, driving through the villages of Zhdanovo and Nelidovo. On this route wedding tuples often pass. On the happiest day the newlyweds want to visit the sacred places of their historical homeland.