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GOVOROV Leonid Alexandrovich

SPEAKING Leonid Aleksandrovich, Soviet military leader, commander. Marshal of the Soviet Union (1944). Hero of the Soviet Union (01/27/1945).

Born into a peasant family. After graduating from the Yelabuga Real School in 1916, he entered the Polytechnic Institute in Petrograd, in December of the same year he was drafted into the army and sent to the Konstantinovsky Artillery School, which he graduated in 1917. Then he served in Tomsk as a junior officer in a separate mortar battery, second lieutenant. In March 1918, after demobilization from the old army, he worked in the city of Elabuga. In October 1918, when the city was captured by the White Guards, he was mobilized into the army of Admiral A.V. Kolchak, commanded an artillery battery in the 8th Kama Rifle Division. In November 1919 L.A. Govorov, with part of the soldiers of his battery, went to Tomsk, where, as part of a combat workers’ squad, he participated in the uprising against the White Guard troops. In January 1920 he joined the Red Army and fought on the Eastern and Southern fronts. Commander of a separate light artillery battalion of the 51st Rifle Division, who distinguished himself in battles with Wrangel tanks on the Kakhovka bridgehead, then assistant chief of artillery of the same division.

After the Civil War, he continued to serve in the 51st Perekop Rifle Division. In 1926 he graduated from artillery advanced courses, and in 1930 - Higher Academic Courses. Since May 1931 L.A. Govorov is the chief of artillery of the Rybnitsa fortified region. In 1933 he graduated from the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze and in July 1934 was appointed chief of artillery of the rifle corps. From February to October 1936 Govorov was the head of the 1st branch of the artillery department of the Kyiv Military District. In 1938, he graduated from the Academy of the General Staff and is engaged in teaching activities: senior lecturer, associate professor of the department of artillery tactics of the Military Academy named after. F.E. Dzerzhinsky. During the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. served as chief of staff of artillery of the 7th Army. Participated in the preparation and implementation of artillery support during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line. Since March 1940 L.A. Govorov is the Deputy Inspector General of Artillery of the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army. In May 1941 he was appointed head of the Military Academy. F.E. Dzerzhinsky.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Major General of Artillery L.A. Govorov is the chief of artillery in the Western direction. In August 1941, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. He successively holds the positions of chief of artillery of the Reserve Front, deputy commander of the troops of the Mozhaisk line of defense, and chief of artillery of the Western Front. Since October 1941, L.A. Govorov commanded the 5th Army, which in early December 1941, in cooperation with the 16th and 33rd armies, launched counterattacks on the enemy in the Istra and Zvenigorod directions, then launched a counteroffensive and liberated the city of Mozhaisk in January 1941. Subsequently, the 5th Army held a defensive line in the central sector of the Western Front east of the city of Gzhatsk.

In April - June 1942 L.A. Govorov commanded the Leningrad Group of Forces of the Leningrad Front, and from June 3, 1942 and almost until the end of the war - the Leningrad Front. In January 1943, L.A. Govorov was awarded the rank of Colonel General. Until the end of 1942, the front troops under his command conducted a defense that was distinguished by exceptional tenacity and activity. From January 12 to January 30, 1943, troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, in cooperation with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, broke the blockade of Leningrad.

In the summer and autumn of 1943 L.A. Govorov successfully commanded the front troops in defensive battles, as a result of which, in cooperation with the Volkhov Front, all enemy attempts to reach the coast of Lake Ladoga and restore the blockade of Leningrad were thwarted. In November 1943, he was awarded the rank of army general.

Later L.A. Govorov participated in the planning, preparation and conduct, in cooperation with the troops of the Volkhov, 2nd Baltic Fronts and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, of the Leningrad-Novgorod offensive operation. Thanks to the skillful leadership of L.A. Govorov, the troops of the Leningrad Front, during the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinsky operation, pushed back the troops of Army Group North 60-100 km from Leningrad and reached the Luga River, then, together with the troops of the Volkhov Front, captured the Luga fortified zone, first reached the Narva River, capturing a bridgehead on its West Bank, and then to the Pskov-Ostrovsky fortified area, where they went on the defensive.

In June 1944, Army General Govorov prepared and carried out, with the support of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, the Ladoga and Onega military flotillas, the Vyborg offensive operation, which ended in the defeat of the Finnish task force “Karelian Isthmus”. In June 1944, he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In September - November 1944, troops of the Leningrad Front, together with troops of the 3rd, 2nd and 1st Baltic, 3rd Belorussian Fronts and part of the forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, participated in the Baltic strategic offensive operation. Under the command of L.A. Govorov, in a short time, the 2nd Shock Army was secretly regrouped and the Moonsund landing operation was carried out. Since October 1944 L.A. Govorov simultaneously coordinated the actions of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts.

After the war, L.A. Govorov commanded the troops of the Leningrad Military District from July 1945, from April 1946 he was the chief inspector of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces and concurrently the head of the Directorate of Higher Educational Institutions, from January 1947 the chief inspector of the Armed Forces of the USSR, from October 1947 the Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief Inspector of the Armed Forces, since July 1948, Commander of the country's Air Defense Forces and Chief Inspector of the Armed Forces. Since March 1950, commander of the country's Air Defense Forces, Deputy Minister of War of the USSR, since 1952, Deputy War Minister of the USSR for combat training, since April 1953, chief inspector of the USSR Ministry of Defense, from May 1954 to April 1955, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces The country's air defense is the Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. He was buried on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.

Awarded the highest Soviet military order "Victory".

Awarded: 5 Orders of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st class, Order of Kutuzov 1st class, Red Star, “Order of the Republic” of the Tuvan Arat Republic, medals, as well as foreign orders: USA - “Legion Honor" 1st degree; France: Legion of Honor 2nd Art. and the Military Cross.

Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal of the Soviet Union

Born on February 22, 1897 in the village of Butyrki, Vyatka province (now Kirov region). Father - Govorov Alexander Grigorievich, a peasant, was engaged in side earnings: he worked as a barge worker, went as a sailor on ships. Mother - Govorova Maria Alexandrovna. Wife - Lidia Ivanovna. Sons: Vladimir Leonidovich - Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General, Chairman of the Russian Committee of War Veterans and Military Service; Sergei Leonidovich - retired colonel.

After graduating from a real school in Yelabuga, Leonid becomes a student in the shipbuilding department of the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute.

In December 1916, upon mobilization, he was sent to the capital's Konstantinovsky Artillery School. Here Govorov studied for only six months; in June 1917, together with other graduates of Konstantinovka, he was promoted to second lieutenant and sent to a mortar battery of one of the units of the Tomsk garrison. In the fall of 1917, Leonid went to his native Elabuga, where he was mobilized and sent to Kolchak’s army. From there, with part of the soldiers of his separate mortar battery, he moves to Tomsk and voluntarily joins the Red Army.

In the 51st division (commander - V.K. Blyukher), L.A. Govorov is entrusted with urgently forming an artillery division. Once completed, the unit is transferred to the Crimea to defeat the troops of Baron Wrangel. There Govorov was wounded twice. The Perekop period became an important stage in the development of Leonid Alexandrovich as a commander and artilleryman. Near the village of Terni, the first encounter with British tanks took place. It seemed like the tanks were about to crush everyone. Govorov's division did not flinch. The gunners did a great job. Four British tanks froze forever on the Black Sea soil, the rest retreated from the battlefield. In the battles near Kakhovka and Perekop, Leonid Aleksandrovich proved himself to be a thoughtful, energetic, strong-willed commander, and was awarded his first military award - the Order of the Red Banner.

In October 1923, L. A. Govorov was appointed chief of artillery of the 51st Infantry Division, and at the end of 1924 - commander of an artillery regiment. He throws himself into work: camp training, training trips, artillery training of personnel, live firing, improving the life of the Red Army soldiers and commanders. “He showed himself to be a very capable commander in all respects. He has a strong will and energy, and is proactive. “I am impeccably prepared as an artilleryman,” noted in the description of the regiment commander - the future marshal.

History has brought to us such a review of the creative abilities of L. A. Govorov. “Once,” recalled G.N. Degtyarev, also a regiment commander, “something happened that surprised us all. The commander of the artillery regiment of the Perekop division, equal in position to all of us, was appointed to lead the gathering. Some participants in the gathering did not hesitate to loudly express their skepticism towards the new leader. A few days later, the wrong attitude towards Govorov changed dramatically. “Perekopets” turned out to have an enviable filling. The commanders of the artillery regiments, as if enchanted, listened to Govorov’s informative lectures, distinguished by the depth and clarity of his thoughts, and the novelty of his statements on the theory and practice of artillery.”

Throughout the 1920s, Leonid Aleksandrovich combined intense service with study. Day after day I was engaged in self-education. As soon as I learned about the organization of a correspondence faculty at the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze, I entered there. By 1932, he completed a three-year correspondence course. Then he takes another year-long course in the operational department of the same academy. At the same time, he takes an exam in German to the extent of his knowledge as a military translator.

In the spring of 1936, the Military Academy of the General Staff was established. Brigade commander Govorov was also included in the first group of her listeners. At that time he was already the head of the artillery department of the Kyiv Military District. In 1938, studies were interrupted. Leonid Aleksandrovich is appointed teacher of tactics at the Artillery Academy named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky.

The Soviet-Finnish war begins. L. A. Govorov is sent to the front as the chief of staff of the artillery of the 7th Army. He had a difficult mission: preparation and implementation of artillery support for breaking through the Mannerheim Line. He copes with this task successfully, is awarded the Order of the Red Star, and is given the rank of divisional commander ahead of schedule. In 1940, he was appointed deputy inspector general of the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army.

At the end of December 1940, a meeting of the highest command and political personnel of the Armed Forces was held in Moscow. At the meeting there was a detailed discussion about the tasks arising from the results of the Soviet-Finnish war. Among others, Major General of Artillery L.A. Govorov spoke. He not only outlined his own experience of overcoming the long-term structures of the Mannerheim Line, but also shared very deep thoughts about the prospects for using artillery in modern warfare.

A new appointment followed in May 1941. L. A. Govorov becomes the head of the Artillery Academy named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, L. A. Govorov assumed the post of chief of artillery in the Western direction. Here a meeting of two future marshals took place - G.K. Zhukov and L.A. Govorov. Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov commanded the Western direction.

The situation dictated the need for emergency measures. Leonid Aleksandrovich immediately got down to business. He promptly developed a plan for a radical restructuring of the artillery support system for defensive battles and counterattacks. He ensured that directives on this important problem were immediately sent to the troops. He himself went to formations and units of troops in the Western direction. Under his leadership, an artillery anti-tank defense system is being quickly created to a depth of at least 5–6 km. This soon led to a significant increase in losses among the Nazis rushing to Moscow. Such an episode is known. Once G.K. Zhukov interrogated a prisoner from the Deutschland regiment of the SS division. He said: “The Germans are afraid of artillery fire.” Georgy Konstantinovich turned to the chief of artillery: “Did you hear, Comrade Govorov? The Germans are afraid of our artillery. So work out your plans in every detail.”

L.A. Govorov did a lot for the success of the famous Elninsky operation. Thus, he thought out artillery support for the offensive near Yelnya. Thanks to this, the 24th Army, the main combat force in this operation, gained 1.6 times superiority over the enemy in artillery. On August 30, 1941, she, along with other formations, went on the offensive, and by the morning of September 6, she liberated Yelnya. This was one of the first offensive operations of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War.

Govorov, an artilleryman with a brilliant reputation, had yet to demonstrate a different kind of talent - the talent of a commander. This began in the battle of Moscow. In October 1941, the commander of the 5th Army, Major General D. D. Lelyushenko, was wounded and taken from the battlefield. He was replaced by Major General L. A. Govorov. Later, Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov explained this decision by saying that “... Govorov, being the chief of artillery of the Reserve Front, established himself not only as a specialist who knows his job very well, but also as a strong-willed, energetic commander...”.

The 5th Army found itself at the forefront of the main events - in the center of the Western Front. It was here that the fascists tormented our defenses with particular fury and were preparing to unleash a blow of enormous force on the capital. For Govorov the commander, there came sleepless nights, countless calculations, and colossal stress. Based on an assessment of the situation, enemy forces and the capabilities of the 5th Army, decisive measures were taken to organize a strong defense and create powerful artillery barriers.

In those October days, the army commander pinned special hopes for success on the Far Eastern troops of the 32nd Infantry Division of Colonel V.I. Polosukhin. Taking a position on the historical Borodino field, they fought steadfastly and courageously, like the heroes of 1812. Later, L.A. Govorov quickly brought into battle the 82nd Infantry Division, which had arrived from Siberia in the Dorokhov area. The army commander took all measures to strengthen resistance to Nazi tank formations. A powerful anti-tank unit was created. It included four artillery regiments, five Katyusha divisions, and the 20th tank brigade. Field Marshal Kluge persistently tried to break through the defenses of Govorov's 5th Army in a straight line to Moscow through Dorokhovo and Kubinka. But everything is in vain. The defense turned out to be impenetrable. The Nazis also suffered huge losses in the zone of the 16th Army under Lieutenant General K.K. Rokossovsky, with which the 5th Army interacted.

On December 1, the Nazis made another serious attempt to break through to Moscow. Govorov urgently went to the village of Akulovo, where parts of V.I. Polosukhin’s division and the artillery and anti-tank reserve were transferred. Having encountered powerful resistance, German tank units turned towards Golitsyno. There they were completely defeated. On December 4, the breakthrough was completely eliminated.

The deep meaning of the actions of Commander-5 in these defensive battles was expressed very clearly by Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov. His words “rest like Govorov” sounded both like the highest assessment of the decisions he made and as a recommendation to learn from him.

In April 1942, Lieutenant General of Artillery L.A. Govorov was appointed commander of the Leningrad Group of Forces, responsible for the defense of the city on the Neva, and in June 1942 - commander of the Leningrad Front. The situation in Leningrad was extremely difficult. The dilapidated city was still under blockade, experiencing an acute need for food. Almost every day Leningraders experienced hardships and losses from artillery shelling and air raids. In April 1942, Hitler confirmed the task of Army Group North, led by Colonel General von Küchler, to “... take Leningrad and establish land communications with the Finns...”.

A huge responsibility fell on the shoulders of L. A. Govorov. For 670 of the 900 days of the siege, he led the heroic defense of Leningrad and created a defense that was invincible to the enemy. It fell to his fate to prepare and conduct a number of offensive operations. One of them is Operation Iskra. In preparation for it, literally everything was taken into account: opportunities for regrouping enemy troops and equipment, fire systems and various obstacles, organization of engineering equipment for enemy positions and lines.

And again, as more than once in the past, Govorov’s knowledge of artillery was revealed. Leonid Aleksandrovich was directly involved in developing the principles and methods of using artillery in Operation Iskra. By his decision, a long-range artillery group and a special purpose group, as well as a counter-mortar group, were formed. Guards mortar units were consolidated into a separate group.

Direct preparation of troops for a breakthrough was actively underway. Joint infantry and artillery exercises took place at the Toksovsky training ground. On them, the shooters learned to move behind the barrage of fire from line to line. But the matter did not stop there. Additional training was carried out in all formations and units. This was the case in the division of General N.P. Simonyak. At his signal “Attack!” chains of riflemen jumped onto the ice, rushed at full speed along the river, climbed onto the steep bank, specially doused with water, where the division commander stood. This is how readiness for possible options of action was developed. All this ultimately predetermined the success of Operation Iskra. The blockade of the great city on the Neva in January 1943 was finally broken. The turning point in the historical battle for Leningrad has arrived.

And there were still many offensive operations ahead: Mginskaya and Krasnoselsko-Ropshinskaya, Novgorod-Luga and Vyborg, Tallinn and Moonsund landing operations. And in each of them he put his will, his knowledge, his heart. In each he proved himself to be a mature commander. Official recognition of L. A. Govorov's high leadership skills followed long before the end of the war - on June 18, 1944. On this day he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In 1945, he was awarded the gold star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the highest military order of Victory.

L. A. Govorov found time to write articles in besieged Leningrad. In June 1942, he gives an in-depth analysis of the military operations of the troops in the articles “Battles for Leningrad” and “In Defense of the City of Lenin.” In February 1943, his work “One and a half years of fighting for Leningrad” was published, and then “The Great Battle of Leningrad”. In January 1945, he wrote the preface to the book “The Great Victory of Soviet Troops near Leningrad.” The article is small, but in a concise, polished form it not only told about the victory achieved, but also set tasks for the front troops for the future. The article was called: “Towards new victories over the enemy.”

In the post-war years, L. A. Govorov commanded the troops of the Leningrad Military District, was the chief inspector of the Ground Forces, and then the Armed Forces. In 1948, he was appointed commander of the country's Air Defense Forces, while simultaneously remaining chief inspector of the Armed Forces. In 1952, Leonid Alexandrovich was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense for Combat Training.

During that period, significant changes took place in the Air Defense Forces. Essentially, they become a new type of the country's Armed Forces. Marshal Govorov is appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the country's air defense - Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. At this time, the technical re-equipment of the Air Defense Forces began. Leonid Aleksandrovich traveled a lot around the country, trying to speed up this important process. However, hypertension became increasingly worse. He could no longer overcome this illness. On March 19, 1955, he passed away. The urn with the ashes is buried in the Kremlin wall.

The country paid tribute to its great son. Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov was also awarded the Order of Victory, five Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov, 1st degree, Order of Kutuzov, 1st degree, Order of the Red Star, and many medals. His name is immortalized in the name of the ship and streets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Odessa, Kirov and Elabuga. Two schools in St. Petersburg and one in Moscow are named after the outstanding commander. A monument to Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov was unveiled in St. Petersburg.

Govorov's life is a feat. That's what many people say about him. He himself assessed himself much more modestly. “I,” he wrote on the last day of his life, “should have done more, but I did what I had time to do, what I could.” These words of an outstanding commander and patriot of the country contain his entire essence, his greatness and his inherent modesty and simplicity.

		Stove on Red Square in Moscow
		Annotation board in St. Petersburg
		Monument in St. Petersburg
		Monument in St. Petersburg (view 2)
		Memorial plaque in St. Petersburg
		Memorial plaque in Kharkov
		Memorial sign in St. Petersburg
		Annotation board in Odintsovo
		Memorial plaque in Moscow

G Leonid Aleksandrovich ovrov - commander of the troops of the Leningrad Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Born on February 10 (22), 1897 in the village of Butyrki, Yaransky district, Vyatka province, now Sovetsky district, Kirov region, into a peasant family. Russian. He graduated from a real school in the city of Elabuga (Republic of Tatarstan), and entered the shipbuilding department of the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute.

In December 1916, he was mobilized into the army and sent to study at the Konstantinovsky Artillery School. In June 1917, upon completion of his studies, he was promoted to second lieutenant and appointed junior officer of a mortar battery as part of one of the units of the Tomsk garrison. In March 1918, he was demobilized and returned to his parents in Yelabuga, where he got a job in a cooperative.

In October 1918, L.A. Govorov, with the rank of second lieutenant, was mobilized into the White Army and enlisted in the battery of the 8th Kama Rifle Division of the 2nd Ufa Army Corps, which had been part of the Western Army since March 1919. Participated in the spring offensive of the armies of Admiral A.V. Kolchak. In November 1919, he left the unit and, in hiding, fled to Tomsk, where, as part of a military squad, he took part in the uprising against the white authorities.

In January 1920, he voluntarily joined the Red Army, commander of the artillery battalion of the 51st Infantry Division. As part of the Perekop strike group of the 6th Army, he took part in battles against the army of General P.N. Wrangel. In 1920 he was wounded twice. For participation in the Perekop-Chongar operation in 1921 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

He received a military education: in 1926 he graduated from the Artillery Advanced Courses for Command Staff of the Red Army, in 1930 - Higher Academic Courses, in 1933 - the M.V. Frunze Military Academy and in 1938 - the Academy of the General Staff.

He served as acting assistant chief of artillery, from October 1924 - assistant commander of a light artillery regiment, from July 1925 - commander of a light artillery regiment. Since March 1931 - teacher of artillery courses for command personnel. From July 1934 - chief of artillery of the Rybitsk fortified area, then chief of artillery of the 15th Rifle Corps. Since February 1936 - head of a department at the artillery headquarters of the Kyiv Military District. Since February 1938, he has been a senior lecturer at the Department of Tactics and Fire Training at the F.E. Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy, and since August of the same year, he has been an Associate Professor at the Department of Tactics there.

Participant in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 - chief of staff of the artillery of the 7th Army. Since August 1940 - Deputy Inspector General of Artillery of the Red Army. In May-July 1941 - head of the Artillery Academy named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky.

During the Great Patriotic War, from July 22, 1941, he was the chief of artillery in the Western direction, then the Reserve Front. Since November 18, 1941, Major General of Artillery L.A. Govorov was the commander of the 5th Army, which participated in the battle of Moscow.

From April 25, 1942, Lieutenant General of Artillery L.A. Govorov commanded the Leningrad Group of Forces, and from June 8, 1942 to July 1945, the troops of the Leningrad Front (from February 9 to March 31, 1945, he was simultaneously commander of the 2nd Baltic Front). Of the 900 days of the siege of Leningrad, 670 days occurred during the period when L.A. Govorov led the heroic defense of the city. He developed methods and principles for the use of artillery in the operation to break the Leningrad blockade - “Iskra”.

The leadership skill of L.A. Govorov was clearly demonstrated in the offensive operations: Mginskaya, Krasnoselsko-Ropshinskaya, Novgorod-Luga, Vyborg, Narva, Tallinn and Moonsund landing operations. From the end of 1944, he led the military operations to blockade the enemy’s Courland group.

"Z and exemplary performance of combat missions of the Supreme High Command to direct the operations of the troops of the Leningrad Front against the German invaders and the successes achieved as a result of these operations” by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 27, 1945 to the Marshal of the Soviet Union Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

From July 9, 1945 - Commander of the Leningrad Military District, from April 1946 - Chief Inspector of the Ground Forces, from July 1948 - Commander of the country's Air Defense Forces and Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. Since April 1953 - Chief Inspector of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Since May 1954 - Commander-in-Chief of the country's air defense forces and Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. Candidate member of the CPSU Central Committee since 1952. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 2nd-4th convocations (since 1946).

Military ranks:
brigade commander - 02/05/1936
Major General of Artillery - 06/04/1940
Lieutenant General of Artillery - 11/09/1941
Colonel General - 01/15/1943
General of the Army - 11/17/1943
Marshal of the Soviet Union - 06/18/1944.

Died on March 19, 1955 in Moscow. The urn with the ashes is buried in the Kremlin wall on Red Square in Moscow.

Awarded the Order of Victory (05/31/1945 - No. 10), five Orders of Lenin (11/10/1941; 01/2/1942; 01/27/1945; 02/21/1945; 02/21/1947), three Orders of the Red Banner (1921; 11/3/1944; 11/15/1950), two orders of Suvorov 1st degree (01/28/1943; 02/21/1944), orders of Kutuzov 1st degree (07/29/1944), Red Star (01/15/1940), medals “For the Defense of Moscow”, “ For the Defense of Leningrad", other medals, foreign orders: the Order of the Republic (Tuva Arat Republic, 03/03/1942), the Order of the Legion of Honor (France, 1945), the Military Cross 1939-1945 (France, 1945), the Order of the Legion of Honor degree " Commander-in-Chief" (USA, 1945).

In the city of St. Petersburg, a monument and a memorial plaque were erected to the Hero (on the house in which he lived), a street and a square were named after him. A bust and a memorial plaque were unveiled in the city of Yelabuga (on the building of the former real school where he studied). In many cities of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, streets are named after the Hero.

In 1955-1992, the name of L.A. Govorov was borne by the Military Engineering Radio Engineering Academy of Air Defense (until 1968 - the Artillery Radio Engineering Academy of the Soviet Army) in the city of Kharkov (Ukraine).

Composition:
In the battles for the city of Lenin. Articles. 1941-45. - L., 1945.

Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich born on February 22, 1897 in the village of Butyrki, Yaransky district, Vyatka province (now the territory of the Sovetsky district of the Kirov region). His father, Alexander Grigorievich Govorov, in order to feed his family, had to first become a peasant and then work as a sailor on the ships of a private shipping company. Later, having mastered reading and writing and naturally possessing excellent handwriting, Alexander Grigorievich got a job as a clerk at a real school in the city of Elabuga. This gave him the right to educate his children in this educational institution for free.

In the family, Leonid was the eldest of four sons. After graduating from a 4-year vocational school in Yaransk, Leonid Govorov entered the Yelabuga real school. During all seven years of his studies at the school, Leonid was the first student in his class (his brother Nikolai was second in academic performance). I studied purposefully and systematically, and read a lot. He was interested in mathematics and physics.

In December 1916, he was mobilized into the army and was sent to study at the Konstantinovsky Artillery School, after which in June 1917, Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov was promoted to second lieutenant and was appointed junior officer of a mortar battery as part of one of the units of the Tomsk garrison.

In March 1918, Leonid and his brother returned to their native Elabuga, where they went to work as clerks in the local Consumer Cooperation, helping their parents and younger brothers with a small salary. Leonid did not even consider military service as a profession at that time. But life decreed otherwise.

In 1918, Civil War broke out in Russia. In October of the same year, the city of Elabuga was captured by the White Guards - troops of the army of Admiral A.V. Kolchak. Leonid Govorov and his brother Nikolai, as former tsarist officers, were forcibly mobilized into the artillery battery of the 8th division of the 2nd Ufa Corps, which was part of the Western Army from March 1919. Second lieutenants Govorov participate in the spring offensive of Kolchak’s troops, in the Chelyabinsk and Ufa operations, in the battles against the Red Army near Zlatoust and on Tobol.

In November 1919, Govorov, along with several soldiers from his battery, left the unit and headed to Tomsk, where, as part of a fighting squad, he took part in the uprising against the white authorities.

On December 22, 1919, Tomsk came under the control of the Red Army and in January 1920, Govorov joined the 51st Rifle Division under the command of V.K. Blucher as a volunteer, where he took the position of commander of an artillery division.

As part of the Perekop strike group of the 6th Army under the command of A.I. Kork, the division took part in the battles against the army of General Wrangel. In 1920, Govorov was wounded twice: in August, near the village of Serogozy, during defensive battles in the Kakhovka region, he received a shrapnel wound in the leg, and also in September, in a battle near Antonovka, he received a bullet wound in the arm.

For the great courage and bravery shown in the battles against the “Russian Army” during the Perekop-Chongar operation in 1921, Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

In October 1923, L. A. Govorov was appointed chief of artillery of the 51st (since September 14, 1921) Perekop Rifle Division. By the beginning of 1925, he held the post of commander of an artillery regiment. Subsequently, in the period until 1936, he held the positions of chief of artillery of a fortified area, chief of artillery of the 14th and 15th rifle corps, and head of a department in the artillery department of the Kyiv Military District.

Leonid Govorov is actively involved in his education, and in 1926 he graduated from the Artillery Advanced Courses for Command Staff. In 1930 he took higher academic courses at the Military Academy named after. Frunze, and in 1933 he completed the full course of this academy in absentia and studied at its operational department. Having studied German on his own, he passed the exam to become a military translator. On February 5, 1936, L. A. Govorov was awarded the military rank of brigade commander. Also in 1936, he became part of the first intake of students at the Academy of the General Staff. In 1938, six months before graduation, he was appointed teacher of tactics at the Artillery Academy named after. Dzerzhinsky [source not specified 546 days]. In 1939 he completed his first scientific work on the topic “Attack and breakthrough of a fortified area.”

In 1940, he was appointed chief of staff of the artillery of the 7th Army, which participated in the war with Finland on the territory of the Karelian Isthmus. For his work in preparing and providing artillery support for the breakthrough of a section of the Mannerheim Line, L. A. Govorov was awarded the Order of the Red Star and was given the rank of division commander ahead of schedule. In the summer of the same year, during recertification, he was awarded the rank of major general of artillery (06/04/1940), he was appointed to the post of deputy inspector general of artillery of the GAU RKKA.

The Great Patriotic War.

In May 1941 Govorov L.A. becomes head of the Artillery Academy of the Red Army named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky. But Govorov did not have to command the academy for long.

The Great Patriotic War began, and already at the end of July 1941 he was appointed to the post of chief of artillery in the Western direction, commanded by Army General G.K. Zhukov. Soon a Reserve Front was also created under the command of G.K. Zhukova, and L.A. Govorov is appointed chief of artillery there.

Leonid Aleksandrovich immediately got down to business. Under his leadership, an artillery anti-tank defense system is being quickly created. This soon led to a significant increase in losses among the Nazis rushing to Moscow. Such an episode is known. Once G.K. Zhukov interrogated a prisoner from the Deutschland regiment of the SS division. He said: “The Germans are afraid of artillery fire.” Georgy Konstantinovich turned to the chief of artillery: “Did you hear, Comrade Govorov? The Germans are afraid of our artillery. So work out your plans in every detail.”

L. A. Govorov thought out in every detail the artillery support of our troops, which made it possible to achieve success in one of the first offensive operations of the Red Army - the Elninsky operation of 1941. On his initiative, a strong artillery group was created, the number of guns was more than one and a half times superior to the German one. Artillery reconnaissance was established. The offensive of our troops began on August 30 at 8.00 am after a crushing artillery barrage. More than 800 guns, mortars and rocket launchers rained down on German positions. For the first time in the Great Patriotic War, Soviet artillery proved itself to be a powerful offensive force. As a result of fierce battles on September 6, 1941, our troops liberated Yelnya, and by the end of September 8, the Yelnya ledge was eliminated.

On April 21, due to the failure of the Lyuban operation, the Volkhov Front was disbanded. On its basis, the Volkhov Group of Forces of the Leningrad Front was formed. On April 25, L. A. Govorov took command of the Leningrad group of forces of this front (23rd, 42nd and 55th armies, Primorsky and Nevsky operational groups). Since taking office, he has been actively involved in increasing the effectiveness of counter-battery warfare: he is creating the Leningrad Artillery Corps of Counter-Battery Combat (including, among other things, the artillery of the Baltic Fleet), and is seeking from the Supreme High Command Headquarters a decision to allocate two aviation correction squadrons to Leningrad. He is actively working on the task of strengthening the external defensive perimeter: he is creating five field fortified areas on the near approaches to the city and placing separate artillery and machine-gun battalions in them, introducing a system of continuous trenches. Creates a front reserve.

In May, without undergoing candidate experience, he was accepted as a member of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). On June 8, after the notorious defeat of the 2nd Shock Army, the Volkhov Front was recreated, M. S. Khozin was removed from his post as commander of the Leningrad Front, the leadership of which passed to L. A. Govorov. In June-August, he trains front forces (Neva Operational Group, 55th Army) to participate in the Sinyavin offensive operation. The purpose of the operation was to relieve the blockade of Leningrad from land and disrupt the Northern Lights (Nordlicht) operation being prepared by Army Group North. By the end of September, it became obvious that the front forces were unable to cope with the task of breaking the blockade. On October 1, the command of the Leningrad Front received an order from the Supreme High Command Headquarters to retreat to their original positions (the Nevsky operational group retained the Nevsky patch).

At the end of October, Govorov begins developing a new operation. On November 25, front units began preparing for the upcoming hostilities. On December 2, the plan for the operation, called “Iskra,” was approved by the Supreme Command headquarters. The goal of the operation was to use counter strikes from the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts to cut through the enemy grouping in the area of ​​the Sinyavinsky salient, unite south of Lake Ladoga and break the blockade of Leningrad.

On January 12, 1943, the offensive operation of the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts began, and on January 18, Soviet units formed a connection, the blockade was broken. On January 15, L. A. Govorov was awarded the rank of “Colonel General”. On February 27, the offensive was stopped, and the front command began drawing up plans for a new offensive operation. For the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad on January 28, Govorov was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. In July-August, the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front takes part in the Mginsk operation. The purpose of this operation was to disrupt the plans of the command of Army Group North to restore the blockade ring. In September, a plan for the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic operation, developed with the active participation of L. A. Govorov, was presented to the Supreme Command Headquarters. According to the plan of this operation, the troops of the Leningrad Front were supposed to completely lift the blockade and liberate the territory of the Leningrad region from enemy units. On November 17, in the midst of preparations for the operation, Govorov was awarded the rank of “army general.”

On January 14, 1944, the troops of the Leningrad Front began the Leningrad-Novgorod operation. During the offensive, the front broke through the enemy's deeply echeloned defenses, defeating the Peterhof-Strelna group. By January 27, enemy troops were driven back 65-100 km from the city. On January 27, a fireworks display took place in Leningrad to commemorate the final lifting of the blockade, and the order for the fireworks was given by Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov on behalf of Stalin.

Developing the offensive, the troops of the Leningrad Front under the command of Army General Govorov marched about 100-120 km, reaching the Narva River and seizing a bridgehead on the western bank of the river. For the success in carrying out the operation to lift the siege of Leningrad, Govorov was awarded the second Order of Suvorov, 1st degree, on February 21.

By March 1, the troops of the Leningrad Front during the offensive marched to the west about 220-280 km. During the offensive, three and 23 enemy divisions were destroyed and the Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region were almost completely liberated.

On June 10, the Leningrad Front, along with the Karelian Front, the Baltic Fleet, the Ladoga and Onega flotillas, launched the Vyborg-Petrozavodsk operation with the goal of withdrawing Finland from the war.

The operation was started by troops of the Leningrad Front (21st and 23rd armies - over 150,000 people), then (in July 1944) the Karelian Front (32nd and 7th armies) went on the offensive. In advance, Govorov carried out a major diversionary maneuver with a demonstration of the impending attack on Narva. Meanwhile, the Red Banner Baltic Fleet secretly transferred units of the 21st Army from the Oranienbaum area to the Karelian Isthmus. This created an effect of surprise for the enemy. The offensive was immediately preceded by air strikes and a 10-hour artillery barrage. 500 guns were used along 1 km of front. The Finns were taken by surprise. During ten days of fighting, the troops of the Leningrad Front broke through 3 defense lines (on June 11, 17 and 19, respectively) “restored” by the Finns in 1941-1944. "Mannerheim Lines". The rate of advance was very high and amounted to 10-12 km per day. In a directive dated June 11, 1944, the Supreme High Command Headquarters noted the successful progress of the offensive and ordered the troops of the Leningrad Front to capture Vyborg on June 18-20. For his achievements on June 18, L. A. Govorov was awarded title of "Marshal of the Soviet Union", and on June 20, the 21st Army of the Leningrad Front, during stubborn battles, captured the southern suburb and center of Viipuri (Vyborg).

On September 4, the Finnish government reached an agreement with the Soviet government to end hostilities. In turn, from 8.00 on September 5, the Leningrad and Karelian fronts, by order of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, ceased military operations against Finnish troops.

From July 24 to November 24, units of the Leningrad Front, carrying out the Narva, Tallinn offensive and Moonsund landing operations developed under the leadership of Govorov, defeated the German task force “Narva” and drove the enemy out of Estonia. Starting from October 1, by order of the Supreme Command Headquarters, simultaneously with the command of its front, it carries out the task of coordinating the actions of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts in the Riga operation. After the liberation of Riga on October 16, the 3rd Baltic Front was disbanded, and the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts began blockading the group of German troops in Courland.

Post-war period

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 31, 1945, Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov was awarded the Order of Victory for the defeat of German troops near Leningrad and in the Baltic states.

On July 9, he was appointed commander of the troops of the Leningrad Military District, formed on the basis of the Leningrad Front. Since April 1946 - Chief Inspector of the Ground Forces. Since January 1947, he has held the post of chief inspector of the USSR Armed Forces, and since July 7, 1948, he has combined this position with the post of commander of the country's air defense. Under his leadership, a structural reorganization of the command and control of air defense forces is being carried out in the USSR; anti-aircraft missile systems, jet fighters, and the latest radar stations are being adopted in air defense units.

In January 1948, he headed the “court of honor”, ​​which convicted four admirals - N. G. Kuznetsov, L. M. Galler, V. A. Alafuzov, G. A. Stepanov - all rehabilitated in 1953.

Since April 1953, he was appointed to the post of chief inspector of the USSR Ministry of Defense. In May 1954, he became the first Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Defense Forces and was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of the country.

By that time, Govorov was seriously ill with hypertension, which was aggravated by frequent stress. In the summer he had his first stroke. He died on the night of March 19, 1955 in the Barvikha sanatorium near Moscow. After his death, he was cremated, and the urn with his ashes was buried in the Kremlin wall on Red Square in Moscow.

Memory of Govorov

Streets and alleys in many cities of Russia and Ukraine are named in honor of Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov, including Moscow (Govorova Street), Kyiv, St. Petersburg, Odessa, Kirov, Elabuga, Donetsk, Kremenchug, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Tomsk and many others. Also, the name of Govorov was assigned to the Military Order of the October Revolution and the Patriotic War Engineering Radio Engineering Academy of Air Defense (formerly the Artillery Radio Engineering Academy of the Patriotic War Academy of the Soviet Army) - Kharkov.

A postage stamp was issued in 1977. USSR stamp from the issue “Soviet Military Figures” (1977, Fig., DFA No. 4679)

In St. Petersburg installed:

• Monument on Stachek Square (installed in 1999);
• Two memorial plaques (Kronverkskaya street, building No. 29; Marshal Govorova street, building No. 2);

Also, the square at the intersection of Moskovsky Prospekt and the embankment of the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg bears the name of Govorov. A memorial sign “Marshal L.A. Govorov’s Square” would be installed near the square.

In Yelabuga, a monument-bust was installed on Memory Square (opened in 2000) and a memorial plaque on the building of the former real school (Naberezhnaya St., building No. 19).

Under the tsar, he graduated from the Konstantinovsky Artillery School in Petrograd, and after the revolution he ended up in Kolchak’s army, fighting against the Reds. An incredible fact: in 1919, with the rank of second lieutenant in the White Army, he took part in the battles against the 5th Army of the Red Army, and in October 1941, near Moscow, he became the commander-in-chief of the newly formed Soviet 5th Army...

However, during numerous and merciless purges, he was not injured, was not shot, but on the contrary, was awarded many times, became one of the most famous military leaders of the USSR, the legendary organizer of breaking through and lifting the siege of Leningrad. We are talking about Hero of the Soviet Union Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov, whom military historians consider the most mysterious Stalinist marshal.

The future military leader was born into a peasant family in the village of Butyrki, Yaransky district, Vyatka province. His father worked as a barge hauler, served as a sailor on river boats, and as a clerk in Yelabuga. However, Leonid himself, after graduating from a rural school, managed to brilliantly graduate from the Yelabuga Real School, and then enter the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute. Which, by the way, debunks the myth that spread in Soviet times that higher education in Russia was inaccessible to peasant children.

Thanks to his extraordinary abilities, Govorov could have become an excellent engineer, as he dreamed of, but soon the First World War broke out. He did not have time to complete his higher education - in 1916 he was mobilized and sent to the Konstantinovsky Artillery School in Petrograd, where he became an officer. Having been demobilized after the war, he returned to his parents in Yelabuga. But with the beginning of the Civil War, he was mobilized into Kolchak’s army.

The officer, who came from a peasant family, found it difficult to live with white people. Govorov left Kolchak’s troops and, together with a group of soldiers from his battery, went over to the Red side. His brother Nikolai, also an officer, fled with him. So Leonid Govorov ended up as part of the Blucher division, where he was offered to form an artillery division and become its commander. He fought against Wrangel's troops, was wounded twice: in the Kakhovka region - by a shrapnel in the leg, and in the battle near Antonovskaya he received a bullet wound in the arm.

He fought bravely and was awarded for this by the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, Leon Trotsky, with red revolutionary trousers. This attribute of military equipment was then a special form of award (remember the film “Officers”).

As Govorov’s son Sergei Leonidovich recalled, his future mother and father met in 1923 at the Odessa Opera House. “In addition to the open, strong-willed face and tall, stately figure of the young red commander, she was very impressed by the so-called red revolutionary trousers in which her father was sporting,” he gives details of that meeting.

Govorov served exemplarily in the Red Army and quickly climbed the military career ladder. In 1926, he graduated from the Artillery Advanced Courses, then from the Higher Artillery Courses, and studied at the Military Academy and the General Staff Academy. By the beginning of the war with Germany, Govorov was already the head of the Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy. By the way, shortly before this he independently studied German and even passed the exam to become a military translator. I was sure that it was with Germany that we would soon have to fight again.

There weren’t too many military leaders with higher education like Govorov in the Red Army. Especially after the merciless purges on the eve of the war. It is unclear how Govorov survived them - with a biography like his, it was very difficult. After all, he was not even a party member. Or maybe, on the contrary, this is what helped him? Govorov was aloof from the intrigues, and, in addition, distinguished himself in breaking through the Mannerheim line, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Star. He showed in practice how to break through an impregnable defense made of reinforced concrete pillboxes: with fire from the largest caliber guns, direct fire from the closest possible distances to clear the way for an attack. During this period, a discussion took place in the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper about the role of artillery in modern warfare. Divisional Commander Govorov made a report on this topic at a military scientific conference, who looked far ahead, determining the place of artillery in future battles and new principles for its use in offensive and defensive battles. It is no coincidence that they later began to call him the “god of artillery.”

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the military talents of the future marshal manifested themselves especially clearly. At the height of the battles for Moscow, in October 1941, Major General of Artillery Govorov was appointed commander of the 5th Army, which fought the most difficult defensive battles on the outskirts of Moscow in the Mozhaisk direction. For the first time in military history, command of a combined arms formation was entrusted not just to a general, but to an artillery general.

Govorov received his baptism of fire as an army commander on the Borodino field. On his initiative, anti-tank areas and reserves were created for the first time, which played a huge role in repelling massive tank attacks by German troops. Govorov widely used mobile units and ambushes to combat enemy tanks. The enemy was stopped at Borodino for almost six whole days, suffering heavy losses. But the forces were unequal, and Govorov convinced the commander of the Western Front, Georgy Zhukov, of the need to retreat to a defensive line in the Zvenigorod area. Georgy Konstantinovich gave the go-ahead, although he set a condition: in case of failure, Govorov would respond to the full severity of wartime. But there was no need to answer; Govorov turned out to be right: he managed to withdraw the troops in an organized manner and stabilize the front. In the midst of defensive battles, in November 1941, Govorov’s services in disrupting the enemy’s attack on Moscow were awarded the Order of Lenin.

The award certificate, signed by G. Zhukov, said: “Comrade. Govorov is a strong-willed, demanding, energetic, brave and organized commander of the troops.”

And on January 18, 1942, the battles for Mozhaisk began. Soon the entire city was in the hands of our troops, the Nazis were thrown back tens of kilometers. The next day, troops of the 5th Army liberated Borodino and the Borodino field from the enemy in a night battle. The Nazis failed to carry out their plan: to destroy monuments to Russian glory in the War of 1812...

In June 1942, after the tragic defeat of the 2nd Shock Army, I.V. Stalin removed General Mikhail Khozin from his post as commander of the Leningrad Front and appointed Govorov instead. He found himself in a hungry besieged city. The tasks of the new front commander were set clearly: to prevent the destruction of Leningrad by enemy fire, to break through and lift the blockade. Govorov was settled in the quietest and safest - relatively, of course - area, on the Petrograd side.

By the way, it was then that Govorov was given a party card without undergoing experience. Otherwise, he would have been the only commander of this rank who was not a communist, which was simply impossible at that time.

As a memory of the events of those days, Govorov’s family still keeps a miniature model of the T-34 ink tank made of brass with the inscription “To Marshal of the Soviet Union Stalin from the guards of the 5th Tank Army.” How did she get there? In the midst of preparations for the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad, Stalin called Govorov and asked if he had any requests to Headquarters. Seeing the leader's good disposition, he said that on the eve of the offensive he would like to have more tanks.

Govorov took it as a joke, thanked him and left. And then I was surprised to see a package on the seat of my car. There was a tank from Stalin's desk. But real combat vehicles nevertheless arrived at the disposal of the Leningrad Front at the beginning of the offensive.

...Gorovov was directly involved in the first performance of the famous 7th symphony of Dmitry Shostakovich in besieged Leningrad on August 9, 1942. On this day, according to the plans of the German command, the city was supposed to fall. And as a challenge to the enemy, it was on this day that a concert was to take place in the Great Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic. Govorov set a task for the troops: to make sure that not a single enemy shell or bomb fell on the city during the concert. Govorov came straight from the front line to the Philharmonic. The entire time the now legendary symphony was being performed, enemy shells and bombs did not explode in the city, because, on Govorov’s orders, our artillerymen fired continuously at the enemy. The operation was called "Squall".

Conductor Carl Eliasberg later recalled: “The symphony was finished. There was applause in the hall... I went into the artistic room... Suddenly everyone parted. Govorov quickly entered. He spoke very seriously and cordially about the symphony, and when leaving, he said somehow mysteriously: “Our artillerymen can also be considered participants in the performance.” Then, to be honest, I did not understand this phrase. And only many years later I learned that Govorov gave the order for the performance of D.D.’s symphony. Shostakovich, our artillerymen to conduct intense fire on enemy batteries and force them to silence. I think that in the history of music such a fact is the only one.”

...The operation to break the blockade called “Iskra,” which Stalin entrusted to Govorov, was carefully prepared. For the offensive, strike groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were formed.

In the rear, training fields and special camps were created, the troops practiced crossing the ice and establishing crossings for heavy artillery and tanks.

As the Marshal’s son Sergei recalled, the commander “began to remove battalions from the front line of defense in order to fatten them up in Leningrad and train them.” Exhausted soldiers had to run 800 meters across the ice of the Neva under hurricane enemy fire in twenty-degree frost. He even forbade the soldiers to shout “Hurray!”, so as not to waste their energy. The brass band on the hill was playing “The Internationale”, to the sounds of the anthem they had to cross the six-meter, almost vertical bank, which the Nazis were watering. They carried ladders, hooks and crampons with them. All other details of the operation were worked out with the same care.

Thanks to reconnaissance efforts, the Soviet command had a fairly detailed picture of the enemy defense, while managing to hide the direction of the main attack from the enemy. In total, the groupings of the two fronts near Leningrad numbered 302,800 soldiers and officers, about 4,900 guns and mortars, more than 600 tanks and 809 aircraft. In total, Soviet troops had more than five times superiority over the enemy.

The city, suffering from hunger and cold, also gave its last to the front.

Exhausted knitters sewed warm uniforms for the soldiers. Subsequently, many soldiers found notes in their pockets with a message of a few words: “Dear soldier of the Red Army! Beat the fascist bastards! Strike while you're alive! Save us."

The notes, as a rule, were signed only with the names: “Masha”, “Lena”, “Lyuba”.

On the night of January 12, Soviet bombers launched a massive attack on enemy positions in the breakthrough zone, on airfields and railway junctions in the rear. In the morning the artillery began a powerful artillery barrage. “I still cannot forget the impression of the destructive fire of Russian cannons,” a captured soldier of the 401st Regiment of the 170th Infantry Division later said. “As soon as I remember this hellish roar, the explosions of shells, it makes me tremble again and again.” Other prisoners echoed him: “I have never seen such a terrible fire anywhere.” Then, under the cover of the “fiery shaft,” the troops began crossing the Neva. After several days of fierce fighting, Soviet troops managed to break the resistance of the Nazis, and on January 18, 1943, the blockade of Leningrad was broken. For the exhausted population it was a holiday - people took to the streets, cried, kissed. The city was decorated with flags, and on February 8 a train with food from the depths of the country arrived in Leningrad. For the successful conduct of the operation, Govorov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Directing the military operations against the Courland group of German troops during the final phase of the war, Govorov convinced Stalin to abandon a frontal assault on the fortifications in order to avoid the inevitable huge losses, and proposed to tightly lock the Nazis on the Courland Peninsula and force them to surrender. And Stalin agreed. As a result, Govorov organized a real blockade: the surrounded Germans had to go on starvation rations, they ate all the combat horses. Govorov presented an ultimatum to those surrounded and demanded that they surrender within 24 hours.

The Germans knew that he commanded troops near Leningrad and were afraid to surrender to Leningrad units, fearing revenge for their atrocities against the besieged city.

Therefore, the ultimatum, in order to mislead the Nazis, was transmitted from the radio station of the 2nd Baltic Front. The Germans were sure that they were surrendering not to the Leningraders, but to the Baltic soldiers, and on May 8, 1945, Army Group Kurland capitulated. Govorov, knowing the German language perfectly, himself interrogated the fascist generals who had surrendered. Several senior officers, when the deception was discovered, committed suicide out of fear. In May 1945, Leonid Alexandrovich was awarded the highest order of Victory in the USSR.

Alas, after the war Govorov had to endure many difficult moments, when some prominent military leaders, including Marshal Zhukov himself, fell into disgrace. And many of his close friends from among the top leaders of the city were destroyed as part of the so-called “Leningrad Affair”. And again it was not clear how he himself was able to survive. What he had to endure can be judged by the episode his wife recalled: “On the eve of breaking the blockade in January 1943, I asked him if everything was ready and what would happen in case of failure. He replied that everything had been calculated, the troops were ready. “Well, in case of failure,” he said, smiling slightly, “he remains with his head in the hole.”

In 1948, Govorov had to head the so-called “Court of Honor” created by Stalin, which convicted four war hero admirals: Kuznetsov, Haller, Alafuzov and Stepanov. All of them were rehabilitated in 1953.

Govorov’s last military position was Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Defense Forces. But he was already seriously ill then. Why he himself survived, we will never know; Leonid Aleksandrovich did not leave memoirs. His son Sergei recalled: “On one warm day in the spring of 1954, my father returned earlier than usual. Coming out of the official ZIS, he paused for a while and said to his mother: “The appointment has taken place. I had no right to refuse. But this is the end...” He meant his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Defense.

The fact is that by this time my father was seriously ill with a severe form of hypertension - both the blockade of Leningrad and the so-called “Leningrad case”, according to which in 1948-1950. Because of false accusations, the people who worked with him and led the defense of Leningrad were shot.

But at that time there were no effective drugs against hypertension. The last year of my father’s life remains in my memory as an expectation of something terrible. The first strike occurred in the summer of 1954. Already mortally ill, my father worked and performed his official duties - in those years, barrel artillery was replaced by anti-aircraft missile systems, aviation switched to jet technology, equipped with new means of detecting and hitting targets, radar and systems were intensively developing communications. The lack of physical strength was compensated by his father’s iron will, which was noted by his colleagues who visited him regularly and by the officer for special assignments who brought documents daily. This was the case at the dacha in Arkhangelskoye, when my father could still get out of bed. This was the case in the last months of his life, when he was confined to a hospital bed. On the night of March 19, 1955, my father passed away. Mom said that, feeling like life was leaving him, his father escorted everyone out of the hospital room, except for his eldest son. He dictated a note to his son to the Soviet government, which he ended with the words: “I should have done more, but I did what I could.”

Thus, in the Barvikha sanatorium near Moscow, at the age of only 58 years, the outstanding military leader who liberated Leningrad died. An urn with the ashes of a former tsarist officer and Soviet marshal was buried in the Kremlin wall...