Table Of ContentPravda.RU:Top Stories:More in detail
13:00 2003-02-18
To Spite the Death. Four moments of
Nikolay Solovov’s Life
There is a Great Patriotic War veteran who went through
the whole war without being even wounded. You may not
believe in it. Though, it is the truth…
June 22, 1941. At daybreak, a military echelon left the city of
Taganrog and reached a small station in Brest suburb.
Lieutenant Nikolay Solovov, a military school graduate, was in
command of a battery. He just took guns from the platform, as several Messerschmidt aircraft attacked the
echelon. The wagons caught fire. Cries of the wounded could be heard. Soviet military lost many soldiers. The
enemy infantry launched its passage through Bug River. Young officer Solovov turned over the guns to shot at
the Hitler troops. The battery defended itself for 11 days, until an order arrived to retreat. Afterwards, there was
a long way to the east: through swamps, woods, rapid rivers, the solders drew their guns, catching on every
plot of their mother land to shoot at the enemy.
May 9, 1945. After 1,418 days, in Germany, in Berlin suburb, Nikolay Solovov gave an order to his artillerists
to cover the guns. Now, they were needed only to fire a salute. It was time to look over, to sum up. So, what
happened between these two days?
Nikolay Solovov entered the war being a lieutenant and now he was a colonel. He deserved seven orders.
Being only 24 years old, he was in command of a regiment. He had annihilated numerous enemy batteries,
knocked out hundreds tanks, and killed hundreds of Hitler soldiers. He had survived spite being so often on
the verge of death. Was it just the fate hand or something else?
I tell you only about four moments of the officer life, and you could make your own conclusions about the
reason of his luckiness.
Stalingrad, December 1942. A group of Hitler army, encircled by Soviet military, lived its last days. The captain
Solovov artillery division, which defended the Barrikady Factory was advancing. In the cellar of a destroyed
house, Soviet soldiers found a German hospital. The captain gave an order to bring out from the ruins the
wounded German soldiers and to prepare them for transportation to the rear. The hospital chief doctor came to
Solovov. “We were sure of being executed immediately as you found us. We have already prepared us for
death. I would like to thank you for your humanity.” The German doctor took out a watch from his pocket. “This
watch is our family talisman. My ancestors went through many wars with it and survived. Now, I no more need
it. While you have many fights before you. Let this talisman help you return home, to your relatives.
Several days later, a mine split broke through the watch case and got stuck in its mechanism (Solovov had the
watch in his left breast pocket).
Kharkov Sector, March 1943. At night, major Solovov returned from the division checkpoint to his unit along
with two other officers. When it was dawning, they suddenly understood they were going through a mine field:
the inscription on a post read: “Attention! Mines!” The officers stopped rooted to the ground.
“I will go first,” – the major said to his fellows. And he went, and survived. He got over the wire, turned over
and cried to the others: “Go!” They moved, carefully stepping the major’s steps in the snow. The saving fence
was approaching. But suddenly a fearful explosion sounded, and the two were tore into pieces. While a small
mine piece reached the major’s boot and scratched his little toe.
Sevastopol, May 1944. The Sapun Mountain storm. Lieutenant colonel Solovov used a small pause to run
forward and to occupy a new position. At this very moment, the enemy opened fire. The colonel jumped into a
big shell-hole and nearly set upon an unknown general head.
“You are decamouflaging us!” – the general cried. – “The enemy sees everything. Go away!”
The lieutenant colonel crept over an open slope. Fire was calming down. Several shells burst near Solovov.
One of them got exactly into the shell-hole Solovov had just left. The general died, not having understood he
rescued the lieutenant colonel by turning him out of the shelter.
Koenigsberg, April 1945. Soviet artillery was attacking stone casemates of the German fortress. Colonel
Solovov corrected fire from an observation point. Just for a second, a solar ray glittered in Solovov’s
binoculars. This was enough for a fascist sniper to notice the Soviet colonel. The enemy bullet nearly reached
Solovov’s temple and left only a small scratch on the finger of his right hand holding the binocular.
Our days. The city of Moscow. We are sitting in a small but comfortable flat with windows looking to an
avenue.
“There was a case on Kurskaya Duga,” – Nikolay Solovov says. – “Eight fascist Tigers moved to our division
positions…”
Though, I never knew what happened then, for at this very moment, Solovov’s wife entered the room, inviting
us to the table. “It is already more than half a century since the war has ended! And you are still talking about
it, as if you are still at war…”
Yes, she was right. We are still at war. The war will never leave us, while at least one veteran is alive.
Ilya Shatunovsky
