Alexander Chekalin, Hero of the Soviet Union: a short biography

Alexander Chekalin is one of the youngest Heroes of the Soviet Union. Being still a schoolboy, the guy enrolled in a partisan detachment and, along with adults, fought against the fascist invaders. In the struggle for the Motherland, he did not spare his life. The young man is still being set as an example to the younger generation, and his feat forever went down in history.

Alexander Pavlovich Chekalin: short biography

Alexander was born in the territory of the modern Tula region on March 25, 1925. His father was an ordinary servant. He worked as a child, helping his parents. Sasha's father was hunting and often took his son with him. Therefore, from a young age, the future partisan learned to shoot and handle weapons. He liked to hunt and wander around. Alexander knew all the paths and was well-versed in the local forests. According to the memories of his fellow villagers, he was restless and was constantly fond of something. He played the mandolin, for some time he was engaged in photography.

Sasha's mother worked in the executive committee, and in the thirty-eighth year she was appointed to the post in the city of Likhvin. The whole family moved there. A year later, Alexander Chekalin became a member of the Leninist Komsomol. According to the recollections of teachers and classmates, while studying, Sasha paid most attention to physics and nature studies. He was interested in various plants and the peculiarities of their development. I knew the names of many in Latin. Participated in various events on civil defense. He was a member of the Defense Assistance Society and had a badge for a well-aimed shooting. Among the interests of the young man was radio engineering. Sasha himself assembled the radio from the found parts.

Fighter Squads

When the war began, Alexander Chekalin was still in Likhvin. The Soviet units constantly retreated under the onslaught of the enemy. To maintain regular troops, Stalin's order formed special fighter squads. They received volunteers from the local population. The volunteers were given a certain amount of weapons and taught shooting from it. The main task of the detachments was to maintain order in the rear. They were engaged in catching German paratroopers, which dropped off as saboteurs or were ejected from downed planes. Also, the vigilantes were engaged in the protection of important state facilities and anti-spyware activities. Alexander Pavlovich Chekalin in July enrolled in a fighter squad.

Partisans

In the autumn, heavy fighting began under Tula. The Red Army lost its positions and moved to the east. By winter, the city fell and was under Nazi occupation. Sasha and his father immediately went to the partisans. At that time the partisan detachments were the hardest. Because of the retreat and the existing turmoil, the command simply did not have time to establish contact with the soldiers operating in the rear of the enemy. The guerrillas lacked provisions and weapons. Everything they needed was supplied by local residents, risking their lives. Weapons were mined on the battlefields or as trophies.

Alexander Chekalin with his father were in the detachment of "Frontline." The unit hid in the forest and from there it struck the Germans. Sasha knew the terrain well and could orientate himself in the forest. Thanks to his natural agility, he became a scout. Its main task was to collect information about the state of the German troops. Since the boy was not paid much attention, he could approach close to the places of dislocation of the Nazis. Sasha collected data on the number of personnel, equipment, weapons and other important data. He also followed the routes of movement. Thanks to this, several ambushes were made.

Resistance

When the German column came out on the march, the partisans mined the road in advance. After undermining the leading machine, a heavy fire began from the ambush, so that the Germans were destroyed before they could understand what was happening. Alexander Chekalin participated in all these events along with adult fighters. According to the memoirs of the command, Sasha was most interested in weapons. He constantly searched for cartridges and rifles.

Cold autumn, constantly hiding in the woods, Sasha caught a cold. The commander decided to send him to the home of one of the schoolteachers who supported the resistance. However, when the guy arrived in the village, he found out that the Nazis had been seized by the Nazis and taken away, but he himself was being searched. Being seriously ill, he decides to go to his native village. There he imperceptibly makes his way into the house. However, after a time, the village elder who collaborated with the Nazis saw smoke from the pipe. He realized that Alexander Pavlovich Chekalin had returned. The headman hastened to report this to the military commandant's office.

Alexander Chekalin: a feat

The Germans immediately went to catch the partisan. They surrounded the house. Forward let the headman to explore the situation. However, the traitor was afraid that Sasha would shoot him, and just hid behind the neighbor's house. Then the Nazis went to storm. Despite the illness, Alexander gave battle. He shot back from the windows, not letting the enemy come. When the ammunition ran out, he threw a grenade, which never exploded, and tried to hide. However, he was caught.

In the military commandant's office of Likhvin, he was subjected to cruel torture. For several days the Nazis tortured the young man, trying to find out information about the partisans. However, Alexander Chekalin did not say a word. Realizing that they will not achieve anything, the Nazis decided to publicly execute the boy. On November 6, the gallows were placed on the main square. Sasha was dressed with a sign on which it was written: "Such an end awaits all the partisans." But before his death, the young man threw it and shouted at the crowd: "There are many of us, you do not outweigh all!" Then he sang the communist song "Internationale".

Memory

Almost a year after the death of the young man the city of Likhvin was released. Then the whole country learned who Alexander Chekalin was. The hero of the Soviet Union was posthumously reburied in the public garden of the city of Likhvin with all reputable honors. The name of the partisan named many streets in the territory of the Soviet Union. Several monuments and bas-reliefs were also made around the country.