Vatutin Nikolay Fedorovich was born in 1901, on December 16, in the village of Chepukhino (today it is the village of Vatutino, located in the Belgorod region). He was born into a large peasant family, in which, in addition to Nikolai, there were eight more children. The biography of Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich will be considered in this article.
The future general, from childhood, strove for knowledge and mastered it very persistently. First Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich graduated from a village school, in which he was the first student, after which he graduated with honors from the Zemstvo school in the city of Valuyki. Successfully Nikolai Fedorovich passed the entrance tests to the commercial school of the city of Urazovo, where he also worked diligently, receiving a small scholarship from the zemstvo. Nikolai Vatutin studied at a commercial school for only 4 years. The reason is that after that they stopped paying the scholarship, and he was forced to return to his native village.
First baptism of fire
Nikolay, returning home, began to work in the volost board. After the Soviet power was established in the village, he, as a sixteen-year-old teenager, as one of the most competent residents in the village, helped the peasants in the division of landowner property. Nikolai was not yet 19 years old when he joined the Red Army. Vatutin received baptism of fire in September 1920, when he participated in the battles with the Makhnovists in the areas of Starobelsk and Lugansk. Even then, he proved himself to be a resourceful, courageous fighter.
Nikolay Vatutin in 1922 graduated with honors from the Poltava Infantry School, participating simultaneously in battles against gangs of fists. In the same year he joined the ranks of the RCP (b). At that time, hunger was raging in the country, people were dying of cholera and typhoid, and in 1921 there was a drought, which added disaster to the population. Starving, Nikolai's grandfather and father died, as well as his older brother Yegor.
Career advancement
The biography of Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich in subsequent years was marked by the following events. After graduating from the infantry school, Vatutin is appointed to the rifle regiment as the squad leader, and then as the platoon commander. He improves military knowledge, graduates in 1924 from the Kiev Higher United Military School. After this, Nikolai Fedorovich continued his education at the Frunze Military Academy (in 1926-29). Vatutin after its completion is sent to the headquarters of the infantry division located in Chernigov. Since 1931 he became the head of the headquarters of the mountain infantry division located in the city of Ordzhonikidze. After this service, two years later he was again sent to the Academy. Frunze, already at the Faculty of Operations. Vatutin graduated in 1934. And three years later - and the General Staff Military Academy. Military talent and hard work did their job. Successfully promoted Nikolai Fedorovich. In 1938, as a colonel, he was appointed to the headquarters of the special military district located in Kiev, and after a while he became commander of the corps.
Translation of Vatutin to the General Staff
In 1940, in August, when K. A. Meretskov, army general, became the chief of the General Staff instead of B. M. Shaposhnikov, Vatutin was transferred here to work as chief of the Operations Directorate. After a while, he was appointed first deputy chief of staff. K. G. Zhukov in his book "Memoirs and Reflections" about Vatutin wrote that he had an extremely developed sense of responsibility, he could clearly and concisely state his thoughts, was distinguished by his breadth of thought and industriousness. Vatutin, already a lieutenant general, was awarded the Order of Lenin in February 1941 .
Start of war
War was approaching the borders of the USSR ... In its initial period, unsuccessful actions of the troops entailed personnel changes in the command. It was necessary to strengthen the Central Front as best as possible. In 1941, on July 29, Zhukov proposed Vatutin to the post of commander of the front. However, Stalin decided to make another decision.
On June 30, N.F. Vatutin, the commander of the North-Western Front, took part in the defense of the city of Novgorod, leading the task force group. Counterattacks against the Manstein corps were carried out under his leadership. As a result of these battles, the Germans suffered heavy losses on the approaches to Leningrad and were thrown back 40 kilometers. Vatutin was awarded for the organization of resistance and the determination and courage shown with the Order of the Red Banner.
Operation Little Saturn
In 1942, in May-July, already deputy. Chief of the General Staff N.F. Vatutin did a great job as a representative of the General Headquarters on the Bryansk Front. He also commanded in July-October 1942 the Voronezh Front, which successfully defended under his leadership in the Voronezh direction.
Nikolai Fedorovich in October 1942 was appointed commander of the Southwestern Front, participated in the preparation, development and conduct of the important Stalingrad operation. From November 19 to December 16 this year, the troops of Nikolai Vatutin together with units of the Stalingrad and Don Fronts (commanders Yeremenko and Rokossovsky respectively) conducted an operation called "Small Saturn". They surrounded the grouping of Paulus near Stalingrad. On November 23, Soviet troops closed an encirclement ring near the farm. It turned out to be part of the 4th Panzer Army, as well as the 6th Army (total - 22 divisions, the number of which amounted to about 330 thousand people). During the operation, the troops of the Southwestern Front captured 60 thousand officers and soldiers, and cleared about 1250 settlements. As a result, plans were thwarted by the German command, which wanted to unlock the Paulus army. Actions during the operation also led to the defeat of the remains of the third Romanian army and the eighth Italian, as well as the German Hollidt group.
Middle Don operation
In 1942, from December 16 to 31, another operation was carried out, the Middle Don. As a result, a decisive defeat was inflicted on the enemy in the Middle Don. This completely thwarted the Germans' plan to release the troops surrounded near Stalingrad from the west. The originality of this operation was to carry out a strong blow from the flank in combination with a number of frontal ones. The defeat at Stalingrad proved to be very sensitive for the Germans, in which the merit of General Vatutin, who commanded the Southwestern Front, was very significant. G.K. Zhukov was awarded the Order of Suvorov of the first degree for Stalingrad. The second order was Vasilevsky, the third - Voronov, the fourth - Vatutin, the fifth - Eremenko, the sixth - Rokossovsky. Of course, there could be no chance in the award procedure.
Operation "Jump"
Vatutin, general of World War II, by the end of 1942 received the rank of colonel general, and in February 1943 - army general. In January-February 1943, troops under his command carried out, together with units of the Southern Front, the Voroshilovgrad operation, also known under the code name "Leap Forward". It ended on February 18. As a result, the northern part of Donbass was cleared of fascists. In addition, they managed to defeat the main forces of the first tank army of the Germans.
Battle on the Kursk
In March 1943, Vatutin was again appointed to the post of commander of the Voronezh Front. The General of World War II was now responsible for one of the main directions in the Battle of Kursk. KK Rokossovsky commanded the Central Front. Manstein opposed the Voronezh Front, and Model against the Central Front. Units and formations during the defensive battle on the Kursk Bulge reflected the powerful blows of the Germans. During the counterattack, they successfully solved the task of breaking through the defense, deeply echeloned.
The Germans had a stronger group on the Kursk Bulge against the Voronezh Front. The Russians sustained a serious onslaught of the enemy, however, the Germans had great losses. The Voronezh Front, reinforced by the reserves of two tank armies, inflicted a powerful counterattack on the German grouping. Under Prokhorovka was a tank battle. When breaking through the defense at the offensive stage, Vatutin used attack groups with tank corps, which ensured the rapid advance and operational pursuit of the enemy.
"Commander Rumyantsev"
The operation under the name "Commander Rumyantsev" (Belgorod-Kharkov) began in 1943, on August 3. It was carried out by the troops of the Steppe and Voronezh fronts and was part of the Battle of Kursk. The operation ended on August 23. In its course, the Belgorod-Kharkov German group of 15 divisions was defeated, and Kharkov and Belgorod were also liberated . Thus, conditions were created for an important stage - the liberation of Left-Bank Ukraine. Soviet troops advanced up to 300 km in the southwestern and southern directions. Vatutin was awarded the Order of Kutuzov of the first degree.
Battle of the Dnieper
The battle for the Dnieper began the same year, on August 13, with the troops of Voronezh (General Vatutin), the Central (Rokossovsky) and the Steppe (Konev) fronts. The first stage ended on September 21. In the southwestern direction, Soviet troops defeated about 30 German divisions. Donbass and Left-Bank Ukraine were liberated almost completely, and on the wide front they reached the Dnieper. On September 23, the troops of the Central (Rokossovsky), Voronezh (Vatutin), Southwestern (Malinovsky) and Stepnoy (Konev) fronts began the next stage. During the fighting, which lasted until December 22, the Dnieper was boosted in a number of sections. Developing the offensive, the fighters moved forward in a southwesterly direction. Soviet troops ultimately inflicted a heavy defeat on Army Group South, as well as part of Army Center. They liberated Left-Bank Ukraine and part of the Right-Bank.
Kiev operation
The Voronezh Front in October 1943 was renamed the First Ukrainian. His troops in November of that year carried out the Kiev offensive operation under the command of Vatutin. It ended on December 13th. The result - a breakthrough in the defense of Army Group South. Discreetly and expeditiously, General Vatutin reorganized among the troops, concentrating his main forces near Lutézh so that the enemy considered the Bukrinsky bridgehead to be the main one for the Soviet offensive expected by him. Thanks to this military trick, strategic surprise was ensured. General Vatutin brilliantly dealt with his task. Thanks to this, Kiev was liberated on November 6, and a strategic bridgehead was created on the right bank of the Dnieper.
Liberation of Zhytomyr
Hitler was hit by the loss of Kiev. Active efforts were made to return him. The Germans managed to capture Zhytomyr again in fierce attacks. Now Stalin was indignant ... During the offensive operation, units of the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated this city on December 31. At 275 km, the German defense was cut. After this, the 1st Ukrainian Front went east, and the 2nd - west, and in 1944, from January 24 to 28, more than 10 German divisions were caught.
Rivne-Lutsk operation
The headquarters for solving the tasks of the 1944 campaign decided that the main tank forces of the USSR would be led by General Vatutin. His biography as a result of this was noted by several more glorious pages. The decision to transfer tank forces here indicated that the 1st Ukrainian Front was operating in a strategically important direction. The troops of Vatutin in January-February carried out the Rivne-Lutsk operation. The commander in its course applied a powerful blow to the central position and swept the flank of the enemy’s troops, which allowed them to break through to the rear of the German group and destroy it completely. The operation was completed on February 11th. Shepetovka and Rivne were liberated as a result of it, the fourth tank army of the Germans was defeated.
In January-February of the same year, the 1st Ukrainian Front (Vatutin), in collaboration with the 2nd (General Konev) surrounded a large enemy group in the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky area. However, after the Germans were in the "sack", an order was given to transfer the destruction of the enemy to the 2nd front under the command of Konev. Therefore, all the glory of this operation went to him, and not to Vatutin. Konev as a result received the honorary title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The operation ended on February 17. As a result, about 55 thousand Germans were wounded and killed, more than 8 thousand were taken prisoner.
General Vatutin: the mystery of doom
In 1944, on February 29, Vatutin left for the troops on the way back from the headquarters of the 13th Army. The death of General Vatutin occurred unexpectedly. He was fired by Bandera in their own rear, in the village. Milyatyn (Ostrog region), and wounded in the left thigh. Vatutin was taken to a military hospital in Rivne, after which he was transported to Kiev. At first, the wound did not seem very dangerous, but then Vatutin's condition worsened sharply. It is still not clear why everything happened as it happened, and it was not possible to save such an important person for the country as General Vatutin. The mystery of his death is still controversial. The best doctors fought for the life of the general. Amputation did not help. General Vatutin, whose biography was considered in this article, died on the night of April 15, 1944 from blood poisoning.
The funeral of Nikolai Fedorovich Vatutin
For his mother, Vera Efremovna, this was the loss of her third son in 1944. She received news in February of the death of Athanasius Vatutin from battle wounds, then, in March, Fedor, her youngest son, died at the front. And in April, Nikolay Vatutin died. He was buried in the Mariinsky Park in Kiev. At the hour of burial in Moscow, Vatutin was given military honor - a salute of 24 volleys from 24 guns sounded. May 6, 1965 was posthumously awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" Vatutin.
His death was a tragic event for the country. General Vatutinn passed away at the age of 42, on the take-off of his career, having significant success. He did not have time to reveal his potential to the end and achieve military valor, which, of course, was worthy.
Monument to Vatutin in Kiev
In 1948, on January 25, a monument to Vatutin was erected in Kiev. It is located at the entrance to the Mariinsky Park in the Pechersky district of the city. The Verkhovna Rada building is located nearby. The authors - architect Belopolsky and sculptor Vuchetich. The height of the sculpture is 3.65 meters, the base and pedestal - 4.5 m.
Monument to Vatutin in Kiev - a full-length figure of Nikolai Vatutin in his overcoat. It is carved from gray granite. The base and pedestal (in shape - a truncated pyramid) were made of black labradorite. The pedestal is surrounded by laurel bronze garlands around the perimeter. Two reliefs are carved at the ends, which reproduce the stages of crossing the Dnieper and meetings with the liberators of the Ukrainian people (sculptor Ulyanov).
House of Nikolai Vatutin
House Vatutina is located in with. Mandrovo, Valuysky district, Belgorod region. The museum has two buildings. The first is the house in which Nikolai Fedorovich was born, and the second is built for his mother in 1944-45 by soldiers of the First Ukrainian Front. The museum was created in 1950 by decision of the collective farm. Its first director was the sister of Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich - Daria Fedorovna. Close and relatives collected his personal belongings, family photos, household items. So the first exposition was created.
In 2001, a new exhibition was opened. It was timed to the centenary of the birth of Nikolai Fedorovich. The number of exhibits today is 1275, 622 of them are the main fund (Vatutin’s personal items, household items, books, photographs).