The glorious biography of General Melnikov in Ulyanovsk is known to many. His memory is still alive, but his exploits are not forgotten. And for good reason. The general went through the whole war, participated in the capture of Berlin, and after the war he successfully led military tank schools, first in Ulyanovsk and then in Saratov. He was a wonderful military man and leader, even in the photo of General Melnikov it is difficult to imagine without a military uniform.
The beginning of life
The future general, Pyotr Andreyevich Melnikov, was born in July 1914 in a family of ordinary workers. The city of Atkarsk, located a hundred kilometers from Saratov, became its small homeland. The boy loved to study and first graduated from an agricultural school in Saratov, and then from a party school in Petrovsk.
Military career
Four years after studying at a party school, in 1939, Pyotr Melnikov was accepted into the party. By that time, he had already served in the Red Army on conscription and graduated from the Higher Military School named after the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. So began the military career of General P. Melnikov. And after the war, he will continue to do military service and become head of the tank school, first in Ulyanovsk, and then in Saratov.
The Great Patriotic War
Peter Andreevich Melnikov went to the front in 1942. He fought alternately on several fronts (Western, Central, 1st and 2nd Belorussian, 1st Ukrainian, Voronezh) and went from a division commander and a self-propelled artillery regiment to a general.
Melnikov went through the whole war, visited Berlin, fought in the battles near Rzhev, took part in the Battle of Kursk, and liberated Ukraine and Poland from the Nazi invaders.
Berlin operation
On the account of General P. A. Melnikov, many military awards, medals, orders. But perhaps the most memorable of them is the medal "For the capture of Berlin."
The battle for Berlin began on the night of April 16th. It was not necessary to hope for an easy capture of the city - the commanders of both sides perfectly understood how high the stakes were. The capture of the capital of Germany began with an attack by artillery, after which tank and infantry troops entered the battle. Melnikov commanded the 44th tank brigade, which was part of the advanced detachment.
The first stage of the advance to Berlin was given to the Soviet troops relatively easily, but as they advanced to the capital, resistance also increased. The battle for the Zeelovsky heights became the most bloody. But in the midst of the battle, when the forces of both sides began to weaken, Soviet aviation intervened. The pilots not only attacked the German fortifications from the air, but also threw off several plaques with a message for Soviet fighters. The message in verse form said that the victory was near and that together with the message the pilots sent the keys to the Berlin gates.
"Guards friends, go ahead to victory! We send you the keys to the Berlin Gate ..."
The text of the message of aviators to infantrymen and tankers
This message quickly spread among the infantry and tank crews. Such support inspired the fighters, and they attacked the German fortifications with renewed vigor. The Seelow Heights were taken.
On April 17, Melnikov's regiment was rapidly moving in the direction of the city of Munich, near which the Germans made another attempt to counterattack. Against the regiment of Peter Andreevich, three dozen enemy tanks and paratroopers marched. The Germans managed to capture the command post of Melnikov. A fierce battle ensued, and each member of the regiment, from cooks to commanders, went out to fight enemies. In a heavy battle, the commander of the command vehicle was knocked out of action. Then Melnikov himself took his place. He managed to disable three enemy tanks. Earlier, the forces of Soviet soldiers had already destroyed 16 combat vehicles, and the loss of three more tanks was a serious blow to the enemy. The Germans began a retreat, but did not think to give up.
The Nazis took all possible measures to prevent the approach of the Soviet troops to the capital of their country. The fate of Germany and the entire war was at stake, and both sides understood that now more than ever it was important to fight against special strength and zeal. The fighting did not stop either at night or during the day. According to eyewitnesses, from the shots, fires and flares, even at night it was as light as day.
April 21 ended a difficult battle near Fredersdorf, and Soviet troops moved to the last frontier on the outskirts of Berlin.
On April 22, 1945, Melnikov, among the fighters of the advance detachment, broke into the Berlin suburb - the city of Ulenhorst, which became the last frontier of resistance of the defenders of the German capital. Pyotr Anrdeevich was able to masterfully build battle tactics and led the course of the tank battle. The battle lasted about a day with varying success.
At some point, the German resistance managed to encircle the Soviet troops, but with the arrival of the main forces of the Soviet corps, the enemy was finally defeated. The fighters of Melnikov fought with honor and managed to restrain the onslaught of the Nazi troops until reinforcements arrived. More than 40 fascist tanks, 29 guns, more than 50 mortars were destroyed per day. More than a thousand German soldiers were killed or captured. Soviet troops were able to occupy Berlin. The war ended in victory over Nazi Germany.
Post-war life
Returning from Berlin with a victory, General Melnikov decided to pursue a military career. He enters the Higher Armored School and graduates in 1948. And a year later he became a student of the Military Academy of Armored Forces.
Education allowed Peter Andreevich to head a tank school in Ulyanovsk. He stayed in this position for a long six years, and then headed several more similar institutions in other cities, but in the end he returned to Ulyanovsk again.
In 1972, General Melnikov left military service and went to the reserve.
Awards
General Melnikov had many awards, among which were the Golden Star, For Military Merit medals, and for taking important cities - Berlin and Warsaw.
Many in the collection of Melnikov were also orders. He was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Orders of Suvorov, the Red Banner and the Red Star.
There are other awards: commemorative anniversary orders and medals, orders for labor in the rear, etc.
Death and memory of Melnikov
Despite the fact that Petr Anrdeevich was a native of the Saratov region, Ulyanovsk became his second home, where the general spent a considerable part of his life, so General Melnikov was buried in Ulyanovsk.
In the same city there is also a street named after him. The decision to assign her the name of General Melnikov was made by a special commission of the Committee on Architecture and Urban Planning in 2011.
By decision of the mayor of the city, one of the streets in the South-West district of Moscow, which at that time was at the construction stage, was also named after the hero.
A memorial plaque was opened on Melnikov Street. The opening ceremony was attended by the son of the general, who laid a basket of flowers at the memorial.
Pupils of a neighboring school also took part in the opening of the board and held a solemn ruler in memory of the hero.