Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov, Candidate of Military Sciences. "The Lost House of God"

KHLEBNIKOV Nikolai Mikhailovich (1895–1981)

Warlord. Colonel General of Artillery (1944). Hero of the Soviet Union (19.4.1945). Born 12/6/1895 in the village of Mikhalevo, Kostroma province, now Furmanovsky district, Ivanovo region. From a peasant family. In 1915 he graduated with honors from a real school in Ivanovo-Voznesensk and entered the Moscow Institute of Railway Engineers. Since 1916 - volunteer soldier of the artillery battalion. After graduating from accelerated courses at the Konstantinovsky Artillery School, he participated in the First World War. In the Red Army in 1918-24 and from 1931. He graduated from artillery command and tactical courses at the Military Artillery Academy named after. F.E. Dzerzhinsky (1932) and the Higher Military Academy named after. K. E. Voroshilova (1952). During the Civil War, he commanded a battery, an artillery division, and was the chief of artillery of the 25th Infantry Division (in the book “Chapaev” D. A. Furmanov portrayed him under the name Khrebtov). In 1919, on the recommendation of Furmanov, he joined the RCP (b). After the war, he took part in the liquidation of gangs in Ukraine. In 1921-24 - inspector for assignments from the directorate of the chief of artillery of the Moscow Military District. In 1932-36 and 1938-39 - commander of an artillery regiment, in 1934-36 and 1939-40 - chief of artillery of a rifle division. He was repressed in 1938 and released in 1939. In 1936-37 - head of artillery supply, then head of the combat training department of the directorate of the chief of artillery of the Moscow Military District. From April 1941 - chief of artillery of the 27th Army (from December 1941 - 4th shock). On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War from June 1941. From 1942 - commanded the artillery of the Kalinin Front, from December 1944 - the 1st Baltic Front, from February 1945 - the Zemland Group of Forces. Participated in the Rzhev-Sychevsk, Velikiye Luki, Rzhev-Vyazemsk, Dukhovshchino-Demidov, Smolensk-Roslavl, Nevelsk, Gorodok, Vitebsk-Orsha, Polotsk, Siauliai, Riga, Memel, Insterburg-Koenigsberg, Koenigsberg and Zemland operations. After the war he commanded the artillery of the Baltic Military District. In 1948-56 - head of the department of the Higher Military Academy named after. K. E. Voroshilov, while in 1952 he himself graduated from this academy. In 1956-60 - senior military adviser in China. Since 1960 - retired. Deputy Chairman of the Board of the All-Union Society "Knowledge", was a member of the editorial board of the television almanac "Feat", a member of the DOSAAF Central Committee. Author of memoirs. Candidate of Military Sciences. Awarded 3 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 4 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Orders of Kutuzov 1st degree, Suvorov 2nd degree, 2 Orders of the Red Star, medals. Died on January 18, 1981 in Moscow.

Moscow Encyclopedia. Faces of Moscow Buried together with N.M. KhlebnikovKhlebnikova Maria Akimovna(1906–1986), dressmaker, second wife of N. Khlebnikov.

Initial biography

Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov was born on December 6 (18), 1895 in the village of Mikhalevo, Kostroma province (now Furmanovsky district, Ivanovo region) into a peasant family.

In 1905, Nikolai Khlebnikov and his family moved to Ivanovo-Voznesensk, and in the spring of 1911, having passed the 4th grade exam as an external student, he entered a real school.

He worked part-time as a math tutor for the children of wealthy parents. Having graduated with honors from a real school in 1915, Khlebnikov entered the Moscow Institute of Transport Engineers.

World War I and Civil War

After graduating from the artillery school in 1916, Khlebnikov was sent to Petrograd for accelerated courses at the Konstantinovsky artillery school, after which he commanded a platoon of the 3rd Caucasian mortar artillery division with the rank of ensign on the Southwestern Front. In June 1917, Nikolai Khlebnikov was seriously wounded and then treated in hospital. After treatment, he was released on home leave.

In August 1918 he joined the Red Army. He worked in Ivanovo-Voznesensk as the head of communications for a battery of a communist detachment.

From December 1918 he fought on the Eastern Front. On the recommendation of Dmitry Furmanov, he joined the RCP(b). In the ranks of the Red Army, Khlebnikov commanded the battery of the 220th Ivanovo-Voznesensk Rifle Regiment, then the 74th Artillery Division of the 25th Rifle Division. V. I. Chapaeva.

From May 1920 he took part in the Soviet-Polish War. In December of the same year, Khlebnikov was appointed chief of artillery of the 25th Infantry Division. Awarded the Order of the Red Banner of the RSFSR.

With the end of the war, he took part in the liquidation of gangs in Ukraine.

Interwar period

Since April 1921, Khlebnikov served as an inspector for assignments from the directorate of the chief of artillery of the Moscow Military District. In 1924, Nikolai Khlebnikov retired to the reserve.

In 1931 he enlisted in the army for the second time. After graduating from artillery command and tactical courses at the military academy in Leningrad in 1932, he commanded the 14th artillery regiment. Since 1934, he simultaneously served as chief of artillery of the 14th Infantry Division.

From 1936 to 1937, Khlebnikov served as chief of artillery supply, head of the combat training department of the directorate of the chief of artillery of the Moscow Military District.

In 1938 he was arrested, and in 1939 he was released. After liberation, he commanded the 108th Kolomna Cannon Regiment of the High Command Reserve, from 1939 to 1940 he served as chief of artillery of the 160th Infantry Division, then was head of the 1st department of the directorate of the chief of artillery of the North Caucasus Military District, and from December 1940 - chief artillery of the 27th Army.

Great Patriotic War

From June 1941 he was on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. He commanded the artillery of the 27th Army, transformed on December 25, 1941 into the 4th Shock.

In 1942, Nikolai Khlebnikov was appointed to the post of chief of artillery of the Kalinin Front, in December 1944 - of the 1st Baltic Front, in February 1945 - of the Zemland Group of Forces.

By Decree No. 6184 of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 19, 1945, for the successful command of the front artillery during the assault on Königsberg and personal courage, Artillery Colonel General Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

Post-war period

Since 1945, Nikolai Khlebnikov commanded the artillery of the Baltic Military District. Since 1948, he worked as the head of the department of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, and in 1952 he graduated from this academy.

From 1956 to 1960, he served as a senior military adviser to the People's Liberation Army of China.

In 1960, Nikolai Khlebnikov resigned. He lived in Moscow, where he worked as deputy chairman of the board of the All-Union Society "Knowledge", a member of the editorial board of the television almanac "Podvig", a member of the Central Committee of DOSAAF, and also took part in the activities of the Soviet Committee of War Veterans.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov died on January 18, 1981. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

KHLEBNIKOV
Nikolai Mikhailovich 12/06/1895 Mikhalevo village, Privolzhsky district, Ivanovo region.
01/18/1981 Moscow, Novodevichye cemetery

At the time of nomination for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union:
artillery commander of the Zemland group of forces, artillery colonel general.

Born on December 6 (18), 1895 in the village of Mikhalevo, Kostroma province (now Privolzhsky, now Furmanovsky, district of Ivanovo region) in a peasant family. Russian. Member of the CPSU since 1919. In 1905 he moved with his family to Ivanovo-Voznesensk. In the spring of 1911, he passed the 4th grade exam as an external student and entered a real school. At the same time, he worked part-time as a math tutor for the children of wealthy parents. In 1915 he graduated with honors from a real school and entered the Moscow Institute of Railway Engineers.

In the spring of 1916, he was offered to enter the military engineering school, but Khlebnikov asked to be sent to the artillery. His request was granted and he became a full-time soldier in the reserve artillery division in Kharkov. Participated in the 1st World War. He fought on the Southwestern Front. After 2 months he was sent to Petrograd for accelerated courses at the Konstantinovsky Artillery School. After the course, with the rank of warrant officer, he commanded a platoon of the 3rd Caucasian mortar artillery division. In June 1917 he was seriously wounded and was taken to hospital. After the hospital, he was released on leave to his homeland, where the revolution found him.

In August 1918 he joined the Red Army. He was the head of communications for a battery of a communist detachment in Ivanovo-Voznesensk. Participant in the Civil War since December 1918. He fought on the Eastern Front against Kolchak. On the recommendation of D.A. Furmanov, he joined the Bolshevik Party. He commanded the battery of the 220th Ivanovo-Voznesensk Rifle Regiment, then the 74th Artillery Division. From May 1920 he fought against the Polish army of Pilsudski near Kiev. In December he was appointed chief of artillery of the 25th Infantry Division (in the book “Chapaev” Furmanov portrayed him under the name Khrebtov). Awarded the Order of the Red Banner of the RSFSR.

After the war, he took part in the liquidation of gangs in Ukraine. From April 1921 he served as an inspector for assignments from the directorate of the chief of artillery of the Moscow Military District. In 1924 he retired to the reserve.

Since 1931 he was back in the army. He graduated from artillery command and tactical courses at the military academy in Leningrad in 1932. Commanded the 14th Artillery Regiment. Since 1934, he was simultaneously the chief of artillery of the 14th Infantry Division. In 1936-1937 he was the head of artillery supply, head of the combat training department of the directorate of the chief of artillery of the Moscow Military District. In 1938-1939 he commanded the 108th Kolomna Cannon Regiment of the High Command Reserve. In 1939-1940 he was the chief of artillery of a rifle division, the head of the 1st department of the directorate of the chief of artillery of the North Caucasus Military District. From December 1940 - chief of artillery of the 27th Army.

On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. He commanded the artillery of the 27th Army (from December 1941 the 4th Shock). In 1942 he became the chief of artillery of the Kalinin Front, from December 1944 - the 1st Baltic Front, from February 1945 - the Zemland Group of Forces. In 1943, he was awarded the rank of Colonel General of Artillery. Participated in the Rzhev-Sychevsk, Velikiye Luki, Rzhev-Vyazemsk, Dukhovshchino-Demidov, Smolensk-Roslavl, Nevelsk, Gorodok, Vitebsk-Orsha, Polotsk, Siauliai, Riga, Memel, Insterburg-Koenigsberg, Königsberg, Zemland operations.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of April 19, 1945, for the successful command of the front artillery during the assault on Koenigsberg and personal courage, Colonel General of Artillery Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (Gold Star medal No. 6184).

After the war he commanded the artillery of the Baltic Military District. In 1952 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff and was left there as the head of the department. Candidate of Military Sciences, Associate Professor. In 1956-1960 he was a senior military adviser in China. Since 1960 - retired. Lived in Moscow. There was a deputy. Chairman of the Board of the All-Union Society “Knowledge”, member of the editorial board of the television almanac “Podvig”, member of the Central Committee of DOSAAF, actively participated in the activities of the Soviet Committee of War Veterans.

Awarded 3 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 4 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st class, Order of Kutuzov 1st class, Suvorov 2nd class, 2 Orders of the Red Star, medals.

Streets in Ivanovo, Furmanovo, Ivanovo region and Velizh, Smolensk region, and the ship MRKh are named after him. Memorial plaques were installed in Ivanovo and Furmanovo. Honorary citizen of Ivanovo (1971), Velikiye Luki (1975) and Velizh (1978).

Bibliography

- Antonov I. Their feat is beautiful and holy... - Ivanovo, “Novaya Ivanovo newspaper”, 2014.- P. 240-241.
- Belov P. Earthly thunderstorms. - Ivanovo, 1999.-S. 194-199: photo.
- Belov P. Our general // Ivan. gas. -1995. -19 Dec. -WITH. 4.
- Belov P.F. All hurricanes are in your face. - Ivanovo, 1995. - P. 76-124: ill.
- The Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945: Encycl. - M., 1985. - P. 772: photo.
- Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary. T.2. M.: Military. 1988.
- Heroes of the fiery years. Book 2. M.: Moscow worker, 1976
- Gorbunov G.I. The fate of the Chapaev artilleryman. - Yaroslavl: 1969.
- Drigo S.V. Behind the feat is a feat. Kaliningrad, 1984. P. 99
- Zhokhov M. Tireless general: To the 80th anniversary of N.M. Khlebnikov // Leninets. - 1980. -December 23.
- Zimin V. General’s greeting // Ivan. gas. - 1996. -23 Jan. - P. 4.
- Kargapoltsev S. Ivanovo land in the destinies of Heroes. Book 1 - Ivanovo, 2015 - P. 232
- Book of memory. - Ivanovo, 1995. -T. 6. P. 5-13.
- Komissarov God of War // Our life. - 2006 - February 22
- Krasovsky V. Furmanovsky land. Ivanovo. 2000. - P. 124
- Who was who in the Great Patriotic War: Ref. - M., 2000. - P. 265.
- Named after the Geres. Khlebnikov street. // New life.- 1981 - May 8
- He glorified our city // New Life. - 2006 - February 22
- Letters from the Great Patriotic War... -Ivanovo, 2005. -S. 79-80. -(No. 68).
- Feat. 3rd edition, rev. and additional Yaroslavl, 1980
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- Poltoratsky V. The fate of Nikolai Khlebnikov // Ogonyok. - 1948. - No. 6. - P. 8.
- Chunaev E. The feat of a lifetime // Working region. - 1980. - December 23.
- Churekov N. Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov // Working region. -1946. - 23 Feb.
- Assault on Königsberg. - 4th ed. - Kaliningrad: book. ed., 1985.
Essays:
- The legendary Chapaevskaya. - 3rd ed. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1975
- Under the roar of hundreds of batteries. - 2nd ed. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1979.

At first there was a slight shock from the archival document: Red Army soldier Ivan Petrovich Mangarov, born in 1916, was not awarded the Order of Kutuzov, III degree, in a timely manner. The order is purely for officers, for commanders of regiments, battalions, and companies. Why was a soldier introduced to him? I started to figure it out. And he opened the box quite simply.

Ivan Petrovich Mangarov was stripped of his officer rank. And then he was reinstated after two minor wounds in a penal battalion. They just made a mistake in the documents...

It was not possible to find out why the commander of a company of machine gunners, Captain Mangarov, who had been fighting on the Kalinin Front since December 1941, ended up in the penalty box. But it became known that in September 1943 Mangarov, then still a lieutenant and platoon commander, was nominated for the medal “For Courage”. He fought very honorably...

After the penal battalion, already a captain, Mangarov was sent to the 10th separate regiment of the officer reserve (OPROS) of the 1st Baltic Front. There were many like him here - front-line soldiers with a difficult fate who knew how to fight. Here, yesterday's Red Army soldier, and now captain Mangarov, was presented with the military order of Kutuzov, III degree. Moreover, the regiment commander nominated the officer for the award on May 14, 1945, and three (!) days later the front commander signed the order for the award.

The speed of processing documents is incredible. Unthinkable!

The order was signed by the commander of the 1st Baltic Front, Colonel General of Artillery Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov.

A brilliant master of counter-battery warfare, General Khlebnikov was caliph for an hour - and he himself was well aware of this. His command of the now non-combatant front was so short-lived that it was not even reflected in his official biography. But he managed to do the most important things for himself in this position. And for dozens of his front-line brothers-in-arms.

Khlebnikov ordered - immediately! urgently! - prepare award certificates for PORO officers and soldiers. The fate of most of them was not cloudless: captivity, being in occupied territory, penal battalions, endless wandering around hospitals. And as a result - not a single combat award for the people who fought from the first days of the war.

Not a single one!

General Khlebnikov decided to correct this grievous injustice. And he made full use of the power of the front commander. A golden rain fell on the regiment:

Order of the Red Banner - 7 officers,
- Suvorov III degree - one,
- Kutuzov III degree - 8,
- Bohdan Khmelnitsky III degree - 20, including one private;
- Alexander Nevsky - 4;
- Patriotic War I degree - 13,
- Patriotic War II degree - 45,
- Red Star - 109 officers and soldiers,
- Glory III degree - 17 soldiers and sergeants,
- medal “For Courage” - 13 fighters,
- medal “For Military Merit” - 16...

The actions of the artillery colonel general were based on precise mathematical calculations. And even more - psychologically: Khlebnikov understood that in the enthusiastic May days of Victory no one would blame him for such an order...

I'll die in my overcoat

Nikolai Mikhailovich Khlebnikov was a man of the first hour of the war, who fought brilliantly from the beginning to the end of the Great Patriotic War. This was irrefutably evidenced by his awards: the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, two military orders of Suvorov, 1st degree, Orders of Kutuzov, 1st and 2nd degrees, of Suvorov. Khlebnikov served in the artillery back in the First World War, during the Civil War he commanded an artillery division in the legendary 25th Chapaev Division, and in 1920 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

The Great Terror did not pass him by either: Red Banner Khlebnikov was arrested in 1938 and released in 1939.

It seemed that life should have taught Nikolai Mikhailovich caution. Nothing happened. In bad memory for the officer corps in 1960, when Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev announced the upcoming reduction of the army and navy by 1 million 200 thousand people, Colonel General of the Artillery Khlebnikov did not remain silent - and was immediately dismissed for his obstinacy.

Years will pass, and when Nikolai Mikhailovich celebrates his 70th birthday, one of his friends will rejoice for the general: “I’m amazed: how many times you risked your life, but happiness did not change you. Apparently he was born in a shirt.”

I don’t know whether I’ll wear a shirt or not,” the general responded, “but I’ll die in an overcoat.”

General Khlebnikov about his profession

“Sometimes I think: why, having dreamed of becoming an engineer since my boyhood, did I become a military man, an artilleryman? A coincidence of life circumstances? No! My choice was also influenced by the stories of my father, who served in the artillery, and, of course, my youth spent in the war. However, the main reason lies elsewhere - in mathematics, in the fact that I was able to apply my innate inclination to solving complex mathematical problems specifically in artillery.

Usually, mathematics is presented as a sort of “cracker” - a black suit, glasses, a decorous audience, a blackboard covered with formulas. But in the artillery there is a completely different figure: strong, agile, in a sun-bleached tunic, in a cap pulled low over his forehead, from under the visor of which keen eyes look like a hawk. This is the commander of the artillery battery. On a slope, in a trench, under brutal bombing and artillery shelling, he also operates with mathematical formulas, he prepares data for shooting. And the success of the entire battle often depends on how quickly and accurately he prepares them.

This is not a place for the faint of heart, and the close explosion of a heavy shell will not interfere with the battalion commander in his calculations. He will give the command in time, suppress the enemy battery with the fire of his battery and win the duel against the enemy because he is not only a good mathematician, but also a cold-blooded, brave person.”

Who was awarded by General Khlebnikov

Captain Ivan Alekseevich Krupennikov, born in 1910, commander of a rifle battalion, fought on July 3, 1941, took part in heavy battles and was wounded five times. Near Rzhev, near Vyazma, near the Sychevka railway station...

He had no awards. Despite the fact that on October 31, 1944, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree. But it was not awarded, because the battalion commander was once again seriously wounded and sent to the hospital.

By order of Khlebnikov, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Captain Nikolay Grigorievich Cherenkov, born in 1911, commander of a rifle battalion, fought on July 8, 1941 and was wounded four times. Including October 1, 1941, when “during the attack on the Sinyavino station of the Leningrad Front... while repelling the enemy’s attack, they repelled 3 enemy counterattacks and held the occupied line until their units arrived...”.

He had no awards.

The regiment commander presented Cherenkov with the Order of the Red Star. And the front commander, General Khlebnikov, awarded him the Order of Suvorov, III degree, which was very rare for a battalion commander, increasing the award six steps.

Captain Fedor Arsentievich Emelyanov, born in 1918, fought since June 1941, was wounded four times and shell-shocked once. Only one episode of Emelyanov’s front-line biography: during the offensive battles near Riga, he replaced the battalion commander who had retired due to injury, took command and continued to fight. “In this battle, the battalion destroyed 3 German tanks and more than 50 German soldiers...”

He had no awards.

The regiment commander presented the captain with the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree. And General Khlebnikov awarded him the Order of Kutuzov, III degree, increasing the award by four steps.

Lieutenant Aleshin Nikolay Ivanovich, 1923, fought continuously since July 1942, temporarily commanded a company, was wounded twice. “On July 20, 1944, when crossing the SVIPRA River in the area of the settlement of KOZLOVKA, Comrade ALESHIN with the company he received was the first to cross the river and took a bridgehead on the opposite bank of the river, capturing the settlement of KOZLOVKA. Repeatedly launched counterattacks by the enemy with the support of tanks were repulsed with heavy losses in enemy manpower and equipment - 4 tanks were knocked out, up to a platoon of infantry was destroyed. On July 24, 1944, during a general offensive from a occupied bridgehead, while occupying a populated area, he was wounded in the left arm and chest.”

He had no awards.

Lieutenant Aleshin, nominated for the Order of the Red Star, received the award thanks to General Khlebnikov by four steps above - the Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky, III degree.

Junior Lieutenant Bashkalov Pyotr Alekseevich, born in 1907, fought since January 20, 1942, commanded a rifle platoon, was wounded twice. “During the offensive in the area of the height of Zaitseva Gora, Smolensk region, on December 25, 1942, he was the first to break into the enemy’s trench, destroy 2 enemy machine gunners and, pursuing a group of Germans, occupied the height. And being wounded, he stayed with the unit until the neighboring company approached. He was wounded for the second time on 02/20/43, advancing as part of the 270th Infantry Regiment, by personal example he led a platoon into the attack and, breaking into the enemy trenches, destroyed up to 10 Nazis.”

He had no awards.

Junior Lieutenant Bashkalov, nominated for the Order of the Red Star, received the award three steps above - the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

P.S.A few weeks later, General Klebnikov took part in the Victory Parade