Combat commanders compared the feat of paratroopers of the 6th company of the 104th regiment in Chechnya with the feat of 28 Panfilov soldiers near Moscow. The commander of the battalion, Evtyukhin Mark Nikolaevich, could not go on a mission by sending the young company major Major Molodov alone, but then it would be a different person. Because the whole life of the hero is the way to ascend to an unattainable level of fortitude and military duty.
It starts with a family
On May Day, 1964, a son appeared in the family of Lidia Ivanovna and Nikolai Vasilyevich Evtyukhin named after the great-grandfather-Cossack. Parents were builders, and his father was also a soldier, so the family often changed their place of residence. Born in Yoshkar-Ola, Mark Nikolayevich Yevtyukhin, whose biography will be closely associated with the army, will graduate in Severomorsk. Father for him and Igor’s brother has always been a model of a person of high morality and professional responsibility, who is kind to relatives. Work belonged to work, and at home he was a loving husband and a caring father.
Like his father, Mark all his short life will be devoted to the only woman whom he met in the fourth grade. My classmate's name was Lilya. And although the inscription about feelings for the girl appeared on the desk in the school years, the first kiss and romantic relationship will begin after completion of training. He entered the Ryazan VVDKU, and she went to the pedagogical institute. Their correspondence will be the beginning of the path to a future family life in which they will be happy for 13 years. Having been appointed to the 76th division in the Pskov region, in 1985 the officer will come to the village of Cherekhu with his young wife. And soon the couple will have a daughter, Olga.
Military career
As part of the Pskov Airborne Division, the entire army life of the future Hero of Russia will pass, having served in 1998 as the commander of the second battalion of 104 regiments. For 13 years, he will visit many hot spots, on his account business trips to Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, Armenia and Afghanistan. Participating in the peacekeeping forces, Yevtyukhin Mark Nikolayevich will pass a harsh school of civil war in Yugoslavia.
Graduated from the Ryazan Airborne School and brother Igor, whose participation in the First Chechen War almost ended tragically. Parents mistakenly received a funeral, while the wounded son got home through Yekaterinburg. Nikolai Vasilievich received a serious heart attack from this news, which did not allow him to cope with cancer in the future. The loss of the father did not prevent the sons from continuing to fulfill their military duty, and in 1999 the eldest son, Lt. Col. Yevtyukhin, went on a business trip to Chechnya. Mark Nikolaevich will tell his wife in two days about the second trip at the end of January 2000.
For some reason, this business trip really alarms her, but she will not dare to dissuade him. Six months ago, they spent a vacation together, and Lilia Yevtyukhina caught herself thinking that a person cannot have so much happiness. There was a fear that this could suddenly end.
On January 31, 2000, her husband’s battalion arrived in Chechnya.
Completion of the third stage of the CTO
9.02. the second battalion under the command of Yevtyukhin advanced in a column towards Dyshne-Vedeno, immediately accepting a baptism of fire. Having been ambushed by a large gang, the paratroopers were not at a loss and, having correctly organized the defense, launched a retaliatory strike, destroying two cars and 30 Mujahideen. By the end of the month, according to the words of the command of the United Group in Chechnya, the 3rd stage of the CTO was coming to an end and with the capture of Shatoy there was not a single large group of separatists left in the republic. 02/29. General Troshev joyfully reported this , posing in front of the cameras of the television reporters. On the same day, the 6th company, platoon of the 4th company and reconnaissance group of the 104th paratrooper regiment, and with them the battalion commander Yevtyukhin Mark Nikolayevich advanced to occupy the heights of 776 and 705.6 near Ulus-Kert to block leaving scattered bandit groups, who were surrounded, from the Argun gorge to Dagestan.
Feat of paratroopers
By a terrible coincidence, it was this route towards the 6th company that separatist detachments led by Basayev and Khattab, numbering more than 2 thousand people, were listening to a wave of paratroopers. Stretching for about a kilometer, loaded not only with weapons, but also with the necessary equipment and stoves for potting heights, soldiers and officers had to go to the mountains with a length of more than 10 kilometers. At 12-30, the reconnaissance patrol was the first to encounter the militants, while the paratroopers did not have time to really remove the equipment. There were forty of them, so Mark Nikolayevich Yevtyukhin, keeping calm and self-control, reported to the command of the group that the bandits demanded to let them pass, referring to the agreements between the commanders.
In response, he received an order: “To capture or destroy!” No one could have imagined that this would cause bitterness for the militants, who would begin to break through precisely here, where the company did not have time to gain a foothold at the height, and that they would hear all the negotiations, knowing full well that several dozen soldiers were opposing their almost two thousandth group. True, on their slang they were goblins, the most unstable and strong opponents - paratroopers, but they were ready to demolish them in numbers. And they were mistaken. Despite the fact that the company took the battle almost on the march and lost the company in the very first skirmish, the command was assumed by Mark Evtukhin, organizing a real rebuff.
90 soldiers and officers held back militant units for 19 hours, being surrounded on three sides. By morning, the battle turned into hand-to-hand combat, but the lieutenant colonel instilled confidence and encouraged the personnel with the hope that help would come. In fact, only a dozen people (4th company) made it to them at night under the command of Alexander Dostavalov, who were destined to share the fate of the sixth company - to stand until the last soldier. Yes, the artillery supported the fire, which in close combat does not make out where their own, and where strangers. After several nightly attacks, only a few people remained alive by morning. At 6.10 in the morning, the lieutenant colonel got in touch last time. Realizing that the work was done, he reported his coordinates, causing himself to fire artillery.
Evtyukhin Mark Nikolaevich - Hero of Russia
Having sacrificed their lives, the paratroopers thwarted the plans of Khattab and Basayev to leave the encirclement. But they will spend the whole day at a height, pulling off the bodies of hated "goblins", killing seriously wounded and mining corpses. Of the 90 people, six remained alive. These are those whom the officers sent for help, hoping at least to save their lives. And then, so that people learn about the feat of the 6th company. And they found out, despite the silence of the tragedy by the command of the group. Only thanks to the persistence of friends and relatives, as well as Governor Yevgeny Mikhailov (Pskov Region), on March 10, the country's leadership recognized the mass deaths of paratroopers, who covered themselves with glory and demonstrated fidelity to the traditions of the Airborne Forces: “Nobody but us!”.
Twenty-two soldiers and officers, including Lieutenant Colonel Yevtyukhin, will be awarded the title Heroes of Russia, 69 will be awarded the Order of Courage. By decree of the President in Cheryokh, a monument will be opened to the heroes of paratroopers “Dome”, standing next to the federal highway. At his opening, Putin will attend in person, and the company will become laureates of the Spirit of Warriors Award. On March 8, the Hero’s body will be delivered to Pskov. Mark Yevtyukhin will be buried at the city cemetery along with his comrades.
Biography, awards, family after 16 years
The paratroopers continue their biography, for they are forever enlisted in the personnel of the 76th Pskov division, and Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin - in the lists of the third company of the Ryazan VVDKU. The school in Severomorsk is named after him, where his brother, holder of the Order of Courage, comes to celebrations in his honor. He currently lives in Moscow, where he took Lidia Ivanovna, who heads the Fund named after him. Pskov paratroopers.
The main award of the officer is not only the Star of the Hero, it is the memory of everyone who knew him in this life and is equal to him. Comrades in arms recognize his indestructible spirit and his greatest self-control. He was a calm person with an even, inextricable character, a real “father” for soldiers, it was no coincidence that he loved the wonderful song “Combat”.
Lilia Evtyukhina raised her daughter, gave her education. And about personal life he says briefly: "The husband was and will forever remain the main man in my life."