General Vasily Margelov short biography. “Classic of military art”: what role did Vasily Margelov play in the history of the Russian armed forces. How Ukrainians evaluate the merits of Vasily Margelov

General's extended family

In August 2002, in Pskov, the grandson of the famous General Margelov, Mikhail Margelov, politician, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, answered the questions of the Pskov Province correspondent A. Mashkarin:

“- Vasily Filippovich Margelov is a legendary figure. And the attitude towards his name is appropriate. Doesn't the burden of responsibility for your grandfather's name weigh you down?

The load is indeed quite heavy. With his fame, my grandfather set a high bar, a bar for responsible behavior that must be met. Let me give you a few examples. The main reason that I did not choose for myself military career, it was just the last name. It would probably be impossible to achieve what my grandfather did, but I don’t want to be in second or third roles. My cousin Vasily Margelov served in Airborne troops oh, but he served under his mother’s name - to avoid parallels and comparisons with his grandfather.

In our family, such a phenomenon as blat is not accepted. He wasn't in Soviet time, not even now. My grandfather, who was then already the commander of the Airborne Forces, learned that my father had entered the law faculty of Moscow State University only from his son himself. My father, who was on a business trip abroad at that time, learned from his personnel officers that I became the head of Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s public relations department and at the age of 33 received the rank of minister. He was very surprised. I didn't ask him for help.

Such a strange family tradition for the general’s children and grandchildren. This is probably explained by the fact that my grandfather always made his way himself. This does not mean that there is no mutual assistance in our family, but it has always been human, and not career-related. No one in our country has ever been a “golden” youth and felt like they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

You didn't become a military man. Did anyone else in your family follow your grandfather's example?

We have an extremely large number of people in uniform. The eldest of his grandfather’s sons, Gennady Vasilyevich, is a Suvorov veteran, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, now a retired major general, his last place of service was the head of the Military Physical Education Institute. Lesgaft in Leningrad.

Anatoly Vasilyevich Margelov, next in age after Gennady, although he did not formally wear shoulder straps, spent his entire life working on missile guidance systems; he has two hundred and fifty inventions and discoveries. He is an Honored Inventor of the USSR.

My father, Vitaly Vasilyevich, is a colonel general, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

Then come Alexander Vasilyevich - retired Airborne Colonel, Hero of Russia, tester of airborne equipment, and Vasily Vasilyevich - retired major, served in the Middle East for quite a long time, Arabist.

Many people know who your grandfather was. Who was your grandmother, the wife of General Margelov?

My grandfather’s life turned out to be such that he had three wives. The first wife, the mother of Gennady Vasilyevich, the second Feodosia Efremovna, my grandmother, the mother of Anatoly Vasilyevich and Vitaly Vasilyevich. The last wife is Anna Alexandrovna, mother of Alexander Vasilyevich and Vasily Vasilyevich.

My grandmother became my grandfather's wife when she was a graduate student at Minsky state university. She worked as a school teacher all her life, teaching biology.

Do you have any childhood memories associated with your grandfather?

When my father and his family were on a business trip to Tunisia (I was four years old), we went on his first vacation. We came to my grandfather’s house, he lived on Smolenskaya Street in Moscow. And I was afraid of my grandfather - he had such a thunderous voice, rumbling, roaring. And suddenly I saw the magazine “Funny Pictures” in his house and asked in surprise: “Whose is this?” Then my grandfather came into the corridor where I was looking at the magazine and said: “So I wrote this out for you!”

Only many years later did I understand what it meant for this thunderous man who, with his paratroopers, kept half of Europe at bay and North America, think about your grandson, who needs to write out “Funny Pictures”!

There are a lot of memories of my grandfather, but this is perhaps the most emotionally powerful.

Did Vasily Filippovich have any life guidelines that he bequeathed to his sons and grandchildren?

Here is the formula: raise a son, build a house, plant a tree. My grandfather had his own specific phrase. He believed that in order for a man to become a real man, he must experience all the hardships of this life: to go hungry at least once, to be wounded at least once in his life, and to be in prison at least once (this did not mean for a criminal offense, but in a guardhouse ).

After thirty-seven and a half years, I really believe that there are bumps that need to be filled in order to understand what is good and what is bad.

Is Margelov’s spirit still alive in the modern Airborne Forces?

Alive And not only in the Russian Airborne Forces, but also in the former republics Soviet Union.

It is also available abroad. When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez came to Moscow last winter and was in the Federation Council, I met with him. And when he compared the names - Margelov and Margelov - it turned out that Hugo was also a paratrooper colonel. Chavez said that the Venezuelan paratroopers know my grandfather, and a portrait of Vasily Filippovich Margelov hangs in the Military Museum of Venezuela. They consider him an airborne theorist.”

Vasily Filippovich married his first wife, Maria, two years before finishing his studies at military school. In September 1931, their son Gennady was born. However, due to the nomadic life of a commander, their happiness did not work out. Maria left.

Margelov met his second wife, Feodosia, in Minsk, where she worked as a teacher. They got married in 1935, when Feodosia Efremovna was already a student at the Belarusian State University. In this marriage Anatoly and Vitaly were born. But the family was not destined to survive. First they were separated by a campaign in Western Belarus, then Finnish War, and the Great Patriotic War completely ruined it. In a word, war is war...

There, during the fighting near Leningrad, Margelov met his third wife, Anna Aleksandrovna Kurakina. This event took place at the end of 1941.

Their love went through all the trials and tribulations of life, ultimately leaving a large mark in the memory of their descendants.

Anna Alexandrovna was born on January 23, 1914 into a large peasant family in the village of Morskoye, Myshkinsky district, Yaroslavl region. She worked in a printing house, graduated from the workers' school and only then entered the medical school, which she graduated just before the war, in 1941. Then there were courses for surgeons at Military Medical Academy and front.

During the war, Anna Alexandrovna served as a company commander, a resident at the 1st Surgical Department of the Army Field Hospital for the Lightly Wounded of the 54th Army, the head of this department, and then in various positions in the 8th Separate Medical Battalion, next to her husband.

IN initial period During the war, she had the opportunity to operate on regimental commander Margelov, who was wounded in the leg, and who would have thought: in 1943 they would register their marriage at the front, and in 1947, already in peaceful life, as expected, at the registry office. In total, she operated on her husband twice in a combat situation.

The military doctor-surgeon of the Guard, captain of the medical service, Anna Aleksandrovna, ended the war with two orders (the Second Class of the Patriotic War and the Red Star) and many medals, among which was “For Military Merit.” In the regiment they called her “Mother” and were very grateful for her kind and skillful hands.

The eldest son Gennady (from his first marriage) lived in Kostyukovichi with Vasily Filippovich’s parents. At the age of twelve he ran away to his father at the front. First, Vasily Filippovich assigned his son to the reserve training battalion, and then, showing the cover of the magazine “Red Warrior”, which depicted a smiling Suvorov soldier, he invited him to enter the Suvorov School.

Anna Alexandrovna prepared him, and he entered the Tambov School.

In 1959, already as a paratrooper officer, he entered the Academy. Frunze. During his service in the Airborne Forces he made more than three hundred parachute jumps. Graduate of the General Staff Academy. He commanded a motorized rifle division and was deputy army commander in Buryatia. Recent positions: head of the Military Institute of Physical Education in Leningrad and senior lecturer at the General Staff Academy. Knight of the Order of the Red Star and “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR”, third degree. Now Major General G.V. Margelov lives in St. Petersburg. He has two sons.

Son Anatoly (from his second marriage) graduated from the institute in Taganrog. He worked as a researcher at a defense research institute, where he defended both his master's and doctoral dissertations. He is the author of more than two hundred inventions, Dr. technical sciences, Professor. Anatoly Vasilyevich has a daughter and a son.

Son Vitaly is Anatoly's brother. In 1958 he entered the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University. Lomonosov. After graduation he worked in the KGB. Today he is a Colonel General, an Honorary Security Officer, and a holder of the Order of Military Merit. He has four sons.

Son Alexander (from his third marriage) graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1970. Ordzhonikidze. After graduation, he worked as an engineer at the Central Design Bureau of Experimental Mechanical Engineering in the city of Korolev. From 1971 to 1980 he served in the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Airborne Forces. During this period, he graduated from the Airborne School as an external student and Military Academy armored forces. He has 145 jumps. Made two flights inside the BMD and one together with the BMD. Hero of Russia, colonel, holder of the Order of the Red Banner and the Red Star.

Son Vasily is Alexander's brother. Successfully graduated from the Institute of Oriental Languages at Moscow State University. Perfectly mastered Arabic. He served as an officer in the GRU system for about eight years. Of these, six years in Arab countries. Major of the reserve. He has a son.

All of Margelov's sons gathered together only twice. The first time was at a service dacha in the Ministry of Defense village of Vnukovo, and the second time was at my father’s funeral. Nevertheless, they developed very friendly relations, because with such a person as Vasily Filippovich, it could not have been any other way!

In the summer of 1984, answering a correspondent’s question about his sons, General Margelov said literally:

The eldest, Gennady, the general, is said to be stepping on his father’s heels. Vitaly is a colonel, Alexander is a colonel, Vasily is a major. Only Anatoly did not become a military man. Everyone except him jumped with a parachute..."

Vasily Filippovich was very proud that they were all directly related to the army.

After the war, Anna Alexandrovna followed her husband, first working as an otolaryngologist, and then, due to an unsuccessful operation, she had to quit.

The war, endless travel, unrest and troubles completely undermined her health. Anna Alexandrovna left on January 30, 1993.

Shortly after her death, her younger sons found a bundle of yellowed letters. As they write, from them they “received stunning confirmation of what a faithful and loving heart beat under the combat commander’s tunic during the harsh years of the war, and even more so after the Victory. How young hearts, despite all adversity, longed for love and small world for two, how they strove for each other, although their meetings were not so frequent, and sometimes they did not know whether there would be a next meeting... Death constantly hovered over them, tearing their friends and loved ones out of action, and, perhaps, it was That’s why their love was so bright, which they were able to carry together until the end of their days. Any man, any woman can dream of such a strong support as mother was for his father, and such a strong support as father was for his mother...”

This text is an introductory fragment.

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The main brainchild of Vasily Margelov is absolutely deservedly considered Airborne landing troops. However, the general also distinguished himself on the family front. Few people know, but Margelov was a father of many children: he raised five sons. All of them followed in the footsteps of their parents and dedicated their lives to the Russian army.

Gennady

As you know, at the end of the 1920s, Vasily Filippovich Margelov was drafted into the Red Army. The recruit was sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School. It was then that Margelov first acquired the status of a married man. In the early autumn of 1931, the young couple had a son. The boy was named Gennady. However, the happiness did not last long. Maria Margelova could not stand the nomadic life that her husband led due to his profession. The child remained in the care of his grandparents, Vasily Filippovich’s parents.

Nevertheless, the father apparently had a huge influence on his son, because, while still a 13-year-old teenager, Gennady Vasilyevich fled to the front. Margelov Sr. did not drive his son away: for some time Gennady fought in the division commanded by his parent. Later, according to Oleg Smyslov, author of the book “General Margelov,” Gennady Margelov graduated from the Suvorov Military School. He subsequently received the rank of major general. His last place of service was the Leningrad Military Physical Education Institute named after Lesgaft.

Anatoly and Vitaly

Vasily Margelov met his second wife, Feodosia Efremovna Selitskaya, in Belarus. In this marriage, “paratrooper No. 1” had sons Anatoly and Vitaly. Despite the presence of children, this union did not turn out to be very durable. The divorce of their parents did not affect the professional orientation of Anatoly and Vitaly in any way: they both decided to follow in their father’s footsteps. Vitaly, according to Eric Ford, author of the publication “Behind the Scenes of the FSB,” rose to the rank of colonel general. He devoted most of his life to foreign intelligence and even served as deputy head of the SVR.

But Anatoly Margelov, as his brother Alexander Margelov writes in his book “Paratrooper No. 1. Army General Margelov,” graduated from a radio engineering university in Taganrog. Since 1959, Anatoly Margelov has been creating new types of weapons. He has more than 200 different inventions to his credit. Thanks to such efficiency and, of course, talent, Anatoly Vasilyevich became a Doctor of Technical Sciences at just over 30 years old. Almost until the end of his days he worked at the Taganrog Research Institute of Communications.

Vasily and Alexander

Vasily Margelov met his third wife at the end of 1941. At that time, the battles near Leningrad were just going on. Anna Aleksandrovna Kurakina also took part in the Great Patriotic War and at one time operated on a wounded military leader. Margelov and Kurakina became legal husband and wife only in 1947, and the twins Vasily and Alexander were born 2 years earlier. Margelov's younger sons were influenced not only by the general himself, but also by their older brothers. Vasily and Alexander developed excellent relationships with Gennady, Anatoly and Vitaly. Therefore, it is not surprising that their destinies were also connected with the army.

According to Oleg Krivopalov, author of the book “Notes Soviet officer: at the turn of epochs", Alexander Vasilievich Margelov graduated from the rocket faculty of the capital aviation institute, and then the airborne school and the armored academy. He rose to the rank of colonel and even became a Hero Russian Federation. After his resignation, Alexander Margelov worked as an expert at Rosvooruzhenie. And Vasily Vasilyevich Margelov retired with the rank of major. But in last years During his life, he worked as deputy director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Voice of Russia broadcasting company.

Vasily Filippovich Margelov (Ukrainian Vasil Pilipovich Margelov, Belarusian Vasil Pilipovich Margelov, December 27, 1908, Ekaterinoslav, Russian empire- March 4, 1990, Moscow) - Soviet military leader, author and initiator of the creation of numerous means and methods of warfare by airborne troops, many of which personify the image of the Russian airborne troops that currently exists. Commander of the Airborne Forces in 1954-1959 and 1961-1979, Hero of the Soviet Union, laureate of the USSR State Prize.

V. F. Margelov was born on December 27, 1908 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine), into a family of immigrants from Belarus. Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov, metallurgist. (Vasily Filippovich’s surname Margelov was subsequently written down due to an error in his party card.)

In 1913, the Markelov family returned to the homeland of Philip Ivanovich - to the town of Kostyukovichi, Klimovichi district (Mogilev province). Mother Agafya Stepanovna is from the neighboring Bobruisk district. According to some information, V.F. Margelov graduated from the parochial school (CPS) in 1921.

As a teenager he worked as a loader and carpenter. In the same year, he entered the leather workshop as an apprentice and soon became an assistant master. In 1923, he became a laborer at the local Khleboproduct. There is information that he graduated from a rural youth school and worked as a forwarder delivering mail on the Kostyukovichi - Khotimsk line.

Since 1924 he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M.I. Kalinin as a laborer, then as a horse-driver.

In 1925 he was sent again to Belarus, as a forester at a timber industry enterprise. He worked in Kostyukovichi, in 1927 he became the chairman of the working committee of the timber industry enterprise, and was elected to the local Council.

Drafted into the Red Army in 1928. Sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School (UBVSH) named after. Central Election Commission of the BSSR in Minsk, enrolled in a group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine gun company. In April 1931 he graduated with honors from Minsk military school(former OBVSH).

After graduating from college, he was appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Territorial rifle division(Mogilev, Belarus). Since 1933 - platoon commander at the Minsk Military Infantry School. M.I. Kalinina.

In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company. From October 25, 1938, he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the head of the 2nd division of the division headquarters.

During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940) he commanded the Separate Reconnaissance Ski Battalion of the 596th Infantry Regiment of the 122nd Division. During one of the operations he captured Swedish officers General Staff.

After the end of the Soviet-Finnish War, he was appointed to the position of assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th Separate Disciplinary Battalion (ODB). On June 19, 1941, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the 1st Motorized Rifle Division (the core of the regiment was soldiers of the 15th ODB).

During the Great Patriotic War - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.

He led the division's actions during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division took part in the liberation of the peoples of South-Eastern Europe.

After the war in command positions. Since 1948, after graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was the commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.

In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps (Far East).

From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In 1959-1961 - appointed with demotion, First Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces. From 1961 to January 1979 - returned to the post of Commander of the Airborne Forces.

On October 28, 1967 he was awarded the highest military rank"army General". He led the actions of the Airborne Forces during the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Since January 1979 - in the group of inspectors general of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces and was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School.

During his service in the Airborne Forces he made more than 60 jumps. The last of them is at the age of 65.

In the history of the Airborne Forces, and in the Armed Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, his name will remain forever. He personified an entire era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces; their authority and popularity are associated with his name not only in our country, but also abroad...

V. F. Margelov realized that in modern operations only highly mobile landing forces capable of wide maneuver can operate successfully deep behind enemy lines.

He categorically rejected the idea of holding the area captured by the landing forces until the approach of troops advancing from the front using the method of rigid defense as disastrous, because in this case the landing force would be quickly destroyed.

Margelov’s contribution to the formation of the airborne troops in their current form was reflected in the comic decoding of the abbreviation VDV - “Uncle Vasya’s Troops”

“The one who has never left a plane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced joy and fear free fall, a whistle in his ears, a stream of wind beating his chest, he will never understand the honor and pride of a paratrooper...”

Lived and worked in Moscow. Died March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

IN military theory it was believed that in order to immediately use nuclear strikes and maintain a high tempo of the offensive, widespread use of airborne assaults was necessary. Under these conditions, the Airborne Forces had to fully comply with the military-strategic goals of the war and meet the military-political goals of the state.

According to Commander Margelov: “To fulfill our role in modern operations, it is necessary that our formations and units be highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, are well controlled, capable of landing at any time of the day and quickly proceed to active combat operations after landing. This, by and large, is the ideal to which we should strive.”

To achieve these goals, under the leadership of Margelov, a concept of the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations was developed.

Margelov wrote a number of works on this topic, and also successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation (he was awarded the title of Candidate of Military Sciences by decision of the Council Military Order Lenin Order of the Red Banner Suvorov Academy. M.V. Frunze). In practical terms, Airborne Forces exercises and command meetings were regularly held.

It was necessary to bridge the gap between the theory of the combat use of the Airborne Forces and the existing organizational structure of the troops, as well as the capabilities of military transport aviation.

Having assumed the post of Commander, Margelov received troops consisting mainly of infantry with light weapons and military transport aviation (as an integral part of the Airborne Forces), which was equipped with Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu-2 aircraft. 4 with significantly limited landing capabilities. In fact, the Airborne Forces were not capable of solving major problems in military operations.

Margelov initiated the creation at enterprises of the military-industrial complex of serial production of landing equipment, heavy parachute platforms, parachute systems and containers for landing cargo, cargo and human parachutes, parachute devices.

“You cannot order equipment, so strive to create in the design bureau, industry, during testing, reliable parachutes, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment,” Margelov said when setting tasks for his subordinates.

Modifications of small arms were created for paratroopers to make them easier to parachute - lighter weight, folding stock.
Soviet paratroopers on the BMD-1, Afghanistan, 1986.

Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces in post-war years new military equipment was developed and modernized: airborne self-propelled artillery unit ASU-76 (1949), light ASU-57 (1951), amphibious ASU-57P (1954), self-propelled unit ASU-85, tracked combat vehicle of the Airborne Forces BMD-1 (1969).

After the first batches of the BMD-1 entered service with the troops, a family of weapons was developed on its basis: Nona self-propelled artillery guns, artillery fire control vehicles, R-142 command and staff vehicles, R-141 long-range radio stations, anti-tank systems, and a reconnaissance vehicle.

Anti-aircraft units and subunits were also equipped with armored personnel carriers, which housed crews with portable systems and ammunition.
Landing of paratroopers in Il-76, 1984.

By the end of the 50s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were adopted and entered service with the troops, which had a payload capacity of up to 10-12 tons and a sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups personnel with standard military equipment and weapons.

Later, through the efforts of Margelov, the Airborne Forces received new military transport aircraft - An-22 and Il-76.

At the end of the 50s, parachute platforms PP-127 appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of artillery, vehicles, radio stations, engineering equipment, etc.

Parachute-jet landing aids were created, which, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, made it possible to bring the cargo landing speed closer to zero.

Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing by abandoning large quantity large area domes.

On January 5, 1973, for the first time in world practice, the USSR carried out a parachute-platform landing in the Centaur complex from an An-12B military transport aircraft of a BMD-1 tracked armored combat vehicle with two crew members on board.

The crew commander was the son of Vasily Filippovich, senior lieutenant Margelov Alexander Vasilyevich, and the driver-mechanic was Lieutenant Colonel Zuev Leonid Gavrilovich.

On January 23, 1976, also for the first time in world practice, a BMD-1 landed from the same type of aircraft and made a soft landing on a parachute-jet system in the Reactavr complex, also with two crew members on board - Major Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Shcherbakov Ivanovich.

The landing was carried out at great risk to life, without personal means of rescue. Twenty years later, for the feat of the seventies, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

Father Philip Ivanovich Markelov, a metallurgist, became a holder of two St. George's crosses in the First World War.
Mother Agafya Stepanovna was from Bobruisk district. Two brothers - Ivan (eldest), Nikolai (younger) and sister Maria.
Wife - Anna Aleksandrovna Kurakina, doctor. I met Anna Alexandrovna during the Great Patriotic War.

Five sons:
* Gennady Vasilievich (born 1931)
* Anatoly Vasilievich
* Vitaly Vasilyevich (born 1941) - chose the path of a professional intelligence officer, linking his fate with the structures of the KGB of the USSR and the SVR of Russia. Later he continued his career as a socio-political figure.
* Vasily Vasilyevich (born 1941) and Alexander Vasilyevich are twin sons.
* Alexander Vasilyevich (born 1945) - followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming an officer in the Airborne Forces. On August 29, 1996, “for the courage and heroism shown during testing, fine-tuning and development of special equipment” (landing inside the BMD-1 using a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, carried out for the first time in world practice in 1976), Alexander Vasilyevich was awarded title of Hero of the Russian Federation. After retiring, he worked in the structures of Rosoboronexport. In 2003, Alexander Vasilyevich and Vitaly Vasilyevich co-authored a book about their father, “Paratrooper No. 1, Army General Margelov.”
Awards and titles

USSR awards
* Medal " Golden Star» No. 3414 Hero of the Soviet Union (03/19/1944)
* four Orders of Lenin (03/21/1944, 11/3/1953, 12/26/1968, 12/26/1978)
* order October revolution (4.05.1972)
* two Orders of the Red Banner (02/3/1943, 06/20/1949)
* Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree (1944)
* two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st degree (01/25/1943, 03/11/1985)
* Order of the Red Star (11/3/1944)
* two Orders “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR” 2nd (12/14/1988) and 3rd degree (04/30/1975)
* medals

Awarded twelve Commendations Supreme Commander-in-Chief (13.03.1944, 28.03.1944, 10.04.1944, 4.11.1944, 24.12.1944, 13.02.1945, 25.03.1945, 3.04.1945, 5.04.1945, 13.04.1945, 13.04.1945, 8.05.1945).

Awards from foreign countries

People's Republic of Bulgaria NRB:
* Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, 2nd degree (09.20.1969)
* four jubilee medals of Bulgaria (1974, 1978, 1982, 1985)

Hungarian People's Republic Hungarian People's Republic:
* star and badge of the Order of the Hungarian People's Republic, 3rd degree (04/04/1950)
* medal "Brotherhood in Arms" gold degree (09/29/1985)

Polish People's Republic of Poland:
* Officer's Cross of the Order of the Renaissance of Poland (11/6/1973)
* medal “For the Odra, Nisa and the Baltic” (05/07/1985)
* medal “Brotherhood in Arms” (10/12/1988)
* Officer of the Order of the Renaissance of Poland (11/6/1973)

Socialist Republic of Romania SR Romania:
* Order of Tudor Vladimirescu, 2nd (10/1/1974) and 3rd (10/24/1969) degrees
* two anniversary medals (1969, 1974)

Czechoslovakia:
* Order of Klement Gottwald (1969)
* medal "For strengthening friendship in arms" 1st class (1970)
* two anniversary medals

Mongolian People's Republic Mongolian People's Republic:
* Order of the Red Banner of Battle (06/07/1971)
* seven anniversary medals (1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1982)

People's Republic of China:
* medal “Sino-Soviet Friendship” (02/23/1955)

German Democratic Republic GDR:
* Order "Star of Peoples' Friendship" in silver (02/23/1978)
* Arthur Becker medal in gold (05/23/1980)

Cuba:
* two anniversary medals (1978, 1986)

United States of America USA:
* Order of the Legion of Merit, commander degree (05/10/1945)
* Bronze Star medal (05/10/1945)

Honorary titles
* Hero of the Soviet Union (1944)
* Laureate of the USSR State Prize (1975)
* Honorary citizen of Kherson
* Honorary soldier of the Airborne Forces military unit
Proceedings
* Margelov V.F. Airborne troops. - M.: Knowledge, 1977. - 64 p.
* Margelov V.F. Soviet Airborne Forces. — 2nd ed. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1986. - 64 p.
Memory
By order of the USSR Minister of Defense dated April 20, 1985, V. F. Margelov was enrolled as an Honorary Soldier in the lists of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division.
Tombstone at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Monuments to V. F. Margelov were erected in Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine), Kostyukovichi (Belarus), Ryazan and Seltsy ( The educational center Institute of Airborne Forces), Omsk, Tula, St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk. Officers and paratroopers, veterans of the Airborne Forces every year come to the monument of their commander at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow to pay tribute to his memory.

The Ryazan Military Institute of Airborne Forces, the Airborne Forces Department of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Boarding School (NKSHI) are named after Margelov. A square in Ryazan, streets in Vitebsk (Belarus), Omsk, Pskov and Tula are named after Margelov.

During the Great Patriotic War, a song was composed in V. Margelov’s division, one verse from it:
The song praises the Falcon
Brave and courageous...
Is it close, is it far
Margelov's regiments were marching.

By Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 182 of May 6, 2005, the departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Army General Margelov” was established. In the same year, a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow, in Sivtsev Vrazhek Lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.

In honor of the centenary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of V. Margelov in the Airborne Forces. In 2009, the television series “Dad” was released, telling about the life of V. Margelov.

On February 21, 2010, a bust of Vasily Margelov was erected in Kherson. The bust of the general is located in the city center near the Youth Palace on Perekopskaya Street.

Margelov Vasily Filippovich was born on December 27, 1908 in Dnepropetrovsk, died at the age of 82 on March 4, 1990 in Moscow. The legendary special forces soldier who transformed the USSR Airborne Forces from “penalties” into the elite of the USSR Armed Forces, long-term commander of the airborne forces (1954-1979), army general, Hero of the Soviet Union.

The feat of Vasily Margelov.

Vasily Margelov became a legend during his lifetime

During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940), commanding the Separate Reconnaissance Ski Battalion of the 122nd Division, he made several daring raids behind enemy lines, during one of which he captured officers of the German General Staff - officially allies of the USSR at that time;

- in 1941 his “land commander” was placed at the head of the regiment Marine Corps Baltic Fleet. Contrary to prejudices that he “wouldn’t fit in,” Margelov became “one of their own,” and the Marines called him, a major, “Captain 3rd Rank,” emphasizing their respect for the commander. The regiment was considered "the personal guard of the fleet commander of Admiral Tributs", which he besieged Leningrad sent to places where even the penal battalion could not send. For example, during the German assault on the Pulkovo Heights, Margelov’s regiment was landed behind enemy lines on the coast of Ladoga in the direction of Lipki - Shlisselburg, and the commander of the North group of troops, Field Marshal von Leeb, was forced to stop the assault on Pulkovo, transferring units to liquidate the landing. Margelov was seriously wounded and miraculously survived;

Since 1943, Margelov was the commander of the division, stormed “Saur-Mogila”, liberated Kherson (awarded the Hero’s Star), and in 1945 the Germans called Margelov “Soviet Skorzeny” after the division tank corps The SS “Totenkopf” and “Grossdeutschland” personally surrendered to him without a fight;

On May 2, 1945, Margelov was given the task of capturing or destroying the remnants of the two most famous SS units rushing into the American zone of responsibility. Then Vasily Margelov dared to take a decisive step. He, along with a group of officers who were armed with grenades and machine guns, accompanied by a battery of 57-mm cannons, arrived at the group’s headquarters, after which he ordered the battalion commander to set the guns with direct fire at the enemy’s headquarters and open fire if he did not return in ten minutes.

Margelov went to headquarters and presented an ultimatum to the Germans: either they surrender and their lives are spared, or they will be completely destroyed using all the means available to the division: “by 4:00 am - front to the east. Light weapons: machine guns, machine guns, rifles - in stacks, ammunition - nearby. The second line - military equipment, guns and mortars - with their muzzles down. Soldiers and officers - in formation to the west,” Vasily Margelov later wrote in his book. He gave him little time to think: “while his cigarette burns out.” And the Germans capitulated. An accurate count of trophies showed the following figures: 2 generals, 806 officers, 31,258 non-commissioned officers, 77 tanks and self-propelled guns, 5,847 trucks, 493 trucks, 46 mortars, 120 guns, 16 locomotives, 397 carriages.

Vasily Margelov - “father of the Airborne Forces”. In 1950, airborne troops were considered something of a penal battalion, and were never valued. They were compared to penalty prisoners, and the abbreviation itself was deciphered: “you’re unlikely to return home.” However, soon after the arrival of a new commander - Vasily Margelov - the Airborne Forces turned into truly elite troops.

Just a few years later, the primitive equipment was replenished with a Kalashnikov assault rifle with a special folding stock so that it would not interfere with the opening of the parachute, lightweight aluminum armor, an RPG-16 anti-tank grenade launcher, and Centaur platforms for landing people in combat vehicles. The Airborne Guards received official permission from the USSR Ministry of Defense to wear blue berets and vests, which were first shown during the 1969 military parade on Red Square. In 1973, the world's first landing using the BMD-1 parachute system took place near Tula. The crew commander was Margelov's son Alexander. The competition for the Ryazan Airborne School exceeded the numbers of MGIMO, Moscow State University and VGIK. The comically fatalistic name of the Airborne Forces was replaced in the 70s by “Uncle Vasya’s Troops.” This is exactly what the Airborne Forces fighters called themselves, thereby emphasizing the special warmth of feelings for their legendary commander.

During the training of paratroopers, Margelov paid special attention to parachute jumping. He himself first found himself under the dome only in 1948, already with the rank of general: “Until the age of 40, I vaguely understood what a parachute was; I never even dreamed of jumping. It happened on its own, or rather, as it should be in the army, by order. I am a military man, if necessary, I am ready to take the devil in my teeth. That’s how I had to, already being a general, make my first parachute jump. The impression, I tell you, is incomparable.”

Vasily Margelov himself once said: “Anyone who has never left an airplane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced the joy and fear of a free fall, a whistle in his ears, a stream of wind beating his chest, has never will understand the honor and pride of the paratrooper." He himself subsequently, despite his advanced years, made about 60 jumps, the last at the age of 65.

In 1968, after the occupation of Czechoslovakia, Margelov managed to convince Defense Minister Marshal Grechko that the winged guard should have vests and berets. Even before this, he emphasized that the airborne troops must adopt the traditions of their “big brother” - the Marine Corps, and continue them with honor. “That’s why I introduced vests to the paratroopers. Only the stripes on them match the color of the sky - blue.”

Vasily Margelov and social networks.

Posted on Youtube video hosting documentary"Vasily Margelov and the Airborne Forces":

Awards of Vasily Margelov.

December 14, 1988 and April 30, 1975 - two Orders “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR” of the second and third degree, respectively.

Biography of Vasily Margelov.

1921 - graduated from a parochial school, entered a leather workshop as an apprentice, and soon became an assistant master;

1923 - entered the local “Hleboproduct” as a laborer;

Since 1924, he worked in Yekaterinoslavl (now Dnepropetrovsk) at the mine named after. M.I. Kalinin as a laborer, then a horse driver (driver of horses pulling trolleys);

1925 - sent to the BSSR as a forester at a timber industry enterprise;

1927 - Chairman of the working committee of the timber industry enterprise, elected to the local Council;

1928 - drafted into the Red Army;

April 1931 - graduated from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR with honors. Appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Infantry Division (Mogilev, Belarus);

Since 1933 - platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the General Military School named after. Central Election Commission of the BSSR;

Since 1937 - platoon commander of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Minsk Military Infantry School named after. M. I. Kalinina;

February 1934 - appointed assistant company commander;

May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company;

October 25, 1938 - commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division named after. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District;

1939-1940 - commanded the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th Infantry Regiment of the 122nd Division;

Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District;

July 1941 - commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division people's militia Leningrad Front;

Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front;

At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Guard Major General Margelov commanded a battalion in the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front;

1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps;

1954-1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces;

January 1979 - in the group of inspectors general of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces, was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School;

March 4, 1990 - Vasily Filippovich Margelov died in Moscow. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Perpetuating the memory of Vasily Margelov.

On May 6, 2005, the departmental medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Army General Margelov” was established;

2005 - a memorial plaque was installed on a house in Moscow on Sivtsev Vrazhek Lane, where Margelov lived for the last 20 years of his life.

Monuments to Vasily Margelov were erected in:

Taganrog;

Chisinau;

Dnepropetrovsk;

Yaroslavl;

as well as in many other localities.

The Ryazan Higher Airborne Troops bears the name of Margelov. command school, Department of Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod cadet corps(NKSHI);

A square in St. Petersburg, in the city of Belogorsk, Amur Region, a square in Ryazan, streets in Moscow, Vitebsk (Belarus), Omsk, Pskov, Taganrog, Tula and Western Litsa, in Buryatia: in Ulan-Ude and Border Guard are named after Margelov. the village of Naushki, avenue and park in the Zavolzhsky district of Ulyanovsk.

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As can be seen from the photo, users search engine In October 2015, Yandex was interested in the query “Vasily Margelov” 241 times.

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Vasily Filippovich Margelov. Born on December 14 (27), 1908 in Ekaterinoslav (later Dnepropetrovsk, now Dnepr) - died on March 4, 1990 in Moscow. Soviet military leader, commander of the USSR Airborne Forces (1954-1959, 1961-1979), army general (1967), Hero of the Soviet Union (1944), laureate of the USSR State Prize (1975), candidate of military sciences (1968).

Vasily Margelov (nee Markelov) was born on December 14 (27), 1908 in Yekaterinoslav (later Dnepropetrovsk, now Dnepr).

Father - Philip Ivanovich Margelov ( real name- Markelov), originally from the Mogilev province, a metallurgist, during the First World War he became a holder of two St. George Crosses.

Mother - Agafya Stepanovna, originally from Bobruisk district of present-day Belarus.

Older brother - Ivan Filippovich Margelov.

Younger brother - Nikolai Filippovich Margelov.

Sister - Maria Filippovna.

The surname Margelov appeared on my father’s party card due to an error. Since my father did not dare change his party card, later all the documents were changed to the name Margelov, incl. and metrics of Vasily Filippovich.

Since 1913, the family lived in their father’s homeland in Kostyukovichi, Klimovichi district, Mogilev province. There, in 1921, Vasily graduated from the parochial school.

WITH early years started working, in particular, as a teenager he worked as a loader, then as a carpenter.

In 1921 he entered the leather workshop as an apprentice and soon became an assistant master. In 1923, he became a laborer at the local Khleboproduct. He graduated from the rural youth school and worked as a forwarder delivering mail on the Kostyukovichi-Khotimsk line.

Since 1924 he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M.I. Kalinin as a laborer, then a horse driver - a driver of horses hauling trolleys.

In 1925 he was sent to Belarus, where he worked as a forester in a timber industry enterprise. In Kostyukovichi in 1927 he became chairman of the working committee of the timber industry enterprise and was elected to the local Council.

In 1928, he was drafted into the Red Army and sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School (UBVSH) named after. Central Election Commission of the BSSR in Minsk, enrolled in a group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine gun company.

Member of the CPSU(b) since 1929.

In April 1931, he graduated with honors from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR. Appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Belarusian Rifle Division in Mogilev.

Since 1933 - platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the General Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR (from 11/6/1933 - named after M.I. Kalinin, from 1937 - Order of the Red Banner of Labor Minsk Military Infantry School named after M.I. Kalinin). In February 1934 he was appointed assistant company commander, in May 1936 - commander of a machine gun company.

From October 25, 1938, he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd rifle regiment of the 8th Minsk rifle division named after. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the head of the 2nd division of the division headquarters. In this position he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.

Vasily Margelov during the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940) commanded the Separate reconnaissance ski battalion of the 596th Infantry Regiment of the 122nd Division. The division was initially stationed in Brest, and in November 1939 it was sent to Karelia.

During one of the operations he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.

After the end of the Soviet-Finnish War, he was appointed to the position of assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District (15th detachment, Novgorod region).

Vasily Margelov during the Great Patriotic War:

At the beginning of July 1941, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the 1st People's Militia Division of the Leningrad Front - the basis of the regiment was made up of fighters of the former 15th separate disciplinary battalion.

On November 21, 1941, he was appointed commander of the 1st Special Ski Regiment of Red Banner Baltic Fleet sailors. The Marines accepted the commander, which was especially emphasized by addressing him by the naval equivalent of the rank of “major” - “Comrade Captain 3rd Rank.” The prowess of the “brothers” sank into Margelov’s heart. Subsequently, having become the commander of the Airborne Forces, as a sign that the paratroopers had adopted the glorious traditions of their older brother - the Marine Corps and continued them with honor, Margelov ensured that the paratroopers received the right to wear vests, but - to emphasize their belonging to the sky - the paratroopers have them blue.

Since July 1942 - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division.

The award sheet depicts the regiment’s battles on the banks of the Myshkova River: “The 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, under the skillful leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Margelov, held back the advance of large enemy forces who, with the support of 70 tanks, tried to break through the regiment’s defenses in the area of the village of Vasilievka and connect with the enemy group surrounded in the Stalingrad area. As a result of the battles, he captured 2 tanks, 12 guns, 2 anti-aircraft guns, 6 machine guns as trophies and destroyed more than 900 enemy soldiers and officers, 36 tanks and armored vehicles. In the battle, Comrade Margelov was seriously shell-shocked, but two days later he returned to duty. A strong-willed and fearless commander. The regiment owes its successes to his firm and skillful leadership. Worthy of being awarded the Order of the Red Banner.”

After division commander K. A. Tsalikov was wounded, command passed to Chief of Staff Vasily Margelov for the duration of his treatment. Under the leadership of Margelov, on July 17, 1943, soldiers of the 3rd Guards Division broke through 2 lines of Nazi defense on the Mius Front, captured the village of Stepanovka and provided a springboard for the assault on Saur-Mogila.

Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. He led the division’s actions during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The 49th division received the honorary name “Kherson”. The soldiers of his formation brought freedom to the residents of Nikolaev and Odessa, distinguished themselves during the Iasi-Kishinev operation, entered Romania and Bulgaria on the shoulders of the enemy, successfully fought in Yugoslavia, took Budapest and Vienna.

During the war, commander Margelov was mentioned ten times in the gratitude orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Orders (gratitude) of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in which V. F. Margelov was noted:

For crossing the Dnieper River in the lower reaches, and capturing the city of Kherson - a large junction of railway and water communications and an important stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Dnieper River. March 13, 1944. No. 83;

For mastering a major regional assault and industrial center Ukraine, the city of Nikolaev is an important railway junction, one of the largest ports on the Black Sea and a strong stronghold of the German defense at the mouth of the Southern Bug. March 28, 1944. No. 96;

For the assault on the territory of Hungary on the city and large railway junction of Szolnok - an important stronghold of the enemy’s defense on the Tisza River. November 4, 1944. No. 209;

For breaking through the heavily fortified enemy defenses southwest of Budapest, the cities of Székesfehérvár and Biczke - large communications hubs and important strongholds of the enemy's defense - were captured by storm. December 24, 1944. No. 218;

For the complete capture of the capital of Hungary, the city of Budapest - a strategically important center of German defense on the routes to Vienna. February 13, 1945. No. 277;

For breaking through a heavily fortified German defense in the Värteshegyszeg mountains, west of Budapest, defeating the group German troops in the Esztergom region as well as the capture of the cities of Esztergom, Nesmey, Felshe-Galla, Tata. March 25, 1945. No. 308;

For the capture of the city and the important road junction of Magyarovar and the city and railway station of Kremnica - a strong stronghold of the German defense on southern slopes Velkafatra ridge. April 3, 1945. No. 329;

For the capture of the cities and important railway junctions of Malacky and Bruk, as well as the cities of Previdza and Banovce - strong strongholds of German defense in the Carpathian belt. April 5, 1945. No. 331;

For the encirclement and defeat of a group of German troops trying to retreat from Vienna to the north, and at the same time capturing the cities of Korneyburg and Floridsdorf - powerful strongholds of German defense on the left bank of the Danube. April 15, 1945. No. 337;

For the capture of the cities of Jaroměřice and Znojmo in Czechoslovakia and the cities of Gollabrunn and Stockerau in Austria - important communications hubs and strong strongholds of German defense. May 8, 1945. No. 367.

The war was completed by the guard unit of Major General Vasily Margelov on May 12, 1945 with the brilliant bloodless capture of selected German SS divisions “Totenkopf”, “Great Germany”, “1st SS Police Division”, and even the remnants of the “Vlasovites” - in total more than 32 thousand man, with weapons and military equipment.

At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Guard Major General Margelov commanded a battalion in the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

After the war he held various command positions.

Vasily Margelov in the airborne troops

Since 1948, after graduating from the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree, from the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.

After graduating from the Academy of the General Staff, Vasily Filippovich had a conversation with the then Minister of Defense Nikolai Bulganin. Nikolai Alexandrovich spoke about the airborne troops, their glorious military past, and the fact that a decision had been made to develop this relatively young branch of the military. “We believe in them and consider it necessary to strengthen them with military generals who distinguished themselves during the Great Patriotic War. What is your opinion, comrades?” said Bulganin. General Margelov, who had many wounds over three wars, including serious ones, and even in the legs, asked a single question in response: “When can I go to the troops?” “Today,” answered Bulganin and firmly shook his hand.

Later Vasily Margelov admitted: “Until the age of 40, I had a vague idea of what a parachute was; I never even dreamed of jumping. It happened on its own, or rather, as it should be in the army, by order. I am a military man, if necessary, I am ready to take the devil in my teeth. That’s how I had to, already being a general, make my first parachute jump. The impression, I tell you, is incomparable. A dome opens above you, you soar in the air like a bird - by God, you want to sing! I started singing. But you won’t get away with enthusiasm alone. I was in a hurry, didn’t pay attention to the ground, and ended up having to walk for two weeks with my leg bandaged. Learned a lesson. Parachute business is not only romance, but also enormous work and impeccable discipline... Anyone who has never left an airplane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced the joy and fear of a free fall, a whistle in his ears, a stream of wind hitting his chest, he will never understand the honor and pride of a paratrooper".

During his service in Airborne Forces Vasily Filippovich made more than 60 parachute jumps (the last one at the age of 65).

In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps (Far East).

From 1954 to 1959 - Commander of the Airborne Forces. In March 1959, after an emergency in artillery regiment 76th Airborne Division (gang rape of civilian women) was demoted to 1st Deputy Airborne Commander.

Vasily Margelov made an invaluable contribution to the formation and development of the Airborne Forces. And it is no coincidence that the Airborne Forces are often deciphered as “Uncle Vasya’s Troops” - in memory of the contribution of Vasily Margelov. He personified an entire era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces; their authority and popularity are associated with his name not only in our country, but also abroad.

To achieve the goals set for the airborne troops, under the leadership of Margelov, a concept of the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations was developed. Margelov wrote a number of works on this topic, and on December 4, 1968, he successfully defended his candidate’s dissertation (he was awarded the title of Candidate of Military Sciences by decision of the Council of the Military Order of Lenin, Red Banner Order of Suvorov Academy named after M.V. Frunze). In practical terms, Airborne Forces exercises and command meetings were regularly held. Margelov realized that in modern operations only highly mobile landing forces capable of wide maneuver could operate successfully deep behind enemy lines. He categorically rejected the idea of holding the area captured by the landing forces until the approach of troops advancing from the front using the method of rigid defense as disastrous, because in this case the landing force would be quickly destroyed.

“To fulfill our role in modern operations, it is necessary that our formations and units be highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, be well controlled, capable of landing at any time of the day and quickly proceed to active combat operations after landing. This, by and large, is the ideal to which we should strive,” said Margelov.

He had to overcome the gap between the theory of the combat use of the Airborne Forces and the existing organizational structure of the troops, as well as the capabilities of military transport aviation. Having assumed the post of Commander, Margelov received troops consisting mainly of infantry with light weapons and military transport aviation (as an integral part of the Airborne Forces), which was equipped with Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu-2 aircraft. 4 with significantly limited landing capabilities. In fact, the Airborne Forces were not capable of solving major problems in military operations.

Margelov initiated the creation and serial production at the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of landing equipment, heavy parachute platforms, parachute systems and containers for landing cargo, cargo and human parachutes, parachute devices. “You cannot order equipment, so strive to create in the design bureau, industry, during testing, reliable parachutes, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment,” Margelov said when setting tasks for his subordinates.

Modifications of small arms were created for paratroopers to make them easier to parachute - lighter weight, folding stock.

Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces in the post-war years, new military equipment was developed and modernized: airborne self-propelled artillery unit ASU-76 (1949), light ASU-57 (1951), amphibious ASU-57P (1954), self-propelled unit ASU-85, tracked combat vehicle Airborne troops BMD-1 (1969).

After the first batches of BMD-1 arrived at the troops, attempts to land the BMP-1, which were unsuccessful, were stopped. A family of weapons was also developed on its basis: Nona self-propelled artillery guns, artillery fire control vehicles, R-142 command and staff vehicles, R-141 long-range radio stations, anti-tank systems, and a reconnaissance vehicle. Anti-aircraft units and subunits were also equipped with armored personnel carriers, which housed crews with portable systems and ammunition.

By the end of the 1950s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were adopted and entered service with the troops, which had a payload capacity of up to 10-12 tons and a sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups of personnel with standard military equipment and weapons. Later, through the efforts of Margelov, the Airborne Forces received new military transport aircraft - An-22 and Il-76.

At the end of the 1950s, the PP-127 parachute platforms appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of artillery, vehicles, radio stations, engineering equipment and others. Parachute-jet landing aids were created, which, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, made it possible to bring the cargo landing speed closer to zero. Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing by eliminating a large number of large-area domes.

On October 28, 1967, he was awarded the military rank of Army General. He led the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).

On January 5, 1973, at the Slobodka airborne parachute track near Tula, for the first time in world practice in the USSR, a parachute-platform landing was carried out in the Centaur complex from an An-12B military transport aircraft of a BMD-1 tracked armored combat vehicle with two crew members on board. The crew commander was Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev, and the operator-gunner was Senior Lieutenant Margelov Alexander Vasilyevich.

On January 23, 1976, also for the first time in world practice, a BMD-1 was parachuted from the same type of aircraft and made a soft landing on a parachute-rocket system in the Reactavr complex, also with two crew members on board - Major Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Shcherbakov Ivanovich.

The landing was carried out at great risk to life, without personal means of rescue. It is known that Vasily Filippovich, during the landing of his son, was at the command post with a loaded pistol at the ready, so that in case of failure he would shoot himself. During this time he smoked more than one pack of cigarettes. Twenty years later, for the feat of the seventies, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

Under the leadership of Margelov for more than twenty years, the airborne troops became one of the most mobile in the combat structure of the Armed Forces, prestigious for service in them, especially revered by the people. The competition for the Ryazan Airborne School exceeded the numbers of VGIK and GITIS, and applicants who missed out on exams lived in the forests near Ryazan for two or three months, until the snow and frosts, in the hope that someone would not withstand the load and it would be possible to take his place .

Lived and worked in Moscow.

By order of the USSR Minister of Defense dated April 20, 1985, V. F. Margelov was enrolled as an Honorary Soldier in the lists of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division.

In 2014, the office-museum of Vasily Margelov was opened in the main building of the headquarters of the Airborne Forces.

Every year on V.F.’s birthday. Margelov On December 27, in all cities of Russia, servicemen of the Airborne Forces pay tribute to the memory of Vasily Margelov.

The names of Vasily Margelov are: Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School; Department of Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps named after. General of the Army Margelov (NKK); MBOU "Secondary School No. 27", Simferopol; MBOU "Secondary School No. 6" Krasnodar; MAOU "Secondary School No. 12" Kungur.

Streets in many cities in Russia and the CIS countries are named in his honor.

Vasily Margelov's height: 186 centimeters.

Personal life of Vasily Margelov:

Was married three times.

First wife- Maria.

The marriage produced a son, Gennady. The family broke up when the wife left for someone else, leaving her husband and son.

Son Gennady Vasilyevich Margelov (1931-2016) became a military man, major general.

Second wife- Feodosia Efremovna Selitskaya.

The marriage produced sons Anatoly and Vitaly.

Son Anatoly Vasilyevich Margelov (1938-2008) - Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor, co-author of more than 100 inventions in the military-industrial complex.

Vitaly Vasilyevich Margelov (born 1941) - professional intelligence officer, employee of the KGB of the USSR and the SVR of Russia, later - a social and political figure; Colonel General, State Duma deputy.

Third wife- Anna Aleksandrovna Kurakina, doctor. He met Anna Alexandrovna during the Great Patriotic War.

During one of the attacks by the Marine Corps, Margelov was seriously wounded in the leg; he was taken by drag to a barge frozen into the lake not far from the shore. There he received medical assistance from military doctor Anna Kurakina. She managed to save the major's leg. They went through the entire war together from Leningrad to Vienna, and later they wandered a lot from one end of the Soviet Union to the other, until they settled in Moscow. Anna Alexandrovna ended the war with the rank of guard captain of the medical service, awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree - twice and the Red Star, as well as medals “For Military Merit”, “For the Defense of Leningrad”, “For the Defense of Stalingrad”, “For the Capture of Budapest”, “For the capture of Vienna” and many others. During the war years, she performed more than three thousand surgical operations. Twice during the war she operated on her husband, returning him to duty.

Anna Alexandrovna served as the prototype for the monument to a front-line nurse, installed in 2017 in the Pechatniki district (Moscow).

Anna Kurakina - wife of Vasily Margelov

In the third marriage, twins were born - sons Vasily and Alexander.

Vasily and Alexander - sons of Vasily Margelov

Son Vasily Vasilyevich Margelov (1945-2010) - retired major; First Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Russian State Broadcasting Company "Voice of Russia" (RGRK "Voice of Russia").

A number of songs are dedicated to Vasily Margelov. Even during the Great Patriotic War, a song was composed in Margelov’s division (written by senior lieutenant Arkady Pitanov), which contains the lines:

The song praises the Falcon
Brave and bold...
Is it close, is it far
Margelov's regiments were marching.

WWII veteran N.F. Orlov wrote a song about Margelov:

Margelov’s detachment rushed to the canals.
He conducts hand-to-hand combat...

The Blue Berets group recorded the songs “Forgive us, Vasily Filippovich!” and “And Uncle Vasya’s troops!”