Unfortunately, the current level of patriotic consciousness in our country is inferior to that which took place in the era of the USSR. In this regard, many people think that at the present time, Russians are not ready to commit feats for the benefit of their Motherland and sacrifice themselves for the sake of others at the cost of their own lives. And yet it is good that such a point of view is erroneous. There were, are and will be heroes of our time. Especially many feats are being performed today in the military environment, and this only proves the heroism and significance of those soldiers who performed them. One of these, no doubt, is Major Sergei Solnechnikov, who lost his life in the prime of his life to save his comrades.
In the spring of 2012, an exercise was held during which Private Maxim Zhuravlev, out of inexperience and negligence, threw a live grenade, which eventually landed back into cover. And there were about ten soldiers in it, including the commander … And it was Sergei Solnechnikov who was the first to react to the situation.
He did not spare his own life for the sake of others, although no one asked him to make such a sacrifice.
Childhood years
Sergey Solnechnikov was born on August 19, 1980 in the German city of Potsdam in a military family. Even when he was four years old, he disappeared for days on end at the airfield, where his father served. From childhood, the boy was attracted by the sky, and he dreamed of only one thing: "Fly, fly and fly again." Some time later, the Solnechnikov family moved to live in the Soviet Union, and Sergei was sent to study at a regular high school, which is located in Volgograd. There he will serve 8 classes at his desk, and after that the teenager will gnaw at the granite of science already at the cadet boarding school named after. P. O. Sukhoi, which is located in the city of Akhtubinsk.
Towards your dream…
All this time, Sergei Solnechnikov remembers his childhood dream, and when he turns 17, he submits documents to the Kachin Higher Aviation School. He is admitted to this university without entrance examinations, since he studied well at the cadet school. But a year later, the school was disbanded, and the young man decided to become a cadet of the Kemerovo Higher Military Command School of Communications. The dream of airplanes had to be relegated to the background.
Sergei Alexandrovich Solnechnikov received a diploma of graduation from the command school in 2003, after which the young man will be sent to serve in the Far East, namely in military unit No. 53790 of the city of Belogorsk (Amur Region).
A heroic act
In the army service, the young man showed maximum diligence, unquestioningly fulfillingall provisions of the military regulations. The commanders could not fail to notice this, and after some time Sergei Solnechnikov, whose biography is of great interest to his comrades, rises to the rank of major. He is entrusted with command of the communications battalion. One day, he and his soldiers went to the training ground for planned firing.
One of Sergei's colleagues says that at the training ground the servicemen were throwing grenades. And one of them either jumped off the fighter’s hand, or ricocheted. The shell was in close proximity to the soldiers. The incident happened in a matter of seconds. There was very little time to make a decision. As soon as the grenade reached the ground, Major Sergei Solnechnikov immediately covered it with his body. There was an explosion. If he had not reacted to the situation, the entire company of more than a hundred people would have died.
Acted according to the situation
And here is how another eyewitness described the incident. When the fighter threw the ammunition, he ricocheted off the parapet. It is difficult to say why the throw did not work out in the end. But Sergei Alexandrovich Solnechnikov was able to quickly analyze the situation, which could just about turn into a loss of life. In the blink of an eye, he pushed Maxim Zhuravlev towards his comrades, who were waiting for the turn to throw a projectile, and rushed to shield the grenade.
The headquarters staff confirmed that the battalion commander practically did not have time to choose a solution, and if he hesitated a little, the mass death of soldiers would have been unavoidable.
Notable is the fact thaton the day when the emergency happened, important events were scheduled in Sergey's personal life. The future father-in-law of Solnechnikov was supposed to come from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic to get to know his potential relative better. Sergei's girlfriend - Olga - served from him nearby, in a neighboring military unit. In general, the acquaintance should have taken place after the events at the training ground. But things happened differently.
Attempt to save the Major
After the incident, Sergei Alexandrovich Solnechnikov, a hero whose biography certainly deserves detailed study, was immediately taken to a military hospital in Belogorsk.
The battalion commander's colleagues hoped that their comrade would be able to save his life. For several hours, the doctors did everything possible to keep Sergei in the ranks. But, alas, their attempts were powerless. The body injuries were incompatible with life.
The Major's death was a real shock to all military personnel of the unit. According to the private, after the death of the battalion commander, silence reigned in the barracks for a long time.
Many conscripts for a long time could not recover from this terrible picture. Some even required medical attention. Everyone admired the act that Sergey Solnechnikov (Hero of Russia) did, and this loss is simply irreparable. “In the Russian army, such officers deserve the highest award,” the soldiers say.
Duty feat
Fathers-commanders constantly tell their wards thatany officer should be mentally prepared to accomplish such a feat as Solnechnikov did.
The lieutenants can't help but see this terrible dream. Before going to the training ground, the commander must hypothetically foresee such an emergency situation as happened with the dead battalion commander. And if it comes, then everyone should dare a heroic deed, which should be called nothing more than a "duty feat." One way or another, but Solnechnikov Sergey Alexandrovich - a hero whose biography is remarkable and interesting - should be awarded the only award - the Order. So says one of the retired military.
Mothers of conscripts saved by the battalion commander also believe that the savior of their sons should receive a high reward for such a brave act. With such an initiative, they even turned to the army headquarters.
By the Name of the Sun
Sergey Solnechnikov (Hero of Russia) had every chance to build a brilliant career in the army. Comrades spoke of him as a responsible, modest, competent and decent person. These qualities helped him at the age of thirty to be honored to command a battalion. One of his colleagues noted that he was an exemplary battalion commander who enjoyed unquestioned authority in part. The comrades called Sergei Alexandrovich "The Sun".
Investigation
One way or another, but the feat of Sergei Solnechnikov became the reason for initiating a case, which in the spring of 2012 was initiated by the investigators of the military prosecutor's office. The qualification of the crime was as follows: Violationrules for the handling of weapons, which negligently caused the death of a person. Detectives worked out absolutely all versions of what happened. Naturally, prosecutors were primarily interested in the issue of compliance with the law on the security of military duty.
Later, interviews with witnesses confirmed that the projectile actually ricocheted on the embankment on the fortification.
The conscript, who was close to Solnechnikov's firing position, could not see anything, because at the moment when Zhuravlev was throwing a grenade, he was executing the command: "Lie down on the ground." However, together with the officer, he heard a distinct sound, which indicated that the grenade hit the parapet. Although the officer also did not observe the flight route of the ammunition, he did see how Solnechnikov quickly oriented himself and removed his subordinate from the firing point, one of the employees of the military prosecutor's office emphasized.
I didn't have to look for the culprit
Investigators wanted to immediately communicate with the perpetrator of the emergency, Maxim Zhuravlev. Naturally, for him what happened was a real test. He closed himself in and did not want to see anyone. After the incident happened, the conscript soldier wanted to commit suicide. The situation was complicated by the fact that Zhuravlev's colleagues began to openly say that it was he who was guilty of the death of their beloved battalion commander. But the investigation failed to restore the exact picture of the incident and find out what caused the emergency. One thing was clear: Sergey Solnechnikov, whose photo appeared in the press immediately after the incident,accomplished a real feat.
To get Maxim out of a stressful state, he was sent to the medical unit, where he was to be examined by a psychiatrist. Nevertheless, Maxim Zhuravlev became suspect number 1 in a criminal case that was initiated on the fact of careless handling of ammunition. The soldier was placed under round-the-clock surveillance. The punishment for the prescribed crime is five years in prison. But the suspect was assigned to a psychiatric hospital. Only parents are allowed to contact him. At the same time, doctors say that Maxim Zhuravlev does not want to take his own life, but wants to continue serving.
Hero of our time
After the incident at the training ground, which some time later became known to the general public, Sergei Solnechnikov, whose feat was on everyone's lips, was awarded the prestigious and honorary title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
The talk that the battalion commander acted like a real man, and that true warriors had not yet died out in Mother Russia, then did not subside for a long time. The feat of the major was even immortalized in verse. Streets in several cities of the Amur region were named after Sergei Solnechnikov.
Unfortunately, Sergei Solnechnikov did not have time to start a family, although he had a girl in mind. In the spring of 2012, a stele was unveiled in the capital of the Amur Region in honor of a man who, at the cost of his own life, saved his colleagues. In addition, in the city of Belogorsk on the Walk of Fame, you can now see a plate with a star, whichsymbolizes the memory of Major Sergei Solnechnikov.
The funeral of the Hero of Russia took place in early April 2012 in the city of Volzhsky (Volgograd region). Shortly before his death, he wanted to take a vacation and see his parents. But fate decreed otherwise.
Instead of an epilogue
The hero's parents were grieving hard. But we should be grateful to them for the fact that they were able to bring up not a stereotyped and ordinary warrior, but a real man and a true defender of their homeland. And if we always remember the lesson that battalion commander Sergey Solnechnikov taught us, then we will not live our lives in vain.
