home » Before winter » Presidential Palace (Grozny). Storming of Dudayev's palace Surrounding the presidential palace

Presidential Palace (Grozny). Storming of Dudayev's palace Surrounding the presidential palace

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin: “When it came to the presidential palace, Maskhadov contacted me and said: “We can’t come to an agreement with the politicians, let’s come to an agreement with you as commander to commander: we need to cease fire and remove the corpses and wounded.” I answer him: “ Come on." He suggests: "Let's wait until the deputies come - yours and ours, the clergy..." - "You yourself said that you can’t come to an agreement with politicians,” I answer, “let’s talk about something else: how many cars come from your and from my side, what are the areas of separation. You are taking out all yours and mine. Me too. And then we exchange everyone for everyone. Do we go out with weapons or without?” He replies: “That doesn’t suit me.” I continue: “But you understand that you are finished. As a commander, I say to the commander: Pravdy Street [probably Ordzhonikidze Avenue] I blocked you and my neighbor from the west. The Caucasus Hotel is blocked. I have the Council of Ministers. The bridge is blocked. 100 meters left. The neighbor from the south will block it, and you won’t leave. You don’t have any ammunition.” “I have everything,” he shouts. “But I hear your negotiations... Your business is bad.” He didn’t talk anymore.”1

"14:20 . Radio interception:
Cyclone [Maskhadov] to Panther: “They are hitting us with airplane bombs. They are cutting through the building to the basement.”
Panther: “We urgently need to withdraw troops beyond Sunzha. Otherwise, they will bury you.”
Cyclone: “The second line of defense will be at Minutka. There are a lot of wounded and dead in the palace. There is no time to deal with them. We have to get out in time. If it doesn’t work out now, we have to wait until dark and leave.”2

The commander of the group of Marines 876 ODS, senior warrant officer Grigory Mikhailovich Zamyshlyak: “On January 18, our bombers “hollowed” Dudayev’s palace. They threw 4 bombs. One went to ours. 8 people died. Everything collapsed at once. Although they say there was a command to take cover. We didn’t heard. The radio operator was next to me. Most likely, the Dudayevites were jamming the connection."3

"15:30 . Radio interception:
Cyclone [Maskhadov]: “Everyone, everyone, everyone! In the dark, everyone must cross Sunzha. We will cross to where the Pioneer store is, near the new hotel.”4

Rokhlin brought up new forces to level the front line to Pobeda Avenue and, as a consequence of this, take full control of the bridge across the Sunzha. NSh 61st Brigade Lieutenant Colonel A.V. Chernov brought the 876th Airborne Battalion Brigade to the area of the Council of Ministers, and “a little later Maskhadov came to the frequency of the “Wizard” [Chernov] with a proposal to cease fire and conclude a truce to collect the bodies of the dead, provide assistance to the wounded and evacuate them. It would be foolish to take such a step, when there were only a few houses left before the exit to the palace, the tanks reached direct shot range, and for the first time in many days the weather became clear, which made it possible to use attack aircraft. Naturally, no one was going to give the militants a rest... Late evening a special forces group that worked together with the “Wizard” and “Monk” [commander of the 876th Special Forces Brigade, Senior Lieutenant O.G. Dyachenko], received a new task from the command."5 (173 ooSpN went on vacation to a cannery.6)

Capture of the local history museum and hotel "Caucasus"

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin “set a task for the new commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Captain Roman Shadrin (now a major, Hero of Russia): to go out to Pobedy Avenue and try to connect with the paratroopers attacking from Rosa Luxemburg Street. Shadrin, together with a group of 60 reconnaissance men, went out to Pobedy Avenue, but came under heavy fire. It was impossible to break through. The blocks between Victory Avenue and Rosa Luxemburg Street were filled with militants."7

From the description of the battle: “Having captured the building [of the local history museum] at night on January 19, a group of 27 reconnaissance officers led by the battalion commander repelled 11 attacks by Sh. Basayev’s militants, including hand-to-hand attacks. The battalion suffered losses, but did not give up its positions - and ensured the capture of the neighboring Caucasus Hotel by the assaulting units, and subsequently the center of Grozny."8

From the description of the battle: “Moving from building to building, the scouts took up positions in a building next to the Caucasus Hotel. They already had about forty wounded. Communication with them was lost. Rokhlin was tormented: what happened? Where are they? He was making noise, swearing at everyone who came to hand. But the connection did not appear. He could not throw anyone else to carry out the task assigned to the scouts.<...>And soon the scouts showed up. It turned out that the battalion commander’s radio had run out of batteries.”9

After the capture of these buildings, groups of 10-12 people were formed from each unit, who led them to the captured lines:

Motorized rifles 276 MSP - to the local history museum,
- Marines 876 ODS - to a group of houses in front of the Caucasus Hotel,
- paratroopers - to the Caucasus Hotel.

TO 7:30 units have already occupied all these buildings.10

Advancement to the palace

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin: “There was actually no assault on the presidential palace. True, the command proposed to launch an air strike on it. I replied that aviation had already helped... That’s enough. Then they suggested smashing the palace with tanks. I asked how they imagine it: tanks hit from all sides and fall into each other? They asked me: “What are you offering?” I answer: “Give it to me, I’ll take it my way.”11

By the morning NSh 61st Brigade Lieutenant Colonel A.V. Chernov formed a group of volunteers of 4 people: himself, 2 machine gunners and a rifleman.12 Together with them, a reconnaissance group of the 276th motorized rifle regiment acted, which included the commander of the 276th motorized rifle regiment Andrei Yurchenko, the squad commander, senior sergeant Igor Smirnov, and private D. Knyazev. 13

From the description of the battle: " Around 7 am the group began to move. It took almost an hour to cover some eight hundred meters. The shelling did not stop for a minute. Moreover, the fire came from all directions, both from ours and from the militants. You could get a bullet at any time. Where, crawling between piles of broken bricks, where in short runs from one damaged vehicle to another, now hiding behind the armor of a burnt-out infantry fighting vehicle, now clinging to the numb corpses of people dusted with ash and snow, a handful of brave men made their way to the building called the “target of the operation.”14

From the description of the battle: "In 8 ocloc'k they entered the building. But they were not allowed to look around. How a group of militants appeared from underground. Three. The Marines were saved only by their reaction. One was killed on the move, the other two militants disappeared. They tried to pursue them, but they disappeared into thin air.<...>But the “Wizard” did not have time to report to Rokhlin. While he was being called to the radio station, the connection was interrupted, artillery shelling began..."15 (Perhaps it was at that moment that the deputy commander of the 276th motorized rifle regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Vladimirovich Smolkin, at the cannery informed the special forces of the 173rd Special Forces that a reconnaissance group with the call sign " Orion”, who went to the “Caucasus” hotel at night and an hour later lost contact with them”16.)

From the description of the battle: "In 8:40 fire preparation ceased and communications immediately resumed. The “Wizard” reported to the commander of the “North” group about the results of the sortie and that the group was inside the building. However, the group was still under cross-fire, which did not stop for a minute, and Chernov decided, before they became a tasty prey for the militants, to retreat back."17 At the same time, the Marines left the inscription on the walls of the palace: "Marine. Sputnik." (photo of inscription)

“The commander [RR 276 MRR] decided not to leave a favorable position until the main forces arrived. They could not report the situation due to the lack of radio communications, so they sat there waiting for dawn.”18 And the Marines “returned to their starting line. By that time, parachute the airborne company changed its position, and in its place was the 3rd airborne assault company, commanded by Senior Lieutenant Evgeniy Chubrikov. After catching his breath a little, Lieutenant Colonel Chernov decided to enter the building again and examine it in more detail. As far as possible. And here is the group The 3rd DShR, led by Chernov, entered the palace along the path he had already traversed twice... It’s hard to say who came up with the idea of hanging a vest over the entrance to the building. According to Alexander Vasilyevich, it was some kind of impulse. The idea came as as if out of thin air, to an internal rejoicing: “We’re inside!” We won!" Everything happened in a matter of seconds. While the soldiers were looking for the “pole,” platoon lieutenant Igor Borisevich literally tore off his gear and equipment... And now the Victory Banner is ready - a piece of reinforcement and the vest of a North Sea Marine. They tried to secure it higher, as far as possible under fire, although not heavy, but in any case devastating. And again retreat to our own..."19

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin: “The Tunguskas took down several snipers who remained in it, and the units entered the building without a fight. There was only one problem: they lost the flag that was supposed to be hoisted over the palace. They searched for two hours...”20

Raising the flag

Commander of RG 173 Special Forces Captain Dmitry Kislitsin: “Part of the group had to be allocated to guard the banner. Senior Lieutenant Rahin and three soldiers went with the relevant commanders to hoist it.”21

"By 15 o'clock a sufficient number of officers from the group’s command gathered in this area. They brought the Russian flag. Chernov was called to him by Major General A. Otrakovsky. “Sasha, it has been decided to entrust you with hoisting a flag over the palace. You have already entered the building twice. And in general, you were the first...” The palace building, every window, every floor was methodically treated with all means of fire destruction. By order of General Otrakovsky, grenade launchers were gathered from all units of the Northern Fleet to the Caucasus Hotel. There were about twenty people there. Their task is to carry out a kind of preparation for the actions of the “banner group”. For quite some time, Marine grenades exploded in the building, ensuring the completion of the mission entrusted to the next group of Lieutenant Colonel Chernov."22

"At 15 o'clock On January 19, 1995, the flag was secured to the façade of the building. Naturally, the “spirits” did not like this. And the fire pressure on the Marines increased to such an extent that they had to seek cover."23

IN 15:35 reconnaissance company commander Lieutenant Andrei Yurchenko and a reconnaissance group consisting of: senior sergeant Igor Smirnov, junior sergeant D. Ivanov, privates D. Knyazev and D. Shmakov entered the building, Smirnov carried the flag of the Russian Federation. Private Knyazev recalled: “It was scary when they penetrated the building itself. After all, there are so many rooms, all sorts of nooks and crannies. You don’t know where danger awaits. And the broken stone underfoot creaks treacherously. Every step echoed like that. But we carried out the order.. ".24

Commander of the 879th Guards Division. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vasilyevich Darkovich: “The naval flag and the Russian flag were hoisted over the presidential palace on January 19 18:00 deputy battalion commander of Guards. Major Plushakov."25

From the description of further actions: “On the same day, the Marines, together with the sappers of the 276th Motorized Rifle Regiment, carried out a partial, superficial clearing and demining of part of the premises of the first floors of the building, in which there were many weapons and ammunition abandoned and stored by the militants... Only after the events described On the walls of the captured palace, inscriptions began to appear made by soldiers of the units and subunits that stormed Grozny in those terrible days.."26

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

1 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. P. 194.
2 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. pp. 194-195.
3 Remember... . Book of memory of Astrakhan soldiers who died in Chechnya. Astrakhan, 2003. P. 158.
4 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. P. 195.
5 Levchuk V. Flag over the palace // Brother. 2002. October. (

Despite the disastrous perestroika, the collapse of the USSR and the beginning collapse of the Russian Federation, despite the destroyers of the army, the mediocrity and mischief of the Yeltsins-Grachevs, despite the backstabbing of the liberal media and Russophobic “human rights activists”, despite the unjustified losses at the beginning of the hostilities to capture the city of Grozny, in January 1995, the Russian army crushed the criminal separatist forces.

The separatists and bandits who carried out an armed coup in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991 (often both in one person) caused enormous damage to both Russia as a whole and Chechnya.

The genocide of non-Chechens, primarily Russians, by the ruling Ichkerian regime and proliferating heavily armed gangs, violence and robberies of the unarmed population, led to a mass flight of Russians and other ethnic groups from the territory of Chechnya. Most refugees have not yet returned to Chechnya.

The Russian people, humiliated and robbed by the ruling regime, the oligarchy, corrupt officials and bandits, nevertheless, have not lost their national feeling, love for the Fatherland. The Russian people did not allow Chechnya to be torn away from Russia, just as they will not allow any part of Russian territory to be torn away in spite of separatists, Islamists and other encroachers on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.

Russian soldiers are, of course, first of all Russian people, the state-forming people. But Russian soldiers are also people of all ethnic groups (including some Chechens), who fought and are fighting shoulder to shoulder with ethnic Russians for a united Russia.

And so in 1994, a Russian soldier came to the lair of the enemy - the separatist gangster regime of Dudayev, in the Russian city of Grozny.

After three weeks of bloody stubborn battles, on January 19, 1995, the Russian flag soared over the presidential palace (“Dudaev’s Palace”).

Glory to the Russian soldier!

Glory to Russia!

Capture of the Presidential Palace

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin: “When it came to the presidential palace, Maskhadov contacted me and said: “We can’t come to an agreement with the politicians, let’s come to an agreement with you as commander to commander: we need to cease fire and remove the corpses and wounded.” I answer him: “Come on.” He suggests: “Let’s wait until the deputies come up - yours and ours, the clergy...” “You yourself said that you can’t come to an agreement with politicians,” I answer, “let’s talk about something else: how many cars come out from your side and from my side, which ones?” separation areas. You are taking out all yours and mine. Me too. And then we exchange everyone for everyone. Do we go out with weapons or without?” He replies: “It doesn’t suit me.” I continue: “But you understand that you are finished. As a commander, I say to the commander: I blocked Pravdy Street [probably Ordzhonikidze Avenue] with my neighbor from the west. The Caucasus Hotel is blocked. I have the Council of Ministers. The bridge is blocked. 100 meters left. The neighbor from the south will block it, and you won’t leave. You don't have any ammunition." “I have everything,” he shouts. “But I hear your negotiations... Your affairs are bad.” He didn’t talk anymore.”1

« 14:20 . Radio interception:
Cyclone [Maskhadov] to Panther: “They are hitting us with airplane bombs. They’re ripping through the building down to the basement.”
Panther: “We urgently need to withdraw troops beyond Sunzha. Otherwise they will bury you."
Cyclone: “The second line of defense will be at Minutka. There are many wounded and killed in the palace. There is no time to deal with them. We need to get out in time. If it doesn’t work out now, you have to wait until dark and leave.”2

The commander of the group of Marines 876 ODS, senior warrant officer Grigory Mikhailovich Zamyshlyak: “On January 18, our bombers “hollowed” Dudayev’s palace. They threw 4 bombs. One went to ours. 8 people died. Everything collapsed at once. Although they say there was a command to take cover. We didn't hear. The radio operator was next to me. Most likely, the Dudayevites jammed communications.”3

« 15:30 . Radio interception:
Cyclone [Maskhadov]: “Everyone, everyone, everyone! In the dark, everyone should cross Sunzha. We will move to where the Pioneer store is, near the new hotel.”4

Rokhlin brought up new forces to level the front line to Pobeda Avenue and, as a consequence of this, take full control of the bridge across the Sunzha. NSh 61st Brigade Lieutenant Colonel A.V. Chernov brought the 876th airborne assault rifle battalion to the Council of Ministers area, and “a little later to the frequency “The Wizard” [Chernov] Maskhadov came out with a proposal to cease fire and conclude a truce to collect the bodies of the dead, provide assistance to the wounded and evacuate them. It would be foolish to take such a step when there were only a few houses left before the exit to the palace, the tanks reached direct shot range, and for the first time in many days the weather was clear, which made it possible to use attack aircraft. Naturally, no one was going to give the militants a rest... Late evening a special forces group that worked together with the “Wizard” and the “Monk” [commander of the 876th Special Forces Brigade, Senior Lieutenant O.G. Dyachenko], received a new task from the command.”5 (173 ooSpN went on vacation to a cannery.6)

Capture of the local history museum and the Kavkaz hotel

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin “set a task for the new commander of the reconnaissance battalion Captain Roman Shadrin (now major, Hero of Russia): go to Pobeda Avenue and try to connect with the paratroopers attacking from Rosa Luxemburg Street. Shadrin, together with a group of 60 scouts, went to Pobeda Avenue, but came under heavy fire. It was impossible to break through. The blocks between Victory Avenue and Rosa Luxemburg Street were filled with militants.”7

From the description of the battle: “Having captured the building [of the local history museum] at night on January 19, a group of 27 reconnaissance officers led by the battalion commander repelled 11 attacks by Sh. Basayev’s militants, including hand-to-hand attacks. The battalion suffered losses, but did not give up its positions - and ensured the capture of the neighboring Kavkaz Hotel by the assaulting units, and subsequently the center of Grozny.”8

From the description of the battle: “Moving from building to building, the scouts took up positions in a building next to the Caucasus Hotel.” They already had about forty wounded. Contact with them was lost. Rokhlin was exhausted: what happened? Where are they? He made noise, swore at everyone who came to hand. But the connection did not appear. He could not leave anyone else to carry out the task assigned to the scouts.<…>And soon the scouts showed up. It turned out that the battalion commander’s radio had run out of batteries.”9

After the capture of these buildings, groups of 10-12 people were formed from each unit, who led them to the captured lines:

- motorized rifle 276 MSP - to the local history museum,
- Marines 876 ODSB - to a group of houses in front of the Caucasus Hotel,
- paratroopers - to the Caucasus Hotel.

TO 7:30 units have already occupied all these buildings.10

Advancement to the palace

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin: “There was actually no storming of the presidential palace. True, the command proposed to launch an air strike on it. I replied that aviation had already helped... Enough. Then they suggested smashing the palace with tanks. I asked how they imagine it: tanks hitting from all sides and hitting each other? They asked me: “What do you suggest?” I answer: “Give it to me, I’ll take it my way.”11

From the description of the battle: “ Around 7 am the group began to move. It took almost an hour to cover some eight hundred meters. The shelling did not stop for a minute. Moreover, the fire came from all directions, both from ours and from the militants. You could get a bullet at any time. Where, crawling between piles of broken bricks, where in short runs from one damaged vehicle to another, now hiding behind the armor of a burnt-out infantry fighting vehicle, now clinging to the numb corpses of people dusted with ash and snow, a handful of brave men made their way to the building called the “target of the operation.”14

From the description of the battle: “In 8 ocloc'k they entered the building. But they were not allowed to look around. How a group of militants appeared from underground. Three. The Marines were saved only by their reaction. One was killed on the move, the other two militants disappeared. They tried to pursue them, but they disappeared into thin air.<…>But the “Wizard” did not have time to report to Rokhlin. While he was being called to the radio station, the connection was interrupted, artillery shelling began..."15 (Perhaps it was at that moment that the deputy commander of the 276th motorized rifle regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Vladimirovich Smolkin, at the cannery informed the special forces of the 173rd special forces that a reconnaissance group with the call sign "Orion" had disappeared , who went “to the Caucasus Hotel” at night and an hour later lost contact with them”16.)

From the description of the battle: “In 8:40 fire preparation ceased and communications immediately resumed. The “Wizard” reported to the commander of the “North” group about the results of the sortie and that the group was inside the building. However, the group was still under cross-fire, which did not stop for a minute, and Chernov decided to retreat back before they became a tasty prey for the militants.”17 At the same time, the Marines left the inscription “Marine. Satellite". ()

“The commander [of the 276th Motorized Rifle Regiment] decided not to leave the advantageous position until the main forces arrived. They could not report the situation due to the lack of radio communication, so they sat there waiting for dawn.”18 And the Marines “returned to their original line. By that time, the parachute company had changed position, and in its place was the 3rd air assault company, commanded by senior lieutenant Evgeniy Chubrikov. After catching his breath a little, Lieutenant Colonel Chernov decided to once again enter the building and examine it in more detail. As much as possible. And so the group of the 3rd infantry regiment, led by Chernov, followed the path he had already taken twice and entered the palace... It’s hard to say who came up with the idea of hanging a vest over the entrance to the building. According to Alexander Vasilyevich, it was some kind of impulse. The idea seemed to come out of thin air, amid internal rejoicing. "We're inside! We won!" Everything happened in a matter of seconds. While the soldiers were looking for the “pole”, platoon lieutenant Igor Borisevich literally tore off his gear and equipment... And now the Victory Banner is ready - a piece of reinforcement and the vest of a North Sea Marine. They tried to secure it as high as possible under fire, although not heavy, but in any case devastating. And again retreat to our own..."19

Commander of the North group, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin: “The Tunguskas demolished several snipers who remained in it, and the units entered the building without a fight. There was only one problem: they lost the flag that was supposed to be hoisted over the palace. We searched for two hours..."20

Raising the flag

Commander of RG 173 Special Forces Captain Dmitry Kislitsin: “We had to allocate part of the group to guard the banner. Senior Lieutenant Rahin and three soldiers left with the relevant commanders to install it.”21

« By 15 o'clock a sufficient number of officers from the group’s command gathered in this area. They brought the Russian flag. Chernov was called to him by Major General A. Otrakovsky. “Sasha, it has been decided to entrust you with hoisting the flag over the palace. You've already entered the building twice. And in general, you were the first...” The palace building, every window, every floor was methodically treated with all means of fire destruction. By order of General Otrakovsky, grenade launchers were gathered from all units of the Northern Fleet to the Caucasus Hotel. There were about twenty people there. Their task is to carry out a kind of preparation for the actions of the “banner group”. For quite some time, Marine grenades exploded in the building, ensuring the completion of the mission entrusted to the next group of Lieutenant Colonel Chernov.”22

« At 15 o'clock On January 19, 1995, the flag was secured to the façade of the building. Naturally, the “spirits” did not like this. And the fire pressure on the Marines increased to such an extent that they had to seek cover.”23

IN 15:35 reconnaissance company commander Lieutenant Andrei Yurchenko and a reconnaissance group consisting of: senior sergeant Igor Smirnov, junior sergeant D. Ivanov, privates D. Knyazev and D. Shmakov entered the building, Smirnov carried the flag of the Russian Federation. Private Knyazev recalled: “It was scary when they entered the building itself. After all, there are so many rooms, all sorts of nooks and crannies. You don’t know where danger awaits. And the broken stone underfoot creaks treacherously. Every step echoed like that. But we carried out the order...”24

From the description of further actions: “On the same day, the Marines, together with the sappers of the 276th Motorized Rifle Regiment, carried out a partial, superficial clearing and demining of part of the premises of the first floors of the building, in which there were many weapons and ammunition abandoned and stored by the militants... Only after the events described on the walls After the captured palace, inscriptions began to appear made by soldiers of the units and subunits that stormed Grozny in those terrible days...”26

1 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. P. 194.
2 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. pp. 194-195.
3 Remember… . Book of memory of Astrakhan soldiers who died in Chechnya. Astrakhan, 2003. P. 158.
4 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. P. 195.
5 Levchuk V. Flag over the palace // Brother. 2002. October. ()
6 Dmitriev V. Terrible 95th // Kozlov S. et al. GRU Special Forces. M., 2002. P. 370. ()
7 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. P. 195.
8 Kulikov A., Lembik S. Chechen knot. M., 2000. P. 101. ()
9 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. S. 195-196.
10 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. P. 197.
11 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The life and death of a general. M., 1998. P. 196.
12 Levchuk V. Flag over the palace // Brother. 2002. October. (

Events were brewing. This was felt in many ways. At least due to the absence of key security officials in Moscow who have left for the south. And not at all for relaxation. The entire squad of Group A was sent to Mozdok to guard the special train, which was carrying Minister of Defense Pavel Grachev and Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Viktor Erin. Yuri Viktorovich Demin was appointed senior guard of the headquarters train; his deputy was Major Vladimir Solovov.

It was clear that a Great War was inevitable. One thing remained unclear: when? I would like to emphasize that many of our employees were sent to the North Caucasus. There, in Mozdok, there was an “Alf” reserve headed by Anatoly Nikolaevich Savelyev. All tasks regarding the dispatch of people were set by the head of the Main Directorate of Security of Russia, Mikhail Ivanovich Barsukov.

At the beginning of December, Savelyev unexpectedly contacted me, calling not through a special connection, but from a regular landline number.

“A very serious situation is brewing here,” he reported, without going into details, however. “I can’t tell you anything over the phone.” But the situation is more than serious. Therefore, I earnestly ask you, Gennady Nikolaevich, to come here so that you can resolve the problem that has arisen on the spot.

I reported to Barsukov about the conversation and asked permission to travel to Mozdok. By the way, Rear Admiral Gennady Ivanovich Zakharov, who headed the Special Purpose Center of the Presidential Security Service, went there. We teamed up and took off on one special flight.

...This was not my first business trip to Mozdok. At the end of 1992, our entire unit was in the zone of the Ossetian-Ingush conflict for a long time, together with Vympel. We carried out individual operational missions, but did not directly participate in the conflict. Although, I will not hide, some responsible comrades insisted on precisely this.

Attempt to storm Grozny

Upon arrival, I immediately met with Savelyev and Dmitry Mikhailovich Gerasimov, at that time the head of the FSK Special Operations Directorate (created in December 1993). After talking with them, I realized the seriousness of the situation. The special forces units had already been given a preliminary order: after the announcement of “H” time, they would break into Grozny in armored vehicles and seize Dudayev’s palace.

Having carried out calculations of forces and means, we came to the disappointing conclusion that it is possible to complete the assigned task, but at the cost of the death of personnel.

Confirmation of this was the second campaign of the opposition to Grozny, on November 25. It was developed by the Ministry of Defense. The opposition forces were supported by recruited soldiers and officers of the Taman and Kantemirov divisions. They agreed to take part in the case for a fee. Finding volunteers among the officers and warrant officers, whose families found themselves practically without a livelihood after the collapse of the Soviet Union, turned out to be a matter of technique.

Six worn-out helicopters with crews were transferred to the units of the united opposition. The pilots were recruited from the North Caucasus Military District. By the way, when Dudayev said that Russian aviation was bombing Chechnya, he was told: the opposition, they say, bought “turntables” and put their crews in them.

The attackers were supposed to strike from different sides and gather into an armored fist in the city center near the presidential palace. Obviously, the authors of this plan believed that one type of formidable technology would force the enemy to throw out the white flag and give up power.

On November 26, mixed columns rushed to Grozny. The Dudayevites had time to thoroughly prepare. In the area of the village of Petropavlovskoye, two howitzers, an anti-aircraft gun and an anti-aircraft gun, as well as camouflaged machine gunners opened fire on the column.

Opposition forces coming from Tolstoy-Yurt managed to reach the city center. Near Sheikh Mansur Square they were surrounded. Gantamirov’s fighters, who entered from Chernorechye, came across Shamil Basayev’s militants on the territory of the Zavodsky district, where they suffered heavy losses in manpower.

Approximately half of all armored vehicles involved in the operation were destroyed. As eyewitnesses said, the oppositionists accompanying the tanks, once in the city, rushed to rob kiosks, shops and apartments. However, presenting everyone as cowards and marauders means repeating Udugov’s propaganda.

The opposition managed to seize a number of objects in Grozny. One of the Russian officers recalled: “...The tanks went forward to the Dudayev palace. At this moment, information was received that the television center had been captured, and Dudayev’s palace remained the only target. Later we learned that the television center was captured by people from Ken-Yurt - one of the most combat-ready opposition units. But then they were surrounded by Dudayev's National Guard. After a confrontation, they were offered to surrender, promising to spare their lives. Then about seventy oppositionists came out and their heads were cut off. I held lists of these people in my hands.”

It must be said that the volunteer tankers completed their task: they broke through to the presidential palace and stood up. For several hours, no one gave them clear commands regarding their further actions: shoot, don’t shoot? While they were sitting in the cars without infantry cover, they were “simply” burned by grenade launchers. Some were captured, about forty people in total. This fact was used by Ichkerian propagandists. Foreign television companies then happily broadcast footage of volunteers who told how it happened.

The blitzkrieg did not work out, but the victory instantly strengthened the position of Dudayev, who threatened to shoot the prisoners if the Russian president did not recognize them as his servicemen. Yeltsin responded by announcing an ultimatum: disarm and surrender, otherwise a full-scale army operation would be carried out.

The enemy learned the proper lessons from the two campaigns against Grozny and prepared in a very serious way. I'll give just one example. In the area of the railway station there were ditches along the sides - the only place where one could hide from the fire. The militants had foreseen this: diesel fuel was spilled in the ditches in advance, and when a suitable situation arose during the battle, they set it on fire.

Conversation with Grachev

I settled in a former barracks. When I went out to smoke (I had not yet given up the long-term habit of smoking), young guys were often nearby - soldiers of the autumn conscription. They asked for a cigarette. The pack was instantly empty. But that was not the point.

- You are probably a tank driver? - I remember one of the soldiers simply asked me.

- Where did you get this from?

- In black uniform! This only applies to tankers.

This requires some clarification. I flew to Mozdok in our black uniform, without insignia. The soldiers did not suspect that the Alpha commander was in front of them.

— I guessed correctly, I’m a tank driver. Tell me, how long have you been serving?

- Kolka, how long do we serve, seven or eight days? - he turned to his comrade.

“Eight,” he responded.

Eight days... My God! Together with other similar guys, they were probably soon thrown into Grozny - untrained, not fired upon, without military or life experience. I still remember their smiling faces. I think they were soldiers of the 131st Maikop Motorized Rifle Brigade, which suffered heavy losses in Grozny near the railway station. I judge this because those with whom I spoke were drafted from the Krasnodar region.

I stayed in Mozdok for about a week. Having understood the situation, as well as the possible consequences, I turned to Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin with a request to organize an audience with the Minister of Defense. He, to his credit, gave a positive answer and quickly resolved this issue.

At the appointed time, we - Stepashin, Zakharov and I - entered the staff car of the special train. We had to wait about a quarter of an hour. Erin appeared first. In a tracksuit. Then, after some time, the Minister of Defense came to us - in the same form. The deputy chief of the GRU and the head of airborne intelligence arrived here before us. Along their line, they reported to Grachev, who laid out a map on the table, the operational situation and specified the objects on which they had to work.

Of course, Pavel Sergeevich was a hostage of the general political situation. Just like in the fall of 1993. However, it was his tanks that hit the parliament building. And now, placed within strict limits, as a member of Yeltsin’s team, he was forced to implement the military option with far-reaching consequences.

...I looked at Grachev, at his tracksuit. For some reason, I remembered the evening of October 3, on the eve of the storming of the White House, when, together with the Vympel commander, General Gerasimov, we arrived at the office of the Minister of Defense - relaxed gestures, free pose.

Then, in October, Grachev did not want to be responsible for the consequences of sending troops into Moscow and insisted on the president’s personal sanction regarding the use of tanks. And in the future he did everything to shift responsibility to his subordinates. Now, what will happen now? Moscow is not Grozny, and the presidential palace will not capitulate to Alpha’s guarantees, as happened on October 4, 1993.

Yes, fate brought us together again. I stood and thought gloomily about the words that I would now have to say to this man who promised to capture Grozny with a regiment of paratroopers. Well, you can capture it, but what to do next, how to hold it - that’s the question. I became more and more convinced that people needed to be saved.

When the reports were over, it was our turn. It was much easier for Zakharov to motivate his position. He began by saying that the situation in Moscow is difficult and tense. Therefore, it requires enhanced protection of the first person of the state. And here, in Mozdok, there are fifteen SBP employees who belong in the capital.

- No questions. Take your people,” Grachev immediately made a decision.

After Zakharov, I already formulated a similar request - to recall Savelyev’s group. The answer was irritable in form and sharply negative in essence. I don’t want to quote it verbatim. I repeated the request: “Comrade Minister of Defense...” And again a harsh, insulting reaction. And so on several times until finally I heard:

- You can take your people!

I also had to obtain written permission. And in the evening we flew to Moscow. Gerasimov's group remained in Mozdok. Subsequently, employees of the Special Operations Directorate with troops entered Grozny. I know that Dmitry Mikhailovich was severely shell-shocked there. As for the Alpha team, they were ready to complete the task. I don't even doubt it...

"You can punish me"

It was already evening when we arrived in Moscow. We boarded our bus and departed for the unit’s permanent location. For several days I was unable to talk to Barsukov. Finally, when the telephone contact took place, he expressed his “fe” to me:

- Why did you remove people?

- Mikhail Ivanovich, I asked for your permission: to fly to Mozdok, sort it out on the spot and make a decision. I figured it out and accepted it... in this form.

- You had no right to do this!

- Maybe I was mistaken. But he considered it necessary to do just that. If you think I'm guilty, you can punish me. But I made the decision based on the specific situation.

Well, then everything fell into place, and our relationship remained normal, without any misunderstandings.

The lives of our comrades were saved for the subsequent most complex operations in which they happened to participate. After all, Budennovsk was ahead! The rescued hostages and the destroyed terrorists are a guarantee of the correctness of the difficult decision made at that time in Mozdok. But my heartache for those who died does not leave me. For those boys in greatcoats with whom I spoke in Mozdok, for all who with their lives atoned for the criminal shortsightedness of politicians and high officials who carried out the First Chechen campaign in the format of the New Year's assault on Grozny.

In my story I mentioned two of our comrades. Hero of Russia Colonel Savelyev - he will survive the events described for three years. He will pass through Budyonnovsk, and suddenly die in Moscow on December 20, 1997, from an acute heart attack, saving the life of a Swedish diplomat captured by a terrorist.

Major Solovov would die earlier - in Budennovsk, where for forty minutes, seriously wounded in the arm, he would fight, covering the retreat of his comrades who were caught in the fire bag.

Eternal memory to them! To everyone who died for their Motherland...

Fierce battles for the palace and the adjacent quarter lasted four days. The closer the Marines came to the palace, the fiercer the militants' resistance was. One of the participants in that battle told AiF.ru how it happened.

The Chechen war for the “black berets” from the Baltic began on the night of January 7-8, 1995. The 879th separate airborne assault battalion of the brigade, led by commander Alexander Darkovich, was raised on combat alert. March to the airfield and loading. The hum of turbines. Spotlight light. Near the runway there are relatives of the Marines: wives, parents. Many arrived by taxi. Long goodbyes are not allowed in the army, but then the command understood that the business trip was dangerous, not everyone could return.

We loaded into the IL-76 on time. We flew to Mozdok. But there was not enough space for most of the equipment. The armored personnel carriers were sent back to the regiment. After some time, the equipment was loaded onto ships and sent to St. Petersburg. From there by military train to Chechnya.

The battalion was transferred from Mozdok to Grozny in parts. Battalion headquarters, first and second companies, mortar and anti-tank batteries - by car, parachute company - by helicopter, third air assault company and logistics platoon - by train.

Together, the “black berets” gathered in the area of the Andreevskaya Valley - a place adjacent to the Chechen capital, where two ridges are separated: Grozny and Sunzhensky. The main forces of the Russian army were based there. Thus began the military life of the Baltic marines.

Sailors' war on land

The battles for Grozny were in full swing. The fighting did not stop day or night. Therefore, the Marines, who had no experience of war in hot spots, had only a few days to learn the rules of this war.

Communicating with the warring soldiers, the sailors learned the most basic things: where to expect danger, how to storm buildings, how to move along the street and act in the dark.

On January 14, 1995, the battalion received an order to relieve the paratroopers of the 19th motorized rifle brigade, who were in the central market area and were suffering heavy losses, and to capture the Green Quarter in Grozny (a place adjacent to the administrative buildings of the republic and the Dudayev Palace - author's note). This quarter was a corridor for the militants, allowing them to deliver ammunition, food, and fresh forces. Therefore, the militants were not going to retreat.

To keep battalion losses to a minimum, commander of the “black berets” Alexander Darkovich decides to form several assault groups. And when he asked the Marines who wanted to go into the thick of the war, there was no one left in the ranks. The entire battalion took a step forward.

It is worth noting that the block that needed to be occupied is itself small, but densely built up with five-story buildings. Almost each of them is a well-fortified militant position. The Marines began their assault on the Green Quarter at three in the morning on January 15th. The objective of the operation is to close the encirclement ring around the block and break through a corridor from the city center to the main forces of the group of Russian troops.

Losses and exploits

The principle of war in the city resembles a wave. The fighters act in stages, capturing building after building. The first company of the Marine battalion operates on the left flank. Her task is to capture a five-story building and prevent militants from attacking from the left flank. The second one is in the center of the battle formation, capturing a kindergarten and a three-story house in the center of the block. Soldiers of the third company are fighting on the right flank. Their task is to capture a five-story building near the palace and prevent the militants from breaking through.

The fourth parachute company was ordered to occupy and hold the defense of two five-story buildings. The main thing for the paratroopers is to prevent the militants from breaking through to the battalion command post. The company was also entrusted with providing and delivering ammunition and food to the remaining assault groups and organizing the evacuation of the wounded. The reconnaissance group is to conduct reconnaissance, capture a distant three-story house and destroy the retreating enemy.

The sailors moved in short dashes, a few meters from each other, using any fold of terrain as cover. With every step the Marines took along the Green Quarter, the militants' resistance became more and more fierce. The battle did not subside for a minute. The militants, realizing that the ring was shrinking, tried to escape from the encirclement.

Group Captain Sergei Sheiko captured four entrances in two houses. There, for two days, the sailors repelled counterattacks by militants from the direction of the palace. Sergei Sheiko was wounded and shell-shocked, but refused to leave the battlefield. The officer continued to lead the platoon and give instructions to the artillery. At some point in the battle, the situation among the sailors escalated to the limit, and Sergei Sheiko was forced to call artillery fire on himself.

Captain Evgeniy Kolesnikov, who fought in Afghanistan, with his scouts blocked the building of a kindergarten where the militants had set up a stronghold. The separatists were not going to hand it over to the Marines. Therefore, they fought furiously, pouring heavy fire on Kolesnikov’s group. The “black berets” had no escape route, and then Captain Kolesnikov raised his guys to attack. In this battle, Kolesnikov was killed by a sniper. The battle with militants in the kindergarten lasted more than 6 hours. As a result, they managed to capture the kindergarten and remove the body of their commander from under fire.

Died in this battle Major Oleg Silkunov. During the liberation of houses on the right flank of the block between the groups of captain Sergei Sheiko and Senior Lieutenant Dmitry Polkovnikov the entrances were not occupied. Oleg Silkunov needed to take the first entrance and from there go towards the “black berets”. Oleg carried out the first group without losses; leaving her at the entrance, he followed the second group and, returning with her to the occupied entrance, was met with machine-gun fire. The “black berets” took cover from the fire behind trees and in craters from exploding mines. The major understood perfectly well that his sailors would not last long in their shelters. Silkunov went back a little to pick up the group and lead them into the entrance. Here he was overtaken by a machine gunner's shell. His signalman died along with Oleg.

St. Andrew's flag over the palace

The battle was gaining momentum. The militants were crushed, they never managed to recapture a single floor or entrance in these five-story buildings from the Marines.

At 5 a.m. on January 19, the Marines moved toward the palace. They secretly approached the wall of the building. There is no movement inside. We walked around the palace. The enemy was nowhere to be seen. There were up to a dozen corpses lying on the floor. Apparently, the militants left through the underground passages that filled the palace building. To indicate their presence, the “black berets” decided to hang St. Andrew’s flag over the palace. They wanted to raise it above the roof, but the flights of stairs were destroyed at the level of the sixth floor. The flag was hung through the window.

The dilapidated presidential palace in Grozny. Photo by M. Evstafiev

Presidential Palace in Grozny- a building in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, destroyed during the war.

Story

Originally, the building of the CPSU (its republican party committee in the Chi ASSR), later became used as the presidential palace of General Dzhokhar Dudayev, the first leader of the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, and the main seat of his government (Dudayev's actual office was on the eighth floor of the building). The palace was the target of failed offensives by the Russian-backed Chechen opposition.

During the First Chechen War

Dudayev's fighters pray at the eternal flame against the backdrop of the Presidential Palace. Photo by M. Evstafiev, December 1994

During the early phase of the First Chechen War, in the winter of 1994-1995, on New Year's Eve, it was targeted by federal troops. The soldier who would raise the Russian flag on the building was promised to be given the star of the Hero of the Russian Federation. The bomb shelter underneath the building was used as a separatist headquarters and also for holding captured Russian military personnel. The heavily damaged palace was abandoned by the separatists on January 18, 1995, after three weeks of bombing and two weeks of fighting, and was taken by the Russian army the next day. In February 1996, a demonstration took place in the square in front of the building. That same month, the Palace was blown up by federal forces.

Square and monument to Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov

Now on the site of the former palace there is Akhmat Kadyrov Square and a monument to him.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what "Presidential Palace (Grozny)" is in other dictionaries:

Coordinates: 43°18′58.51″ N. w. 45°41′30.82″ E. d. / 43.316253° n. w. 45.691894° E. d. ... Wikipedia

The dilapidated presidential palace in Grozny. Photo by M. Evstafiev Presidential Palace in Grozny A building in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, destroyed during the war. History Initially, the building of the CPSU (its republican party committee in the Chi ASSR), later became... ... Wikipedia

The Presidential Palace is a series of buildings designed to accommodate or represent heads of state. The Presidential Palace in Avlabari is the official residence of the President of Georgia. Presidential Palace (Athens) ... ... Wikipedia

View of the castle from the Daugava. Riga Castle (Rigas pils) is the residence of the President of Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava in the city of Riga. One of the most historically and culturally significant buildings in the Latvian capital. Contents 1... ...Wikipedia

This article is proposed for deletion. An explanation of the reasons and the corresponding discussion can be found on the Wikipedia page: To be deleted/October 22, 2012. While the discussion process is not completed, the article can ... Wikipedia

The term Chechen conflict refers to a series of clashes in the North Caucasus, dating back to the Caucasian War of the 19th century, when the Russian Empire, expanding its territories in the south, encountered fierce resistance from the mountain peoples of the Caucasus, ... ... Wikipedia

First Chechen campaign 1994-1996- - internal Russian armed conflict between federal troops (forces) and armed formations of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, created in violation of the legislation of the Russian Federation. Events that led to the armed... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

Dzhokhar Musaevich Dudayev Dudin Musa kIant Zhovkhar ... Wikipedia

Type