A person always has the right to choose. Even in the worst moments of your life, there are at least two decisions left. Sometimes it's a choice between life and death. terrible death allowing to preserve honor and conscience, and long life in fear that someday it will become known at what price it was bought.

Everyone decides for himself. Those who choose death are no longer destined to explain to others the reasons for their action. They go into oblivion with the thought that there is no other way, and relatives, friends, descendants will understand this.

Those who bought their lives at the cost of betrayal, on the contrary, are very often talkative, find a thousand excuses for their act, sometimes even write books about it.

Who is right, everyone decides for himself, obeying only one judge - his own conscience.

Zoya. Girl without compromise

And Zoya, and Tonya were not born in Moscow. Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was born in the village of Osinovye Gai in the Tambov region on September 13, 1923. The girl came from a family of priests, and, according to biographers, Zoya's grandfather died at the hands of local Bolsheviks when he began to engage in anti-Soviet agitation among fellow villagers - he was simply drowned in a pond. Zoya's father, who was starting to study at the seminary, was not imbued with hatred for the Soviets, and decided to change his cassock for secular attire, marrying a local teacher.

In 1929, the family moved to Siberia, and a year later, thanks to the help of relatives, they settled in Moscow. In 1933, Zoya's family experienced a tragedy - her father died. Zoya's mother was left alone with two children - 10-year-old Zoya and 8-year-old Sasha. The children tried to help their mother, especially Zoya stood out in this.

At school, she studied well, especially fond of history and literature. At the same time, Zoya's character manifested itself quite early - she was a principled and consistent person who did not allow compromises and inconstancy for herself. This position of Zoya caused misunderstanding among classmates, and the girl, in turn, was so worried that she came down with a nervous illness.

Zoya's illness also affected her classmates - feeling guilty, they helped her catch up school curriculum so that she does not stay for the second year. In the spring of 1941, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya successfully entered the 10th grade.

The girl who loved history had her own heroine - a school teacher Tatyana Solomakha. During the years of the Civil War, the Bolshevik teacher fell into the hands of the Whites and was brutally tortured. The story of Tatyana Solomakha shocked Zoya and greatly influenced her.

Tonya. Makarova from the Parfenov family

Antonina Makarova was born in 1921 in the Smolensk region, in the village of Malaya Volkovka, into a large peasant family. Makara Parfenova. She studied at a rural school, and it was there that an episode occurred that influenced her future life. When Tonya came to the first grade, because of her shyness, she could not give her last name - Parfenova. Classmates began to shout “Yes, she is Makarova!”, Meaning that Tony's father's name is Makar.

Yes, with light hand teacher, at that time almost the only literate person in the village, Tonya Makarova appeared in the Parfenov family.

The girl studied diligently, with diligence. She also had her own revolutionary heroine - Anka the Heavy. This film image had a real prototype - the nurse of the Chapaev division, Maria Popova, who once in battle really had to replace a killed machine gunner.

After graduating from school, Antonina went to study in Moscow, where she was caught by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Both Zoya and Tonya, brought up on Soviet ideals, volunteered to fight the Nazis.

Tonya. in the boiler

But by the time on October 31, 1941, the 18-year-old Komsomol member Kosmodemyanskaya came to the assembly point to send saboteurs to school, the 19-year-old Komsomol member Makarova had already experienced all the horrors of the Vyazemsky Cauldron.

After the hardest fighting, in complete encirclement from the whole unit, next to the young nurse Tonya was only a soldier Nikolai Fedchuk. With him, she wandered through the local forests, just trying to survive. They did not look for partisans, they did not try to get through to their own - they fed on whatever they had to, sometimes they stole. The soldier did not stand on ceremony with Tonya, making her his "camping wife." Antonina did not resist - she just wanted to live.

In January 1942, they went to the village of Red Well, and then Fedchuk admitted that he was married and his family lived nearby. He left Tony alone.

By the time 18-year-old Komsomol member Kosmodemyanskaya came to the assembly point to send saboteurs to school, 19-year-old Komsomol member Makarova had already experienced all the horrors of the Vyazemsky Cauldron. Photo: wikipedia.org / Bundesarchiv

Tonya was not driven out of the Red Well, but the locals were already full of worries. And the strange girl did not seek to go to the partisans, did not strive to break through to ours, but strove to make love with one of the men who remained in the village. Having set the locals against herself, Tonya was forced to leave.

By the time Tony's wanderings were over, Zoe was gone. The history of her personal battle with the Nazis turned out to be very short.

Zoya. Komsomol member-saboteur

After a 4-day training at a sabotage school (there was no more time - the enemy was standing at the walls of the capital), she became a fighter of the "partisan unit 9903 of the headquarters of the Western Front."

In early November, Zoya's detachment, which arrived in the Volokolamsk region, carried out the first successful sabotage - mining the road.

On November 17, an order was issued by the command, ordering to destroy residential buildings behind enemy lines to a depth of 40-60 kilometers in order to drive the Germans out into the cold. During perestroika, this directive was criticized mercilessly, saying that it actually had to turn against the civilian population in the occupied territories. But one must understand the situation in which it was adopted - the Nazis rushed to Moscow, the situation hung in the balance, and any harm done to the enemy was considered useful for victory.

After a 4-day training at a sabotage school, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya became a fighter in the "partisan unit 9903 of the headquarters of the Western Front." Photo: www.russianlook.com

On November 18, the sabotage group, which included Zoya, received an order to burn down several settlements, including the village of Petrishchevo. During the mission, the group came under fire, and two remained with Zoya - the group commander Boris Krainov and fighter Vasily Klubkov.

On November 27, Krainov gave the order to set fire to three houses in Petrishchevo. He and Zoya successfully coped with the task, and Klubkov was captured by the Germans. However, at the meeting point they missed each other. Zoya, left alone, decided to go to Petrishchevo again and commit another arson.

During the first sortie of saboteurs, they managed to destroy the German stable with horses, as well as set fire to a couple more houses where the Germans lodged.

But after that, the Nazis gave the order to the local residents to keep watch. On the evening of November 28, Zoya, who was trying to set fire to the barn, was noticed by a local resident who collaborated with the Germans. Sviridov. He made a noise, and the girl was seized. For this, Sviridov was rewarded with a bottle of vodka.

Zoya. last hours

The Germans tried to find out from Zoya who she was and where the rest of the group was. The girl confirmed that she set fire to the house in Petrishchevo, said that her name was Tanya, but she did not provide any more information.

Reproduction of a portrait of partisan Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya. Photo: RIA Novosti / David Sholomovich

She was stripped naked, beaten, flogged with a belt - no use. At night, in one nightgown, barefoot, they drove through the frost, hoping that the girl would break, but she continued to be silent.

There were also their tormentors - local residents came to the house where Zoya was kept Solina and Smirnova whose houses were set on fire by a sabotage group. Having cursed the girl, they tried to beat the already half-dead Zoya. The mistress of the house intervened, who drove the "avengers" out. In parting, they threw into the captive a pot of slop, which stood at the entrance.

On the morning of November 29, German officers made another attempt to interrogate Zoya, but again to no avail.

At about half past ten in the morning, she was taken out into the street, with a sign saying “Houseburner” hung on her chest. Zoya was led to the place of execution by two soldiers who held her - after torture, she herself could hardly stand on her feet. Smirnova reappeared at the gallows, scolding the girl and hitting her leg with a stick. This time the Germans drove the woman away.

The Nazis began to shoot Zoya on the camera. The exhausted girl turned to the villagers driven to the terrible spectacle:

Citizens! You do not stand, do not look, but you need to help fight! This death of mine is my achievement!

The Germans tried to silence her, but she spoke again:

Comrades, victory will be ours. German soldiers, before it's too late, surrender! The Soviet Union is invincible and will not be defeated!

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya is led to her execution. Photo: www.russianlook.com

Zoya herself climbed onto the box, after which a noose was thrown over her. At that moment she called out again:

The girl wanted to shout something else, but the German knocked the box out from under her feet. Instinctively, Zoya grabbed the rope, but the Nazi hit her on the arm. In a moment it was all over.

Tonya. From a prostitute to an executioner

The wanderings of Tonya Makarova ended in the area of ​​the Lokot village in the Bryansk region. The infamous "Lokot Republic" - the administrative-territorial formation of Russian collaborators - operated here. In essence, they were the same German lackeys as in other places, only more clearly formalized.

A police patrol detained Tonya, but they did not suspect a partisan or underground worker of her. She liked the policemen, who took her in, gave her a drink, fed and raped her. However, the latter is very relative - the girl, who only wanted to survive, agreed to everything.

The role of a prostitute under the policemen did not last long for Tonya - one day, drunk, they took her out into the yard and put her behind a Maxim easel machine gun. People stood in front of the machine gun - men, women, old people, children. She was ordered to shoot. For Tony, who had completed not only nursing courses, but also machine gunners, this was not a big deal. True, the deadly drunk girl did not really understand what she was doing. But, nevertheless, she coped with the task.

Shooting of prisoners. Photo: www.russianlook.com

The next day, Tonya found out that she was no longer a slut with the policemen, but an official - an executioner with a salary of 30 German marks and with her bunk.

The Lokot Republic ruthlessly fought against the enemies of the new order - partisans, underground workers, communists, other unreliable elements, as well as members of their families. The arrested were herded into a barn that served as a prison, and in the morning they were taken out to be shot.

The cell held 27 people, and all of them had to be eliminated in order to make room for new ones.

Neither the Germans, nor even the local policemen, wanted to take on this job. And here, Tonya, who appeared out of nowhere with her passion for a machine gun, came in very handy.

Tonya. The order of the executioner-machine gunner

The girl did not go crazy, but on the contrary, she considered that her dream had come true. And let Anka shoot enemies, and she shoots women and children - the war will write off everything! But her life is finally getting better.

Her daily routine was as follows: in the morning, shooting 27 people with a machine gun, finishing off the survivors with a pistol, cleaning weapons, in the evening schnapps and dancing in a German club, and at night, love with some pretty German or, at worst, with a policeman.

As a reward, she was allowed to take things from the dead. So Tonya got a bunch of women's outfits, which, however, had to be repaired - traces of blood and bullet holes immediately interfered with wearing.

However, sometimes Tonya allowed a “marriage” - several children managed to survive, because because of their small stature, the bullets passed over their heads. The children were taken out together with the corpses by the locals, who buried the dead, and handed over to the partisans. Rumors about a female executioner, "Tonka the machine gunner", "Tonka the Muscovite" crawled around the district. Local partisans even announced a hunt for the executioner, but they could not get to her.

In total, about 1,500 people became victims of Antonina Makarova.

Zoya. From obscurity to immortality

For the first time, a journalist wrote about Zoya's feat Petr Lidov in the newspaper "Pravda" in January 1942 in the article "Tanya". His material was based on the testimony of an elderly man who witnessed the execution, and shocked by the courage of the girl.

Zoya's corpse hung at the place of execution for almost a month. Drunken German soldiers did not leave the girl alone, even dead: they stabbed her with knives, cut off her chest. After another such disgusting trick, even the German command ran out of patience: the locals were ordered to remove the body and bury it.

Monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, erected at the site of the death of a partisan, in the village of Petrishchevo. Photo: RIA Novosti / A. Cheprunov

After the release of Petrishchevo and publication in Pravda, it was decided to establish the name of the heroine and the exact circumstances of her death.

The act of identification of the corpse was drawn up on February 4, 1942. It was precisely established that Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was executed in the village of Petrishchevo. The same Pyotr Lidov told about this in the article “Who was Tanya” in Pravda on February 18.

Two days before that, on February 16, 1942, after establishing all the circumstances of the death, Zoya Anatolyevna Kosmodemyanskaya was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. She became the first woman to receive such an award during the Great Patriotic War.

Zoya's remains were reburied in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Tonya. Escape

By the summer of 1943, Tony's life again took a sharp turn - the Red Army moved to the West, starting to liberate the Bryansk region. This did not bode well for the girl, but then she very opportunely fell ill with syphilis, and the Germans sent her to the rear so that she would not re-infect the valiant sons of Great Germany.

In the German hospital, however, it also soon became uncomfortable - the Soviet troops were approaching so quickly that only the Germans managed to evacuate, and there was no longer any case for accomplices.

Realizing this, Tonya fled the hospital, again finding herself surrounded, but now Soviet. But survival skills were honed - she managed to get documents that she had been a nurse in a Soviet hospital all this time.

Who said that the formidable "SMERSH" punished everyone? Nothing like this! Tonya successfully managed to enter the service in a Soviet hospital, where at the beginning in 1945 a young soldier, a real war hero, fell in love with her.

The guy made an offer to Tonya, she agreed, and, having married, the young people after the end of the war left for the Belarusian city of Lepel, to her husband's homeland.

So the female executioner Antonina Makarova disappeared, and a well-deserved veteran took her place Antonina Ginzburg.

Soviet investigators learned about the monstrous deeds of "Tonka the machine-gunner" immediately after the liberation of the Bryansk region. The remains of about one and a half thousand people were found in mass graves, but only two hundred were identified.

They interrogated witnesses, checked, clarified - but they could not attack the trace of the female punisher.

Tonya. Revealing 30 years later

Meanwhile, Antonina Ginzburg led ordinary life Soviet man - she lived, worked, raised two daughters, even met with schoolchildren, talking about her heroic military past. Of course, without mentioning the deeds of "Tonka the machine gunner".

Antonina Makarova. Photo: Public Domain

The KGB spent more than three decades searching for it, but found it almost by accident. A certain citizen Parfyonov, going abroad, submitted questionnaires with information about relatives. There, among the continuous Parfyonovs, Antonina Makarova, by her husband Ginzburg, was listed as a sister for some reason.

Yes, how that mistake of the teacher helped Tonya, how many years thanks to it she remained out of reach of justice!

The KGB operatives worked like jewelry - it was impossible to blame an innocent person for such atrocities. Antonina Ginzburg was checked from all sides, witnesses were secretly brought to Lepel, even a former policeman-lover. And only after they all confirmed that Antonina Ginzburg was “Tonka the machine gunner”, she was arrested.

She did not deny it, she talked about everything calmly, saying that she had no nightmares. She did not want to communicate with her daughters or her husband. And the spouse-front-line soldier ran around the authorities, threatened with a complaint Brezhnev, even at the UN - demanded the release of his beloved wife. Exactly until the investigators decided to tell him what his beloved Tonya was accused of.

After that, the dashing, brave veteran turned gray and aged overnight. The family disowned Antonina Ginzburg and left Lepel. What these people had to endure, you would not wish on the enemy.

Tonya. Pay

Antonina Makarova-Ginzburg was tried in Bryansk in the autumn of 1978. This was the last major trial of traitors in the USSR and the only trial of a female punisher.

Antonina herself was convinced that, due to the prescription of years, the punishment could not be too severe, she even believed that she would receive a suspended sentence. She only regretted that, because of the shame, she again had to move and change jobs. Even the investigators, knowing about the post-war exemplary biography of Antonina Ginzburg, believed that the court would show leniency. Moreover, the year 1979 was declared the Year of the Woman in the USSR, and since the war, not a single representative of the weaker sex has been executed in the country.

However, on November 20, 1978, the court sentenced Antonina Makarova-Ginzburg to capital punishment - execution.

At the trial, her guilt was documented in the murder of 168 people from those whose identities could be established. More than 1,300 remained unknown victims of Tonka the Machine Gunner. There are crimes for which it is impossible to forgive or pardon.

At six in the morning on August 11, 1979, after all petitions for clemency had been rejected, the sentence against Antonina Makarova-Ginzburg was carried out.

A person always has a choice. Two girls, almost the same age, found themselves in a terrible war, looked death in the face, and made a choice between the death of a hero and the life of a traitor.

Everyone chose their own.

The Star of the Hero of the USSR is a special symbol of distinction, which was awarded for collective or personal services to the Fatherland, as well as for accomplishing a feat. In total, 12,776 people received the title of holder of the Golden Star, including those who had two, three and even four sets of awards. But there were also those who, for various reasons, could not preserve the honor and dignity of the hero - the star was taken away from 72 people. Another 61 cavaliers were stripped of their titles, but were later reinstated in it.

For betrayal

Having shown courage in battle, some heroes could not endure the hardships of captivity and entered into cooperation with the Germans. Soviet pilots Bronislav Antilevsky and Semyon Bychkov are masters of their craft, who showed extraordinary courage and fortitude during the Great Patriotic War. One is a gunner-radio operator who had 56 successful sorties, the other is the owner of two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Courage, the Order of Lenin and the Golden Star for 15 downed enemy aircraft.

In 1943, while on a mission, both pilots were shot down in action and taken prisoner. It is still not known for certain whether their transition to the Germans was forced or voluntary. At the trial, Bychkov explained that the commander of the ROA aviation, Viktor Maltsev, was recruiting Soviet pilots who were in the Moritzfeld camp. For refusing to join the ranks of the Vlasovites, Semyon was beaten half to death, after which he spent two weeks in the hospital. But even there, psychological pressure was exerted on Bychkov. Maltsev assured that when he returned to the USSR, he would be shot as a traitor, threatened him with worst life in concentration camps. In the end, the pilot lost his nerve, and he agreed to join the ranks of the ROA.

Bychkov's words were not believed at the trial. He, like Antilevsky, enjoyed great confidence among the Germans. Recordings with their calls to go over to the side of the enemy were broadcast on the lines of the Eastern Front. The pilots received German ranks, good positions, they were trusted with combat vehicles and personnel.

If for some defendants the presence of medals "For Courage" and the title of Hero of the USSR was a mitigating circumstance, in the case of defectors and traitors this factor played a fatal role. Both "Vlasov falcons" were stripped of all ranks and sentenced to death.

“There were only 28 of them, and Moscow was behind us”

Everyone who is interested in the history of the Second World War knows about the feat of the Panfilov soldiers who stopped the Nazis on the outskirts of Moscow. The biography of one of them - Ivan Dobrobabin (Dobrobaby according to the metrics) - could become the basis for an action-packed film. In November 1941, Ivan, at the head of the legendary 4th company of the 2nd battalion of the 1075th rifle regiment of the 8th division, took an unequal battle with the enemy. For the feat before the Fatherland in July 1942 he was awarded posthumously.

Meanwhile, Dobrobabin remained alive. Heavily shell-shocked, he was taken prisoner, where he began to cooperate with the Germans, joining the police. In 1943 he crossed the front line and fled to Odessa. He was again enrolled in the ranks of the Soviet soldiers. Only in 1947 did someone recognize him as a former Nazi policeman.

In court, it turned out that Ivan Dobrobabin was one of the Panfilovites, a Hero of the Soviet Union. He was stripped of all titles and awards and found guilty of collaborating with the invaders, given 15 years in prison.

This story could have ended if in 1955 new circumstances had not been discovered confirming the fact that the Red Army soldier went to the police on the orders of the commander of the partisan detachment. In the same year, Dobrobabin was amnestied, and only in 1993, by decision of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, was he completely released from all charges.
The title of Hero of the USSR was never returned to him. Dobrobabin died three years later, fully rehabilitated in the eyes of society, but never managed to restore historical justice.

Pay for love

The life of Georgy Antonov is a story of great success and rapid decline. The officer met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War as part of the 660th artillery regiment of the 220th rifle division. An experienced commander by that time had already proved himself in the liberation battles in Western Ukraine and the Karelian Isthmus.

During the clash near Orsha, Antonov replaced the killed chief of artillery, taking command of the regiment, and ensured the fulfillment of the assigned combat missions, for which he was awarded the highest award for the rank of captain - the Order of the Red Banner.

Then there were battles on the banks of the Berezina River, where, under the command of Antonov, the artillery of the rifle regiment covered the advancing infantry. For heroism and courage shown in battles, the commander was presented with the Gold Star.

By the end of the war, Georgy Antonov, Hero of the Soviet Union, had already served as commander of an artillery battalion at the Allensteig training ground in Austria. After the capitulation of Germany, this large facility was taken over by the Soviet occupying forces.

The military command in every possible way prevented the contacts of the servicemen with the local population, especially with women. Violation of the order threatened with immediate expulsion to the USSR under escort. At home, regardless of rank and position, an officer was expelled from the party and dismissed from the army.

Georgy Antonov, despite his military bearing, turned out to be a very down to earth person. Outside of the service, he could “take on his chest”, relax and go in search of adventure, for which he was repeatedly subjected to disciplinary sanctions. However, the title of Hero of the USSR kept the authorities from taking serious measures.

The last straw was the intimate relationship of the major, who was waiting for his wife in Moscow, with the Austrian Francisca Nesterval. Due to the “moral corruption of the personality”, it was decided to send Antonov to the Transcaucasian Military District. The fact of friendship with former doctor regiment Lazarev, convicted of treason in 1947, major's public laudatory reviews of the American military equipment and addiction to alcohol.

Upon learning of the impending departure, the soldier began to plan an escape. As follows from the materials of the criminal case, “On May 26, 1949, Antonov, having packed his personal belongings into three suitcases, truck took them to Allensteig and handed them over to a storage room, sold his personal car for 5,000 shillings to a taxi driver, an Austrian citizen, and agreed with him that he would take him to Vienna for 450 shillings together with his cohabitant.

The lovers even managed to move to that part of Vienna, which was under the control of the Americans. Antonov by order of the chief of artillery Soviet army was recognized as a "traitor to the Motherland and a deserter" and expelled from the Armed Forces. Due to the inaccessibility of the accused, he was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in labor camps with complete confiscation of personal property. The titles and numerous medals that he deservedly received for his heroism during the Great Patriotic War were taken away from him. Antonov was also stripped of all military regalia.

Fake hero

On May 22, 1940, the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper published an essay on the "exploits" of Hero of the Soviet Union Valentin Purgin. Their list is so long that it would be enough for several lifetimes. This is the performance of a special task in the Far East in 1939, and a wound received in battles with Japanese militarists, and heroic battles with the White Finns in 1940. As a result of the war with Finland, Valentin Purgin, holder of the Order of the Red Banner and two Orders of Lenin, received the title of Hero of the USSR.

However, according to the photograph published in the newspaper, the employees of the competent authorities recognized Valentina Golubenko as a criminal who is wanted after escaping from prison. During the investigation, it turned out that the fraudster, who already had several prison terms behind him, with the help of his mother, who worked as a cleaner in the building of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, stole orders and award books, put seals on his own letters of recommendation and orders.

Golubenko-Purgin, who skillfully gained people's trust and used personal connections, traveled all over the country on forged documents as a journalist for Pravda and Komsomolskaya Pravda. And during the Finnish campaign, he sat out with a friend in Moscow, spending business trips for his own pleasure. And even his stay in the Irkutsk hospital with a serious wound was skillfully fabricated.

The innate charm and fame of the "living Ostap Bender" did not help the criminal. In August 1940, the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR stripped him of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and all the awards he had illegally received. In November 1940, by decision of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR, at the age of 26, Valentin Purgin was shot.

During the Great Patriotic War, more than 11 thousand soldiers of the Red Army were awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union. These were pilots, sappers, tankers, gunners. But gaining an honorary title is a reversible process. 72 Heroes of the Soviet Union lost their status for serious misconduct, and with it their freedom, respect, and some of their lives. What crimes were unforgivable in the USSR, even for heroes?

Theft of socialist property

The events in which Lieutenant Nikolai Arseniev showed himself as a hero are worthy of creating an action film. He participated in the crossing of the Dnieper River in the Zaporozhye region. The Nazis defended this area especially fiercely, since behind the defensive line there were approaches to the most important economic regions.

At the end of October 43, the soldiers of the Soviet landing, among whom was Arsenyev, captured and held the island of Khortitsa on boats. During the first day, while the Soviet soldiers defended the occupied bridgehead, intensively fired from German machine guns, many died or were injured.

Further, Arseniev, who became the commander of a rifle battalion due to the wound of his predecessor, received a new task - to expand the bridgehead. After several difficult battles, in which not only firearms were used, but also sapper shovels and stones, the task was achieved. The bridgehead was expanded to 250 meters along the front. The Nazis desperately tried to retake the territory, making 16 counterattacks over the next few days. Heavy losses among the Soviet soldiers were the reason for the order to leave the island. The Nazis destroyed the ferry and sought to kill all the retreating Red Army soldiers who left the island by swimming, among them was the surviving battalion commander Arsenyev.

Fierce battles for the island of Khortytsya on the Dnieper, and with it the approaches to important economic regions

After these events, when the ability to lead the battle in the most difficult circumstances was demonstrated, Nikolai received the title of Hero of the USSR. Subsequently, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.

General Arseniev in 1962 lost the title of Hero and all awards, and was also sentenced to 8 years in a corrective labor colony with confiscation. Such a harsh sentence was due to theft state property for a large amount - 4700 rubles. In addition, the severity was explained by the desire to prevent subsequent economic crimes, which were among the most serious in the Soviet Union.

betrayal of the motherland

Collaboration with the invaders was considered a very serious crime that could not be atoned for by heroic deeds. The story of the hero of the USSR is known, who, after the end of the war, ceased to be a respected citizen, at the moment turning into a traitor.

Such a person was Ivan Dobrobabin, one of the 28 Panfilovites who, without proper anti-tank weapons, opposed a powerful tank group at the Dubosekovo junction (7 km from Volokolamsk). After this battle in 1941, Dobrobabin was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

But the fighter survived - he received a shell shock and was captured, from where he successfully fled to his native village, which at that moment was under the control of the Germans. Here he worked in the police - it was this fact of the biography of the guardsman that was regarded as an indelible shame. Although after this episode, Dobrobabin again fled to the territory controlled by the Soviet Union, he honestly served in the Red Army, participating in battles and risking his life until the end of the war.

The guardsman of the Panfilov division was arrested in 1947, for cooperation with the Germans he was imprisoned for 15 years, as well as all well-deserved awards.

Murder

Murder was considered a less serious crime in comparison with the betrayal of the Motherland or theft of socialist property. The title of Hero of the USSR in such cases served as a mitigating circumstance. Only one case is known of a WWII hero being sentenced to capital punishment for murder "in civilian life". This fate befell the pilot Peter Poloz.

He was a participant in many battles, including during the defense of Odessa, during the Izyum-Barvenkovskaya operation (it was carried out at the same time as Battle of Kursk and largely contributed to its favorable outcome). Poloz also participated in the Battle of Khalkin-Gol.

Poloz took part in a spectacular action on May 1, 1945, when a group of Soviet aircraft dropped scarlet banners instead of bombs on the defeated Reichstag as a sign of the triumph of the USSR. These canvases contained inscriptions glorifying the Soviet soldiers who set the red banner over Berlin.

In 1962, Pyotr Poloz committed a premeditated double murder, the motives of which have never been clarified. The victims were Fomichev (Khrushchev's head of security) and his wife. There is an opinion that it was the high status of the dead that caused the sentence to capital punishment. The posthumously brave pilot was stripped of all awards.

According to the lawyer Semyon Ostrovsky, Peter was forced to commit a bloody crime by his wife. In an interview for Telegraph, he made it clear that this was not the first time the accused's wife had incited her husband to kill, abusing his mental instability and love for her.

The defense of Odessa, in which the pilot of the Red Army Peter Poloz took part

Dashing disposition is inappropriate in a peaceful life

The problem of self-realization in a peaceful life was also relevant for the participants in the Second World War. Many Red Guards, who with dignity went through all the hardships of the war, proved to be brave heroes, could not get used to it when the sounds of sirens and the noise of tank tracks ceased.

This happened to the sergeant of the Red Army Vladimir Pasyukov, who by 1943 received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star. Pasyukov accomplished his main feat during the crossing of the Kerch Strait (1943). Being in the forefront among the Red Army soldiers who landed on the shore, he destroyed the German cannon firing at the boats.

During the same events, Pasyukov took an active part in repelling several enemy counterattacks, numerically superior to the forces of the USSR. And again, the soldier showed extraordinary dexterity and courage, destroying a German machine gun, even engaging in hand-to-hand combat.

After the war, he continued to serve in the military, but discipline weighed on him. Cases of desertion became more frequent and prolonged, Pasyukov often ignored the orders of the leadership, and regularly drank. Hooligan antics - fights and insults - performed by Pasyukov have become commonplace. In 1947, the military man was sentenced to serving his sentence in labor camps for 7 years, for actions "incompatible with the status of an order bearer" he was deprived of the titles and awards received in the war.

In history, it is often not the names of heroes that remain, but the names of traitors and defectors. These people cause great harm to one side, and benefit to the other. But still, they are despised by both. Naturally, one cannot do without confusing cases when a person's guilt is difficult to prove. However, history has preserved some of the most obvious and classic cases that are not in doubt. We will tell below about the most famous traitors in history.

Judas Iscariot. The name of this man has been a symbol of betrayal for about two thousand years. It does not play a role and nationalities of people. Everyone knows the biblical story when Judas Iscariot betrayed his teacher Christ for thirty pieces of silver, dooming him to torment. But then 1 slave cost twice as much! The kiss of Judas has become a classic image of duplicity, meanness and betrayal. This man was one of the twelve apostles who were present with Jesus at his last supper. There were thirteen people, and after that this number was considered unlucky. There was even a phobia, fear of this number. The story says that Judas was born on April 1, also on a rather unusual day. But the history of the traitor is rather obscure and full of pitfalls. The fact is that Judas was the custodian of the fund of the community of Jesus and his disciples. There was much more money than 30 pieces of silver. Thus, in need of money, Judas could simply steal it without committing a betrayal of his teacher. Not so long ago, the world learned about the existence of the "Gospel of Judas", where Iscariot is depicted as the only and faithful disciple of Christ. And the betrayal was committed precisely on the orders of Jesus, and Judas took responsibility for his action. According to legend, Iscariot committed suicide immediately after his act. The image of this traitor is repeatedly described in books, films, legends. Are being considered different versions his betrayals and motivations. Today, the name of this person is given to those who are suspected of treason. For example, Lenin called Trotsky Judas back in 1911. The same found in Iscariot his "plus" - the fight against Christianity. Trotsky even wanted to erect monuments to Judas in several cities of the country.

Mark Junius Brutus. Everyone knows the legendary phrase of Julius Caesar: "And you, Brutus?". This traitor is not as widely known as Judas, but is also legendary. Moreover, he committed his betrayal 77 years before the history of Iscariot. These two traitors are related by the fact that they both committed suicide. Mark Brutus was the best friend of Julius Caesar, according to some data it could even be his illegitimate son. However, it was he who led the conspiracy against the popular politician, taking a direct part in his murder. But Caesar showered his favorite with honors and titles, endowing him with power. But the entourage of Brutus forced him to participate in a conspiracy against the dictator. Mark was among several conspiring senators who pierced Caesar with swords. Seeing Brutus in their ranks, he bitterly exclaimed his famous phrase which was his last. Wishing happiness for the people and power, Brutus made a mistake in his plans - Rome did not support him. After a succession civil wars and defeats, Mark realized that he was left without everything - without family, power, friend. The betrayal and murder took place in 44 BC, and after only two years Brutus threw himself on his sword.

Wang Jingwei. This traitor is not so well known in our country, but he has a bad reputation in China. It is often not clear how ordinary and normal people suddenly become traitors. Wang Jingwei was born in 1883, when he was 21, he entered a Japanese university. There he met Sun Yat Sen, a famous revolutionary from China. He influenced the young man so much that he became a real revolutionary fanatic. Together with Sen, Jingwei became a regular participant in anti-government revolutionary uprisings. Not surprisingly, he soon ended up in prison. Wang served several years there, releasing us in 1911. All this time, Sen kept in touch with him, morally supporting and patronizing. As a result of the revolutionary struggle, Sen and his associates won and came to power in 1920. But in 1925, Sun Yat died, and it was Jingwei who replaced him as leader of China. But soon the Japanese invaded the country. It was here that Jingway committed the real betrayal. In fact, he did not fight for the independence of China, giving it to the invaders. National interests were trampled in favor of the Japanese. As a result, when the crisis broke out in China, and the country most of all needed an experienced manager, Jingwei simply left it. Wang clearly joined the conquerors. However, he did not have time to feel the bitterness of defeat, since he died before the fall of Japan. But the name of Wang Jingwei got into all Chinese textbooks as a synonym for betrayal of his country.

Hetman Mazepa. This man in modern Russian history is considered the most important traitor, even the church anathematized him. But in recent Ukrainian history, the hetman, on the contrary, acts as a national hero. So what was his betrayal, or was it still a feat? Hetman of the Zaporozhye Host for a long time acted as one of the most faithful allies of Peter I, helping him in the Azov campaigns. However, everything changed when the Swedish king Charles XII came out against the Russian Tsar. He, wanting to find himself an ally, promised Mazepa in case of victory in northern war Ukrainian independence. The hetman could not resist such a tasty piece of the pie. In 1708, he went over to the side of the Swedes, but just a year later their combined army was defeated near Poltava. For his betrayal (Mazepa swore allegiance to Peter) Russian empire deprived him of all awards and titles and subjected him to civil execution. Mazepa fled to Bender, which then belonged to the Ottoman Empire, and soon died there in 1709. According to legend, his death was terrible - he was eaten by lice.

Aldrich Ames. This high-ranking CIA officer had a brilliant career. Everyone predicted him a long and successful job, and then a well-paid pension. But his life turned upside down, thanks to love. Ames married a Russian beauty, it turned out that she was a KGB agent. The woman immediately began to demand from her husband to provide her beautiful life to fully live up to the American dream. Although the officers in the CIA make good money, this is not enough for the constantly required new decorations and cars. As a result, the unfortunate Ames began to drink too much. Under the influence of alcohol, he had no choice but to start selling secrets from his work. They quickly showed up a buyer - the USSR. As a result, during his betrayal, Ames gave the enemy of his country information about all the secret agents working in the Soviet Union. The USSR also learned about a hundred covert military operations conducted by the Americans. For this, the officer received about 4.6 million US dollars. However, all the secret someday becomes clear. Ames was exposed and sentenced to life in prison. The special services experienced a real shock and scandal, the traitor became their biggest failure in their entire existence. The CIA has long moved away from the harm that one single person did to it. But he just needed funds for an insatiable wife. That one, by the way, when everything turned out, was simply deported to South America.

Vidkun Quisling. The family of this man was one of the most ancient in Norway, his father served as a Lutheran priest. Vidkun himself studied very well and chose a military career. Having risen to the rank of major, Quisling was able to enter the government of his country, holding the post of Minister of Defense there from 1931 to 1933. In 1933, Vidkun founded his own political party "National Accord", where he received a membership card for the first number. He began to call himself Föhrer, which was very reminiscent of the Fuhrer. In 1936, the party collected quite a lot of votes in the elections, becoming very influential in the country. When the Nazis came to Norway in 1940, Quisling suggested that the locals submit to them and not resist. Although the politician himself was from an ancient respected family, he was immediately dubbed a traitor in the country. The Norwegians themselves began to wage a fierce struggle against the invaders. Then Quisling came up with a plan in response to the removal of Jews from Norway, sending them directly to the deadly Auschwitz. However, history has rewarded the politician who betrayed his people as he deserved. On May 9, 1945, Quisling was arrested. While in prison, he still managed to declare that he was a martyr and sought to create great country. But justice decided otherwise, and on October 24, 1945, Quisling was shot for high treason.

Prince Andrei Mikhailovich Kurbsky. This boyar was one of the most faithful associates of Ivan the Terrible. It was Kurbsky who commanded the Russian army in the Livonian War. But with the beginning of the oprichnina of the eccentric tsar, many hitherto loyal boyars fell under disgrace. Among them was Kurbsky. Fearing for his fate, he abandoned his family and in 1563 defected to the service of the Polish king Sigismund. And already in September next year he marched with the conquerors against Moscow. Kurbsky knew perfectly well how the Russian defense and army were organized. Thanks to the traitor, the Poles were able to win many important battles. They set up ambushes, drove people into captivity, bypassing the outposts. Kurbsky began to be considered the first Russian dissident. The Poles consider the boyar a great man, but in Russia he is a traitor. However, we should not talk about betraying the country, but about personally betraying Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

Pavlik Morozov. This boy had a heroic image for a long time in Soviet history and culture. At the same time, he passed under the first number, among children-heroes. Pavlik Morozov even got into the book of honor of the All-Union Pioneer Organization. But this story is not entirely unambiguous. The boy's father, Trofim, was a partisan and fought on the side of the Bolsheviks. However, after returning from the war, the serviceman abandoned his family with four small children and began to live with another woman. Trofim was elected chairman of the village council, while he led a stormy everyday life - he drank and rowdy. It is quite possible that in the history of heroism and betrayal there are more domestic than political reasons. According to legend, Trofim's wife accused him of hiding bread, however, they say that the abandoned and humiliated woman demanded to stop issuing fictitious certificates to fellow villagers. During the investigation, 13-year-old Pavel simply confirmed everything that his mother had said. As a result, the unbelted Trofim ended up in prison, and in retaliation, the young pioneer was killed in 1932 by his drunken uncle and godfather. But Soviet propaganda created a colorful propaganda story out of everyday drama. Yes, and somehow the hero who betrayed his father did not inspire.

Heinrich Lushkov. In 1937, the NKVD was fierce, including on Far East. It was Genrikh Lyushkov who headed this punitive body at that time. However, a year later, a purge began already in the "organs" themselves, many executioners themselves ended up in the place of their victims. Lyushkov was suddenly summoned to Moscow, allegedly to be appointed head of all the camps in the country. But Heinrich suspected that Stalin wanted to remove him. Frightened by reprisals, Lyushkov fled to Japan. In an interview with the local newspaper Yomiuri, the former executioner said that he really recognizes himself as a traitor. But only in relation to Stalin. But Lyushkov's subsequent behavior suggests just the opposite. The general told the Japanese about the entire structure of the NKVD and the residents of the USSR, about exactly where the Soviet troops were located, where and how defensive structures and fortresses were being built. Lyushkov gave the enemies military radio codes, actively urging the Japanese to oppose the USSR. Arrested on the territory of Japan, Soviet intelligence officers, the traitor tortured himself, resorting to cruel atrocities. The pinnacle of Lyushkov's activity was his development of a plan to assassinate Stalin. The general personally took up the implementation of his project. Today, historians believe that this was the only serious attempt to eliminate the Soviet leader. However, she was not successful. After the defeat of Japan in 1945, Lyushkov was killed by the Japanese themselves, who did not want their secrets to fall into the hands of the USSR.

Andrey Vlasov. This Soviet lieutenant general was known as the most important Soviet traitor during the Great Patriotic War. Back in the winter of 41-42, Vlasov commanded the 20th Army, making a significant contribution to the defeat of the Nazis near Moscow. Among the people, it was this general who was called the main savior of the capital. In the summer of 1942, Vlasov took over as deputy commander of the Volkhov Front. However, soon his troops were captured, and the general himself was captured by the Germans. Vlasov was sent to the Vinnitsa military camp for captured senior military officials. There, the general agreed to serve the Nazis and headed the "Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia" created by them. On the basis of KONR, even an entire "Russian liberation army"(ROA). It included captured Soviet soldiers. The general showed cowardice, according to rumors, since then he began to drink a lot. On May 12, Vlasov was captured by Soviet troops in an attempt to escape. His trial was closed, since he could to inspire people dissatisfied with the authorities. In August 1946, General Vlasov was deprived of titles and awards, his property was confiscated, and he himself was hanged. At the trial, the accused admitted that he pleaded guilty, as he was cowardly in captivity. Already in our time, there was an attempt was made to acquit Vlasov, but only a small part of the charges were dropped from him, while the main ones remained in force.

Friedrich Paulus. There was a traitor on the part of the Nazis in that war. In the winter of 1943, the 6th German Army under the command of Field Marshal Paulus capitulated near Stalingrad. His subsequent history can be considered a mirror in relation to Vlasov. The captivity of a German officer was quite comfortable, because he joined the anti-fascist national committee"Free Germany". He ate meat, drank beer, received food and parcels. Paulus signed the appeal "To the prisoners of war of German soldiers and officers and to the entire German people." There, the field marshal announced that he was calling on all of Germany to eliminate Adolf Hitler. He believes that the country should have a new state leadership. It must stop the war and ensure the restoration of friendship with the current adversaries for the people. Paulus even made a revealing speech at the Nuremberg trials, which surprised his former associates a lot. In 1953, grateful for the cooperation Soviet authority freed the traitor, especially since he began to fall into depression. Paulus went to live in the GDR, where he died in 1957. Not all Germans accepted with understanding the act of the field marshal, even his son did not accept his father's choice, eventually shooting himself due to mental anguish.

Viktor Suvorov. This defector also made a name for himself as a writer. Once intelligence officer Vladimir Rezun was a GRU resident in Geneva. But in 1978 he fled to England, where he began to write very scandalous books. In them, the officer, who took the pseudonym Suvorov, quite convincingly argued that it was the USSR that was preparing to strike at Germany in the summer of 1941. The Germans simply preempted their enemy by a few weeks by delivering a preemptive strike. Rezun himself says that he was forced to cooperate with British intelligence. They allegedly wanted to make him last for the failure in the work of the Geneva department. Suvorov himself claims that in his homeland he was sentenced to death in absentia for his treason. However, the Russian side prefers not to comment on this fact. The former scout lives in Bristol and continues to write books on historical topics. Each of them causes a storm of discussion and personal condemnation of Suvorov.

Viktor Belenko. Few lieutenants manage to go down in history. But this military pilot was able to do it. True, at the cost of his betrayal. We can say that he acted as a kind of bad boy who just wants to steal something and sell it to his enemies at a higher price. On September 6, 1976, Belenko flew a top-secret MiG-25 interceptor. Suddenly, the senior lieutenant abruptly changed course and landed in Japan. There, the aircraft was dismantled in detail and subjected to a thorough study. Naturally, not without American specialists. The plane was, after careful study, returned to the USSR. And for his feat "for the glory of democracy" Belenko himself received political asylum in the United States. However, there is another version, according to which the traitor was not such. He just had to land in Japan. Eyewitnesses say that the lieutenant shot into the air with a pistol, not letting anyone near the car and demanding to cover it. However, the conducted investigation took into account both the behavior of the pilot in everyday life and the manner of his flight. The conclusion was unequivocal - landing on the territory of an enemy state was deliberate. Belenko himself turned out to be crazy about life in America, even canned cat food seemed to him tastier than those that were sold in his homeland. From official statements it is difficult to assess the consequences of that escape, the moral and political damage can be ignored, but the material damage was estimated at 2 billion rubles. Indeed, in the USSR it was necessary to hastily change the entire equipment of the "friend or foe" recognition system.

Otto Kuusinen. And again, a situation where a traitor for some is a hero for others. Otto was born in 1881 and in 1904 joined the Finnish Social Democratic Party. Soon and leading it. When it became clear that the communists in the new independent Finland did not shine, Kuusinen fled to the USSR. There he worked for a long time in the Comintern. When the USSR attacked Finland in 1939, it was Kuusinen who became the head of the puppet new government of the country. Only now his power extended to the few lands occupied by Soviet troops. It soon became clear that it would not be possible to capture all of Finland and the need for the Kuusinen regime was no longer needed. In the future, he continued to hold prominent government posts in the USSR, having died in 1964. His ashes are buried near the Kremlin wall.

Kim Philby. This scout lived a long and eventful life. He was born in 1912 in India, in the family of a British official. In 1929, Kim entered Cambridge, where he joined a socialist society. In 1934, Philby was recruited Soviet intelligence, which, given his views, was not difficult to implement. In 1940, Kim joined the British secret service SIS, soon becoming the head of one of its departments. In the 50s, it was Philby who coordinated the actions of England and the United States in the fight against the communists. Naturally, the USSR received all the information about the work of its agent. Since 1956, Philby has been serving in MI6, until in 1963 he was illegally transferred to the USSR. Here, the traitor intelligence officer lived for the next 25 years on a personal pension, sometimes giving advice.