"Operation Peak-Off-2018": problems and prospects ...
February 3 traditionally thousands of Novorossiysk gathered at the traditional "beskorzyrku". Among these citizens was the author. The weather on this February day was typical of Novorossiysk - windy, chilly, dank and rainy, right down to the downpour. Hope to make decent pictures melted with every passing second. When I got to that shred of untouched trenches of untouched land called Malaya, the rain was already whipping in the face and threatened to get to the camera.
It should be recalled that the beskozyrka itself has long since “grown” from a simple memory march with candles and torches with the traditional laying of flowers and the beskozyrka itself on the waves of the Black Sea. Now, “Operation” has a whole cycle of activities that local bureaucrats happily record as patriotic and educational work with the population and young people. At the same time, naturally, together with their “vision,” they introduce into the important and intimate act for many people a taste of formalism and officialdom, not to mention the level of the whole event.
Unfortunately, this is what I felt, barely reaching the “Little Earth” in 14: 30, i.e. before the reconstruction of the assault bridgehead in 1943 year. However, this reconstruction is not the first year specifically for local schoolchildren, their parents and young people. All citizens lined up on a small platform in front of flagpoles, and later single-handedly descended to the memorial through a slab-covered road leading down past the stella. And since these comrades were the main spectators, it was clearly felt that, for example, I was clearly superfluous here. Law enforcers with a squint of Lenin’s grandfather squinted in my direction. Having decided to remove all suspicions from myself, and at the same time this unpleasant look, I approached the police officers with the usual question: “Could you briefly describe the plan of the event here at the memorial?” The question is not idle, since informing citizens is low , even the official site of the city administration kept total silence.
Surprisingly, but law enforcement officers, who seem to need to know where the organizers can send the assembled crowd, where the military personnel involved in the reconstruction, etc. will go. etc., they just threw up their hands, accompanying this action with the phrases “according to the idea”, “maybe”, “probably” ... The organizational side of the question slowly began to sag. The only thing in which the comrades law enforcement officers were absolutely convinced was that “it is impossible to enter the fence”. However, there was no great desire to take a walk through a marshy swamp, a “zabrody” was needed, not my humble berets.
Field kitchens are an indispensable attribute of such events.
Since the “VIP places” went to schoolchildren and their parents, squeezing through which made no sense, I reasonably decided, following the wise old advice, to keep close to the kitchen. Moreover, it was much easier to catch familiar search engines of Novorossiysk from here. They are not only regular participants of “Peakless Cap”, but also the most authentic “Kunikov fighters”, if not the only ones.
Waiting time more than delayed. First, before the rattle raged the musical accompaniment. Stuttering, completely divorced from what is happening around, and even flavored with modern snotty pseudo-patriotic pops, it drilled a hole in the head. And when, from the speakers, a squeak of another "little star" with a fashionable voice tremor at the end of the verse in the style of an illegitimate miscarriage of Whitney Houston poured on the audience, I begged for the beginning of a particular cannonade.
But then suddenly the sound engineer made another feint with his ears and cut the recording, only he was too smart with playback speed. And the voice of an endangered patient rushed over the memorial, which, judging by the text being read, was supposed to sound loud and solemn. Finally, this torture speech ended ... And another began.
Kunikovtsy built
Together with the team to storm the “Little Earth”, some synthesizer singer with a pair of three guitar riffs struggled to get something unintelligible brutally wheezing took their place in the hit parade of this day. And only when the romp in the swampy trench slurry was livened up finally by amicable single shooting, I slightly cheered up. Of course, this had a proper effect on the youngest spectators, especially on boys. I was also somewhat bitter and insulting for such a “dim” reconstruction, and even on the 50 anniversary anniversary of Operation Peakless.
The reconstruction itself looked as follows. The 15 search engine man had about a hundred military personnel, who, according to the old "good" habit, were given a cloak-tent for authenticity ... over modern camouflage. Of course, no one landed from boats or launch boats. All participants lined up in front of the memorial on the field plowed up by shells, while one of the "commanders" pushed a speech before disembarking. After that, the guys went to the memorial together. And then they went to the assault through the same “ground”, where they had just listened to the commander’s call.
Assault
They stormed almost completely empty trenches. From the "Germans" there were two polyethylene-covered "tents", and the "Germans" themselves, dressed in accordance with the role, I counted only one. And these authentic "Fritz" was again a search engine. Later, I had to regret this guy more than once - everyone who wanted to take pictures with our “Kunikovtsy” people demanded to “take the German prisoner” or “shoot”. At the same time, the “German” had the most good-natured appearance of “the soldier Schweik”.
And now you can smoke
"Storm" was accompanied by completely liquid pyrotechnic effects. After the "Kunikovtsy" fired the entire ammunition of blank cartridges and "captured" the German trenches, they separated. The overwhelming majority, consisting of military personnel, went home, and the search engines wandered back to the memorial to clean the crap uniforms. I went to intercept them.
“What was it?” - wet and disheveled, as if personally going on the attack, I asked, seeing the old friends. “Yes, we know, we know, the collective farm is a collective farm,” the sad and cruel truth grumbled back.
In a long and emotional conversation, the wet search engines told me that for several years they had been trying to make sure that they were the ones who were engaged in the reconstruction. However, the all-conquering formalism and officials coming to such events continue to reign. Thus, the presence of search engines, rightly the only participants in the reconstruction of the landing force, is the most competent in this matter, rests on bird's rights. The organizers do not even consult with them. Also, there is no organizational work to coordinate the actions of the military with other participants in the reconstruction. For example, before the reconstruction of 2018, the whole was held ... 1 rehearsal! And pyrotechnics generally worked separately, apparently, therefore, so fluidly and worked, so that in the event of an emergency you do not become a scapegoat.
As if this mess is not enough, the organizers are totally deaf, even to those proposals that require minimal effort from them. First of all, instead of the proposed dugouts that the search engines would have built themselves, they installed the very most squalid squalories covered with polyethylene. Secondly, the request to bring to the reconstruction not the paratroopers, but the marines - getting closer to the original, has been hanging in the void for years not for the first time. Thirdly, the call to somehow coordinate the work of pyrotechnics and the issuance of blank cartridges - went again into the void. In general, there were many proposals.
The old man GAZ-67 soon after these shots gathered around him a crowd of boys and their parents, who were happily photographed with search engines on its background
They asked to allow Pak 40 to be restored, one of the many German guns that was captured by the “Kunikovtsy” in 43. The same request was for 45. And all these guns are stored in the museum of military equipment on the same "Little Earth". The search engines even offered to repair T-34, from the same museum, on their own, since the shop of one of the Novorossiysk plants was empty at that time and was completely adapted for this. The owners of the plant were ready to shelter the tank for free and the Novorossiysk specialists from the ranks of the search engines were completely free. But, alas ...
Our Novorossiysk enthusiasts from the search party
Finally, I could not stand it and asked directly the head of the Novorossiysk Center for Searching Works, Dmitry Ninua - are there any prospects? It turned out that the prospects are not only there, but they are colossal. In order for this “reconstruction” to become a real reconstruction, it is worthwhile to invite professionals from other cities, as there are not enough local forces. And the guys are ready to go from Moscow, Krasnodar and other cities. And it requires quite a bit for this - to agree on food and one-day (!) Accommodation, as well as normal organizational work. After all, the event has the All-Russian status.
In addition, surely in the maritime city there will be no longboats and moors, similar to those boats that paratroopers used "Little Earth"? Of course there is. For example, in the State Maritime University. Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, who annually trains cadets in Yalah and, by the way, is within walking distance of the memorial. The search engines themselves are not only “offering something there”, they have already been able to assemble a group of Novorossiysk enthusiasts who are ready to provide a small fleet of rare cars that can travel in a column in a common march. These are two GAZ-67, one GAZ-AA and one M-72 motorcycle.
By evening, it became colder even more. As soon as it began to get dark, the guys prepared for the next exit, as the march of Novorossiysk, led by an armored troop-carrier, on which a torch lit from the Eternal Flame was carrying, already approached the memorial. The second torch traditionally went to the South Ozereyka.
Alas, I could not take photos of the procession itself - the crowds, the rain and darkness made all the photos defocused, and the moving object doesn’t like it
It is worth noting that the thousands of columns of people, holding in their hands the quivering lights of candles, make an indelible powerful impression. Fortunately, many clumsy moments in the reconstruction of this time the darkness has smoothed. But separately I have to admit that the work of lighting engineers is worthy of all praise. Projection on the wall of the memorial video and illustrations of that time made a splash. And, as it turned out, this time, the soldiers of the local garrison brought with them a huge amount of blank ammunition, therefore, in the darkness of the night everything looked more ambitious.
After a minute of silence, the sailors descended to the water. And again, his cap was swaying on the Black Sea waves. I'd like to believe that the tradition not only does not sink into oblivion, but will develop, especially since all the prerequisites for this exist.
It should be recalled that the beskozyrka itself has long since “grown” from a simple memory march with candles and torches with the traditional laying of flowers and the beskozyrka itself on the waves of the Black Sea. Now, “Operation” has a whole cycle of activities that local bureaucrats happily record as patriotic and educational work with the population and young people. At the same time, naturally, together with their “vision,” they introduce into the important and intimate act for many people a taste of formalism and officialdom, not to mention the level of the whole event.
Unfortunately, this is what I felt, barely reaching the “Little Earth” in 14: 30, i.e. before the reconstruction of the assault bridgehead in 1943 year. However, this reconstruction is not the first year specifically for local schoolchildren, their parents and young people. All citizens lined up on a small platform in front of flagpoles, and later single-handedly descended to the memorial through a slab-covered road leading down past the stella. And since these comrades were the main spectators, it was clearly felt that, for example, I was clearly superfluous here. Law enforcers with a squint of Lenin’s grandfather squinted in my direction. Having decided to remove all suspicions from myself, and at the same time this unpleasant look, I approached the police officers with the usual question: “Could you briefly describe the plan of the event here at the memorial?” The question is not idle, since informing citizens is low , even the official site of the city administration kept total silence.
Surprisingly, but law enforcement officers, who seem to need to know where the organizers can send the assembled crowd, where the military personnel involved in the reconstruction, etc. will go. etc., they just threw up their hands, accompanying this action with the phrases “according to the idea”, “maybe”, “probably” ... The organizational side of the question slowly began to sag. The only thing in which the comrades law enforcement officers were absolutely convinced was that “it is impossible to enter the fence”. However, there was no great desire to take a walk through a marshy swamp, a “zabrody” was needed, not my humble berets.
Field kitchens are an indispensable attribute of such events.
Since the “VIP places” went to schoolchildren and their parents, squeezing through which made no sense, I reasonably decided, following the wise old advice, to keep close to the kitchen. Moreover, it was much easier to catch familiar search engines of Novorossiysk from here. They are not only regular participants of “Peakless Cap”, but also the most authentic “Kunikov fighters”, if not the only ones.
Waiting time more than delayed. First, before the rattle raged the musical accompaniment. Stuttering, completely divorced from what is happening around, and even flavored with modern snotty pseudo-patriotic pops, it drilled a hole in the head. And when, from the speakers, a squeak of another "little star" with a fashionable voice tremor at the end of the verse in the style of an illegitimate miscarriage of Whitney Houston poured on the audience, I begged for the beginning of a particular cannonade.
But then suddenly the sound engineer made another feint with his ears and cut the recording, only he was too smart with playback speed. And the voice of an endangered patient rushed over the memorial, which, judging by the text being read, was supposed to sound loud and solemn. Finally, this torture speech ended ... And another began.
Kunikovtsy built
Together with the team to storm the “Little Earth”, some synthesizer singer with a pair of three guitar riffs struggled to get something unintelligible brutally wheezing took their place in the hit parade of this day. And only when the romp in the swampy trench slurry was livened up finally by amicable single shooting, I slightly cheered up. Of course, this had a proper effect on the youngest spectators, especially on boys. I was also somewhat bitter and insulting for such a “dim” reconstruction, and even on the 50 anniversary anniversary of Operation Peakless.
The reconstruction itself looked as follows. The 15 search engine man had about a hundred military personnel, who, according to the old "good" habit, were given a cloak-tent for authenticity ... over modern camouflage. Of course, no one landed from boats or launch boats. All participants lined up in front of the memorial on the field plowed up by shells, while one of the "commanders" pushed a speech before disembarking. After that, the guys went to the memorial together. And then they went to the assault through the same “ground”, where they had just listened to the commander’s call.
Assault
They stormed almost completely empty trenches. From the "Germans" there were two polyethylene-covered "tents", and the "Germans" themselves, dressed in accordance with the role, I counted only one. And these authentic "Fritz" was again a search engine. Later, I had to regret this guy more than once - everyone who wanted to take pictures with our “Kunikovtsy” people demanded to “take the German prisoner” or “shoot”. At the same time, the “German” had the most good-natured appearance of “the soldier Schweik”.
And now you can smoke
"Storm" was accompanied by completely liquid pyrotechnic effects. After the "Kunikovtsy" fired the entire ammunition of blank cartridges and "captured" the German trenches, they separated. The overwhelming majority, consisting of military personnel, went home, and the search engines wandered back to the memorial to clean the crap uniforms. I went to intercept them.
“What was it?” - wet and disheveled, as if personally going on the attack, I asked, seeing the old friends. “Yes, we know, we know, the collective farm is a collective farm,” the sad and cruel truth grumbled back.
In a long and emotional conversation, the wet search engines told me that for several years they had been trying to make sure that they were the ones who were engaged in the reconstruction. However, the all-conquering formalism and officials coming to such events continue to reign. Thus, the presence of search engines, rightly the only participants in the reconstruction of the landing force, is the most competent in this matter, rests on bird's rights. The organizers do not even consult with them. Also, there is no organizational work to coordinate the actions of the military with other participants in the reconstruction. For example, before the reconstruction of 2018, the whole was held ... 1 rehearsal! And pyrotechnics generally worked separately, apparently, therefore, so fluidly and worked, so that in the event of an emergency you do not become a scapegoat.
As if this mess is not enough, the organizers are totally deaf, even to those proposals that require minimal effort from them. First of all, instead of the proposed dugouts that the search engines would have built themselves, they installed the very most squalid squalories covered with polyethylene. Secondly, the request to bring to the reconstruction not the paratroopers, but the marines - getting closer to the original, has been hanging in the void for years not for the first time. Thirdly, the call to somehow coordinate the work of pyrotechnics and the issuance of blank cartridges - went again into the void. In general, there were many proposals.
The old man GAZ-67 soon after these shots gathered around him a crowd of boys and their parents, who were happily photographed with search engines on its background
They asked to allow Pak 40 to be restored, one of the many German guns that was captured by the “Kunikovtsy” in 43. The same request was for 45. And all these guns are stored in the museum of military equipment on the same "Little Earth". The search engines even offered to repair T-34, from the same museum, on their own, since the shop of one of the Novorossiysk plants was empty at that time and was completely adapted for this. The owners of the plant were ready to shelter the tank for free and the Novorossiysk specialists from the ranks of the search engines were completely free. But, alas ...
Our Novorossiysk enthusiasts from the search party
Finally, I could not stand it and asked directly the head of the Novorossiysk Center for Searching Works, Dmitry Ninua - are there any prospects? It turned out that the prospects are not only there, but they are colossal. In order for this “reconstruction” to become a real reconstruction, it is worthwhile to invite professionals from other cities, as there are not enough local forces. And the guys are ready to go from Moscow, Krasnodar and other cities. And it requires quite a bit for this - to agree on food and one-day (!) Accommodation, as well as normal organizational work. After all, the event has the All-Russian status.
In addition, surely in the maritime city there will be no longboats and moors, similar to those boats that paratroopers used "Little Earth"? Of course there is. For example, in the State Maritime University. Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, who annually trains cadets in Yalah and, by the way, is within walking distance of the memorial. The search engines themselves are not only “offering something there”, they have already been able to assemble a group of Novorossiysk enthusiasts who are ready to provide a small fleet of rare cars that can travel in a column in a common march. These are two GAZ-67, one GAZ-AA and one M-72 motorcycle.
By evening, it became colder even more. As soon as it began to get dark, the guys prepared for the next exit, as the march of Novorossiysk, led by an armored troop-carrier, on which a torch lit from the Eternal Flame was carrying, already approached the memorial. The second torch traditionally went to the South Ozereyka.
Alas, I could not take photos of the procession itself - the crowds, the rain and darkness made all the photos defocused, and the moving object doesn’t like it
It is worth noting that the thousands of columns of people, holding in their hands the quivering lights of candles, make an indelible powerful impression. Fortunately, many clumsy moments in the reconstruction of this time the darkness has smoothed. But separately I have to admit that the work of lighting engineers is worthy of all praise. Projection on the wall of the memorial video and illustrations of that time made a splash. And, as it turned out, this time, the soldiers of the local garrison brought with them a huge amount of blank ammunition, therefore, in the darkness of the night everything looked more ambitious.
After a minute of silence, the sailors descended to the water. And again, his cap was swaying on the Black Sea waves. I'd like to believe that the tradition not only does not sink into oblivion, but will develop, especially since all the prerequisites for this exist.
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