Today, every tourist, having arrived in Volgograd, seeks to feel all the pain and courage of the Russian people during the Great Patriotic War. To do this, he goes to Mamaev Kurgan, where all emotions are embodied in wonderful sculptures. Few people know that, in addition to the mound, there are also historical monuments in Volgograd . One of the more significant is Pavlov’s house.
Pavlov’s house in Stalingrad played an important role during the counterattacks of the German troops. Thanks to the stamina of the Russian soldiers, the enemy troops were rebuffed, and Stalingrad was not captured. You can learn about the experienced horror even now, having examined 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 not all ordinary reputation. So, 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. He was surrounded by numerous elite buildings in which NKVD officers and signalmen lived. Noteworthy is the location of the building.
Behind the building, the 1903 Gerhardt Mill was built. After 30 meters was the twin house of Zabolotny. Both the mill and Zabolotny’s house were almost destroyed during the war. Nobody was engaged in restoration of buildings.
Defense of Pavlov’s house in Stalingrad
During the battle of Stalingrad, each residential building became a defensive fortress from which hostilities were fought. On January 9, all buildings were destroyed. There is only one surviving building. 09/27/1942, an intelligence group consisting of 4 people, headed by Y. F. Pavlov, having knocked out the Germans from a four-story residential building, began to hold defense in it. Having penetrated the building, the group found civilians there who were trying by all means to keep the house for about two days. The defense continued with a small detachment for three days, after reinforcements arrived. It was a machine-gun platoon under the command of I.F. Afanasyev, machine gunners and armor-piercers. The total number of arrivals for help was 24 people. Together, the soldiers strengthened the defense of the entire building. The sappers mined all approaches to the construction. And also a trench was dug through which negotiations were conducted with the command, and food was delivered with ammunition.
Pavlov's house in Stalingrad held out 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 under fire parts of the city captured by German troops with a range of over 1 kilometer.
All two months the Germans strenuously attacked the building. They made several counterattacks per day and even several times broke through to the first floor. During such battles, one wall of the building was destroyed. The Soviet troops held the defense strongly and courageously, so the opponents could not capture the entire house.
On November 24, 1942, under the command of I.I. Naumov, the battalion attacked the enemy, capturing nearby houses. I.I. Naumov died. I.F. Afanasyev and Y. F. Pavlov received only wounds. Civilians who were in the basement of the house did not suffer for all two months.
Restoration of Pavlov’s house
Pavlov’s house in Stalingrad began to be restored the very first. In June 1943, A.M. Cherkasova brought the wives of the soldiers to the ruins with her. And so the "Cherkasov movement" arose, which included exclusively women. The emerging movement found response in other liberated territories. Destroyed cities began to be rebuilt by volunteers in their free time.
January 9 area 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 area 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 has been preserved to this day and adorns the city of Volgograd.
By 1985, Pavlov’s house was rebuilt. From the end of the building facing Sovetskaya Street, the architect V.E. Maslyaev and the sculptor V.G. Fetisov installed a memorial with an inscription reminiscent of the feat of Soviet soldiers in those days when they fought for every brick of this house.
Interesting Facts
The great struggle was between the Soviet soldiers and the German invaders for Stalingrad, the house of Pavlov. History has preserved many unique and interesting documents telling about the actions of the enemy and our multinational defenders of the Fatherland and leaving some questions still open. So, for example, they still argue 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 the official version, the Germans were in the second entrance, or rather, there was an easel machine gun near the window.
There are also disputes about the evacuation of civilians. Some historians claim that people continued to be in the basement all the time during the defense. According to other sources, the residents immediately after the death of the foreman, who brought food, managed to withdraw through the dug trenches.
When the Germans demolished one of the walls, Y. F. Pavlov reported a joke to the commander. He said that the house remained ordinary, with only three walls, and most importantly, ventilation has now appeared.
Defenders of Pavlov’s House
Pavlov’s house in Stalingrad was defended by 24 people. But, as I.F. Afanasyev claims in his memoirs, at the same time no more than 15 people held the defense. At first, the defenders of the Pavlov’s house in Stalingrad are just 4 people: Pavlov, Glushchenko, Chernogolov, Aleksandrov.
Then the team received reinforcements. The accepted fixed number of defenders is 24 people. But, according to the same recollections of Afanasyev, there were a little more of them.
The team consisted of fighters of 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 participation and courage of the soldier in the defense of Pavlov’s house was confirmed.
Also, the list of “crossed out” is supplemented by Abkhazian Alexey Sukba. In 1944, for unknown reasons, a soldier fell into this team. Therefore, his surname is not immortalized on the panel of the memorial.
Biography of Yakov Fedotovich Pavlov
Yakov Fedotovich was born in the village of Krestovoi, located in the Novgorod region, in 1917, on October 17. After school, having worked a little in agriculture, he fell into the ranks of the Red Army, where he met the Great Patriotic War.
In 1942, he participated in hostilities, defending and defending the city of Stalingrad. Holding a 58-day-old residential building on the square and exterminating the enemy along with military comrades, he was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Star. And also for the courage shown received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1946, Pavlov was demobilized and subsequently graduated from high school under the Central Committee of the CPSU. After the war, he continued to work in agriculture. September 28, 1981 Y. F. Pavlov was gone.
Pavlov's house in modern times
Pavlov’s house in Stalingrad was widely known. Today's address (in the modern city of Volgograd): Sovetskaya street, house 39.
In appearance it is an ordinary four-story house with a memorial wall from the end. Numerous groups of tourists come here every year to see the famous Pavlov’s house in Stalingrad. A photo depicting a building from different angles regularly replenishes their personal collections.
Films shot about Pavlov’s house
The cinema of Pavlov in Stalingrad does not disregard. The film, shot about the defense of Stalingrad, is called "Stalingrad" (2013). Then the famous and talented director Fyodor Bondarchuk shot a picture that can convey to the audience the whole atmosphere of wartime. He showed all the horror of war, as well as all the greatness of the Soviet people.
The film was awarded the prize of the American International Society of 3D Creators. In addition, he was also nominated for the Nika and Golden Eagle awards. In some nominations, the film received awards such as "The Best Work of a Production Designer" and "The Best Work of a Costume Designer." True, the viewers left mixed reviews about the picture. Many do not believe her. In order to get the right impression, you still need to watch this movie in person.
In addition to the modern film, many documentary films were also shot. Some with the participation of soldiers who defended the building. So, there are several documentaries that tell about the Soviet soldier during the defense. Among these is a tape about Gar Khokholov and Alexei Sukba. Their names are not on the plaque. The film tells a detailed story: how it turned out that their names are not sealed forever.
Cultural display of feat
In addition to films, over the past time also many essays and memoirs were written about the exploit of Soviet soldiers. Even Y. 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 Lev Isomerovich Saveliev. This is a kind of true story, which tells about the courage and courage of a Soviet soldier. The book was recognized as the best work describing the atmosphere of the defense of Pavlov’s house.