Burning Moscow

For future generations of Muscovites, May is not only a labor festival, but also the beginning of spring. On such days, they usually drove in groups and drove their cars to their villas in the suburbs to plant the land. After sowing the seeds of potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, and corn in the fertile land, they would not Don't ask, just wait for autumn to harvest.

However, May 1, 1941, was destined to be a day to be recorded in the annals of history. Because this is a temporary military parade in order to boost the morale of the whole people after the Soviet Union won the great victory in the defense of Stalingrad.

Although the military parade didn't start until ten o'clock, Yushchenko knocked on my door before seven o'clock and reported to me that Colonel Bezikov was waiting for me downstairs.

When I hurried downstairs, Bezikov was already impatient. When he saw my face, he complained: "Lida, why did you come down so late?"

"Colon Bezikov, doesn't the military parade start at ten o'clock?" Seeing him look upset, I raised my hand to look at my watch, and asked inexplicably, "But it's less than seven o'clock, we Does it need to go so early?"

Hearing what I said, Bezikov rolled his eyes at me and said angrily: "You think you are Comrade Stalin, you can enter the observatory a few minutes before the ceremony." Then, he turned and pulled away. After closing the car door, he greeted me to sit in, and at the same time urged, "Hurry up, it's time for martial law on Gorky Street a little later."

Sitting in the co-pilot's seat, I watched Bezikov start the car, and asked curiously: "Colonel, don't you have a special pass? Do those martial law officers still stop your car?"

"After eight o'clock, the troops participating in the inspection will enter Gorky Street one after another. Even if there is no martial law, our car will not be able to drive through." After finishing, he stepped on the accelerator. Our car drove forward.

When the car drove into Gorky Street, I saw tanks parked on the side of the road. All the camouflage nets above were uncovered, and the tank soldiers were busy nervously, making the final preparations before sending out. In the middle of the street, one team after another is marching in the direction of the Red Square. At this moment, I understand that Bezikov’s worries are not superfluous. Later, when more troops or technical equipment are placed on this street, our car will not be able to drive past. We must reach the Red Square. It must go in a very large circle.

Bezikov drove his car. When approaching the red three-story history museum, he turned right and drove towards the Alexander Garden, and parked the car in a temporary parking lot inside.

Looking at the densely packed cars in the parking lot, I can imagine how many important people will participate in the military parade. After Bezikov parked his car and came out, we walked towards the **** on the south side of the Red Square. A cordon was pulled at the bottom of the slope. A dozen policemen in gray cotton uniforms were checking the IDs of people entering the Red Square in cooperation with soldiers from the Central Guard Corps.

A young policeman walked in front of me, raised his hand to salute me, and said politely and blankly: "Comrade Commander. Please show your credentials!"

Seeing the policeman appeared in front of me, I couldn't help but shiver, and instinctively reached out to touch my ID. Before I put my hand in my pocket. I heard Bezikov's cold voice next to him: "Comrade civilian police, which bureau do you belong to, don't you know me?"

The policeman glanced at Bezikov, shook his head, and said in business: "I'm sorry, comrade colonel, I have received an order to check the documents of every person who enters the Red Square."

"What are you talking about, comrade policeman?" Bezikov heard the policeman say so. I couldn't help but sneer, and then asked in a mocking tone: "If it was a marshal who came here. Would you check his credentials?"

The police obviously heard the sarcasm in Bezikov's tone, and they couldn't help becoming a little flustered. When he didn't know how to deal with it, an officer of the guard regiment came by and saw that Bezikov was stopped by the police. He trot over and glared hard at the policeman before raising his hand to Bezikov. Salute, and apologize to him on behalf of the policeman: "I'm sorry, comrade colonel, this policeman is here to help temporarily. I don't know you, please forgive me!"

Bezikov snorted heavily at the policeman, and asked coldly, "Comrade policeman, can we go in?"

Seeing that the officers in charge of him must salute the other party, the little policeman knew that he had offended someone who shouldn't be offended, and his face flushed with shame, and said a little flustered: "Yes, of course, Comrade Colonel, please!"

When we crossed the cordon and continued to move forward, Bezikov whispered an apology to me: "Lida, I'm very sorry, I am not strict with my subordinates and offended you. Are you not angry?"

I heard Bezikov say this, guessing that he might have seen my shivering action before I took out my documents. He didn’t know that I had "police phobia", and thought I was trying to check the documents for the police. I was shivering with anger. I waved my hand quickly and replied, "Colonel, you are worrying too much. The policeman has done nothing wrong, and he is also performing his duties." In order not to get entangled in this boring Russian question, I deliberately turned off the topic and asked," By the way, where shall we sit later?"

Bezikov pointed to the low observatory on the south side of Lenin's Tomb and said, "No, isn't it? Let's sit on the observatory on the left, so that you can see the entire process of the troops and technical equipment entering the venue. "

With that said, we have come to the side of the viewing platform. Soldiers from the guard regiment stood guard around the viewing platform. They had three steps, one step, five steps, and one sentry. They blocked the viewing platform. After Bezikov nodded to a second lieutenant on duty, he led me through the two soldiers standing guard, walked a few steps along the passageway of the changing sentry, and then walked up the steps to the viewing platform.

There are seven rows of the observatory. In addition to a passage on the left and right, there is also a passage in the middle, which divides the entire observatory into two parts symmetrically. At this time, perhaps because of the early time, there were only a few people on the stage. Bezikov took me to the first row and sat down, and at the same time said apologetically: "Lida, because the decision of this military parade was so sudden, there hasn't been time to set up chairs on the observatory as it did in previous military parades. So I can only wrong you sitting in a cold concrete seat."

"It's okay, as long as there is a place to sit." In order not to make Bezikov feel guilty. After I finished speaking, I sat down on the concrete seat in the first row. Although there was a thick army coat and army pants, I still felt a chill. I stretched out my hand and patted the place next to me, with a smile on my face and said to Bezikov: "Colonel. You sit down too!"

Bezikov agreed and sat down next to me. Maybe he is rough-skinned. So after sitting down, the expression on his face did not change at all, and he still chatted and laughed with me.

We talked for a short time, and suddenly we heard a loud voice behind us: "Hey, look, who is this? Why does the back look so familiar."

Hearing this sound is familiar, I can't help turning my head. Want to see what happened. As soon as I saw the visitor clearly, I immediately jumped up from my seat and greeted him. At the same time, I said excitedly: "It turned out to be you, General Lelyushenko, long time no see, how are you?"

Lelyushenka shook hands with me, and said with emotion: "Yes, Lida, we seem to have never seen each other since the end of the defense war in Moscow. It has been more than a year in a flash, and now you are also a lieutenant general. Now, it seems you are doing well."

I looked at the rank of lieutenant general on Lelyushinka's shoulder. I can't help but feel a lot of emotions. Before the Moscow counterattack, he had the rank of lieutenant general. After so long, his rank has not been promoted. It can be seen that he is also unhappy. After shaking my hand, I asked with concern: "General Lelyushenka, I don't know which force you are commanding now?"

"I am now the commander of the 3rd Guards Army." Lelyushenka said to me in a steady tone: "I am in the composition of the Southwest Front Army. I participated in the Battle of Stalingrad and eliminated Germany and Italy in the middle reaches of the Don. The army and crushing the enemy in the fight for the rescue of the Paulus group. It is the main combat unit. By the way, in the past few months. My group army is also in Voroshilovg with General Khalidonov’s 6th group army. Cooperated in the Battle of Lele."

"Battle of Voroshilovgrad?" I didn't know anything about the battle mentioned by Relyushenka, so I turned to Bezikov who was standing next to me.

"That's it, Lida." Seeing that I turned my gaze to him, Bezikov knew that I was asking him for help, and said quickly: "The battle of Voroshilovgrad was like this. The Southwest Front Army was ordered to 1 An assault was carried out on the German Army on 30th. Due to the smooth development of the offensive, the Southwest Front Army's rapid cluster assaulted towards the Red Army Village and Volnovakha that day. The 6th Army of General Khalitonov cut off Kharko on February 8. -Lozovaya Railway. The 1st Guards Army captured Lozovaya on the 11th. The 3rd Guards Army of General Relyushenka fought hard close to Voroshilovgrad. The 8th Cavalry Army, which entered the breach with the 3rd Army of the Guards, rounded from the south, passed Voroshilovgrad, and advanced to the area of ​​Djebalicevo. The German * team built a 3 outside Voroshilovgrad. After many fierce battles, General Lelyushenka’s 3rd Army of Guards defeated and liberated Voroshilovgrad. The German team was forced to withdraw from the North Donets River to the Mius River. After this battle, our Southwest Front Army smashed the 3rd and 30th Panzer Corps of the 1st Panzer Army of the German * Army, advanced 120-250 kilometers in depth, and completely eliminated the German forces in the northern Donbass."

After listening to Bezikov’s popular science, I once again held Lelyushinka’s hand and said sincerely: “Commander Lelyushinka, you are really amazing for achieving such a brilliant result. It’s a pity that I went to the sixth. The group army’s time is too late, otherwise there will be a chance to fight with you again."

When I mentioned Khalitonov, the expression on Lelyushinka's face turned bleak. He shook my hand vigorously and said emotionally: "Lida, if you were not in Porokino at the time, If I am rescued in time, it is estimated that I will end up with General Khalitonov."

"Comrade Oshanina, you are so good!" Suddenly another voice rang next to me, which attracted my attention. Before I recognized the other party, he went on to finish the following words: "I heard you In order to redeem General Khalitonov and hundreds of wounded, even the captured German generals were returned to the Germans. Regarding your move, on behalf of the sacrificed General Khalitonov and his family, I would like to extend to you To express my gratitude and extend my high respect!" After finishing speaking, the general raised his hand to me a solemn military salute.

At this moment, I have recognized the person as the former commander of the 62nd Army, General Kolpakchi, and now he also carries the lieutenant general’s brand on his shoulders. He returned to the army. After raising my hand to pay the courtesy, I walked in front of him, stretched out my hands and shook hands with him, and said politely: "Hello, General Kolpakchi, it's been a long time since I saw you. How are you?"

"Thank you for your concern, Comrade Oshanina." Kolpakci also answered me politely: "I am fine. After leaving Stalingrad, I stayed in Moscow for about half a year. Not long ago, I just I was appointed as the commander of the 18th Army. After today’s military parade is over, I will return to the army.”

I saw a burly middle-aged man with thick eyebrows standing beside him. Although he was wearing ordinary military uniform, he still had a lot of medals on his left chest. After letting go of Kolpakchi's hand, I looked at the middle-aged man and asked Kolpakchi curiously: "Comrade General, I wonder if this commander is...?"

Hearing what I said, Kolpakic immediately turned to one side of his body, grabbed the middle-aged man’s right shoulder, and drew him closer to me, then smiled and introduced to me: "Comrade Oshanina, Let me introduce you. This is Comrade Brezhnev, a military commissioner of our 18th Army."

After listening to Kolpakci’s introduction ~www.NovelMTL.com~ I immediately reached out to his military commissioner and said friendlyly: "Hello, Brezhnev..." Before I finished speaking, I fiercely The ground shook all over, stopped the hand stretched in the air, and asked in surprise: "General Kolpakchi, what do you say is your military comrade's name?"

"Brezhnev." Although Kolpakic didn’t know why I asked, he truthfully repeated Brezhnev’s name and added the other’s full name: "His full name Named Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev."

After getting confirmation from Kolpakchi, I felt that my legs were a little weak. I didn’t expect another historical man to appear in front of me. Seeing the other’s outstretched hand, I quickly grabbed it, nervously. Said: "Hello, Comrade Brezhnev, it is nice to meet you!"

Brezhnev shook hands with me and asked curiously: "General Oshanina, you seem surprised to see me. Have you heard of me before?"

"No, no." Upon hearing Brezhnev’s question, I immediately shook my head and denied it like a rattle: "I have never heard of your name, but when General Kolpakci introduced you, I did not hear your name clearly, so I will confirm it again." (To be continued.)