Hero of Russia, Colonel of the Marine Corps, Alexander Mozhaev

The Colonel of the Marine Corps, a brave warrior who repeatedly distinguished himself in the battles of the first Chechen campaign, was represented three times to the rank, but Alexander Mozhaev became Hero of Russia only after twenty-one years. Not wounded - no reward, spoken at that time of harshness. Nevertheless, in total, the hero spent three and a half years in hot spots. Now he is a colonel in reserve, but still in the ranks - he is the chairman of the Left-bank Council of veterans of law enforcement agencies, armed forces, labor and war.

Military Biography

Alexander Mozhaev graduated from the Sverdlovsk military-political tank artillery school, and then began to serve in the tank division of the Ural Military District. He fought in Vietnam, being an adviser to the deputy commander of the Vietnamese army, then studied at the Military Political Academy. After its termination, he headed a political department in the Marine Corps Division of the Pacific Fleet. Further, Alexander Mozhaev served as deputy commander in coastal forces for educational work - ibid, in the Pacific.

January 1995 brought the hero to Chechnya, along with the Marine Corps of the 165th Regiment, where I had to serve in an operational group. And in 1996 Alexander Mozhaev was sent to Tajikistan as deputy commander of peacekeeping forces. This battle way is marked with the medal "For Military Merit", the Order of Courage and many other awards. Now the Hero of Russia, Colonel of the Marine Corps Alexander Mozhaev in reserve, works in the system of the apparatus of the regional Duma of Voronezh.

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From Vladivostok to Mozdok, the 165th regiment departed 11 January, following the technique that was sent earlier by rail. Immediately after the arrival of the Marines, they expected a march-throw to the outskirts of Grozny, where 1995 began the most active military operations. Andreevskaya Valley met the fighters with fire already near the village of Semashki. That fight will be remembered all the time by the Hero of Russia, Colonel Alexander Mozhaev. Battle baptism of the native regiment.

At present, the famous Minutka Square was preparing for the storming of the building of the Council of Ministers. The soldiers were nervous very peculiar, they did not doubt for a moment the success (and this is the same educational work that Colonel Alexander Mozhaev, whose biography speaks for himself, has been conducting for many months). One vest was cut with a bayonet knife by the bayonet on the rags and distributed to each one in a piece of cloth so that the first who broke into the room on the floor or in the hall left it on the wall as an identification sign as a banner. They thought less of danger than of victory.

St. Andrew's flag

Colonel Alexander Mozhaev, whose personal life was to a greater extent in the education of fighters than his own children, asked his native fleet to send more small Andreev flags. They were almost immediately sent, and the soldiers mounted them both in their armored personnel carriers and in the liberated buildings. Most of all the bandits were afraid of these signs. They knew that the black berets would not retreat and would not surrender. Alexander Mozhayev knew it even better. Where are these "spirits" now? But the beautiful Chechnya is rebuilt and lives in peace and contentment.

And then, even without the Andreev flag, but with the flaps of the vest, the Sovmin's building was occupied by fighters under the song "Varangian". "Spirits" jumped out of the windows from fear and surprise, with such a psychological blow they have not met so far. In the direction of the incoming Marine Corps, only a few shots were heard. Dudayev after this battle approved the list of subjects to be shot on the spot. In the first place was a naval landing. On the second - helicopter pilots, on the third - gunners, then - paratroopers. I wonder whether there were military units in our army, which the bandits were not afraid of?

The Marine does not give up!

Surely they were in the Chechen wars, both chicken and runaway. And even traitors. And even on the very top. But not in the ranks of the Marine Corps and the landing force. And in the first and second Chechen campaigns, many times our valiant fighters were sent to certain death. In some cases, this was an unconditional betrayal, but most often - a feat. So, on February 6, 1995, a reconnaissance group of six 165th regiment marines died in the Grozny bus station area.

They managed to transfer information about the firing points and the composition of the enemy, then they took the fight. It was impossible to help them. Many times took up a circular defense, the Marines were offered to surrender. The answer was one - it was taken in the headline. What did Colonel Alexander Mozhaev feel, whose family is a regiment, listening to the shootout on the air, feeling how one by one loses their loved ones? For four hours, a reconnaissance group of six people fired back. In the body of Sergei Firsov found seventy-two enemy bullets. They were shot at point-blank range from malice. When they were already dead. Marine infantry retreat nowhere - behind the ocean. And when there is none, it does not change anything.

Goiten-Court

To the question of betrayal. Let us recall the second Chechen war and the day of mourning, or rather, the night of March 1, 2000, when Khattab bought a passage in the mountains for half a million dollars, and ninety people of Pskov paratroopers rose at the height of No. 776 on the way from the vacuum bombs of the rebel army. Against two and a half thousand selected militants. Survived only six paratroopers, but the enemy did not miss. They survived even artillery shelling by their own army.

Similar stories occurred in the first war. For example, taking the height of Goiten-Court. Only this time the betrayal was not given. And here Colonel Alexander Mozhaev was smarter. The photo speaks for itself: a look from him, piercing through. This height is strategic, the mountain is more than seven hundred meters, standing on the highway Gudermes-Shali. If you take possession of this mountain, in fact, you master these settlements. And the militants carefully strengthened it - not to get close: shelter from concrete, communication ... But the Marines do not know fortifications that can not be taken.

The suspicions were justified

The leakage of information happened on this and the second war almost constantly. It was necessary to always be on the alert. Therefore, the marines crossed the Argun not where command was urgently required, but a mile and a half further. They crossed the cable, almost silently, unnoticed. And they could hear how much fire fell on the recommended place of the crossing - there was no stone left on the stone.

Then it was played, as in the notes. At night, two battalions distracted the militants, while the remaining groups of assault troops did not prepare for the attack. By a single signal the marines rushed to the attack, and the height was taken. The most interesting was afterwards, after the report to the command headquarters. Alexander Mozhaev and his wards were suspected even in alcoholic hallucinations: it can not be that Goiten-Court was taken. Only an hour later helicopters flew in and confirmed six St. Andrew's flags flying on top. Only after that they believed that the height was taken.

Truce or betrayal

The agreement in Khasavyurt, signed by Lebed and Berezovsky (the same!), Officially and actually recognized the defeat of the Russian army in the war against ordinary bandits. This is a lousy spit in the face of those soldiers, officers and generals who did not cash in on the war. They died there. But they already learned how to fight in these conditions. Why did you need this agreement? Save the Russians remaining in Chechnya, or reassure the bandits? To give the bandits independence? Not much time passed, and the witnesses are alive. As, for example, Alexander Mozhaev. What happened as a result, everyone knows: the Russians remained in captivity, died there or were tortured almost to this state. There were not just persecutions, it was destruction. And most importantly: they laughed at us. Above our army laughed.

And it is impossible to negotiate with bandits, so Alexander Mozhaev believes. In 1999, the war resumed. But first the bandits blew up houses in Volgodonsk, Buinaksk, Moscow, how many victims were vain, besides, not among the military, but among peaceful people. But everything could have ended already then, in 1995, in April, when our troops took the direct road to Vedeno, to Dagestan - a stone's throw. For aviation there were ideal conditions - it was impossible to resist then. That's where the new helicopters, so widely advertised, would come in handy. How much easier it would be for soldiers to go for "green", how much less would there be losses.

Armament, equipment

First of all - about bullet-proof vests. The colonel in reserve still speaks about this with great pain. The body armor in the first Chechnya weighed from eight to thirteen kilograms! When one of the first Marines perished in this campaign - Senior Lieutenant Borovikov, he managed to warn the soldiers not to put them on. The bullet hit the side between two plates, and from the resistance encountered it changed the flight path. Without a waistcoat, it would be easy, lightly wounded, without such an irreparable outcome. After that, the soldiers built themselves a kind of "bras", where instead of the usual filling were inserted machine stores. Conveniently - ammunition nearby and from bullets bruises only.

The Marine Corps was armed with 5,45-millimeter automatic rifles, but the "spirits" fought with the caliber of 7.62. Understanding people will be outraged. Moreover, there have been some real betrayals about this. The Marines once recaptured a whole bandit arsenal - more than a hundred machine guns - new ones, in the factory grease. Asked to leave at home, and their return to the warehouse. The Marines were refused. A lot of this can be told about armored vehicles, which are not adapted to the conduct of mountain war.

Zampolit

The Soviet Union collapsed, and the strength of army professionalism also weakened. For the most part, this happened precisely because they began to less educate people, hence the decline of the fighting spirit, morale. And Chechnya fully confirmed this fact. Where a competent deputy for educational work is fighting alongside the soldiers, not only are the soldiers more determined, but there are fewer losses. It is impossible to take care of people to the background, especially in a combat situation.

How can one explain to people that logistic support in the first Chechen war was much worse than in the Civil War? For example, in Grozny forty-two days, it was not even possible to wash. The water pipe was packed with corpses - bandits threw it. Water trucks came empty - they shot the tanks in turns. The men did not shave with water, but with juice. On the bags with noodles scoffed inscription: "Just pour boiling water." How to fight in this situation, if you do not raise the spirit of soldiers with conversations and personal example?

Awards

Not only Alexander Mozhaev waited a long time for his well-deserved award. Neither in Chechnya nor in Tajikistan did his boss get a positive response to the submission. Personnel fighters believed only a wound or death. Twelve people were awarded the title of Hero of Russia in the regiment where the colonel served. And all - posthumously: Pavel Gaponenko, Vladimir Borovikov, Sergei Firsov ... Many worthy were presented repeatedly, but they did not receive anything. For example, the commander of the sixth company, Roman Cleese. The state should appreciate its heroes higher.

Or here is a case that is constantly told by Colonel Mozhaev. In the 165th regiment was a good sniper. Yes, not just good - ingenious. Tens of thousands of dollars promised Dudayev for his head. Marine was seventeen times involved in sniper dueling with militants and won all, although even one sniper destroy - this feat is extraordinary. He was represented three times in the title of Hero. But no. Awarded medals. But the main thing - life, after all, and not rewards - all of his stories Colonel Mozhaev ends this way. His adult sons - two - also followed in the footsteps of his father. Traditionally. In the country, remarkable officers will not be transferred.