I ask the students the question: "How many Victory Parades were there in 1945?" Traditionally, I get the answer: "One - June 24, 1945 in Moscow." We have to correct every time: the Victory Parade was also held on September 16, 1945 in Harbin, and was commanded by Afanasy Beloborodov. With that, he went down in the history of the Second World War.
Only one of its creators could have been the commander of the Victory Parade. Beloborodov had every right to do so. Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he has earned two "Golden Stars" of the Hero of the Soviet Union, two Orders of Lenin and the same amount of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov 1 and 2 nd degrees, Kutuzov 2 nd degree. After the Harbin parade, fate gave this military leader another 45 years, and over the years the number of the general's awards has increased significantly.
Beloborodov met the war in the Far East as a colonel, having solid experience in military operations and fundamental military education. By this time, he had served in the Red Army for 18 years.
He made his first claim about himself as a successful military leader during the Moscow battle with his Siberian 78th Infantry Division. Beloborodov received her in the Ussuri region. The backbone was made up of indigenous Siberians, to whom belonged the division commander himself, originally from the Irkutsk region. The division became one of the key formations of the 16th Army for the entire Western Front, commanded by Lieutenant General Rokossovsky. The troops entrusted to him did not allow the Nazis to pass the line Krasnaya Polyana - Kryukovo - Istra. First, they firmly held their positions, and then launched a counteroffensive. It was here that the fate of Moscow was decided. Rokossovsky's main trump card was the 78th Rifle.
Both the army commander and the division commander were unanimous in using the combat capabilities of the division's personnel in stages. At first, from November 1, 1941, only the 258th Infantry Regiment conducted serious hostilities. Beloborodov set him the task of preventing the enemy from breaking through the Mary-Sloboda-Gorodishche line along the Ozerna River. This would mean establishing control over the strategically important Volokolamsk highway, which would open up a direct route to Moscow. The main forces of the Beloborodovites were waiting in the wings, concentrating in the second defensive echelon. The second stage began on November 16. The 258th and reserve regiments were united by a single offensive mission. Many years later, Rokossovsky recalled: “At this critical moment, the 78th Infantry Division of A. P. Beloborodov, which we were saving, entered into action. She was tasked with counterattacking the German fascist troops rushing to the highway. Beloborodov quickly deployed his regiments, and they moved to the attack. Siberians went to the enemy at full height. They attacked the flank. The enemy was crushed, overturned, thrown back. This skillful and sudden blow saved the day. The Siberians, engulfed in battle passion, pursued the enemy on the heels. Only by putting forward new units in this direction, the Germans stopped the further advance of the 78th division. All this was immediately appreciated at the very top. The Order of the Red Banner appeared on the banner of the division. She became the 9th Guards, the division commander received a major general. In the counter-offensive phase of the Moscow battle, the guardsmen swiftly crossed Istra and liberated the city of the same name with minimal losses.
Beloborodov commanded a division from July 12, 1941 to October 14, 1942. The second autumn month of the second year of the war was marked by another change in the military table of ranks. Beloborodov - Commander of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps. This segment of combat biography lasted until May 22, 1944.
In the last month of the summer of 1943, the general led the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps. The track record includes Velikolukskaya, Smolensk, Nevelsko-Gorodokskaya offensive operations. The German side twice made a big mistake, believing that it was possible to resist the Beloborodovites with little blood, and use the main forces concentrated in the corresponding theater of operations as a reserve to strengthen the groupings near Stalingrad and on the Kursk-Oryol Bulge. During the Velikie Luki and Smolensk operations, the military genius of Beloborodov forced the fascists to throw all available forces against his corps, but the victory was for the Soviet general. There is no doubt that the victory in the Velikie Luki offensive was a contribution to the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War, and the triumphant outcome of the Smolensk operation - to its completion.
The first operation for the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps in the Belorussian theater of operations was Nevelsko-Gorodokskaya. Its main result: the enemy lost seven fully equipped divisions. Another star appeared on the corps commander's shoulder straps.
On May 22, 1944, he led the 43rd Army. She distinguished herself in the Vitebsk-Orsha operation, which was presented to the Headquarters as one of the key ones at the first stage of the Bagration plan. What was required of the troops entrusted to Beloborodov? In the history textbook, you can read: “The 43rd Army was supposed to break through the enemy's defenses in the Novaya Igumenshchina - Toshnik sector (7 km of the front) in the direction of Shumilino, on the second day, capture bridgeheads on the southern bank of the Western Dvina, moving in the general direction to Beshenkovichi, Chashniki, connect with the units of the 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front in the Ostrovno-Gnezdilovichi area with their left flank, and capture the city of Vitebsk. The immediate task was to reach the Western Dvina and capture bridgeheads on its left bank. " The Lieutenant General fully realized the plan of the Headquarters. It is thanks to Beloborodov that the Vitebsk people celebrate the day of the liberation of their city on June 26 every year. The 43rd Army was then part of the 1st Baltic Front, commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union Baghramyan. He testified: "Afanasy Pavlantievich made a lot of efforts to achieve great success with little blood in this difficult situation."
The 43rd was among the victors in the Baltic theater of operations. The capture of Konigsberg was outstanding both in design and execution. The stronghold on which great hopes had been pinned in the Third Reich collapsed. The former commandant of the city, General Lyash, subsequently declared: “The soldiers and officers of the fortress held their ground in the first two days, but the Russians outnumbered us in strength and took the upper hand. They managed to secretly concentrate such a number of artillery and aircraft, the massive use of which destroyed the fortifications and demoralized the soldiers and officers. We have completely lost control of the troops.”
26 days will pass after the victorious assault on Konigsberg and the main author of the 43rd Army's victories will become Colonel General. And his troops will advance towards Danzig. It was here that the military history of the 43rd will end on May 9, 1945. But the participation of the army commander in the Great Patriotic War will by no means end.
In the war against Japan, he is the commander of the 1st Red Banner Army of the 1st Far Eastern Front. The subjects of Emperor Hirohito, deep in their hearts, hoped that for the Soviet soldiers three defensive lines, mountains, taiga would turn out to be an insurmountable obstacle and, of course, victory in the Harbin-Girin operation of the Red Army did not shine. But everything turned out exactly the opposite. The Beloborodov heroes overcame the daunting path in two weeks, sweeping away the Japanese who stood to death. The losses of our enemies and ours correlated as 53 to 1. Beloborodov treasured the lives of his soldiers and officers, while in the Red Army during the hard times there were enough military leaders of a different kind. Honor and praise to the commander for this! As well as for the brilliant assault on Mudanjiang, for the quick capture of Harbin.
After the Great Patriotic War, Afanasy Pavlantievich held high positions in the military command system for many years. On February 22, 1963, he became an army general. The fate was abruptly changed by the hardest car accident. It happened in 1966. The consequences predetermined the transfer to the group of inspectors general of the USSR Ministry of Defense, in which the army general served until his death.
January 31 marks the 115th anniversary of the birth of Afanasy Pavlantievich Beloborodov. This is a good reason to remember the outstanding military leader who gave our Armed Forces nearly seven decades.
