For the most part, it includes expressions and jargon that entered their vocabulary from prison slang, for example Chepushilo, Hare, Sushnyak, etc. In this article we will talk about a word that is so popular in some circles, Sharaga. What does Sharaga mean?? The origin of this word is not known for certain; probably its origins are lost in the darkness of centuries. I will quote from Astafiev’s work “The Tsar Fish”: “ For a long time taiga people did not dare to walk near this river - a real jungle was formed here, only Siberian, and they call it aptly and accurately - den, Sharaga and simply plain."
It is believed that the word Sharaga was first used in the slang of people from NKVD. In those harsh times of mass imprisonment of enemies of the people, completely innocent people fell under the punitive hand of justice, however, there were few of them. In order not to send smart scientists and engineers to logging, they created closed design bureaus, in which repressed scientists worked, among them Korolev and Tupolev can be distinguished. It was these establishments that were secretly called Sharashki or Sharagami.
Sharaga- this is a non-quoted educational institution, among which even a university can be found
Example:
It seems to me that I am the only one of our entire Sharaga who has the Internet.
At one time I transferred here from Sharaga.
Our institute is called Sharaga because rednecks have always studied and will continue to study there.
It is believed that after Sharaga it will be difficult to get a job, receive a decent salary, etc.
Another meaning of the word Sharaga does not refer to educational institutions, this word is sometimes called dark company, questionable establishment, event. For example, the popular punk rock singer Yuri Khoy wrote the following lines in one of his songs: " I work in a sharag called sober". This means that this boy works at a job he doesn’t particularly like in sobering-up station.
There are expressions based on this term, for example " Sharashkin's office
", which denotes a very dubious establishment. It is worth adding that Sharashka can sometimes be called a shady group of people (" I came for a birthday party and found myself in such a mess").
When a person has nothing to do, he starts walking here and there, he can go outside, go to the park, all this without any particular purpose or meaning, this can be called the word " Shy".
At one time, a lot of the work of prisoners was carried out for free, that is, “On Sharu”, hence the extremely distrustful attitude towards the quality of products produced by Sharagami (institutions where forced labor is used).
Synonyms of Sharaga: pheasant, uchaga, tehan, cormorant, bursa, heel.
my Sharaga
Hero City - the highest degree of distinction awarded to twelve cities Soviet Union, famous for their heroic defense during the Great Patriotic War. For the first time, the cities of Leningrad, Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa were named hero cities in Order No. 20 of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of May 1, 1945. Kyiv was named a hero city in the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 21, 1961 “On the establishment of the medal “For the Defense of Kyiv”.”
Regulations on honorary title“Hero City” was approved later, on May 8, 1965, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On the same day, seven decrees were issued, in accordance with which Leningrad and Kyiv were awarded the medal “ Golden Star", Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Sevastopol and Odessa - the Gold Star medal and the Order of Lenin, and Moscow and the Brest Fortress were for the first time awarded the title of "Hero City" and "Hero Fortress", respectively, with the presentation of the Gold Star medal and the order Lenin. On July 18, 1980, the wording of the Regulations was changed: it began to talk not about an honorary title, but about highest degree distinction - the title "Hero City".
Leningrad was awarded the title "Hero City" on May 8, 1965. Fierce fighting on the outskirts of the city began on July 10, 1941. Numerical superiority was on the side of the Germans: almost 2.5 times more soldiers, 10 times more aircraft, 1.2 times more tanks and almost 6 times more mortars. On September 8, 1941, the Nazis managed to capture Shlisselburg and thus take control of the source of the Neva. Leningrad was blocked from land (cut off from Mainland). From that moment on, the 872-day blockade of the city began.
Despite the terrible famine and continuous enemy attacks, which killed almost 650,000 city residents, Leningraders showed themselves to be real heroes. More than 500 thousand people went to work on the construction of defensive structures; they built 35 km of barricades and anti-tank obstacles, as well as more than 4,000 bunkers and pillboxes; 22,000 firing points are equipped. Hero Leningraders gave the front thousands of field and naval guns, repaired and launched 2,000 tanks, produced 10 million shells and mines, 225,000 machine guns and 12,000 mortars.
During the blockade of Leningrad, about 150 thousand shells were fired and 102,520 incendiary and 4,655 high-explosive bombs were dropped. 840 industrial enterprises and more than 10 thousand residential buildings were put out of action. The Nazis failed to capture Leningrad either on the move, or by storm, or by siege and starvation.
The first breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad occurred on January 18, 1943 through the efforts of troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, when a corridor 8-11 km wide was formed between the front line and Lake Ladoga. But only on January 27, 1944, the blockade of the city was completely lifted.
2 Stalingrad (Volgograd)
In the summer of 1942, German troops launched a massive offensive on the southern front, seeking to capture the Caucasus, the Don region, the lower Volga and Kuban - the richest and most fertile lands of the Soviet Union. Hitler was going to deal with this in a week. In order to stop the enemy's advance, the Stalingrad Front was created.
On July 17, 1942, one of the greatest and largest battles in the history of World War II began - the Battle of Stalingrad. It lasted 200 days. The first attack on the city took place on August 23, 1942. Then, just north of Stalingrad, the Germans almost approached the Volga. Policemen, sailors of the Volga Fleet, NKVD troops, cadets and other volunteers were sent to defend the city. That same night, the Germans launched their first air raid on the city, and on August 25, a state of siege was introduced in Stalingrad. Despite the almost continuous shelling, the Stalingrad factories continued to operate and produce tanks, Katyushas, guns, mortars and great amount shells.
On September 12, 1942, the enemy came close to the city. Two months of fierce battles for Stalingrad caused significant damage to the Germans: the Nazis lost about 700 thousand people killed and wounded.
On November 19, 1942, the counter-offensive of the Soviet army began. The offensive operation continued for 75 days, as a result of which the Germans at Stalingrad were surrounded and completely defeated. On February 2, 1943, the battle ended. During the entire Battle of Stalingrad, the German army lost more than 1,500,000 people.
Stalingrad was one of the first to be called a hero city. And officially the title “Hero City” was awarded to Volgograd on May 8, 1965.
3 Sevastopol
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the city of Sevastopol was the largest port on the Black Sea and the main naval base of the USSR. His heroic defense against the Nazis began on October 30, 1941 and lasted 250 days.
The first assault on Sevastopol is considered to be the attempt of German troops to capture the city on the move during October 30 - November 21, 1941. From October 30 to November 11, battles were fought on the distant approaches to Sevastopol; on November 2, attacks began on the outer line of defense of the fortress. On November 9-10, the Wehrmacht managed to completely surround the city from land. On November 11, with the approach of the main group of the 11th Army of the Wehrmacht, battles began along the entire perimeter. Over the course of 10 days, the attackers managed to slightly penetrate the forward defense line, after which there was a pause in the battle. On November 21, after shelling from coastal batteries, two cruisers and the battleship Paris Commune, the Wehrmacht stopped the assault on the city.
The Nazis made a second attempt to capture the city in December 1941. This time they had at their disposal seven infantry divisions, two mountain rifle brigades, over 150 tanks, 300 aircraft and 1,275 guns and mortars. But this attempt also failed.
By the end of spring 1942, the Germans had amassed 200,000 soldiers, 600 aircraft, 450 tanks and more than 2,000 guns and mortars to Sevastopol. They managed to blockade the city from the air and increased their activity at sea, as a result of which the city's defenders were forced to retreat. On July 3, 1942, the Sovinformburo reported on the loss of Sevastopol.
The battles for the liberation of Sevastopol began on April 15, 1944. Particularly fierce battles were fought in the area adjacent to Sapun Mountain. May 9, 1944 Soviet army liberated Sevastopol. Sevastopol was one of the first to receive the title of Hero City on May 8, 1965.
4 Odessa
In August 1941, Odessa was completely surrounded by Nazi troops. Its heroic defense lasted 73 days, during which the Soviet army and militia units defended the city from enemy invasion. On the mainland side, Odessa was defended by the Primorsky Army, and from the sea by ships Black Sea Fleet, with artillery support from the shore. To capture the city, the enemy threw forces five times larger than its defenders.
German troops launched the first big assault on Odessa on August 20, 1941, but Soviet troops stopped their advance 10-14 kilometers from the city borders. Every day, 10-12 thousand women and children dug trenches, laid mines, and pulled wire fences. In total, during the defense, 40,000 mines were planted by residents, more than 250 kilometers of anti-tank ditches were dug, and about 250 barricades were built on the city streets. The hands of teenagers who worked in factories produced about 300,000 hand grenades and the same number of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. During the months of defense, 38 thousand ordinary residents-heroes of Odessa moved to the ancient Odessa catacombs, stretching for many kilometers underground, to take part in the defense of their home city.
But the city was still captured on October 16, 1941. Odessa was liberated on April 10, 1944, and the title of Hero City was awarded in 1965.
5 Moscow
In the plans of Nazi Germany, the capture of Moscow was of central importance. To capture the city, a special operation was developed under code name"Typhoon". The Germans launched a major offensive against the capital in October and November 1941.
In the October operation, the Nazi command used 74 divisions (including 22 motorized and tank), 1.8 million officers and soldiers, 1,390 aircraft, 1,700 tanks, 14,000 mortars and guns. Hitler's command set the task: to capture Moscow by October 16, 1941. But the Nazis were unable to break through to Moscow. The second operation consisted of 51 combat-ready divisions. On the Soviet side, a little more than a million people, 677 aircraft, 970 tanks and 7,600 mortars and guns stood up to defend the city.
As a result of a fierce battle that lasted more than 200 days, the enemy was driven back from Moscow. This event dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Nazis. For exemplary performance of combat missions, 36 thousand defenders of the city were awarded various orders and medals, and 110 people were awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union.” More than a million soldiers were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Moscow”.
6 Kyiv
German troops launched a surprise attack on the city of Kyiv from the air on June 22, 1941 - in the very first hours of the war, a heroic struggle for the city began, which lasted 72 days. They defended Kyiv not only soviet soldiers, but also ordinary residents. Huge efforts were made for this by militia units, of which there were nineteen by the beginning of July. Also, 13 fighter battalions were formed from among the townspeople, and in total 33,000 people from the city’s residents took part in the defense of Kyiv. The people of Kiev built more than 1,400 pillboxes and manually dug 55 kilometers of anti-tank ditches.
The Germans failed to take Kyiv on the fly. However, on July 30, 1941, the fascist army made a new attempt to storm the city. On the tenth of August, she managed to break through the defenses on its southwestern outskirts, but through the joint efforts of the people's militia and regular troops they managed to repel the enemy. By August 15, the militia drove the Nazis back to their previous positions. Enemy losses near Kiev numbered more than 100,000 people. The Nazis did not undertake any more direct assaults on the city. Such prolonged resistance by the city’s defenders forced the enemy to withdraw part of the forces from the offensive in the Moscow direction and transfer them to Kyiv, due to which the Soviet soldiers were forced to retreat on September 19, 1941.
The Germans who occupied the city established a regime of brutal occupation. More than 200,000 Kiev residents were killed, and about 100,000 people were sent to Germany for forced labor. Kyiv was liberated on November 6, 1943. In 1965, Kyiv was awarded the title of Hero City.
7 Kerch
Kerch was one of the first cities to come under attack by German troops at the beginning of the war. During all this time, the front line passed through it four times and during the war years the city was occupied twice, as a result of which 15 thousand civilians were killed and more than 14 thousand were taken to Germany for forced labor. The city was captured for the first time in November 1941, after bloody battles. But already on December 30, during the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation, Kerch was liberated by Soviet troops.
In May 1942, the Germans concentrated large forces and launched a new attack on the city. As a result of heavy and stubborn fighting, Kerch was abandoned again. It was from this time that the world-famous guerrilla warfare in the Kerch (Adzhimushkay) quarries. Throughout the occupation, several thousand partisans and regular army soldiers were hiding in them, who did not allow the German troops to live in peace. During the 320 days that the city was in the hands of the enemy, the occupiers destroyed all the factories, burned all the bridges and ships, cut down and burned parks and gardens, destroyed the power station and telegraph, and blew up the railway lines. Kerch was almost completely wiped off the face of the earth.
During the battles for the liberation of the Caucasus and Crimea, on April 11, 1944, the city of Kerch was liberated by soldiers of the Separate Primorsky Army and the Black Sea Fleet. On September 14, 1973, Kerch was awarded the title of Hero City.
8 Novorossiysk
To protect the city of Novorossiysk, on August 17, 1942, the Novorossiysk defensive region was created, which included the 47th Army, sailors of the Azov Military Flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet. People's militia units were actively created in the city, more than 200 defensive firing points and command posts were built, and an anti-tank and anti-personnel obstacle course more than thirty kilometers long was equipped.
The ships of the Black Sea Fleet particularly distinguished themselves in the fight for Novorossiysk. Despite the heroic efforts of the defenders of Novorossiysk, the forces were unequal, and on September 7, 1942, the enemy managed to enter the city and capture several administrative objects in it. But after four days the Nazis were stopped in the south-eastern part of the city and moved to a defensive position.
To liberate Novorossiysk, Soviet naval paratroopers on the night of February 4, 1943 landed on the southern border of the hero city, in the area settlement Stanichki. A kind of bridgehead with an area of 30 square meters. kilometers, entered the chronicle of the Great Patriotic War under the name “Malaya Zemlya”. The battle for Novorossiysk lasted 225 days and ended complete liberation Hero City September 16, 1943. On September 14, 1973, Novorossiysk received the title of Hero City.
9 Minsk
From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Minsk found itself in the very center of the battles, as it was in the direction of the main attack of the Germans - towards Moscow. The advanced units of the enemy troops approached the city on June 26, 1941. They were met by only one 64th Infantry Division, which in just three days of fierce fighting destroyed about 300 enemy vehicles and armored vehicles, as well as many tanks. On June twenty-seventh, the Nazis managed to be thrown back, 10 km from Minsk - this reduced the striking force and pace of the Nazis’ advance to the east. However, after stubborn and heavy fighting, on June 28, Soviet troops were forced to retreat and leave the city.
The Nazis established a strict occupation regime in Minsk; they destroyed a huge number of both prisoners of war and civilians of the city. But underground groups and sabotage detachments began to be created in the city. Thanks to the partisans, many German offensive operations were thwarted. More than 11,000 trains were derailed, and the partisans blew up more than 300,000 rails. Several military and administrative facilities were blown up.
July 3, 1944 soviet tanks entered the city during its liberation from the Germans. On June 26, 1974, Minsk was awarded the title of Hero City.
10 Tula
By October 1941, the Germans managed to advance quite far into Russia. Orel was taken, from which only 180 km remained to Tula. There were no military units in Tula, except for: one NKVD regiment, which guarded the defense factories operating here at full capacity, the 732nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment, covering the city from the air, and fighter battalions consisting of workers and employees.
Immediately after the capture of Orel, Tula was placed under martial law. Residents of the city surrounded Tula with ribbons of trenches, dug anti-tank ditches inside the city, installed gouges and hedgehogs, and built barricades and strongholds. In parallel to this, there was active work for the evacuation of defense plants.
The Germans sent three tank divisions, one motorized division and the “Great Germany” regiment to capture Tula. Despite fierce attacks, in which about a hundred tanks took part from the enemy, the enemy did not manage to break through to Tula in any sector of the battles. On December 7, 1976, Tula received the title of Hero City.
11 Murmansk
To seize the lands of the Arctic, from Norway and Finland, the Germans deployed the “Norway” front. The invaders' plans included an attack on Kola Peninsula. The defense of the peninsula was deployed on the Northern Front, a strip 500 km long. It was these units that covered the Murmansk, Kandelaki and Ukhta directions. Ships of the Northern Fleet and ground forces of the Soviet Army took part in the defense, protecting the Arctic from the invasion of German troops.
The enemy offensive began on June 29, 1941, but Soviet soldiers stopped the enemy 20-30 kilometers from the border line. At the cost of fierce fighting, the front line remained unchanged until 1944, when Soviet troops launched an offensive. Murmansk is one of those cities that became front-line from the very first days of the war. The Nazis carried out 792 air raids and dropped 185 thousand bombs on the city - however, Murmansk survived and continued to operate as a port city. Under regular air raids, ordinary citizens-heroes carried out the unloading and loading of ships, the construction of bomb shelters, and production military equipment. During all the war years, the Murmansk port received 250 ships and handled 2 million tons of various cargo.
The main strategic actions developed not on land, but in the waters northern seas. The heroes of the Northern Fleet destroyed more than 200 German warships and about 400 transport ships. And in the fall of 1944, the fleet expelled the enemy, and the threat of capturing Murmansk passed. Murmansk received the title “Hero City” on May 6, 1985.
12 Smolensk
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Smolensk found itself on the path of the main attack of German troops towards Moscow. The city was first bombed on June 24, 1941, and 4 days later the Nazis launched a second air attack on Smolensk, as a result of which the central part of the city was completely destroyed.
On July 10, 1941, the famous Battle of Smolensk began, which lasted until September 10 of the same year. Soldiers of the Western Front of the Red Army stood up to defend the city. The enemy outnumbered them in manpower, artillery and aircraft (2 times), as well as in tank equipment (4 times).
Despite the heroic efforts of the defenders of Smolensk, on July 29, 1941, the Nazis managed to enter the city. The occupation lasted until September 25, 1943, but during these years the residents continued to fight the enemy, creating partisan detachments and conducting underground subversive activities.
The city's land defense system included three defensive lines - forward, main and rear. The forces of the Sevastopol defensive region courageously repelled two enemy attacks on the main base of the Black Sea Fleet: November 11-21 and December 17-31, 1941. Due to the fact that at the end of May 1942, Soviet troops suffered major defeat on the Kerch Peninsula, the position of besieged Sevastopol became critical. After many days of intense air raids and artillery shelling, on June 7, 1942, the Germans launched the 3rd assault on Sevastopol. By the end of June, the forces of the city’s defenders were exhausted, and there was a lack of ammunition. The remnants of the troops defending Sevastopol had to be evacuated to Novorossiysk. But only a small part of the city’s defenders were evacuated. According to domestic data, the irretrievable losses of the SOR troops from October 30, 1941 to July 4, 1942 amounted to more than 156 thousand people (killed, captured and missing).
The defense of the city lasted 250 days and became a symbol of the massive courage and heroism of Soviet soldiers. It pinned down large enemy forces on the southern flank of the Soviet-German front, which otherwise could have been used in one of the decisive sectors of the German offensive in the summer of 1942. The Germans also suffered very heavy losses during the siege and assault of Sevastopol - up to 300 thousand killed and wounded. To commemorate the heroic defense of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, on December 22, 1942, the medal “For the Defense of Sevastopol” was established. On May 8, 1965, the city of Sevastopol was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
ORDER TO THE TROOPS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE CRIMEA No. 1640, November 4, 1941
In connection with the current operational situation on the Crimean Peninsula, carry out the following organization of command and control of the Crimean troops:
1. Organize two defensive areas:
a) Kerch defensive region.
b) Sevastopol defensive region.
2. The composition of the troops of the Sevastopol defensive region should include: all units and subunits of the Primorsky Army, the coastal defense of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, all naval ground units and units of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force on my special instructions.
I entrust the command of all actions of the ground forces and the leadership of the defense of Sevastopol to the commander of the Primorsky Army, Major General Comrade I.E. Petrov. with direct subordination to me.
Deputy Commander of the Black Sea Fleet for land defense of the main base, Rear Admiral G.V. Zhukov to take command of the Sevastopol main base; To the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, allocate the composition of the assets and forces of the Sevastopol main base according to my instructions.
3. The composition of the troops of the Kerch defensive region includes all units, units of the 51st Army, naval ground units and the Kerch naval base.
I entrust the command of all military units operating on the Kerch Peninsula and the leadership of defense to my deputy, Lieutenant General P. I. Batov.
The formation of the operational group of the Kerch defensive region will be carried out on the basis of the headquarters and control of the 51st Army.
4. The chief of staff of the Crimean troops, Major General Ivanov, as having failed in his duties, should be removed from his post and sent to the personnel reserve of the Red Army.
To the post of chief of staff of the Crimean troops, let the chief of staff of the Primorsky Army, Major General Comrade. Shishenina G.D.
5. I appoint deputy chief of staff of the SOR. Chief of Staff of the Primorsky Army, Colonel G.I. Krylov.
6. I appoint deputy military commissar of the Kerch defensive region. Head of PUARMA of the 51st Army, Regimental Commissar Krupin.
Commander of the Armed Forces of Crimea, Vice Admiral Levchenko
Member of the Military Council, Corps Commissar Nikolaev
Chief of Staff Major General Shishenin
TO ALL FIGHTERS, COMMANDERS AND POLITICAL WORKERS, BRAVE DEFENDERS OF THE NATIVE SEVASTOPOL: ADDRESS BY THE MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE BLACK SEA FLEET, December 21, 1941
Dear comrades!
The brutal enemy is again advancing on Sevastopol. Defeated in the main direction near Moscow, the enemy is trying to capture our hometown, in order to thereby at least to some extent diminish and weaken the impression of the victories of the Red Army near Moscow, near Rostov and on other fronts.
The enemy is suffering huge losses near Sevastopol. He threw his last reserves into battle, trying to suppress the powerful resistance of our troops.
Comrades Red Navy, Red Army soldiers, commanders and political workers!
Beat the enemy the way our comrades beat him near Moscow, as they beat him and drove him away from Rostov, as they crush him at Tikhvin and on other fronts.
Mercilessly exterminate the fascist dogs, repelling with fire and grenades all the enemy’s attempts to get to Sevastopol.
Not a step back in the fight for Sevastopol! Remember that the defeat of the enemy depends on our stamina, courage and ability to fight.
The stronger our resistance to the enemy, the faster the final victory over the fascist invaders will come...
Comrades! Destroy your enemies the way they do it best defenders our Sevastopol. Beat the fascists the way political instructor Omelchenko beats them, who destroyed 15 in one battle German soldiers and officers, like Captain Bondarenko, a brave and talented commander who shows his subordinates examples of courage and dedication.
Exterminate the Nazi scoundrels as the fighter Serbin exterminates them, who destroyed 20 fascist soldiers and officers, as the Red Army soldier Savchuk, snipers Miroshnichenko, Trifonov, Kalyuzhny, Zosimenko and many other glorious warriors of our Motherland exterminate.
Combat defenders of Sevastopol!
Ruthlessly exterminate the fascists, exhaust the enemy's forces, destroy his military equipment.
Be persistent and brave in battle. Be vigilant in any environment! Do not give in to provocations, expose the cowards and alarmists!
Dear comrades! Remember that the attention of the peoples of not only our Motherland, but also the whole world, is focused on Sevastopol.
Before last straw defend our native Sevastopol with blood!
Our homeland expects us to defeat the enemy. No step back!
Victory will be ours!
Military Council of the Black Sea Fleet
TELEGRAM OF THE RED ARMY GENERAL STAFF TO THE COMMANDER OF THE TROOPS OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN FRONT MARSHAL S. BUDENNY ABOUT THE EVACUATION OF FIGHTERS AND COMMANDERS FROM THE SEVASTOPOL DEFENSE REGION (SOR), July 4, 1942.
On the coast of the SOR there are still many separate groups of fighters and commanders who continue to resist the enemy. It is necessary to take all measures to evacuate them, sending small ships and sea planes for this purpose. The motivation of sailors and pilots for the impossibility of approaching the shore due to waves is incorrect. You can pick up people without going to the shore, but taking them on board 500-1000 m from the shore.
I ask you to order not to stop the evacuation and to do everything possible to remove the heroes of Sevastopol.
Russian Archive: The Great Patriotic War. General Staff during the Great Patriotic War: Documents and materials. 1942 T. 23 (12-2). M., 1999. P. 205.
The heroic defense of Sevastopol against German troops (11th Army of Colonel General E. Manstein) and Romanian formations lasted from October 30, 1941 to July 4, 1942. The SOR unit included formations of the Black Sea Fleet (commander Vice Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky) and the Primorsky Army (commander Major General I.E. Petrov)
Combat actions of the Black Sea Fleet, the Primorsky Army and the city population in the defense of the main naval base of Sevastopol from October 30, 1941 to July 2, 1942 - important stage in the fight Soviet troops for Crimea during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Sevastopol was one of the first cities of the USSR on the first day of the Great Patriotic War, June 22, 1941, at 3:15 a.m., to be attacked by fascist aircraft.
By the beginning of the war, the city was prepared for defense only from sea and air. On July 4, 1941, construction began on three land lines (forward, main, rear) and by the time the enemy reached the near approaches to the city on October 30, it was not completed.
On October 29, 1941, a state of siege was introduced in Sevastopol.
The garrison of Sevastopol numbered about 21 thousand people and had about 150 guns and mortars. The troops of the 11th German Army under the command of Colonel General Erich Manstein, which consisted of over 200 thousand people, 450 tanks, over 2 thousand guns and mortars, 600 aircraft, broke through Perekop on October 20, hoping to capture the city on the move, but received a rebuff.
October 30 - November 9, the garrison of Sevastopol had to repel enemy attacks with its own forces. The main forces of the fleet were located in Sevastopol, consisting of one battleship, five cruisers, 11 destroyers, 16 submarines, most of which on October 31 went to the bases of the Caucasus.
On November 4, 1941, the ground forces and naval forces defending the city were united into the Sevastopol Defense Region (SOR), which on November 9 included the Primorsky Army, numbering up to 50 thousand people, 170 guns and 90-100 aircraft. Major General Ivan Petrov was appointed commander of the army, and from November 19, Vice Admiral Philip Oktyabrsky.
On November 5, fierce battles broke out in the central sector of the forward defensive line. For 4 days, the Soviet army repelled continuous attacks from numerically superior Nazi troops supported by aviation. On November 9, the Nazis were forced to stop the offensive and pause to bring up new forces and regroup troops.
After failing to take the city on the move, the fascist German command carried out three attacks on the city - November 11, December 17, 1941 and June 7, 1942.
On November 11, the first assault on the city began. Despite the superiority in manpower, artillery and tanks, the German army managed to wedge itself into the forward defensive line in only two areas: in the direction of Duvankoy for three to four kilometers and Mekenzia for one or two kilometers. Due to significant losses of the 11th Army on November 21, the Germans suspended the offensive on Sevastopol until mid-December.
The Soviet command used this time to strengthen the defense. The SOR troops were replenished with marching units. The composition of the Primorsky Army was increased to five divisions, two marine brigades and two separate rifle regiments. Using guns removed from the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, an additional eight stationary batteries were built.
The German command also strengthened its troops. To carry out the second offensive, it had seven infantry divisions and two mountain brigades, about 1.3 thousand guns and mortars, over 150 tanks and up to 300 aircraft. To destroy the fortifications and fight the coastal batteries, several batteries of heavy artillery were brought up, including 360-mm caliber guns. The Nazi troops had a significant superiority in men and equipment. The plan to capture Sevastopol was to simultaneously launch a series of attacks in several directions.
The second offensive of the Nazi troops began at dawn on December 17. The main blow was delivered by four infantry divisions from the Duvankoy area along the Belbek River to the northeastern tip of the Northern Bay, a diversionary blow by two infantry divisions and a mountain rifle brigade from the area southeast of Chorgun along the Chernaya River to Inkerman. In the area of the Mekenzi Mountains, the enemy wedged itself into the location of Soviet troops and created the threat of a breakthrough to the Northern Bay. The headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief reinforced the SOR troops with an infantry division, a marine brigade and several marching battalions. With the support of the fleet and aviation, the SOR troops launched a counterattack on December 22 and restored the situation in the main direction. By the end of December, fascist troops captured the Mekenziev Mountains platform, but they failed to reach the Northern Bay.
The Kerch-Feodosia War played a major role in repelling the enemy offensive. landing operation(1941-1942), which began on December 26 and forced the Nazi command to withdraw part of the forces from near Sevastopol and stop the offensive on December 31. On January 1-4, Soviet troops counterattacked and forced the enemy to retreat almost everywhere to their original positions.
In May 1942, as a result of the abandonment of the Kerch Peninsula by Soviet troops and the failure of the Kharkov offensive operation The situation in Sevastopol deteriorated sharply. On May 21, the Nazis began aerial and artillery bombardment of the city, artillery positions and rear areas, and on June 2 they began powerful artillery and air preparations for the offensive, which lasted five days. At the same time, Nazi troops strengthened the blockade of Sevastopol from the sea. They concentrated 10 infantry divisions (three of them Romanian), one motorized brigade and three regiments, a total of over 200 thousand people, including a combat strength of 175 thousand people, 450 tanks, 1325 guns, 720 mortars, 1060 aircraft. The SOR had seven rifle divisions (staffed, except for one, by 50%), four brigades and three regiments of marines, which amounted to 106 thousand people, including 82 thousand combat personnel, 38 tanks, 606 guns, 918 mortars, 116 aircraft .
On June 7, fascist German troops went on the offensive, delivering the main attack from the north and northeast on the Mekenzi Mountains with the aim of reaching the Northern Bay and auxiliary attacks on Sapun Mountain and Balaklava. German aviation made 800-1000 sorties every day, dropping 4-4.5 thousand bombs. The defenders of Sevastopol heroically defended their positions until the last opportunity. Only when there were no combat-ready defenders or ammunition left in defensive positions did the enemy manage to occupy them. Some assistance was provided by the 138th Infantry Brigade, which was deployed on June 13 by destroyers.
On June 18, at the cost of heavy losses, the Nazis managed to break through to the coast of the Northern Bay. The small garrisons of the 30th coastal defense battery, the Northern fortifications, engineering piers, and the Mikhailovsky and Konstantinovsky ravelins that remained on the Northern side heroically defended themselves until June 22-24. The defenders' forces were dwindling and ammunition was running out.
Due to the reduction in darkness and the dominance of enemy aviation, the supply of Sevastopol by surface ships became extremely difficult, and after the capture by the enemy North side and impossible. On June 17, the last Bialystok transport arrived in Sevastopol. On June 26, the last of the large surface ships, the leader Tashkent, broke through the blockade. The supply of supplies by submarines and aircraft did not meet the needs of defense. By the end of June, there were 300-400 people left in divisions, and 200 combat personnel in brigades.
On the night of June 29, the Nazis crossed the Northern Bay and captured Sapungora on the same day. On June 30, fascist German troops broke into the Korabelnaya Side, where stubborn battles for the Malakhov Kurgan took place all day. Remaining parts separate groups retreated to the Chersonesos peninsula.
Organized resistance and the evacuation of the city's defenders continued until July 2, 1942. The defenders of Sevastopol continued to fight heroically on the Chersonesos peninsula in the area of the 35th coastal defense battery until July 4. Of the troops remaining in Sevastopol, only a few groups managed to fight their way into the mountains to the partisans.
Residents who participated in the construction of defensive structures, manufactured weapons and ammunition for the front, and provided assistance to the wounded played a role in the defense of Sevastopol. Over 15 thousand Sevastopol residents joined the people's militia.
In the fight for Sevastopol, the enemy lost up to 300 thousand people, the irretrievable losses of Soviet troops amounted to about 157 thousand people.
The soldiers of the Primorsky Army and the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet showed massive heroism and resilience. 37 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
To commemorate the feat of the Sevastopol residents, on December 22, 1942, the medal “For the Defense of Sevastopol” was established, which was awarded to over 50 thousand people.
In 2014, a Memorial to the defenders of the fatherland who fell and disappeared during the liberation of Sevastopol during the Great Patriotic War was opened in Victory Park in Sevastopol.
On May 8, 2015, a memorial stele dedicated to the heroes of the defense and liberation of Sevastopol was unveiled in the city Victory Park.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
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