In the great history of Russia there are names and events that are the clearest examples of the Russian mentality, which is based on love for the motherland. Gorky is right - there is always a place for a feat, but in a moment of trials, the opportunity to accomplish it in the name of the Motherland is provided to everyone. General Dovator, Karbyshev, soldier Matrosov, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, Panfilov heroes, young "Krasnodon" - these are people who gave their lives for their Motherland. Their exploits are evidence of the invincibility of our army and the inflexibility of the Russian character.
Distortion of historical facts
General Dovator is the latest hero-commander in the long and glorious history of the cavalry. At the beginning of Perestroika, which opened a wide road to permissiveness, including the rabid desecration of historical memory, they wrote that the Red Army had nothing to oppose to the mechanized Reich, except for the obsolete cavalry.
Everything was called into question, the facts were distorted, the exploits of Russian soldiers were spat upon and ridiculed. Thank God, times have changed - loving Russia, being proud of its history is again considered a worthy and noble deed.
Modern Russia needs true heroes
Previously closed archival documents become available, as a result of which interesting facts are revealed, or previously known to a narrow circle are now adequately and profitably presented. For example, the fact that General Dovator not only commanded a cavalry, but was an excellent rider and master of trick riding. Thanks to these skills, he replaced Nikolai Cherkasov in the film "Alexander Nevsky" in the equestrian scenes. A brilliant Russian officer, smart and handsome, he does not look like a "cardboard fool", rushing in miserable madness against the "mechanized Reich". Moreover, there are official documents that provide data on the amount of enemy equipment destroyed by his Cossacks during raids behind enemy lines. The "blonde beasts" were afraid of him to the point of fainting, and a price of 100,000 Reichsmarks was put on his head.
The one who really was nothing, but became everything
Who is he, General Dovator? The legendary hero died early, but his life was bright, interesting and eventful. Despite the fact that he was born in a poor Belarusian peasant family (1903), Lev Mikhailovich first graduated from a parochial school and a second-level school. Shortly after entering the flax-spinning factory, he was elected secretary of the Komsomol committee and, as a budding young man on this path, in 1923 he was sent (and successfully graduated) to the Soviet party school. To Armythe future General Dovator, whose biography will now be inextricably linked with the armed forces, is drafted in 1924.
Correctly chosen road
Occupying at first a purely economic position - warehouse manager (headquarters of the 7th Cavalry Division in Minsk), Lev Mikhailovich is studying at the Military Chemical Courses, which gives him the right to become the division's chemical platoon commander. Further, the future General Dovator, whose biography is inextricably linked with constant study, graduates from the Borisoglebsk-Leningrad Cavalry School under the command staff of the Red Army. Then for several years (from 1929 to 1936) career growth was observed in his biography - a promising platoon commander as a result becomes a commissar of a separate reconnaissance battalion. From this post, he was taken to the Frunze Military Academy, whose graduates at that time, as a rule, were sent for an internship in Spain. Judging by the nickname “Forester” he received there, Lev Mikhailovich was in the group of S. A. Vaupshasov, or “comrade Alfred.”
Restructuring of the cavalry
According to some researchers, it was there that L. M. Dovator studied the tactics of combat by the Moroccan cavalry, who fought on the side of the Francoists and achieved significant success. On closer examination, it turned out that "fast", as these supporters of Franco called themselves, the cavalry units were made by motorized infantry, motorcycles with machine guns and armored vehicles. Only in such a composition could the cavalry be an effective force. There was no longer any place for heavy cavalry in mobile warfare. There is an assumption that the disbandment of such corps in the Red Army is associated with the return of Dovator from Spain.
The beginning of a brilliant career as a military leader
In 1939, the future General Lev Dovator graduated with honors from the Academy. Frunze. He has a brilliant career ahead of him. From November 1939, he became the chief of staff of the 36th Special Cavalry Red Banner Order of Lenin Brigade. Stalin MVO, a worthy successor to the glory and traditions of the First Cavalry Army. According to some rumors, she was "Kremlin". Like it or not, but the brigade was in sight, almost daily it was visited by representatives of the authorities, many of whom were from the First Cavalry. Vasily Stalin, a great lover of horses, was a particularly frequent visitor. The visits of distinguished guests forced the demonstration unit to be constantly in shape and in full combat readiness, which strained, but also spurred on. In 1940, the future General Lev Mikhailovich Dovator led a cavalry column in parades on Red Square.
Reward just before the war
Just before the war, in March 1941, L. M. Dovator was awarded the Order of the Red Star. There is no official wording for which such a high award was given. But there are a number of assumptions, among which the following seems to be the most acceptable. L. M. Dovator, relying on the Spanish experience, proposed using cavalry for lightning raids behind enemy lines. In addition, he probably submitted for consideration the leadership of the meetings of the chiefs of the intelligence departments of the military districts, which were held directlybefore the start of the war, a proposal to create partisan bases and warehouses with weapons and ammunition in possible occupied territories up to 400 km deep.
Official versions
In March 1941, Dovator received a new assignment, this time to the Belarusian military district, to the 36th Cavalry Division, to the post of chief of staff. According to the official version, Colonel Dovator met the first days of the war in the hospital, which prevented him from arriving at a new duty station. According to the same version, in August 1941, at a time when the Red Army was retreating and suffering heavy losses, L. M. Dovator was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for defensive battles in the Solovetsky direction.
Indisputable facts
But more meticulous researchers of his biography, comparing some facts, suggest that he received this high award for participating in the first successful test of the M-13 rocket launcher, known to the whole world under the name "Katyusha". It happened on July 14, 1941 at the Orsha-Tovarnaya station. Based on the documents, they believe that, according to Stalin's personal order, Colonel Dovator had to break into the headquarters of the 16th Army and, having received tanks and infantry at his disposal, cover the Flerov battery, which fired that very first salvo. Further, to ensure her a successful raid on the rear of the enemy and no less successful return to the territory not occupied by the Nazis.
Who and how destroyed the 52nd German chemical regiment
It is assumed that the 52nd German chemic althe regiment was destroyed on July 15 near Sitno by forces at the disposal of Dovator, Mishulin, Kaduchenko. The last two (tankers), along with Dovator, were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. There is no official confirmation of this version - perhaps the time has not yet come. Captain Flerov, commander of the M-13 battery, was not awarded at all. And in 1960 he was suddenly presented with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. There is a very rare picture in which the future General Dovator (photo attached) smiles - he has just received the Order of the Red Star.
Terrifying for the "fearless"
But his main merit in the Great Patriotic War was the legendary raids behind enemy lines, carried out by the Separate Cavalry Group, formed from the 50th and 53rd Cavalry Divisions and placed under his command. Here are the statistics: 2300 (in some sources - 2500) soldiers and officers, 200 vehicles and 9 tanks were destroyed by the supporters, among whom were circus performers. Unique masters of trick riding, they shot the Germans while standing on saddles, or from under the belly of a horse.
Lightning speed, desperate courage and excellent command of a horse - there was something to be horrified by the soldiers of the Reich, who effortlessly captured Europe. Heavy fighting in the area of the Belyi-Rzhev highway, on the Lama River, in the city of Solnechnogorsk, on the Istra reservoir held back the German forces on the outskirts of Moscow.
Destroy Order
In August-September, 3000 Cossacks under the command of a man of desperate courage terrified“true Aryans”, every German soldier near Moscow knew his name, leaflets with a reward for his head were scattered everywhere. The Germans completely burned his native village in Belarus and created a special military group to destroy it. And the Soviet command for these raids awarded him the rank of Major General and awarded him the Order of Lenin.
Four top honors in six months
Since November, General Dovator commanded the 3rd Cavalry Corps, which literally a week later was transformed into the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps as part of the 16th Army under the command of Rokossovsky, with whom Lev Mikhailovich was connected by a caring attitude towards soldiers' lives. Showing miracles of courage, the army of General Dovator, like the Panfilov heroes, stood to death at the walls of the capital. The unwillingness to spare himself, the desperate courage of the Cossack general caused his death. On December 19, in the area of the village of Palashkino, at the moment when L. M. Dovator was examining the positions of the enemy through binoculars, he and those accompanying him were shot from a machine gun. The legendary commander, after whom dozens of streets, ships and buildings are named, died at the age of 38.
The urn with the ashes of the hero, posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, was kept in a special vault for a long time, and only in 1959, together with the urns of Ivan Panfilov and pilot Viktor Talalikhin, was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in a common grave, on which In 1966, a beautiful monument was erected to these heroes who gave their lives for Moscow andMotherland.
