Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich was born in 1901, on December 16, in the village of Chepukhino (today it is the village of Vatutin, located in the Belgorod region). He was born into a large peasant family, in which, in addition to Nikolai, there were eight more children. The biography of Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich will be discussed in this article.
The future general from childhood strove for knowledge and mastered it very persistently. First, Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich graduated from the village school, where he was the first student, after which he graduated with honors from the zemstvo school in the city of Valuyki. Nikolai Fedorovich successfully passed the entrance examinations to the commercial school in Urazovo, where he also studied diligently, receiving a small scholarship from the Zemstvo. Nikolai Vatutin studied at a commercial school for only 4 years. The reason is that after that they stopped paying the scholarship, and he was forced to return to his native village.
First baptism of fire
Nikolay, returning home, began to work in the volost board. After inSoviet power was established in the village, he, being still a sixteen-year-old teenager, as one of the most literate inhabitants in the village, helped the peasants in the division of landlord property. Nicholas was not even 19 years old when he joined the Red Army. Vatutin received his baptism of fire in September 1920, when he participated in the battles with the Makhnovists in the regions of Starobelsk and Lugansk. Even then, he showed himself to be a resourceful, courageous fighter.
Nikolai Vatutin graduated with honors from the Poltava Infantry School in 1922, participating simultaneously in battles against gangs of kulaks. In the same year he joined the ranks of the RCP (b). At that time, famine raged in the country, people died from cholera and typhoid, and in 1921 there was a drought that added disaster to the population. Nikolai's grandfather and father, as well as his older brother Yegor, died of starvation.
Promotion
The biography of Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich in subsequent years was marked by the following events. Vatutin, after graduating from an infantry school, is appointed to a rifle regiment as a squad leader, after which he is a platoon commander. He improves military knowledge, graduating in 1924 from the Kyiv Higher United Military School. After that, Nikolai Fedorovich continued his education at the Frunze Military Academy (in 1926-29). After graduation, Vatutin is sent to the headquarters of the rifle division located in Chernigov. Since 1931, he has become the head of the headquarters of the mountain rifle division located in the city of Ordzhonikidze. After this service, two years later, he was again sent to the Academy. Frunze, already at the operational faculty. Vatutin graduated from it in 1934. And three years later - and the Military Academy of the General Staff. Military talent and hard work did their job. Successfully promoted Nikolai Fedorovich. In 1938, as a colonel, he was appointed to the headquarters of the special military district located in Kyiv, and after a while became a corps commander.
Transfer of Vatutin to the General Staff
In 1940, in August, when K. A. Meretskov, an army general, became the chief of the General Staff instead of B. M. Shaposhnikov, Vatutin was transferred here to work as the head of the Operations Directorate. After some time, he was appointed first deputy chief of staff. K. G. Zhukov, in his book "Memoirs and Reflections" about Vatutin, wrote that he had an extremely developed sense of responsibility, he could express his thoughts clearly and briefly, and was distinguished by his breadth of thinking and diligence. Vatutin, already a lieutenant general, was awarded the Order of Lenin in February 1941.
Start of war
The war was approaching the borders of the USSR… In its initial period, the unsuccessful actions of the troops led to personnel changes in command. It was necessary to strengthen the Central Front as best as possible. In 1941, on July 29, Zhukov proposed Vatutin's candidacy for the post of front commander. However, Stalin decided to take a different decision.
On June 30, the commander of the troops of the North-Western Front N. F. Vatutin took part in the defense of the city of Novgorod, leading the operational group of troops. Counterattacks against Manstein's corps were carried out under hisleadership. As a result of these battles, the Germans suffered heavy losses on the outskirts of Leningrad and were driven back 40 kilometers. Vatutin was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for organizing resistance and for his determination and courage.
Operation Little Saturn
In 1942, in May-July, already deputy. Chief of the General Staff N. F. Vatutin did a great job as a representative of the Stavka on the Bryansk Front. He also commanded in July-October 1942 the Voronezh Front, which successfully defended under his leadership in the Voronezh sector.
Nikolai Fedorovich in October 1942 was appointed commander of the Southwestern Front, participated in the preparation, development and conduct of the important Stalingrad operation. From November 19 to December 16 of this year, the troops of Nikolai Vatutin, together with parts of the Stalingrad and Don fronts (commanders - Eremenko and Rokossovsky, respectively), carried out an operation called "Small Saturn". They surrounded the Paulus group near Stalingrad. On November 23, Soviet troops closed the encirclement near the farm. It turned out to be part of the 4th Panzer Army, as well as the 6th Army (in total - 22 divisions, the number of which was about 330 thousand people). The troops of the Southwestern Front during this operation captured 60 thousand officers and soldiers, cleared approximately 1250 settlements. As a result, the plans of the German command, which wanted to release the army of Paulus, were frustrated. Actions during the operation also led to the defeat of the remnants of the thirdRomanian army and the eighth Italian, as well as the German group "Hollidt".
Middle Don operation
In 1942, from December 16 to December 31, another operation was carried out, Srednedonskaya. As a result, a decisive defeat was inflicted on the enemy on the Middle Don. This finally thwarted the German plan to release the troops surrounded at Stalingrad from the west. The originality of this operation was the implementation of a strong blow from the flank, combined with a number of frontal ones. The defeat at Stalingrad turned out to be very sensitive for the Germans, in which the merit of General Vatutin, who commanded the Southwestern Front, was very significant. G. K. Zhukov was awarded the Order of Suvorov of the first degree for Stalingrad. The second order was received by Vasilevsky, the third by Voronov, the fourth by Vatutin, the fifth by Eremenko, and the sixth by Rokossovsky. Of course, there could be no coincidence in the order of awards.
Operation Jump
Vatutin, general of the Great Patriotic War, by the end of 1942 he was promoted to colonel general, and already in February 1943 - army general. Troops in January-February 1943, under his command, together with units of the Southern Front, carried out the Voroshilovgrad operation, also known under the code name "Leap". It ended on February 18th. As a result, the northern part of the Donbass was cleared of the Nazis. In addition, we managed to defeat the main forces of the first tank army of the Germans.
Battle of Kursk
In March 1943, Vatutin was again appointed to the post of commander of the Voronezh Front. General of the GreatPatriotic War was now responsible for one of the main directions in the Battle of Kursk. K. K. Rokossovsky commanded the Central Front. Manstein opposed the Voronezh Front, and against the Central - Model. Units and formations during the defensive battle on the Kursk Bulge repelled powerful German attacks. During the course of the counteroffensive, they successfully solved the task of breaking through the defense in depth.
On the Kursk Bulge against the Voronezh Front, the Germans had a stronger grouping. The Russians withstood a serious onslaught of the enemy, however, the Germans also suffered heavy losses. The Voronezh Front, reinforced by the reserves of two tank armies, launched a powerful counterattack against the German grouping. A tank battle took place near Prokhorovka. When breaking through the defenses at the offensive stage, Vatutin used strike groups with tank corps, which ensured rapid advance and operational pursuit of the enemy.
Commander Rumyantsev
The operation called "Commander Rumyantsev" (Belgorod-Kharkov) began in 1943, on August 3rd. It was carried out by the troops of the Steppe and Voronezh fronts and was part of the Battle of Kursk. The operation ended on August 23. In its course, the Belgorod-Kharkov German grouping of 15 divisions was defeated, and Kharkov and Belgorod were liberated. Thus, conditions were created for an important stage - the liberation of the Left-Bank Ukraine. Soviet troops advanced up to 300 km in the southwestern and southern directions. Vatutin was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, first degree.
Battle for the Dnieper
The battle for the Dnieper began in the same year, on August 13, the troops of the Voronezh (General Vatutin), Central (Rokossovsky) and Steppe (Konev) fronts. The first stage ended on September 21st. In the southwestern direction, Soviet troops defeated about 30 German divisions. We almost completely liberated the Donbass and Left-bank Ukraine, and on a broad front we reached the Dnieper. On September 23, the troops of the Central (Rokossovsky), Voronezh (Vatutin), Southwestern (Malinovsky) and Steppe (Konev) fronts began the next stage. During the fighting, which lasted until December 22, the Dnieper was forced in a number of sectors. Developing the offensive, the fighters moved forward in a southwestern direction. The Soviet troops eventually inflicted a heavy defeat on Army Group South, as well as parts of the Army Center. They liberated Left-Bank Ukraine and part of Right-Bank Ukraine.
Kyiv operation
The Voronezh Front in October 1943 was renamed the First Ukrainian. In November of the same year, his troops conducted the Kyiv offensive operation under the command of Vatutin. It ended on December 13th. The result is a breakthrough in the defense of Army Group South. Covertly and operationally, General Vatutin regrouped among the troops, concentrating the main forces near Lyutezh so that the enemy considered the Bukrinsky bridgehead to be the main one for the Soviet offensive expected by him. Thanks to this military trick, strategic surprise was ensured. General Vatutin brilliantly coped with his task. Thanks to this, on November 6, Kyiv was liberated, and also on the right bank of the Dnieper, astrategic foothold.
Liberation of Zhitomir
The loss of Kyiv was a blow to Hitler. Active efforts were made upon his return. The Germans managed to recapture Zhytomyr in fierce attacks. Now Stalin was already indignant … During the offensive operation, units of the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated this city on December 31. The German defense was dissected at 275 km. After that, the 1st Ukrainian Front went to the east, and the 2nd - to the west, and in 1944, from January 24 to 28, more than 10 German divisions were in pincers.
Rovno-Lutsk operation
Stavka for solving the tasks of the 1944 campaign of the year decided that the main tank forces of the USSR would be led by General Vatutin. His biography as a result of this was marked by several more glorious pages. The decision to transfer tank forces here indicated that the 1st Ukrainian Front was operating in a strategically important direction. Vatutin's troops carried out the Rovno-Lutsk operation in January-February. The commander in its course applied a powerful blow to the central position and covered the flank of the enemy troops, which made it possible to break through to the rear of the German grouping and destroy it completely. The operation was completed on 11 February. As a result, Shepetovka and Rivne were liberated, the Germans' fourth tank army was defeated.
In January-February of the same year, the 1st Ukrainian Front (Vatutin), in cooperation with the 2nd (General Konev), surrounded a large enemy grouping in the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky area. However, after the Germans were in"sack", the order was given to transfer the destruction of the enemy to the 2nd Front under the command of Konev. Therefore, all the glory of this operation went to him, and not to Vatutin. Konev as a result received the honorary title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The operation ended on February 17th. As a result, about 55 thousand Germans were wounded and killed, more than 8 thousand were taken prisoner
General Vatutin: the mystery of death
In 1944, on February 29, Vatutin went to the troops on his way back from the headquarters of the 13th Army. The death of General Vatutin happened unexpectedly. He was fired upon by Bandera in his own rear, in the village. Milyatyn (Ostrozhsky district), and wounded in the left thigh. Vatutin was taken to a military hospital in Rovno, after which he was transferred to Kyiv. At first, the wound did not seem very dangerous, but then Vatutin's condition deteriorated sharply. It is still not clear why everything happened the way it happened, and it was not possible to save such an important person for the country as General Vatutin. The mystery of his death is still controversial. The best doctors fought for the general's life. Amputation didn't help. General Vatutin, whose biography was reviewed in this article, died on the night of April 15, 1944 from blood poisoning.
The funeral of Nikolai Fedorovich Vatutin
For his mother, Vera Efremovna, it was the loss of the third son in 1944. In February, she received news of the death of Afanasy Vatutin from battle wounds, then, in March, Fedor, her youngest son, died at the front. And in April, Nikolai Vatutin died. He was buried in the Mariinsky Park in Kyiv. Vatutin at the hour of burial in Moscow was givenmilitary honor - a salute sounded in 24 volleys from 24 guns. May 6, 1965 was posthumously awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" Vatutin.
His death was a tragic event for the country. General Vatutinn passed away at the age of 42, on the rise of his career, with significant success. He did not have time to fully reveal his potential and achieve military prowess, which, of course, he was worthy.
Monument to Vatutin in Kyiv
In 1948, on January 25, a monument to Vatutin was erected in Kyiv. It is located at the entrance to the Mariinsky Park in the Pechersky district of the city. Nearby is the building of the Verkhovna Rada. The authors of the work are architect Belopolsky and sculptor Vuchetich. The height of the sculpture is 3.65 meters, the plinth and pedestal are 4.5 meters.
Monument to Vatutin in Kyiv - a full-length figure of Nikolai Vatutin in an overcoat. It is carved from gray granite. The plinth and pedestal (shaped like a truncated pyramid) were made of black labradorite. The pedestal is bordered around the perimeter by bronze laurel garlands. Two reliefs are carved on the ends, which reproduce the stages of crossing the Dnieper and meeting with the liberators of the Ukrainian people (sculptor Ulyanov).
House of Nikolai Vatutin
Vatutin's house is located in the village. Mandrovo, Valuysky district, Belgorod region. The museum has two buildings. The first is the house in which Nikolai Fedorovich was born, and the second is built for his mother in 1944-45 by soldiers of the First Ukrainian Front. The museum was established in 1950 by decision of the collective farm board. His firstthe director was the sister of Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich - Daria Fedorovna. Relatives and relatives collected his personal belongings, family photographs, household items. This is how the first exhibition was created.
In 2001 a new exposition was opened. It was timed to coincide with the centenary of the birth of Nikolai Fedorovich. The number of exhibits today is 1275, 622 of them are the main fund (Vatutin's personal belongings, household items, books, photographs).
