The Hero of the Soviet Union is the highest rank, the biggest difference and achievement that could only be achieved in the USSR. The award in the form of a golden star, universal respect and honor was received by those who performed a real feat during the war or other military operations, as well as in peacetime, but, most likely, this was a rare exception than the rule. Obtaining such a title once was not easy, what can we say about those who have received it several times?
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union ... There were already 154 of these extremely brave people. Of these, 23 survived to the present day - these are data as of November 2014.
The first twice heroes of the USSR
They became pilots. They received their awards back in 1939 during clashes with Japanese fighters. This is Colonel Kravchenko, Major Gritsevets and Commander Smushkevich. Unfortunately, their fate was ruthless. The pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Gritsevets, having shot down a dozen enemy fighters in the sky, died a month after receiving the award.
The crash also claimed the life of Kravchenko. By the way, he became the youngest lieutenant general in the USSR. He was then only 28 years old. During the war years, he commanded a whole air division, eliminated 7 enemy aircraft in the Japanese sky. During one of the flights, he jumped out of a burning car, but his parachute did not open due to a cable broken by a fragment of a shell.
As for Smushkevich, after all his valor in Spain in 1937 and the receipt of the highest awards, he was taken into custody by representatives of the NKVD in June 1941. The hero was accused of conspiracy and campaigning aimed at reducing the defense capacity of the Red Army. He was shot several months after his arrest.
Boris Safonov
One of the first to receive the title "Twice Hero of the Soviet Union" was this world-famous pilot. He distinguished himself in the first air battles with the Nazis in 1941. They say that the Germans, when they noticed his plane on the horizon, passed each other the message: "Safonov in the air." This was a signal for all enemy fighters to immediately return to base. With the Soviet pilot they were afraid not only to go into battle one on one, even a whole group of planes tried not to collide with him in the sky.
Soviet attack aircraft, the fighting vehicles of which were brightly painted, became the first targets of the Nazis. It was easy to notice them, they irritated and caused aggression in the enemy. Safonov on board had already two huge inscriptions: "Death to the Nazis" and "For Stalin." Despite this, for a long time he managed not only to survive, but also to have the highest rates of downed enemy fighters. Safonov’s exploits were also noted in Great Britain. He received the highest aviation award of this country - "For outstanding flight services." The hero died in May 1942 in battle.
Leonov Viktor Nikolaevich
There were two namesakes who were awarded this high award. And I want to talk about these courageous people, such different, but such significant exploits of which are inscribed in golden letters in the history of our homeland. The first is twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov. In 1944, his detachment, fearlessly attacking the enemy and capturing the Germans, created all the conditions for the Soviet landing to successfully land in the port of Liinakhamari and liberate the cities: Finnish Petsamo and Norwegian Kirkenes.
The second time, he showed courage and courage in fact in peacetime. In 1945, during the continuation of the confrontation between the Soviet and Japanese states, his detachment several times captured thousands of soldiers and officers, fought with the enemy for many days in a row and took possession of ammunition depots. For all these merits, he again received the highest award. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov and after the war continued to serve for the good of his homeland. He died in 2003.
Leonov Alexey Arkhipovich
Victor Nikolayevich’s namesake didn’t run under bullets and did not blow up dugouts, but his deeds not only glorified him, but the whole Soviet Union. Alexey Arkhipovich is a famous astronaut. He received a high award for being the first in the history of mankind to decide to go into outer space. His famous "walk" lasted 12 minutes and 9 seconds. He showed his valor when, due to a damaged swollen suit, he could not return to the ship. But taking power in a fist and showing ingenuity in unforeseen conditions, he guessed to pump out the excess pressure from his robes and got on board.
For the second time, the title “Hero of the Soviet Union” was awarded to him because, as the commander of the Soyuz 19 ship, he successfully completed a docking operation with the American Apollo. Neither Soviet cosmonauts, nor their astronaut counterparts had seen this before. Therefore, the feat of Leonov gave impetus to the further active development of stellar expanses. He became an example for all young astronauts, and is so still, as one of the living heroes. In 2014, he turned 80 years old.
Feat of the Kazakhs
This nation played a big role in the destruction of fascism and the Third Reich. Like other republics of the USSR, Kazakhstan during the Second World War did everything for the front. Volunteers left more than a million ordinary soldiers on the battlefield. 50 regiments and battalions, 7 infantry brigades, 4 cavalry and 12 infantry divisions were mobilized. The Kazakhs were one of the first to break into the Berlin city hall and paint the walls of the Reichstag. Many of them, without thinking about themselves, covered enemy pillboxes with their bodies and threw off their planes on German "goods".
Five of them were awarded the highest award several times. Twice the heroes of the Soviet Union are Kazakhstanis:
Talgat Begeldinov, Leonid Beda, Sergey Lugansky, Ivan Pavlov. For example, the first of this list, an assault attack aircraft, shot down hundreds of enemy aircraft. Legend is circulating about the pilot Begeldinov today. Another Kazakh, Vladimir Dzhanibekov, became the fifth on this list, but after the war. He became famous as an outstanding astronaut. In addition, during the war years, about 500 representatives of this nation became once heroes of the USSR, and their exploits will also never be forgotten.
Svetlana Savitskaya
The list of Heroes of the USSR contains 95 names of the fair sex. But only one of them, Svetlana Savitskaya, managed to get the highest award several times. A woman, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, she absorbed the desire to be the best with her mother’s milk. Many character traits were transmitted by genes, many this strong personality was educated in herself.
Her father, Evgeny Savitsky, by the way, also twice Hero, during the war was an air marshal. Behind the back of my mother there are also many sorties and downed Nazi planes. It is not surprising that the daughter of such parents entered the flight school. But the woman never used her father’s connections, but she achieved everything herself. She became the second female astronaut after Tereshkova. More than once she worked in outer space, rubbing her nose to American astronauts. She has accounted for nine world records in jet aircraft, three in group parachute jumps from the stratosphere. Savitskaya received the title of world champion in aerobatics on piston aircraft.
Amet Khan Sultan
The famous pilot is remembered and revered in his native Dagestan. The airport, streets, squares and parks are named here in his honor. But Soviet citizens many years ago claimed that twice Hero of the Soviet Union Amet Khan Sultan has another homeland: the city of Yaroslavl. He was recognized as an honorary citizen of this locality, then a monument was erected to him. Old-timers remember this young 21st boy who was not afraid to go into a ram with an enemy plane directly above the roofs of houses and thereby save the city from bombing.
The catapulted pilot was picked up by local residents and bandaged his wounds. And the German Messer who was hit by him was dragged into the center and put on public display, as an example of the valor and courage of a simple Soviet youth. Throughout the war, he repeatedly showed his heroism, so the awards received by him are absolutely deserved. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union reached Berlin itself and spent its last battle on April 29, 1945, just a week before the Great Victory.
Ivan Boyko
Heroes were not only among the pilots. In World War II, tankers distinguished themselves more than once, including Ivan Boyko. He fought in Belarus, in the Smolensk direction and the Kursk Bulge. He commanded a tank regiment, which distinguished itself on the Ukrainian front during the Zhytomyr-Berdychev operation. Having traveled nearly 300 kilometers, the tankers liberated hundreds of cities. They captured 150 Germans with all their guns and combat vehicles. They defeated several enemy echelons, from which they seized a strategically important cargo.
The second time a tank regiment distinguished itself near the Ukrainian cities of Chernivtsi and Novoselitsa. The soldiers under the leadership of Boyk not only liberated these settlements, but also captured many enemy soldiers and officers. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union ended the war on the ruins of the Reichstag. In the city of Kazatina, a valiant tankman was set up with a commemorative bust; he became an honorary citizen in Chernivtsi. He has many medals, orders and other awards. He died in 1975 in Kiev.
Sergey Gorshkov
The title "Hero of the Soviet Union" among the maritime fraternity received not so many soldiers and officers. But Sergey Gorshkov succeeded. He led the landing of the first naval assault on the Black Sea, which further contributed to the successful counterattack of the Red Army in this sector. He commanded the Azov and Danube military flotillas. In 1944 he rose to the rank of vice admiral.
Sergey Gorshkov took part in the battles for the liberation of Hungary from the invaders. His last military operation was the capture of Guerin, whom he called the ideal bridgehead for the advance to Balaton. After reaching the lake, the Red Army could surround Budapest and drive out the enemy from there. The operation was successful. And in early 1945, Gorshkov was assigned to command the Black Sea Fleet. In this title, he met a victory over the Third Reich. He received the highest awards for exceptional courage, courage and valor during the struggle with the invaders, for the skillful leadership of the troops entrusted to him.
Athanasius Shilin
The first time received the highest award in the winter of 1944 for the successful crossing of the Dnieper. Then he showed courage, which helped our fighters to hold the bridgehead on the right bank. In this battle, Shilin independently managed to eliminate two machine-gun crews of the Germans, two officers and 11 soldiers. When the Fritz surrounded him, he did not hesitate to call fire on himself. Thanks to this, our troops managed to gain a foothold in the bridgehead and push the enemy far back.
The second time he was awarded as the head of a group that successfully scouted the territory and destroyed the weapons of the Nazis. As a result, the enemy's plan to capture the Magnushevsky bridgehead was foiled. He personally stormed the enemy strongholds, and in battles on Polish soil, being wounded and almost unconscious, he threw a bunch of grenades into the bunker and destroyed it. Thanks to this, the Red Army launched an offensive.
Twice Heroes of the Soviet Union ... The list includes the names of pilots and astronauts, sea wolves and tankmen, artillerymen and partisans. But even more of those who, having shown exceptional courage, fell unknown, were exiled or repressed, despite their merits and faithful service to the Fatherland. It is necessary to remember not only the awarded war veterans, but all, without exception, privates and officers, each of which is a Hero.