Why is Pavlov's house called that? Who led the defense? The wasted work of sappers

Pavlov's house in Volgograd. Photo from www.wikipedia.org

It just so happened that over the course of the year, a private (by war standards) defense facility and its defenders became the object of attention of two creative teams. Director Sergei Ursulyak directed the wonderful multi-part television film “Life and Fate” based on the novel of the same name by Vasily Grossman. Its premiere took place in October 2012. And in February of this year, the TV movie is shown on the Kultura TV channel. As for the blockbuster “Stalingrad” by Fyodor Bondarchuk, which was released last fall, this is a completely different creation, with a different concept and approach. About his artistic merits and fidelity historical truth(or rather, the absence of such) is hardly worth expanding on. This has been discussed a lot, including in the very sensible publication “Stalingrad without Stalingrad” (“NVO” No. 37, 10/11/13).

Both in Grossman’s novel, and in its television version, and in Bondarchuk’s film, the events that took place in one of the strongholds of the city’s defense are shown - albeit in different volumes, albeit indirectly. But literature and cinema are one thing, and life is another. Or more precisely, history.

THE FORTRESS DOES NOT SURRENDER TO THE ENEMY

In September 1942, fierce battles broke out in the streets and squares of the central and northern parts of Stalingrad. “A fight in the city is a special fight. Here the issue is decided not by strength, but by skill, dexterity, resourcefulness and surprise. City buildings, like breakwaters, cut the battle formations of the advancing enemy and directed his forces along the streets. Therefore, we held tightly to particularly strong buildings and created a few garrisons in them, capable of conducting an all-round defense in the event of encirclement. Particularly strong buildings helped us create strong points from which the city’s defenders mowed down the advancing fascists with machine gun and machine gun fire,” the commander of the legendary 62nd Army, General Vasily Chuikov, later noted.

Unparalleled in world history in terms of scale and ferocity, the Battle of Stalingrad, which became a turning point in the entire Second World War, ended victoriously on February 2, 1943. But street fighting marched in Stalingrad until the end of the battle on the banks of the Volga.

One of the strongholds, the importance of which was spoken by the commander of Army 62, was the legendary Pavlov’s House. Its end wall overlooked the January 9 Square (later Lenin Square). The 42nd Regiment of the 13th Guards operated at this line rifle division, which joined the 62nd Army in September 1942 (divisional commander General Alexander Rodimtsev). The house was occupied important place in the defense system of Rodimtsev’s guards on the approaches to the Volga. It was a four-story brick building. However, he had a very important tactical advantage: from there he controlled the entire surrounding area. It was possible to observe and fire at the part of the city occupied by the enemy by that time: up to 1 km to the west, and even more to the north and south. But the main thing is that from here the paths of a possible German breakthrough to the Volga were visible: it was just a stone’s throw away. Intense fighting here continued for more than two months.

The tactical importance of the house was correctly assessed by the commander of the 42nd Guards rifle regiment Colonel Ivan Elin. He ordered the commander of the 3rd Rifle Battalion, Captain Alexei Zhukov, to seize the house and turn it into a stronghold. On September 20, 1942, soldiers from the squad led by Sergeant Yakov Pavlov made their way there. And on the third day, reinforcements arrived: a machine-gun platoon of Lieutenant Ivan Afanasyev (seven people with one heavy machine gun), a group of armor-piercing soldiers of Senior Sergeant Andrei Sobgaida (six people with three anti-tank rifles), four mortar men with two mortars under the command of Lieutenant Alexei Chernyshenko and three machine gunners. Lieutenant Ivan Afanasyev was appointed commander of this group.

The Nazis conducted massive artillery and mortar fire on the house almost all the time, carried out air strikes on it, and continuously attacked. But the garrison of the “fortress” - that’s how Pavlov’s house was marked on the headquarters map of the commander of the 6th German army Paulus - skillfully prepared him for all-round defense. The fighters fired from different places through embrasures, holes in bricked-up windows and holes in the walls. When the enemy tried to approach the building, he was met by dense machine-gun fire from all firing points. The garrison steadfastly repelled enemy attacks and inflicted significant losses on the Nazis. And most importantly, in operational and tactical terms, the defenders of the house did not allow the enemy to break through to the Volga in this area.

At the same time, Lieutenants Afanasyev, Chernyshenko and Sergeant Pavlov established fire cooperation with strongholds in neighboring buildings - in the house defended by the soldiers of Lieutenant Nikolai Zabolotny, and in the mill building, where the command post of the 42nd Infantry Regiment was located. The interaction was facilitated by the fact that an observation post was equipped on the third floor of Pavlov’s house, which the Nazis were never able to suppress. “A small group, defending one house, destroyed more enemy soldiers than the Nazis lost during the capture of Paris,” noted Army 62 commander Vasily Chuikov.

INTERNATIONAL SQUAD

DEFENDERS

Pavlov's house was defended by soldiers different nationalities- Russians Pavlov, Aleksandrov and Afanasyev, Ukrainians Sobgaida and Glushchenko, Georgians Mosiashvili and Stepanoshvili, Uzbek Turganov, Kazakh Murzaev, Abkhaz Sukhba, Tajik Turdyev, Tatar Romazanov. According to official data - 24 fighters. But in reality - up to 30. Some dropped out due to injury, some died, but they were replaced. One way or another, Sergeant Pavlov celebrated his 25th birthday (he was born on October 17, 1917 in Valdai, in Novgorod region) met within the walls of “my” home along with my fighting friends. True, nothing has been written about this anywhere, and Yakov Fedotovich himself and his military friends preferred to remain silent on this matter.

As a result of continuous shelling, the building was seriously damaged. One end wall was almost completely destroyed. To avoid losses from the rubble, some of the firepower was moved outside the building by order of the regiment commander. But the defenders of the House of Sergeant Pavlov, the House of Lieutenant Zabolotny and the mill, turned into strong points, continued to firmly hold the defense, despite the fierce attacks of the enemy.

One cannot help but ask: how were Sergeant Pavlov’s fellow soldiers not only able to survive in the fiery hell, but also to defend themselves effectively? Firstly, not only Lieutenant Afanasyev, but also Sergeant Pavlov were experienced fighters. Yakov Pavlov has been in the Red Army since 1938, which is a long time. Before Stalingrad, he was the commander of a machine gun squad and a gunner. So he has plenty of experience. Secondly, the reserve positions they equipped helped the fighters a lot. In front of the house there was a cemented fuel warehouse; they dug into it underground passage. And about 30 meters from the house there was a hatch for a water supply tunnel, to which an underground passage was also made. It brought ammunition and meager supplies of food to the defenders of the house.

During shelling, everyone, except observers and combat guards, went down to shelters. Including the civilians who were in the basements, who were various reasons They couldn’t evacuate right away. The shelling stopped, and the entire small garrison was again in its positions in the house, again firing at the enemy.

The garrison of the house held the defense for 58 days and nights. The soldiers left it on November 24, when the regiment, along with other units, launched a counteroffensive. All of them were awarded government awards. And Sergeant Pavlov was awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union. True, after the war - by Decree of the Presidium Supreme Council USSR on June 27, 1945 - after he had joined the party by that time.

For the sake of historical truth, we note that most of At the time, the defense of the outpost house was led by Lieutenant Afanasyev. But he was not awarded the title of Hero. In addition, Ivan Filippovich was a man of exceptional modesty and never emphasized his merits. And “at the top” they decided to present to high rank junior commander, who, together with his soldiers, was the first to break through to the house and take up defense there. After the fighting, someone made a corresponding inscription on the wall of the building. Military leaders and war correspondents saw her. The object was initially listed under the name “Pavlov’s House” in combat reports. One way or another, the building on January 9 Square went down in history as Pavlov’s House. Yakov Fedotovich himself, despite being wounded, fought with dignity even after Stalingrad - already as an artilleryman. He ended the war on the Oder wearing the epaulets of a foreman. Later he was awarded the rank of officer.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PARTICIPANTS

DEFENSE OF STALINGRAD

Now in the hero city there are about 8 thousand participants of the Great Patriotic War, of which 1200 are direct participants Battle of Stalingrad, as well as 3,420 combat veterans. Yakov Pavlov could rightfully be on this list - he could have stayed in the restored city that he defended. He was very sociable by nature; he met many times with residents who survived the war and restored it from the ruins. Yakov Fedotovich lived with the concerns and interests of the city on the Volga, participated in events for patriotic education.

The legendary Pavlov House in the city became the first building to be restored. And he was the first to be telephoned. Moreover, some of the apartments there were given to those who came to restore Stalingrad from all over the country. Not only Yakov Pavlov, but also other surviving defenders of the house that went down in history under his name, have always been the most dear guests of the townspeople. In 1980, Yakov Fedotovich was awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of the Hero City of Volgograd.” But...

After demobilization in August 1946, he returned to his native Novgorod region. I was at work in party bodies in the city of Valdai. Received higher education. Three times he was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR from the Novgorod region. Peaceful ones were also added to his military awards: the Order of Lenin, the Order October Revolution, medals.

Yakov Fedotovich Pavlov passed away in 1981 - the consequences of front-line wounds affected him. But it just so happened that there were many legends and myths around the “House of Sergeant Pavlov,” which went down in history, and itself. Sometimes their echoes can be heard even now. So, for many years, rumors said that Yakov Pavlov did not die at all, but took monastic vows and became Archimandrite Kirill. But at the same time, he allegedly asked me to convey that he was no longer alive.

Is this true? The situation was clarified by employees of the Volgograd State Panorama Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad. So what? Father Kirill in the world really was... Pavlov. And he really took part in the Battle of Stalingrad. There was just a problem with the name - Ivan. Moreover, Yakov and Ivan Pavlov were sergeants during the Battle of the Volga, both ended the war as junior lieutenants. Ivan Pavlov in initial period served in the war Far East, and in October 1941, as part of his unit, arrived at Volkhov Front. And then - Stalingrad. In 1942 he was wounded twice. But he survived. When the fighting in Stalingrad subsided, Ivan accidentally found a Gospel burned by fire among the rubble. He considered this a sign from above, and Ivan’s war-scarred heart suggested: keep the volume with you!

In the ranks tank corps Ivan Pavlov fought through Romania, Hungary and Austria. And everywhere with him in his duffel bag was a burnt Stalingrad church book. Demobilized in 1946, he went to Moscow. At Yelokhovsky Cathedral I asked: how to become a priest? And how it was, in military uniform, went to enter the theological seminary. They say that many years later, Archimandrite Kirill was summoned to the military registration and enlistment office of the town of Sergiev Posad near Moscow and asked what to report “up” about the defender of Stalingrad, Sergeant Pavlov. Kirill asked to be told that he was no longer alive.

But this is not the end of our story. During the search, the staff of the panorama museum (it is located just opposite the Pavlov House, across Sovetskaya Street, and I visited there many times as a student, since I studied at a nearby university) managed to establish the following. Among the participants in the Battle of Stalingrad were three Pavlovs, who became Heroes of the Soviet Union. In addition to Yakov Fedotovich, these are tanker captain Sergei Mikhailovich Pavlov and guard infantryman senior sergeant Dmitry Ivanovich Pavlov. Russia rests on the Pavlovs and Afanasyevs, as well as on the Ivanovs and Petrovs.

Volgograd–Moscow

The legendary house of Sergeant Pavlov (House of Soldier's Glory) in the hero city of Volgograd, which in the Battle of Stalingrad became a real impregnable citadel for the Nazis thanks to the courage and fortitude of its defenders. Historical monument of national importance and object cultural heritage Russia.

A heroic page in the history of the city is associated with an ordinary four-story residential building in the center - legendary battle for Stalingrad, which became a turning point in the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War.

In pre-war peacetime in Stalingrad (present-day Volgograd) on January 9 Square (now Lenin Square) there were residential buildings for the so-called elite - railway workers, signalmen, and NKVD workers. Near the square, in a four-story house No. 61 with 4 entrances on Penzenskaya Street, lived specialists from the city’s tractor, metallurgical and machine-building plants, as well as employees of the city committee of the CPSU. This house and its twin - the house, which later received the name of Lieutenant N. Zabolotny who defended it, due to the fact that a railway line passed right by them to the Volga, was destined to play a role during the Battle of Stalingrad important role.

The story of one feat

Fierce fighting in July-November 1942 took place not only in the suburbs of Stalingrad, but also in the city itself. For the possession of residential areas and factory areas, the Nazis threw more and more human reserves and armored vehicles into mortal combat.

At the beginning of September 1942, during the period of the heaviest street fighting, the area of ​​January 9 Square was defended by the 42nd Regiment as part of the 13th Guards Rifle Division of the 62nd Army, commanded by Colonel I.P. Elin. Fights took place for every piece of land, for every building, for every entrance, basement, apartment. The troops of Field Marshal Paulus, supported by fire from the air, paved their way to the Volga, sweeping away all obstacles along the way. The buildings in the square square were already destroyed, only two residential buildings and one survived. These buildings turned out to be strategically important objects not only for defense, but also for monitoring the surrounding territory - one kilometer in the western, and two kilometers in the northern and south directions. By order of Colonel I.P. Elin, who correctly assessed the strategic importance of the buildings, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Battalion, Captain V.A. Zhukov, organized two mobile groups under the command of Sergeant Ya. Pavlov and Lieutenant N. Zabolotny to seize residential buildings. The first group - Sergeant Yakov Pavlov and three soldiers on September 22, 1942, managed to knock out the enemy and gain a foothold in one of the houses. A platoon under the command of Nikolai Zabolotny occupied the house opposite, and the regimental command post was located in the mill building. The guardsmen of N. Zabolotny's platoon courageously held the defense of the captured house, but soon the Nazis managed to blow up the building, under the rubble of which all its defenders, along with the commander, died.

And in the basement of the first house liberated from the Nazis, fighters from Sergeant Yakov Pavlov’s group found civilians- about thirty women, children and old people. These people were in the basement of the house with the soldiers until the liberation of the city, helping the soldiers in defending the house.

Having sent a report to the command post about the successful operation to capture the house and requesting reinforcements, over the next two days four brave soldiers fought off the fierce attacks of the Wehrmacht units rushing to the Volga. On the third day of defense, the defenders received reinforcements - a machine-gun platoon from the third machine-gun company under the command of Guard Lieutenant I.F. Afanasyev (seven people with a heavy machine gun), six armor-piercing men with three anti-tank rifles led by senior sergeant A.A. Sobgaida, three machine gunners and four mortar men with two 50 mm mortars under the command of Lieutenant A. N. Chernyshenko. The number of defenders of the house increased to 24 people of different nationalities, among whom, along with the Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Georgians, Tatars, Jews, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and Tajiks held the defense. Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, wounded in the first days of defense, handed over command of the guard garrison to Lieutenant I. Afanasyev.

For a more effective defense, sappers mined all approaches to the building, along a dug trench from the Pavlov House, which appears under that name in operational reports and reports of the regiment headquarters, to the Gerhardt mill, signalmen extended radio communications, and the call sign of the heroic detachment of defenders of the house “Mayak” for as long as 58 days and nights (from September 23 to November 25, 1942) connected the defenders of the building with the headquarters of the 42nd Guards Rifle Regiment.

Shelling and attacks by Wehrmacht units on Pavlov's House were repeated every hour, regardless of the time of day, but this did not break the spirit of the soldiers. During each offensive, the Nazis covered the approaches to the house with the bodies of their soldiers, struck down by heavy mortar, machine gun and machine gun fire, which the defenders fired from the basement, windows and roof of the impregnable building. The ferocity with which the enemy troops tried to take possession of Pavlov's House was shattered by the courage and heroism of the soldiers who defended it. Therefore, on maps of Wehrmacht military operations, Pavlov's House was marked as a fortress. Surprisingly, during the entire defense of the strategically and tactically important section of the approach to the Volga, which became an ordinary residential building on Penzenskaya Street on the way of the Nazis, only three of its defenders died - Lieutenant A. N. Chernyshenko, Guard Sergeant I. Ya. Khait and Private I. T. Svirin. Their names, like the names of all the fighters of the House of Pavlov, are inscribed in the history of the heroic feat of the unconquered city on the Volga.

As a result of one of the artillery shellings, one of the walls of the building was destroyed by a shell explosion, but even in this seemingly unpleasant fact, the fighters were able to find positive side, joking that the ventilation in the house is now much better. And in rare moments of silence, the guards wondered whether they would restore the building after the war, because no one doubted that the war would end in victory.

Restoration of Pavlov's House

Perhaps there is something mystical in the fact that the first building, the restoration of which was undertaken almost immediately after the liberation of Stalingrad, was the House of Sergeant Pavlov, also called the House of Soldiers' Glory. Thanks to the initiative of Stalingrad resident A.M. Cherkasova, who in June 1943 organized a brigade of female volunteers to clear the rubble, repair and restore city buildings, this movement, soon called Cherkasovsky, swept the entire country: in all cities liberated from the Nazis there were numerous volunteer brigades in In their free time from work, they restored destroyed buildings, put streets, squares and parks in order. And the brigade of A. M. Cherkasova continued to restore after the war hometown in his free time, dedicating a total of more than 20 million hours to this noble cause.

After the war, the square near which Pavlov's House was located was renamed Defense Square, new houses appeared on it, with which, according to the design of the architect I. E. Fialko, the heroic house was combined with a semicircular colonnade. And the end wall facing Defense Square (renamed Lenin Square in 1960) was decorated with a memorial by sculptors A.V. Golovanov and P.L. Malkov. Its opening took place in February 1965 and was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Volgograd from fascist invaders.

The newly rebuilt Pavlov's House became a symbol not only of the heroic feat of its defenders, but also of the ordinary people, who on their own restored Stalingrad from the ruins. The memory of this was immortalized by the architect V. E. Maslyaev and the sculptor V. G. Fetisov, who created at the end of the building from the street. Soviet memorial wall-monument with the inscription: “In this house, military feat and labor feat merged together.” The grand opening of the memorial took place on the eve of the 40th anniversary Great Victory- May 4, 1985.

The relief memorial wall made of red brick depicts a collective image of a warrior-defender, one of the moments of the defense of the building and a tablet with text that immortalizes the names of courageous and fearless warriors who did the impossible - at the cost of incredible efforts, stopping enemy troops at the very approaches to the Volga.

The text on the sign reads: “This house at the end of September 1942 was occupied by Sergeant Ya. F. Pavlov and his comrades A. P. Aleksandrov, V. S. Glushchenko, N. Ya. Chernogolov. During September-November 1942, the house heroically defended by the soldiers of the 3rd battalion of the 42nd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 13th Guards Order of Lenin Division: Aleksandrov A.P., Afanasyev I.F., Bondarenko M.S., Voronov I.V., Glushchenko V.S. , Gridin T. I., Dovzhenko P. I., Ivashchenko A. I., Kiselev V. M., Mosiashvili N. G., Murzaev T., Pavlov Ya. F., Ramazanov F. Z., Saraev V. K., Svirin I. T., Sobgaida A. A., Torgunov K., Turdyev M., Khait I. Ya., Chernogolov N. Ya., Chernyshenko A. N., Shapovalov A. E., Yakimenko G. AND."

The Battle of Stalingrad, which radically changed the course of the Great Patriotic War and marked the beginning of the collapse of the Third Reich, became the millstone of the giant mill for the selected forces of the Wehrmacht. The legendary garrison of Pavlov's House also made its contribution to the liberation of the city from enemy invaders, the memory of whose feat is forever inscribed in the Book of Memory of the Hero City of Volgograd.

Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Chuikov said: “There were dozens and hundreds of such stubbornly defended objects in the city; inside them, “with varying success,” there was a struggle for weeks for every room, for every ledge, for every flight of stairs.”

Zabolotny's house and the house built in its place.

Pavlov's House is a symbol of perseverance, courage and heroism Soviet people, manifested during the days of the Battle of Stalingrad. The house became an impregnable fortress. The legendary garrison held it for 58 days and did not give it to the enemy.. All this time, there were civilians in the basement of the building. Next to Pavlov's House stood his “twin brother” – Zabolotny House. The company commander, senior lieutenant Ivan Naumov, received an order from the regiment commander, Colonel Elin, to turn two four-story houses located in parallel into strong points, and sent two groups of soldiers there.

The first consisted of three privates and Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, who drove the Germans out of the first house and entrenched themselves in it. Second group - platoon Lieutenant Nikolai Zabolotny– took over the second house. He sent a report to the regimental command post (in a destroyed mill): “The house is occupied by my platoon. Lieutenant Zabolotny." Zabolotny's house was completely destroyed by German artillery at the end of September 1942. Almost the entire platoon and Lieutenant Zabolotny himself died under its ruins.

« Milk house"- with this name it went down in history Battle of Stalingrad this is a building. It was called so by the color of the facade. Like a number of other buildings in the city center, it had important tactical significance. To drive the Germans out of there, units of Soviet troops repeatedly went on the attack. The Germans carefully prepared for defense, and only at the cost big losses managed to capture him.

The House of Officers was built on the site of the Milk House.

Abundantly drenched in blood Soviet soldiers And The house of railway workers, the ruins of which were stormed only in early December. Now the street where this building was once located bears the name of senior lieutenant Ivan Naumov, who died defending the “milk house”. This is how he describes the storming of the Railway Workers' House participant of the Battle of Stalingrad Gennady Goncharenko:

“...The terrain conditions made it possible in one area - the south - to distract the Nazi garrison, entrenched in the House of Railwaymen, and in the other - the east - to carry out an assault after a fire raid. Sounded last shot from a gun. The assault group has only three minutes at its disposal. During this time, under the cover of a smoke screen, our fighters had to run to the house, break into it and begin hand-to-hand combat. In three hours, our soldiers completed their combat mission, clearing the Railway Workers’ House from the Nazis...”

The battle of September 19, when Soviet soldiers stormed the State Bank building, cannot be erased from history. The Nazis' rifle and machine-gun fire reached the central pier - the enemy threatened to cut off the crossing. This is how General Alexander Rodimtsev recalls this episode in his book “The Guardsmen Fought to the Death.”

“...We were very much in the way, like a huge boulder on the way, by the State Bank building, almost a quarter of a kilometer long. “This is a fortress,” the soldiers said. And they were right. Strong, meter-thick stone walls and deep basements protected the enemy garrison from artillery fire and air strikes. The entrance doors to the building were only on the enemy side. Surrounding area It was under fire from all four floors with multiple layers of rifle and machine gun fire. This building really looked like a medieval fortress and a modern fort.”

On the site of the destroyed state bank building is a residential building.

But no matter how strong the fascist stronghold was, it could not withstand the onslaught and courage of the Soviet soldiers, who captured this most important fascist defense point in a night battle. The fiercest battle for every house, every building predetermined the outcome of the entire battle. And our grandfathers and fathers won the victory.

All of the listed buildings were part of the defense system of the 42nd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 13th Guards Rifle Division.

Today, every tourist, arriving in Volgograd, strives to feel all the pain and courage of the Russian people during the Great Patriotic War. To do this, he goes to Mamayev Kurgan, where all emotions are embodied in wonderful sculptures. Few people know that, in addition to the mound, there is also historical monuments. One of the more significant ones is Pavlov's house.

Pavlov's house in Stalingrad played an important role during the counterattacks of the German troops. Thanks to the steadfastness of the Russian soldiers, the enemy troops were repulsed, and Stalingrad was not captured. You can learn about the horror experienced even now by examining the preserved wall of the destroyed house.

Pavlov's House in Stalingrad and its history before the war

Before the war, Pavlov's house was an ordinary building with an unusual reputation. Thus, party and industrial workers lived in a four-story building. The house located on Penzenskaya Street, at number 61, was considered prestigious before the war. It was surrounded by numerous elite buildings in which NKVD officers and signalmen lived. The location of the building is also noteworthy.

Behind the building was built in 1903. 30 meters away was Zabolotny’s twin house. Both the mill and Zabolotny's house were practically destroyed during the war. No one was involved in restoring the buildings.

Defense of Pavlov's house in Stalingrad

During the battle for Stalingrad, each residential building became a defensive fortress from which fighting. All buildings on January 9 Square were destroyed. There is only one surviving building left. On September 27, 1942, a reconnaissance group consisting of 4 people, led by Ya. F. Pavlov, having knocked out the Germans from a four-story residential building, began to hold the defense there. Having entered the building, the group found civilians there who tried with all their might to hold the house for about two days. The defense continued with a small detachment for three days, after which reinforcements arrived. It was a machine-gun platoon under the command of I.F. Afanasyev, machine gunners and armor-piercers. Total quantity those who arrived to help were 24 people. Together, the soldiers strengthened the defenses of the entire building. Sappers mined all approaches to the building. A trench was also dug through which negotiations were conducted with the command, and food and ammunition were delivered.

Pavlov's house in Stalingrad held its defense for almost 2 months. The location of the building helped the soldiers. A huge panorama was visible from the upper floors, and Russian soldiers could keep captured people under fire. by German troops parts of the city with a range of over 1 kilometer.

Throughout the two months, the Germans intensively attacked the building. They made several counterattacks per day and even broke through to the first floor several times. During such battles, one wall of the building was destroyed. Soviet troops They held the defense strongly and bravely, so it was impossible for the opponents to capture the entire house.

On November 24, 1942, under the command of I. I. Naumov, the battalion attacked the enemy, capturing nearby houses. died. I. F. Afanasyev and Ya. F. Pavlov received only injuries. The civilians who were in the basement of the house were not harmed during the entire two months.

Restoration of Pavlov's house

Pavlov's house in Stalingrad was the first to be restored. In June 1943, A. M. Cherkasova brought the soldiers’ wives with her to the ruins. This is how the “Cherkasovsky movement” arose, which included exclusively women. The movement that emerged resonated with others as well. liberated territories. Volunteers began to rebuild the destroyed cities with their own hands in their free time.

The 9 January Square was renamed. The new name is Defense Square. New houses were built on the territory and surrounded by a semicircular colonnade. The project was led by architect E. I. Fialko.

In 1960, the square was renamed again. Now this is Lenin Square. And from the end wall, sculptors A.V. Golovanov and P.L. Malkov built a memorial in 1965, which is still preserved and adorns the city of Volgograd.

By 1985, Pavlov's house was rebuilt. At the end of the building facing Sovetskaya Street, architect V. E. Maslyaev and sculptor V. G. Fetisov erected a memorial with an inscription reminiscent of the feat of Soviet soldiers in those days when they fought for every brick of this house.

The great struggle was between Soviet soldiers and German invaders for Stalingrad, Pavlov's home. History has preserved many unique and interesting documents that tell about the actions of the enemy and our multinational defenders of the Fatherland and still leave some questions open. For example, it is still disputed whether the Germans were a reconnaissance group during the capture of the building. I. F. Afanasyev claims that there were no opponents, but, according to official version, the Germans were in the second entrance, or rather, there was a heavy machine gun near the window.

There is also debate about the evacuation of civilians. Some historians claim that people continued to be in the basement throughout the defense. According to other sources, immediately after the death of the foreman, who was bringing food, the residents were led out through dug trenches.

When the Germans demolished one of the walls, Ya. F. Pavlov reported to the commander with a joke. He said that the house remained ordinary, with only three walls, and most importantly, there was now ventilation.

Defenders of Pavlov's house

Pavlov's house in Stalingrad was defended by 24 people. But, as I.F. Afanasyev states in his memoirs, no more than 15 people held the defense at the same time. At first, the defenders of Pavlov's house in Stalingrad were only 4 people: Pavlov, Glushchenko, Chernogolov, Alexandrov.

The team then received reinforcements. The accepted fixed number of defenders is 24 people. But, according to the same memoirs of Afanasyev, there were a little more of them.

The team consisted of fighters from 9 nationalities. The 25th defender was Gor Khokhlov. He was a native of Kalmykia. True, after the battle he was removed from the list. After 62 years, the soldier’s participation and courage in the defense of Pavlov’s house was confirmed.

Also completing the list of “crossed out” is Abkhazian Alexey Sukba. In 1944, for unknown reasons, a soldier ended up in the named team. Therefore, his name is not immortalized on the memorial panel.

Biography of Yakov Fedotovich Pavlov

Yakov Fedotovich was born in the village of Krestovaya, located in the Novgorod region, in 1917, on October 17. After school, after working a little in agriculture, fell into the ranks of the Red Army, where he met the Great Patriotic War.

In 1942, he took part in hostilities, defending and defending the city of Stalingrad. Having held a residential building on the square in defense for 58 days and exterminated the enemy along with his comrades, he was awarded the Order of Lenin, two, and also received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his courage.

In 1946, Pavlov was demobilized and subsequently graduated from high school. After the war, he continued to work in agriculture. 09/28/1981 Ya. F. Pavlov passed away.

Pavlov's house in modern times

Pavlov's house in Stalingrad became widely known. Current address (at modern city Volgograd): Sovetskaya street, house 39.

It looks like an ordinary four-story house with a memorial wall at the end. Numerous groups of tourists come here every year to look at famous house Pavlova in Stalingrad. Photos depicting the building from different angles regularly add to their personal collections.

Films made about Pavlov's house

Cinema does not ignore Pavlov's house in Stalingrad. The film made about the defense of Stalingrad is called “Stalingrad” (2013). Then the famous and talented director Fyodor Bondarchuk made a film that could convey to the audience the whole atmosphere of wartime. He showed all the horror of the war, as well as all the greatness of the Soviet people.

The film was awarded an award from the American International Society of 3D Creators. In addition, he was also nominated for the Nika and Golden Eagle awards. In some categories the film received awards such as " Best work production designer" and "Best costume designer". True, viewers left mixed reviews about the film. Many don't believe her. To get the right impression, you still need to watch this film in person.

In addition to modern films, many documentaries have also been shot. Some involving soldiers defending the building. Thus, there are several documentaries that tell about a Soviet soldier during the defense. Among these is a film about Gar Khokholov and Alexei Sukba. It is their names that are not on the film. detailed history: how come their names are not etched forever.

Cultural display of the feat

In addition to films, over the past time many essays and memoirs have also been written about the feat of Soviet soldiers. Even Ya. F. Pavlov himself described a little all the actions and his memories of the two months spent in defense.

The most famous work is the book “Pavlov’s House”, written by the author Lev Isomerovich Savelyev. This is a kind of true story that talks about bravery and courage Soviet soldier. The book was recognized best work, describing the atmosphere of the defense of Pavlov's house.

Pavlov's house became one of the historical sites of the Battle of Stalingrad, which still causes controversy among modern historians.

During fierce fighting, the house withstood a considerable number of counterattacks from the Germans. For 58 days, a group of Soviet soldiers bravely held the defense, destroying more than a thousand enemy soldiers during this period. IN post-war years historians carefully tried to restore all the details, and the composition of the commanders who carried out the operation led to the first disagreements.

Who held the line

According to the official version, the operation was led by Ya.F. Pavlov, in principle, is associated with this fact and the name of the house, which he subsequently received. But there is another version, according to which Pavlov directly led the assault, and I. F. Afanasyev was then responsible for the defense. And this fact is confirmed by military reports, which became the source for reconstructing all the events of that period. According to his soldiers, Ivan Afanasyevich was quite a modest person, it may have pushed it into the background a bit. After the war, Pavlov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Unlike him, Afanasiev was not awarded such an award.

Strategic importance of the house

An interesting fact for historians was that the Germans designated this house on the map as a fortress. And indeed the strategic importance of the house was very important - from here it opened wide view territories from where the Germans could break through to the Volga. Despite daily attacks from the enemy, our soldiers defended their positions, reliably closing the approaches from enemies. The Germans who took part in the assault could not understand how the people in Pavlov’s house could withstand their attacks without food or ammunition reinforcements. Subsequently, it turned out that all provisions and weapons were delivered through a special trench dug underground.

Is Tolik Kuryshov a fictional character or a hero?

Also little known fact, which was discovered during the research, was the heroism of an 11-year-old boy who fought along with the Pavlovians. Tolik Kuryshov helped the soldiers in every possible way, who, in turn, tried to protect him from danger. Despite the commander's ban, Tolik still managed to accomplish a real feat. Having penetrated one of the neighboring houses, he was able to obtain important documents for the army - the capture plan. After the war, Kuryshov did not advertise his feat in any way. We learned about this event from surviving documents. After a series of investigations, Anatoly Kuryshov was awarded the order Red star.

Where were the civilians?

Whether there was an evacuation or not - this issue also caused a lot of controversy. According to one version, there were civilians in the basement of the Pavlovsk house for all 58 days. Although there is theory that people were evacuated through dug trenches. Yet modern historians adhere to the official version. Many documents indicate that people were indeed in the basement all this time. Thanks to the heroism of our soldiers, no civilians were harmed during these 58 days.

Today Pavlov's house has been completely restored and immortalized with a memorial wall. Based on events related to heroic defense legendary house, books have been written and even a film has been made that has won many world awards.