In the fate of Sergei Vasilievich Chervonopisky there are parallels with the hero of the Tale of a Real Man Alexei Meresiev - amputation of both legs after a severe wound, doctors’ doubts about the possibility of not only leading a full active life, but even moving independently, and another victory over oneself and pessimists .
  A graduate of the Ryazan airborne school, 22-year-old senior lieutenant Chervonopisky came to Afghanistan from the first day of the entry of Soviet troops, he was the first commandant of the Kabul airport, the commander of an airborne assault company.

Today, Major General Chervonopisky is a person known not only in Ukraine, but also abroad due to his active life position. He devoted almost his entire life to the struggle for the social rights of “Afghans” and people with special needs.

From the socio-political and state experience of Sergei Vasilievich - deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, where in 1989 he passed as a self-nominated candidate, which was rare even for those perestroika times. Since 1991, he is the head of the Ukrainian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan, and headed the State Committee of Ukraine for Veterans. He is the guest of the next press conference in the Journalistic Fund of Ukraine:

- Sergey Vasilyevich, let's talk a little about you. So you returned from the war ...

“They brought ... on a stretcher.” I miraculously survived when our mine landing vehicle was blown up. Only the legs "ticked off." Since then I have been celebrating two birthdays ... Many did not believe that I would get up at all - a very high amputation. They predicted that I would ask for beer in the market. In practice, there are very few people who walk with such amputation ... And I, you see, with one stick.

- What feelings did you feel then, when you were 24 years old without both legs? Were there despair, depression?

“You know not.” Of course, the support of my relatives helped; my future wife came from Cherkasy every weekend. I was confident in myself. Then he said to his mother: mother, don’t worry, you will still be proud of me.

- Then they got married, you had two children: a son and a daughter. How are relations with children?

- Good, friendly. The son graduated from the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs this year. Recently, they took possession of scuba gear together, together went into the water. At 10, Vadim was the champion of the Cherkasy region in swimming in his age category. Together for hunting, for fishing. Without this life, I don’t think and taught children. The daughter, Darina, is still studying at the university.

- You became the founder of the “Afghan” movement in Ukraine. And how was the idea born of creating an All-Ukrainian Veteran Organization?

- Honestly, the first time such an idea came when the mother’s three lifter at the prosthetic plant demanded that I be lifted on a stretcher ... I decided for myself then: we must stay together, otherwise we’ll be lost.

In 1989, we created the Union of Warriors-Internationalists of Ukraine. By the way, this was the first Ukrainian public organization created and registered without the knowledge of Moscow. Its main goal was the social protection of former “Afghans” soldiers, veterans of other wars, perpetuating the memory of the dead and patriotic education of youth. The Union really helps the disabled war and the families of the victims. We pay for operations, we teach orphans in universities. We earn money for this ourselves. Organized prosthetic workshops that use advanced technology and equipment. A rehabilitation center is successfully operating in Odessa, where about 400 veterans and their families recover every year.

- It is no secret that the attitude of the masses towards the participation of Soviet troops in the war in Afghanistan has never been unambiguous. Do “Afghans” meet the state’s understanding of their problems?

- The attitude of people towards the Afghan war and towards its participants has changed several times in our country. At first - in the late 70s - everything was secret, and even it was forbidden to write on the graves that he had died in Afghanistan. Then, in the early 80s, they suddenly decided to glorify us. Unfortunately, at the time of the development of democracy, at first some spitting on the “Afghans” started, they tried to make us murderers, like we ourselves went there of our own free will ... I had to fight for our soldier's honor. And now in Ukraine, “Afghans” are evaluated as soldiers who honestly performed their duty. This is evidenced by the following fact: neither in Russia nor in Belarus there are as many monuments to the fallen "Afghans" as in Ukraine.

At the same time, today, attempts to forget Afghanistan at the state level, unfortunately, continue. Sometimes you have to hear the old phrase in a new way: "Ukraine did not fight in Afghanistan," for which ignoring the fate of the guys who, not of their own free will and fault, gave their health in that war. More than 30 thousand of them still do not have their own housing. Nor are the rules of the law regarding the employment of "Afghans." We do not fall under the law on special merits, and our military orders offer to consider peacetime rewards!

Previously, we listened to our needs at least a little, because there was the State Committee for Veterans Affairs. Now it is eliminated.

Well, is it not a shame that the mothers of those killed in Afghanistan receive surcharges of 29 hryvnias per month? Is it not a shame - 180 hryvnias for a disabled war veteran of the first group who has neither experience nor length of service (and where do they come from if they were drafted into the army at age 18)? Let me remind you that more than 160 thousand children from Ukraine went through the Afghan war. Every sixth living “Afghan” has disability.

Veterans “Afghans” are still fairly young people aged 35-50 years who are fighting for social demand and who can give odds to many on the ability to “cling” to life.

Our union has strategically defined the Socialist Party as its political partner and, together with the socialists, intends to seriously fight for the opportunity to solve the problems of its brothers.

- Since you have already touched on the party theme, what dictated your decision to join the Socialist Party and the corresponding recommendation to all former members of the “SVICHA” party?

- The “SVICHA” party has always declared its center-left orientation. That is, socialists are ideologically close to us. Therefore, 42 thousand members of the Ukrainian justice party "SVICHA" have already joined the Socialist Party.

In addition, a real unifying, so to speak, idea attracts us to SPU. I believe that this is precisely the party that is able to "sew" the country. This is close to us, because among the "Afghans" there is no so-called regional confrontation, wherever they live - in Lviv or Sevastopol. We understand: time to build, not destroy.

And, of course, we will do everything to continue to make any war impossible. By the way, from the very beginning we opposed the introduction of our troops into Iraq. Those who themselves looked into the eyes of death and saw the death of friends especially value human life.

- And what do the former “Afghans” recall, who returned from the war, coming together many years later?

- When we get together, it’s somehow not customary to talk about the war out loud - like Moveton. But many guys there knew the real friendship, fraternity, support that were between us. And therefore, the "Afghan" songs take everyone into their souls, and this war dreams of us all at night. And I dream about it, and I'm in these dreams - not on dentures, but on my own legs.

- You have been awarded many high ranks, awards, orders and medals. What award do you consider the most valuable?

- The fact that not a single soldier died in my company in Afghanistan. They were wounded, hospitalized from a breakdown, but not killed. It was the most awarded unit, while not losing a single fighter. And for me, as a commander, this is the biggest reward.

23.09.2010

CHERVONOPISKIY Sergey Vasilievich

In December 1979, as part of the 350th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, he took part in the hostilities, commanded a platoon, a company of scouts, was the first commandant of the Kabul airport. November 11, 1981 was blown up on an anti-tank mine, lost both legs, but thanks to a strong spirit and will, he continued his active life.
  He worked as the first secretary in the Cherkasy district committee of the Komsomol, was the people's deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the USSR of the last convocation, ran for deputies of the second convocation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, won, but the elections were invalidated due to the low voter turnout.
  Since 1990, Sergey Chervonoprisky is the chairman of the Ukrainian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan, co-chair of the All-Ukrainian Social Justice Association, and from 1992 to 2005, he was the head of the State Veterans Affairs Committee. He is co-chairman of the international association "Combat Brotherhood - Without Borders", deputy chairman of the Coordinating Council of the Committee on the Affairs of International Warriors under the Council of Governments of the CIS member states.
  Major General, awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky, III degree, the Order of Daniil Galitsky, two Orders of the Red Star, four Orders of Foreign States.

In those December days of 1979, we were in the training center of the 103rd Losvido airborne division (near Vitebsk, in Belarus). An alarming sensation came when young fighters (who had not yet passed the necessary standards) were urgently ordered to take the oath ... As a matter of sin, on December 10 in the evening I (at that time lieutenant, commander of a paratrooper platoon) washed. Just went to bed, after an hour - combat alert! At first, we took it frivolously, they say, what kind of anxiety, and even combat, might be at the training center, but you all went ... But the commanders quickly convinced everyone was very serious! I have a slight panic: what to do, because wet clothes dry on the battery in the barracks. How to wear it in cold weather at 10 degrees! Then, however, he breathed a sigh of relief when he found out that we were still in place - the 317th regiment (Vitebsk) had already left, and the 350th (ours, Baravukhinsky) was waiting for instructions. There was an opportunity to calmly prepare, relax.

Soon moved to the train station. I managed to drop my relatives at the station, saying that I’m going down to the exercises, there’s no way to call, read the newspapers ... We plunged. A reserved seat car stood out at the platoon, and it was unheated. Even in the "winter landing" (a special insulated form. - Auth.) It was terribly cold. Warming up, running around the car back and forth ... We thought it would become easier, warmer when we arrived at the airfield base of naval aviation in Bykhov. But there we were also waiting for an unheated barracks. They ran again ... However, they soon found out that the neighboring building, which housed military builders, was heated. And what are we worse? And to the teeth, armed paratroopers break into the night at the workers of the shovel and concrete mixer ... Nothing, reconciled. I settled down in the Leninist room, put a backpack under my head and fell asleep sweetly - finally in the warmth. In the morning, waking up, I found the whole battalion headquarters nearby - they lay on the sloping floor ...

There was also my ward, a young fighter nicknamed Gyulchetai (he reminiscent of his young heroine from the cult film "The White Sun of the Desert"). The kid was absent-minded, always late for construction. The sergeants decided to educate him. They built a platoon, read out the order: “According to the laws of war, for chronic being late in the ranks of Private N execute! Cut off his head! ” And next to the sergeant with an ax ... The soldier was seriously scared, but I kind of reassured him, took him under my guardianship. So then he followed me like a dog, ran, did not lag behind ...

Soon, our battalion was identified as being parachuted by parachute. We had to re-arrange parachutes: at night, at minus 10, in the light of the Ural headlights and a hurricane wind. I, as a well-known technician, was identified as the senior group in the An-22 Antei. It is curious that I, the lieutenant, had a whole lieutenant colonel in submission! According to the charter, all support troops are subordinate to the landing. And the ship's commander, lieutenant colonel, too. So he reported to me: "Comrade Lieutenant, the plane is ready for departure." The board was loaded beyond all standards: seven assault vehicles of various modifications. Between them moored boxes of ammunition, dry rations. A significant part of the “was discredited” along the way (sausage stuffing, for example), there was something I wanted - the most delicious was taken.

They soon realized that the landing was not parachute. First flew to Tashkent, then to Engels. I confess, I was then involved in one unseemly affair. In Tashkent, when Antey was refueling, they did not add fuel. They sold two tons, took five bottles of vodka and a snack. They drank all the vodka while flying to Engels. The consequences of that situation were cruel, in the sense of a hangover ... They waited there a week, twice they lifted us “idle”. And the third went straight to Kabul. However, we later found out where (the commanders from the battalion and above knew, but they did not tell us, the strictest secret was). By the way, I only recently found out that some commanders (right up to the battalion commander) supposedly in the summer visited the capital of Afghanistan for reconnaissance. Although this is not a fact, maybe rumors ...

It all started with the tragedy. When landing in Kabul, the Il-76 flying in front of us touched the top of the mountain with its belly and crashed. I was in the cockpit of Antei, I saw all this glow. The economic platoon of our second battalion and the company of landing assault, a tanker with 93-m gasoline, two vehicles with ammunition were killed. There was something to explode! Bear Golubev died there, my friend ...

Finally we sat down. They gave 8 minutes to unload, the aircraft engines did not turn off. After all, after 10 minutes - the next side. Honestly, with great difficulty we started up our equipment because of the severe cold, but in time, we advanced to our battalion. Soon I was appointed commandant of the airport. And the service went ...

K.: Thank you for agreeing to give our site superkarate.net an interview. Please tell us a little about yourself, where were you born, how did you start your life path?

SV: I was born in Cherkasy, I lived there until the 8th grade. After the 8th grade, he entered the Suvorov School, then the Airborne School in Ryazan, later served in Belarus as part of the Vitebsk Airborne Division. In 1979, we were raised on alarm, and we ended up in Afghanistan. I was one of the first to land there, as the commander of a naval group on the AN-22, served there for two years, was a platoon commander, deputy company commander, and paratrooper company commander. November 11, 1981 my combat vehicle was blown up on an anti-tank mine. The gunner, operator, driver died on the spot. I survived, but lost both legs. He was treated for a year at the Kiev hospital, started using prostheses, and learned to walk again. And already in 1983. went to work in Cherkasy city Komsomol head of department. First, second, then first secretary of the city committee. He was elected People's Deputy of the Soviet Union, at the same time created the organization Ukrainian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan, and after the “collapse” of the USSR, he was fully engaged in veteran work. Since 1993 years headed the State Committee for Veterans Affairs. In 2005 in the year our "shanovy" V. Yushchenko liquidated this state committee. The most interesting thing is that the decree was signed on Hitler's birthday, a month before the 60th anniversary of the Victory. It was such a "random" gift to our veterans. Then I was elected as a deputy of Ukraine. All this time he headed the Ukrainian Union of Veterans of Ukraine.

K .: And how did your political activity develop, what was this Decree of 2005?

SV: I recall the political events of 2004, when V. Yushchenko invited me to his team, so that I would head his left flank. But then I replied that due to ideological considerations I simply could not be with some people from his team, and therefore refused.

K .: Obviously, your activity has always been connected with military affairs, your whole life is built in accordance with military discipline. And did you have any hobbies, hobbies, maybe some stories from life, and were they related to sports?

SV: That's what I wanted to tell. From early childhood I had two hobbies - books and sports. At the same time, sport is in various forms. I remember when I was in school, we managed (somewhere in the 5th, 6th grade) to play football before class. At a long break, football was mandatory. But seriously, in the upper grades (somewhere around grade 8), I took up judo. Then he played at the Ukrainian championship in the Suvorov School, then he began to show good results.

K .: So, already in the 8th grade did you go in for sports?

S.V. Not. Even before the 8th grade, I visited many sections. It was all, and volleyball, and basketball, and skiing, I chose for myself, so that it was closer to me.

K .: And martial art has become the closest?

S.V .: Yes, of course. At the beginning there was sambo, but then for a long time moved to judo. As they say - fell on the soul.

K .: Do you remember how you got there? Your first classes?

S.V. The fact is that the sambo and judo section was in the basement of my house. And there at the beginning, we climbed through the window, because it was never closed after training. Then we made our way to the gym and fought with our boys. Yes, then they violated the law a little, illegally entering the premises, but everything was exclusively in the interests of sports, we simply could not have any extra thoughts. Then, when they realized that this was not right, they went in from the main entrance and began to slowly study. There was no judo at the military school, there was only free-style wrestling. In parallel, he performed the first category in skiing, wrestling. Then, in the city of Ryazan, he completed the 1st category in five more sports. And there I already got into the karate section. This was the only place in the Soviet Union where karate was allowed.

K .: What was no karate anywhere else?

SV: Yes, that was the only place, maybe even in some special forces. But so this was the only place where it was allowed. I practiced other sports, shooting, parachuting, all-around, and karate was the closest. It was it that allowed me even once to stand in sparring with the famous athlete, the founder of karate in the Soviet Union, Tadeusz Kasyanov. I still remember this fight. I was in my third year at an internship in Lithuania, and a film was shot there at that time: “In the Special Attention Zone”. In this film, all the hand-to-hand scenes of the ensign Volontir were staged and then starred in them by Tadeusz Kasyanov. I remember how we did some sparring with him. I will never forget that I could survive a minute against a famous meter. It has remained my pride for life.

Then, after the injury, many sports departed, but, nevertheless, I’m just sure that thanks to the sport, and especially karate, I was given a charge in which, despite my amputation, I was able to overcome everything, stand on the dentures and not stop under any difficulties. This despite the fact that they prophesied to me - he won’t walk. Many even said that I would be at the bazaar asking for beer.

K .: Do you remember something special related to training?

SV: I was mainly trained by senior students, and even then in the first classes they gave us such physical activity that immediately there were 2/3 less people wishing to study.

K .: How did you know how to train?

SV: Then it was really a different time. Now you can go to the site and buy any sports book without any problems. And then there was nothing, everything was passed from hand to hand “samizdat”, underground. If you recall that time, then each piece of paper was worth its weight in gold, was unique, corresponded at night, redrawn by hand. The first tutorial was, I don’t remember how Oyama’s textbook came to us, which described all movements, stances, kata. You can tell grandfather Oyama we studied from photographs.

K .: What do you think sport gives? Anyone, not just karate?

SV: Sport, in addition to hardening the body, gives hardening of character. And this is one of the main principles that are in karate, namely the spirit of a fighter, the spirit of a warrior. Namely, this, in my opinion, largely surpasses physical strength. When a person has a fighting spirit, then this is the key to all victories.

K .: And when you were in Afghanistan, did the discipline of sports help to organize somehow?

SV: First of all, there even physical training helped. I remember that I had a case when, at a distance of visual range, the enemy and I captured the summit. The distance was about 400 m, in this case it was useless to shoot, so it turned out that someone had to be the first to take the height. Either they are us, or we are them. And everything is very simple there, who is the first, that is the winner. The heat is somewhere around 40 degrees, the enemy is adapted to such climbs, to such a climate, and it was very difficult for us. And then my platoon just fell. At first, I saw that it was hard for the guys, they didn’t have enough hardening, I drove them with a butt. And then they just hit. I then spat, and one stormed the summit. He laid the enemy down with fire, it wasn’t for him to capture the height, and only half an hour later my soldiers came up with guilty faces. This was a real example of the training of an officer and athlete. This was not the only example of fortitude, both for me and for my fighters. My whole sporting life then helped me, which was then at the top, that after my amputation. When I was in prosthetics in Germany, the Germans could not believe that I was walking with such an injury. They even shot a movie about me. They were then very surprised that besides the fact that I go, I work as a Minister and head a state committee. They asked me to stay at the symposium of doctors, which was supposed to be held by them, so that I showed that you can walk with such an injury. But I refused, there were urgent matters.

K .: Do you see your life without sports?

SV: I still do exercises every day, I give myself loads. Among other things, I am an avid fisherman and hunter. Every year I have about 3-5 wild boars, at least. I usually spend the weekend fishing, and actually I have a tan from there, I don’t go to the beaches.

K. And why is kyokushin attractive to you, and not what other kind of martial arts?

C.V. Frankly, there are several reasons. Indeed, I had the opportunity, as an officer, a professional military man, to study many systems of martial arts, but from these systems I chose the two most suitable for me. This is hand-to-hand combat and kyokushin. Hand-to-hand combat is a system thanks to which it is possible, through repeated repetitions prior to automatism, to work out the techniques so necessary in battle and this is very good. Kyokushin, in addition to these skills, also gives the opportunity for spiritual growth and that is why it is attractive to me. But I am a real person and I understand that not everyone wants to understand the secrets of the East, not everyone has the desire to understand the essence of martial arts through exhausting training. It takes more than one year of persistent training to learn how to transfer energy. Therefore, it is necessary to precisely separate the applied part and the comprehension of the internal essence of martial arts.

K.: How did you meet the UFCC?

C.V .: In 1990, the martial arts festival was held in Kiev, one of the leaders was my friend Yuri Dmitrievich Sokolov, at that time the second secretary of the Komsomol was a very intelligent, highly educated person. As a result of this festival, the creation of the Kyokushin Karate Federation of Ukraine was just. I and the Union of Afghans led by me joined the federation.

K .: During this period, how was your joint work remembered?

C.V .: During this period, a huge number of events were held. In almost every regional federation there are members of the regional organization of Afghans; tournaments dedicated to the memory of soldiers - internationalists are regularly held. An example of such cooperation can be the tournament in memory of Andrei Ryazankin in Dnepropetrovsk, which is held by the regional Kyokushin Karate Federation, and the chief judge is the warrior - internationalist Sergei Sevrikov. A tournament of a similar level is also held in Simferopol, the chief judge of the competition, also the international warrior Vladimir Zaikin. Here is the real job of educating the younger generation. Here is a real state approach giving a chance to any young man to express himself.

K .: What would you wish our superkarate.net readers?

S.V .: Already a lot has been said, I do not want to repeat anything and pass off as my thoughts. The main thing I would advise is not to spare yourself. If you regret it, that’s all, you are lost. When you “drive yourself”, do not give yourself relief, then this is the main source of longevity, strength, success. Remember - never stop.

Thanks for the interview.

These days marks exactly 30 years since the day Soviet troops entered Afghanistan

Thirty years separate us from the December day of 1979, when, by decision of a narrow circle of people in the USSR leadership, a limited contingent of Soviet troops was introduced into Afghanistan. The 10-year-long war in a foreign country claimed the lives of 3360 residents of Ukraine, 72 went missing or were captured. About eight thousand people returned from the wounded from Afghanistan, nearly five thousand returned with disabilities ... In this war, a cadre soldier, a graduate of the Ryazan Higher Airborne School, Sergei Chervonopisky, lost his legs. Now Major General, Doctor of Political Science, uses prostheses and continues to fight for the rights and social protection of his brothers, leading the Ukrainian Union of Afghanistan Veterans.

The intelligence commander, the first commandant of the Kabul airport Sergey Chervonopisky shared his memories of the events in Afghanistan with FACTS.

“To get rid of lice, we carried a red-hot ramrod from a pistol along the scar of a vest - lice already popped”

Sergey Vasilievich, did the start of the Afghan war come as a surprise to you?

Yes. I think that not only ordinary Soviet citizens, but most of the military did not expect such a turn of events. If you remember, in 1979 the Islamic revolution won in Iran, a tense situation developed there. And, when we were raised on alarm and sent in an unknown direction, we decided that we were flying to Iran. Only on the plane did they learn that the final destination was Kabul.

What rank were you at that time?

I served as a lieutenant, commander of a parachute platoon of the 103rd Vitebsk paratrooper division. Specialists did not hold any political consultations with us. Everything was military: the task was set - it is necessary to carry out! A little later, of course, something was clarified to us. I think only because the paratroopers, having completed their task, had to leave, and the further actions were assigned directly to the motorized rifle troops.

How were you met in Kabul, what was the situation?

Calm, there were no excesses. True, crashed into a mountain, the military transport aircraft IL-76 crashed. On board were, in addition to the crew, 67 paratroopers and an economic platoon of our battalion. These were the first casualties directly on Afghan soil.

As we went with military equipment, then after the landing, which lasted more than a day, we were immediately set the task: to capture Kabul.

What was meant by this?

Each unit had its own goal. My unit blocked the motorized rifle division of the Afghan army, we did not allow it to leave the location. I will not hide, there were serious, fierce battles.

The special units of the KGB of the USSR “Thunder” and “Zenith” took Amin’s palace and performed the task of transferring power to the new leader of Afghanistan, so to speak, whom we brought with us on the plane. Imagine, 50 commandos seized the building, which was guarded by 300 people. This unique operation has no analogues in history in general and in the history of special forces in particular. By the way, the landing of our division was no less unique. As a matter of fact, there were no such landings after the Second World War anywhere else.

Tell me, after returning to the USSR, did you give a non-disclosure subscription about what was happening in Afghanistan?

Not. Now our organization "Ukrainian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan" is actively engaged in the search and return of prisoners of war to their homeland. After all, the fate of 48 people is still unknown. They are still held captive or reported missing. Many of the captives who remained for one reason or another in Afghanistan assimilated, converted to Islam, and those who refused were simply rotted in prison. Now we are collecting a DNA bank of the relatives of our soldiers to identify the dead and return them to their homeland. Just recently brought to Ukraine the remains of Private Petikov from Lugansk.

Sergey Vasilievich, what were the living conditions of our guys?

In the early days of the war - just creepy. With twenty degrees of frost (Kabul is located at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level) we slept in tents without stoves! And around - knee-deep snow. The soldiers laid one canvas awning of the combat vehicle on the ground, lay down without undressing, without taking off their warm winter uniforms, and covered themselves with a second tent. Stacked tightly one to one - soldiers and officers. It was possible to roll over to the other side only synchronously with all the others. At the same time, surprisingly, almost no one was sick.

Before going to bed, took one hundred grams?

Honestly, we also did not have alcohol for heating. Apparently, the concentration of some physical forces of the body affected, so no one got sick. By the way, just to get up after such an overnight stay, you had to move your arms and legs for some time - to develop joints. Only after that it was possible to move. Otherwise - if the soldier jumped up immediately due to inexperience - the legs instantly gave way and the person fell.

A few weeks after the landing, they brought us the so-called palaris. So we called pipes (sealed at one end) with punched holes. The diesel fuel was poured there (there was no firewood in Afghanistan), it was burning, the pipe was heating and heating the tent. Then, much later, we got normal stoves and enough beds. There was even a period when the three of them slept in two beds: they lay on them not along, but across. When the beds became plenty, we put them in three tiers. Of course, what is there to hide, and lice wound up. To get rid of them, the ramrod from the pistol was heated in the stove and the vests were scored on them. Lice already popped when they melted ... After all, at that time there were no modern insect repellents.

Horror what

Yes! In February, only two months after landing in Afghanistan, we had bath-and-laundry mills, where it was possible to steam clothes, and wash ourselves normally - with soap and hot water.

Tell us how the Soviet soldiers were fed?

Food, too, so to speak, corresponded to our extreme life. Enormous joy among the soldiers was caused by canned Soviet-made borscht. A treat was considered a crown soldier’s dish - stew. You will not believe it, but we sincerely rejoiced over dried potatoes. And the bread that they baked themselves was absolutely creepy, in appearance it resembled wet clay. But such tests continued only until the normal functioning of the bakeries was established.

Over time, we even adapted to cut off the fat from the pork that was brought from the Union, and salt it. I had two grenade crates in my company, where a store of salted lard was stored. We used it as a ration during the fighting. And during the lull, they made improvised pans and fried lard with onions on them. This yummy was added to canned borsch and thus a more or less edible dish was obtained - something similar to food.

“During the fighting, my combat vehicle was blown up by a mine. The driver and gunner died, but I was left without legs ... "

Open the veil: what were the salaries of the soldiers and officers?

We were paid with Vneshposlostorg checks, which could be bought in the USSR in special stores. One check was equal to one ruble, but they could still be sold at exorbitant prices. On the other hand, it did not make sense to do this, since it was possible to purchase things that were very scarce at the time with checks. For example, when I flew on vacation, I bought myself a decent leather jacket in Moscow, a good Orient watch. Officers were paid about 200 checks per month, and ordinary soldiers from 10 to 15 checks. Of course, the soldiers received very scanty money. By the way, I first tasted the Fantu drink in Afghanistan: it was possible to buy it at special grocery stores that brought goods for soldiers. Japanese lighters, key rings unusual for us, were also sold there. But upon returning from Afghanistan, I did not go to check stores, they were already useless to me. 'Cause I arrived without both legs

Can you tell how this happened?

In short, during the fighting, my combat vehicle was blown up by a mine. The driver and gunner died, and I was left without legs

In an interview with Gordon Boulevard, Sergei Chervonopisky described it this way: “I’ve already gone on a promotion - as an assistant to the regiment’s chief of staff, even surrendered my unit ... We went out to hostilities. I temporarily served as the deputy commander of the battalion for the technical part - the deputy chief of staff has changed, and the new one has not arrived yet. And it was necessary to hold a convoy of cars with food, ammunition. In principle, it was impossible to go there to anti-tank mines, but ... I became exhausted and went to fulfill the order of the fool-major, an ardent academy graduate who did not smell gunpowder. In a word, I should not have participated in that battle. ”

I was evacuated from Afghanistan to Tashkent, ”continues Sergey Vasilievich. - But there were so many wounded that there weren’t enough wards in the hospitals. Therefore, we, 96 injured people, were put in the school gym just on the floor, on the mattresses.

The command decided which hospital to send me to. At first they wanted to go to Leningrad, to the Military Medical Academy, and then they still sent them to their homeland, to Ukraine. I was in the Kiev hospital for about a year.

By the way, the sheepskin coat, bought as a gift to mom, remained in Afghanistan. But the tape recorder that I brought home on vacation is intact. So I have the only memory about Afghanistan - this already old Sharp tape recorder.

How did you find strength in yourself after a severe injury not to break, not to sleep, but to continue an active life?

I’m a career officer, paratrooper! How could I go down? In our family there were no professional military men. True, my father was once a military man, but then he worked in the police. On the other hand, parents and the future wife supported. So it was impossible to sink, it was necessary to live on. I was invited to work in the city Komsomol. First he headed the department, then became the second secretary, then the first. Believe me, no one tested me. I’m just an optimist and all my life I was very assertive. And he became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR not by order, but in a serious struggle. I've always had a thirst for life. Perhaps this is the secret.

You mentioned your wife. She was not afraid that you were left without legs? Were her parents against a disabled son-in-law?

I met Natasha when I came home on vacation from Afghanistan. Every weekend she came to me at the Kiev hospital from Cherkassy! I was in Tashkent with my father. In a mine, I was blown up on November 11, 1981, and a year later, on November 7, 1982, Natasha and I got married. We were lucky with the apartment. Here I do not have the right to remain silent: by decision of the bureau of the Cherkasy City Party Committee, they provided me with a three-room apartment. Therefore, a low bow to the people who made this decision then.

As for the wife’s parents, the future mother-in-law was at first against our marriage. But Natalia’s father turned out to be more wise. He said: "Decide for yourself." Now that I’ve already been a father myself twice, I understand them very well. Moreover, now we have a great relationship with my mother-in-law - I have it gold.

In the fate of Sergei Vasilievich Chervonopisky there are parallels with the hero of the Tale of a Real Man Alexei Meresiev - amputation of both legs after a severe wound, doubts of doctors about his ability to move independently, and another victory over himself and pessimists.

A graduate of the Ryazan airborne school, 22-year-old senior lieutenant Chervonopisky came to Afghanistan on the first day of the entry of Soviet troops there. He was the first commandant of the Kabul airport, the commander of a parachute-landing company. Today, Major General Chervonopisky is a person known not only in Ukraine, but also abroad, thanks to his active life position. He devoted almost his entire life to the struggle for the social rights of the “Afghans”.

From the socio-political and state experience of Sergei Vasilievich - deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, where in 1989 he went as a self-nominated candidate, which was rare even for those perestroika times. Since 1991, he is the head of the Ukrainian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan, and headed the State Committee of Ukraine for Veterans. Until recently, Chervonopisky also headed the Ukrainian Justice Party “SVICHA,” which this year decided to self-liquidate and merge with the Socialist Party of Ukraine.

Sergey Vasilyevich, let's talk a little about you. Here you are back from the war ...

They brought ... On a stretcher. I miraculously survived when our mine landing vehicle was blown up. Only the legs "ticked off." Since then I have been celebrating two birthdays ... Many did not believe that I would get up at all - a very high amputation. They predicted that I would ask for beer at the bazaar. In practice, there are very few people who walk with such amputation ... And I, you see, with one stick.

What feelings did you feel then when you were 24 left without both legs? Was there despair, depression?

You know not. Of course, the support of my relatives helped; my future wife came from Cherkasy every weekend. I was confident in myself. Mother then said: "Mom, do not worry, you will still be proud of me."

Then they got married, you had two children, a son and a daughter. How are relations with children?

Good. The son graduated from the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs this year. Recently, they took possession of scuba gear together, together went into the water. At 10, Vadim was the champion of the Cherkasy region in swimming in his age category. Together for hunting, for fishing. I cannot imagine life without this, and I taught children. The daughter, Darina, is studying at the university.

You became the founder of the "Afghan" movement in Ukraine. And how was the idea born of creating an All-Ukrainian Veteran Organization?

Honestly, the first time such an idea came when the mother’s triplet lifter at the prosthetic plant demanded that I be lifted on a stretcher ... I decided for myself then: we must stay together, otherwise we’ll be lost.

In 1989, we created the Union of Warriors-Internationalists of Ukraine. By the way, this was the first Ukrainian public organization created and registered without the knowledge of Moscow. Its main goal was the social protection of the "Afghans", veterans of other wars, perpetuating the memory of the dead and patriotic education of youth. The Union really helps the disabled war and the families of the victims. We pay for operations, we teach orphans in universities. We earn money for this ourselves. Organized prosthetic workshops that use advanced technology and equipment. You, in Odessa, have a successful rehabilitation center, where about 400 veterans and their families recover every year.

It is no secret that the attitude to the participation of Soviet troops in the war in Afghanistan was not unambiguous. Do “Afghans” meet with the state now?

The attitude of people towards the Afghan war and its participants has changed several times in our country. At first - in the late 70s - everything was secret, even it was forbidden to write on the graves that "he died in Afghanistan." Then, in the early 80s, they suddenly decided to glorify us. Unfortunately, during the development of democracy, they tried to make us murderers (like we voluntarily went there) ... I had to fight for our soldier's honor. And now in Ukraine “Afghans” are estimated as soldiers who honestly performed their duty.

At the same time, attempts to forget the "Afghan" at the state level, unfortunately, continue. Sometimes you have to hear the old phrase in a new way: "Ukraine did not fight in Afghanistan," followed by ignoring the fate of the guys who, not by their own will and fault, gave their health to that war. More than 30 thousand of them still do not have housing. Nor are the norms of the law regarding the employment of “Afghans” fulfilled. We do not fall under the law on special merits, and our military orders offer to consider peacetime rewards!

Previously, we listened to our needs at least a little, because there was the State Committee for Veterans Affairs. Now it is eliminated.

Isn’t it a shame that mothers of those killed in Afghanistan receive surcharges of 29 hryvnias per month ?! Is it not a shame - 180 hryvnias of pension to a war invalid of the first group, who has neither experience nor length of service (and where do they come from if they were drafted into the army at 18)? Let me remind you that more than 160 thousand children from Ukraine went through the Afghan war. Every sixth living “Afghan” has disability.

Our Union has strategically defined the Socialist Party as its political partner and, together with the socialists, intends to seriously fight for the opportunity to solve the problems of its brothers.

Kohl, you touched on the "party" topic - what dictated the decision to join the Socialist Party and the corresponding recommendation to all former members of the "SVICHA" party?

The “SVICHA” party has always declared its center-left orientation. That is, socialists are ideologically close to us. Therefore, 42 thousand members of the Ukrainian Justice Party “SVICHA” have already joined the Socialist Party.

In addition, the unifying, so to speak, idea attracts us to SPU. I believe that this is precisely the party that is able to “sew” the country. This is close to us, we understand: time to build, not destroy.

By the way, from the very beginning we opposed the introduction of our troops into Iraq. Those who themselves looked into the eyes of death and saw the death of friends especially value human life.

And what do the former “Afghans” recall when they returned from the war, gathering together?

When we get together, we don’t somehow talk about the war out loud ... But many of the guys there knew true friendship, brotherhood. And so the Afghan songs are taken for everyone's soul, and this war dreams of us all at night. And I dream about it, and I'm in these dreams - not on dentures, but on my own legs.

You have been awarded many titles, orders and medals. What award do you consider the most valuable?

The fact that not a single soldier died in my company in Afghanistan. They were wounded, hospitalized from a breakdown, but not killed. It was the most awarded unit, while not losing a single fighter. For me, as a commander, this is the biggest reward.