Solovetsky School of the Young Navy of the USSR: history, graduates, memory

Adolescents in salted vests, with gait vosskachku and the habits of experienced men ... Jung - a kind of symbol of eternity and the inviolability of naval traditions. If there is a boy who is ready not to leave the flaming deck, it means - to be a fleet!

The article will focus on the Solovetsky school of the young, the history of this institution, its creation, graduates and memory.

Pupils of Petrov

Jungs in Russia appeared almost simultaneously with the fleet - in 1707 Peter the Great created the first school in the country where young people were trained for sailors. This school operated in Kronstadt, but not for long. Then there was a similar school at the School of Sturmans, and in 1912 an attempt was made to restore the Kronstadt institution.

The reason for the establishment of such schools (by the way, for a long time the title was written with a violation of the norms of Russian grammar - "school of youth", as the term "young" is of Dutch origin) - the need to provide future sailors with vocational training. The sailor needed to know and be able to do much more than a soldier, and it was not easy to prepare good sailors from recruits or draftees - it took a long time.

The Soviet government also understood this, and in 1940 created its own school on the island of Valaam. Yes, only to get a good training her students did not have time - the war did not wait for them. What is the role of the Solovki school of jung? We'll talk about this later.

To the comrades for change

Valaam's young men lost almost everything (out of 200 people there were not more than a dozen left), fighting for the so-called "Nevsky Piglet". They showed themselves as patriots and heroes, but they did not fulfill their main mission - they could not become a reserve for the fleet. And the problem grew rapidly - in the first years of the war experienced sailors died massively, and it was impossible to replace them with conscripts from remote areas where they had never seen the sea. Not fit and poorly educated candidates - they were not able to cope with a fairly complex ship equipment.

On ships sent out previously reservists, but they also had time to forget much, and the technology was not standing still. Conscripts, many of whom were already well over thirty, could not be considered full-fledged professional sailors. There is a need to create a new school for the training of sailors that could serve in the conditions of war and cope with ship equipment.

Admiral's decree on the creation of a school

The corresponding decision was taken by People's Commissar of the Soviet Navy Admiral N. G. Kuznetsov. It is in his honor that the now famous Russian aircraft carrier is named, who recently carried out a campaign to the Syrian coast. On May 25, 1942, the admiral signed a decree on the creation of a school for young people on the Solovetsky Islands.

The institution was to prepare sailors of the most important for military time specialties: radio operators, signalers, helmsmen, electricians, mechanics, mechanics, and naval boatswain.

Solovki were convenient for several reasons - and close to the zone of combat operations, and relatively safe, and some technical equipment was available, and the former monastic premises could easily be adapted to classes and barracks. The school year was scheduled to begin on September 1, so there was time for the introductory campaign and the preparation of training programs. The recruitment followed exclusively the volunteers through the Komsomol organization. However, Admiral N. G. Kuznetsov specifically indicated in his order that cadets could become non-Komsomol members.

Violators of the Geneva Convention

I must say, many of the candidates in the cabin crew took this admiral's specification in a peculiar way. Although officially the school recruited teenagers 15-16 years, but almost immediately with different truths and crooks there were cadets who openly did not reach the Komsomol age. During the war, there were many cases of loss or damage to documents, and it was not always possible to verify the data. The youngest Solovki boy at the time of admission to school was only ... 11 years!

Yes, recruiting 15-year-old boys (and a year later they had to go to serve!) Clearly contradicted the norms of the humanitarian Geneva Convention, which prohibited the use of persons under the age of 18 on regular military service. But these actions fully corresponded to the norms of morality and the patriotic moods of Soviet wartime youth.

Soviet boys firmly knew: the fascist must be beaten until his complete extermination! But the existence of the Geneva Convention, most of them had no idea and did not want to have. Those children of the USSR that changed their new passports year of birth in 1925 to 1923, to swiftly get to the front or at 11 years swore that they are already 15, differed in the main quality of a well-bred child - the desire to become adults as soon as possible. And they understood maturity correctly - as responsibility, work and duty.

Cruel Competition

And there were so many young people in the USSR! Former youngsters themselves said that, for example, in Moscow, when 500 places were sorted out, 3500 applications were submitted for the first set in a few days.

However, we chose strictly. It is a mistake to consider that in the Suvorov schools or the school, only young children were sent to the Yung during the war. So too did, but only with those children-tramps, that precisely did not tarnish themselves with crimes. More often young workers, former small partisans and sons of regiments, and also children of fallen military men became candidates.

They should have had at least 6 classes (some cunning people managed to get around this norm) and good health (it was more difficult here - the medical departments "wrapped" many). They taught them from 9 to 11 months, very intensively, and the program included not only the disciplines of the specialty, but also the Russian language, mathematics, and natural sciences. They even arranged a dance school in the best traditions of the Russian fleet (with a hint that the young men will still grow captains - the ability to dance was considered mandatory for the "correct" naval officer). Prepared young men became really valuable personnel reserve.

Unrecognized Junior School Veterans

The Solovetsky School of the Young Navy produced 5 issues (3 during the war, and 2 after its completion - these graduates mainly went to the minesweepers, to clear the seas from mines). Later the school was transferred to Kronstadt, and the Solovki youths ended - Kronstadt appeared.

The school of Solovki youths in the war years released 4111 people, who then served in all fleets (they were strictly dispensed in connection with the need). Almost 1,000 young people did not return home, giving their lives to the defense of the Motherland. Most of them were radio operators, but quite a few motorists and artillery electricians. There were helmsmen, signalmen and representatives of other maritime specialties.

Often on ships the graduates of the Solovetsky school of young people turned out to be almost the most educated and prepared members of the team (the tension with the cadres was preserved until the end of the war). In these cases, there was a paradoxical situation - 16-17-year-old boys were in the role of mentors and leaders of 40-year-old uncles. Of course, they did not forget to remind the young people of subordination, but they still learned in good faith. However, senior conscripts still remembered the campaign to eliminate adult illiteracy, when the teachers of grandfathers and grandmothers were also 10-year-old pioneers. So the Soviet sailors well understood: young - does not mean little knowing.

They were not very pleased to award them, but they rewarded them. Solovetsky graduate V. Moiseenko in 1945 received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Sasha Kovalev (he was not even Alexander - Sasha!) Had the Order of the Red Star and the Patriotic War; Many were awarded medals. But with the post-war confession it did not work out. Until 1985, Solovki youths were not even considered participants in the Great Patriotic War! There was a deliberate concealment of the fact that they took a military oath (perhaps the same Geneva Convention is guilty, from which it was necessary to hide the fifteen-year-old captains). And only the perseverance of Marshal Akhromeev made it possible to correct injustice.

But the memory was preserved without regard for bureaucratic red tape. Since 1972 (the 30th anniversary of the school), the first monuments to the boys from Solovki began to appear, and the convention of the former youths became traditional.

All-round brotherhood

It is noteworthy that among the young people who survived the war, there were a lot of versatile gifted people who achieved a lot in various specialties.

V. Korobov, Yu. Pandorin and N. Usenko all their life connected with the fleet, having risen to Admiral, Rear Admiral and Captain 2 rank respectively. These three sailors were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in different circumstances after the war. Another four former graduates were awarded stars of Heroes of Socialist Labor.

IK Peretrukhin chose military service in another field - he became an officer in counterintelligence. The junges showed themselves to be very good, too, that they decided to change their form with a cap for a civilian suit. B. Shtokolov earned the title of People's Artist of the USSR - it was a famous opera singer, performer of bass lines. VV Leonov starred in several dozen films; In addition, he was a bard, an amateur performer of his own songs. GN Matyushin fought for the preservation of the history of his native country as decisively as he protected her from the enemy - the scientist-archeologist received the title of academician. V. Guzanov wrote scripts for movies and books; He also did a lot to establish cultural Russian-Japanese ties, was a recognized expert in the Japanese language. Some of his books are written in Japanese.

But the most widely known was one of the particularly violent violators of the Geneva Convention. Valentin Savich Pikul at the entrance to the Solovki School attributed himself a year. He was able to carry out military service, but fate was supportive - the young sailor survived. And later VS Pikul became famous as perhaps the most famous Soviet and Russian writer specializing in historical novels. Soviet readers (generally spoiled by good literature) stood behind his books in line and reprinted them for themselves on typewriters. At the same time, almost half of Pikul's novels are in one way or another, but related to the marine theme.

The book about the Solovetsky school of the Young "Boys with bows"

The writer and his turbulent youth on Solovki have not forgotten. To his comrades in the Jung school and their difficult fate, he devoted the novel "Boys with bows." Described the life of the Solovetsky school and the fate of its graduates in their works and VG Guzanov.

If these works of the former junks are in fact autobiographical literature, then there is also a popular one, designed to bring to the youth of this day the memory of the peerry's feat. As an example, we can cite the collection "The Sea Calls the Bold". It is noteworthy that it was published in Yaroslavl - where Yaroslavl, and where Solovki!

The history of the Solovki school, Jung, was also reflected in Soviet cinema - on its basis the film "The Young Fleet of the Northern Fleet" was filmed.

Memory in the stone about the famous school

This reliable material is also worthy of the feat of young heroes in vests. The very first monument appeared on Solovki in honor of the 30th anniversary of the school. It was built by the former young people themselves and for their own money.

Later, after the official recognition of the Solovki young people as veterans of the Great Patriotic War, both the authorities and the general public were involved in the perpetuation of their memory. In Moscow in 1995 appeared the area of the Solovetsky Yung. In 1993 a monument to young sailors was put on the embankment of the Northern Dvina, and in 2005 - on the square named in their honor (in both cases the sculptor F. Sogayan was the author).

But the most interesting monument stands in the courtyard of one of the Moscow schools (now - the gymnasium "Vertical"). He appeared in 1988, and the author of the project was also a Solovki graduate - artist E. Goryachev. The Moscow school also became famous for having created the first museum of Solovki youths in the country - with the help of the veterans themselves, and the teacher's and student's enthusiasm. It should be noted that the Komsomol played a significant role in its organization. The Communist Youth Union was engaged not only in propaganda, but also (to a greater extent) with moral and patriotic upbringing. The museum appeared in 1983, and until 2012 it was headed by Captain 1st rank (retired) NV Osokin - a former Solovetsky boy.

"I never thought, comrades, that they will open a museum about the young people," wrote the bard V. Leonov on this occasion. His poems became the motto of this unique institution.

With the anniversary, comrades!

In 2017, the 75th anniversary of the Solovetsky school of the Young was celebrated. Celebrations on this occasion were held in Moscow, Arkhangelsk and, of course, on Solovki. In recent years, the fate of former cadets (13 of them now reside in the Arkhangelsk region) and the school of Solovki's young Arkhangelsk and its leadership are very interested. In a solemn atmosphere, the traditional jubilee meeting of the few remaining graduates was held. The leadership of the region started talking about the need to create a museum and a memorial on Solovki.

Really - the Solovetsky Islands, where the school of a young man lived, should be ashamed that in this respect they gave way to Moscow. Moreover, the leadership of the current Solovki monastery refers to the initiative to create a museum of young people with understanding and support. For the sake of such a good cause, monks agree to "move" a little and provide any assistance in scientific and organizational work.

And the school itself can also be revived. The President of Russia sent a proposal to transfer to Solovki some structures of the naval cadet corps, so that once again on the Russian courts were the heroic Solovki youths. Who knows. Perhaps the history of the famous Solovetsky school of young people has not yet come to an end ...