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Video: Konstantin Nedorubov is the only Cossack in the world who became a complete Georgievsky Knight and Hero of the Soviet Union
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
How many heroes, whose names have sunk into Eternity, have given birth to the Russian land! One of them is the Don Cossack Konstantin Iosifovich Nedorubov, a full cavalier of St. George, who received a saber with a dedication from Budyonny himself. This brave man was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union long before the end of the Great Patriotic War. His Gold Star flaunted on his chest near the royal crosses …
On the farm Rubizhne
Konstantin Nedorubov was born in the late spring of 1889 on the Rubezhny farm of Berezovskaya stanitsa (today it is a village in the Volgograd region), which was then indicative. More than two and a half thousand people lived there and included four hundred households. There were two factories here - a brick and a tannery. There was a parish school, several medical stations, a savings bank, a telegraph office and a magistrate.
Kostya studied at a local school, learning literacy, counting and the Law of God. But he gave preference to simple Cossack science - horseback riding and the ability to wield weapons, which was known as a tradition in Cossack villages. Later it turned out that he needed these skills in the future more than theology.
Full cavalier
In January 1911, Nedorubov was called up to serve in the cavalry regiment of the First Don Cossack Division, which was stationed in the village of Tomashov, Lublin province. At the origins of the First World War, Constantine had the rank of a sergeant and led the formation of regimental intelligence officers. Then he was awarded the first St. George's Cross, bursting with a personal platoon into the location of the Germans and taking them prisoner along with a full ammunition load.
He received the second "George" in 1915, having gone alone to reconnaissance near Przemysl. It was there that the sergeant went out to the farm, where he found himself next to the sleeping Austrians. The desperate warrior, without waiting for help, threw a grenade into the yard and began to shoot, shouting the only German phrase he knew, "hende hoh". The sleepy enemy was sure that he was surrounded. So one Russian hero, thanks to his resourcefulness, captured an officer and 52 soldiers of the enemy army and brought them to his regiment.
Nedorubov was awarded the third cross in 1916 after the famous Brusilov breakthrough, showing courage and bravery in battles.
And Konstantin Nedorubov received the gold "George" 1st degree when, together with his comrades, he burst into the headquarters of an enemy division, captured a German general and seized important documents. He completed the First World War with the rank of lieutenant, becoming not only a full Knight of St. George, but also earning two more awards for courage.
Combat Commander
The civil war for many became not only an ordeal, but also completely changed their worldview. This did not pass and Nedorubov. Until the summer of 1918, he joined neither the red nor the white. However, he soon joined the regiment of Ataman Krasnov. Literally a month later, Constantine was captured. He was not shot - the Bolsheviks did not scatter such experienced military personnel, but tried to persuade him. Then Nedorubov made a decision that determined his entire future destiny. He "changed color" and became the squadron leader of the cavalry division.
The division of Mikhail Blinov, in whose subordination the former White Guard was now, has heroically established itself at the hottest points of the front. For participation in the defense of Tsaritsyn, which went down in history, Budyonny personally awarded Nedorubov with a personal saber. For the fact that he showed heroism in battles with Wrangel, the Cossack was awarded red revolutionary riding breeches. He was also presented to the Order of the Red Banner, but he did not have to add it to other awards: the order for awarding was canceled due to his past service in the tsarist army.
The civil war left in the memory of the hero not only the death of comrades, blood and hardships, but also a bullet in the lung that he carried until the end of his life.
In the camps
Returning victorious from the second war, Nedorubov began, as they said then, to raise agriculture. He was appointed a collective farm foreman, but Konstantin did not have to lead for long. He was accused of abuse of power for allowing the collective farmers to take the grain left over after sowing for food. They also undeservedly attributed the theft of inventory. He was sentenced to 10 years and sent to the construction of the Moscow-Volga canal.
And here, in Dmitrovlag, the Cossack distinguished himself - he worked with enthusiasm and very conscientiously. The construction was commissioned ahead of schedule, and Nikolai Yezhov personally accepted the results. Nedorubov was amnestied and released after three years in prison.
Conspired
Konstantin Iosifovich was already in his sixties when the Great Patriotic War began. Not only was he not subject to conscription because of his age, his candidacy was rejected for a criminal record and service in the tsarist army. Then he turned to the secretary of the district committee, who, under his own responsibility, helped Nedorubov go to the front.
For the courage shown during the capture of the village of Kushchevskaya in October 1943, the brave Cossack was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In this battle, Nedorubov's son Nikolai received more than a dozen wounds and remained lying on the battlefield, covered with earth, next to the dead. Three days later, residents of the village accidentally found him, hid him in the cellar and went out. But then my father did not know about it yet. He continued to drive the enemy from his native land.
Konstantin Iosifovich fought across Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Hungary. He was repeatedly wounded and in 1944 he was discharged.
Having gone through so many wars, this man of amazing will survived - it was not for nothing that his fellow soldiers nicknamed him "the conspiracy." Moreover, he has not forgotten how to enjoy life and forgive injustice. It is on such people that the world rests.
There is great interest today ethnographic album of Ivan Vasilyevich Boldyrev about the Don Cossacks … Real heroes.
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