The Kalach brigade, operating in the internal troops, was respected, because it was this brigade that took part many times in military operations on the territory of the North Caucasus. Five soldiers in the brigade were awarded the honorary Star of the Hero of Russia. But the most interesting soldier of the brigade is the only woman - a nurse Irina Yanina.
Involuntary refugee
Irina, a native of Taldy-Kurgan, was born in 1960, lived with her family in Kazakhstan until the collapse of the USSR. In Kazakhstan, she married and became the mother of two children. After Irina graduated, she got a job as a nurse in the hospital. However, when the 90s arrived, they made all Soviet citizens in Kazakhstan real "strangers." And at one of the family councils, the family decided to move to Russia. So Irina, together with her children and parents, ended up in Russia, in the Vologda Oblast.
Naturally, no one was waiting for this family in a small town. Therefore, Irina with her family had to start her life from the very beginning - to look for work, rent an apartment, apply for citizenship. The first such life could not stand the husband of Irina. He left, leaving his wife with children and without money.
To support the family, Irina tried on a military uniform and went to work in military unit 3642 in 1995. By that time, her youngest daughter had passed away due to acute leukemia. In order to somehow cope with grief, Irina needed to do something. Benefits, rations and a salary with a guarantee made her choice.
Life in war
Together with the Kalach brigade, in 1996, Irina went to Chechnya. As part of the first campaign, there were 2 business trips, and in total Irina went to the war for 3.5 months, being a nurse.
Watching death every day is a difficult test, but such a life was Irina's only chance to at least somehow solve social problems. At the same time, Irina had a dream - to earn money for her son in an apartment so that her son would never encounter such difficulties.
The next Chechen campaign transferred Irina to Dagestan. There were gangs of Khattab and Basayev, using for their own purposes the resources of the Islamists of the Kadar zone. In the summer of 1999, special forces, as well as explosive detachments, were transferred to Makhachkala in order to prevent the outbreak of war in Dagestan.
Already in early August, the separatists occupied Botlich. The federal forces operating there were tasked with ousting the separatists to Chechnya. Irina, being part of the Kalach brigade, again became a participant in the military hostilities. However, it was this mission that became for her the most difficult, as well as life and military field conditions.
Irina, in her regular letters to parents, whom she left her son with, wrote that she misses him very much and wants to go home very much. She also wrote that she regrets her decision to remain in the service. However, usually these were just minutes of weakness, because after them Irina usually promised her parents and her son that “we’ll fight and go home”.
The Battle of Karamahi
Toward the end of August of that year, residents of the Dagestan village called Karamakhi also joined the Islamic republic, and there were about 5, 000 inhabitants there. Residents, having driven out of the village representatives of the local authorities, put up roadblocks and created a real impregnable fortress from the village of Karamakhi. With this village is connected the end of the biography and personal life of Irina Yanina.
Here, a detachment of militants, consisting of 500 people, commanded by field commander Jarulla, also strengthened. Any peaceful recesses between the parties yielded no results. And on August 28, the federal forces decided to start shelling the entire village, so that later, while the enemy was disoriented, they would send the forces of the internal troops and OMON of Dagestan there.
The village was completely occupied by the federation forces only on September 8, and from the moment of the shelling until the moment of capture, the locals left the village covered by pain and war. In fights aimed at clearing the village, in addition to all the others, the Kalach team, in which Irina was involved in first aid, was directly involved.
Battle death
On December 31, the 1st battalion was on the very outskirts of the village, but there the militants ambushed, starting a real massacre. The commander of the 22nd brigade decided to help 1 battalion and immediately sent 3 armored personnel carriers there. In one of the APCs was Irina Yanina, providing the evacuation of seriously wounded. She provided PMP to 15 soldiers, and then, almost under bullets, she pulled out everyone who was not able to move. Three times, Irina literally went to the epicenter, saving the lives of another 28 soldiers.
At the end of the battle, the armored personnel carrier in which Irina was was knocked out from ATGM. The shell caused a fire, but until the fire broke out, Irina helped the wounded get out. But she herself could not be saved.
Detonating, completed the life of a 32-year-old nurse. But thanks to her, for several military this day was another birthday.
