When the war started, I was interested in the military, but I was told - sit back and wait for the summons. And for a while I was still working. Were on duty during the raids - the places where I lived, Yuzhinsky, Trekhprudny, Theology lanes tons of bombs were falling. From Belosrusskaya broke some "Heinkel" trying to get through to the center, some succeeded. The first attack was on July 22, then - almost every night, at least through the night. Lighters fell into the yard, but personally I could not catch a single one. This music was, especially in the first raids! Includes a powerful siren, all blended in a terrible howl. Of course, the people fled to shelters, subways, sometimes almost in their underwear. They fired anti-aircraft guns, and was also a very special sound. After the break flak splinters flying with a peculiar groan. One of my friend got a splinter even ran into the sole. Then he showed it to us. Mass of the fragments were scattered on the street. In the first raid, our artillery was small-bore - fired a lot, but the effect was small. The Germans broke through. Then there was more heavy artillery, and began to put these barriers that are no longer broke. Before the big theater was downed aircraft. So I sat and waited for the summons. When we contacted the recruitment centers, told us: "Wait."
It was ordered everyone ran out of the ten classes, not to take. And in July and August I even went to work in the building elektomonterom Commissariat. From the roof to be seen everything, and one ton bomb dropped on the collective space, but did not explode, it was cordoned off and two colonels were going to defuse it. Unexploded bombs come across quite often - in our neighborhood, at the corner Spiridonovka and Yermolayevsky bomb hit the basement and protruded from the window itself. Stood on the Garden kiosk - a bomb hit it, on the contrary, close to the Filatovskry hospital, was a two-storey wooden house, it is also completely smashed.

Around us, in Trekhprudnom Lane, was a five-story building 122-th school. It landed ton bomb and killed seventeen people. In Theological Lane was a long four-storey residential building - a bomb fell right in the middle. The house is divided in two, and, as in the picture in the movie "Belorussian Station" were visible walls fatigued, watches, speaker.

August 9 received a summons - to appear with bagatelles to the assembly point to the school on the Forest. It is still there. I took all the essentials, said goodbye to my mother. Even the tears were not - people are not accustomed to, did not understand what was going on. Goodbye, as it turned out, for years to come - I just came back at the end of the forty-fifth. At first, we were loaded on a train, the very first night was disturbing - the ring road bombing started. In the boxcar were about thirty or forty of all ages. We stood for another day, and then drove on to the East, not the West as having desyatiklassnoe education. Before reaching Saratov, we unloaded in Tatischevo, where there was a huge assembly moldable point. There we were put in tents - it was August, summer. Only one there was not, at this point. There was, for example, a battalion of Estonians. They behaved smart, do not mix with others, kept to themselves, and sang some own soldatsuyu Estonian song, beating out a rhythm. At this point we were less than a month in total, when once we have built a long, long line in front of a group of military arrived - colonels and lieutenant colonels, all the armed forces. They passed down the line and poked a finger to whom in what group. It turned out that they were from different schools - an engineering, artillery, aviation and tank. Of course, without asking for external data, I was sent to the tank - because of short stature, obviously. We once again loaded on a train and taken to Saratov, around which were all kinds of schools, right at the checkpoint. So I got into the second Saratov tank school of medium and heavy tanks. The "T-34" and "HF" motors are the same, even the same sights. But the "HF" - incredibly heavy machine, ten tons heavier than the "T-34". And we were taught a crash course - released in October next year. The commander of the tank, with two cubes. To command a tank after all is not easy - in fact you have three other people. And in October, the 42nd was an order of the main control Tank-Automotive troops gavtukaz, abbreviated word, conferring the title of commander of the tank all of our production - mostly Muscovites. We quickly gave us an officer's uniform, modest in wartime, where it was possible to screw the blocks. And picked us up from the production teams of seven people in different parts. Discharged certificates, and Stalingrad train in the reserve forces of the Stalingrad Front Tank-Automotive. Was the reserve on a branch on Aktube, opposite Stalingrad, in a remote area Tsarev, associated more with Baty. We arrived five, and there were at least a hundred people, shelled, had been in combat. Predict the distribution of allowances to wait. It was the end of November. Discipline was completely free, no not military. The branch has moved on to the Volga, with all sorts of ramifications. Drove to the front of ammunition and food. It was hard to move - then it was all smashed, were incessant bombing. Went very big fights in the sky - there I saw quite a fantastic performance, space, if you ignore the war. Seized a group of "Messers" and a group of our "Yastrebkov" and "shops". On the side of Stalingrad was a constant hum, Tsarev was 10-15 kilometers and I just went there on foot, look at the war. And the absolute silence, no one, no equipment, no manpower, no. Only the Volga, very wide in places, more than a kilometer. And then I saw a panorama Stalingrad, these ruins, over which all the time circling aircraft - you can not tell whose, even our "U-2" and Italian. Later, at a distance, away from the city I saw them dance, a real tangle of our five and five German aircraft. Occasionally this coil precipitated someone - a wing and the ground.

November 19 we have collected and read out an order of the Supreme Commander of the beginning of the offensive, leaving Stalingrad was taken in the ring. Then called me and two other guys, and sent to the unit. And we went on a ferry, which was south of the Volga - on the other side were Aksai Abganerovo, very famous place in MMA. In Aksai we spent the night and headed to the 13th motomehkorpus, who stood in defense in case of attempts to break the encircled. According to the map we found the corps headquarters in Zhutova, where we had to naprvit the brigade. Aviation could hardly be heard, but Abganerovo on "IL" Naselle "Messer", "IL" shot back of the "PC" s, but only when earned our anti-aircraft guns, "Messer" was gone. On the road, on which I went to the headquarters, I saw traces of what remains after the "Katyusha" - a clear scorched black circle against the late autumn. And in a circle - the burned men, it is not clear who even may Romanians - there were a lot of them. On the way to the headquarters of the Romanians came to meet us in a sheepskin hat, all oplyvshy, dropped. We showed him where to go. We found the staff, the night the bomb fell on him, but managed to dive somewhere. These were the remains of pieces collected after the fighting. I had to replace the tank commander's sick, so I went to war.

The first time I went into captivity in Miuss defense, already in the Donets Basin, where it has again appeared in a reserve regiment. I ran one - with me going to another one, but changed my mind, I had one, it was impossible to pull, August - the right time of the year. Escape was a success, I ran straight from Dresden, where the camp "Radebui." There was a pharmaceutical factory, where we were allowed to work. We were about a hundred people. Of militias - who was not only there. Nearby was a British camp - they worked in a shoe factory. Special difficulties were not, I have prepared with good shoes - on wooden soles can not run away. We had to pick a time. Factory on the outskirts of Dresden was enclosed by a fence, behind it was a tram line, followed by the park, and then - field. I watched it all and working out all the options. It was a Sunday when we were brought to work. The first day I was hiding in a narrow strip of corn. I knew only one thing - that is very close to the Czech border. Elba was a wonderful guide, which was Dresden. Badshandau was already on the former border with the Czech Republic, where he was a protectorate. I'm keeping an eye advance a spot where you can sit out in the afternoon. There were small grove, the people were a little - all in the war. There was a time when the squadron flew over me "flying fortresses" - to bomb Dresden. And I lay hid. With food this time was no problem - the terms were apples, you could hold on to. I got to the border of the Protectorate - Litho-Mezica. Passed through the Sudetenland, began to focus well and was in the Czech Republic. There I began to get even more brazenly out in the open, where it was impossible to go through the forest. In the end, I came to a place Kopidlina. In the end, I knew that I had in Prague is my uncle, whom I had seen only in photographs.

Dresden was on the border with the Czech Republic, and I knew exactly what my uncle Ivan Vechtomov, my father's brother - a major Czech musician and lives in Prague. And he had a son, Alexander, and his wife, pianist Irmila Chern. And the most important task was to find his uncle. When I crossed the border of the protectorate, became bolder and out of the forest came the most crucial in all of this epic moment. In the evening I have not been hiding - the Czechs at the time of the Germans really did not like. I walked through the small leafy forest - oaks, elms. But was held in the afternoon and open spaces. Saw how the Czech sedlachki. And one night I was walking past a detached farmhouse and saw a big stack of straw, who has chosen to spend the night quietly. And then comes a middle-aged Czech, Sedlak, a simple man. Lights up and turns to me quite amiably, "Kam Dej?", "Where are you going? '. At that time I could not understand it. He saw in my mind that I'm coming from far away. Well, I said I'm Russian, fled. He gave me a cigarette, offered to arrange at the stack, and when it gets dark, come and bring bread. I immediately left, was digging yourself a small cave in a stack of straw, lay down, and as it got dark, he came and brought me a cup of kava hot drinks such as coffee, a piece of bread spread with lard - which I have not seen, because the path of eating alone apples. And he said: "Russian doctor, Russian Doctor" - like take me to some kind of doctor. Another day passed, I just got into a cave, a nap - there is good, warm in the hay. And suddenly woke up - some voices. In person I have sent a harsh light, and has been spoken in Russian, "Where is this very fugitive? '. I went out - is a tall man, "You have run away? '. I told him that, and how, when and where escaped. He says, "And I - Dr. Ivan Pies." Then I learned that he - a local veterinarian and highly respected personality. A farmer, he led, was an assistant under him. I said I know one thing - live in Prague my uncle, Ivan Vechtomov, addresses that I do not know. He offered to try to find him. I waited, and after a day or two there Pirogov. He knew his uncle address via the address table, and wrote him a card. And my uncle said that he wanted to come. The township is named Kapidlina, seventy kilometers east of Prague, on the railway - station even there. Took a couple of days and then one day there Vechtomov Ivan, a very famous Czech musician, violinist, concertmaster of the Prague Philharmonic. And with him a young boy - his son, Sasha, who was standing at a distance. I have never seen my uncle, but my father they had a great friendship, and they corresponded. Father was no longer alive, he died in the siege, in December 41st of the year. My uncle did not know that there was no connection - and just changed color. He left and returned a week later, saying he can take me to Prague. Irmila aunt, his wife, said that I should definitely save - and they dared. He brought me a black hat, coat shiny - and late at night I bought a ticket for the night train. Trains were blacked out, but were often esesevskie check. So we went to different parts of the car. He arrived at the Prague train station and went through the dark streets. Since I first came to Prague. There was, however, a dangerous thing: on the street are often met by police who were very monumental - a huge cone-shaped coats and helmets on their heads. My uncle is going to continue to fifteen meters, I followed him into a more or less tolerable form. So is this a cloaked figure to the ground bell - looked down at me, but had passed. And after all the ups and downs of camp we go up the elevator to the fourth floor in a luxurious, with carpets, stove and paintings on the walls of an apartment in the center of Prague. There Irmila aunt in tears, nor is alive not dead - suffered terribly. The apartment has been ring - kitchen, bedroom, dining room large bathroom. I lived with them for a long time, but could not resist and said - it is necessary to join the partisans. Already there have been rumors about the Slovak uprising, said that the guerrillas had already appeared in the vicinity of Brno - the Czech-Moravian Highlands. Relations with his uncle, of course, there were not any - the guerrillas had their own channels. It was full of crazy, but I went in search of guerrillas - in black hat and his coat shiny. Places I knew about - explore the magnificent card. Pretended to be a civilized Russian, who worked at Bauer. And one day I was detained Czech police and put in a cell with fifteen other people were sitting Russian and Ukrainian women. There I spent a day or two, and then put us in a huge cart and sent to the retreating Germans - front approaching. And I got back to Kapidlinu, where once again hid in the haystack from a farmer. Pies come again, summoned his uncle, but he said he could no longer keep me - it is dangerous. But I'm the guerrillas went to look.

Good focusing on the map, I have worked routes, took the direction of the East Bohemia, to the vicinity of Brno. In the town of Pardubice I went and walked on the Elbe, sometimes in the open, in the afternoon. And at night again found himself nook - after all the time it was not very cold. And so I got to the Moravian Moravian Highlands north from Brno, where small sloping hill. So I came to a small village Dolne Janowitz, and asked sedlachki, peasant, "You've got guerrillas do not? '. She says, "Nope, no - this is where the house stands on the edge of a blank, lie down on the floor." And I immediately fell asleep. The next morning, I heard a voice: "Where is the Russian, who is looking for guerrillas?". And is a squat little man in a hat and a gun. "Who are you? '. I'm talking about. "And I - Simon." Also, incidentally, tanker, the driver. And the third was a gypsy named Sam Black - really black, and wearing a black hat. He was a local and knew everyone there. Weapons I was not and had to get it somehow. We went to the rangers and expropriated a receipt for my hunting rifle. So I got in the squad named Dr. Miroslav Chirsha. This hero of the Czech Resistance, just do not even know who. And then, as has forgotten, I found our machine, PCA, which had to be sure to hold, otherwise the disc flew during turns. He had a small defect - poor latch. There was an incident - the Germans were driving a cart over rough terrain, I gave him all along, and drive me and took off. There, I think, a fully rehabilitated, becoming partisan. I was asked to accompany this cart to the staff because I had a gun. And once we turned on the same road wheeled into German lieutenant, in full uniform, and two Austrian soldier with shmeyserami. And here, perhaps, my most heroic moment. They did not see me and did not see the cart. I'll be honest, I knew that the Czechs from the squad close, and rushed at them, "Stop! Hands up! ". And in Czech: "Stuy!". And they brought in the automatic focusing. And I took them prisoner. One - Second Lieutenant with an iron cross and two Austrian soldier. I started crying right away - and brought them to Labunskomu, to the commander. He was in the side, on the mound. I was a very engaging man in his youth, and my hobbies have all the time to distract from the main case. I was fond of, and in radio, and especially chemistry. He was fond of fireworks, sparklers liked to do from potassium salt with additives. When I got to the partisans, I even blew up a bridge. Terrible was the moment when stacked pieces, accidentally hooked the cord and everything fell, but God spared me. Again lay down and put together.

SMERSH we checked immediately. But we are liberated themselves for the coming of the 40th Army to the Third Ukrainian Front Vitoham. And keeping everything together. In Bratislava, was a box-moldable regiment, where I was determined. And there were others of partisan detachment - a few people. And I was sent back into the squad for paperwork that we were there - but I did not find anything and came back empty-handed. During this time the whole CFP-98 left, left a small number of people. I was with Victor blue - fighter pilot shot down by Lodz. So we decided to come back for yourself, by yourself. But in Bratislava was not a filtration camp as outside of Leo Tolstoy in Moscow. Collection point for all the returnees were in Ungheni, on the border with Romania. And on the roofs of cars, through Budapest, got to Ungheni, and from there went to Odessa. Especially not checked - it is for the whole of Europe was moving. But I did not tell all its twists and turns. In Odessa, me and two others - from the youngest Lieutenant Ephraim Tver and Belousov, Senior Lieutenant-mansion from Dnepropetrovsk. And we were given a referral to the main reserve officer division. There were a lot of fabulous things - I'm just lucky. Lucky Star, I guess.

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