General Belov is an extraordinary person, without whom it would be difficult to imagine the victorious march of Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War. This man has come a long way, full of hardships and overcoming difficulties, and he managed to receive many rewards on it. The Soviet military leader bears the proud title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Pavel Belov in his life managed to earn the respect not only of his compatriots and fellow soldiers, but also of enemies. And this characterizes him as a unique person, whose biography will interest many.
General Information at a Glance
Pavel Alekseevich Belov lived for a long sixty-five years, during which he managed to go through two wars. It was they who determined his future fate, showing the true purpose of this brilliant military leader.
Even in peacetime, General Belov did not abandon the work of his life. During this period, he graduated from the Higher Military Academy and was even a representative of the people in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. At the end of his life, Pavel Alekseevich actively wrote memoirs, but managed to cover only the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. The full biography of Belov was written much later, according to the recollections of people who knew him well. The memoirs were printed in a hundred thousand copies a year after the general passed away.
It is noteworthy that for his services he received not only awards from the fatherland, but also from foreign countries. Most of them were assigned to the commander of the Polish People's Republic.
Biography Belova P.A.
The future hero was born on February 6, 1897 in Shuya. His parents were simple workers in the factory, so great prospects that could radically affect his life simply did not exist.
However, at the age of nineteen, Belov Pavel Alekseevich joined the imperial army: his fate at that moment was already completely predetermined. During two years of service, he managed to learn and get a new rank.
In 1918, the 20th century, he became part of the Red Army, and after three years he was able to rise to the command post. For several years he has come a long way, completing various courses and taking part in numerous campaigns of the Soviet army.
By the beginning of World War II, he approached the post of commander of a cavalry regiment. Twelve months later, the Soviet military leader Pavel Belov assumed command of the sixty-first army. During the war, he was wounded more than once, fought in the rear of enemy troops, left the encirclement and was directly involved in the offensive on the Dnieper. It was for the last actions that he was awarded the title of Hero of the USSR.
In peacetime, Belov was actively involved in the prosperity of his country. Colonel General Pavel Belov died at the age of sixty-five on December 3, 1962. He was buried in the Novodevichy cemetery, where to this day his grave and a modest monument are located.
Youth of Pavel Belov
The future General Belov, born in the family of a factory worker, always showed a penchant for military affairs. But he did not even imagine that the war would become his fate. At the age of sixteen, young Paul graduated from elementary school and began working to help his family.
For three years, Belov has changed many positions and professions. He worked as a messenger in his father’s factory, as a clerk and telegraph student. In 1916 he joined the army, which eventually became the work of his life.
Service in the tsarist army
Little is known about this period of the life of the future General Belov. He rarely recalled him, mentioning only dry facts. Historians know for certain that for more than a year he served as an ordinary in a reserve regiment, based in the Voronezh region.
Then for four months Pavel Alekseevich was sent to study in Rostov-on-Don, from where he was supposed to return with the rank of ensign. But the revolution fundamentally changed the established life of a young man who did not want to take part in the clashes between the people and the imperial regiments.
Red Army: service to the young Soviet state
In order not to get into the White Guard army, Belov hid for several months in a remote village far in the mountains. But by spring I decided to return to Ivanovo, which at that time was called Ivanovo-Voznesensk. Here Pavel again went to work at the telegraph of the railway, where he was registered as a clerk before leaving for service.
In late summer, Belov joined the Red Army and immediately received the position of instructor. His duties included training new fighters, which proved to be very useful in the difficult conditions of the Civil War.
Since the summer of 1919, Pavel Alekseevich took command of the cavalry platoon and took an active part in the hostilities.
The formation of a military career
Belov fought mainly on the Southern Front. He happened to face Denikin’s troops and participate in the suppression of the Tambov uprising. In the fall of 1919, he was first wounded and underwent long treatment in a hospital. Then he was sent on vacation to his parents to go through a recovery period in a calm environment.
The following two years became very successful for Pavel Alekseevich, he very quickly climbed the career ladder, receiving ranks and new appointments one after another:
- from spring to autumn of the twentieth year of the last century, he went from a platoon commander to a squadron commander;
- the next twelve months he spent in the position of squadron commander of the second reserve cavalry regiment;
- in the twenty-first year, Belov was appointed to the post of commander of a cavalry regiment.
During the specified period of time, the future general personally eliminated armed gangs in different parts of the country. He managed to visit the Donbass, the North Caucasus and the Kuban.
In anticipation of a new war
In the early 30s, Belov was in the Moscow Military District, where his success was highly appreciated. He was sent to training first at cavalry courses, and then at the evening department of the Frunze Military Academy.
In between studies, he continued to serve the fatherland in various positions. The future hero was an assistant to the chief of staff and even carried out special tasks of S.M. Budyonny.
In the 40s he was transferred to the Belarusian Military District and was appointed commander of the seventh cavalry division. For a short period of time, the future hero served in various military districts and managed to take part in a military campaign in Bessarabia and Belarus.
The commander met the beginning of World War II as a commander of the second cavalry corps.
War years
During the war years, Belov managed to fight on almost all fronts:
- South;
- Western;
- Southwest;
- Bryansk;
- Belarusian;
- Central;
- The Baltic.
Cavalry officers of General Belov’s corps participated in the march on Red Square in 1941, as documentary evidence remained in the form of photographs.
At the beginning of the war, Pavel Alekseevich distinguished himself in the defense of Moscow and the surrounding areas. In the winter of 1942, troops under his command fell into the deep rear of the enemy and were able to conduct successful subversive activities there for several months.
Literally immediately after this, Belov was appointed commander of the sixty-first army. It is difficult to list the operations in which he took part. The most significant were the following:
In the fall of 1943, troops under his command made a heroic crossing of the Dnieper. The soldiers managed to seize the vast bridgehead and liberated more than twenty-one settlements from the enemy.
By the end of the war, Belov came up with the rank of lieutenant general, for skillful command and heroism in 1944 he received the Order of Lenin, the Gold Star medal and the honorary title of Hero of the USSR.
Post-war years
After the victory, Belov did not leave military service. He continued his career as commander of the Don Military District, and also commanded in the North Caucasus Military District at one time.
In the late forties, the talented military leader was trained at the General Staff Military Academy. After which he was appointed to the South Ural Military District, where he spent about six years.
In the fifty-fifth year, Belov ended up in the DOSAAF Central Committee, where he worked as chairman for five whole years. In the sixtieth year, the Colonel General resigned, starting to write memoirs about his difficult life. At the same time, the retired officer served as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He did this until death.
He passed away in Moscow, where he happily lived in recent years.
Award sheet
The list of Belov's awards is huge, over the years of service he has repeatedly won high recognition of his services to the country. The general received five orders of Lenin, three orders of the Red Banner and three orders of Suvorov. The military leader himself considered these awards to be the most significant and valuable.
He was also awarded a number of medals for the liberation and defense of various cities. In addition, the list of awards includes anniversary awards.
Pavel Alekseevich Belov was awarded foreign orders and medals. Of the five awards, four were awarded to the General of the Polish People’s Republic and one to the Mongolian People’s Republic.
The memory of Colonel General Belov
Today, streets in many cities of Russia are named in memory of the talented military leader. For example, General Belov Street is located in Moscow, Ivanovo and Chernigov. In total, there are nine cities that honor the memory of Pavel Alekseevich in this way. Naturally, in his hometown of Shue Street. General Belov also exists.
Also in Russia, several memorials were erected in honor of the Soviet military commander. The very first one was put on the grave of a general at the Novodevichy cemetery. In addition, the name of the hero is carved on monuments in the Tula region, at the Trinity Cemetery in Shuya and in Novomoskovsk. In the last village, a bust of this unique person was installed only about a year ago in a beautiful square.