Alexander Chekalin is one of the youngest Heroes of the Soviet Union. While still a schoolboy, the guy enrolled in a partisan detachment and, along with adults, fought against the Nazi occupiers. In the struggle for the homeland, he did not spare his life. The young man is still set as an example for the younger generation, and his feat has gone down in history forever.
Alexander Pavlovich Chekalin: a brief biography
Alexander was born in the territory of the modern Tula region on March 25, 1925. His father was an ordinary employee. From childhood he worked, helping parents. Sasha's father was engaged in hunting and often took his son with him. Therefore, from an early age, the future partisan learned to shoot and handle weapons. He liked to hunt and roam the surroundings. Alexander knew all the paths and was well versed in the local forests. According to the memoirs of fellow villagers, he was restless and constantly fond of something. He played the mandolin, for some time he was engaged in photography.
Sasha's mother worked in the executive committee, and in the thirty-eighth year she was appointed to a post in the city of Likhvin. The whole family moved there. A year later, Alexander Chekalin became a member of the Lenin Komsomol. According to the recollections of teachers and classmates, during his studies, Sasha paid most attention to physics and environmental studies. He was interested in various plants and the features of their development. He knew the names of many in Latin. He participated in various civil defense events. He was in a defense assistance society and had a badge for marksmanship. Among the interests of the young man was radio engineering. Sasha himself assembled the radio from the parts found.
Fighter squads
When the war began, Alexander Chekalin was still in Likhvin. Soviet units constantly retreated under the onslaught of the enemy. To support regular troops, Stalin ordered the formation of special fighter squads.
They received volunteers from the local population. Soldiers were given a certain amount of weapons and trained in shooting from it. The main task of the units was to maintain order in the rear. They were engaged in the capture of German paratroopers who landed as saboteurs or catapulted from downed planes. Also combatants were involved in the protection of important state facilities and anti-espionage activities. Alexander Pavlovich Chekalin in July enrolled in a fighter squad.
Partisans
In the fall, heavy fighting began near Tula. The Red Army lost ground and retreated east. By winter, the city fell and fell under Nazi occupation. Sasha and his father immediately went to the partisans. Partisan units were the hardest at the time. Due to the retreat and the resulting turmoil, the command simply did not manage to establish contact with the fighters operating behind enemy lines. The partisans lacked provisions and weapons. Everything they needed was supplied by local residents, risking their lives. Weapons were obtained at battlefields or as trophies.
Alexander Chekalin and his father were in the "Forward" detachment. The unit hid in the woods and from there delivered strikes against the Germans. Sasha knew the terrain and could navigate in the forest. Thanks to natural agility, he became a scout. His main task was to collect information about the state of German troops. Since the boy was not paid much attention, he could approach a close distance to the places of deployment of the Nazis. Sasha collected data on the number of personnel, equipment, weapons, and other important data. He also monitored travel routes. Thanks to this, several ambushes were made.
Resistance
When the German column went on the march, the partisans mined the road in advance. After undermining the driving vehicle, a barrage of fire began from the ambush, thanks to which the Nazis were destroyed even before they could understand what was happening. Alexander Chekalin participated in all these events along with adult fighters. According to the memoirs of the command, Sasha was most interested in weapons. He constantly looked for cartridges and rifles.
In the cold autumn, constantly hiding in the woods, Sasha caught a cold. The commander decided to send him to the house of one of the school teachers who supported the resistance.
However, when the guy arrived in the village, he found out that the woman was seized by the Nazis and taken away, while he was being sought. Being seriously ill, he decides to go to his native village. There, he quietly sneaks into the house. However, after a while the elder who collaborated with the Nazis saw smoke from the chimney. He realized that Alexander Pavlovich Chekalin was back. The headman hastened to report this to the military commandant’s office.
Alexander Chekalin: feat
The Germans immediately went out to catch the partisan. They surrounded the house. They let the headman forward so that he would scout the situation. However, the traitor was afraid that Sasha would shoot him, and simply hid behind a neighboring house. Then the Nazis went on the assault. Despite the disease, Alexander fought. He shot back from the windows, preventing the enemies from approaching. When the cartridges ran out, he threw a grenade, which never exploded, and tried to hide. However, he was caught.
In the military commandant’s office of Likhvin, he was subjected to severe torture. For several days, the Nazis tortured the young man, trying to find out information about the partisans. However, Alexander Chekalin did not say a word. Realizing that they would not achieve anything, the Nazis decided to publicly execute the boy. On November sixth, the gallows were placed on the main square. They put a plate on Sasha on which it was written: "Such an end awaits all the partisans." But before his death, the young man threw it and shouted into the crowd: "There are many of us, you do not outweigh everyone!" Then he sang the communist song "International."
Memory
Almost a year after the death of the young man, the city of Likhvin was liberated. Then the whole country found out who Alexander Chekalin was. The hero of the Soviet Union was posthumously reburied in the square of the city of Likhvin with all due honors. Many streets in the territory of the Soviet Union are named after the partisan. Also, several monuments and bas-reliefs were made around the country.