We hurried to stay on the ferry, but all could not. Amazing and funny, but there was no place just for one person. In order not to break up the group, the guide volunteered to stay on the shore and get to us together with the foreigners. “I will cover you, in which case,” she joked. - How Borodulin.
At that moment, a rare, sonorous name, unfortunately and shame, did not tell me anything. It seems that other tourists, too - in any case, it was not repaired. Therefore, the phrase just dissolved in the air. But my last name was remembered by my voicing. Borodulin, Bo-ro-du-lin - like the booming sound of an old pioneer drum.
Not immediately, not immediately, I undertook to open a new page for our stories - feat of young partisan Sasha Borodulin. And the more I learned, the more clearly I understood the stupidity and inappropriateness of the guide's joke.
Sasha, Shurik, was born in Leningrad 8 March - International Women's Day. “There will be a nezhenka!” Said the old angry nurse to her mother. These stupid words are Sasha's mother, Maria Feodorovna, and I would not have remembered, if only a year later it had not turned out that my son had rheumatism.
Doctors have advised to change the climate. Moving began: Karelia, Novgorod region, and then again - Leningrad. Only the family has settled not in the northernmost capital, but in the seventy kilometers - the village of Novinka.
Shura grew intelligent and reasonable. And although often had to be treated, and in the cold time to dress very warmly, the boy did not look at all like a sissy. On the contrary, he was a ringleader and a leader among his peers. So, once in winter, a boy fell into the Kremyanka River under the ice - sledding and landed on a weak area. A band of kids ran to the rescue.
- Stop! - Sasha shouted to them. - You break the ice!He got two poles and handed them over to those in trouble. So pulled that kid.
The older Sasha became, the harder he fought against rheumatism. In the winter, I skied every day, in the summer I swam, played football, and practiced on the horizontal bars. He was allowed not to engage in physical education at school, but he was offended and went to class. I really wanted the boy to be the same as everyone else.
The Great Patriotic War began. Fifteen-year-old Shura, of course, was not taken to the front. In the partisan squad too. Mother and father handed over an order from the partisans: to stay at home and observe everything carefully. To say that Sashka was upset by such an order meant to turn an elephant into a fly. The boy got so angry that, having gathered his friends, he invited them to write a letter to Voroshilov himself! Compiled the text of the telegram. Unfortunately, literally he did not survive. The only known line is: “With all our might, please take us to fight!”
Sasha carried the telegram to the post office - he did not trust anyone, he decided that his friends were slaughtered at the last moment. The postal worker, seeing the boy’s determined face, did not refuse. But the telegram is not really sent.
And the guys were waiting for an answer. We waited with all our might. A week, another, a month, another ... Voroshilov was silent. So, perhaps, the war will end. And Sasha went to look for partisans. He left alone, because he had no exact information. The family left such a letter: “Mom, Dad, Tasia, Irochka (these are sisters), I can no longer stay at home. My place among the partisans. Please don't cry for me. I will return when our Motherland will be free. We will win!"
That first time, Shura did not find the partisans. But - that's patsansky luck! - found a perfectly serviceable carbine in the forest. He was overjoyed and completely grown-up, sensibly, figured out an unexpected "gift." With such a "roll" in the bosom and with the Fritz not to fight? No, this is not borodulinsky.
And Shura, having chosen the day, went away from his native Novinki. Found the road on which the car drove. Zalёg in a dense bush. And in the same evening alone he knocked out a motorcycle and destroyed the fascists who were riding on it! Captured the trophy weapon and documents that were carried by the Germans. Again went in search of partisans. And I got it!
Skillful, quick-witted, sensible lad immediately won the sympathy of the fighters. Especially because I brought very valuable information. The papers contained information about the plans to restore the railway - according to it, the invaders were going to deliver fresh forces and weapons. For these purposes, the German garrison was stationed at Cholovo station.
Sasha was immediately sent on reconnaissance, and he coped with it brilliantly. Under the guise of a poor boy, I found out everything that was required. It was Shura who advised his comrades to attack the garrison during the day. The boy realized that the Nazis were so confident in their abilities that they did not expect an attack at all. But at night, on the contrary, they keep their ears open.
Sasha was right. The squad defeated the whole garrison and safely escaped. Only here Borodulin wounded. And even if the wound was not life-threatening, good care was required. The young partisan was transferred to Novinka, to his parents. Our fighters wanted Shura to get better quickly, but it turned out the opposite: he had a bad cold during the road. The rheumatism, which had receded during the peaceful school years, again made itself felt.
Sasha spent several months at home. But not only treated. He helped his mother fight the enemy - he wrote leaflets. And in the spring, 1942 of the year returned to the detachment, which by that time had united with other partisan detachments and began to advance towards the front line.
For a minute, leave Sasha and the squad, let's pay attention to this. The more I learn about the young heroes who died during World War II, the more often I come across a terrible point in their destinies: treachery. Lara Mikheeva, barefoot garrison, Vitya Khomenko, Sasha Filippov ... And how many of them, such guys, have lost their lives because they were given out!
Such a terrible point is in the biography of Sasha Borodulin. The detachment had a sort of food base - a hut in one of the villages where food was passed through the owner. This path became known to the traitor. The detachment had already moved into the forest. They were able to catch up with one of the women who brought bread, warned. Giving a fight meant to die, the forces are too unequal. Several people volunteered for a protective barrier. Among them - sixteen Sasha. Permissions to this were not given to him - everyone understood that the boy would go to certain death. But Borodulin, until that minute, clearly maintaining the distance between the adult fighters and himself, the schoolgirl of the day before yesterday, suddenly soared:
- I did not ask, but warned! I stay! You will not take me anywhere with you, not that hour.
And stayed.
... He fought to the last, and was himself the last, because all the comrades from the barrier died during that battle. Sasha could still get away from the Nazis, but he saved the squad. The more time the fascists spend now, the farther the guerrillas will go. He, the boy himself, gave them the most precious time. Together with your life.
When the ammunition ran out, Shura pulled out two grenades. First threw at the enemies. Then he waited for the Germans to encircle him, and got the second one ...
... For a long time the motor ship of the Baltic Shipping Company Sasha Borodulin went on a voyage (now it has been decommissioned). There is Borodulin Street in the village of Novinka, the name of the brave partisan was worn by many pioneer squads.
Note: illustrations to this text were painted by artist Victor Nelyubov.