To be honest, I have never been in such a well-maintained and well-groomed countryside in my life and on our land.
The village of Prokhorovka is a regional center in the north of the Belgorod region, in close proximity to the neighboring Kursk region. Prokhorovka is located on the Central Russian Upland, in the area of the watershed of the Don and the Dnieper. Not far from here are the sources of the rivers Psel, Seim and Seversky Donets, of which the first two belong to the Dnieper basin, and the third to the Don basin. All these rivers flow towards neighboring Ukraine, which is no more than 100 kilometers from these places.
A little less than 10 thousand people live in Prokhorovka. The village itself arose around the end of the 17th century.
In the 1880s, the Kursk-Kharkov-Azov line passed to the west of the village. railway and the Prokhorovka station was built, named after the railway engineer V. I. Prokhorov, who was responsible for its construction.
Prokhorovka became world famous in 1943, because it was here that the German offensive on the southern face of the Kursk ledge stopped.
The economy of the village is represented by a dairy plant, an asphalt plant, an elevator, a mixed feed plant, a dairy complex, and pig farms.
With the regional center and the neighboring Kursk region, Prokhorovka is very well connected by train and buses.
I don’t even know how to comment on all this, because the photos quite eloquently convey what they saw.
I don't know if this can be called outback or not?
Everywhere and in everything you can feel the master's hand and love for your village.
By the way, Prokhorovka received a special impetus in its development already in post-Soviet times. Among other things, tourism began to develop here, thanks to the popularization of military-historical topics related to the Battle of Kursk.
Much of this picture speaks for itself.
So I finally came to the memorial complex, which is located about 1.5 km from the railway station, on the northern outskirts of the village. The huge bell tower is visible from almost all points of the surrounding area.
A monument to the same Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov, who made a lot of personal efforts in creating a memorial dedicated to the Battle of Kursk.
Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, built in 1995 and consecrated by Patriarch Alexy II. The military history museum is visible in the background.
Bell "unity of three fraternal peoples". There are only two fraternal peoples today, Russian and Belarusian.
I remember it happened in the early days of Putin's presidency, in 2000.
Inside the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
The peculiarity of this temple is that on the marble slabs of its walls the names of 7 thousand soldiers who fell in the battle of Prokhorovka are carved.
These places have become extreme point the advance of the Germans in Operation Citadel, regardless of the tactical results of the battle that took place on July 12, 1943. For Soviet troops these tactical results were, to put it mildly, not entirely successful, and the losses significantly exceeded the German ones, but all this in no way calls into question the mass heroism shown by the Russian tank boys in battle with a stronger, more experienced and better equipped enemy.
Be that as it may, this battle (or battle) became the culminating point of the Battle of Kursk, because it was after July 12 that the Germans finally stopped the offensive and began to go on the defensive.
In Soviet times, a myth was created about a grandiose tank battle in which the Germans suffered a crushing defeat. Today, however, some liberal historians have gone to the opposite extreme, claiming that German casualties at Prokhorovka were only three!! tank, and tank forces The USSR were utterly defeated. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle and it lies in the draw of the battle on July 12, even taking into account the higher losses on our side.
In my opinion, the Battle of Prokhorov should be viewed primarily as a small episode of a huge battle that took place on a strategic scale. So, it was this battle that Nazi Germany lost and no one questions it, because its results and subsequent events are completely obvious. And the Prokhorovsky memorial, in my humble opinion, should be considered a memorial to the ALL defensive period of the Battle of Kursk, because there should be a place on earth where you can come and bow to the courage of ordinary Russian tankmen.
With all due respect, I have a question - why exactly the "third" military field? The first and second are the Kulikovo and Borodino fields. But what about the Battle of Poltava, which made Russia an empire? Or does the fact that after 1991 it ended up outside the Russian Federation make this question politically incorrect? Ugh, what a nasty word..
In the museum. Entrance costs 60 rubles, photographing 30 rubles. The total is about 23 hryvnia, which is quite inexpensive.
The guide tells the children about the Second World War. There is something about this map that I didn't like very much. Namely, the fact that the borders between the republics of the united USSR in 1941 are shown in the same way as the full-fledged borders between all other European states. If a child sees such a thing, it will be deposited in the subconscious that in 1941 the Russian Federation was separate state with a modern border.
The Kaliningrad region and the modern border of Germany on this map are especially touching.. Does it really not occur to anyone that this map is absurd and inappropriate in this museum?
You know, when I saw this example of German propaganda, for some reason I remembered today's Ukraine. How exactly its content resonates with the modern content of Ukrainian anti-Russian propaganda, which has been stuffed into the heads of Ukrainians for many years.
Other examples of Nazi propaganda.
Exposition dedicated to the Red Army.
An exposition dedicated to our enemy, who at the time of the battle had a significant technical superiority. But this did not help him win the Battle of Kursk.
Soviet armored vehicles in service with the Red Army by July 1943.
The commanders of the SS and Wehrmacht troops who participated in the battle from the German side.
SS grenadier and tanker of the Grossdeutschland Motorized Division. German equipment and weapons are impressive.
What a strong and sophisticated enemy our troops had to face near Kursk. And in spite of everything, just 2.5 months after the local events, the front line was already passing hundreds of kilometers to the west, along the Dnieper.
Orthodox crosses and icons of Russian soldiers found on the Prokhorovsky field by search engines.
Reconstruction of the headquarters of the Voronezh Front.
The remains of the IL-2 attack aircraft found in these places.
An authentic T-34-76 tank is exhibited in the hall. These were the ones who went into battle.
Behind the museum there is a small exposition of our and German military equipment. With German technology as always big problems, like everywhere else in space former USSR, due to the fact that in the post-war years everything was totally melted down. The military generation wanted to quickly forget terrible war and least of all thought about future museums.
Fragments of our tanks, which were found in the surrounding fields and ravines.
Monument to tankers - heroes.
Live always and prosper, beloved Prokhorovsky region!
God grant that this land will never see war again.
A civilized crossing for people and cyclists is equipped through the railway line. There is nothing to knead dirt and gravel with your feet.
Prokhorovsky black soil. For many years after the war, he was stuffed with metal.
The Prokhorovskoye field itself is located 3 kilometers south of the village and there is another memorial, though without a museum. I was taken there by a local taxi driver.
A belfry was built on the field and armored vehicles were built in columns.
I must say that the T-34-85 tank, which you see in the photograph, was not yet in service with the Red Army in July 1943.
Such equipment began to massively enter service from the end of 1943, and at the time of the Battle of Kursk, the Germans had a short-term superiority in the quality of armored vehicles. However, it doesn't matter now. Memorial Complex is intended to symbolize the memory of those who died for the Motherland and to educate the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism.
A very relevant inscription for modern Ukraine.
I return to the village along a good road, admiring the local landscapes along the way.
The old pre-revolutionary building at the station, which was a witness to the battle.
The stopping point of the train "Belfry", which I passed. The photos are of course not mine.
On May 2, 2010, the Third Military Field of Russia museum opened its doors. It came significant event not only for the Belgorod region, but for the whole of Russia as a whole. A modern museum complex with a total area of 5,000 sq.m. was put into operation. It forms a single architectural ensemble with the Peter and Paul Church and the cultural and historical center "The Third Military Field of Russia" Prokhorovka Field ". At the same time, the temple of the Primate Apostles Peter and Paul remains the architectural dominant.
It is symbolic that the construction of the museum began on February 6, 2009 - the day of the celebration of the next anniversary of the liberation of the village of Prokhorovka from Nazi invaders. The grand opening of the museum was attended by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', Chairman of the Prokhorovskoye Pole Board of Trustees, member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly Russian Federation Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Alexander Alekseevich Avdeev, Archbishop of Belgorod and Starooskolsky John, Governor of the Belgorod Region Evgeny Stepanovich Savchenko and veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
At the opening ceremony of the Museum "Third Military Field of Russia" former front-line soldiers were in the spotlight. The governor of the region, Yevgeny Stepanovich Savchenko, presented them with medals "65 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War."
Representatives of the younger generation, students of the cadet classes escorted each veteran to the museum, where the symbolic ribbon was solemnly cut,
after which His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' sprinkled the central entrance to the museum and made the first tour of the museum's exposition and left the following entry in the guest book.
Getting on the territory of the museum complex, you psychologically rebuild, because you immediately get into the atmosphere of the greatness of the feat and the grateful memory of descendants. In the center of the pre-museum square is the majestic sculptural and artistic composition “Tank battle near Prokhorovka. Ram". This is a composition - a symbol that personifies heroism Soviet soldiers. This is Prokhorov's battle in miniature, nevertheless, it fully conveys the intensity of the battle.
The author of the composition is People's Artist of Russia Friedrich Sogoyan. There are six steles at the entrance to the museum. Thanks to the information posted on the steles, you read the book about the Battle of Kursk made in stone again and again. The information posted here was prepared by the Institute military history. On May 2, 65 symbolic candles were lit on the touching and beautiful monument "Candle of Memory" at the entrance to the museum.
Everything behind the museum building is also unusual. Here is a fragment of the Soviet and German defensive fortifications, consisting of trenches, trenches, communication passages, platforms for guns and shelter for tanks. A dugout is included in the trench system.
A reconstructed observation post on the territory of the Soviet trenches.
Just as the museum territory is interesting and unusual, so is the intra-museum exposition. This Museum is a museum of a new generation, the only one of its kind in Russia. It is designed both for a single visitor and for receiving a large number of tourists.
1st hall. The exposition begins with a section showing the history of the Prokhorovsky district on the eve of the war. The exhibits reveal the features of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War, which were determined by the just nature of the war on the part of Soviet Union that evoked deep patriotic feelings among the population. The rapid and tragic transition from peaceful life to the military. The video film "Invasion" convinces of the scale and particular cruelty of the armed confrontation.
Exhibits of the showcase "Defensive battles of the Red Army in 1941-1942" testify to the tragic events of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War, to the heroic resistance that made it possible to thwart the German plans. A special place in the exposition is given to the topic "Occupation regime". The exhibits reveal the darkest pages in the history of the Prokhorovsky District and cover the main directions of the misanthropic policy of the invaders - executions, the deportation of the population to work in Germany, the burning of prisoners of war.
The feat in the name of the Victory of rural workers and, above all, women who replaced the men who went to the front is shown.
The exposition also reveals the atmosphere of life at the front in between battles. The “Letters Home” complex is especially highlighted as the sources that preserve the physical and spiritual strength of the Red Army soldiers.
2nd hall. Beginning of the Battle of Kursk fighting July 5-11 - the theme of the second hall of the exposition.
The exposition presents models of various military equipment, items of participants in the battles.
The 5th Guards Stalingrad Tank Corps was the first unit to take the fight on Prokhorovka land. The showcase displays the personal belongings of the corps commander Kravchenko A.G. - Twice Hero of the Soviet Union.
In the battles near Prokhorovka on July 11, senior sergeant of the 2nd tank corps Borisov M.F. especially distinguished himself, knocking out 7 tanks from his gun. Prokhorovtsy honor, remember and are proud of the Hero of the Soviet Union M.F. Borisov.
183rd rifle division played a special role in the history of Prokhorovka. In 1943, the soldiers of the division liberated the village, built defensive fortifications and held out until the reserves approached. Through the personal belongings of the participants in the battles, Chernyshev S.I., Yastrebov V.D., Solntsev A.T., the theme of the participation of the 183rd division in the battles near Prokhorovka is revealed.
In a showcase dedicated to the 5th Guards. army under the command of Lieutenant General Zhadov A.S. awards of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army Oleinikov A.I. and personal belongings of his son, who fought with his father - Oleinikov G.A. Touching objects associated with the name of M.M. Rokhlina and her husband I.V. Rokhlin. Additional Information placed in computer kiosks installed in the hall.
3rd hall. On July 12, the 5th Guards Tank Army of Lieutenant General Rotmistrov P.A. is put into battle. For the first time, genuine furniture from the house where the headquarters of the army commander was located is exhibited in the Rotmistrov Headquarters complex, and personal belongings of P.A. Rotmistrov are presented.
The participation and coordination of the actions of various formations is evidenced by the complexes of artillerymen, tankmen, mortarmen, scouts.
Warfare cards with turn-on enable full time and spatial representation about the advance of the troops. Reconstructions and spatial compositions complement and enhance the exhibition complexes.
Showcase dedicated to the combat operations of the 18th and 29th tank corps of the 5th Guards Army, where personal belongings of the heroes of the battle are displayed.
The complex "Fights on the Psyol bridgehead" reveals the phenomenon of the Red Army as a people's army from representatives of various nations and nationalities. The platoon of senior lieutenant Hero of the Soviet Union Shpetny consisted of soldiers of various nationalities. At the cost of their lives, they stopped the Germans.
An invaluable contribution to the victory over fascism was made by Soviet women. Signalers and pilots, cooks and librarians - they stood on a par with men.
Separately, in the window, the exposition complex "In the hospital" is highlighted
4th hall. The exposition of the hall tells about the significance of the Prokhorov battle and the fate of its participants. In the center of the hall is the legendary Victory Tank - T-34, which arouses constant interest among visitors. The hall presents the personal belongings of the participants of the Prokhorov battle, who achieved outstanding success in various industries science, technology, production, military art.
5th hall."Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War" - the theme of the 5th hall of the exposition.
1941. Battle near Moscow.
1942 In the summer of 1942, the enemy launched a new powerful offensive. The great Battle of Stalingrad unfolded.
1943 The Battle of Kursk unfolded on the native land of the Prokhorovites.
1944 In 1944, the Red Army completely liberated Belarus and the Baltic States.
1945 The Berlin operation carried out by the Red Army from April 16 to May 8, 1945 is a strategic offensive, during which the defeat of Nazi Germany was completed.
In the lobby of the second floor, a decorative kinematic composition "War Machine" is installed, working according to the projected scenario.
On the second floor there is an exposition "History of the region". The monuments presented in the exposition reflect the main stages from the 7th century BC to the 21st century. The past appears in a row major events and phenomena.
Our land has become inhabited since ancient times. IN different time it was inhabited by various tribes. The theme "Protection of the Fatherland" is revealed through the model of the notch line, made on a scale of 1:200 and the model of the section of the fortress wall with towers. Belgorod region is one of the most unique territories of the Central Chernozem region and the Prokhorovsky district is special, because. it is here that the watershed of the basin of the large rivers of Central Russia - the Dnieper and the Don - passes.
In the natural and climatic conditions prevailing in the region, a mixed biodiversity of the species composition of the forest and steppe fauna and flora is observed.
Based natural conditions: climate, natural resources, crafts and crafts developed. Traditional occupations of the population: hunting, fishing, beekeeping, production tools, pottery, weaving.
The exposition reflects all the classes that inhabit our region: the peasantry, the merchants, the nobility.
All the colorfulness and diversity of life at the end of the 19th century is shown in a separate exposition.
The beginning of the 20th century is a time of transformations, revolutionary upheavals, wars and everyday work.
1920-30s… The time of the first five-year plans, labor enthusiasm, collectivization, socialist competition.
The post-war development of the region is shown through complexes that tell about achievements in agriculture, culture, sports, education, the preservation of military-patriotic traditions.
Exposition about the Honorary Citizen of the Belgorod Region and the Prokhorovsky District N.I. Ryzhkov. N.I. Ryzhkov is our contemporary, an outstanding person who has passed a worthy path and in the period from 1985 to 1990, headed the Government of the Soviet Union.
The brainchild of the last 18 years is the creation and development of the Prokhorovskoye Pole Museum-Reserve, where he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
To work with children, the museum has a technically equipped classroom for 24 places, where quizzes are held, team games. The past and present are kept by museum collections, numbering about 20,000 exhibits. Photos, documents, posters, leaflets, awards, weapons and other relics tell about people who left a bright mark on history.
The past and present are kept by museum collections, numbering about 20,000 exhibits. Photos, documents, posters, leaflets, awards, weapons and other relics tell about people who left a bright mark on history.
Information for visitors.
The Museum of Military Glory of the Third Military Field of Russia is the main cultural and educational institution in the Prokhorovsky District. Since its opening, the museum has become a particularly revered place for Prokhorovtsy and guests of the village, a venue for regional events, one of the glorious symbols of the Belgorod region. In addition to excursions, it hosts a variety of cultural, educational, military and patriotic events, including exhibitions, presentations, seminars, Memorial evenings, film lectures. For this, the museum has sufficient facilities. This is a new generation museum, one of the first in Russia. Here, for the first time, new informative and organizational technologies were introduced. On the ground floor there is a cinema hall with 90 seats. Organizational support of events, provision of video and sound equipment is provided. The structure of the museum has a scientific library.
To perpetuate the memory of the defenders of the Motherland who died on Prokhorovka land, an electronic Book of Memory has been created. Information about the dead is provided to both individuals and organizations. The museum has necessary conditions to serve people with handicapped including wheelchair users.
In the information and educational section, there is a model of the Belgorod region, made on a scale of 1:300,000, a mini-cinema for 20 seats, and exposition complexes dedicated to military photojournalists and the history of Belgorod and the region. A tank simulator is also installed here.
The creators of the exposition are scientific employees of the Prokhorov Museum and the Combine of Museum and Exhibition Art of St. Petersburg (General Director E. Mikhailova, leading artists V. Nalivaiko, A. Pazgalev, Yu. Alyushina).
The museum is always glad to see you! Welcome to the Museum of Military Glory of the Third Military Field of Russia!
The museum is open for visitors from 10.00 to 17.00. Day off - Monday.
Everyone always looks forward to the May holidays. Sun, warmth, great mood, May 1, after all! Pulls on the road! This time our path went to the Belgorod region, Prokhorovka village.
Here, during the Great Patriotic War, the largest tank battle took place. On July 12, 1943, the armies of Manstein and two Soviet armies- 5 Guards and 5 Guards Tank Army. It was the most significant battle of the Oryol-Kursk salient.
All along the same, beloved highway M 2, we went towards Kursk. The weather kept getting better and better! The road pleased the eye with landscapes and excellent coverage. Having entered the Belgorod region, we drove for another hour to the signpost in the village of Yakovlevo, and there it was already very close to the memorial. All the way from the city of Orel to the village of Prokhorovka near Belgorod took 5 hours of pleasant pastime.
Before reaching the village itself, we saw a memorial. A huge space where samples of military equipment are located and there is a monument to those who died in this battle.
Even from afar, only approaching, we noticed him. This monument is called "Belfry". It was installed for the 50th anniversary of the Victory in 1995. This is a stele, created in the form of a bell tower, more than 50 meters in height, and a large bell hangs inside!
Believe me, it's impressive!
To the side, on a hill, stands the T 34 tank.
You can approach all combat vehicles and guns and touch them with your own hands. This is what many children and adults who visited the memorial at that moment were doing.
After spending 5 hours on the road, we wanted to have a bite to eat. On the territory there is a cafe "Dugout".
Interesting interior, prices are very low.
But we didn't enjoy the food.
The menu included soldier's porridge, borscht, hodgepodge, tea, all like 1943. We could have taken something else, but we decided to try what a soldier's porridge is! No! This is not buckwheat with meat, as my daughter thought! It turned out to be salted millet on the water with bacon! Of course, I don’t feel sorry for 28 rubles, but it was not very pleasant to eat. This was the only downside to our trip. We somehow quenched our hunger.
After walking around the field, we still decided to get to the village itself. 10 minutes and we are there! In Prokhorovka, focusing on the domes of the church, we drove along the main road to a large museum, which is also called the Third Military Field.
I kept thinking why Third field? Then I realized! By the scale of the battles: First - Kulikovo field, Second - Borodino and Third - Prokhorovka!
The museum is very large and interesting.
Trenches have been dug in the yard, there are several dugouts (they were, however, closed), there are broken guns and shell casings lie all around. Joy for children! Run through transitions and moves as much as you like!
There is a monument in front of the entrance, it is called "Taran".
The tanks of the opposing sides, life-sized, collided head-on! Makes an amazing impression! You, compared to them, seem like a bug!
The museum has two floors, there are interactive screens where you can see how the disposition of the enemy troops changed during the battle, see the technical characteristics of the weapons of both sides.
Seventy years ago, events took place that you can now learn about from school textbooks. It is known that a tank battle took a lot human lives. To perpetuate the feat of Soviet soldiers, the Prokhorovskoe Pole State Military Historical Museum-Reserve was created on the territory of the Prokhorovsky District of the Belgorod Region. Not so long ago, the Museum of Military Glory of the Third Military Field of Russia also became part of it. It opened in May 2010.
The museum complex occupies 5000 square meters. Imagine how much that is! Here, the cultural and historical center "The Third Military Field of Russia" Prokhorovskoye Field "and the temple of the First Apostles Peter and Paul adjoin, since the decisive battle of the Battle of Kursk took place on the day of these saints - July 12.
At the entrance to the museum itself, six stelae are installed. These are special stone slabs with the names of the soldiers who fell here, information about the course of the battle. There is also something to see behind the museum building: fragments of Soviet and German defensive fortifications with trenches, trenches, platforms for guns and shelter for tanks. And on the territory of domestic trenches, an observation post was reconstructed.
From peaceful life to wartime
Hall number 1 we are greeted with an exhibition telling about the history of the Prokhorovsky district. The way he was before the war. Imagine, just a minute ago people lived an ordinary peaceful life: they read books or listened to music, played lotto and dominoes ... And a moment later - war. The exhibits in this room show the rapid and sudden transition from civilian life to military life.
In hall number 2 - an exposition dedicated to the beginning of the Battle of Kursk and the hostilities that took place from 5 to 11 July. It housed models of various military equipment, personal belongings of the participants in the battles. For example, the things of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Andrey Kravchenko. His tank corps was the first to take over the battle on Prokhorovka land.
Hall number 3 dedicated to the events of July 12. On this day, the tank army of Lieutenant General Pavel Rotmistrov entered the battle. The Rotmistrov Headquarters complex includes furniture from the house where the headquarters of the army commander was located, as well as personal belongings of the lieutenant general. And here you can also see complexes (these are such mini-exhibitions dedicated to a single topic) of artillerymen, tankmen, mortarmen, scouts, turn-by-turn maps of military operations.
In hall number 4 tells about the significance of the Prokhorov battle and the fate of its participants. The legendary T-34 Victory Tank is in the spotlight. Did you know that the engine power of this tank is 500 horsepower, and it can accelerate up to 54 kilometers per hour? And this is with an average weight of 27.5 tons!
The hall also displays the belongings of the participants in the battle, who have achieved significant success in the fields of science, technology, production, and military art.
Theme of the hall number 5 - victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. Here, literally by years, the most significant battles that influenced the course of the war are presented. Battle of Moscow (1941), Battle of Stalingrad (1942), Battle of Kursk - (1943). In 1944 - the liberation of Belarus and the Baltic States by the Red Army. In 1945 - the Berlin operation, as a result of which Nazi Germany was defeated.
And on the second floor of the museum there is an exposition "History of the region". There are also many interesting exhibits here. They show how the Belgorod land developed from the 7th century BC (these are very ancient times!) to the present. There are mock-ups of both the notch line and a section of the fortress wall. The life of our ancestors, the arrangement of their houses is presented.
tank ram
On the territory of the complex there is a sculptural and artistic composition “Tank battle near Prokhorovka. Ram". Many call it easier - "Tank ram". A well-known Belgorod sculptor worked on the frame of the "ram" Taras Kostenok O. The plot of the composition - literally pounced on the fascist "tiger" two Soviet tanks- represents an episode a few seconds before the explosion ... The author of the sculpture itself was a well-known sculptor in Russia Friedrich Sogoyan.
Sculpture "Tank ram"
Elena Melnikova
“Good work is obtained when the created work passes through the heart. Only then is it possible to revive the cold stone and concrete,” Friedrich Mkritovich always said.
In 2000, a monumental composition, also created by Friedrich Sogoyan, was opened in the Belgorod region - a monument to tank soldiers who defeated the armored fascist armada in the battle of Prokhorovka.
And let the main characters of the "Tank Ram" are not people, but combat vehicles, it is not difficult to imagine what the soldiers who were in these tanks were thinking at that moment, what they were dreaming about. Some - cursed the enemy who came to capture native land, others - cursed those military leaders who sent them to certain death in a country where even children were ready to give their lives for their homeland.
The "Tank Ram" has its own history. More than ten tank rams were made on the Prokhorovsky field, on which the Soviet soldiers went, knowing in advance that they would die. On July 12, the first such feat was accomplished by the crew of the “thirty-four” tank - crew commander Lieutenant Gusev, driver Alexander Nikolaev, senior sergeant Roman Chernov. 20-year-old sergeant Nikolaev, saving the wounded commander and his comrades, gave the order to himself: "I'm going to ram!". He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Posthumously…
The feat of the Soviet tankers is also captured on a monumental art canvas in the diorama museum " Kursk Bulge. Belgorod direction. It was from there that the sculptors picked up the idea of depicting a tank ram as a monument.
What's inside?
And what is inside the "Tank Ram". An inconspicuous door from the outside - and here in front of you is a distraught German soldier, behind whom, as if in a mockery, a quote "from Hitler": "The victory near Kursk should act on the world as a signal of fanfare." And the date is April 15, 1943.
Sculpture of a German soldier inside the "Tank Ram"
Elena Melnikova
Some three months remained before the turning point battle on the Prokhorovsky field. A photograph of a German soldier after the battle was taken by military photojournalist Viktor Kinelovsky in July 1943. Confusion, hopelessness, despair in the guise of a man who brought so much grief to our country, personify the defeat of Nazi Germany. For the first time in 65 years after the war, the enemy is depicted not as a ferocious and ruthless invader, but as a deeply unhappy, distraught person. During the tour, a three-minute soundtrack still sounds here - explosions, the rattle of tank armor, the death cries of soldiers.
And it’s as if a fascist driven into a trap is groaning, who, probably, was also expected from the front there, in Germany…
Work on the creation of the monument "Tank Ram" can be called jewelry without exaggeration. The minting of brass and black metal was carried out by eleven people - it was thanks to hand-chasing that the tanks turned out “as if alive”, it seems that the clumsy machines, rattling, will disperse, and ... I had to work inside in gas masks, since only argon welding, while zinc, lead and other harmful substances are released into the air. In total, about 20 people worked on the creation of the monument.
Sculptor Taras Kostenko said that while working on the Tank Ram, the masters encountered inexplicable, almost mystical facts. When the shot-building process was carried out (on a special installation under high air pressure, the metal had to be coated with fine shot to clean it from oil and other impurities), the metal on the tanks began ... to cry, as if covered with bloody streaks. They didn’t want tanks and processing on another unit - sandblasting, necessary to “smooth out” the seams. Metal resisted, was not given to cars. Required only manual processing! So the builders of the monument (otherwise you can’t call them!) worked on this colossus, literally touching and processing every centimeter by hand. In total, about 11 kilometers of welding seams were applied. And when the tanks, still separately, not grappled in a deadly ram, were transported on cargo trailers, the military saluted the combat vehicles. And during the opening of the monument, one of the distinguished guests said: "They ride as if alive ...".
Alena Rogozha, Elena Melnikova, "Big Break", No. 7, 2013
Kulikovo field
Prokhorovo field (Battle of Kursk)
I hope everyone knows the events of the Battle of Kursk, namely about tank battle on the Prokhorovsky field. This field is the third military field after Kulikovsky and Borodino. Let's take an excursion to the memorial located in Prokhorovka.
This monument symbolizes a tank ram. The symbol of the Battle of Prokhorov is the feat of tanker Nikolaev, who rammed his damaged and burning T-34 to save the wounded tank commander.
You can enter inside the monument. (but as always, we can only do this on holidays) 
The first military field - Kulikovskoe, the second - Borodino 
Entrance to the exhibition. 
In 1941, the Germans occupied the Belgorod region. Agitation. 
German agitation in the occupied territories. 
Camping gramophone and instruments. Donated by relatives of combatants. 
The museum is well computerized. There are touch panels in each room with which you can clarify the information. Watch video clips. Choose a showcase of the hall - and see it in detail. 
Tiger (T-6) Confidently destroyed any tank at a distance of 2000 meters. The Soviet T-34 could do this at a distance of 500 meters. 
Surprised that in German division"Reich" was a company of our captured T-34 tanks 
Star of the hero of Belgorod. 
Soviet awards 
The real stabilizer of the downed aircraft. 
Kulikovo field
"Mamai Battle", or "Massacre on the Don" - this was the name of this battle between the all-Russian army led by the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich and the troops of the temnik Mamai and his puppet Khan Tyulak (Tulunbek). The term Battle of Kulikovo was first used by the Russian historian N. M. Karamzin. We know a lot about this battle, and a little.
The first chronicle stories about the Battle of Kulikovo, created almost immediately after the battle, contain a minimum of information about 
event. The literary works of the 16th-17th centuries "Zadonshchina", "The Legend of the Battle of Mamaev" are full of various, sometimes fantastic details, inaccurate facts and historical errors. At the same time, not a single event in the medieval history of Russia has found such a wide reflection in the annalistic, literary and pictorial tradition.
There are several reasons for Mamai's campaign against Rus'. Chronicle tales mention among them Mamai's desire to avenge the defeat in the battle on the Vozha River in 1378, where the army sent by Mamai suffered a crushing defeat. Murza Begich and 5 Horde temniki were killed. Another reason was economic. Mamai wanted to force Moscow to pay tribute as under Khan Dzhanibek, that is, to regularly pay "exit" in large amounts (maybe twice), than was agreed in 1371, when the Horde issued a label to Prince Dmitry of Moscow for the great reign of Vladimir. Taking advantage of the confusion in the Horde, in 1374 Moscow stopped paying tribute to the Horde altogether. Funds were urgently needed by Mamai to save the army and attract new supporters in the struggle for power in the Golden Horde.
After the defeat of Begich, Mamai thoroughly prepared for a campaign against Moscow during 1379 and the first half of 1380. According to sources, Temnik attracted the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello as an ally of Moscow's enemy, and also negotiated with Oleg Ryazansky, hoping for old contradictions between Moscow and Ryazan. All the lands subject to Mamai on the right bank of the Volga, Crimea and North Caucasus. In the annalistic stories about the Battle of Kulikovo, mercenary detachments of the Italian colonies in the Crimea ("Fryazs"), Cherkasy (Adygs), Yasy (Ossetians), Besermen, Burtases and Armenians (peoples and settlers of the Volga Bulgaria) are mentioned as members of the Mamai coalition. At the beginning of the summer of 1380, the Mamaev Horde slowly moved from the nomadic headquarters of the temnik in the lower reaches of the Don to Rus', following upstream of this river. Mamai was in no hurry, as he expected the approach of the allies by autumn for a joint movement to Rus'. In early August, Mamai's army reached the mouth of Voronezh. Oleg Ryazansky, seeing a strong Horde army near the borders of his principality, was forced to promise Mamai the payment of tribute and the sending of military assistance, which, most likely, never came to the temnik.
The invasion of Mamai in Moscow became known in late July - early August from scouts or from the Ryazan prince. Realizing the inevitability of an open military clash with the troops of Mamai, Dmitry Ivanovich at the military council, in which the Moscow boyars and his cousin Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovskoy took part, decided to gather regiments and armies of the entire Moscow principality and allied princes. At the same time, it was decided to send military intelligence ("watchman") to Quiet Pine to monitor the horde of Mamai. Probably, the trip of Prince Dmitry to the Trinity Monastery to Sergius of Radonezh also dates back to this time. Before the severe trials of the largest direct armed resistance to the troops of the Golden Horde in the century and a half history of Rus', Dmitry needed moral support. Considering that at that time there was no metropolitan in Rus', the fact of Dmitry's trip to Sergius is beyond doubt.
The collection of the entire army was appointed in Kolomna on August 15. Kolomna was an important strategic point on the southern borders of Moscow land. Before sending the regiments from Moscow, Dmitry, having no information from the first watchman, sends the second to the steppe. In Kolomna, a review of the troops was held, the assembled forces were united into large military formations - "regiments", commanders of the regiments were appointed, and the order of march was determined. Here a third watchman was sent to the field. Horde ambassadors came to Kolomna to the Moscow prince demanding Mamai to pay tribute, as under Khan Dzhanibek. On August 20, Dmitry's army set off from Kolomna up the Oka, following its left bank to the mouth of Lopasna, constantly collecting data on the enemy. Detachments and regiments from cities and volosts of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Kolomna, Zvenigorod, Mozhaisk, Serpukhov, Borovsk, Dmitrov, Pereyaslavl, Vladimir, Yuryev, Kostroma, Uglich, squads of Belozersky, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Starodubsky, Molozhsky , Kashinsky, Vyazemsko-Dorogobuzh, Tarussko-Obolensky, Novosilsky, Murom, Yelets, Meshchersky principalities, Pskov and Novgorod the Great, as well as the serving Moscow prince Roman Mikhailovich Bryansky. However, the regiments of the Nizhny Novgorod principality, bled dry by the constant raids of the Horde, did not come to the Kulikovo field. The troops of Mikhail Tversky, who deliberately waited for the results of Mamai's campaign, did not appear either. We spoke about the difficult position of Oleg Ryazansky above. Thus, the forces of the three great principalities of North-Eastern Rus' did not take part in the battle.
At the mouth of Lopasna, regiments under the command of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhov and the Moscow governor Timofei Velyamovich joined the all-Russian army. On August 26-27, the Russian regiments crossed the Oka and moved south along the border of the Ryazan lands to get closer to Mamai. The meaning of this maneuver, according to most historians, was to wedge between Mamai's possible allies and prevent them from uniting. The last stop of the Russian troops before the throw to the Don took place in the town of Berezuy, where the squads of the Lithuanian princes Dmitry and Andrei Olgerdovich approached. On September 6, the Russians reached the Don and encamped. According to the latest historical and archaeological research, the Russian soldiers moved along the land road, later known as Staraya Dankovskaya, the route of which ran along the watershed of the Don and Wet Tabola rivers. The camp of Russian troops was located at the mouth of the Mokraya Tabola River. On September 7, a battle took place between the guard detachments of the Russian and Horde troops, in which the victory went to the first. Mamai was furious when he learned about the approach of Dmitry's troops. The scouts informed the Moscow prince that the Horde were encamped on Gusiny Ford, one crossing from the Russian camp, in the upper reaches of the Beautiful Sword River. At the military council, it was decided to give battle to Mamai beyond the Don. On the night of September 7-8, 1380, the regiments began to cross the Don. Previously, the Ambush Regiment crossed the river to cover the crossing of the entire Russian army. Recently, historians estimate the number of Russian troops on the Kulikovo field no more than several tens of thousands of soldiers (V. A. Kuchkin). The numerical superiority was on the side of Mamai. Such a concentration of warriors was huge in the eyes of contemporaries. At that time, the clash of troops, exceeding several thousand, was considered a major battle. Therefore, the sources provide such fantastic information about the number of participants in the Battle of Kulikovo.
On a foggy morning of September 8 (21), on Saturday, the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Russian regiments began to deploy in battle formation facing south. According to the "Tale of the Mamaev Battle", detachments of the Guard Regiment were advanced far ahead. The first line of the Russian system was the Advanced Regiment. Behind him was the main line of Dmitry's troops with the Big Regiment in the center and wings (regiments of the Right and Left Hands). Behind the large regiment was probably a private reserve. Anticipating the course of the battle, the Russian governors left aside from the general line of regiments a strong general reserve - the Ambush Regiment. According to the latest scientific data, the Russian regiments lined up, with the Don and Nepryadva behind them, between the Rybiy Verkh gully and the Smolka River, occupying a front of no more than one and a half kilometers. The slopes of the gully, the rivers, and their openings were densely forested. Thus, for the offensive, Mamai had a narrow watershed steppe corridor, which did not allow the Horde to turn around and use their favorite flank coverage.
Far ahead, the Russian soldiers heard the rumble of the approaching Horde army. Mamai needed some more time to reorganize his forces from marching to battle formation. The guards were the first to enter the fray. Sources informed us that Prince Dmitry participated in the battle of military guards, the so-called "first suime". It was important for the Moscow prince to see with his own eyes the deployed formation of Mamai's troops. He then withdrew to the Big Regiment to lead the battle. The battle itself lasted three hours - from the 6th to the 9th hour according to the Old Russian time account, that is, from 10 hours 35 minutes to 13 hours 35 minutes. After the fights, the watchman of the Horde attacked the Forward Regiment with all their might, which almost completely died, but weakened the offensive impulse of Mamai's troops. Then the main forces entered the battle. For about two hours, the Russian regiments held back the continuous attacks of Mama's cavalry in a narrow and cramped space "... I am suffocating from the great crowding, as if I could not fit in the Kulikovo field ...". At about half past one, "beginning to overcome the trash." According to the "Tale ...", the Horde managed to break through on the left flank of the Russian forces and go to the rear of the Big Regiment. The Moscow prince was wounded. A critical situation was created for the complete encirclement and destruction of the entire army of Dmitry Ivanovich. At that moment, the Ambush Regiment entered the battle (they write about it "Zadonshchina" and "Legend ..."), which was located not far from the regiment of the Left Hand in the large forest area "Green Oak". The introduction of fresh Russian forces into the battle radically changed the situation on the battlefield. Panic began among the Horde. Mamai's troops took to flight. The persecution of the Horde was led by Vladimir Serpukhovskoy. It lasted until dark.
The defeat of the enemy was complete, most of the Horde warriors were killed in battle or during the flight. The camp of Mamaia was captured with all the property and herds. For several days, Russian soldiers buried the fallen and collected trophies. Then, on September 14, the thinned Russian army moved back. During the movement, separate detachments of Dmitry's troops were attacked by the Ryazans. In the 20th of September, the Russian army approached Kolomna. Here the army stood for several days, and then moved to Moscow. On October 1, Muscovites solemnly welcomed the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo.
S. M. Solovyov wrote that the Battle of Kulikovo was "a sign of the triumph of Europe over Asia", was in the nature of their "desperate clash ... which was supposed to solve the great question in the history of mankind - which of these parts of the world will triumph over the other." A. E. Presnyakov noted that the battle killed Mamai, but did not create a turning point in Russian-Horde relations. This is one of the most significant battles in the history of Moscow, symbolizing the main trend of the time. Undoubtedly, the Battle of the Don marked the beginning of the end of the yoke. You can also talk about shifts in consciousness. The stereotype of the previous century was broken, about which A. Tereshchenko accurately and colorfully wrote: “We thought that it was impossible to rise up against the oppressors, that only heavenly power, and not man, could fight the enemies of faith and nationality. The loss of independence disarmed us, and we like low admirers, they did not dare to think about just freedom: despotism crushed. The Battle of Kulikovo showed that there were prerequisites for the final liberation, that the forces were ripe to repulse the enemy, that there was an organizer of them - the Moscow prince. The unprecedented campaign of the Russian troops beyond the Don made the Principality of Moscow a recognized center of the anti-Horde struggle. The confrontation between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Mamaev Horde ended in the collapse of the latter. Dmitry Donskoy did not allow Mamai to restore power over the Russian lands. But another unwitting result of the Kulikovo victory was the violation of the unstable balance that existed for almost 20 years between the two parts of the Horde. Objectively, Khan Tokhtamysh received the most concrete political benefit from the defeat of Mamai on the Kulikovo field. The defeat of Mamai contributed to the unification of the Golden Horde under his rule. But in the people's memory, the Mamaev battle, painted, however, in tragic tones due to the death of many Russian soldiers, remained a symbol of a great victory, giving a powerful impetus to national self-consciousness and the creation of an all-Russian statehood with a center in Moscow.
Museum collection of finds from the field of the Battle of Kulikovo:
battle of Borodino
Battle of Borodino (during French history- Battle of the Moscow River, fr. Bataille de la Moskova) is the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 between the Russian army under the command of General M. I. Kutuzov and the French army of Napoleon I Bonaparte. It took place on August 26 (September 7), 1812 near the village of Borodino, 125 km west of Moscow.
During the 12-hour battle, the French army managed to capture the positions of the Russian army in the center and on the left wing, but after the cessation of hostilities, the French army withdrew to its original positions. Thus, in Russian historiography, it is believed that the Russian troops "won victory", but the next day, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, M.I. help from the French army.
According to the memoirs of the French General Pele, a participant in the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon often repeated a similar phrase: “The battle of Borodino was the most beautiful and most formidable, the French showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians deserved to be invincible.”
It is considered the bloodiest one-day battle in history.
Since the beginning of the invasion of the French army into the territory Russian Empire in June 1812, the Russian troops were constantly retreating. The rapid advance and the overwhelming numerical superiority of the French made it impossible for the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Infantry General Barclay de Tolly, to prepare the troops for battle. The protracted retreat caused public discontent, so Emperor Alexander I removed Barclay de Tolly and appointed General of Infantry Kutuzov as commander-in-chief. However, the new commander-in-chief chose the path of retreat. The strategy chosen by Kutuzov was based, on the one hand, on exhausting the enemy, on the other hand, on waiting for reinforcements sufficient for a decisive battle with Napoleon's army.
On August 22 (September 3), the Russian army, retreating from Smolensk, settled down near the village of Borodino, 125 km from Moscow, where Kutuzov decided to give a general battle; it was impossible to postpone it further, since Emperor Alexander demanded that Kutuzov stop the advance of Emperor Napoleon towards Moscow.
On August 24 (September 5), the battle took place at the Shevardinsky redoubt, which delayed the French troops and made it possible for the Russians to build fortifications on the main positions.
The total number of the Russian army is determined at 112-120 thousand people:
Historian Bogdanovich: 103 thousand regular troops (72 thousand infantry, 17 thousand cavalry, 14 thousand artillerymen), 7 thousand Cossacks and 10 thousand militia warriors, 640 guns. A total of 120 thousand people. from the memoirs of General Tolya: 95 thousand regular troops, 7 thousand Cossacks and 10 thousand militia warriors, 640 guns. Total 112 thousand people.
The number of the French army is estimated at about 136 thousand soldiers and 587 guns:
According to the data of the Marquis of Chambray, the roll call held on August 21 (September 2) showed the presence of 133,815 combat ranks in the French army (their comrades responded “in absentia” for some of the lagging soldiers, hoping that they would catch up with the army). However, this number does not take into account the 1,500 sabers of the cavalry brigade of Divisional General Pajol, who came up later, and 3,000 combat ranks of the main apartment.
In addition, the registration of the militias in the Russian army implies the addition to the regular French army of numerous non-combatants (15 thousand) who were present in the French camp and corresponded to the Russian militias in combat readiness. That is, the size of the French army is also increasing. Like the Russian militias, the French non-combatants performed auxiliary functions - carried out the wounded, carried water, and so on.
It is important for military history to distinguish between the total strength of the army on the battlefield and the troops that were committed to battle. However, according to the balance of forces that took a direct part in the battle on August 26 (September 7), 1812, the French army also had a numerical superiority. According to the encyclopedia " Patriotic War 1812, "at the end of the battle, Napoleon had 18 thousand in reserve, and Kutuzov had 8-9 thousand regular troops (in particular, the Guards Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments). At the same time, Kutuzov said that the Russians brought into battle "everything to the last reserve, even the guards in the evening", "all the reserves are already in action."
If we evaluate the qualitative composition of the two armies, then we can refer to the opinion of the participant in the events of the Marquis of Chambray, who noted that the French army had superiority, since its infantry consisted mainly of experienced soldiers, while the Russians had many recruits. In addition, the advantage of the French gave a significant superiority in heavy cavalry.
The idea of the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Kutuzov, was to inflict as many losses as possible on the French troops through active defense, change the balance of forces, save Russian troops for further battles and for the complete defeat of the French army. In accordance with this plan, the battle order of the Russian troops was built.
The starting position chosen by Kutuzov looked like a straight line running from the Shevardinsky redoubt on the left flank through the large battery on Red Hill, later called the Raevsky battery, the village of Borodino in the center, to the village of Maslovo on the right flank. Leaving the Shevardinsky redoubt, the 2nd Army pushed back its left flank across the Kamenka River, and the army's battle formation took the form of an obtuse angle. Both flanks of the Russian position occupied 4 km each, but were unequal. The right flank was formed by the 1st Army of Infantry General Barclay de Tolly, consisting of 3 infantry, 3 cavalry corps and reserves (76 thousand people, 480 guns), the front of his position was covered by the Kolocha River. The left flank was formed by the smaller 2nd Army of Infantry General Bagration (34,000 men, 156 guns). In addition, the left flank did not have such strong natural obstacles in front of the front as the right. After the loss of the Shevardinsky redoubt on August 24 (September 5), the position of the left flank became even more vulnerable and relied only on 3 unfinished flushes.
Thus, in the center and on the right wing of the Russian position, Kutuzov placed 4 out of 7 infantry corps, as well as 3 cavalry corps and Platov's Cossack corps. According to Kutuzov, such a powerful group of troops reliably covered Moscow direction and at the same time allowed, if necessary, to strike at the flank and rear of the French troops. The battle order of the Russian army was deep and allowed for wide maneuvers of forces on the battlefield. The first line of battle formation of the Russian troops was made up of infantry corps, the second line - cavalry corps, and the third - reserves. Kutuzov highly appreciated the role of the reserves, pointing out the battle in the disposition: "Reserves should be protected as long as possible, because the general who still retains the reserve is not defeated."
Emperor Napoleon, having discovered on reconnaissance on August 25 (September 6) the weakness of the left flank of the Russian army, decided to deliver the main blow to it. Accordingly, he developed a battle plan. First of all, the task was to capture the left bank of the Kolocha River, for which it was necessary to capture Borodino. This maneuver, according to Napoleon, was supposed to divert the attention of the Russians from the direction of the main attack. Then transfer the main forces of the French army to the right bank of the Kolocha and, relying on Borodino, which has become, as it were, the axis of entry, push the Kutuzov army with the right wing into the corner formed by the confluence of the Kolocha with the Moscow River, and destroy it.
To accomplish the task, Napoleon on the evening of August 25 (September 6) began to concentrate the main forces (up to 95 thousand) in the area of the Shevardinsky redoubt. The total number of French troops in front of the front of the 2nd Army reached 115 thousand. For distracting actions during the battle in the center and against the right flank, Napoleon allocated no more than 20 thousand soldiers.
Russian and Soviet sources point to a special plan of Kutuzov, which forced Napoleon to attack precisely the left flank. The historian Tarle quotes Kutuzov's exact words:
“When the enemy ... uses his last reserves on the left flank of Bagration, then I will send him a hidden army on the flank and rear.”
However, on the eve of the battle, the 3rd Infantry Corps of Lieutenant General Tuchkov 1st was withdrawn from the ambush behind the left flank on the orders of Chief of Staff Bennigsen without the knowledge of Kutuzov. Bennigsen's actions are justified by his intention to follow a formal battle plan.
Napoleon understood that it was difficult to cover the Russian troops from the flanks, so he was forced to resort to a frontal attack in order to break through the defenses of the Russian army in a relatively narrow area near the Bagration Flushes, go to the rear of the Russian troops, press them to the Moscow River, destroy them and discover way to Moscow. In the direction of the main attack in the area from the Raevsky battery to the Bagration flushes, which had a length of 2.5 kilometers, the bulk of the French troops were concentrated: the corps of marshals Davout, Ney, Murat, division general Junot, and also the guard. To divert the attention of the Russian troops, the French planned to carry out auxiliary attacks on Utitsa and Borodino. The French army had a deep formation of its battle formation, which allowed it to build up its strike force from the depths.
On the night of August 26 (September 7), 1812, part of the Russian forces was moved to the left flank, which reduced the disproportion of forces and turned the frontal attack, leading, according to Napoleon's plan, to the rapid defeat of the Russian army, into a bloody frontal battle.
