Until the 50s of the XX century, the Airborne Forces were simple infantry, which were sent to the rear of the enemy. Their main responsibility was to hold positions until reinforcements arrived. In fact, the Airborne Forces were then "cannon fodder". They did not have the proper equipment and special equipment. However, everything changed when General of the Army, Hero of the Soviet Union, Vasily Filippovich Margelov was appointed commander of the Airborne Forces. This is the same "Uncle Vasya" who made a huge contribution to the development of the Airborne Forces.
Vasily Filippovich Margelov went through several wars, during which he managed to be the commander of scouts and even the marines. When Lieutenant Colonel Margelov was appointed to command the Airborne Forces (in 1954), he already knew exactly what needed to be changed in these troops. Despite severe pressure from his superiors, he began to translate his ideas into reality.
Margelov understood that only a highly mobile, well-trained landing force could act effectively behind enemy lines. He rejected the previously accepted installation, according to which the paratroopers had to hold the captured area until the arrival of reinforcements, and argued that this method of defense inevitably leads to the rapid destruction of the landing.
At the end of the 50s, the An-8 and An-12 aircraft were adopted by the Airborne Forces, which had a long flight range and carrying capacity. Margelov personally oversaw the work of the design bureau and took an active part in the development of aircraft for the Airborne Forces, although he constantly ran into active resistance from officials from the Ministry of Defense.
Vasily Margelov was a very principled person, for which he was dismissed in 1959 from the post of commander of the Airborne Forces, being appointed deputy. However, two years later he was reinstated in office again. Margelov gave the Airborne Forces twenty years of his life. During this time, this type of military has gained immense popularity in the USSR. To get into the service in the Airborne Forces was the dream of almost every Soviet teenager.
Interesting facts about Margelov
It is known that the first time Margelov jumped with a parachute at the age of 40. This was in 1948. The jump was carried out from the basket of the balloon. Height - 400 meters. Before starting to command the Airborne Forces, Margelov made a bet on six jumps with General Denisenko. Unfortunately, Mikhail Ivanovich Denisenko died making his third jump, and Margelov fulfilled his promise and made all six parachute jumps.
For all jumps, Margelov always took a weapon with him - a pistol and grenades. In his presence, everyone had to jump with weapons. True, after his retirement, they began to jump with military weapons only during exercises.
In the Republic of Belarus there is an official medal "Margelova", which was approved by President Alexander Lukashenko.
By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation of May 6, 2005, the departmental medal "Army General Margelov" was established.
The name of Margelov is the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, the Department of the Airborne Forces of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps.
