For more than half a century, one of the streets in the Presnensky district of Moscow bears the name of Sergei Makeev, who lived there before the war. Commanding a tank platoon, he destroyed 40 enemy vehicles with weapons. For his courage he was awarded the title of Hero of the USSR. Shortly before that, he died in an unequal battle near Zhitomir, never learning about the high award.
Biography: life before the war
Sergey Fedorovich Makeev was born in 1909 in the village of Stolbovo, near Podolsk. He comes from the common people. The father was a peasant and had a tiny allotment. By modern standards, "below the cost of living." The Makeev family had many children and eked out a miserable existence. However, in tsarist Russia, the peasants did not live well without that. In 1917, the situation in the country changed. However, with the coming of the Bolsheviks to power, the life of the Makeevs did not change dramatically. There was still not enough money. To contribute to the life of the family, Sergei, at the age of 16, left his parental home and went to work in Moscow.
Makeev got a job at a brick factory located in Shcherbinka. At that time, they paid well there, but the work required high physical endurance. Sergei was a teenager and could not work at this pace for a long time. He had to return home. Soon Sergei got a job as a mechanic at a plant in Podolsk. In parallel, he completed a driving course and became a member of the Communist Party. After some time, he got a job as a first-class driver in the transport department of the Central Committee of the Party. On the job, Sergei studied in an evening high school.
In 1931 he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army. Since 1934, Makeev worked in various positions at Moscow industrial enterprises.
Life during the war
When the Great Patriotic War began, Makeev was 32 years old. In June 1941, he was summoned to the Krasnogvardeisky district military registration and enlistment office in Moscow for mobilization fees as a reserve liable for military service. Soon, Sergei was sent to the newly formed 2nd Gorky Automobile and Motorcycle School for training. At that time, Colonel Fyodor Raevsky was in charge of it. At first, the school was located in the famous Gorokhovets military camps. This place was strictly classified in those days. Subsequently, he was transferred to Vetluga, and soon reformed into a tank school.
Military science was easy for Makeev. Future tank commanders studied in the new on the legendary T-34. The first graduation of officers at the school took place in April 1943. Makeev passed the basic exams (material, tactics, topography, shooting, driving) with excellent marks. For his brilliant successes, he was awarded the rank of guard lieutenant. After training, he spent several months there as an instructor.
Makeev went to the front in September 1943. He commanded a whole platoon of tanks. The baptism of fire took place in fierce battles for the Dnieper, which began in August 1943.
In November of the same year, during the battles near Kiev, Makeev's tank platoon operated in the lead detachment. As the offensive developed, the battalion was tasked with capturing the nearby settlement of Glevakha. The Nazis were stationed there, to which several more columns of cars and carts with equipment, ammunition, weapons and provisions were drawn up. The enemy, sensing something was wrong, opened powerful fire on Makeev's platoon. He, despite the whistling bullets, boldly broke forward and began to crush the fascist vehicles with a load with the tracks of the tank. He destroyed about 40 vehicles, 120 carts and more than 200 German soldiers, including officers.
Continuing the movement, Makeev was the first to enter the village of Glevakha. The rest of the tank crews followed his example. Thanks to this, enemy forces of up to a battalion were surrounded and eliminated. Sergei was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield, continuing to fire on the hastily retreating fascists.
As a result of a four-month operation on the banks of the Dnieper, most of Ukraine was almost completely liberated by the Red Army from the fascist invaders. During the operation, Soviet troops crossed the river, created several strategic bridgeheads on the right bank, and also liberated the city of Kiev. The battle for the Dnieper became one of the largest battles in world history. Makeev contributed to this victory. In January 1944, by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, he was awarded the title of Hero of the USSR for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command at the front and for the courage and heroism shown at the same time.
Sergei never found out about such a high-profile title. A week later, he was mortally wounded near Zhitomir. In those days, his platoon fought bloody battles for the village of Troyanov. It was occupied by the Nazis back in July 1941. On January 2, 1944, it was liberated from the invaders by the Soviet troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front. Sergei Makeev was buried together with the crew in the same village.
In May 1965, in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the victory, Sergei Makeev Street appeared in the Presnensky District of Moscow. Previously, it was called the 4th Zvenigorodskaya. Makeev lived in one of the houses on this street before the war. A commemorative plaque hangs on the house. In 1978, the USSR Post issued an envelope with the image of Sergei Makeev.
Also, his portrait can be seen on the Honor Board of the city of Podolsk, which is on Kirov Street, near the building of the local administration.
Awards
Sergei Makeev spent only four months at the front. During this time, he received three awards:
- Order of the Patriotic War, II degree;
- The order of Lenin;
- Medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the USSR.
The last two awards were presented to him posthumously.
Personal life
Sergei Makeev was married. Two children were born in marriage.
