Cross to the warrior eugene. The most famous monuments to Soviet soldiers. What is the monument now

In March 1917, after the news of the revolution and the tsar's abdication came from Petrograd, a huge crowd of people poured into the streets of Kiev. It was the first in the history of the city of Maidan, where democrats, Social Revolutionaries, anarchists, nationalists, merry burghers, servants intoxicated with freedom, soldiers of reserve and training regiments mixed together.

On March 16, 1917, a crowd of demonstrators gathered on Khreshchatyk to celebrate the "day of the holiday of the revolution." The geography of protest events a hundred years ago was the same as it is today, but the toponymy is different: Maidan Nezalezhnosti was then called Duma Square (because of the building of the Kiev City Duma). On this square in 1912, a monument was erected to the murdered minister Stolypin. It was he who suffered in the heat of revolutionary events: the demonstrators staged a "people's court" over the monument, passed a guilty verdict.

The monument was executed. They hung up.

Demonstration at the City Duma in Kiev. March 1917.

With the help of metal cables they pulled the figure of the former minister off the pedestal. They dragged it to the Arsenal plant and melted it down.

It seemed to the revolutionaries that building a bright future begins with vandalism.

1918 year. Moscow, Prechistenskaya embankment. Workers are breaking a bronze monument to Alexander III.

From a hastily assembled tribune, a commissar in a leather jacket speaks to the crowd:

- In pursuance of the decree of the Soviet government "On the removal of monuments erected in honor of the tsars and their servants, and the development of projects for the monuments of the Russian Socialist Revolution", today we are demolishing this tsarist monument, this is the legacy of the old regime. Let us forever get rid of the ugly and ridiculous statues that spoil the appearance of the city and symbolize the vile exploitation of the working proletariat! .. Boy, get out of there, now your head will fall - right on your head!

Exclamations are heard from the crowd:

- The king's head was thrown off, now another life will begin ...

- The main thing is that not without a king in your head, otherwise everything is one ...

- Who said?! Yes, for such words I will hand you over on a check!

In 1924 in Rostov-on-Don by order of the authorities, but with the active participation of the crowd, the monument to Alexander II was demolished, which, after the revolution, stood on Cathedral Square for seven years in a red wooden box with a five-pointed star (it was sewn into this sarcophagus so that the statue of the former enslaver would not have an eyesore to the people). The newspaper "Trudovy Don" dated April 30, 1924 wrote: "At 10 and a half in the morning, at the command of Comrade. The workers pulled Zontov by the rope, and the monument was thrown to the ground.

The tsar entered the ground with his head at a pole. The square responded with shouts of "hurray", whistles and applause. Comrades Kalupov and Zontov greeted the workers of the workshops, whose lot it fell to be the first to raise an uprising against the autocracy in Rostov and to throw down the monument to the tsar. The bronze figure of the king was taken apart and taken away in trucks. The comrades who were present greeted the removal of the monument with deep satisfaction. " The demolition of the monument was included in the footage of Sergei Debizhev's documentary "The Golden Dream", which shows that the sculpture was destroyed immediately after dismantling.

1956 year

In Tbilisi, on March 5, 1956, a demonstration of many thousands took place under the slogan "Lenin - Stalin!" and "Let's not allow criticism of Stalin!" The protesters were outraged that the anniversary of Stalin's death was not celebrated, and demanded to declare mourning for the former leader. The rallies lasted five days. On March 9, demonstrators gathered on the Kura embankment around the Stalin monument, deciding to protect it from possible dismantling. Gradually, the situation escalated, demonstrators openly opposed the Khrushchev government, and on March 10, troops were brought into the city, brutally suppressing the demonstrations of Tbilisi. At the same time, the military with the help of a tank tore off the monument protected by the protesters from the pedestal.

So the crowd turned out to be the defenders of the monument, which the authorities wanted to destroy at all costs.

A young man climbs on the monument to Iron Felix, trying to fasten a rope on it. People in the crowd discuss whether he will fail or not. The young man does not break, but the attempt to dump the rope does not bring success. Arrived at the scene, Gennady Burbulis takes the elements into his own hands. Through the swear word, he first persuades the crowd not to destroy the monument:

- Understand, this is dangerous. If a monument falls, it can break through the underground passage and the entrance to the metro under the square!

But people are strongly against Dzerzhinsky. Then Burbulis proposes to wait until he calls for special equipment that will cope with Felix Edmundovich without damaging the underground structures.

A couple of hours later, a powerful truck crane appears on the square, the crowd greets him with a joyful roar. Having got used to it, Dzerzhinsky is twisted with a rope and torn from the pedestal. Leaning over, the chief security officer soars into the night sky, and people tired of standing for many hours are frantically applauding and shouting hurray.

- All right, now freedom ...

- Now we will live, if only the KGB and commies outweigh everyone!

- Yes, they drank our blood ...

On April 9, 2003, when a statue of Saddam Hussein was overthrown by Iraqis and US military personnel from a pedestal in Al-Firdous Square in central Baghdad, the country was dubbed a "historic day." US TV channels showed the fall of the statue for several hours in a row.

By that time, the city was already under the control of American troops. Locals gathered in the central squares to celebrate the fall of Hussein's regime. CNN and BBC showed live how the crowd pounded with sledgehammers on the plinth of the monument and tried to pull off a huge bronze statue by throwing an ordinary rope over it. American soldiers came to the rescue of the Iraqis and tried to throw the monument off the pedestal using an infantry fighting vehicle and a metal cable. The sculpture, wrapped in American and Iraqi flags, tilted almost parallel to the ground and was eventually torn in half.

Here is freedom, here is democracy! Now we will live!

year 2013.

Monument to Vladimir Lenin was demolished in Kiev on Taras Shevchenko Boulevard.

According to Ukrainskaya Pravda, several young people threw ropes over the head of the monument, which they began to pull. The monument fell and fell through a granite slab at the foot, from a strong blow its head was blown off. Young people chanted "Freedom will come, it will put things in order." Then they disappeared, covering their faces with their hands.

At the same time, the police officers who were at the scene did not interfere and did not interfere in any way with the actions of the young people.

The party "All-Ukrainian Association" Svoboda "took responsibility for the demolition of the monument to Vladimir Lenin in Kiev. According to "Interfax-Ukraine", the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada from "Svoboda" Igor Miroshnichenko told the journalists about it.

“I have been to many cities of Ukraine. And in each of them I was asked to remove this "blockhead" from Kiev, "he said.

Svoboda believes that the overthrow of the monument symbolizes the end of the period of the Soviet "occupation".

What is all this for? When has the destruction of symbols made life better? Or is it some kind of unconscious?

In Moscow, in the Central Museum of the Frontier Service of the FSB of Russia,. It tells the story of the tragic fate of a young guy who, back in 1996, being held captive by militants in Chechnya, refused to remove the Orthodox cross, for which he was beheaded. I could have survived, but I did not give up my principles. Ranked among the Holy Martyrs by the Russian Orthodox Church.

The first Chechen campaign resulted in many deaths of Russian soldiers. But the death of Zhenya Rodionov falls out of the general list precisely because of the Orthodox context, when a soldier, an ordinary border guard who served on the administrative border of Chechnya and Ingushetia, was executed precisely for his faith. Simply because he refused to remove the Orthodox cross.

Every war has its own heroes. Both generals and privates. Suvorov is the Russian-Turkish wars, the capture of Izmail. Kutuzov - Battle of Borodino. Sailor Cat - defense of Sevastopol. Private Sailors - The Great Patriotic War. General Gromov - Afghanistan. The list is huge: Russia is rich in heroes. The campaign in Chechnya also turned out to be rich in courageous and courageous actions of our military. Many became legends of those military events - generals Troshev and Shamanov, other colonels, majors, lieutenants and privates. In that war, by the way, nine sons of the generals died, including a son airborne commander Georgy Shpak, fifty-five sons of colonels - they did not sit in the trenches. A great feat was performed, as usual, by a simple Russian soldier. And among these heroes, of course, one can name the name of Yevgeny Rodionov. A private, a grenade launcher by position, a conscientious and responsible guy who, with his courage, aroused respect even from enemies.

“To lay down one's head on the battlefield, sadly as it is, is a holy honor for every warrior who defends his Fatherland,” says the rector of the Holy Cross Church in the village of Darna Istra district Moscow region, Father Konstantin (holder of the medal "For Courage" in Afghanistan). - Getting captured and not breaking is much more difficult. A bullet is a fool because it breaks through and leaves no choice - this is a soldier's share in battle. Wife Rodionov, whom we honor as a holy martyr, had a more difficult fate. He was given a difficult choice between life and denial of faith.
The young guy, who was baptized by birth, and later consciously came to an understanding of Orthodoxy, did not take off the symbol of his faith in the form of a cross, even during the service. In those years, probably, both commanders and colleagues could blame him for this. But he left the cross on his chest. I pressed it to my heart. And when, already in captivity, they tried to convince him of the need to choose a new faith, unacceptable for many reasons, he rejected these proposals. We know many examples from history when Christians were tried to be excommunicated from the faith by violent means. They did not abandon their beliefs and retained their principles. Private Rodionov is the heir to traditions, primarily Orthodox. He accepted a martyr's death, for which we honor it today. We pray for him every day. ”Eugene Rodionov is revered in many Russian churches, and in May 2011 he was included as“ New Martyr Eugene the Warrior ”in the military funeral service recommended to the Orthodox chaplains of the US Army for commemoration dead soldiers on the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist and the Saturday of Dmitriev. In Russia in 2010 in the city of Kuznetsk, Penza region, a monument to Yevgeny Rodionov was opened and consecrated, which is a bronze candle, the flame of which seems to embrace the figure of Yevgeny, around whose head is a halo eight-pointed cross. This monument is installed on the territory of the local school that bears his name.
In 2016 in Moscow, at a regular meeting of the Izborsk Club round table, uniting experts, analysts, publicists, and patriotic politicians, an appeal was signed to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia with a request to start the process of preparing the canonization (glorification of the saints) of the warrior Yevgeny Rodionov ... The appeal indicated that the figure of the warrior-martyr Yevgeny Rodionov is an example of heroism and asceticism, martyrdom for the faith and the fatherland, which is so necessary for our people, first of all for the young generation. It was proposed to name the streets and squares of Russian cities after the warrior Eugene. It was noted that the current patriotic government of the Chechen Republic is a subject Russian Federation with great respect for the feat of Evgeny Rodionov.

“We must not forget our heroes,” says Igor Isakov, director of the Warriors of the Spirit national award. - They gave their lives for the Fatherland, they knew what they were doing, therefore they deserve a worthy memory and respect from their descendants. The fact that they made a documentary about the glorious warrior Yevgeny Rodionov is very cool. This is a reminder that our people are ready for self-sacrifice for the sake of their Motherland, for the sake of defending their freedom and their sovereignty. After all, for the sake of the peace of their country, someone is always on the front line, carries out service and sometimes sacrifices his life. Our duty is to give memory to our defenders, to educate the younger generation on their example. We must not forget the heroism of those who defended our Motherland in the domestic wars, defended the interests of Russia in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and other armed conflicts. We must also remember about distant events - the same Kulikovo battle, where the monk Peresvet showed heroism, who went to fight with Chelubey. This is a genetic memory, and we must preserve it for posterity. "

Here, of course, one cannot but recall Zhenya's mother, Lyubov Vasilievna Rodionova. After reporting her son's disappearance, she traveled to the war zone dozens of times. She was repeatedly reassured and repeatedly beaten by militants, got to the leader of the gangs, Basayev, and eventually received first the body of her son, and then fragments of his head. Established the truth, but never calmed down. Her memoirs became the basis of the documentary film "My Son Private Rodionov".

There is a monument in the ancient city of Plovdiv, which is known almost all over the world. An entire era separates it from our days, but it is close to almost every Russian family, because the monument is dedicated to the feats of arms of Russian soldiers.

The legendary monument "Alyosha" was erected in Bulgaria on November 5, 1957 on the Bunardzhik hill. We decided to remember in which cities of the world the feat of Soviet soldiers was still immortalized ...

"Soldier-Liberator" - a monument in Berlin's Treptower Park. One of three Soviet war memorials in Berlin. About 7000 Soviet soldiers are buried in it, of the 75,000 who died during the storming of Berlin. Opened May 8, 1949. Height - 12 meters. Weight - 70 tons.

The "Monument to the Soldier-Liberator of Tallinn from Nazi Invaders" was opened on 22 September 1947 on Tõnismägi Hill in the center of Tallinn opposite the Kaarli Church. Since 1995, the official name is the Monument to the Fallen in World War II.

The monument was erected next to the mass grave in which 13 Soviet servicemen who died during the 1944 Tallinn operation during the Second World War were reburied on April 14, 1945.

Memorial to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War» - memorial Complex in the Leninsky district of Murmansk. Initially, the monument was supposed to be installed on the Five Corners Square, but then they chose the Zeleny Cape hill, towering 173 meters above the city and the Kola Bay. The monument was founded on October 17, 1969, and its construction began in May 1974. The height of the monument is 35.5 meters, the weight of the hollow inside the sculpture is more than 5 thousand tons.

The monument to Soviet soldiers who died in the liberation of Austria from fascism in Vienna, better known as the Monument to the Heroes of the Soviet Army, is located on Schwarzenbergplatz. It was opened on August 19, 1945. The authors are sculptor M.A.Intezaryan, architect G.G. Yakovlev ...

The monument to the liberator soldier in Kharkov was opened in 1981. Dedicated to the Soviet troops who liberated the city from the Nazi invaders in 1943. Kharkiv residents call the monument "Pavlusha", by analogy with the Bulgarian monument to the Soviet soldier-liberator Alyosha.

A fragment of the sculpture of a soldier-liberator. In the background is the compositional center of the monument-ensemble "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" on the Mamayev Kurgan "Motherland Calls!"

Monument to Soldiers-Liberators on Dnepropetrovskaya Street in Krivoy Rog.

The monument to Soviet soldiers-liberators in Krasnodar was erected in 1965. Sculptor - I.P. Shmagun, architect E.G. Lashuk.

Hungary, Budapest. In Budapest, on the site of numerous burials of Soviet soldiers, there were also monuments earlier. But in the early 90s, many of them were dismantled from the squares and streets of the city. The only surviving monument was the obelisk erected in 1945 with a gilded bas-relief and the inscription: "Glory to Soviet soldiers-liberators!", Located on Freedom Square.

Latvia, Riga. The Monument to the Liberators of Riga was erected in memory of the Soviet soldiers who fought against the Nazi army for the liberation of Latvia from fascist rule. It was opened in 1985 at the end of Victory Boulevard, on the left bank of the Daugava.

Poland Warsaw. The cemetery-mausoleum of Soviet soldiers in Warsaw is a memorial complex where soldiers of the Red Army who died in 1944-1945 during the liberation of the city from German occupation during the Warsaw-Poznan operation are buried. Opened in 1950.

Slovakia, Bratislava. Another memorial to Soviet soldiers is located on the Slavin Hill in Bratislava. It was built in 1960 on the site of a former field cemetery. On ten thousand square meters the fallen Soviet soldiers are buried.

Yevgeny Rodionov is a Russian soldier and martyr, a holy youth who laid down his head for the Russian people and for his country. Today his grave, which is located near Podolsk, does not remain abandoned. Brides with grooms, warriors crippled in battles, and desperate people come to her. Here they are strengthened in spirit, comforted, and also healed from ailments and melancholy.

Once, Evgeny Rodionov was an ordinary Russian guy. And now artists are painting his icons, poets are composing poems about him. His images stream myrrh.

Childhood

Rodionov Evgeny Aleksandrovich was born on 05/23/1977, the place of his birth was the village of Chibirlei, which is located in the Kuznetsk region
Eugene's father, Alexander Konstantinovich, was a carpenter, joiner, furniture maker by profession. He passed away shortly after his son was buried. For several days, the father literally did not leave Eugene's grave. After these trials, his heart broke down.

Mother - Lyubov Vasilievna, was a furniture maker-technologist by profession.
The biography of Yevgeny Rodionov is short and unremarkable in nothing special. From the native village of Chibirlei, Zhenya's family moved to the Moscow region. There, in the village of Kurilovo, the guy studied at school, graduating from nine classes.

The Rodionovs, like most people in the perestroika 90s, lived rather modestly. Lyubov Vasilievna even had to be torn between three works. That is why, after nine classes, the guy left school and began to work at a furniture factory. The young man quickly mastered his specialty and began to bring home good money. In parallel with his work, Eugene studied to be a chauffeur.

The Omen

In the family, Eugene was a welcome child. By his birth, he became a great joy in the house. Only the mother's heart sank for some time from an alarming sense of danger and fear. Indeed, immediately after Zhenya was born, and it happened at half past midnight, she accidentally looked out the window. There, in the dark sky, there were large and bright stars. And suddenly one of them suddenly began to fall, leaving behind a bright trail. Nurses and doctors began to convince Lyubov Vasilievna that this is a good sign that he portends joy and a wonderful future for the child. However, the tense expectation did not leave the woman for a long time. Only over time, everything was gradually forgotten and remembered only after 19 years.

Epiphany

Zhenya grew up as a calm and affectionate child. He rarely got sick, ate well and hardly bothered his parents with his cry at night. However, they were worried that the baby did not walk for a very long time. And then the parents, on the advice of the boy's grandfather and grandmothers, christened him in a nearby church. Soon after, the boy, who was one and two months old, began to walk.

Cross

In the difficult 90s, when Yevgeny Rodionov's mother was at work for a long time, Zhenya showed independence beyond his years. He learned to cook his own food. I did my homework without the help of adults. One attended the temple. Most often, he visited the Trinity Cathedral, located in Podolsk. And already at the age of 14, the boy not only comprehended, but also accepted the very essence of the Trinity, bringing his understanding to the heart of his mother, in those years still far from faith. In the summer of 1989, Eugene came to church with his grandmothers. They, according to the old Orthodox custom, brought their grandson here to receive Holy Communion and confess before school year... And only then it turned out that the boy was not wearing him. In the church, Eugene was given him on a chain. Only after some time did the guy hang the cross on a thick string.

No one knows what Father Zhenya said at his first confession in his life. It is quite possible that he told the boy a parable that the cross for Christians is like a bell that is hung on the neck of a sheep to notify the Shepherd of trouble. Maybe the conversation was about something else. But since then the boy did not remove the cross from his neck. Lyubov Vasilievna was embarrassed. She was afraid that her son would be laughed at at school. However, Zhenya did not change his intentions. Nobody laughed at him, and soon his friends even began to cast crucifixes themselves using special molds.

Military service

Evgeny Rodionov did not want to leave his mother. Military service did not appeal to him. However, the guy had no legal reason for delays, and he went to do his duty. Rodionov Yevgeny Alexandrovich was drafted into the army on June 25, 1995

Initially, he was sent to the training unit of military unit No. 2631 in the city of Ozersk, Kaliningrad Region. To date, this training unit of the Russian Federation has been disbanded. Perhaps that is why very little is known about how the future hero Yevgeny Rodionov served here. However, a legend has remained about this young man. It says that there was no hazing where the guy served. Many believe that this is the first miracle of the warrior Eugene.

Zhenya took the military oath on July 10, 1995. He served in the Kaliningrad region, where he was a grenade launcher as part of the 3rd border outpost. On January 13, 1996, the guy, along with other young fighters, was sent on a business trip. It was then that he got to the border of Chechnya and Ingushetia in the Nazran border detachment.

Meeting with mother

Before Yevgeny Rodionov was sent to the North Caucasus, he managed to meet Lyubov Vasilievna again. According to the story of the mother, when she came to visit her son, the colonel of the unit met her at first unfriendly. He decided that she would demand that Yevgeny not be sent to a hot spot. However, he soon changed his attitude. After all, Lyubov Vasilievna told him that everything would be as her son decided. Finally, the boss even gave Zhenya eight days off.

The guy was very proud that he became a border guard and would be engaged in the business necessary for the Motherland. It was at this last meeting that the son told his mother that he had written a report on the transfer to a hot spot. He, as he could, reassured Lyubov Vasilievna, arguing that it was impossible to escape fate. They also talked about captivity. “This is how lucky ...” - said the son.

Captivity

The guy's words turned out to be prophetic. Private border guard Yevgeny Rodionov was taken prisoner a month after he began his business trip at the Chechen-Ingush border.

On this day (13.02.1996) a detachment consisting of four people took up the next duty. In addition to Evgeny Rodionov, Andrei Trusov and Alexander Zheleznov were in it. The guys carried out dangerous service without an officer or warrant officer, as well as without setting a task that would be due to hostilities.

Young soldiers were on duty at the checkpoint located on the border between Ingushetia and Chechnya. It was through this PKK that the only road in this mountainous area passed, often used by militants to transport kidnapped people, as well as to deliver ammunition and weapons. However, such an important and responsible post was more like a bus stop, devoid of even electricity. Our guys stood practically unprotected in the middle of the road, teeming with bandits.

Of course, this could not last long. But on that very night, when Evgeny's outfit was on duty here, a minibus was passing by the PKK with the words "Ambulance" on it. There were Chechen bandits in it, led by one of their field commanders, Ruslan Khaikhoroev. Weapons were transported in this car. According to the charter, young border guards attempted to inspect the cargo. But here a struggle ensued. Armed bandits jumped out of the minibus. The border guards resisted as best they could. The fact that they did not surrender without a fight was evidenced by traces of blood left on the asphalt. However, the young guys did not have a chance to defeat the battle-hardened armed terrorists. The border guards were taken prisoner.

Mother's notice

Yevgeny's colleagues, who were relatively close, only two hundred meters from the PKK, should have heard our guys' cries for help. However, at three in the morning, many of them were asleep. But even after that, no alarm was announced. Nobody set out in pursuit either. The guys weren't looking at all! Although this is not entirely true. Active searches were conducted far beyond the borders of Chechnya, in the peaceful suburbs. Already on February 16, Yevgeny's mother received a telegram informing her that her son had left the unit without permission. And then the police started looking for the deserter, searching not only the apartment, but also the nearest cellars.

Lyubov Vasilievna knew the character of her son and was convinced that Zhenya could not do this. She began to write in military unit, trying to convince the commanders that his son could not become a deserter. However, they did not believe her.

Search for a son

The mother's heart felt trouble. She decided to go to the Chechen-Ingush border herself, where her son was transferred. It was only there that the unit commander told her that an error had occurred. Her son is not a deserter. He was captured.

Then Lyubov Vasilievna went to Sergei Kovalev, who collaborated with the "Committee of Mothers". However, this public organization, which was located in the village of Ordzhonikidzevskaya, for some reason turned out to consist only of Chechen women receiving humanitarian aid from Kovalev. Obviously showing off in front of them, this public figure accused Lyubov Vasilievna of raising a murderer.

Then the mother decided to look for her son on her own. She went around almost all of Chechnya. Lyubov Rodionova visited Gelayev, Maskhadov and Khattab. In her own words, she prayed to God and somehow miraculously survived. Although he can name those mothers whom the Chechens brutally killed.

In search of her son, she, along with the father of one of the contract soldiers, even went to Basayev. In front of cameras and in public, this "Robin Hood" tried to be a good hero. However, after the parents of the fighters left the village, they were surrounded by a detachment led by Basayev's brother, Shirvani. It was he who knocked Lyubov Vasilyevna to the ground and beat him with the butt and legs. As a result, she miraculously survived. I barely crawled to the tent where my people were, but for three more days, due to severe pain, I could not roll over onto my back, let alone walk. A little later, she saw the contract soldier's father, who was visiting Basayev with her, in Rostov among the corpses.

Execution

After the abduction, the young border guards were taken to the village of Bamut. There the bandits kept our guys in the basement of the house. For three months, the prisoners endured humiliation and torture, but during all this time the guys did not leave the hope that they would definitely be saved.

The Chechens beat Yevgeny Rodionov more than anyone else. The reason for this was his cross, which hung around his neck. The militants presented the guy with an ultimatum. They offered to make a choice between accepting Islam, which meant joining their ranks, and death. However, Eugene flatly refused to do this. For this he was severely beaten, constantly insisting that he remove the cross. However, the young man did not. One can only guess what this young lad, who at that time was not yet nineteen years old, was thinking. But, most likely, the Guardian Angel strengthened Eugene in that terrible darkness of the basement, just as it was with the first Christians who became martyrs.

The militants constantly repeated to the mother of the young border guard that her son was still alive, but was in their captivity. After that, they always made a meaningful pause, as if asking the price of what could be taken from the unfortunate woman. But, most likely, realizing that you will not get along in particular, they came to their terrible decision.

On Zhenya's birthday, May 23, 1996, there was a bloody denouement. Together with the rest of the soldiers, the guy was taken to the forest, which was not far from Bamut. First, they killed Yevgeny's friends, who were with him on the last watch at the PKK. After that, for the last time, the guy was offered to remove the cross. However, Eugene did not do this. After he was executed as terribly as in the ancient sacrificial ritual of the pagans - they cut off a living head. However, even after his death, the bandits did not dare to remove the cross from the guy's body. It was by him that the mother recognized her son. Subsequently, the bandits gave the mother a videotape on which Yevgeny's execution was filmed. Then she learned that on that day she was only seven kilometers from the village of Bamut, which our troops had already taken on May 24.

Ruslan Khaikhoroev himself killed Yevgeny Rodionov. He admitted this himself in the presence of the OSCE representative, pointing out that the young border guard had a choice and he could stay alive.

On 23 August 1999, Khaikhoroev, along with his bodyguards, was killed during a gangster's internal Chechen showdown. It happened exactly 3 years and 3 months after the death of Eugene.

Terrible ransom

Lyubov Vasilievna still managed to find her child. But this happened already after nine months and when her son was dead. However, the bandits demanded a ransom from the lonely and unhappy woman. For 4 million rubles, which at that time amounted to approximately 4 thousand dollars, they agreed to indicate the place where the remains of Eugene are.

To collect the necessary amount, Lyubov Vasilyevna had to sell almost everything - an apartment, things and part of her clothes.

However, this was not the end of Lyubov Vasilievna's walks in the Chechen hell. While she was transporting her son's body to Rostov, she dreamed of him every night and asked for help. And then the woman decided to go to Chechnya again to pick up Zhenya's head from there. And she found her, after which she returned safely to Rostov. On November 20, 1996, Lyubov Vasilievna was able to bring her son's body home, after which she buried him. And on the same night Eugene dreamed of his mother radiant and joyful.

The emergence of a miracle

Immediately after the death of Yevgeny Rodionov, the most incredible things began to happen in different parts of Russia. For example, one of the vagrant girls who ended up in a newly created rehabilitation Orthodox orphanage in 1997 told about a tall soldier wearing a red raincoat-tent. He introduced himself as Eugene, took the girl by the hand and took her to church. In life, there are no red raincoats. It was a martyr's cloak.

But the miracles did not stop there. In many churches, stories began to sound about a divine warrior, dressed in a fiery cloak, who helps young soldiers who were captured by Chechens. He shows them the way to freedom, bypassing all stretch marks and mines.

Since 1999, they began to talk about him in the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, claiming that there is such a martyr - the warrior Eugene. He helps the guys in captivity. For the warrior Eugene, the mothers began to pray before the Lord in the hope of seeing their sons alive.

But that's not all. The wounded soldiers, who are being treated at the Burdenko hospital, claimed that they knew the warrior Yevgeny, who helped them at the moment when severe pains came. Many fighters claim that they saw this soldier on the icon while visiting the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In addition, a warrior dressed in a red cape is a sign and a prisoner. They say that this soldier helps the weakest and lifts the spirit of the broken.

In 1997, a book about Yevgeny Rodionov was published. It is called "The New Warrior Eugene, Martyr for Christ." The book was commissioned by the Church of St. Nicholas, located in Pyzhy. She was blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. Soon a report came from the priest from Dnepropetrovsk Vadim Shklyarenko, which indicated that the photo on the cover of the book was streaming myrrh. Miro has a light color and a slight smell of pine needles.

There is still no official decision of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the canonization of the new martyr. Yevgeny Rodionov is ranked among the Serbian Patriarch. In the Serbian Orthodox Church, the young man is revered as a new martyr. In this country, the Orthodox fighter is called Eugene the Russian. However, the Russian Orthodox Church does not forbid considering the young border guard a venerated saint. But the official decision will have to wait. According to the rules, the canonization of the laity should take place only in the fiftieth year after their death. Exceptions are possible only for those who showed their holiness during their lifetime.

However, the icons of the warrior Eugene have already appeared. Today alone, all over Russia there are already a little more than one and a half hundred, but they are not yet official. The iconography of Eugene the Warrior is large and extensive. More than fifteen different icons with the image of the martyr are known.

On the icons, Saint Yevgeny Rodionov is depicted, as it should be, with a halo over his head. It doesn't matter at all that the canonization of the warrior has not yet been officially approved. Eugene became a national saint, which, quite possibly, is much more important.

Grave worship

The martyr Yevgeny Rodionov was buried in the Moscow region at the village cemetery with. Satino-Russkoe, which is located in the Podolsk region. Thousands of people come to the grave every year on his birthday and at the same time of death on May 23 These are residents not only of Russia, but also of many foreign countries.

On this day, dozens of priests hold memorial services near the grave of Yevgeny Rodionov. Moreover, church services are held on May 23 from early morning until late at night.

People come to this rural cemetery to honor the feat of Yevgeny Rodionov. This Russian soldier who has not betrayed either his Motherland or Vera. As a sign of respect, some of the Chechen veterans even leave their medals here.

People come to this rural cemetery on ordinary days. Anyone who is in trouble asks the warrior Eugene for intercession, leaving notes on the grave between the stones.
A cross rises above the burial of a young guy. The inscription on it reads the following: "Here lies Yevgeny Rodionov, a Russian soldier who stood in defense of the Fatherland and did not renounce Christ, executed on 23.05.1996 near Bamut."

Monument

The memory of Yevgeny Rodionov, who died heroically in Chechnya and in his homeland in the Penza region, is immortalized. There, in the city of Kuznetsk, on September 25, 2010, the opening of the monument took place. The monument to the warrior Eugene looks like a bronze candle, the flame of which seems to embrace a soldier holding a cross in his hands. The author of the monument is the sculptor-artist Sergei Mardar.

The monument to the soldier Yevgeny is located on the territory of school number 4, where Rodionov studied, and which is now named after him. At its opening, a solemn meeting took place, which brought together residents of the city of different ages. The guests of Kuznetsk also attended this event.

In the speeches of all the speakers, words of gratitude to the mother of the hero sounded, who was able to adequately raise her son, and then she herself performed a maternal feat.

The monument, which is called the "Candle of Memory", was opened:

Head of the Department of educational work at the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation V.T. Borzov;
- Colonel of the "Alpha" group S.A. Polyakov;
- Chairman of the board of the regional veteran organization "Combat Brotherhood" Yu.V. Krasnov;
- Chairman of the Council of Veterans of Local Armed Conflicts and Wars of the city of Kuznetsk P.V. Ildeikin.

Historically, in the course of wars, many soldiers died and their remains were not or could not be identified.

In the XX century, after the end of the bloody First World War, a tradition began to form according to which nations and states erect monuments to the Unknown Soldier, symbolizing the memory, gratitude and respect for all the dead soldiers, whose remains have not been identified.

The first monument to the unknown soldier appeared in London in 1920. Usually, such monuments are placed on the grave, which contains the remains of a deceased soldier, whose identity is unknown and it is considered impossible to establish it.

And these are the most revered monuments.

Turkey.
Erected in memory of the unknown martyrs of the Canakkale front who died during the Dardanelles operation of the First World War. Opened August 20, 1960.

Bulgaria, Haskovo.
A sweep of Doubt is a warrior.

Spain Madrid.
Built in 1840, there are the remains of unknown fighters who died in the May 2nd Uprising.

Greece. Constitution Square, Athens.

Finland. Hietaniemi War Cemetery, Helsinki.

Peace Tower. Built in 1970 in the city of Tondabayashi (Japan) by the followers of the Ideal Free Church. It is a symbol of peace throughout the World; unidentified human remains are buried inside, and the list of those who died from military operations is constantly updated, regardless of nationality, religion and race.

Stella of the Unknown Soldier in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Romania. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Karol Park, Bucharest.

Egypt. Cairo: includes the grave of President Anwar Sadat.

Russia. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Alexandrovsky Garden, Moscow.

Serbia. Monument to the Unknown Hero (since 1938), Mount Avala, Belgrade.

Estonia. "Bronze Soldier", War Cemetery, Tallinn.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Carabobo, Venezuela.

Canada. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Confederation Square, Ottawa.

Indonesia. "Field of Honor", Bandung

Memorial to the unknown soldier, next to it is the grave of an unknown sailor at the Kembang Kuning military cemetery in Surabaya.

Belgium. Congress Column, Brussels: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is at the base of the column.

Syria. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Damascus.

Hungary. Heroes' Square, Budapest.

Ukraine. Park of Eternal Glory, Kiev

The Monument of Eternal Glory, opened on November 6, 1957, is an obelisk 27 meters high. At the foot of the obelisk, at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame is burning. The alley of Fallen Heroes leads to the obelisk. On both sides there are tombstones over the graves of 34 warrior-heroes.