A retired colonel, Volodymyr Mykolayovych Zorin, a participant of liberation of Kiyv, who graduated from the heat-and-power engineering department , told our correspondent V.Y. Melnyk about events, which he had to survive.
- The war was brought out on the 22 of June, 1944. The next day, my groupmates and I defended graduation theses. Frankly, because of excessive anxiousness, the commission listened to us inattentively. As well as at institute, the atmosphere in the city was pretty extreme. There were many works carried out, such as digging trenches in the park and making anti-aircraft guns, besides that, military command were heard… Nevertheless, I defended my graduation thesis and in two weeks was summoned to the military on the Tolstoy Street. Then I was sent to Pechersk in school №75, which, by the way, still exists. After that, together with other recruits I went across the Dnieper through the Chain Bridge to reach the left bank. At last, this bridge was ruined. Among us there were not only KPI graduates, but representatives from other universities. I clearly remember when we stood in the front of the city and said something like oath: “We shall return! “. And we came back, but not all of us. I am one of those, who had luck. Then we went on foot to the station Bakhmach. There we were put on a train and taken to Moscow, where upon arrival we were assigned to military academies. I got to the Academy of Military Forces (at that time it was called the Academy of motorization and mechanization of the Red Army). The immediate preparation for military actions had started afterwards.
The Germans approached Moscow in November, so our academy was transferred to Tashkent. At the end of the year we have finished it and as military technical specialists were sent to Nizhny Tagil in the Ural, where there was a huge tanks production. That is why the city was even called Tankograd. Yevhen Oskarovych Paton worked there, and I vividly remember his visits to shops.
It was the end of summer of 1942. Nine men and I were sent in the Third Armored Army led by general Rybakov. I showed my documents on arrival. The corps' commander, general Kaptsov, approached me and I reported to him: “The group of graduates of the Academy arrived at your disposal!” He shook my hand, greeted formation: "How are you going to fight?" At that time was only one possible answer: “If need be – we will lay our lives down!” He smiled ironically and said: "No, there is no need to die. Live happily ever after and beat the Germans! Never set their foot here anymore! As you can see, general Kaptsov was right about me… But his fate took a different turn. He died in Kharkov, in the place, where, by the way, I was at the point of death too. This place took away thousands lives of courageous Red Army soldiers.
- Tell us about the attack on Kiev.
- We came to Pereyaslav area, it is about 90 kilometers from Kyiv, then started crossing to eminent Bukryn foothold using all, that we had. By that, I served in army headquarters. Taking into consiaderation, that I was alone, I was entrusted to carry out a command that lies in reporting on state and requirements of tanks and casualties. Command planned taking of Kyiv through Bila Tserkva and Fastiv, but there was nothing gained by it, since Bukryn foothold is the hills, that are bigger, comparing with the same, but in Kyiv. Tanks were practically useless, because Germans took a couple of roads under fire. This is the reason why the number of tank losses could only grow. We received an order to head for Lyutizh, which is situated in front of Vyshgorod . Crossing over the bridges, which were made below the water level, was the only possible way to be invisible for Germans. Near Vyshgorod we had to force the Dnieper and Desna again. On the third of November our troops initiated wide-ranging attack on Kyiv. The city was taken with heavy death toll.
- Volodymyr Mykolayovych, how did the meeting with your hometown pass?
Knowing that I am resident of Kyiv, my commander, Major Cooper gave me two days to go home and have look at what was going on there. And on the day of taking Kyiv I went all alone through present-day Troieschyna, Vygurovschina and emerged near Kyiv beach. I go to the beach, but can`t cross over: All the bridges were blown up! What shall I do? I saw bonfire.
Having approached closer, I noticed elderly woman and man. They saw me and burst into tears: “Dear son, my dear” I said: "Help me to cross - I can’t get home!" "We'll give you a boat." I was given a small boat. Thanked them frankly, I took oar in hand and headed for home. The German sprayed me with machine-gun fire, but, fortunately, he overshoot. The plane disappeared and I hit the beach in the place, where is now located the monument of Magdeburg law. I went up the street to present European Square. The House of Defense, where is now hotel “Dnieper”, was burning. I came along Khreshchatyk Street and to my astonishment the first quarter was safe. But further everything was destroyed; I am at a loss of words to describe my feelings. Then I came along Mykhailivska and Zhytomyrska Street straight to my home. Outside the house was intact, but inside the apartment was absolutely ruined, nobody was here.
I spent the night there and the morning after went to KPI in order to find at least someone. Great physics lecture hall was obliterated. I met there Baranovsky -former director’s assistant of institute. We had a conversation and I found out that my groupmate Yuriy Umilyanovskyy crossed the Dnieper at the same time with me, he went through this war and settled in Kyiv.
I stayed at home for one more night and went to Zhytomyr…
Almost every year we gather together and come over to Bukryn foothold to bring back to memory our past.