Kolotov Vladimir Maksimovich, sniper: biography

Vladimir Kolotov is a unique person in his own way. A simple hunter, without any coercion, only at the call of the heart and a sense of justice, he went to the zone of military operations in Chechnya, wishing to become a sniper. For a long time his feat remained unknown, but on the account of this man from Yakutia, many killed militants and the lives of Russian soldiers saved lives.

Making a fateful decision

Vladimir Maksimovich Kolotov, whose biography is still covered with secrets, being an eighteen-year-old boy, hunted with his father in the Yakutsk village of Iengra. The calendar was 1995 - the height of the first Chechen war. If necessary, the boy was in the local dining room, where he planned to take salt and cartridges. By chance, at that moment, news was on TV, where Russian soldiers were shown at the hands of Chechen fighters. The cadres seen had a stunning effect on Volodya.

Once again in the camp, he could not move away from what he saw in the release for a long time, because the corpses of dead servicemen flashed before his eyes. The young hunter could no longer lead an ordinary way of life, remaining indifferent to the numerous deaths of Russian soldiers. He made a fateful decision, which was to bring his own mite into a terrible war. Kolotov Vladimir collected all his few savings and went to the forefront in Chechnya. As a patron took with him a small icon of St. Nicholas.

Not an easy road

To get there without accidents to the eighteen-year-old to the final destination did not work. Police officers constantly sought to seize his grandfather's rifle, impose fines, threatened to take all the savings and send them back to the taiga. For a few days the young hunter was even shut in the bullpen. However, Vladimir Kolotov showed perseverance and managed to get through to the Russian military positions within one month. To General Rokhlin, to which he aspired to get during the wanderings, gave a certificate from the military commissar. It was a fairly shabby reference repeatedly saved Volodya from various troubles.

Enrollment in the army

After finding out all the circumstances on which the young hunter from the Yakut village found himself here, the general was genuinely amazed by his heroism. At that time, people who absolutely disinterestedly could sacrifice their lives, were a rarity.

The recruit was identified in a sniper and allowed to rest. Within a day Kolotov Vladimir slept in the cab of a military truck, under constant sounds from explosions. And then he took the ammunition for his rifle and left for the position. He was offered a new SVD rifle, but the young hunter-Evenk decided not to change the grandfather's gun.

The main enemy for Chechen fighters

Since the departure of the sniper position from Vladimir Kolotov in the location of the Russian army did not receive any news. Thanks to the efforts of the scouts, he regularly replenished food and ammunition, but he did not come across anyone. About a strange guy from the Yakut village even had time to forget.

The news of Volodya came not from himself, but from the enemy. After some time, thanks to the intercepted negotiations at the Russian headquarters, it became known that the guerrillas were in a state of turmoil. For Chechens in the area of Minutka Square, a quiet life ended. Now the night time has turned into a total hell. That's when the Russian military remembered the hunter-evenk. The reason for the panic of the Chechens was precisely Vladimir Kolotov. The sniper was notable for his special handwriting - he shot at the eye. Reports of the deaths of militants came on a permanent basis, on average for every night from the hand of a young hunter from the Yakut village, about 15-30 people died.

In an effort to eliminate a dangerous sniper, the leadership of Chechen fighters promised their soldiers a lot of money and high awards. So, at the headquarters of Maskhadov, Volodya's head was given $ 30,000. Shamil Basayev, in turn, promised to give the gold star to someone who was lucky enough to kill a sharp shooter. This was due to the fact that Vladimir Kolotov, a battalion of one of the leaders of the Chechen militants, had significantly squandered the battalion. The sniper inflicted enormous damage to the force every night. A whole detachment was sent to neutralize the Evenk hunter, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

Confrontation with Abubakar

Realizing that they could not cope on their own with a well-trained Russian sniper, the Chechens decided to resort to the help of the Arab Abubakar, who lived in the mountains and had previously trained shooters for militants. Ten days it took him to track down Vladimir Kolotov. And the young Evenk hunter gave out his own clothes. An ordinary quilted jacket and cotton pants are clearly visible at night, if you use special equipment. Here with the help of night vision devices, Abubakar found Volodya on luminous clothes and lightly wounded him in the arm, slightly below the shoulder.

As a result of the first sniper bullet, Vladimir Maksimovich Kolotov fell from the position he occupied, but managed to escape from the second shot. After falling off the roof of a young hunter Evenk was glad that his rifle did not break. After his injury, the sniper realized that a real hunt had begun on him.

Revenge with an Arab sniper

He agreed to respond to the defied challenge and left the militants alone for some period of time. Kolotov Vladimir acted like hunting in his village, namely: he hid and waited for the enemy to give himself away. The Arab militant gave his weakness. Abubakar's favorite occupation was smoking marijuana. However, to kill the Arab was a difficult task. Opponent Volodya had a huge fighting experience and for three days did not stick out from his position. Hoping that Vladimir Maximovich Kolotov had gone away, the rebel sniper decided to leave the shelter, for which he paid a bullet in the eye. Subsequently, when trying to take the corpse of an Arab, three Chechen fighters lost their lives. In total, near the dead Abubakar, 16 opponents were killed.

Completion of participation in the war

After the end of hostilities, General Rokhlin thanked Volodya for the help he had provided. According to some reports, from the carbine of the hunter-Evenk, 362 militants were killed. However, the number of enemy losses could be much higher, because no one was involved in exact accounting, and the sniper did not boast of his combat achievements. Since the hunter-Evenk fought on a voluntary basis, he had no obligations to the Russian army. Therefore, after the service, Vladimir Kolotov was in the infirmary. The sniper returned to his native village after recovering his health.

Meeting with Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin

When the President of the Russian Federation was Dmitry Medvedev, the whole country learned about the sniper mark from the Yakut village. Vladimir Maksimovich Kolotov was invited to visit the Kremlin to meet with the supreme commander-in-chief.

Vladimir Kolotov came not from empty Russian corner. His biography was covered in mystery, but it was known that he was a true Evenk who honors the traditions of his people. As a gift from the northern inhabitants, he presented Dmitry Medvedev with a reindeer symbolizing prosperity and prosperity. According to Evenk customs, the animal was waiting for the Russian president in his native village of Volodya, until he comes for him. However, the supreme commander-in-chief did not take his deer, deciding that the animal would be more comfortable in a familiar atmosphere. In addition to the deer, the family of Vladimir Kolotov gave the president a paitszu - a plaque with a special inscription.

For the displayed heroism and merit during the First Chechen War, Vladimir Kolotov, whose photo was later seen by the whole country, was awarded the Order of Courage. So after 10 years, the award found its hero. The family of an outstanding sniper, the Russian president awarded the Order "Parental Glory."