Red Navy Yevgeny Nikonov died at the very beginning of World War II. His feat became for many years a symbol of the resistance of the Soviet troops to the German invaders. On a life example of a hero, more than one generation was brought up even after the end of hostilities.
Biography
Eugene was born into a large family of Russian peasants who lived in the Samara region. His father Alexander Fedorovich and mother Ksenia Frolovna had four children. Eugene was born the third, in 1920. Eugene's father participated in the First World War and the Civil War, served in one of the Chapaev divisions.
In 1921-1922 in Russia there was a post-war famine when a lot of people died. The exact data is still unknown, but the figures are about 5 million people. The most affected areas were the Volga region and the South Urals. The family of Eugene was not spared by misfortune - the mother and the youngest child in the family of Anatoly died.
A little later, the father of Eugene married a second time, but did not live long. In 1924 he died, the cause was the old military wounds. A neighbor looked after the children, then a cousin uncle. Because of all these events, Eugene had to work on the collective farm from the age of six, he performed the duties of replenishment.
In 1931, the elder brother Viktor Nikonov left to build a car factory in Gorky. A year later, Eugene and sister Anna move to his brother. The elders work, and Eugene gets an education - studying in the third grade of a seven-year school. Then he graduates from the factory school with the assignment of the 3rd category of a turner.
From the preserved memories of acquaintances and friends, we can conclude that Eugene was very well-read, especially loved the story. He went in for sports and was interested in theatrical productions. At his suggestion, a drama club was organized in the area.
In 1939, Evgeny Nikonov was enlisted in the Soviet Navy. He was trained as an artillery electrician, and then entered the service of the leader of the destroyers Minsk.
He took part in the Great Patriotic War from the very beginning, defended Tallinn. When performing a reconnaissance mission in the Cale region, Eugene was seriously wounded and lost consciousness. In this state, the Germans captured him.
Captive sailor Evgeny Nikonov for the invaders was a huge success. The Germans hoped to learn from him the disposition of forces and the number of Soviet soldiers. However, Eugene refused to answer questions, even after torture. Out of impotence, the Germans doused the sailor with gasoline and set it on fire. The date of the heroic death of Yevgeny Nikonov is considered to be August 19, 1941.
Later, the Soviet military regained the occupied territories. Among the dead found the body of Eugene. He was identified by political instructor G. Shevchenko, who described the feat of a young sailor to send a story to the command. Later, a leaflet of one of the military commanders was distributed among the Baltic sailors. It was made in the form of a picture with the inscription "Remember and revenge!".
During the existence of the Soviet Union, all descriptions of Nikonov’s feat clearly indicated that he was captured by the Germans. They tortured him and then executed him. However, later, after declassifying the documents, a version appeared that in the area where the sailor died, parts of Estonian nationalists were stationed. Their actions were particularly cruel, superior to fascist atrocities. And it was they who tortured and burned Yevgeny Nikonov.
Soviet military poster, which depicted the famous feat of the sailor E. Nikonov.
Later, the feat of Eugene was described in detail, the torpedo tube was named after him. However, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded him posthumously only in 1957, after the request of the Gorky Komsomol members. The full list of his awards includes the Order of Lenin and World War II of the first degree and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Nikonov was buried in the Estonian village of Harku. In 1951, Tallinn authorities decided to perpetuate his feat and reburied the remains in one of the city parks, erecting a monument to the sailor. Later it was destroyed by nationalists.
In 1992, Russian military leaders managed to agree on the transfer of his ashes. Evgeny Nikonov was interred in the native village of Vasilyevka.
The village of Vasilyevka, the grave of E. Nikonov.
Memory of the Hero
Even in the imperial period of the development of Russia in military units, it became customary to forever enlist in their lists military personnel who died during execution. This is an honorary act, which was awarded to the sailor E. Nikonov.
The name of the hero was for some time carried by two ships and several ships: minesweepers "Evgeny Nikonov" (project 253 and 266), ship, river pusher and others.
In Soviet times, a school in Tallinn was named after him, and a monument was erected at the burial site. The sculptor became E. Haggy and H. Carro. Later, these objects were dismantled and the memory of the hero was completely destroyed.
Streets named after E. Nikonov are in Nizhny Novgorod, where he lived and studied, in Samara, Tolyatti and his native village of Vasilyevka. In these settlements there are still schools bearing his name, and a museum is functioning in Nizhny Novgorod.
Monument in Togliatti.
