- [born 12/14/27/1908, Ekaterinoslav, now Dnepropetrovsk], Soviet military leader, army general (1967), Hero of the Soviet Union (3/21/1944). Member of the CPSU since 1929. In the Soviet Army since 1928. Graduated from the United Belarusian Military School named after the Central Executive Committee... ...
December 27, 1908 (19081227) March 4, 1990 Commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Guard Colonel V.F. Margelov ... Wikipedia
Vasily Filippovich Margelov December 27, 1908 (19081227) March 4, 1990 Commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Guard Colonel V.F. Margelov ... Wikipedia
Vasily Filippovich Margelov December 27, 1908 (19081227) March 4, 1990 Commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Guard Colonel V.F. Margelov ... Wikipedia
Vasily Filippovich Margelov December 27, 1908 (19081227) March 4, 1990 Commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Guard Colonel V.F. Margelov ... Wikipedia
Vasily Filippovich Margelov December 27, 1908 (19081227) March 4, 1990 Commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Guard Colonel V.F. Margelov ... Wikipedia
Margelov, Mikhail- Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. Senator, representative of the administration of the Pskov region in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation since 2000, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the upper house of parliament. Special... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
Margelov surname. Famous bearers: Margelov, Alexander Vasilyevich (born 1945) son of Margelov V.F., Hero Russian Federation, retired colonel. Margelov, Vasily Filippovich (1908 1990) army general, Hero of the Soviet ... ... Wikipedia
Vasily Filippovich [born 12/14/27/1908, Ekaterinoslav, now Dnepropetrovsk], Soviet military leader, army general (1967), Hero of the Soviet Union (3/21/1944). Member of the CPSU since 1929. In the Soviet Army since 1928. Graduated from the United... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
DECEMBER 2008 CELEBRATED THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY of the birth of the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces), Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Filippovich Margelov.
“Anyone who has never left an airplane in his life, from where cities and villages seem like toys, who has never experienced the joy and fear of a free fall, a whistle in his ears, a stream of wind hitting his chest, will never understand the honor and pride of a paratrooper. .."
V.F. Margelov
Vasily Filippovich Margelov was born on December 27 (January 9), 1908 in Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine). Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov - metallurgist. He “received” the surname Margelov due to a mistake made by an official on his party card - his surname was spelled with a “g”. Mother - Agafya Stepanovna - as they say now, a housewife.
In the Red Army since 1928. He was sent to study as a commander at the United Belarusian Military School (UBVSH) named after the Central Executive Committee of the Belarusian SSR in Minsk.
In 1931 he graduated from the Minsk Military School (formerly OBVSh). Served as a platoon, company, and battalion commander. Participant Soviet-Finnish war 1939-1940 During the Great Patriotic War - commander of a rifle regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of a rifle division. Since 1944 - commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. He led the division's actions during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division took part in the liberation of the peoples of South-Eastern Europe.
With the name V.F. Margelov is inextricably linked with many bright pages in the history of the Airborne Forces of our country.
In 1948, after graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR named after K.E. Voroshilova Margelov V.F. appointed commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.
In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps, stationed in the Far East.
From 1954 to 1959 - commander of the Airborne Forces.
Commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division V.F. Margelov
In 1959, Vasily Filippovich was appointed with demotion as first deputy Airborne Forces Commander.
In 1961 V.F. Margelov was reappointed to the post of commander of the Airborne Forces, which he held until January 1979.
Since 1979 - in the group of inspectors general of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
Having assumed the post of commander of the Airborne Forces, Margelov took command of troops consisting mainly of infantry with light weapons and military transport aviation (as an integral part of the Airborne Forces), equipped with Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu-4 with significantly limited landing capabilities. In fact, the Airborne Forces were not capable of solving major problems in military operations.
As commander of the Airborne Forces, V.F. Margelov said: “To fulfill your role in modern operations, it is necessary that our formations and units be highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, be well controlled, capable of landing at any time of the day and quickly proceed to active combat operations after landing. This, by and large, is the ideal to which we should strive.”
It was necessary to bridge the gap between the theory of the combat use of the Airborne Forces and the existing organizational structure of the troops, as well as the capabilities of military transport aviation.
To achieve the goals under the leadership of V.F. Margelov developed the concept of the role and place of the Airborne Forces in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. Margelov wrote a number of works on this topic, and also successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation. In practical terms, Airborne Forces exercises and command meetings were regularly held.
V.F. Margelov initiated the creation at enterprises of the military-industrial complex of serial production of landing equipment, heavy parachute platforms, parachute systems and containers for landing cargo, cargo and human parachutes, parachute devices. “You cannot order equipment, so strive to create in design bureaus, industry, during testing of reliable parachutes, trouble-free operation of heavy airborne equipment,” Margelov said when setting tasks for his subordinates.
Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces in the post-war years, new military equipment was developed and modernized: airborne self-propelled artillery mount ASU-76 (1949), light - ASU-57 (1951), amphibious - ASU-57P (1954), self-propelled installation of ASU-85, combat vehicle of the Airborne Forces BMD-1 (1969). A large family of vehicles was developed on the basis of the BMD-1: the 2S9 “Nona” self-propelled gun, the 1V119 “Reostat” artillery fire control vehicles, the BTR-D multi-purpose armored personnel carrier, the BREM-D repair and recovery vehicle, etc. New models were adopted for service weapons and communications equipment.
By the end of the 1950s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were put into service, with a payload capacity of up to 10-12 tons and a sufficient flight range, which made it possible to land large groups of personnel with standard military equipment and weapons. Later, through the efforts of V.F. Margelov Airborne troops have mastered landing from new military transport aircraft An-22 and Il-76.
Commander of the Airborne Forces in the troops
Various parachute platforms have appeared in service with the troops, designed for parachute landing of military equipment, vehicles and various cargoes. Parachute-jet landing equipment was created, which, due to the jet thrust created by the engine, makes it possible to bring the landing speed of the cargo closer to zero. Such systems made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of landing by abandoning large quantity large area domes.
On January 5, 1973, for the first time in world practice, the USSR carried out a parachute-platform landing in the Centaur complex from an An-12B BMD-1 military transport aircraft with two crew members on board. The crew commander was the son of Vasily Filippovich, Major Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov, and the driver-mechanic was Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev.
On January 23, 1976, also for the first time in world practice, parachuted from the same type of aircraft, a BMD-1 made a soft landing on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex, also with two crew members on board - Major Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel Shcherbakov Leonid Ivanovich. The landing was carried out at great risk to life, without personal means of rescue. 20 years later, for the feat of the 1970s, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
It was V.F. Margelov achieved the introduction of the now famous blue beret and blue and white vest into the uniform of paratroopers. Every person who served in the Airborne Forces is proud of these attributes.
Vasily Filippovich was awarded 13 orders and 19 medals of the Soviet Union, including four Orders of Lenin, 34 orders and medals of foreign countries. Name V.F. Margelova is the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School (military institute), a square in Ryazan, the streets of Omsk, Pskov and Tula. Monuments were erected to him in Ryazan, Omsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Tula, and St. Petersburg. Officers and paratroopers, veterans of the Airborne Forces every year come to the grave of their Commander at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow, where a monument is also erected, to pay tribute to his memory.
Having gone from commander of a formation to commander of the Airborne Forces, V.F. Margelov turned the Airborne Forces into the elite of the Armed Forces. And it is not at all by chance that to this day the abbreviation “VDV” is revealed both jokingly and seriously, as “Uncle Vasya’s Troops,” and the motto of the paratroopers for all times has become the winged words of Margelov: “Nobody but us!”
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Commander, 2008 was declared the year of Vasily Filippovich Margelov in the Airborne Forces.
Material prepared
Information service
and public relations of the Airborne Forces
The story of how Margelov jumped with a parachute for the first time or the general’s receipt for 6 jumps:
It is known that... in 1948, during his first jump, he was 40 years old (for the Airborne Forces this is “pre-retirement” age; doctors sometimes do not recommend jumping if there is no appropriate physical training). The height was 400 meters (today this is the height for extreme sports enthusiasts), we jumped from a balloon basket.
It is known that... before he began to command the paratroopers, General Margelov made a bet on 6 jumps with General Denisenko in the reception room of the Airborne Forces Commander. On the third jump, the new airborne division commander, General Denisenko, died tragically. Margelov did not stop - he only broke his legs twice during the first jumps (during the war, his most severe shrapnel wounds were in his legs). Perhaps (my version) from that time on, a recruit of the Airborne Forces had to make 6 jumps before taking the oath (which is what we did).
It is known that... for all the jumps, Margelov took weapons with him (including the first one) - a Mauser and grenades, saying: “Already in the sky, a soldier must join the battle!” In the presence of Margelov, everyone jumped with weapons, otherwise they could get hit in the neck, but after Margelov retired, they only jumped with weapons during exercises.
The story of how the people's medal "Margelov" appeared or who has the right to present the "airborne non-governmental award":
It is known that... only in Belarus there is an official state medal “Margelov”, approved by the President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko...
It is known that ... in Russia and the CIS the Margelov medal (it appeared on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Airborne Forces) is unofficially awarded by the “Supreme Council of the USSR” under the leadership of Sazha Umalatova (25 rubles per medal), and their medal was also established in the Moscow cadet corps them. G. Zhukov (medal No. 1 - A.V. Margelov).
It is known that ... the Union of Airborne Veterans (created at the end of 2002) issues a statement addressed to the Commander of the Airborne Forces about the introduction in the troops (until the end of 2003) of an official airborne award named after Army General V.F. Margelov...
It is known that... in different parts of the CIS and Russia, where “Father” Margelov is remembered, boxing and wrestling, shooting, parachuting, and skiing competitions are held in honor of his name. Veterans of the Airborne Forces open teenage clubs “Margelovets”.
It is known that... five monuments to Margelov have been erected in the world (Moscow - Novodevichye Cemetery, Ryazan, Tula, Omsk and Dnepropetrovsk), busts have been erected in Pskov and Kosovo (there is information that in Ecuador, local special forces are fighting drug lords at the entrance to their headquarters they hung a portrait of Margelov. Since then, drug dealers believe that the General is their leader. Perhaps someone studied in Ryazan and met with Margelov). Skilled sculptors have mastered the production for Airborne Forces Day: a bust of Margelov and figurines of paratroopers with parachutes - “for an amateur.”
The story of how Margelov “boiled” cooks for charred porridge or the “Stalingrad Cauldron” in Margelov’s style:
It is known that... as soon as Margelov received the unit, he went to the kitchen to check the rear service. He believed that food was important to a soldier's fighting ability.
Once... having tasted burnt porridge before the battles at Stalingrad, Margelov shoved the cook into a cold cauldron of porridge, accusing him of aiding the Germans, who would see in battle not the weapons of the Red Army soldiers, but their lowered pants. In addition, after this incident, he ordered the officers to eat with the soldiers so that the commanders could see how their soldiers were eating.
It is known that... the Margelovsky regiment stood in a tough defense, not allowing Guderian’s German tanks to free Field Marshal Paulus from the “Stalingrad Pocket”. For the first time, Hitler threw a super-tank with new armor, the “Royal Tiger-4,” into a breakthrough. In 1945, German generals remembered the Margelov regiment in December 1942 near Stalingrad and decided that it was better to surrender than to fight again with such a commander as Margelov.
It is known that... that the corps commander, Major General Chanchibidze, after the defeat of the German troops of the Goth group, summoned Margelov and, at the meeting, without talking, hit the lieutenant colonel in the cheekbone. Resisting, Margelov also silently punched the general in the face. In response I heard: “Maladetz - you will be the division commander,” after which he began to accept Margelov’s report.
The story of how Margelov shot motorcycles or the “heady air of Europe”:
Once... in Romania, Margelov was hospitalized with a broken leg after reckless driving on a captured German motorcycle (good Bessarabian wine also played a role). And then he saw that half of his officers were (or were) lying with similar injuries. Standing on crutches, Margelov went out into the hospital yard and shot all the motorcycles that stood in the yard from his Mauser, and then ordered all owners of “trophy horses on wheels” to do the same.
It is known that... Margelov and the officers of his headquarters visited the Carpathians in 1944 at a real noble ball, where they almost married his guarantor to the princess’s daughter.
The story of how in 1953 Margelov met the Voroshilov amnesty or the Death of Stalin:
It is known that... On November 7, 1953, Margelov, alone before the arrival of the commandant’s office soldiers, pacifying the brawl (a train of amnestied penal prisoners stood at a dead end) at the Svobodny station, said to a drunken and angry crowd of former prisoners - “Who am I? Uncle Vasya (and he showed, turning back the collar of his overcoat, the Star of the Hero of the USSR), and my troops are behind me and if it doesn’t stop...” The former prisoners “capitulated” and received 15 days of arrest “for violating public order” at the guardhouse of the airborne regiment on behalf of Margelov, the commander of the Far Eastern Airborne Corps (from the author - what soldiers of other types of troops are most afraid of is falling into the hands of an airborne patrol and into the “lip” Airborne Forces)
It is known that... when tens of thousands of prisoners were released from Stalin’s camps. Margelov ordered all officers to carry weapons around the clock to protect themselves from unpunished “amnestied” bandits. He himself slept with a Mauser under his pillow and once almost shot his 7-year-old son Alexander, who accidentally walked into his father’s bedroom, in the dark.
It is known that... in 1953, after the death of Stalin and the arrest of Beria, Margelov was offered the position of military commandant of Moscow or a job in the Foreign Ministry. He replied that he did not want to be a Moscow policeman, but in “civilian life” to ruin friendly relations with all the ambassadors, since “I’m not used to choosing words - I say what is.”
It is known that... Margelov met with Klim Voroshilov twice (the first time, as a cadet, he was awarded a personalized watch, the second time, he was pulled out wounded from the front line on the Leningrad Front). But he “did not accept” Voroshilov’s liberal amnesty in Stalin’s camps in the summer of 1953.
The story of how the vest appeared and took to the Airborne Forces or “Don’t show me fly agarics...”:
One day... in November 1941, near Leningrad, Major Margelov was assigned to create the first Special Ski Regiment of volunteer sailors who presented their commander with a black and white vest...
It is known that... Margelov’s son, Alexander, keeps his father’s blue and white vest, which Dad wore until his last day...
One day... Commander of the Airborne Forces Margelov began to reform his troops. Along with the introduction of new technology, it changed its form. Minister of Defense Marshal Grechko and the Commander of the Navy were against the wearing of a beret and vest by paratroopers, believing that only “naval” personnel had this right.
It is known that... Behind his back, in the corridors of the Ministry of Defense, Margelov was called respectfully - “our Chapaev” (who was also called Vasily). The beret was allowed, but in crimson color (the color of the landing troops of European countries), and Margelov “won” the vest for the air infantry, in a dispute because he commanded the marines in 1941...
It is known that... the first parade of paratroopers in the new “Margelov” uniform (in crimson berets) took place in 1967 on Aviation Day in the area of Domodedovo Airport. When Margelov saw the crimson berets for the second time at the Ryazan Airborne School at a parade review, he left the parade telling the head of the school not to “show him fly agarics again.”
It is known that... only 2 years later the Airborne Guardsmen received official permission from the USSR Ministry of Defense to wear blue berets and vests, which Soviet citizens saw during the 1969 military parade on Red Square (but in 1968 the Airborne Forces were allowed new form, in which the paratroopers were already dressed before they entered the territory of Czechoslovakia).
It is known that... crimson berets appeared in Russia 10 years ago in special forces.
It is known that... American propaganda of the 70s of the Pentagon and NATO on posters about the “Red Threat” replaced a Red Army soldier from the USSR with a Budenovka and a star with a paratrooper in a vest and a blue beret.
The story of how a Soviet tank fell on the head of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee or why Leonid Brezhnev fell in love with Margelov:
It is known that... Leonid Brezhnev loved to attend and observe military exercises.
Once upon a time... in the fall of 1967, the Dnepr exercise was held in Ukraine, during which one of the tanks dropped from an airplane flew to the tower where it stood Secretary General CPSU Central Committee, Minister of Defense and Margelov. Everyone who saw this picture ran away, but Margelov was calm. Seeing the calmness of the Airborne Forces Commander, Brezhnev thought that this was the plan during the exercise, although in reality an emergency had occurred.
It is known that... while conducting a “debriefing” during exercises in the Commander’s office, General Pavlenko (Margelov’s first deputy) said: “You are not an air group, but an air asshole,” which became a “catch phrase” among the troops.
The story of how US President Ronald Reagan frightened the Pentagon with Margelov:
One day... US President R. Reagan said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if on the second day of the war I see guys in blue berets on the threshold of the White House”...
It is known that... the “red threat” from Hollywood was given to the Americans - USSR nuclear weapons and paratroopers.
It is known that... Margelov was no longer the Commander of the Airborne Forces, but in American cinema a new hero appeared, Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), who in Vietnam and Afghanistan fights with brutal paratroopers in blue berets, and the film “Invasion of the USA” shows how in a week The US is captured by the Airborne Forces from Russia.
One day... General of the US Armed Forces Hake expressed his wish: “If they gave me a company of Russian paratroopers, I would bring the whole world to its knees.”
It is known that... American intelligence for many years conducted round-the-clock monitoring of the movements of only one Commander of the troops - Margelov. Since his troops were the “first echelon” troops - those who are the first to go into battle anywhere in the world (this was the topic of Margelov’s doctoral dissertation at the General Staff Academy, but the Minister of Defense forbade the Commander to develop such a topic).
The story of how Margelov lived in the Moscow region for 30 years or why Margelov’s sons lost their father-general’s dacha:
One day... Margelov decided that land should be brought from Ryazan to the dacha.
It is known that... Dad spent all his free time at the dacha, (for decades) he himself worked in the garden and vegetable garden (Vnukovo district). He invited those people whom he trusted to the dacha.
It is known that... Twice in his life he gathered all his sons together. These meetings took place at the dacha.
It is known that ... in the spring of 1990, there was a “quick privatization” of Margelov’s dacha by the rear service of the Ministry of Defense (after the death of Uncle Vasya). At this moment, Margelov’s widow was seriously ill, and her sons believed that no one would take away the dacha.
The story of why Margelov did not become a pilot or the first party reprimand “for foul-mouthed ditties”:
One day... after completing the Red Commanders course in Minsk, Margelov went to study at a flight school in Orenburg (before being drafted into the army, he wanted to be a tank driver).
It is known that... military pilot Margelov mastered flying the U-2.
It is known that... while cleaning weapons, Margelov sang ditties “for the pilots.”
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Heroes of the Great Patriotic War
Margelov Vasily Filippovich
Vasily Filippovich Markelov was born on December 27, 1908 in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine), into a family of immigrants from Belarus. Father - Philip Ivanovich Markelov, metallurgist.
Vasily Filippovich’s surname “Markelov” was subsequently written down as “Margelov” due to an error in the party card.
In 1913, the Margelov family returned to the homeland of Philip Ivanovich - to the town of Kostyukovichi, Klimovichi district (Mogilev province). V.F. Margelov’s mother, Agafya Stepanovna, was from the neighboring Bobruisk district. According to some information, V.F. Margelov graduated from a parochial school in 1921. As a teenager he worked as a loader and carpenter. In the same year he entered the leather workshop as an apprentice and soon became an assistant master. In 1923, he became a laborer at the local Khleboproduct. There is information that he graduated from a rural youth school and worked as a forwarder delivering mail on the Kostyukovichi-Khotimsk line.
Since 1924, he worked in Yekaterinoslav at the mine named after. M.I. Kalinin as a laborer, then a horse driver, a driver of horses pulling trolleys.
In 1925, Margelov was sent again to the BSSR, as a forester at a timber industry enterprise. He worked in Kostyukovichi, in 1927 he became the chairman of the working committee of the timber industry enterprise and was elected to the local Council.
In 1928, Margelov was drafted into the Red Army. Sent to study at the United Belarusian Military School (UBVSH) named after. Central Election Commission of the BSSR in Minsk, enrolled in a group of snipers. From the 2nd year - foreman of a machine gun company.
In April 1931, he graduated with honors from the Order of the Red Banner of Labor from the United Belarusian Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR, appointed commander of a machine gun platoon of the regimental school of the 99th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Territorial Rifle Division in the city of Mogilev, Belarus. Since 1933, he was a platoon commander in the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the General Military School named after. Central Executive Committee of the BSSR (from 11/6/1933 - named after M.I. Kalinin, from 1937 - Order of the Red Banner of Labor Minsk Military Infantry School named after M.I. Kalinin). In February 1934, Margelov was appointed assistant company commander, and in May 1936, commander of a machine gun company.
From October 25, 1938, he commanded the 2nd battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division. Dzerzhinsky Belarusian Special Military District. He headed the reconnaissance of the 8th Infantry Division, being the head of the 2nd department of the division headquarters. In this position he participated in the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939.
Vasily Filippovich Margelov with paratroopers
During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940), Margelov commanded the Separate Reconnaissance Ski Battalion of the 596th Infantry Regiment of the 122nd Division. During one of the operations he captured officers of the Swedish General Staff.
After the end of the Soviet-Finnish War, he was appointed to the position of assistant commander of the 596th regiment for combat units. Since October 1940 - commander of the 15th separate disciplinary battalion of the Leningrad Military District.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in July 1941 he was appointed commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 1st Guards Division of the People's Militia of the Leningrad Front. Later - commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Regiment, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. After division commander P.G. Chanchibadze was wounded, command passed to Chief of Staff Vasily Margelov for the duration of his treatment. Under the leadership of Margelov, on July 17, 1943, soldiers of the 3rd Guards Division broke through 2 lines of Nazi defense on the Mius Front, captured the village of Stepanovka and provided a springboard for the assault on Saur-Mogila.
Since 1944, Margelov commanded the 49th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. He led the division's actions during the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kherson, for which in March 1944 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Under his command, the 49th Guards Rifle Division took part in the liberation of the peoples of South-Eastern Europe.
At the Victory Parade in Moscow, Guard Major General Margelov commanded the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
In the Airborne Forces
After the war he held command positions.
Since 1948, after graduating from the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree, from the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was the commander of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.
In 1950-1954 - commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svirsky Red Banner Corps in the Far East.
From 1954 to 1959 - commander of the Airborne Forces. In 1959-1961, he was appointed (demotion) first deputy commander of the Airborne Forces. From 1961 to January 1979 he served as commander of the Airborne Forces.
On October 28, 1967, he was awarded the military rank of Army General. He led the actions of the Airborne Forces during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia (Operation Danube).
Since January 1979, he was on the group of inspectors general of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He went on business trips to the Airborne Forces and was the chairman of the State Examination Commission at the Ryazan Airborne School.
During his service in the Airborne Forces he made more than 60 jumps. The last of them was at the age of 65.
Lived and worked in Moscow. Died March 4, 1990. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.
Vasily Filippovich Margelov
Contribution to the formation and development of the Airborne Forces
In the history of the Airborne Forces, and in the Armed Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, his name will remain forever. He personified an entire era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces; their authority and popularity are associated with his name not only in our country, but also abroad, recalls General Pavel Fedoseevich Pavlenko about Vasily Filippovich.
Under Margelov's leadership for more than twenty years, the airborne troops became one of the most mobile in the combat structure Armed Forces and prestigious in terms of service in them. “A photograph of Vasily Filippovich in demobilization albums was sold to soldiers at the highest price - for a set of badges. The competition for the Ryazan Airborne School exceeded the numbers of VGIK and GITIS, and applicants who missed out on exams lived for two or three months, before the snow and frost, in the forests near Ryazan in the hope that someone would not withstand the load and it would be possible to take his place . The spirit of the troops was so high that everything else Soviet Army was included in the category of “solars” and “screws,” says Colonel Nikolai Fedorovich Ivanov.
Margelov’s contribution to the formation of the Airborne Forces in their current form was reflected in the comic decoding of the abbreviation Airborne Forces - “Uncle Vasya’s Troops.”