In the KGB Anatoly Shestakov has been serving since 1932, the red army 13 th battalion escort troops in Omsk. In the beginning of the war he enlisted in a separate motorized rifle brigade of special forces NKVD (OMSBON), which was part IV (guerrilla) of the NKVD of the USSR. And in September 1941 Siberian appointed company commander of the 2nd cavalry regiment OMSBON formed at the Metropolitan stadium “Dynamo”. Participated in the defense of Moscow.
3 Feb 1942 Anatoly Shestakov was appointed commander of a special squad of special purpose “Nice.” Ten days a unit of 49 people were transported to the front line in the region of Bryansk. In the history of the great Patriotic soldiers of this, in modern parlance, special forces entered as “shestakovsky”. The commander of the detachment, where he served eighteen masters and honored masters of sports of the USSR (for example, national champion in rowing Alexander Dolgushin and the champion of Moscow in swimming Kondraty of Mada), called his subordinates “arelike”.
In 2017, the 75th anniversary of the formation of a special squad “Glorious” was published the diary of the chief of staff of the detachment of Mikhail Ivanovich Oborotova – 109 sheets of paper covered in tiny handwriting. Below are excerpts from the diary which is kept in the archives of the KGB of the Republic of Belarus.
“on 22 March 1942 the Commander Shestakov has launched a bold, risky ambush in the village of Sukreml’ three kilometers from Lyudinovo on the outskirts which held the front line. Having armed with one machine gun, four PPSH and rifles, ambush settled in homes in the barns. A group of SS men (60-70 people) were admitted to the ambush. Shestakov opened fire. The soldiers began throwing grenades at the Germans. In a short battle, the enemy routed after suffering 50 killed soldiers and 4 officers. This captured trophies: 4 machine guns, 18 rifles, 12 pistols, livestock and food to food group. Soon Shestakov was awarded the rank of captain.”
“on 22 July 1943 During the ambush of Kondraty Madea was the next tactic is to do it covertly, where I suspect the Germans, to place an ambush close as possible to the highway to open was a stunning effective fire and rush to the attack, firing on the move, not allowing the Germans to come to, to lie and to resist. Usually, the ambush lasted for 15-20 minutes. Another great advantage of the proximity of the ambush to the highway: the men could not at the slightest failure to think about waste. And if you don’t kill a German, he’ll kill you. There was no other way”.
“on 6 August 1943 the Food in the unit had not yet improved. The bread goes to only the wounded. Potatoes and meat are also lacking. Work to harvest on the ground, abandoned by the police, fled from their villages from the guerrillas. In the form of labor service in attracting��Ali population, which removed the bread, then threshed and dried grain. The threshing took a lot of partisans from combat activities, but the other way was not.”
“may 13, 1944 the Detachment left in the evening on the defeat of the Polish garrison of Legionnaires in the village of Stone. Decided to take revenge for the village of Great village. The garrison of this haunted guerrilla reconnaissance and sabotage groups, constantly arranging ambushes. We completely destroyed the garrison.”
“may 22, 1944, he was Evacuated by plane to the USSR wounded. Leaving the wounded on the battlefield, in other severe conditions are strictly punished, up to execution. Among the evacuees Borisov that partisans from August 1941, and the battle was four times severely wounded. And now he flies only on the strict order of the command squad, because I didn’t want to leave us. How many great people, which in peacetime no one would have thought, how strong they are, love of country, courage”.
Major Shestakova did not 12 June 1944. He died not from a bullet or fragment. In the diary of Michael Oborotova the cause of death was not specified: “In two or three hours of the night ill major and began to rave, into unconsciousness. The doctor Davydov examined him, took all measures to return the major’s consciousness. At the time Shestakov calmed down, but after a couple of hours again happened the same with him. Major under the supervision of a physician Davydov, accompanied by a reconnaissance platoon was sent to D. Jagodin”.
in the Morning squad also moved in the direction of Jagodne. But two kilometers from the village of partisans met the orderly Parfenov, reported the death of the commander. “The news shocked the entire squad and guerrilla neighboring units. Many cried. Guerrillas go, what the clouds in silence,” wrote the chief of staff.
What could happen to a special forces commander, a newly turned 30-year milestone? In the memoirs of doctor detachment Ilya Davydov said that happened to Shestakov in the last days before his death: “he was disturbed that the squad still failed to cross the railway. And without that laconic, Anatoly Petrovich has retreated into himself, became morose.”
the day before the death of the commander of the guerrillas, as Davydov says, the whole day lay in ambush: “it Was very hot, thirsty, tension headache and the whole body. Back in the forest. And at night, while lying in ambush near the major, I suddenly noticed that, from nervous exhaustion, he started to have delusions. Immediately took the patient in Agodini. There was an urgent telegram to the Centre and requested the plane. But Shestakov did not have time to evacuate, came the tragic denouement”.
There is a saying: “Burned at work”. About the commander of a special squad “Nice” you can say, “Burned in the war.” According to doctors, causes of death, major began a constant nervous strain and overwork (more than two years behind enemy lines!). This led to a violationof pits in the circulatory system and, ultimately, ended in a stroke.
Buried Shestakova on the banks of the river Isloch. And 7 July 1944, detachment “A” met with the advance units of the red Army. “It was not the end of our joy,” – wrote in the diary of Michael Turns. On 10 July the commander of the detachment was a monument of marble made by the villagers Bakshty. Near Shestakov was reburied was killed in combat July 6, Sergeant Abashev. On the grave fence hung a plaque with the inscription: “Comrade passing by, sit down and give a bow to the commander of the guerrilla group Shestakov A. P.”.
Anatoly Shestakov was awarded the order of Lenin, red banner, “the Patriotic war of I degree” and the medal “For defense of Moscow”. His brother and sister also died at the front. Mother, Nadezhda, worked in agriculture until 1944. At the age of 51, she became a disabled worker with a diagnosis of “subcompensated heart disease”.
Alexey Pimonov, who are in the squad “Nice” 16-year-old teenager, said Anatoly Shestakov in an interview to Belarusian mass media in 2019: “Anatoly Petrovich was a real officer and a wonderful person! Me, the kid tried to take care. Guess what my mother promised. Told me I was all over him and on the rampage did not climb. Once during the battle, popping up from behind the house, and he gave me the collar back enough and addictive. Looks so strict: “Leshka! I told you to stay put!” I even offended a bit – so like the enemy to retaliate. And then realized that the end of days should be thanking this man.”
help “RG”
behind enemy lines with a squad of “Glorious” was destroyed 22 German and police of the garrison, committed 85 acts of sabotage on Railways, highways and facilities, derailed 22 of the enemy’s train, damaged about six thousand meters of railway track and more than 12 thousand meters of telephone and Telegraph lines, burned 67 vehicles of the enemy, 20 warehouses, 10 barracks, destroyed 10 bunkers, 300 wagons. Killed and wounded 1 280 Nazi soldiers and officers.
Action squad was so effective that the administration of the occupied territories set a price for the information about the squad: “For delivery to the German authorities live of Partizan – 40 acres of land, for the slain guerrilla – 25, for an indication of the place where the partisans – 15 acres.” And personally for the commander of the Shestakov – “40 thousand marks, besides lands and forest lands”. Detachment “A” was disbanded in August 1944.
