"Hussar" from Beslan
Recently, the next Martial Arts Festival in memory of Denis Pudovkin was held in the town of Noginsk near Moscow. This colorful sporting event takes place in Denis’s hometown since 2005.Nine years ago, it was decided for the first time to arrange a hand-to-hand combat tournament in order to perpetuate the memory of the heroic countryman who defended the Beslan children.
Denis Pudovkin was one of those employees of the “B” Directorate of the Special Purpose Center of the Federal Security Service of Russia, who, along with their twin brothers from Alpha, entered the school Beslan number 1 on that terrible day.
GUY FROM OUR CITY
All in one voice say that Pudovkin has always been a modest person - all for others. Modesty was his distinctive quality. But he was the real soul of any company, a ringleader and a merry fellow. His amazing sense of humor delighted all the friends, whom Denis had a lot. One of them recalls: "If you see a noisy company in the city, where fun and laughter reigns, there is no doubt - Dan is also there."
He was a diversified man. The range of interests is extensive: here and reading, and storyand technology. He loved to "tinker" with cars, collect, disassemble, or even make something with his own hands.
Like any member of the special forces unit, Denis was an extraordinary man. In the photo, in uniform, he is serious - a kind of formidable special forces officer. Outside the service on his face a kind giant could often see a smile. He was able to harmoniously join any company and find a common language with anyone. The psychology of anti-terror special forces is incomprehensible to an ordinary person.
The psychology of anti-terror special forces for the common man is incomprehensible
The psychology of anti-terror special forces for the common man is incomprehensible
In the military-patriotic club where he studied, Pudovkin united all the guys, and his comrades now recall that it was Denis’s tragic death that “gathered” them all together again.
He was always with his friends at a difficult moment, was ready at any time of the day or night, no matter how tired he was, no matter what problems he had - if one of his friends needed his help, he would break loose and rush to the rescue.
Everyone who was intimately acquainted with him, in addition to his light and cheerful nature, always noted his reliability. It was clear that if necessary, he would sacrifice everything for those around him ...
Once, on the Day of the City festival, in his native Noginsk, the military-patriotic club “Russia”, in which Denis was engaged, organized a demonstration performance on the central square. Crowds of people, spectators, applause, courage! One of the most spectacular moments of the program was a jump over the "burning stick" - this complex element was rehearsed to automatism.
Denis was holding a pipe with a wound burning cloth. Already when the boy who performed the stunt hovered above the shell engulfed in flames, the wind suddenly changed, and the flames pounced on Pudovkin’s hands. But he only tightened his grip on the pipe. But I could have quit — there was still an opportunity to stop everything — and save my hands.
But no! To give up is to spoil the number, and this is the culmination of the program! And Denis did not give up - clenching his teeth, lasted until the very last moment ... to the applause of the audience, who evaluated the magnificent trick.
Then, when the trainer asked why he did not drop the burning object, Denis replied without a shadow of a doubt: “I would let the team down!” My hands burned terribly, the skin was covered with blisters, but when friends came up and asked about their health, confusedly hid the burnt hands and answered : “Yes, everything is fine, they do not hurt at all”.
KIND OF CHILDREN
Denis Evgenevich Pudovkin - the eldest of two sons, was born in the family of Irina and Evgeny Pudovka 13 August 1976. From the very early childhood, Kostya’s younger brother was a close friend.
His father began to teach the boy to the sport early, and Denis, while still at school, became interested in running and was engaged in skiing. Then - judo and hand to hand combat. He was very strong and strong, and he chose a profession almost from the cradle - he wanted to become a military man.
At thirteen, the guy came to study at the military-patriotic club "Russia". Club coach Vladimir Viktorovich Fedortsov taught children Russian style - a kind of synthesis of hand-to-hand combat and wrestling, and also taught to own weapons, instilled survival skills in nature.
The level of knowledge that the pupils of the club received would have been envied by many military men. Vladimir Viktorovich often invited to visit the most interesting people - combat officers, special forces veterans who told the boys about their service, talked with them about honor and duty, revealing the concept of “Russian officers” and talking about how important and responsible is the military profession.
Denis was very fond of such meetings, and like a sponge, he absorbed everything that the officers were talking about.
From the very beginning of his studies at the club, Pudovkin showed himself as an adult, serious person. He did not need to be forced to do something, to persuade or ask. If a throw had to be done a thousand times, then he did it.
And if something did not work, in order to bring the exercise to perfection - Denis did twice as much! He trained a lot, constantly performed at competitions, took part in amateur activities. And he showed himself as an excellent wrestler and shooter, which later became very useful to him during his service in the special forces.
“AND THIS WEDDING OF KING AND DANCE! ..”
With his future wife, Olga, Denis met before serving in the army, and since then they have not parted. She carefully keeps a pack of army letters - Denis wrote how they run crosses, how they shoot, told how he likes the service. And what is missing - he also wrote.
Their wedding was fun and noisy, no one even undertakes to count how many guests were on it! And in 2002, the young son was born - Yaroslav. Their wedding was fun and noisy
Their wedding was fun and noisy.
Their wedding was fun and noisy.
From the beginning, the relationship of the spouses were the most tender. Remembering that time, Olga notes that "everything was just perfect." They never swore, understood each other perfectly.
Tall and stately, Denis always guarded a miniature wife, was for her support and protection. What can I say - he was just ready to move mountains for his family.
He also had a dream - to build a house. When the foundation was erected, he brought out the name of the beloved on the cement surface. He seems to continue to protect her now.
Olga says that when she has some problems in her life, she tries to imagine, and how Denis would act in her place, and everything always works out for her.
Sniper "Bulat"
Denis Pudovkin always knew that he would be a military man, he wanted a real man’s work, military romance! The Olympic champions would have envied health, so the military enlistment office without a shadow of a doubt distributed it to the elite of the Armed Forces - the Airborne Forces.
Two years of military service flew by unnoticed, and now Denis was again “civilian” - a tall paratrooper in a blue beret and a vest. During the service, he did not “burn out” and still wanted to walk along the military path. Pudovkin went to work at the police station, at first - into private security, then as a security officer, but his active nature demanded more.
All this time he continued to train hard, kept himself in excellent physical shape, cherishing the dream of service in special forces. And the dream came true - after passing all the commissions and challenging tests, he became an employee of the police special forces - he joined the SOBR RUBOP in the Moscow region under the GOUBOP of the Ministry of the Interior of Russia (today - SOBR “Bulat” of the MOI of Russia in the Moscow Region).
Since Pudovkin was a great shooter, he was appointed to the position of sniper. From the very first days of his service, he proved himself to be a competent specialist and later he himself trained young employees.
In those years, the Caucasus was already in full swing, and Denis regularly went on official business as part of his unit. For courage and perseverance, he was awarded the medal "For Courage". His service colleagues respected him and valued him as a loyal companion and an excellent specialist.
But even the busy schedule and difficult everyday life did not prevent Denis from regularly visiting the native military-patriotic club, visiting Vladimir Viktorovich, with whom he was very friendly. When Denis had a son, a friend and a trainer also became a godfather. With Vympel employee Oleg Ilin, who will also die in Beslan
With Vympel employee Oleg Ilin, who will also die in Beslan
With Vympel employee Oleg Ilin, who will also die in Beslan
Once Fedortsev told the boys a lot about his work - in those years he was a freelance hand-to-hand combat instructor in the Directorate "B" of the Special Operations Center of the FSB of Russia. Then "Pennant" was already known to the whole world - its employees for the younger generation were Olympic gods! And Denis then firmly "hooked" ... Listening about the employees of the elite special forces, Pudovkin became more and more convinced that he wanted to become one of them. But it was not easy to do.
... Those who have experienced at least once what the FSB special forces exam is like, they know that during this test one has to cross over and over again in order to pass all the most difficult ordeals.
A candidate for an elite anti-terrorism unit must be almost superman to fulfill the necessary standards. And Denis passed everything the first time! At the same time, he continued to work at SOBR and traveled on “hot” business trips.
The most important condition for joining the Center is the personal recommendation of the person who brought the “candidate”. There are no random people in the CPS, you cannot get here from the street. The responsibility of the future employee before his comrades is too great to take the service of an unverified person.
Once, Vladimir Viktorovich Fedortsov was approached by one of the officers of the unit with a question - what kind of man Denis? Fedortsov answered without hesitation: "Our boyfriend!"
AT THE LIMIT OF OPPORTUNITIES
In Vympel, Denis Pudovkin received from his comrades the nickname “Gusar” - for fighting dashing and cheerful temper in peacetime. During his service in the special forces of the FSB, his enormous potential was revealed even more clearly. Traction to self-improvement, multiplied by the titanic performance and iron character.
For Pudovkin, “Vympel” - this was exactly what he was always striving for - work at the limit of human capabilities, constant professional growth, almost unlimited possibilities for self-development. He wanted to be "faster, higher, stronger."
Any commando is constantly learning, mastering new techniques, tactics, and receiving new knowledge in his specialty. It is believed that in order to “forge” a combat officer from a young employee, you need at least five years. However, self-education for commandos never stops. And it was all about him, about Denis, - he was ready to work and study constantly, surprising with his amazing performance.
Already as part of the "B" Directorate, Denis repeatedly traveled to combat missions to "hot spots", where he showed himself to be a high professional. However, no matter how hard he was, he always remained a man with a wide heart and a big heart. Behind the “sphere” there was always a faithful friend, a caring husband, a loving father and just a good person.
BLACK SEPTEMBER
At the end of August 2004, Denis Pudovkin returned from a regular business trip. September 1 and his wife stayed with Olya's mother, Irina Alexandrovna. The friendly hostess, intending to cook something delicious, went away for a while. When I returned, I automatically noted that the entrance did not have Denis's car. At home she found only Olga. She was excited that her husband was urgently called to work. Irina Alexandrovna became anxious in her heart - she didn’t even have time to say goodbye to her son-in-law, to cross him before the road, as she always did. They did not yet know that the terrorists had seized the Beslan school. There are no random people in the TsSN;
There are no random people in the CPS, you cannot get here from the street
There are no random people in the CPS, you cannot get here from the street
And on September 3, she accidentally heard on the radio that an assault on a seized building had begun in Beslan. Reaching home, she first asked her daughter to turn on the TV. “The assault began in Beslan!” Olga saw footage of the battle, immediately became nervous, grabbed the phone, started dialing Denis’s number. One, second, third calls went unanswered ... No one picked up the phone.
In the evening of that day, strong men gathered on the landing next to Olga’s apartment. They were all sullenly silent. Among them was a friend and coach of Denis, Vladimir Viktorovich Fedortsov, who once brought him to the unit. No one could decide to ring the doorbell ...
Olga did not want to believe what had happened for a long time, simply refused. Denis could not die, just could not!
A couple of hours later, the special forces knocked on the door to Denis's parents. My father, who opened the door, immediately understood everything, at first Mom was simply surprised at the late visit. So trouble came to the house.
... The psychology of anti-terror special forces for the common man is not clear and incomprehensible. Yes, and they themselves - as from another planet! An ordinary, average person, with a more or less developed instinct for self-preservation, when danger is near, is worried, first of all, for himself, for his loved ones, his relatives. But not these "aliens"!
During the operation, the powerful guys in armor, first of all, save the hostages, then cover their comrades in arms, and only then, if there is time, at the very last turn, they have time to think about their lives. And sometimes it is very short.
SPORTS STORM
The assault began unexpectedly - somewhere in the 12 hours of the day. They prepared for it, trained at a similar facility, each battle group had already “cut up” sectors ... But the explosion at school sounded like a bolt from the blue.
One of the departments just returned from a workout, where the internal architecture of the school was studied on a similar object. Some of the special forces had not even had time to leave the service bus. And then suddenly the space around exploded!
Denis Pudovkin, along with Oleg Ilyin, were very close to the school at that moment — they were conducting additional exploration.
When the hostages ran from the school, the windows were bristling with the trunks of the militants, who thrashed the men almost at full speed. The commandos made a responsible decision and, sacrificing disguise and stealth, stood up to their full height. Employees of "Alpha" and "Vympel" living wall closed the children! Grabbing whom they could, they carried the children out of the shelling zone, firing as they went.
Almost all the special forces in the first minutes of the battle were injured of varying degrees of severity. When internal troops and the Ministry of Emergency Situations approached the school, the FSB special forces began storming the building.
This dry phrase does not even cover a tenth of the most difficult task that the special forces had to solve at the first stage - to enter the building. Doors and windows barricaded, littered with desks, tables and everything that the militants managed to drag there in almost three days of the siege. Lattices were welded to the window openings.
Under the continuous fire of the militants, the special forces cleared the way as best they could — where they did it themselves, where they brought in armored personnel carriers, who were tearing out window grids. And on top of them at this time was pouring lead rain.
The assault group, which included Pudovkin, was tasked with clearing a section of the second floor of the school. Denis had already been wounded by the hand and tangentially to the head, but he didn’t come out of the fight, because in the group all tasks are distributed among all the employees, and if someone leaves, the load on the others increases. And to bring comrades was not in his rules.
When entering the floor, the special forces encountered a group of militants who had fired at the hostages. Having entered the battle, the special forces destroyed the terrorists, but they themselves suffered irreparable losses. Pudovkin, firing, destroyed one of the militants, but he himself was wounded "incompatible with life" ...
For his feat, ensign Denis Evgenievich Pudovkin was posthumously awarded the medal of the Order For Services to the Fatherland of the 4 degree with the image of swords.
PLACE FOR ONE NAME
In early September, 2004, in Noginsk, on the territory of the 21 school, the opening ceremony of the Memorial complex was held, which was built in memory of all Noginsk residents who died in local wars and military conflicts. Denis, as a veteran of hostilities, was directly involved in the preparation for the event.
During the opening of the monument Pudovkin looked at the plate of the memorial, and drew the attention of those who were standing next to the list of those killed, topped with a laurel wreath from below: Alas, his words were prophetic. Soon at this place his name appeared.
The officers of the TsSN FSB of Russia who died in Beslan were buried at the Nikolo-Arkhangelsk cemetery ... Denis used to go there when he was alive — he went to the grave of a comrade. Once he returned home, jokingly he told his wife: “If they kill you, bury me next to my friends.”
Denis Pudovkin accomplished the feat. And he is honored as a hero. He gave his life for others to live. But for everyone whom he saved, whom he loved, with whom he was friends, he will always be there.
His family is constantly supported by friends, comrades from the department, the leadership of the FSB of Russia. In his native Noginsk, a memorial plaque of his memory is installed on the central square, the Martial Arts Festival named after Denis Pudovkin is held annually.
Nobody is forgotten, nothing is forgotten! So it was and will be.
Information