Semen Mikhailovich Budyonny is one of the most famous characters in Soviet history. In Soviet times, they admired him, praised him, and the awards he received barely fit on his chest. After the collapse of the USSR, they began to accuse him of all mortal sins, to challenge his military talent, to seek out flaws in his personal life. Truth, as always, is in the middle. Marshall was not a reference hero, but his talent and achievements are undeniable. Why was Semen Budyonny awarded the glory and honor? Biography, interesting facts will be presented to your attention in the article.
Voronezh on the Don
The dashing cavalryman Budyonny seems to be a Cossack to everyone, since he was born (April 25 (13), 1883) on the Don, on the Kozyurin farm, near the Platovskaya stanitsa. But his parents were immigrants, a native of Voronezh province, and did not have Cossack rights (they called such nonresident on the Don).
The family was poor and large (8 children), but friendly and respected. Semyon (second son) had to go to work at the age of 8 to the merchant Yatskin. He served with him until 1903 (at first he carried out small assignments, then worked in a forge, later became a machinist), and during this time he managed to learn to read and write with the help of a clerk.
Not being a Cossack, Semyon Budyonny, whose brief biography is interesting to all history connoisseurs, mastered the Cossack military wisdom well and managed to surprise even Minister of War Kuropatkin with his ability to cut the vine (a demonstration exercise for a cavalryman).
Two wars and St. George's bow
In 1903, Seeds of Budyonny (by then already married) were drafted into the army. He began his service in the Far East, was a participant in the war with Japan of 1904-1905.
After military service, Budyonny remained in the army and in 1907 was sent to an officer school for courses for lower ranks (as the best soldier of the regiment). As a result, in World War I he was already a non-commissioned officer, he fought with the Germans and Turks.
Budyonny fought so well that he became the owner of the “full bow” - St. George's crosses of all degrees and St. George medals, also of all degrees. Strictly speaking, he had five crosses. The first of the fourth degree was taken away after Budenny gave the vahmistra his teeth. He was to blame himself - he dirtyly scolded the non-commissioner and the first hit him. But he was a senior in rank, and the award from Budyonny was taken away.
After the fall of tsarism, Budyonny became the chairman of the regimental committee. He happened to take part in the suppression of the Kornilov rebellion.
Budenny has a lot of us
Biography of Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich says that after October he returned home to the Don, and there he created a revolutionary cavalry detachment. So began the legendary First Horse ...
First, his detachment joined the regiment of P. Dumenko. Then a brigade came out of the regiment, later a division that distinguished itself in battles near Tsaritsyn.
In the summer of 1919, it was decided to create a large cavalry unit in the Red Army - the First Corps. At its head stood Budyonny. In the fall of the same year, the corps was transformed into the First Cavalry Army. She became the most famous red military unit. The civil war has not yet ended, and legends have already begun to be told about the Budenovites. The army and its commander were very popular in Soviet art, instructive stories were written about them for children, and they were mentioned in Soviet program songs; “Budenovites” became the heroes of such writers as I. Babel, A. Tolstoy, M. Sholokhov. It was in this army that the “elusive avengers” —the young heroes of the cult revolutionary adventure film — went to serve. A noticeable budenovka (a cloth helmet used by cavalrymen as a uniform headdress) became one of the symbols of the USSR (although there is a version that it was invented even in tsarist times): “What is the origin of the Motherland? .. From the old paternal budenovka, somewhere in the closet we found ... ".
The first horse fought against Denikin, Mamontov, Shkuro, Wrangel, participated in the Soviet-Polish war of 1920-1921. Most of her operations were successful, which proves the undoubted talent of the commander. Naturally, there were sensitive lesions; in particular, the war with Poland ended unsuccessfully.
Her commander joined the party in 1919.
Horse Marshal
Budyonny commanded the first horse until 1923. Then he became deputy commander in chief (for cavalry), a year later he became an inspector of cavalry troops, and remained in this position until 1937.
At the same time, Budyonny improved his qualifications - in 1932 he graduated from the Military Academy named after Frunze. In 1935, he was awarded the marshal's rank (one of the first five).
From 1937 until the beginning of World War II, Budyonny was the commander of the Moscow Military District, was a member of the Main Military Council, was a deputy, and later the first deputy commissar of defense.
During this time, Semyon Mikhailovich did a lot for domestic horse breeding. He is even blamed for this, claiming that love of horses made him an enemy of modern military equipment. Indeed, the Marshal did not like tanks. However, the cavalry units created with his easy hand proved to be excellent in the war against the fascists. And the Budyonny military innovation itself bravely endured, and even made a parachute jump in 1931 (this is 48 years old!).
The marshal is also reproached for participating in repressions against prominent Soviet military leaders. Yes, he sharply spoke out against Tomsky, Rykov, Uborevich, Tukhachevsky. He did not intercede for his own second wife, who was arrested in 1937. But at the same time, he stood up for the leadership of his stud farms in the most decisive manner and, of course, did not let his wife go to Lubyanka. And according to legend, he personally proved that it is not so easy to repress a determined person. Allegedly, one night when he saw an NKVD car near his house, Budyonny threatened them with a machine gun, and then also complained to them about Stalin, calling them “counterrevolutionaries”. Stalin allegedly then ordered that the marshal be left alone, realizing that he would not fight for power.
Get up, the country is huge ...
During the Great Patriotic War, Semyon Mikhailovich did not play such a prominent role as in Civil, his time had already passed. But he was part of the Headquarters, was one of the leaders of the defense of Moscow, commanded the front in the Caucasus. He initiated the increase in the number of cavalry units in the army (some believe that this was Zhukov’s idea), and the plan paid off.
In addition, it was Budenny, whose biography is full of interesting facts, who ordered the explosion of the Dnieper Dam. Today, many call this order criminal, since it led to the deaths of many retreating Red Army soldiers, as well as civilians. But most historians argue that the number of victims (they, of course, were) is greatly exaggerated, and the decision was made correctly. In addition, during the battles for Ukraine, Budyonny repeatedly proposed a retreat as a means of preserving personnel.
Peaceful life
At the end of the war, the commander Budyonny, whose biography is rich and interesting, was a cavalry inspector, a member of the group of general inspectors of the Ministry of Defense, and also (from 1947 to 1953) - deputy minister of agriculture (nobody canceled horse breeding!). He was a member of the country's top leadership (CEC, Presidium of the Supreme Council).
The marshal lived a long life (he died on the 91st year of life, and without long illnesses, from a stroke), and was distinguished by great strength, endurance, good health. As already mentioned, at age 48 he jumped with a parachute, and his children (three!) Were born when he was already well over 50. Budyonny himself, whose biography was the subject of our review, claimed that he could go down from the second floor of the house into the courtyard in his arms. At the age of 84, he amazed with his peppy appearance of the journalists from Voronezh, whom he met on the occasion of the anniversary of the liberation of the city in the Civil War.
Marshal died on October 26, 1973, buried in Red Square. But, like all great people, he was destined to live after death, and legends still tell him.
Family troubles
Biography of Seeds Budyonny in terms of relations with women did not work out in the best way. Some family troubles are connected with the attitude of the marshal towards women. Here there are a lot of "black" detectives. They say that Semyon Mikhailovich shot his first wife and surrendered the second to the NKVD.
Nadezhda, the first wife of Budyonny, was in charge of the medical department of the First Horse. There really were quarrels between the spouses - the wife was not loyal, and even Budyonny happened to "go left." In 1924, Nadezhda died from a pistol shot, which gave rise to rumors. In fact, there were witnesses to the incident - there was an accident.
Olga Stefanovna, the second wife, was 20 years younger than her husband. An opera singer, she led a very wild life, “had a love affair” with a tenor, often visited foreign embassies and refused to have children (for the sake of her figure!). She was arrested for "visits" to the embassies. Budyonny did not really intercede for her, but there is a version that he believed that she had died. In any case, he married a third time, and Maria was Olga's cousin. Olga Stefanovna was released in 1956, and her ex-husband helped her move to Moscow and supported her financially.
Grandpa's buddy
The third marriage was successful; two sons and a daughter were born in it. Marshal loved and spoiled his wife and children.
Budyonny's daughter, Nina, was the wife of the famous actor Mikhail Derzhavin, and he got along well with his father-in-law and noted his affection for his grandchildren. He told how his grandson, seeing a portrait of Stalin, told a foreign journalist: "This is a friend of my grandfather."
Extensive iconostasis
It is customary to joke about Budyonny’s love for awards. Yes, he received three stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union after the end of World War II. He also had 7 orders of Lenin and 6 - of the Red Banner. But the full St. George’s bow, unequivocally, proves that the matter is not only in a high position ...
Armored train, ship, area ...
Budyonny’s name is immortalized not only in the Budennovka, there is also a racehorse breed - the Budyonnovsky. He wore this name and an armored train that fought in World War II, and a large passenger ship, and the area in the city of Donetsk.
The area was called so twice - until 1958 and then from 1980. Until now, there are people in the city who have lived "twice in the Budyonnovsk district." And they’re not going to change the name!
And one should not measure outstanding people of the past with modern standards. They lived at a different time.