Unfortunately, the current level of patriotic consciousness in our country is inferior to that which took place in the era of the USSR. In this regard, many people think that at present, at the cost of their own lives, Russians are not ready to perform feats for the good of their homeland and to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others. Nevertheless, it is good that such a point of view is erroneous. There were, are and will be the heroes of our time. Especially a lot of feats are being accomplished in the army today, and this only proves the heroism and significance of the soldiers who performed them. One of these, undoubtedly, is Major Sergei Solnechnikov, who lost his life in the prime of life to save his comrades.
In the spring of 2012, exercises were held during which Private Maxim Zhuravlev, by inexperience and carelessness, threw a combat grenade, which ultimately landed back in cover. And there were about ten soldiers in it, including the commander ... And it was Sergei Solnechnikov who was the first to react to the situation.
He did not spare his own life for the sake of others, although no one asked him to make such a sacrifice.
Years of childhood
Sergei Solnechnikov was born on August 19, 1980 in the German city of Potsdam in a military family. Even when he was four years old, he disappeared all day at the airport, where his father served. From childhood, the boy was attracted by the sky, and he dreamed of only one thing: "Fly, fly and fly again." After some time, the Solnechnikov family moved to live in the Soviet Union, and Sergei was sent to study in an ordinary secondary school, which is located in Volgograd. There he will spend 8 years at a school desk, and after that the teenager will gnaw at the granite of science already at the Cadet Boarding School. P.O. Sukhoi, which is located in the city of Akhtubinsk.
On the way to your dream ...
All this time, Sergei Solnechnikov remembers his childhood dream, and when he turns 17, he submits documents to the Kachinsky Higher Aviation School. He is accepted to this university without entrance examinations, since he studied well at the cadet school. But a year later, the school was disbanded, and the young man decided to become a cadet of the Kemerovo Higher Military Command Communication School. The dream of airplanes had to be pushed into the background.
Sergey Solnechnikov received a diploma from the command school in 2003, after which the young man will be sent to serve in the Far East, namely in military unit No. 53790 of the city of Belogorsk (Amur Region).
Heroic deed
In army service, the young man showed maximum diligence, implicitly fulfilling all the provisions of the military regulations. The commanders could not help but notice this, and after some time Sergey Solnechnikov, whose biography is of great interest to his comrades, is promoted to the rank of major. He is trusted to command a communications battalion. Once, he, along with his soldiers, went to the firing range for planned shooting.
One of Sergei’s colleagues says that soldiers were throwing grenades at the training ground . And one of them either jumped from the hand of a fighter, or ricocheted. The shell was in close proximity to the soldiers. The incident occurred in a matter of seconds. There was very little time to make a decision. As soon as the grenade reached the surface of the earth, Major Sergei Solnechnikov immediately covered it with his body. There was an explosion. If he had not reacted to the situation, the whole company of more than one hundred people would have died.
Acted on the situation
And here is how another witness outlined the incident. When the soldier threw the ammunition, he ricocheted off the parapet. It’s hard to say why the throw didn’t work out in the end. But Sergey Aleksandrovich Solnechnikov was able to quickly analyze the situation, which could soon turn into death. In the blink of an eye he pushed Maxim Zhuravlev to his comrades, who were waiting in line to throw a shell, and rushed to shield himself with a grenade.
Employees of the headquarters confirmed that the battalion commander had almost no time to choose a solution, and he hesitated a bit - the mass death of soldiers could not be avoided.
It is noteworthy that on the day when the incident occurred, important events were outlined in Sergey's personal life. The future father-in-law of Solnechnikov was supposed to come from the Kabardino-Balkarian republic in order to get to know his potential relative better. Sergey's girlfriend, Olga, served nearby, in a nearby military unit. In general, the meeting should have taken place after the events at the training ground. But everything happened differently.
An attempt to save the major
After the incident, Solnechnikov Sergey Alexandrovich, a hero whose biography certainly deserves a detailed study, was immediately taken to Belogorsk Military Hospital.
Co-workers of the battalion commander hoped that their comrade could save their lives. For several hours, doctors did everything possible to keep Sergey in service. But, alas, their attempts were powerless. Body damage was incompatible with life.
The death of a major was a real shock to all members of the military. According to the private, after the death of the battalion commander in the barracks, silence reigned for a long time.
Many conscripts for a long time could not recover from this terrible picture. Some even needed medical attention. Everyone admired the act committed by Sergei Solnechnikov (Hero of Russia), and this loss is simply irreparable. “In the Russian army, such officers deserve the highest award,” the soldiers say.
“On-duty feat”
Fathers-commanders constantly repeat to their wards that any officer should be mentally prepared to perform such a feat, as Solnechnikov did.
The lieutenants cannot help but see this terrible dream. Before heading to the training ground, the commander must hypothetically anticipate such an emergency situation, as happened with the dead battalion commander. And if it comes, then everyone should dare to take a heroic act, which should be called nothing more than "duty feat." One way or another, but Solnechnikov Sergey Alexandrovich - a hero whose biography is noteworthy and interesting - should be awarded the only award - the Order. " So says one of the retired military.
Mothers of conscripts rescued by the battalion commander also believe that the savior of their sons should receive a high reward for such a bold act. With such an initiative, they even turned to the army headquarters.
“By the name of the Sun”
Sergei Solnechnikov (Hero of Russia) had every chance to build a brilliant career in the army. His comrades spoke of him as a responsible, modest, competent and decent person. These qualities helped him at the age of thirty to receive the honor of commanding a battalion. One of his colleagues noted that he was an exemplary battalion commander who enjoyed unquestioned authority in part. Comrades called Sergei Alexandrovich "The Sun."
Investigation
One way or another, but the feat of Sergei Solnechnikov was the reason for the initiation of the case, which in the spring of 2012 was initiated by investigators from the military prosecutor's office. The qualification of the crime was as follows: "Violation of the rules for handling weapons, which, through negligence, entailed the death of a person." Detectives practiced absolutely all versions of what happened. Naturally, prosecutors were primarily interested in the issue of compliance with the law on the safety of military duty.
Later, witness interviews confirmed that the shell really ricocheted off the embankment in the fortification.
The conscript, who was close to Solnechnikov’s firing position, could not see anything, because at the time when Zhuravlev was a metal grenade, he carried out the command: "Lie on the ground." However, together with the officer, he heard a distinct sound, which testified that the grenade landed in the parapet. Although the officer also did not observe the ammunition flight route, but he saw how Solnechnikov quickly orientated himself and removed his subordinate from the firing point, ”said one of the employees of the military prosecutor’s office.
I did not have to look for the culprit
The investigators wanted to immediately talk with the culprit of the emergency Maxim Zhuravlev. Naturally, for him, what happened was a real test. He locked himself in and did not want to see anyone. After the incident, a conscript soldier wanted to commit suicide. The situation was complicated by the fact that Zhuravlev’s colleagues began to openly say that it was he who was responsible for the death of their beloved battalion commander. But the investigation failed to restore the exact picture of the incident and find out as a result of which the incident occurred. One thing was clear: Sergey Solnechnikov, whose photo appeared in the press immediately after the incident, made a real feat.
In order to get Maxim out of a stressful state, he was sent to the sanitary unit, where he had to undergo examination by a psychiatrist. Nevertheless, Maxim Zhuravlev became suspect No. 1 in a criminal case that was instituted on the basis of careless handling of ammunition. The soldier was placed under round-the-clock surveillance. The punishment for the offense is five years in prison. But the suspect was identified in a psychiatric hospital. Only parents are allowed to contact him. However, doctors say that Maxim Zhuravlev does not want to take his own life, but wants to continue to serve.
Hero of our time
After the incident at the training ground, which after some time became known to the general public, Sergey Solnechnikov, whose feat was on everyone’s lips, was awarded the prestigious and honorary title - Hero of the Russian Federation.
The talk that the battalion commander acted like a real man, and that the true warriors had not yet been transferred to Mother Russia, then did not cease for a long time. The feat of the major was even immortalized in verse. In honor of Sergei Solnechnikov, streets in several cities of the Amur region were named.
Unfortunately, Sergei Solnechnikov did not have time to start a family, although he had a girl in mind. In the spring of 2012, a stele was opened in the capital of the Amur Region in honor of a man who saved his co-workers at the cost of his own life. In addition, in the city of Belogorsk on the Walk of Fame you can now see a plate with a star, which symbolizes the memory of Major Sergei Solnechnikov.
The funeral of the Hero of Russia took place in early April 2012 in the city of Volzhsky (Volgograd Region). Shortly before his death, he wanted to take a vacation and see his parents. But fate decreed otherwise.
Instead of an epilogue
The hero’s parents were very upset by grief. But we should be grateful to them for the fact that they were able to raise not a stereotyped and ordinary warrior, but a real man and a true defender of their homeland. And if we always remember the lesson that the battalion commander Sergey Solnechnikov taught us, then we will not live our life in vain.