Walking around the city, how often we meet unfamiliar names of streets and squares. Many of them bear the names of real heroes. But what do we know about their story? Surely very little or almost nothing. For example, what feat did Talalikhin accomplish during the years of World War II? Time mercilessly erases from the memory of contemporaries the names of great people and actions that deserve special attention and respect for them.
Same as me
Unfortunately, today they tell little to their children about the historical events of the past years, tragic, but sometimes inspiring. Now kids dream of becoming superheroes, wizards, strange alien creatures. But literally a few decades ago, all the boys sought to learn the vast expanses of space or to conquer the seas, oceans, and sky.
At the lessons of history, more and more attention is paid to economic processes, internal and external political activities, forgetting about a personal example. For children, like any person, the story of one is closer than the story of a faceless multitude. Even voicing Talalikhin’s feat briefly, you can light a little light in the hearts of the children. Show how brave and courageous an ordinary person can be, just like they are a guy.
Such examples should inspire accomplishments, excite consciousness and evoke real feelings: joy, pride, sadness, faith.
But the huge streams of information that are available to contemporaries stoke real treasures in their depths.
false mirror
What print media offer us today does not always reflect reality. This is not to say that children receive false information. But, not having certain knowledge, they perceive everything literally.
Here is an example. Everyone knows that Soviet pilots are recognized as real aces of the past war: Ivan Kozhedub, Alexander Pokryshkin, Victor Talalikhin a feat that reminds of courage and dedication.
However, thanks to publications that cite figures about the downed planes by domestic and German pilots, a completely different impression is formed. The numbers of our pilots are 56 or 62 destroyed enemies. Whereas the German ace Hartmann - 352 downed aircraft.
Having seen such numbers, it is logical to conclude that the wrong ones were named the best. But not everyone knows that Soviet soldiers took a responsible approach to counting: they considered a plane shot down only after the discovery of its debris. And the German and American military took everything on faith. The number of victories could include a plane that was barely hit by machine gun bullets.
The story of one hero
In September 1918, in the small village of Teplovka, a little boy was born. Then no one could even think what difficult times he would have to go through, how difficult and winding path fate prepared for him. Victor's parents became mom and dad for the third time. They were ordinary working peasants.
Over the years, the Talalikhin family moved to Volsk. My father went to work at a local factory. Victor attended school during these years, and after graduation, the family moved to Moscow. The big city opened up new perspectives and provided more choices.
A young active boy at the same time attended classes at a factory school and worked at a meat factory. Then Talalikhin only dreamed of the sky. A feat awaited him in the future.
Victor's older brothers already served in the aviation forces, this excited the boy and inspired. He attended the flying club and was noted by the instructor as promising.
The first steps in aviation
The boy received a draft in the army in 1937. Thanks to the Komsomol ticket, he ended up in an aviation school, which he graduated one year later. Thus began the path on which Talalikhin completed his feat.
The combat history of Victor began in the twenty-seventh fighter regiment. Here, as in the aviation school, everyone noted the guy’s special abilities: he was an excellent pilot. All actions clearly showed decisiveness and courage.
At the end of 1939, during the Soviet-Finnish war, Viktor Talalikhin first participated in the battle. He will make his feat later, but during this campaign the young pilot managed to excel.
Fate or luck already then directed the guy’s plane. In his first battle, he shot down the enemy. Over the entire period of the Finnish company, Talalikhin destroyed four units.
After that, having successfully completed special courses, Victor was appointed commander of the whole unit.
Smile on tired face
Probably every pilot remembers his first victory won over the enemy. This day was also remembered by Victor. Then Talalikhin had not yet completed his feat, but he already felt a taste of superiority. In the evening, like-minded people and friends began to question him about the events that had happened. Everyone was interested in the details, everyone imagined himself in the place of a brave pilot.
The story was short and capacious, a minimum of details and no descriptions of feelings and fear. Only decisions: bold and risky, taken in seconds.
The guy smiled, it seemed that everything was given to him easily and naturally. Only he felt the severity of events, insanely tired, but never showed it to his surroundings. Hold on to the end.
After a short rest and a cigarette smoked in silence, Victor again hurried to his plane. You must always be prepared for departure, it is impossible to postpone inspection and repair.
Despite the difficulties of that time, the pilot was full of determination and internal fire.
Hot Summer
The sudden blow of Germany took all the inhabitants of the Soviet Union by surprise. The first days and months of the war were tragic and especially difficult. It took people time to realize everything that had happened, to come to terms with reality and to join in the struggle.
Aviation was especially difficult. German troops had more modern aircraft, weapons and excellent professionals. The strongest losses were received by the air forces of our army in the first hours of the attack. Many airfields were destroyed by a series of massive strikes.
Very little remained until the moment when the feat of Talalikhin was accomplished. The year 1941 changed the lives of millions of people.
The regiment in which Viktor served was transferred to the borders of Moscow. They had a goal - to protect the south-western direction, to protect the heavenly space and to prevent the enemy from the capital.
For the entire period of World War II, German pilots could not cause serious damage to Moscow. Not the last role was played by Soviet fighter pilots.
Memorable night
So we came to the moment when the pilot Talalikhin made a feat. On the night of the sixth to the seventh of August 1941, an order was received to intercept enemy bombers.
Victor sat at the helm of the I-16. Having gained a height of more than four thousand meters, Talalikhin met the German "Henkel-111" and sat on his tail. The air battle began. The Soviet fighter knocked out one of the enemy’s engines, but he continued to skillfully evade the pursuit. Victor went to the next round to finish off the enemy. And then I realized that the shells were over.
At some point, the thought came of ramming an enemy aircraft. Climbing to the tail of the Henkel, Victor was wounded in the arm, but nevertheless he got ready and completed the deadly maneuver - crashed into the enemy. At the last moment he managed to open the parachute and landed. Residents of the nearest village helped the pilot get out of the river. The German plane crashed, a crew of four died.
From heaven to heaven
Now you know what feat the pilot Talalikhin performed. For this, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
At the age of 23, Lieutenant Talalikhin became the squadron commander. Many more times he cut the celestial expanses over Moscow, protecting and saving from German aces. During this time, independently and in small groups, shot down four enemy ships.
The last battle, which killed not only Victor, took place in October 1941. More than five fighters under his command went into battle to support the ground forces. It happened in the air above the village of Kamenka.
The next battle was fierce and intense. Victor managed to bring down one enemy and knocked out the second, when three German crews opened fire on his plane.
Dozens of hungry bullets began to bite into the side, one of them hit the pilot's head.
Control was lost, the car, like a huge iron bird, crashed to the ground.
Thus, the life of a young but already battle-hardened soldier of the Soviet Union was cut short.
"Kid"
Having completed his feat, Talalikhin was imprinted on many as the image of a fearless, bold and assertive person. But the circle of relatives and friends knew a completely different guy: a radiant smile, cheerful, laid-back and artistic. He was a particularly kind and pleasant person.
In school years he attended a drama club and, as the leaders noted, was not deprived of acting talent. Perhaps in peacetime his fate would have been different, and the name went down in history thanks to other accomplishments.
During treatment, he did not sit in his hospital pants. He attended meetings, talked with workers and young people, and carried out campaign work.
Victor's height was only one meter fifty five centimeters. Therefore, in the circle of friends he was called "Baby."
Talalikhin was not immediately taken seriously at the flight school. Such a small growth raised doubts about successful learning. But the pressure and persistence of the guy showed a completely different result.
Finds of the present
Not so long ago, in the forests of the Domodedovo district, farm workers came to the edge, where there were traces, barely visible to the eye, from a huge funnel. She looked quite old, orderly dragged on the ground and overgrown. And on one of the trees they found a rusted old tablet.
Such finds are not uncommon in places where battles took place during the Great Patriotic War. People to this day discover the details of equipment, equipment. However, it was the tablet that attracted attention. What information did it contain?
After some manipulations, she was able to clean. The inscription intrigued the researchers. She said that it was in this place that Viktor's plane crashed. The one on which he made a ram. The tablet was signed in the name of pioneer Katko Alla. There was also information that she installed it in August 1971, following the stories of eyewitnesses of that event.
Is this really the very place where the plane, on which Talalikhin performed his feat, is buried?
Excavations
The find forced historians and local historians to do research. A search group was formed, which in June 2014 left for the indicated place. In the first two days, engine parts, chassis, and some control mechanisms were found.
Further excavations progressed just as successfully. It was established (thanks to the preserved records of the license plates of the aircraft and the engine) that this is the very machine on which the feat of the pilot Talalikhin took place.
An onboard clock was found, the hands of which indicated half-past eleven. It is this time that is recorded in historical reports as a moment of ramming.
After carrying out all the necessary work, the aircraft will become part of the museum exhibits in Domodedovo.
Everlasting memory
St. Petersburg, Omsk, Moscow, Lipetsk, Tambov, Gomel, Volsk, Kaliningrad and dozens of cities have on their list the streets named after Victor Talalikhin. Schools and colleges bear the name of this hero.
I want the residents to know what a feat Talalikhin performed. They remembered him and other simple but great people who gave their lives for a prosperous future.
Here, perhaps, is all about such a brave man as Viktor Talalikhin. The feat (the photo of the hero who committed it is in the review) must live in the memory of all people.