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Modern etiquette does not allow eating with your hands. Basic rules of modern etiquette that are worth knowing

Vladimir Gulyaev

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On April 1942, he was enrolled as a cadet in the Molotov (Perm) military aviation school of pilots. He became a pilot of the Il-2 attack aircraft.

The youngest cadet of the Molotov school of attack pilots, Volodya Gulyaev, graduated with honors and, having received the rank of junior lieutenant, arrived with a new batch of reinforcements to the 639th regiment, which was then based near the city of Velizh.

In November 1943, the formation of the 335th assault air division began, which included the Gulyaev regiment and the neighboring, 826th, from their 211th division. In winter, the pilots of the newly created division rarely flew, mainly for reconnaissance. Gulyaev managed to make only one combat mission.

In the spring of 1944, Gulyaev's division received an order to transfer the 639th regiment to the 2nd Ukrainian Front. This event should have made Volodya happy, because his father fought as the head of agitation and propaganda of the 53rd Army in the 2nd Ukrainian. But he acted like Gulyaev: he begged the division commander not to send him to Ukraine and to transfer him to the neighboring 826th assault regiment of the 335th division. In the 1st squadron of this regiment, Vladimir Gulyaev went through all his front-line universities until the very victorious day - May 9, 1945.

In May 1944, the 335th Assault Division, consisting of the 826th and 683rd Assault Air Regiments, secretly relocated to an airfield near Gorodok in the Vitebsk region. Gulyaev’s first sorties were to attack the Lovsha, Obol, Goryany railway stations on the Vitebsk-Polotsk road. The Krauts especially suffered from Vladimir’s attacks in Oboli. He flew to this station on May 20, June 6, 13 and 23. The regimental documents for June 13 say: “Flying to attack the Obol railway station in a group of six Il-2s, making 3 passes, despite strong enemy anti-aircraft fire, Comrade Gulyaev dropped bombs into the train, 3 explosions were observed with black using smoke, cannon and machine gun fire, he shot down the enemy’s manpower. He completed the task perfectly. The result of the attack is confirmed by photographs and the testimony of the covering fighters.” It should be added that the station itself was covered by four anti-aircraft batteries and two more on the approach to it. This is a whole sea of anti-aircraft fire! Gulyaev, disregarding the mortal danger, dived into this sea three times. And he not only survived, but also damaged a German train. The army newspaper "Soviet Falcon" even wrote about this sniper attack of his. Gulyaev then proudly carried the clipping with the article in his flight tablet for a long time.

During Operation Bagration, the 826th Assault Regiment attacked enemy personnel and equipment moving along the roads Dobrino - Verbali - Shumilino - Beshenkovichi, Lovsha - Bogushevskoye - Senno and Lovsha - Klimovo. As part of the six attack aircraft, led by the commander of the 1st squadron, Captain Popov, junior lieutenant Gulyaev took off with his air gunner, Sergeant Vasily Vinichenko. Their goal was a German column on the Lovsha - Polotsk road. But from the air they suddenly saw that at the Obol station there were as many as 5 echelons of the enemy standing in pairs! Only Popov and Gulyaev broke through the dense palisade of anti-aircraft fire. But Popov was still shot down, shot down over the station itself. His gunner, Sergeant Major Bezhivotny, also died along with him. Only Gulyaev managed to drop bombs on the trains and return to his airfield unharmed. At the Obol station, a fire raged for two more days and ammunition exploded. True, Vladimir Gulyaev’s sniper strike did not receive a worthy assessment from his superiors. They simply didn’t believe it. There were no living witnesses, and this was only Gulyaev’s eighth combat mission. Of course, it was also affected by the fact that the division suffered such heavy losses that day for the first time: 7 aircraft and 4 crew. There was no time for victorious reports to the higher command.

Having flown to the Beshenkovichi airfield, the 826th regiment, after destroying the enemy in the Lepel-Chashniki area, took part in the Polotsk offensive operation. Vladimir Gulyaev and his comrades storm German columns and positions in the area of Glubokoye, Dunilovichi, Borovukha, Disna, Bigosovo. On July 3, he crushes the enemy on the northwestern outskirts of Polotsk, and on July 4, the day of the liberation of the city, he participates in the defeat of a German column on the Drissa (Verkhnedvinsk) - Druya road. As a result of this crushing blow, the Germans lost 535(!) vehicles and a river barge. Despite the fact that the enemy suffered such terrible losses and was retreating, flying for our attack aircraft was by no means a hunting excursion. The sky was literally torn to shreds by German anti-aircraft guns, and Fokkers and Messers were constantly scouring the clouds. And every time one of the division pilots was not destined to return to their home airfield. The crews of Akimov - Kurkulev, Fedorov - Tsukanov, Osipov - Kananadze, Kuroyedov - Kudryavtsev, Mavrin - Vdovchenko, Sailors - Katkov, Shkarpetov - Korgin were shot down... The Gulyaev - Vinichenko crew, thank God, were lucky.

But in the Rezekne region, Gulyaev’s luck ran out. During an attack on artillery positions, his plane was seriously damaged, and the Ilyukha had to be landed with the engine stopped directly on the forest. The old Il-2 with metal wings took the terrible blow from the trees, softened it as best it could and, dying, still saved the crew from certain death. Vladimir Gulyaev, in an unconscious state, was urgently transported on a passing Li-2 to the Central Aviation Hospital in Moscow. He returned to his regiment only after three and a half months. The scars on the bridge of his nose and chin and the disappointing conclusion of the doctors, which allowed him to hope to fly only in light aircraft, reminded him of his serious injury. And these, alas, are the wooden and linen “corn racks” Po-2. There were such people in the 335th division only at the headquarters level. Here, reluctantly, as a Po-2 pilot, he continued his service. He would have been able to fly on this “sewing machine” until the victory, but not even a month had passed before his assault soul began to yearn for the cabin of the “Ilyukha” that had become his home. He began writing report after report and eventually got a second medical examination, and in March 1945 he took his beloved Il-2 into the air again. And in one of the first combat missions he almost died. An archival document tells about this succinctly and dryly: “On March 26, 1945, he flew to attack enemy vehicles in the Balga area. Having made three approaches to the target, he destroyed three vehicles and created one fire. His plane was damaged from a direct hit from an anti-aircraft shell, but thanks to his excellent piloting technique, he brought the plane to his airfield and landed safely.” Death, scorching him with its terrible hot breath, flashed very close. But even after this, Gulyaev is uncontrollably eager to fight, making 2-3 combat sorties a day.

On April 6, the target of Gulyaev and his comrades was the fortified city of Koenigsberg (Kaliningrad). The pilots of their division were entrusted with the high honor of dropping an ultimatum from the plane to the commandant of Koenigsberg, General Otto Lyash. Unable to withstand the power of the attacks of the attackers, the citadel of Prussian militarism fell just three days later - on April 9. It was on this day that Vladimir Gulyaev was presented with the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, for his courage, courage and 20 successful combat missions in the skies of East Prussia.

Yury Nikulin

On November 18, 1939, in accordance with the Decree on universal conscription, Yu. Nikulin was drafted into the army. Nikulin served in the anti-aircraft artillery troops near Leningrad. Already from the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Nikulin’s battery opened fire on fascist planes that were breaking through to Leningrad and throwing deep mines into the Gulf of Finland. Nikulin fought as part of an anti-aircraft battery until the spring of 1943, rising to the rank of senior sergeant. Then, with injuries, he was hospitalized twice. After recovery, he was sent from the hospital to the 72nd separate anti-aircraft division near the city of Kolpino. Yuri Nikulin celebrated his victory in the Baltic states. He was awarded the medals “For Courage”, “For the Defense of Leningrad” and “For Victory over Germany”.

Alexey Smirnov

The whole country knew and loved him, but even many of his friends did not know that he fought almost the entire war as a simple soldier. That he is a full holder of the Order of Glory, a holder of the Order of the Red Star. It’s just that Alexey didn’t like to share his memories of the war with anyone. Award sheet for the order of the third artillery division dated September 15, 1944 for the Order of Glory, 3rd degree: “On June 20, 1944, in the area of height 283, the enemy, with a force of up to 40 Nazis, attacked the battery. Comrade Smirnov, inspiring the fighters, rushed into battle and repelled the attack of the Nazis. There were 17 killed Germans left on the battlefield, and he personally captured 7 Nazis...” Entry on the award sheet for the Order of Glory, 2nd degree: “Comrade Smirnov with three soldiers rushed at the Germans and personally killed three Nazis with a machine gun and captured two. On January 22, 1945, despite intense rifle, machine gun and artillery and mortar shelling, he confidently transported the mortar on himself to the left bank of the Oder River. In this battle, two machine gun points and twenty Nazis were destroyed.” However, Alexei Smirnov failed to end the war in Berlin. In 1945, during one of the battles, he was severely concussed by a shell explosion. And after treatment in the hospital, he was discharged...
Alexey Smirnov, after the war, starred in many films. And any of his roles in the film, even small ones, were clearly expressed and noticeable. The last film in which he starred was the film by his friend Leonid Bykov, “Only Old Men Go to Battle.”
Hero of the Great Patriotic War, one of the best Soviet actors of the post-war generation, is buried in the Southern Cemetery of the city of St. Petersburg, 3rd rowan section, 21 row, 9 grave.

Anatoly Papanov

On the first day of the war, June 22, 1941, he went to the front. He rose to the rank of senior sergeant. In 1942 he was sent to the Southwestern Front. A large offensive by Soviet troops was being prepared there. Several Soviet divisions were gathered near Kharkov and fell into the “cauldron.” The Germans launched a counteroffensive, and Soviet troops were forced to retreat all the way to Stalingrad. Twenty-year-old Anatoly Papanov then commanded an anti-aircraft battery. In these battles, he lived the role of a soldier who has nowhere to retreat to the fullest. Near Kharkov, Papanov learned what it means to serve in a battalion that asks for fire and does not receive it. There he was seriously wounded in the leg, was hospitalized and, at the age of 21, came out disabled. “Can you forget how, after two and a half hours of battle, out of forty-two people, thirteen remained?” – Papanov recalled. About this time - one of the most striking and significant roles of the actor - the role of General Serpilin in the film adaptation of Simonov's novel "The Living and the Dead". Perhaps, if Serpilin had not been in Papanov’s creative biography, there would not have been another military role - the former radio operator-paratrooper, accountant Dubinsky, in the film “Belorussky Station”.

Nikolay Trofimov

During the Great Patriotic War he served in the Navy. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, the Order of the Red Star, the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad”, “For the Victory over Germany”.

Elina Bystritskaya

During the war, she worked in a front-line mobile evacuation hospital as a nurse. She was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, and the medal “For Victory over Germany.”

Innokenty Smoktunovsky

Participant in the battle of Kursk, the crossing of the Dnieper, and the liberation of Kyiv.
Reached Berlin. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, two medals “For Courage”, and a medal “For Victory over Germany”.

Zinovy Gerdt

Senior lieutenant of a sapper company. He volunteered for the front. In February 1943, near Belgorod, he was seriously wounded in the leg, underwent 11 operations, as a result of which the leg became shorter by 8 centimeters, and the lameness remained for life. Awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Vladimir Etush

Volunteer. He graduated from the school of military translators in Stavropol. (By the way, if you need simultaneous translation, this is not a problem today). He fought in the mountains of Kabarda and Ossetia, liberating Rostov-on-Don and Ukraine. Senior lieutenant, assistant chief of staff of the regiment. In 1943 he was seriously wounded and discharged. After the hospital I received the 2nd group of disability.
He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, the Order of the Red Star, and the medals “For the Defense of the Caucasus,” “For the Defense of Moscow,” and “For the Victory over Germany.”

Mikhail Pugovkin

He volunteered for the front. Scout, served in the 1147th Infantry Regiment.
Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, and the medal “For Victory over Germany.”

Vladimir Basov

Captain, commander of the battery of the 424th motorized rifle regiment of the 14th anti-aircraft artillery division of the Riga Reserve of the SVGK Civil Code, deputy head of the operational department of the 28th separate artillery breakthrough reserve division of the High Command.
He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, the Order of the Red Star and the medal “For Military Merit”.

Evgeniy Vesnik

He fought for three years. He was awarded two medals “For Courage”, the Order of the Patriotic War II degree, the Order of the Red Star, the medal “For the Capture of Koenigsberg”, two medals “For Courage”, the medal “For Victory over Germany”.

Sergei Bondarchuk

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree.

Georgy Yumatov

Since 1942, he was a cabin boy on the torpedo boat “Brave,” and a year later he became a helmsman. Liberated Budapest, Bucharest, Vienna. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, the Ushakov sailor medal, and the medals “For the Capture of Budapest,” “For the Capture of Vienna,” and “For the Victory over Germany.”

Leonid Gaidai

In 1942, Leonid Gaidai was drafted into the army. Initially, his service took place in Mongolia, where he rode horses destined for the front. The tall and thin Gaidai looked comical on the squat Mongolian horses, but he coped with his cowboy work successfully. He, like others of his age, rushed to the front. They considered it shameful to be in peaceful Mongolia. In addition, they often forgot to feed the recruits and they were terribly hungry.

When the military commissar arrived to select reinforcements for the active army, Gaidai answered “I” to every question from the officer. "Who's in the artillery?" "Me", "To the cavalry?" "Me", "To the Navy?" “I”, “On reconnaissance?” “I” - which displeased the boss. “Just wait, Gaidai,” said the military commissar, “Let me read out the whole list.” From this incident, many years later, an episode of the film “Operation Y” was born.
Gaidai was sent to the Kalinin Front.

Gaidai served in a foot reconnaissance platoon, repeatedly went to enemy lines to pick up tongues, and was awarded several medals.
In 1943, returning from a mission, Leonid Gaidai was blown up by an anti-personnel mine, receiving a severe leg wound. He spent about a year in hospitals and underwent 5 operations. He was threatened with amputation, but he categorically refused it. “There are no one-legged actors,” he said. The consequences of this injury haunted him throughout his life. From time to time the wound opened, fragments came out, the bone became inflamed, and this torment lasted for years. He was disabled, although he never told anyone about it. Outsiders not only did not know about this, but also had no idea, because Leonid Iovich hated showing his illnesses or ailments. He had a real masculine character...

Yuri Katin-Yartseva

The Great Patriotic War is a huge and important stage in the biography of Yuri Katin-Yartsev. He served in the railway troops, built bridges in the Far East, then ended up in the active army, on the Voronezh Front. He took part in the battles on the Kursk Bulge, was on the 1st Ukrainian Front and the 4th Ukrainian Front. At the end of the war, Katin-Yartsev became a holder of the Order of the Red Star.

Vladimir Gulyaev

On April 20, 1942, he was enrolled as a cadet in the Molotov (Perm) military aviation school of pilots. He became a pilot of the Il-2 attack aircraft.
...The youngest cadet of the Molotov school of attack pilots, Volodya Gulyaev, graduated with honors and, having received the rank of junior lieutenant, arrived with a new batch of reinforcements to the 639th regiment, which was then based near the city of Velizh.
In November 1943, the formation of the 335th assault air division began, which included the Gulyaev regiment and the neighboring, 826th, from their 211th division. In winter, the pilots of the newly created division rarely flew, mainly for reconnaissance. Gulyaev managed to make only one combat mission.

Vladimir Pavlovich Basov

Captain, commander of the battery of the 424th motorized rifle regiment of the 14th anti-aircraft artillery division of the Riga Reserve of the SVGK Civil Code. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, the Order of the Red Star and the medal “For Military Merit”.

He went to the front in 1942 and ended the war with the rank of captain and as deputy chief of the operations department of the 28th separate artillery breakthrough reserve reserve of the High Command. He had every chance to remain in military service and make a brilliant career. However, he chose to retire as a civilian.

Evgeniy Yakovlevich Vesnik

He tells it himself:

I went to the front in 1942, when I was nineteen. The Karelian Front and all of East Prussia passed through. At the beginning of September 1941, I, like most of the students of the Shchepkin Theater School, received a padded jacket, boots, a shovel and left in a freight car for the labor front near Smolensk. We dug anti-tank ditches and received marks for the depth of penetration into the ground. Those who threw seven cubic meters “on the mountain” received fives.

At the beginning of October 1941, the Maly Theater, and along with it the school, were evacuated. We set off on a grueling month-long journey to Chelyabinsk. In 1942, as a second-year student, I was drafted from Chelyabinsk into the army. Only third and fourth year students were exempt from service; the rest had to fight. He went to war as a romantically inclined youth, a dreamer. I even liked fighting... when they were advancing, and not so much when they were retreating. For example, when they destroyed enemy communications or part of a resisting settlement with their guns, and even received awards for this, then, of course, they felt like “eagles.” But, returning from the war, I realized my involvement in the murder, the accident of the fact that I myself survived.

I am a holder of two medals "For Courage", the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Patriotic War... I received my first medals for two "languages". I received my second medal this way: one day, the brigade commander, Colonel Sinitsyn, and I, using our inaccurate maps of the area, wandered almost into the Germans’ location. It so happened that I had a slight poisoning and needed to get out of the car to relieve myself. He took refuge in the bushes under a beam, and suddenly a German with a machine gun appears at the bottom of the beam. Behind him are several soldiers without weapons, without belts. I realized that they were leading German “guardhousemen.” They pass along the bottom of the beam and disappear around the bend. The last one decided to stay. The man was impatient. Without properly buttoning my pants, I whistled quietly. The German turned towards the whistle, and I showed him with a pistol so that he should come towards me. The German raised his hands and approached. I took him to the car, they brought him to headquarters, and he turned out to be a very useful “language”...

When I remember the war, I remember kind, brave, spiritually beautiful people; I remember everything related to humor, friendship, mutual assistance, kindness, love... On Victory Day we get together with friends, drink three hundred grams and cry from what we see around. We thought that we would conquer heaven, but today there is complete vulgarity all around.

Leonid Iovich Gaidai

Gaidai was sent to the Kalinin Front.
Gaidai served in a foot reconnaissance platoon, repeatedly went to enemy lines to pick up tongues, and was awarded several medals.

In 1943, returning from a mission, Leonid Gaidai was blown up by an anti-personnel mine, receiving a severe leg wound. He spent about a year in hospitals and underwent 5 operations. He was threatened with amputation, but he categorically refused it. “There are no one-legged actors,” he said. The consequences of this injury haunted him throughout his life. From time to time the wound opened, fragments came out, the bone became inflamed, and this torment lasted for years. He was disabled, although he never told anyone about it. Outsiders not only did not know about this, but also had no idea, because Leonid Iovich hated showing his illnesses or ailments. He had a real masculine character.

Nikolay Grigorievich Grinko

At the front, Nikolai served as a gunner-radio operator on long-range bombers and was a Komsomol organizer of the regiment. Guard sergeant major. Awarded the medal "For Military Merit". I never talked about the war.

Vladimir Leonidovich Gulyaev

The only front-line actor who was twice awarded the Order of the Red Banner and twice - the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.

On April 20, 1942, he was enrolled as a cadet in the Molotov (Perm) military aviation school of pilots. He became a pilot of the Il-2 attack aircraft.

Vladimir Petrovich Zamansky

In the winter of 1942, Volodya became a cadet at the Tashkent Polytechnic of Communications, and in 1943 he was drafted into the Red Army. In the 3rd reserve communications regiment of the Central Asian Military District, he completed courses for reconnaissance radio operators and was sent to the active army.

In June 1944, as a radio operator of self-propelled regiment No. 1223, Zamansky participated in the breakthrough of the 2nd Belorussian Front near Orsha. With a short break due to injury, he served with this regiment until the end of the war.

He was awarded the Order of Glory, III degree, and the medal “For Courage”.

In 1950, for participation in the beating of a platoon commander under Article 193 b, Vladimir Zamansky was sentenced to 9 years in the camps by the Military Tribunal.

Yuri Vasilievich Katin-Yartsev

Senior sergeant, assistant platoon commander of the 63rd bridge railway battalion. Awarded the Order of the Red Star, medals “For Military Merit”, “For Victory over Germany”.

Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin

He served in the anti-aircraft artillery since 1939. Staff Sergeant. Participant of the Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars, defender of Leningrad. He was awarded the medals “For Courage”, “For the Defense of Leningrad” and “For Victory over Germany”.

Already from the first days of the war, Nikulin’s battery opened fire on fascist planes that were breaking through to Leningrad and throwing deep mines into the Gulf of Finland. Nikulin fought as part of an anti-aircraft battery until the spring of 1943, rising to the rank of senior sergeant. Then he was in the hospital twice - after pneumonia and after a concussion. After recovery, he was sent to the 72nd separate anti-aircraft division near Kolpino.

Yuri Vladimirovich recalled about the war years: “I can’t say that I am one of the brave people. No, I was scared. It's all about how that fear manifests itself. Some of them had hysterics - they cried, screamed, and ran away. Others bore it outwardly calmly... But the first person killed in my presence cannot be forgotten. We sat at the firing position and ate from the pots. Suddenly a shell exploded next to our gun, and the loader’s head was torn off by a shrapnel. A man is sitting with a spoon in his hands, steam is coming from the pot, and the upper part of his head is cut clean off like a razor...”

Nikulin met his victory in the Baltic states. However, he did not go home soon. Demobilization was carried out in several stages, and his turn came only a year after the end of the war. He retired from the army on May 18, 1946.

Stanislav Iosifovich Rostotsky

In February 1942 he was drafted into the army. I first had to serve in the 46th reserve rifle brigade, located near the Surok station in the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In September 1943, S. Rostotsky “escaped” to the front. He had the opportunity to fight as a guard private in the 6th Guards Cavalry Corps. He took part in battles, going from Vyazma and Smolensk to Rovno, and the corps ended the war in Prague. Here are a few lines from the “Autobiography” Rostotsky wrote in the same year:

“Rockets flared up again. Dubno was torn out of the darkness. I saw the walls of the fortress, the church towering above the city, tanks, several soldiers, and suddenly next to me, despite the surrounding roar, I clearly heard: “Tank!” - and immediately after that From the cannonade and roar of the night tank battle, the growing sound of the engine clearly stood out. I wanted to jump up, but at that time something grabbed me tightly by the heel and pulled me back, something huge, inexorable and hard, fell on me, squeezed my chest, and poured over me. heat and the smell of gasoline and burnt metal, it became very scary for a moment, precisely because of complete helplessness and the inability to fight.

“The guy is ready. He fought back...” someone nearby said loudly and clearly. I felt hurt and scared that they would leave me. But I'm alive. Alive or not? It’s just very difficult to breathe, and my arm and leg don’t move. But we need to get up. Stand up no matter what. I hardly pulled myself away from the spring slush, stood for what seemed to me a very long time and began to fall, but someone’s hands caught me. I recognized paramedic Aronov. “Eh, brother, if you got up, it means you’ll be alive,” he told me. And then the voice of Major Simbukhovsky was heard: “Britchka! My chaise!”

So on February 11, 1944, near the city of Dubno, in Western Ukraine, Stanislav Rostotsky was seriously wounded. Then there were hospitals in Rovno and Moscow, operations, punctures, dressings. In August 1944, he was transformed from a guard private, a holder of the Order of the Red Star, into a war invalid of the second group.

Vladislav Ignatievich Strzhelchik

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, served in the infantry. Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree.

Throughout the entire Patriotic War, Strzhelchik Vladislav Strzhelchik was at the front, first in the active army, then in a military ensemble. The actor often recalled the hunger and cold of those days. Then he managed to bring his rations to his parents while they lived in the besieged city. I got to Leningrad 30 kilometers away, either by hitchhiking or on foot, often coming under fire. The actor could never forget this horror of hunger.

Vladimir Abramovich Etush

Senior lieutenant, assistant chief of staff of the regiment. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, the Order of the Red Star, and the medals “For the Defense of the Caucasus,” “For the Defense of Moscow,” and “For the Victory over Germany.”

Vladimir Etush sometimes said that he was the first Muscovite to witness the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, although he did not immediately understand it. On the night of June 21-22, he was leaving a long party. It was about 5 o'clock in the morning, the streets were deserted, there were almost no cars. And then a German embassy car flew past him at great speed. Later, he read somewhere that it was the car of the German Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Count von Schulenburg, who, an hour after the start of the invasion, presented Molotov with a memorandum declaring war. Then Etush, although he paid attention to this car, did not have any bad feeling. He came home, went to bed, and at 12 o’clock his mother woke him up and said that the war had begun.

As a theater school student, Volodya Etush had a reservation. But during the play "Field Marshal Kutuzov", he saw that only 13 people were sitting in the hall, and realized that the country had no time for theater. In the morning he went and asked to volunteer for the front.

Vladimir Etush was sent to military translator courses in Stavropol. But at the front he ended up in a rifle regiment. Etush fought in the mountains of Kabarda and Ossetia, took part in the liberation of Rostov-on-Don, Ukraine. He fought heroically, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Star and medals. At the same time he was awarded the rank of lieutenant. In 1944, Etush was seriously wounded and after hospitalization, having received the second group of disability, he was demobilized.

Alexey Makarovich Smirnov

Scout, fire platoon commander of the 3rd artillery battery of the 169th Red Banner Mortar Regiment of the 3rd Zhitomir Red Banner Artillery Order of Lenin Breakthrough Division of the RGK. He was awarded the Order of Glory II and III degrees, the Order of the Red Star, the medal “For Courage” and “For Military Merit.”

He did not like to remember the war and never boasted of his military achievements. Only those closest to him knew about his heroic military past.

From Smirnov’s personal file:

He commanded a fire platoon in the 169th Mortar Regiment and rose from private to lieutenant. Two Orders of Glory - 2nd and 3rd degree, Order of the Red Star, medals "For Courage" and "For Military Merit".

In total, Alexei Makarovich Smirnov had 11 military awards!

Excerpts from award sheets:

“On April 9, 1944, in the area of the village of Pilyava, after powerful artillery attacks, two enemy battalions, supported by 13 tanks, went on the attack. Comrade Smirnov and his platoon opened powerful mortar fire on the German infantry. In this battle, platoon fire destroyed: 4 heavy and 2 light machine guns, 110 fascist soldiers and officers. The German counterattack was repulsed."

“To the order for the third artillery division dated September 15, 1944:
On July 20, 1944, in the area of Height 293, the enemy with a force of up to 40 Nazis attacked the battery. Comrade Smirnov, inspiring the fighters, rushed into battle and repelled the German attack. He himself personally captured 7 Nazis.
On July 27, near the village of Zhuravka, emerging from encirclement, he captured 5 Nazis.
Comrade Smirnov A.M. worthy of a government award - the Order of Glory, 3rd degree. Commander of the 169th Mortar Regiment Saltsyn.”

He received the Order of Glory for a battle near the village of Postaszewice.

Once again there was a German attack, hand-to-hand combat and sparse lines on the award sheet:
“Comrade Smirnov with three soldiers rushed at the Germans and personally killed three Nazis with a machine gun and captured two. On January 22, 1945, despite intense rifle, machine gun and artillery and mortar shelling, he confidently transported the mortar on himself to the left bank of the Oder River. From where, with mortar fire, he destroyed 2 machine gun points in the village of Eichenried and up to 20 Nazis. The 36th artillery regiment captured the village and the bridgehead on the left bank of the Oder River."

It was only a short distance to Berlin, but a severe concussion interrupted A.M.’s combat path. Smirnova. After long treatment in the hospital, he was discharged from the active army.

Nikolai Konstantinovich Prokopovich

At the age of 17, after graduating from school, he went to the front. As part of the 4th Tank Army, he went through the combat path from Voronezh to Poland and Germany from a soldier to a squad commander. In April 1945, he was wounded in Germany and ended the war in a hospital near Berlin with the rank of senior sergeant. Awarded six medals and the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree.

Innokenty Mikhailovich Smoktunovsky (Smoktunovich)

In January 1943, he was drafted to military school, but he did not stay there.

Because he was collecting potatoes left in the field during school hours, his officer's shoulder straps were torn off and he was sent to the front - into the thick of it, to the Kursk Bulge.

Then he had the opportunity to participate in the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kyiv.

Remembering the war, Innokenty Mikhailovich always emphasized: “Don’t believe that it’s not scary in war, it’s always scary. And courage lies in the fact that you are scared, and you must overcome animal horror and move forward, and you do it.”

In the same year, during the attack on Kyiv, the unit in which Smoktunovsky served (we will call him that, although he changed his surname Smoktunovich to Smoktunovsky only after the war) was surrounded.

On December 3, in one of the battles near Zhitomir, Smoktunovsky was captured. Conditions in the German prisoner of war camp were inhumane, and he knew full well that attempting to escape would result in immediate execution.

“There was another way out - those who wished were offered service in the ROA... But it didn’t suit me,” admitted Innokenty Mikhailovich.

The chance to escape came a month later, when the Germans were driving their column to Germany.

Rimma Markova, Smoktunovsky’s closest friend, says: “He miraculously escaped from captivity. When they were escorted, Kesha, excuse the detail, became ill with her stomach. And when he was no longer able to endure, he and another prisoner were allowed to leave the ranks out of necessity. Until the end of his life, Smoktunovsky gratefully remembered this soldier, who gestured for him to stay under the bridge, and he himself took it and rolled on his back in the snow, blurring their tracks.

So no one noticed Smoktunovsky’s absence. And he sat in a snowdrift for almost a day, and then made his way to a nearby village.”

Meanwhile, a summons arrived home in Krasnoyarsk that his son had gone missing.

For several weeks, Smoktunovsky wandered through the forests, hiding from the Germans. Every now and then falling into semi-oblivion from hunger, he made his way through the thickets until he finally reached the village of Dmitrovka. Here, dying of exhaustion, he was picked up by an old Ukrainian woman.

This was a rather risky move on her part, because for harboring a Soviet prisoner of war, her entire family was threatened with execution.

“Can I forget the Shevchuk family,” recalled Innokenty Mikhailovich, “who sheltered me after escaping from captivity? Baba Vasya died a long time ago, and her daughter Oniska still lives in Shepetovka, and these dear, sincere people, who literally saved me, visit us, and we always welcome them.”

Smoktunovsky lived with the Shevchuks for about a month, and in February 1944, an accident helped him get to the partisans. For several months he fought in the partisan detachment named after. Lenin Kamenets-Podolsk connection.

In May 1944, the partisan detachment merged with regular units of the Red Army. With the rank of senior sergeant, commander of the machine gunner squad of the 641st Guards Rifle Regiment of the 75th Guards Division, Smoktunovsky earned the medal “For Courage” - the second in his biography (the first, in 1943, was awarded to him forty-nine years later, after the war, at the Moscow Art Theater performance "Cabal of the Holy One" right in the theater).

Innokenty Mikhailovich ended the war in the German town of Grevesmühlen. It is surprising that during the entire war Smoktunovsky was never even wounded. Fate was clearly taking care of him.

Petr Efimovich Todorovsky

The youth of the future titan of Russian cinematography passed during the war years. At the height of the war, in the summer of 1943, Pyotr Todorovsky, a cadet at the Saratov Military Infantry School, and since 1944 a platoon commander in the 93rd Infantry Regiment of the 76th Infantry Division of the 47th Army of the First Belorussian Front, reached the Elbe along front roads. . What he saw and experienced in those years was forever imprinted in the memory of the young lieutenant and was then reflected more than once in his own films.

Pyotr Efimovich recalls: “The most terrible episode was the first night. I was thrown to the front line, to a unit that was advancing and exhausted... I was such a newbie, in a tunic, and came under artillery fire. It’s just creepy: everything exploded...

And I lay there, pressing my teeth to the ground - I was just pounding from fear... Then, when everything calmed down a little, one sergeant looked at me: “Come on, I’ll find you an overcoat.” I ran past here and saw it.” I didn't immediately understand what he meant.

I couldn’t get rid of this scene for a very long time, I knew: whoever dresses from a dead person will definitely die, in this case I was just lucky.

And he was wounded and then shell-shocked already in that brand new overcoat... after being wounded, he ended up in the hospital - that was wonderful. After dirt, blood, lice, when you are not a person, but an animal, and you are lying on a white sheet, you are washed...

After all, my injury was not very serious - after two and a half weeks I was already walking. And here are the nurses, dancing in the evening...

Pleasant - this is May 8, 1945 on the Elbe! It was an amazing feeling - there was just silence. We came to the bridge with heavy fighting, and the Americans were already standing on the other side; they had arrived earlier. And here there is silence, and the river, and the grass, and you can hear the birds singing...

We lay in the grass with the horses, having thrown off our stinking foot wraps, and did not believe that we were alive. Then this silence became my script for the film “Deafened by Silence.”

Pavel Borisovich Vinnik

At the age of 16, taking credit for the missing years, he became a soldier in a rifle regiment. Reached Berlin. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, I and II degrees, the Order of the Red Star, and the medals “For the Capture of Budapest,” “For the Capture of Berlin,” and “For the Victory over Germany.”

During the Second World War, for the battles near Kustren, a submachine gunner of the 416th Infantry Division, junior sergeant Vinnik, was awarded the Order of the Red Star, for the following:

Georgy Alexandrovich Yumatov

Since 1942, he was a cabin boy on the torpedo boat “Brave,” and a year later he became a helmsman. He served on armored boats of the Azov and then the Danube flotillas.

He took part in the Malozemelsky and Yevpatoriya landings, in the assault on Izmail, in the capture of Bucharest, Budapest, and Vienna. During the assault on the latter, Georgy Yumatov took part in hand-to-hand combat for the famous Vienna Bridge.

About two thousand of our paratroopers died in that battle, but fate was on Yumatov’s side (for this assault he would be awarded a very rare Ushakov sailor medal on chains).

It was after that terrible massacre that he got really drunk for the first time.

It is worth noting that during the war years Georgy Yumatov could have been killed at least a hundred times, but each time Providence averted trouble from him.

For example, in one of the battles, the ship’s mongrel, warmed by Yumatov, was frightened by the shelling and jumped overboard. Sailor Yumatov rushed after her. And at that moment an enemy shell hit the torpedo boat.
Almost the entire team died, but our hero (along with the mongrel) remained alive.

In just three years of war, Georgy Yumatov was wounded several times, shell-shocked, drowned twice, and had frostbite on his hands. Georgy Alexandrovich's military merits were also awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, medals "For the Capture of Vienna", "For the Capture of Budapest", ZPNG, and other medals.

Zinovy Efimovich Gerdt
(Zalman Efraimovich Khrapinovich)

People's Artist of the USSR Zinovy Gerdt went to the front as a volunteer, refusing to enter the front-line theater, he became a sapper and ended the war as the commander of a sapper company with the rank of senior lieutenant. During the fighting, Gerdt was seriously wounded, after which he had to undergo eleven operations, as a result of which his leg became shorter by 8 centimeters, and the lameness remained for life. Despite all this, overcoming pain and gaining iron patience, Gerdt was able to maintain optimism and a great will to live. Awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Mikhail Ivanovich Pugovkin

Scout, served in the 1147th Infantry Regiment. Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, and the medal “For Victory over Germany.”

Immediately after the start of the war, Mikhail, along with his father and brothers, went to the front. He ended up in a rifle regiment as a scout. I went through absolute hell without a single scratch in the Smolensk region, but near Voroshilovgrad I was wounded in the leg. Gangrene set in, and the hospital prepared him for amputation. He managed to beg the chief surgeon of the field hospital: “Doctor, I can’t lose my leg, I’m an artist!” The treatment lasted a long time, and one military hospital was replaced by another, a third, but the pain never left him. It takes Pugovkin more than a year to fully recover.

Anatoly Dmitrievich Papanov

From the first days of the war - at the front. He was a senior sergeant and commanded an anti-aircraft artillery platoon. In 1942, he was seriously wounded in the leg near Kharkov and at the age of 21 he became disabled of the third group. Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, I and II degrees.

The first days of the war were difficult and tragic for our army. Young, unexamined conscripts ended up in hell.

“Can we forget how after two and a half hours of battle, out of forty-two people, thirteen remained?” - Papanov recalled later.

About this time, many, many years later he would play one of his most striking and significant roles - General Serpilin in the film adaptation of Simonov's novel "The Living and the Dead."

Adolf Alekseevich Ilyin

During the Great Patriotic War, he was a medical orderly of the 46 GSP 16 GOLSD.

In October 1942 he was awarded the medal “For Courage” for:
During his service as a medical orderly, Comrade Ilyin carried the following number of soldiers and commanders from the battlefield: near the village of New Niva 14 people, near the village of Verkhnie Sekachi 24 people, near the village of Ochistka 12 people, near the village of Kamenka 8 people, under the village .Polunino 24 people. In total, he carried out 82 people wounded and with weapons. When carrying out the wounded, Comrade Ilyin showed courage and courage, providing first aid to the wounded under enemy fire, in any combat conditions.

In the Patriotic War against the Nazi occupiers, Comrade Ilyin showed himself to be a devoted and courageous warrior of the Red Army.

What’s interesting is that the award sheet originally included a nomination for the “Order of the Red Banner,” but the inscription was crossed out and “For Military Merit” was written on top in pencil.

As a result, by order to the troops of the 30th Army, he was awarded the medal “For Courage”

Viktor Aleksandrovich Kurochkin
"In war as in war"

From June 23, 1942, cadet of the Ulyanovsk Guards Tank School (March 1, 1943, cadet of the 2nd Kyiv Artillery School (Saratov). On June 20, 1943, Lieutenant Kurochkin was appointed commander of the SU-85 in the 1893rd self-propelled artillery regiment of the 3rd Tank Army 1st Ukrainian Front. Since August 5, 1944, as part of the 1st Guards Artillery Regiment of the 4th Tank Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front, liberation of the Left Bank of Ukraine, crossing of the Dnieper, liberation of Kyiv, Lviv. Seriously wounded on January 31, 1945. years during the crossing of the Oder.

Alexey Mironov

At the age of 17, he volunteered for the army, crediting himself with a year. Fire platoon commander of the 1342nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment of the 23rd anti-aircraft artillery division. He fought on the North-Western, Voronezh and 1st Ukrainian fronts. He took part in the Battle of Moscow, the Battle of Kursk, the Battle of the Dnieper, the liberation of Right Bank and Western Ukraine, and the storming of Berlin.

Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, I and II degrees, medals “For Courage”, “For the Capture of Berlin”, “For Victory over Germany”.

Evgeniy Matveev

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. He did not stay at the front for long. For his excellent knowledge of military affairs, he was appointed as a teacher at the Tyumen Infantry School. He was eager to return to the front, but his numerous requests remained unheeded.

Nikolay Trofimov

Elina Bystritskaya

During the war, she worked in a front-line mobile evacuation hospital as a nurse. She was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, and the medal “For Victory over Germany.”

Nikolai Boyarsky

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, ended the war in Koenigsberg. He was awarded the Order of Glory II and III degrees, the Order of the Red Star and other medals.

Pavel Luspekayev

He volunteered for the front at the age of 15. Member of the partisan reconnaissance group (“Task Group 00134”). He was seriously wounded in the arm by an explosive bullet and miraculously escaped amputation.

During one of the reconnaissance raids, I lay in the snow for four hours, having seriously frostbitten feet. Subsequently, because of this injury, doctors were forced to amputate both of Luspekayev’s feet.

Antonina Maksimova

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, radio operator.

Sergei Bondarchuk

Leonid Chubarov

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Artilleryman.

Evgenia Kozyreva

A participant in the Great Patriotic War, she volunteered for the front.

Petr Glebov

He volunteered for the front. He served in an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, which protected the western sector of the Moscow region from Nazi planes: Ochakovo, Peredelkino, Vnukovo airport.

He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, the Order of the Red Star and the medal “For the Defense of Moscow.”

Gulya Queen

Medical instructor, participant in the Great Patriotic War. She volunteered for the front in the medical battalion of the 280th Infantry Regiment.

She died on November 23, 1942 near the Panshino farm, near Stalingrad. During the battle for height 56.8, she carried 50 wounded soldiers from the battlefield, and when the commander was killed, she roused the soldiers to attack, was the first to break into the enemy trench, and with several throws of grenades destroyed 15 enemy soldiers and officers. She was mortally wounded, but continued to fight until reinforcements arrived. Awarded the Order of the Red Banner (posthumously).

Oleg Golubitsky

Participant of the Great Patriotic War.

Valya Litovsky

Pushkin in the film “The Youth of the Poet” died in the summer of 1941 near Minsk.

Nikolay Dupak

At the front from the first days of the war. Guard Lieutenant. He served in the infantry in the 6th Guards Corps. He was seriously wounded three times. In 1943 he was commissioned for disability. Knight of the Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd degree.

Vladimir Ivanov

At the front since February 1942. He spent the entire war on the front line in artillery reconnaissance. He was wounded three times.

Boris Bityukov

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. In 1939-1945 he served in the Red Army. I fought from the first to the last day.

Grigory Pluzhnik

In the first days of the war, having abandoned his armor, he volunteered for the front. Participated in the Battle of Stalingrad and the liberation of Romania. Junior lieutenant, telegraph technician. He was awarded the medals “For Military Merit”, “For the Defense of Stalingrad”, “For Victory over Germany”.

Vladimir Samoilov

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree.

Sergey Gurzo

At the age of 16 he volunteered for the front. In Poland in 1944 he was seriously wounded, after which he was treated in hospitals for a year.

Nikolai Eremenko Sr.

At the age of 15 he went to the front, was wounded, was surrounded, was captured, and tried several times to escape from a fascist concentration camp. Then he fought as part of an underground resistance group.

Leonid Obolensky

In October 1941, together with other VGIK teachers, he joined the Moscow People's Militia. In the Bryansk-Vyazemsky encirclement he was captured and sent to a concentration camp in Bavaria. Escaped from captivity. Before the liberation of Moldova, he hid in a monastery near Bendery under the name of monk Lawrence. After the war he was arrested and convicted. In 2005 (posthumously) rehabilitated.

Volodya Konstantinov

He went to the front in 1941. He died in March 1944 near Tallinn. The first and last role was Petya-Gulliver in the film “The New Gulliver” by Alexander Ptushko.

Boris Ivanov

Lieutenant of the Quartermaster Service. He fought on the Northwestern Front. Chief of staff of the battalion in the 14th Guards Regiment of the 7th Guards Division of the 10th Guards Army. In April 1942, he was seriously wounded and was in hospital until September with the threat of amputation of his arm. Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, I and II degrees.

Mikhail Gluzsky

Since 1940 he served in the Red Army, a participant in the Great Patriotic War.

Nikolay Pastukhov

In 1942 he volunteered for the front. He fought as part of the Latvian division and received a specialty as a signalman, served in a tank unit, and was wounded.

He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, the Order of the Red Star and the medal “For Military Merit”, “For Victory over Germany”.

Fedor Nikitin

In 1941-1943 he participated in the defense of besieged Leningrad. He was the commander of a platoon of the people's militia of the Leningrad Front.

Evgeniy Burenkov

He went to the front from school and went through the entire war. He fought in units of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. Awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Alexander Vokach

In 1944 he volunteered for the front, fought, and served in the flying troops until 1947.

Borya Yasen

Borya Yasen - Mishka Kvakin in the film “Timur and His Team” died at the beginning of the war.

Vasily Korzun

In 1941, he volunteered to join the army and was sent to the front with the rank of junior lieutenant. Participated in battles and was wounded. He ended the war in Estonia. Awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Vladimir Kashpur

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Aviation navigator, took part in hostilities. Awarded the medal "For Victory over Germany".

Valentin Zubkov

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Fighter pilot.

Zoya Vasilkova

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. She volunteered for the war at the age of 17. In the battles she was wounded and shell-shocked.

Alexey Vanin

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Having credited himself with a year, he volunteered to go to the front. He fought as part of Stalin's Siberian Division and was wounded. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, the Order of the Red Star, and the medal “For Courage.”

Nikolay Zasukhin

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. From 1940 he served in the army for six years.

Alyosha Lyarsky
Lesha Peshkov in the film “Gorky’s Childhood”

Nikolai Fedorovich Volkov

Tankman. Defended Moscow, fought near Rzhev, in the First Transbaikal Front in the 17th Army.

Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, medals “For Military Merit”, “For Defense of Moscow”, “For Courage”, “For Victory over Germany”, “For Victory over Japan”

Is it possible to use a toothpick at the table, where to put your bag when you come to a restaurant, how to properly finish soup, do you need to say hello to your neighbors in the hallway if you don’t know them by sight? AiF.ru has made a selection of useful etiquette rules that will help you behave correctly in a variety of life situations.

1. When you come to a restaurant and see a cloth napkin on your plate, don’t immediately put it on your lap. Place your order first. Then you can safely start drinking, and only when the waiter serves you the first course, fold the napkin in half and then place it on your lap with the fold facing you. This little piece of fabric does just three things: it keeps drops and crumbs off your clothes, it allows you to wipe your dirty fingers on it, and it allows you to dry your mouth before you take a sip from your glass. When you finish your meal, remove the napkin from your lap and leave it to the left of the plate.

2. If you finish eating soup, it is better to do this by tilting the plate away from you, so as not to accidentally stain yourself or the people sitting next to you.

3. If during a meal you have something stuck in your teeth and there are toothpicks on the table, do not rush to open your mouth and remove the stuck food from there. Such things should only be done in the restroom. As well as other procedures: taking pills, combing hair, applying eye drops, using lipstick, etc.

4. When it’s raining and bad weather outside, the office usually turns into a place for drying wet umbrellas. But drying your accessory in an open state at work or while visiting is bad manners. Such things can only be done at home. In all other places it is worth using a special stand or simply hanging an umbrella.

5. You should only go to your seats in the theater facing the people already seated. In this case, the lady must follow the gentleman, because it is he who apologizes for the inconvenience caused.

6. If, when visiting a restaurant, a head waiter accompanies you to your table, you should go in this order: head waiter, lady, man. When the manager is absent, it is better for the man to enter the hall first, and only then for his companion.

7. If, during a walk or in some public place, your companion (companion) greeted a stranger, you should also greet him.

8. The robe, which many Russian women love to wear at home, much to their disappointment, is not home clothing in the full sense of the word. First of all, it is designed for the bedroom and bathroom. It is unacceptable to meet guests or anyone else there.

9 . Today, many of us live in high-rise buildings, so few people know not only all the people living in the house, but sometimes even the neighbors on the site. However, according to the rules of etiquette, when you are within the entrance, you must greet your neighbors. On the street you have the right not to do this, although if you know the person by sight, it is still better to greet him.

10. When coming to a restaurant, many women literally cannot part with their purse - even after sitting down at the table, they put it on their laps, or, at best, next to them on a chair. However, this is wrong. If a lady's accessory is small, it is best to place it directly on the table. The bulk bag should be hung on the back of a chair, placed on the floor or on a special chair designed for these purposes.

11. For any type of establishment, a single rule applies: tips are 10% of the order amount. But they don’t leave change in their wallet as a “tip,” much less crumpled bills—this is a sign of disrespect for the waiter.

This shows openness, cordiality, and readiness for further contact. But even when shaking hands, people who consider themselves well-mannered adhere to certain rules regarding the question of who shakes hands first when greeting. What does etiquette dictate?

Why is it customary to extend your hand when meeting?

The custom of shaking hands when meeting has come to us from ancient times. Moreover, in each period of time different meanings were attributed to this gesture. There is a hypothesis that in primitive tribes, shaking hands with men was a kind of test of strength: whoever shakes hands harder is stronger. Each meeting began with such a short duel. In some other tribes, a man’s willingness to extend his hand showed the purity of his intentions: the hand is extended, the palm is open, there is no weapon in it, which means there is no need to be afraid of this person.

In ancient Rome, people were good at cunning, and an outstretched hand did not always mean friendliness. Warriors learned to hide a small dagger in their sleeve, and with a normal handshake it could not be noticed. Therefore, the descriptions mention the custom of shaking the wrist, not the palm. At first this was done for safety reasons, then it became a tradition: when meeting, men, holding their hands at waist level, squeezed each other’s wrists.

But in Japan, samurai shook hands before a fight, and this gesture told the enemy: “Prepare to die.”

The meaning of a handshake today

In those distant times, people did not attach importance to who should give their hand first. The handshake became generally accepted and regulated by the rules of etiquette only in the 19th century. Only men could shake hands with each other; this gesture was not typical for women and was considered tactless. Later, shaking hands became popular in business circles: they sealed deals and showed a disposition for further communication. Nowadays, there is nothing wrong with shaking a lady's hand, especially if it happens in a business setting.

The custom of shaking hands when meeting is more common in Europe and America. In Asia, it is less popular: there a bow or a certain folding of hands is considered a sign of respect. But in business circles in Asian countries, a handshake is also appropriate.

when meeting

In most cases, a person cannot introduce himself: he must be introduced. A man is supposed to introduce himself to a woman. Those who are younger in age - those who are older. A person occupying a higher position in society is introduced to someone who is at a lower level. This is considered an indicator of good manners. If you need to introduce your family to colleagues or friends, then they call your spouse and children, and introduce friends or colleagues to them as a sign of respect for older age. Who shakes hands first when meeting? He is the person to whom others are introduced, regardless of gender and age.

Is it possible to introduce yourself?

Are there situations when it is appropriate for a person to introduce himself to strangers? Yes, this is possible, for example, at a business dinner, banquet, party in order to establish a relationship. In this case, it is permissible to approach the person of interest, introduce yourself, name your field of activity and company and extend a business card.

If you need to introduce yourself to a woman who is in the company of a man, you should first meet her gentleman and then only be introduced to the lady.

Getting to know each other is not just about shaking hands. A good-natured, inviting smile and a direct look into the face of the interlocutor are very important. Averting your eyes to the side during a meeting is considered bad manners.

A few “don’ts”, or How not to be considered ignorant

Yes, yes, ignorance of these seemingly trifles can make a person look ignorant in a matter of seconds. So, when meeting and at any meeting, according to generally accepted rules of politeness, you should not:

do not shake an outstretched hand (this may be perceived as a deep insult);
when giving your hand, keep the other in your pocket;
hold a cigarette in your hand (it is generally undesirable to hold anything in your hands, especially when shaking hands);
leave your hand in a glove when greeting a lady (a woman can leave a glove if it is part of the toilet; a glove, but not a mitten!);
look around, at the floor or up, show indifference;
when meeting a group of people, give your hand to only one of them;
remain seated when meeting a lady or older person, especially if they are standing;
not knowing the simple rules about who offers their hand first for a handshake.

Greetings at an unexpected meeting

Almost every hour we greet someone: neighbors, the saleswoman from whom we buy coffee every morning, colleagues, close or barely familiar people, relatives... Who is the first to offer their hand when greeting? How not to put yourself or your interlocutor in an awkward position? Let's consider several cases.

If you meet friends on the street or in a public place, you should not express your emotions too violently and attract the attention of others. Seeing a familiar person in the distance, you can limit yourself to a nod or wave of your hand. If the distance allows, a handshake and a short exchange of phrases are appropriate (you should not start a long conversation, because the person may be in a hurry). Who shakes hands first when meeting? Etiquette prescribes this initiative to someone who is older in age or occupies a more important social position.

When unexpectedly meeting a loved one, short hugs, pats, and in some countries even kisses on the cheek or the cheek-to-cheek gesture are appropriate. But if you have met a business partner, a person older than you, or a distant acquaintance, such displays of emotion can be regarded as familiarity.

Can a woman offer her hand first?

Who shakes hands first, man or woman? Only a lady can shake hands. A man is supposed to either shake the outstretched hand or bring it to his lips for a kiss. In past centuries, it was permissible to kiss the hand of only a married lady, but in modern rules of good manners there are no such restrictions.

Greeting someone you barely know

Should you greet people you barely know? Yes! Even if you don't remember the person's name or can't remember where you saw their face, it's still best to be polite and say hello. Of course, in this case it is enough to say a greeting, nod or raise your hat. Violent manifestations of joy will look unnatural and therefore completely unnecessary.

Greetings at a scheduled meeting

Let's say we are talking about meeting friends at a party, in a restaurant, at a social reception, in a theater, or any public place. This is not a random meeting on the run, and when going to an event, a person knows who he will meet there. How should one behave and who is the first to offer their hand when meeting? In this case, the one who is younger or holds a lower position is supposed to come up and say hello first. But when it comes to who is the first to offer a hand - the elder or the younger - then this initiative is shown by the one who is older.

Rules for welcoming guests

When you come to visit, you must say hello to the owner of the house and the guests present. The owner should shake hands, and when greeting others, you can limit yourself to a bow and greeting phrases. It is more appropriate for the hostess to kiss her hand.

When meeting a group of people, it is not necessary to shake hands with everyone; a general bow is sufficient. But if you shake hands with one of these people, you should shake hands with everyone else. Who shakes hands first when greeting in this case? The one who approaches the group. Before shaking hands, gloves should be removed, as should headwear.

If you have to say hello to people sitting at a table, it is considered a sign of bad manners to extend your hand across the table. It is more polite to limit yourself to a verbal greeting or a slight bow.

In a situation where there is a noticeable age difference between people greeting each other, the question often arises: who shakes hands first - the elder or the younger? The rules of etiquette state that only the eldest in age can take the initiative to shake hands. The same rule applies to people at different levels of the career ladder: the one with the higher rank extends his hand.

Rules for greetings in business

The rules of politeness in business are subject to the same principles. The person of lower rank is supposed to say hello first. If a person enters a room where a group of people is already present, then the person entering greets first - regardless of position or age.

Who is the first to offer their hand when greeting during business communication? In reverse order, according to the "top to bottom" principle. We must not forget the general rule: shaking hands with one person implies the same gesture in relation to other persons. Otherwise, you should limit yourself to polite words and a general nod of the head.

In the case when a subordinate enters the boss’s office, the latter may not interrupt his business or conversation, but according to the rules of politeness, he must greet the newcomer with words or at least a gesture. In the opposite situation, when a boss comes to a subordinate, it is necessary to interrupt the conversation or business (if any, and this will not be incorrect in relation to a third party) and pay attention to the manager.

Let's summarize what has been said

Etiquette is a delicate matter, but quite logical, because all the rules of good manners are subordinated to one thing: not to offend another person, to behave in such a way that communication is mutually pleasant. If you happen to be confused by rank and age, if you are afraid of seeming impolite or accidentally offending, you should remember one more rule: the more polite person will be the one who offers his hand first when shaking hands, who is the first to say hello, who is the first to show attention. If you are in doubt whether to say hello or not, say hello, whether to extend your hand or not, extend it. You may be known as a person who has forgotten any subtlety of etiquette, but you will show cordiality and respect.

But there is one simple diagram that helps you remember who should be the first to say hello and who should be the first to shake hands according to etiquette. We greet each other according to the principle “from least to greatest” (junior - with senior, subordinate - with boss, man - with woman). We extend our hand according to the principle “from most to least,” since a handshake is a kind of privilege, an honorary sign of attention, and this gesture is supposed to be made by a more “important” person (a senior extends his hand to a junior, a boss to a subordinate, a woman to a man).

In addition to a handshake, do not forget about kind words of welcome, inviting gestures and a friendly smile - an absolute trump card in any communication!

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