Glorious biography of General Melnikov in Ulyanovsk is known to many. The memory of him is still alive, and the exploits are not forgotten. And for good reason. The general went through the entire war, participated in the capture of Berlin, and after the war he successfully headed military tank schools, first in Ulyanovsk, and then in Saratov. He was a wonderful military man and leader, even in the photo of General Melnikov it is difficult to imagine without a military uniform.
The beginning of life's journey
The future general, Petr Andreevich Melnikov, was born in July 1914 in a family of ordinary workers. His small homeland was the city of Atkarsk, located a hundred kilometers from Saratov. The boy loved to study and first graduated from an agricultural school in Saratov, and then a party school in Petrovsk.
Military career
Four years after studying at the party school, in 1939, Pyotr Melnikov was accepted into the party. By that time, he had already served in the Red Army on conscription and graduated from the Higher Military School named after the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. This is how it startedmilitary career of General P. Melnikov. And after the war, he will continue to serve in the military and become the head of the tank school, first in Ulyanovsk, and then in Saratov.
The Great Patriotic War
Pyotr Andreevich Melnikov went to the front in 1942. He fought alternately on several fronts (Western, Central, 1st and 2nd Belorussian, 1st Ukrainian, Voronezh) and went from a division commander and a self-propelled artillery regiment to a general.
Melnikov went through the entire war, visited Berlin, fought in the battles near Rzhev, took part in the Battle of Kursk, liberated Ukraine and Poland from Nazi invaders.
Berlin operation
On the account of General P. A. Melnikov there are many military awards, medals, orders. But perhaps the most memorable of them is the medal "For the Capture of Berlin".
The battle for Berlin began on the night of April 16th. There was no need to hope for an easy capture of the city - the commanders of both sides were well aware of how high the stakes were. The capture of the capital of Germany began with an artillery attack, after which tank and infantry troops entered the battle. Melnikov commanded the 44th tank brigade, which was part of the forward detachment.
The first stage of the advance to Berlin was given to the Soviet troops relatively easily, but as they moved towards the capital, resistance also grew. The most bloody was the battle for the Seelow Heights. But in the midst of the battle, when the forces of both sides began to weaken, Soviet aviation intervened. The pilots not only attackedGerman fortifications from the air, but also dropped several boards with a message for the Soviet soldiers. The message, in poetic form, said that victory was already close and, along with the message, the pilots were sending the keys to the Berlin gates.
"Guards-friends, forward to victory! We send you the keys to the Berlin Gates…"
Text of the aviators' message to infantrymen and tankmen
This message quickly spread among the infantry and tank crews. Such support inspired the fighters, and they attacked the German fortifications with renewed vigor. The Seelow Heights were taken.
On April 17, Melnikov's regiment was rapidly moving in the direction of the city of Müncheberg, near which the Germans made another attempt at a counterattack. Three dozen enemy tanks and infantry troops came up against the regiment of Pyotr Andreevich. The Germans managed to capture Melnikov's command post. A fierce battle ensued, and every member of the regiment, from cooks to commanders, went out to fight the enemies. In a heavy battle, the gunner of the command vehicle was knocked out of action. Then Melnikov himself took his place. He managed to disable three enemy tanks. Earlier, the forces of Soviet soldiers had already destroyed 16 combat vehicles, and the loss of three more tanks was a serious blow to the enemy forces. The Germans began to retreat, but did not think to surrender.
The Nazis took all possible measures to prevent the approach of Soviet troops to the capital of their country. The fate of Germany and the entire war was at stake, and both sides understood that now more than ever it was important to fight with special strength and zeal. The fighting didn't stopnight or day. According to eyewitnesses, from shots, fires and flares, even at night it was as bright as day.
April 21, the difficult battle near Fredersdorf ended, and the Soviet troops moved to the last line on the outskirts of Berlin.
On April 22, 1945, Melnikov, among the fighters of the vanguard, broke into the Berlin suburb - the city of Ulenhorst, which became the last line of resistance of the defenders of the German capital. Pyotr Andreevich managed to skillfully build the tactics of warfare and led the course of the tank battle. The battle lasted about a day with varying success.
At some point, the German resistance managed to surround the Soviet troops, but with the arrival of the main forces of the Soviet corps, the enemy was finally defeated. Melnikov's soldiers fought with honor and managed to hold back the onslaught of the Nazi troops until reinforcements arrived. During the day, more than 40 fascist tanks, 29 guns, more than 50 mortars were destroyed. More than a thousand German soldiers were killed or captured. Soviet troops were able to occupy Berlin. The war ended with victory over Nazi Germany.
Post-war life
Returning from Berlin with a victory, General Melnikov decided to continue his military career. He entered the Higher Armored School and graduated in 1948. A year later, he becomes a student at the Military Academy of Armored Forces.
Education allowed Pyotr Andreevich to head a tank school in Ulyanovsk. He stayed in this position for a long six years, and then headed several more similar institutions in other cities, but in the end he returned to Ulyanovsk again.
In 1972, General Melnikov retired from military service and went to the reserve.
Awards
General Melnikov had many awards, among which there are medals "Gold Star", "For Military Merit", for the capture of important cities - Berlin and Warsaw.
There were a lot of orders in Melnikov's collection. He was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of Suvorov, the Red Banner and the Red Star.
There are other awards: commemorative anniversary orders and medals, orders for labor in the rear, etc.
Death and memory of Melnikov
Despite the fact that Petr Andreevich was originally from the Saratov region, Ulyanovsk became his second home, where the general spent a considerable part of his life, so General Melnikov was buried in Ulyanovsk.
In the same city there is also a street named after him. The decision to name it after General Melnikov was made by a special commission of the Committee on Architecture and Urban Planning in 2011.
According to the decision of the mayor of the city, one of the streets in the South-Western district of Moscow, which at that time was under construction at that time, was awarded the name of the hero.
A memorial plaque was opened on Melnikov Street. The general's son was present at its opening, and he laid a basket of flowers at the memorial.
Students from a neighboring school also took part in the opening of the board and held a solemn line in memory of the hero.
