LEV MIKHAILOVICH DOVATOR

Sometimes life is short
But her glory is given for centuries.
Many years are left behind
But Dovator is also on horseback in front.

V. Gaazov

February 20, 2013 marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the legendary commander of the cavalry corps, Major General Lev Mikhailovich Dovator. A lot connects him with the city of Stavropol, which recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of its liberation from the Nazi invaders.

It was in Stavropol (then Voroshilovsk) from July 3 to July 15, 1941 that the formation of the 53rd separate cavalry division began, the basis of which were conscripts and volunteers from the villages of Trunovskoye, Izobilnoye, Ust-Dzhegutinskoye, Novo-Mikhailovskoye, Troitskoye. Her combat journey began on July 22, 1941 on the banks of the Toropa River in the Kalinin (now Tver) region, where she entered into the first battles with Nazi troops. In August, the division became part of first the cavalry group, and then the corps of Major General Dovator, defending Moscow on the distant approaches. From the end of November to December 2, 1941, it held the defense of the capital at the Kryukov line. On November 26, 1941, the division received a guards rank and became known as the 4th Guards Cavalry Division. Subsequently, she was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and given the honorary name Mozyrskaya. Throughout the war, the 4th Guards Mozyr Red Banner Cavalry Division was part of the 2nd Guards Pomeranian Order of the Red Banner Suvorov 2nd Class Cavalry Corps, which was commanded by the outstanding cavalry commander Lev Mikhailovich Dovator until his death in December 1941. The division's combat journey ended on May 3, 1945 in Germany on the banks of the Elbe River.

Currently, the biography of the commander of the cavalry corps Lev Dovator can be read in any encyclopedia; his military merits are described in reports and reports stored in military archives. Books and songs have been written about him and his guardsmen. The dovator was loved, revered and respected by his comrades, but the Nazis, who promised 100 thousand Reichsmarks for the general’s head, hated and feared him. Many artists dedicated their works to the Dovator soldiers and their commander. One of the first paintings was painted immediately after the battle of Moscow in December 1941 by theater artist Semyon Aladzhalov. In November 1942, a series of stamps was issued with portraits of Heroes of the Soviet Union, who were among the first to receive this title in the Great Patriotic War. Among them came a miniature with a portrait of the general.

The peasant son, a native of the Belarusian village of Khotino, who joined the Red Army at the age of 21, hardly thought that he would connect his entire short life with her. Combat officer, talented commander. Short, stocky, tightly built, dressed in a protective tunic and blue breeches, in boots polished to a high gloss with shiny spurs - Dovator gave the impression of a smart officer, accustomed to carefully taking care of his appearance. What kind of person was he? We would like to tell our readers about some little-known facts from the life of Lev Mikhailovich Dovator.

In 1938, the famous film director Sergei Eisenstein shot the historical film “Alexander Nevsky”. The battle scenes of this film continue to amaze audiences to this day. Filming took place in the summer on an area covered with chalk, salt and liquid glass. The ice floes were also fake. The difficulty was that in a tiny area it was necessary, according to all the rules of military art, to act out the “Battle of the Ice”, an episode that would later take about forty minutes in the film - a colossal time. One day, unexpectedly, there was a hitch on the set. The scene of the duel between the prince and the master of the Order of the Teutonic Knights did not work out. The wonderful actors who performed these roles, Nikolai Cherkasov and Vladimir Ershov, unfortunately, were poor horses. Therefore, the horse duel between them looked extremely unsuccessful and did not suit the director. Eisenstein was nervous. By chance, his gaze fell on a fit military man, who was invited to watch the filming of one of the director’s friends. Eisenstein immediately dressed the cavalryman in armor and asked him to repeat the episode. The scene immediately began to play in a new way. This guest on the set turned out to be the future general and Hero of the Soviet Union Dovator.

“It was in the late thirties,” recalled the general’s widow, Elena Lavrentievna. – We already lived in Moscow, Lev Mikhailovich had just graduated from the academy and was assigned to the Special Cavalry Brigade of the USSR NPO. And then one day he comes home and announces from the doorway: “We’ll act in a movie!” We didn’t immediately understand what they were talking about, and then it turned out that the cavalry brigade had been invited to the filming of the film “Alexander Nevsky”. From that day on, our family only talked about filming.”

Instead of actors, professional cavalrymen of the Red Army began to appear in all equestrian episodes. Dovator commanded the entire mounted extras on the set - almost all the scenes were filmed with the participation of his soldiers and officers. In one of the documentaries about Dovator, it was said that Lev Mikhailovich himself was Nikolai Cherkasov’s stuntman. However, this was not the case. Dovator prepared the troops for filming, he worked with enthusiasm, but he is not in the frame. Firstly, Dovator was shorter in height than the almost two-meter Cherkasov, and this was immediately noticeable, even if he was sitting on a horse. Secondly, Lev Mikhailovich was a consultant for the film and was involved in staging all of its battle scenes, so he simply did not have enough time to film himself. And a stuntman for Cherkasov was found among Dovator’s cavalrymen. He became the equally tall and well-behaved senior lieutenant Nikolai Buchilev. By the way, in the famous scene of the duel between the Russian prince and the master, one of Dovator’s subordinates, officer Surkov, also acted as Alexander’s opponent. He will end the war as a general of tank forces. Now it’s hard to believe, but the film “Alexander Nevsky” was released in a rough version. The film was not even fully announced when Stalin demanded to see it. The leader liked it. But in 1939, when the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, all films where Russians fought with the Germans were considered a provocation and the film was no longer shown. “Alexander Nevsky” returned to the audience only in 1941. Moreover, he was shown in Dovator’s corps two days before the death of his commander.

According to the recollections of people who knew him closely, Dovator was an excellent horseman: his deft position in the saddle immediately caught the eye. And Lev Mikhailovich’s character was that of a cavalryman—hot, dashing. But the commander treated his people like a father, taking care of their lives as best he could. For a cavalryman, a horse is “like a dear friend.” The dovator understood this to the depths of his soul and took care of the four-legged “fighters”, tirelessly checking their food supply. His cavalry had the best veterinarians, and it was said about blacksmiths that “they could shoe even a hare.” Lev Mikhailovich himself loved horses very much, or rather, respected them - for their devotion to the owner, strength and grace. It so happened that on June 22, 1941, Colonel Dovator was in Moscow in the central military hospital, finishing his course of treatment. In the spring, during an exercise during a night march, his horse fell through the ice, and the cavalry commander himself pulled him out of the water. The operation to rescue the animal affected Dovator’s health. He fell ill with pneumonia, did not immediately see a doctor, and a protracted illness landed him in a hospital bed. In addition, the leg was slightly injured. Only a week after the start of the war, doctors decided to discharge him. Dovator also demanded careful treatment of horses from his colleagues. Going on a raid behind enemy lines, the horsemen took a minimum of weapons and ammunition so that it would not be too hard for their “four-legged soldiers”, the main thing was fodder, and food for themselves later. As Rita Lvovna Dovator recalled, cavalrymen often switched to pasture during a raid, and although they themselves did not like to talk about it in detail, they ate even mortally wounded horses. In general, during the Great Patriotic War, 8 million horses were killed.

From the first battles, Dovator showed himself to be an excellent commander. He skillfully organized attacks that were daring in their boldness. Under the command of Lev Mikhailovich, three thousand cavalry managed to break through to the rear of the Germans, hitting enemy communications, smashing headquarters, destroying enemy warehouses and military convoys. This truly fantastic raid of Soviet cavalrymen into the German rear lasted for almost two weeks: the Cossacks, who went 100 kilometers deep, destroyed more than two thousand soldiers and officers, 9 tanks, about two hundred vehicles, and they captured many trophies. They terrified the Nazis, and the German command believed that 18 thousand cavalry were operating in their rear. For military exploits during this operation, Lev Dovator received the rank of major general and the Order of Lenin. K.K. Rokossovsky recalled: “The corps commander Lev Mikhailovich Dovator, whom I had already heard about from Marshal Timoshenko, made a good impression on me. He was young, cheerful, thoughtful, and apparently knew his job well. The mere fact that he managed to pull the corps out of encirclement in a combat-ready state speaks volumes about the general’s talent and courage.”

The general also enjoyed boundless love and respect among the cavalry artists. Many of them, going to the front, asked to serve with Dovator. And some cultural figures were even offended by Lev Mikhailovich because he “took away” the entire group of equestrian artists of the Moscow Circus, led by Mikhail Tugakov. A special commandant squadron was formed from artists of many drama theaters and circus riders. On December 14, 1941, a hot battle broke out for the village of Gorbovo with the use of tanks, artillery and aircraft from both sides. But our soldiers could not take possession of the village. Being a good horseman himself, Dovator approved the proposal of Senior Lieutenant Tuganov to use the old Cossack trick in battle. Behind the rising snow, the Germans did not immediately notice the squadron rushing towards them. As soon as the first bullets whistled over the heads of the riders, they fell from their saddles and hung in their stirrups. The Nazis stopped fire in surprise, allowed the “herd” to enter their position, and immediately grenades rained down on them, machine guns started firing, and help arrived in time to complete the defeat of the enemy.

Swift and very dexterous, Dovator always found himself where it was really hot in battle, and his energy was contagious. Even when preparing for a difficult combat mission, Lev Mikhailovich remained cheerful and cheerful, but at the same time demanding. But for his cavalrymen he always had warm words and a funny joke. In the memoirs of people who knew the general, we read: “Dovator entered the village. “Well, guys?” - he shouted cheerfully and, easily jumping off his horse, headed towards the hut, where the punitive headquarters had been located a few minutes ago. The captured Germans, badly beaten by the horsemen, huddled together in a frightened herd there. The dovator turned to his translator: “Tell me that I am announcing a prize of 200 thousand rubles to the first one to reach Berlin.” And he winked cheerfully at his adjutant.”

Fighting at the front with the enemy, the general knew that his closest people were waiting and loving him in the rear - his wife, Elena Lavrentievna, and children - son Alexander and daughter Rita. Being away from his family, he still continued to take care of them: he wrote letters to his wife and children, sent his salary and money certificate, tried to calm them down and not worry them. Here are excerpts from his letters to his family.

“Hello, my dear, dear Lenochka, Shurochka and Ritochka!

I send you my greetings and best wishes. I am very pleased that you arrived safely and are now living in peace. ...I was worried that you were sitting without money. ...I live well, I already work at another big and responsible job. Look at the newspapers and you will find out about our military affairs. My health is good. Lenochka, I haven’t written to you lately because this is the situation. Write how you are, what's new with you? How do the children live and do they go to school?..”

“Hello, my dear Lenochka, Shurochka and Ritochka!

I receive all your letters, although very late. I live well. Health is good. The other day I sent you a certificate by registered mail and sent the parcel by mail. In addition, I sent a car with a parcel... Write if you received all this. You probably know about me and how I live from the newspapers.

I was appointed commander of the 2nd Guards Corps. I am very glad that my soldiers became guardsmen. I kiss you deeply. Lenik.

And then there was the last letter dated December 7th. In it, he informed his relatives that the newspapers Pravda and Izvestia wrote about the affairs of the horsemen.

Unfortunately, such traits as courage and bravery played a cruel, fatal “joke” on Dovator... The soldiers of General Dovator’s 2nd Guards Corps fought bravely near Moscow, to the limit of human strength and capabilities, without taking their feet out of the stirrups for almost days. They undertook hours-long forced marches from flank to flank through forests and rivers in order to get to the rescue, block the road, and take control of strategic heights...

On December 19, 1941, the vanguard of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps was in the area of ​​the village of Palashkino, where large forces of German troops were located at that time.

The dovator and his staff rode in the lead column. As eyewitnesses of those events recall, Lev Mikhailovich, taking with him three staff commanders, went to reconnoiter the area... The general rode at a slow pace. He reached the middle of the river, when suddenly an artillery salvo was heard. Kazbek, darting to the side, fell into the snow above his knees. Lev Mikhailovich jumped out of the saddle. The lightened horse quickly jumped out and stood firmly on the ice... The dovator let go of the reins and said something to the horse. Kazbek galloped to the side. The general threw off his cloak and moved forward with binoculars. And then a machine gun hit from the opposite bank from the bell tower. The dovator was mortally wounded. Colonel Tavliev and several other officers who rushed onto the ice died along with him. This day was the last for General Dovator. On December 21, 1941, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously...

“I don’t know why, but my father’s “Gold Star” has not yet been given to us. Neither my mother nor I saw her. At first, my mother somehow and somewhere tried to find out why they decided to leave us without this medal, and then everything was forgotten. You know, both during the war and after, my mother increasingly solved everyday problems. We, of course, received benefits for our father, but we lived very hard, and economic worries simply overwhelmed us,” recalls Dovator’s daughter.

We said goodbye to our beloved general at the Donskoye cemetery, where Dovator’s body was cremated. Clearly, there was a war going on. But it’s simply amazing that the ashes of such a famous military leader were not buried for 20 years. And the urn with ashes simply stood on the table in the crematorium next to the same urns of General Panfilov and pilot Viktor Talalikhin. And only in 1959, after long petitions from the relatives and friends of the victims, their official burial took place at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Major General L. M. Dovator fought for only five months, but even during this short period of time he joined the ranks of famous heroes, defenders of Russia, who died before the Great Victory, but did everything until the last moment of their lives to bring it closer. The memory of this Soviet hero was immortalized by a monument in the city of Ruza, an obelisk on the shore of the Ruza reservoir (at the place where he died), and ordinary people remember Dovator thanks to the many streets named after him in a large area of ​​the former USSR. So in the capital of the Stavropol Territory in 1965, the name of the Dovatorians was given to Shosseynaya Street, along which the cavalry of the 53rd division went to the front. 5,000 Stavropol residents who fought in it died during the war. In memory of them, in 1975, at the intersection of Dovatortsev and Shpakovskaya streets, a stele was erected in the form of three blades - three regiments that were part of the cavalry division. Unfortunately, due to unlawful actions of the city administration, the stele was demolished in 2007. Thanks to numerous letters from war veterans and city residents, on January 20, 2012, the stele was restored to its original form, only it was installed in a new location - the intersection of Dovatortsev and Southern Bypass streets. And now, upon entering the city of Stavropol, its residents and guests are greeted by a 35-meter blade standing guard over the city, as a memory and symbol of the great courage of the people who defended freedom in the terrible crucible of World War II.

V. L. Gaazov, M. Lets

// Stavropol chronograph for 2013. – Stavropol, 2013. – pp. 58–63.

It’s an amazing thing, but even in the age of steel equipment and large, clumsy military vehicles, such troops successfully fought on the fronts, the practice of using which, it would seem, should have long ago become a thing of the past. Thus, during the Great Patriotic War, cavalry troops were preserved, and not only were they preserved, but they also fought successfully, led by their heroic commanders. One of these commanders was Lev Mikhailovich Dovator.
Lev Dovator was born in 1903 into a poor peasant family living in a small village in the Vitebsk province.

Cavalrymen of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps of the 16th Army of the Western Front, in the center with a map in their hands - the commander of the Guard Corps, Major General Lev Mikhailovich Dovator

From early childhood, Lev got used to hard labor as a farm laborer, and, having matured a little, he worked at a Vitebsk factory.

Of course, like any peasant who, since childhood, had seen nothing but poverty and endless monotonous work, Dovator greeted the news of the October Revolution with undisguised joy. He helped organize committees of the poor in his native village, and studied at the provincial party school.

Lev Dovator volunteered to join the Red Army in 1924, and served for some time as a warehouse manager in the 7th Cavalry Division of the Western Military District, stationed in Minsk.

After graduating from the Moscow Military Chemical Courses in 1925, Dovator served as a chemical platoon commander in the 7th Cavalry Division.

Dovator's persistence in comprehending military affairs, however, knew no bounds: in 1926 he graduated from the Leningrad-Borisoglebsk cavalry school for the commanders of the Red Army.

Throughout the 30s, Dovator moved up the military cavalry career ladder, however, he continued his professional training: in 1939 he graduated with honors from the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze and is appointed chief of staff of the Special Cavalry Brigade in Moscow. Just before the war, Lev Dovator was appointed chief of staff of the 36th cavalry division of BOVO.

General Dovator. 1947. Oil Moiseenko Evsey Evseevich

Dovator had to face the war in the hospital, and only a week after the start of the war the doctors decided to discharge him: Lev Mikhailovich, barely having time to say goodbye to his family, went to the disposal of the headquarters of the Western Front (since his native division was surrounded and there was no way to break through to it no possibility).

Already in July of this first year of the war, Dovator was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for distinction in the battles at Solovyovaya Crossing.

In August 1941, Lev Dovator headed the Separate Cavalry Group on the Western Front, which consisted of several Cossack regiments (including Don, Kuban and Terek Cossacks). Already from the first battles, Dovator showed himself to be an excellent commander, who not only skillfully organized daring attacks, but also treated his military charges with paternal love, trying, if possible, not to risk the lives of courageous Cossacks. Under the command of Lev Mikhailovich, this cavalry unit managed to break through to the rear of the Germans, hitting enemy communications, smashing headquarters, destroying enemy warehouses and military convoys.

This truly fantastic raid of Soviet cavalrymen into the German rear lasted for about two weeks: the Cossacks, who went 100 kilometers deep, destroyed more than two thousand soldiers and officers, 9 tanks, about two hundred vehicles, and they captured many trophies. For military exploits during this operation, Lev Dovator received the rank of major general and the Order of Lenin.

In the fall of 1941, on the basis of the Dovator group, the 3rd Cavalry Corps was formed as part of the 16th Army of K.K. Rokossovsky (a little later it was renamed the 2nd Guards). The corps fought defensive battles on the Bely-Rzhev line, covering the approaches to Moscow from the Volokolamsk direction.

On December 11, General Dovator’s corps was transferred to the Kubinka area and, pursuing the retreating German units, reached the Ruza River.

Unfortunately, the courage and bravery of the cavalry commander played a cruel, fatal “joke” on Dovator...

In December 1941, the vanguard of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps was in the area of ​​the village of Palashkino, where large forces of German troops were located at that time. Lev Dovator decides to place a marching corps headquarters opposite the village, and he decides to inspect the combat positions of the German units on the other side of the river personally, and then the Germans opened heavy fire on the crowd of people they noticed... Dovator, who was in the open space, had no chance to survive...

On the same day, December 21, 1941, Lev Mikhailovich Dovator was awarded “For courage and heroism shown in battles with the Nazi invaders” with the posthumous title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The memory of this Soviet hero was immortalized by a monument in the city of Ruza, an obelisk on the shore of the Ruza Reservoir (in the place where he died), and ordinary people remember Dovator thanks to the many streets named after him in a large area of ​​the former USSR.

DOVATOR Lev Mikhailovich, Major General (1941). Hero of the Soviet Union (12/21/1941, posthumously), born February 07 (20), 1903, village of Khotino, Lepel district, Vitebsk province, died in battle on December 21, 1941.

Hero of the Soviet Union Dovator Lev Mikhailovich

Born into a peasant family. After graduating from second-level school in 1921, he worked at a flax spinning factory in Vitebsk. In 1922, he was elected secretary of the Khotyn volost Komsomol committee. In 1923 he graduated from a one-year Soviet party school in Vitebsk. In September 1924, he volunteered to join the Red Army and served as warehouse manager at the headquarters of the 7th Samara Cavalry Division of the Western Military District. From February to June 1925, he attended military chemical courses in Moscow; upon returning to the division, he held the positions of chemist instructor and chemical platoon commander. After graduating from the Borisoglebsk-Leningrad Cavalry School of the Red Army command staff in 1929, he commanded a platoon in the 27th Bykadorovsky Cavalry Regiment of the 5th Stavropol Cavalry Division named after. M.F. Blinov of the North Caucasus Military District. In May 1932, as part of the division, he was transferred to the Ukrainian Military District.

From October 1933 he was transferred to serve in the Far East as a political instructor in the 1st collective farm rifle regiment of the 1st collective farm rifle division OKDVA, and from May 1935 there he was commissar of a separate reconnaissance battalion of the 93rd rifle division. After graduating from the Military Academy of the Red Army named after. M.V. Frunze was promoted to major in January 1939 and appointed chief of staff of a cavalry regiment. In April of the same year, Lev Mikhailovich was awarded the rank of colonel and was appointed chief of staff of the 1st separate special cavalry brigade in the Moscow Military District. Since March 1941 - Chief of Staff of the 36th Cavalry Division named after. I.V. Stalin, which was part of the 6th Cavalry Corps of the Western Special Military District.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War from July 1941, Colonel L.M. The dovator was at the disposal of the commander of the Western Front. In July 1941, for distinction in defensive battles at the Solovyov crossing of the Dnieper near the village of Krasny, Smolensk region, he was nominated for the Order of the Red Banner.

From the award sheet for the Order of the Red Banner:

“During the period of German fascism, from July 11, 1941, Colonel Dovator carried out the important tasks of the Commander-in-Chief in transmitting operational orders to formations, as well as in delivering ammunition to forward positions. On July 16, following the order of the Commander-in-Chief, he discovered a motorized mechanized detachment of the enemy moving towards Krasnoye, Smolensk region. Colonel Dovator organized scattered units and with them struck the enemy and drove him out of Krasny. Despite the difficult combat situation, Colonel Dovator completed all the tasks of the Commander-in-Chief in full and on time. For exemplary performance of command assignments and for demonstrated courage and bravery, he is worthy of being awarded the Government Award - the Order of the Red Banner.

Since August 1941 L.M. Dovator commanded a separate cavalry group, formed from several cavalry regiments of this front. During the Battle of Smolensk, Colonel Dovator skillfully controlled parts of the cavalry group during raids behind enemy lines and conducting defensive battles on the Mezha River, during which over 2.5 thousand enemy soldiers and officers, 9 tanks, 200 vehicles, and several headquarters were destroyed. For this, in September he was awarded the military rank of major general.

In October, a cavalry group as part of the 16th Army of the Western Front fought fierce defensive battles on the Bely-Rzhev highway, covering the withdrawal of rifle units in the Volokolamsk direction, then carried out a series of offensive battles in the areas of the Istra Reservoir and the city of Solnechnogorsk. In November, Dovator's cavalry group was reorganized into the 3rd Cavalry Corps, and on November 26, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the corps was renamed the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps.

In December 1941, during the counter-offensive near Moscow, he managed to quickly organize the entry of corps units into a breakthrough of the German front in the Zvenigorod area and decisively controlled them in battles deep in the German defense. On December 21, 1941, during a battle near the village of Pelashkino, Ruza district, Moscow region, while in the first echelon of corps units, Major General Lev Mikhailovich Dovator died. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “... for skillful leadership of troops in the fight against the Nazi invaders, demonstrated courage and courage,” he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously). He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

In 1938, on the set of the film “Alexander Nevsky,” director Sergei Eisenstein had a hitch. He did not like the scene of the fight between Prince Alexander and the Master. And no matter how hard the wonderful actors Vladimir Ershov and Nikolai Cherkasov tried, the director was not happy. And then Eisenstein caught the eye of a smart cavalry officer, who was brought to the shooting by one of the director’s friends. The cavalryman quickly put on the princely armor and the scene began to play in a new way. Little did the cavalryman know that in just three years he would have to really cut down the Teutonic invaders. This was the future general and Hero of the Soviet Union - Lev Dovator.

“The horse carries you into the attack, There is no closer friend in battle. He will save you from certain death - Be it rain, be it snow, be it a blizzard.

Fog, Fire, Hindu, Strategist, Mermaid, Wind, Gladiator -

Dovator liked to give such nicknames to horses.”

Guard Senior Sergeant Ya. E. Entin

Dovator’s name first appeared in reports in July 1941, during the defensive battles for the Solovyov crossing of the Dnieper; for these battles he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

But Colonel Dovator truly became famous in August 1941. He then commanded a separate cavalry group formed from Cossacks. The number of the group was no more than 3,000 people, but it is not in vain that they say that fear has big eyes. The Cossacks cut down the fascists so famously that they reported to the OKW headquarters that there were more than 50 thousand Russian cavalrymen.

Under the command of Dovator, this cavalry formation broke through the defenses of the Nazi troops several kilometers along the front. The appearance of a cavalry unit of the Red Army, which went 100 km behind enemy lines, caused panic among the Nazis. Next, a deep raid was carried out on the German rear, the Cossacks swept through in a fiery whirlwind, striking at communications, destroying headquarters and blowing up warehouses. This raid across the lands of the Smolensk region lasted for two weeks. During this time, Dovator's cavalrymen destroyed over 3,000 enemy soldiers and officers, 9 tanks, more than 200 vehicles, and several military warehouses. Numerous trophies were captured, and partisan detachments began to appear along the raid route. The Wehrmacht command placed a reward of 50 thousand gold Reich marks on Dovator's head; the Germans planned a large-scale operation to destroy the cavalry group, but Dovator's cavalrymen were elusive and the punishers only got the stomp of horses.

As a result of the operation, Lev Mikhailovich Dovator was awarded the military rank of major general.

And then there was the Battle of Moscow. Since November 1941, General Dovator commanded the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps in the Volokolamsk direction. On December 11, 1941, Dovator’s cavalry corps was transferred to the Kubinka area. This time there was an order to pursue the retreating German units and not give them rest.

The corps passed almost 150 km along the rear of the retreating German units, and again the sentries shouted Achtung in panic! Kozaken!

On December 19, Dovator’s corps reached the Ruza River. General Dovator, as usual, decided to personally inspect the location of the enemy’s defenses before the attack; he climbed to the opposite bank of the river and came under enemy machine-gun fire. Major General Dovator was mortally wounded.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 21, 1941, Guards Major General of the Cavalry Dovator Lev Mikhailovich was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the courage and heroism shown in battles with the Nazi invaders.

Short biography:

Lev Mikhailovich Dovator was born on February 20, 1903 in the village of Khotino, Vitebsk province (now Vitebsk region, Republic of Belarus) into a poor peasant family. In 1917 he went to Vitebsk and became a factory worker. After the October Revolution of 1917, Dovator carried out instructions from the Revolutionary Committee: he helped food detachments seize grain, became a Komsomol activist and in 1922 was sent to the provincial party school in Vitebsk, then became chairman of the Khotyn Committee of the Pod, and was involved in organizing the Partnership for Joint Cultivation of the Land.

In 1924, Dovator voluntarily joined the Red Army. In 1926 he graduated from the Military Cavalry School. Two years later he joined the party and served as political instructor of the squadron in Verkhneudinsk. In 1936-1939, Lev Mikhailovich Dovator studied at the Military Academy named after. M.V. Frunze, after which he served as chief of staff of the Special Cavalry Brigade in Moscow.

Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General

Born on February 20, 1903 in the village of Khotino, Vitebsk province, now Beshenkovichi district, Vitebsk region. In 1924 he volunteered for the army. After graduating from the cavalry school and academy. Frunze, was appointed chief of staff of the regiment and then of the cavalry brigade. Since August 1941, Colonel Dovator was the commander of the cavalry group, and then the cavalry corps. Under his command, a cavalry raid group of 3 thousand blades was formed from the Cossacks of the Kuban, Stavrapol and North Caucasus.
In August 1941, Dovator received an order to break through the enemy front, enter the Smolensk region, destroy rear lines and communications, paralyze the work of headquarters, and prevent the advance of fascist troops to the capital. Through swamps and forests, the Cossack cavalry made a 100-kilometer forced march deep into the rear, destroying everything in its path. The decisive actions of Dovator's cavalry plunged the enemy into panic. To eliminate the cavalry, the Nazis transferred more than two infantry divisions, a tank regiment, and aviation from the Moscow direction. After 10 days of raid, Lev Dovator's cavalry returned across the front line with virtually no losses.
In October 1941, Lev Mikhailovich received the rank of general. By this time his name had become legendary.
In early November, Dovator's cavalry fought defensive battles, covering the retreat of the Red Army in the Volokolamsk direction.
In the counteroffensive near Moscow, Dovator's corps fought in the Kubinka area. On November 19, near the village of Palashkino, Lev Mikhailovich Dovator personally led a cavalry attack and was mortally wounded. The general is buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 21, 1941, for the courage and heroism shown in battles with the Nazi invaders, Guard Major General Dovator Lev Mikhailovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union - posthumously.
A street in Lipetsk bears the name of the legendary general, and a memorial plaque is installed on one of the buildings. At the intersection of Papin and Dovator streets, a stele was erected in memory of him.

Bibliography

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2. Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. 1941 –1945: photo album / ed. Yu. V. Plotnikova. – M., 1978. – P. 37.
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