Marshal Ustinov: the last defender of socialism. Alexey Semenov

Soviet military leader and statesman. Marshal of the Soviet Union (1976). Hero of the Soviet Union (1978). Member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee from 03/05/1976 to 12/20/1984

Origin and pre-war career.

Born into a worker-peasant family. When the time came to get an education, he went to a parish school, where he studied 3 grades, learned to read, write and count, and already as a 10-year-old boy he began working as a courier in the provincial executive committee. In 1922 - 1923 in the Red Army. Served in units special purpose, then in the 12th Turkestan Rifle Regiment. After demobilization in 1923, he graduated from a vocational school in the town of Makaryev, Kostroma province. In November 1927 he joined the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). In 1927 - 1929 worked as a mechanic at the Balakhna paper mill Nizhny Novgorod province, a diesel engine operator at the Zaryadye factory in Ivanovo-Voznesensk. In 1929 he entered the Ivanovo Polytechnic Institute, where he was elected secretary of the Komsomol organization and a member of the institute's party bureau. He transferred to the Moscow Higher Technical School named after N. E. Bauman, and then to the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute, which existed in tsarist times and after the revolution was modified many times, including into a secondary educational institution. Now artillery and ammunition faculties have been opened there. In 1934, Ustinov graduated from there with a degree in engineering and went to work at the Artillery Marine Research Institute. Ustinov's leader was the famous Alexey Nikolaevich Krylov, a mechanic, mathematician and shipbuilder. He was known for his numerous theoretical works, which received state awards. According to Ustinov himself, this was his main teacher, who instilled in him organization and inquisitiveness in his own research. Since 1937, at the Leningrad plant "Bolshevik" (formerly the Obukhov plant, now OJSC "GOZ Obukhov plant" as part of the Almaz-Antey concern), where he made a brilliant career in the conditions of widespread repressions that also affected the enterprise: design engineer , head of the bureau of operation and experimental work, deputy chief designer, since 1938 director of the plant. He came to Bolshevik under the patronage of the first secretary of the Leningrad regional committee and city committee. Ustinov accepted the enterprise in a sad state; he was faced with the task of establishing the production of large artillery pieces. But he was not afraid to take risky measures: he replaced equipment with imported ones, retrained workers, etc. As a result, the plant began to supply high-quality guns and tanks. The State Planning Commission was overfulfilled: on February 8, 1939, the “Bolshevik” was awarded the Order of Lenin. 116 plant employees were awarded orders and medals. D. F. Ustinov was awarded the highest state award - the Order of Lenin. In the pre-war year, the enterprise significantly exceeded production program. The "Bolshevik" is awarded the challenge banner of the People's Commissariat and the Central Committee of the trade union.

The Great Patriotic War.

In June 1941 - March 1953, People's Commissar, Minister of Armaments of the USSR. Two weeks before the start of the war, a young and promising director was appointed People's Commissar weapons of the USSR. Before him, there was someone in this post who came under Stalin's repressions and was arrested, but after some time he was pardoned and returned, but to the post of young Ustinov’s deputy. They worked together until February 1942, and then Vannikov was appointed head of the People's Commissariat of Ammunition, created back in 1939. The People's Commissariat was engaged in the production of all types of artillery (field, anti-tank, anti-aircraft, coastal, naval, self-propelled), tank and aviation weapons. For ground forces, cavalry, and special troops, the People's Commissariat supplied almost the entire range of weapons. During the first three months of the war, 1,360 large enterprises of the People's Commissariat were evacuated to the eastern regions (Sverdlovsk, Perm, Izhevsk, Chelyabinsk, Miass, Kazan, Gorky). 455 factories were located in the Urals, 210 in Western Siberia, 250 - in Central Asia and Kazakhstan, and the production of weapons at factories in Moscow, Leningrad, and Tula was significantly increased. Under the leadership of Ustinov, in December 1941 the decline in production was stopped, and from the beginning of 1942 there was a general increase in production. The industry increased the production of weapons and continuously updated its artillery fleet and small arms. More than 40% of types of weapons were designed during the war. In 1944, D. Ustinov was awarded his first military rank - immediately lieutenant general of the engineering and artillery services.

Nuclear project and air defense system around the capital of the USSR.

After the war he remained in his position. The People's Commissariat of Armaments had no direct relation to rocket technology, but already in 1945 Dmitry Ustinov gave the correct forecast for the development military equipment and weapons. Largely thanks to his persistence, the Decree of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was issued on May 13, 1946, which provided for the establishment of a missile industry, a missile test site and specialized missile units. The country created a Special Committee on Jet Technology under the Council of Ministers of the USSR (the so-called “Committee No. 2”), in which the nominal leader was, but in fact it was managed by his deputy D.F. Ustinov. In 1946, a reform of the People's Commissariats took place, and the Ministry of Armaments of the USSR appeared, which he headed. The 7th Main Directorate was created in the USSR Ministry of Defense, which was exclusively engaged in the development and implementation of missile projects. At the legendary first launch of the R-1 rocket on October 18, 1947, Ustinov was deputy chairman state commission. Under his direct control in 1950, the Third Main Directorate of the Council of Ministers of the USSR (TSU) was created. In the shortest possible time - in four and a half years, they created the Moscow air defense system, where the S-25 systems were on duty.

Nuclear fleet and the first manned flight into space.

After the death of L.I. Brezhnev, which followed on November 10, 1982, D.F. Ustinov supported the candidacy of Yu.V. Andropov to the post of General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, overcoming the resistance of internal party groups who wanted to see K.U. Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in this post. Chernenko. However, Andropov, having served as Secretary General for only one year and three months, died on February 9, 1984. After the death of Yu.V. Andropov, Ustinov yielded to Chernenkov the post of General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee (February 1983). Due to internal political reasons, he contributed to his promotion to the second role in the party.

Military training.

A particularly important merit of D. F. Ustinov is rightfully considered to be the establishment, improvement, development and achievement maximum results in the system of exercises of the highest bodies of military command and troops. Even the names of the exercises: “Center”, “West”, “East”, “South”, conducted by D. F. Ustinov with the help of the General Staff, show a wide coverage of the country’s defense problems in all geostrategic directions.

Of all the exercises conducted by D. F. Ustinov, the strategic exercises “Zapad-81” (September 1981) should be especially highlighted in terms of significance, scale and results. Senior officials of the participating states were invited to them. Almost all branches and types of troops: army, aviation, navy, Strategic Missile Forces, airborne troops, railway troops - on the territory of Belarus, the Baltic states, in the waters of several seas, became the largest-scale exercises of the ATS countries. Died after returning from joint exercises of the Armed Forces of the participating countries Warsaw Pact. I felt a general malaise, a slight fever and changes in the lungs. It turned out that the minister’s heart disease worsened due to the flu. It was decided to perform heart surgery on him, which was quite successful, but his body malfunctioned and the blood did not want to clot, which led to death. Around the same time and with the same clinical picture The defense ministers of the GDR, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, G. Hoffmann (12/02/1984), Olah (12/15/1984) and M. Dzur (12/16/1984), who participated in the maneuvers, fell ill and suddenly died.

Dmitry Ustinov became the last of the Soviet statesmen whose ashes, placed in an urn, were walled up in the Kremlin wall in Moscow.

A lesson in courage “Marshal D.F. Ustinov is our fellow countryman"

Dmitry Fedorovich Ustinov– (1908, Samara-1984, Moscow) Soviet political and

military figure. Marshal of the Soviet Union (1976). Twice Hero Socialist Labor

Hero of the Soviet Union (1978).

This is our fellow countryman. During his lifetime, this man was respected by many, some were even afraid. They were afraid because they knew discipline was above all else for him. This man enjoyed Stalin’s unlimited trust; Khrushchev listened to his opinion; Brezhnev could not make a single important decision.

He is an entire era, personifying all the greatness and power of the Soviet empire. After all, all my long life he had to oversee issues of defense and army capability. H-bomb, the first satellites of the earth, the first flight of an astronaut, Afghanistan. And these are not all the pages of history that our fellow countryman had to “flip through.”

He was born on October 30, 1908 in the city of Samara. He was the youngest of four children in the family. Little Mitya was never spoiled by anyone. The exception was the beloved grandmother Euphrosyne, who constantly bought sweets and told bedtime stories.

The Ustinovs were from peasants. They were driven to Samara by severe need. The boy knew firsthand what hunger was and how it was possible to stretch a small crust over three days. Since childhood, Mitya was a brave boy. Once he saved his friend Sasha, who almost drowned in the Volga. Still would. He swam across the Volga more than once.

When Mitya was 11 years old, he went to work as a courier, and later got a job as a laborer at a factory.

Soon a terrible drought hit the Volga region. The Ustinov family left for Samarkand. Then there was service in the Red Army. Mitya Ustinov became a fighter in a special forces unit at the age of fourteen. Then - studying at a vocational school, working as a mechanic. In 1922 joined

volunteered for the Red Army (ChON detachments) in Samarkand. In 1923, volunteered in the 12th Turkestan Regiment. By the way, the head of this regiment was Vasily Sokolovsky, later the well-known Marshal of the Soviet Union. He took part in hostilities with the Basmachi. That same autumn he was demobilized and he returned to his beloved grandmother Efrosinya Martynovna, who then lived in the town of Makaryev, Ivano-Voznesensk province. There Dmitry entered a vocational school.

Higher education Dmitry Ustinov received it already in Leningrad, where in 1934

graduated from the Military Mechanical Institute. Specialty - design engineer. In those years, he met his love Taisiya, whom he soon married. His classmates respected Midya and were a little afraid of him. They respected his strength of character, but feared him for his wit. Even then, in his twenties, this blond guy had an organizational streak. One teacher said, prophesizing: “You, Ustinov, can become a people’s commissar.”

At the age of 29, he became the plant director of the closed Bolshevik military plant. A few years later, Ustinov was appointed People's Commissar of Armaments of the Red Army. The youngest Stalinist

People's Commissar - he is only 32 years old. Ustinov became People's Commissar of Armaments a few days before the start of the Great Patriotic War. And then throughout the war he headed industry, which provided the army with weapons and ammunition. Crown political career- Marshal of the Soviet Union, Minister of Defense of the USSR, member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. In Kuibyshev there were the most important

enterprises of the defense and rocket-space complex, and Ustinov personally supervised them.

Today, the life of Dmitry Ustinov, on whose shoulders the leadership of the People's Commissariat of Armaments was shouldered during the Great Patriotic War, is narrated by his grandson - Sergey Alexandrovich NEMTSOV.“This episode shows how he knew how to work. Shortly before the start of the war, a number of Leningrad factories received the latest imported equipment. Its installation took a long time; a commission of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, headed by Beria, arrived in Leningrad to inspect it. Ustinov and other directors were summoned to a Politburo meeting, where Beria presented photographs of empty workshops. Stalin demanded an explanation. In response, Ustinov showed photos taken a day after the commission left: the equipment had already been installed and was producing products, which impressed the leader - it was then that he drew attention to his grandfather.”

During the war, he was one of the organizers of the evacuation to the USSR during the Great Patriotic War industry to the east.

During the first three months of the war, 1,360 large enterprises of the People's Commissariat were evacuated to the eastern regions (Sverdlovsk, Perm, Izhevsk, Chelyabinsk, Miass, Kazan, Gorky, Kuibyshev). 455 factories were located in the Urals, 210 in Western Siberia, 250 in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. The enormous merit of D.F. Ustinov is not only the preservation, but also the increase in the output of the People's Commissariat in Moscow, Leningrad, Tula and other cities. During the most difficult days of the siege of Moscow, shells of mines, mortars, telephone sets, optical instruments, anti-tank guns and rifles were delivered to Moscow by plane from besieged Leningrad.

The production of weapons played a huge role during the war. D. F. Ustinov led a galaxy of talented engineers, designers and production managers. He proved himself to be a knowledgeable and well-versed leader. In the most difficult external and internal environment, he finds the only correct solution.

D.F. Ustinov stood at the very origins of the Soviet rocket and space industry, which began with the signed by I.V. Stalin absolutely secret decree Council of Ministers of the USSR dated May 13, 1946 No. 1017-419ss entitled “Issues of jet

weapons." Ministry of Defense Industry of the USSR D.F. Ustinov headed until December 1957

In April 1976, D.F. Ustinov was appointed Minister of Defense of the USSR, and soon he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

For eight years, D. F. Ustinov led the Armed Forces of the USSR (1976-1984). He rallied around himself a galaxy of talented, highly gifted military leaders - N.V. Ogarkov, S.L. Sokolov, V.G. Kulikov, A.A. Epishev, V.I. Petrov, S.K. Kurkotkin, S.G. Gorshkov, V.F. Tolubko, P.S. Kutakhov, V.I. Varennikov and others, managed to staff the Central Office of the Ministry of Defense with highly qualified personnel. Not ashamed of your age or your high position, the minister constantly studied, taught others, attracting the best scientists, teachers of the General Staff Academy, commanders of branches and branches of the military to the implementation of military science.

As Minister of Defense, D. F. Ustinov carried out a number of organizational measures, which in their consequences had the character and effectiveness of reforms. The forces and means of air defense of the Air Defense Forces of the country and border districts were united under the unified leadership of the commanders of the district troops. Military commissariats of all ranks are combined into one system with the bodies and troops of the Civil Defense.

Marshal Dmitry Ustinov was a member of the unofficial, “small” Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, which included the oldest and most influential members of the USSR leadership: the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Brezhnev, Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and chief ideologist of the CPSU Suslov, Chairman of the KGB, and later Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Andropov, Foreign Secretary Gromyko, Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Chernenko. The “small” Politburo accepted major decisions, which were then formally approved by a vote of the main Politburo, where they sometimes voted in absentia. When deciding to enter Soviet troops In Afghanistan, Ustinov supported Brezhnev, Andropov and Gromyko, and the entry of troops into Afghanistan was decided.

D. F. Ustinov’s major contribution to military history is the leadership and scientific editing of the major 12-volume work “History of the Second World War.”

The years that have passed since the publication of the publication have confirmed the scientific depth, objective reliability and convincing instructiveness, generalization of the war experience.

D. F. Ustinov wrote a number of books: “Selected Speeches and Articles” (1979), “Served the Motherland - the Cause of Communism” (1982), “In the Name of Victory: Notes of the People’s Commissar of Armaments” (1988).

The publishing house “Patriot” published the book by Yu. S. Ustinov “People’s Commissar. Minister. Marshall" (2002).

Ustinov, even after his appointment as Minister of Defense of the USSR, regularly came to the Kuibyshev rocket and space enterprises, but most often he had to be here in the early 80s.

In the fall of 1982, Ustinov came to Kuibyshev to present him with the next Order of Lenin. Here he visits his native home, standing on Samarskaya Street, in which completely different people live.

What was the fate of Ustinov’s closest people?

Ustinov studied at the Ivanovo Voznesensky Polytechnic Institute, where he met

his future wife- a shuyanka, then a student at the Faculty of Chemistry, Taisiya Alekseevna Brykalova,"which long years was a faithful comrade and friend. With whom we went through many trials hand in hand, shared grief and joy, raised and raised children.” They met at the institute’s evening of relaxation - Taisiya Alekseevna was very

a musical person, and singing and dancing have always been the family's favorite pastime

Ustinov Nikolay Dmitrievich (son) (1931-1992)

Specialty: Specialist in the field of radiophysics and laser technology. Scientist in the field of applied radiophysics and laser technology, founder of laser ranging, general designer of the Astrophysics Research and Production Association (Moscow). He was the chief designer of combat self-propelled laser systems 1K11 “Stilet” (in service since 1982), “Sangvin” (in service since 1983), etc. Author of over 100 scientific papers, holder of copyright certificates for more than 300 inventions.

Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences since 1981. Doctor of Technical Sciences (1977, Candidate of Technical Sciences since 1968). Professor (1978). He was a member of the interdepartmental council of the USSR Academy of Sciences, a member of the plenum of the Higher Certification Commission of the USSR, and a member of the editorial board of the journal Quantum Electronics. Awarded the Order of Lenin (1980), the Red Banner of Labor (1971), and medals “For Valiant Labor.”

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1970), "For labor distinction"(1966), "Veteran of Labor" (1984).

USSR State Prize in the field of science and technology (1975).

Vera Dmitrievna Ustinova (daughter)(1940-1989) was a singer by profession, sang

in the Academic Russian Choir named after Alexander Sveshnikov. She taught at the Moscow

conservatory.

Awards of the Soviet Union.

Hero of the Soviet Union (1978) Twice Hero of Socialist Labor (1942, 1961),

11 Orders of Lenin (1939, 1942, 1944, 1951, 1956, 1957-1958, 1968, 1971, 1978,1983)

Order of Suvorov, 1st degree (1945), Order of Kutuzov, 1st degree (1944)

17 USSR medals

Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1982), Laureate of the Stalin Prize, 1st degree (1953), Laureate of the USSR State Prize (1983)

Awards from foreign countries

Total medals and orders - 42 from 11 countries (Mongolia, Vietnam, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Peru, East Germany, Finland, Cuba, Afghanistan, Hungary)

Ustinov became the last whose ashes were placed in an urn in the Kremlin wall

In 1984, the city of Izhevsk was renamed Ustinov, three years later Izhevsk was returned to its previous name, and the Ustinovsky district remained in the city.

At the same time, the name of Marshal of the Soviet Union D.F. Ustinov was assigned to the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute. Currently, the university, having undergone changes in its name,

still bears the name of D. F. Ustinov, but without mention of military rank

In 1985, Osenny Boulevard in Moscow was renamed in honor of Ustinov, which became Marshal Ustinov Street, but in 1990 it was returned to its previous name.

The Northern Fleet includes the missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov.

In Ustinov's homeland - Samara - a square in the historical part of the city is named in his honor. This square appeared on Samara Square according to a 1948 project by A.A. Ter-Sarkisova

In 1977, a bronze bust of the twice Hero of the Socialist was unveiled in the center of the square.

Works of D.F. Ustinov.

For 45 years, Dmitry Fedorovich was closely involved in everything that is even indirectly included in the concept of the country's defense - from foot wraps to ballistic missiles. Amazing fate, amazing biography! Dmitry Fedorovich played an exceptional role in the creation

a fundamentally new type of strategic weapons, ballistic missiles, by making a correct forecast of the development of military equipment and weapons.

Largely thanks to his persistence, the creation of a rocket industry, a missile test site and specialized military units began. Under his personal leadership, the Topol and Voevoda intercontinental ballistic missiles were developed.

Thanks to his main efforts, the army received modern tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and aircraft. Airborne troops acquired an airborne combat vehicle capable of landing with its crew.

The fleet received aircraft-carrying cruisers for the first time.

Great historical figures are always controversial and contradictory. They also make big mistakes. Responsibility for sending our troops into Afghanistan falls solely on the Andropov-Gromyko-Ustinov triumverate.

You can watch a historical film about Marshal Ustinov (39 minutes)

Slide 23 Internet resources

portrait

early years

1944

website

The order of Lenin

Order of Suvorov

Order of Kutuzov

historical film about Marshal Ustinov

background

jeon

Biography

USTINOV Dmitry Fedorovich (10/17/1908 - 12/20/1984 (all dates before February 1918 are given in the old style), Soviet statesman and military leader. Marshal of the Soviet Union. Born in Samara, into a working-class family. In 1922 D.F. Ustinov volunteered to join the Red Army, and after demobilization he graduated from a vocational school in 1927 and from the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute in 1934.

Since 1934 - engineer at the Artillery Naval Research Institute, head of the operation and experimental work bureau, deputy chief designer, director of the Bolshevik plant. Since 1941 - People's Commissar of Armaments of the USSR, made a great contribution to the development of the production of artillery and small arms, to the solution of complex scientific and technical problems in the creation of new models.

Since 1946 D.F. Ustinov - Minister of Armaments, since 1953 - Minister of Defense Industry of the USSR. In 1957 he was appointed deputy, and in 1963 - first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, chairman of the Supreme Council of the National Economy of the USSR. Successfully ensured the fulfillment of government tasks for the creation and development of modern means armed struggle and the development of missile technology.

In April 1976, D.F. Ustinov was appointed Minister of Defense of the USSR. In 1976, Ustinov was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. Made a great contribution to strengthening the country's defense capability, increasing the combat power of the Armed Forces and branches of the armed forces, completed the creation of a system of strategic management of the Armed Forces and their groups with the introduction the latest systems and automated control means.

His merit is the creation in the countries of the Warsaw Treaty Organization of their own military industry and equipping the allied armies with the latest military equipment and weapons. Dmitry Fedorovich paid much attention to military historical science and the history of weapons and military equipment as its component.

D.F. Ustinov is a Hero of the Soviet Union and twice Hero of Socialist Labor, awarded 11 Orders of Lenin, the Order of Suvorov 1st class, the Order of Kutuzov 1st class, medals of the USSR, orders and medals of foreign countries. Laureate of the Lenin and two State Prizes of the USSR.

110 years ago, on October 30, 1908, the future Soviet statesman and military leader Dmitry Ustinov was born.

For 40 years he was one of the most influential people in the USSR. The name of Dmitry Ustinov is directly associated with the implementation of the atomic project, the rearmament of the army with nuclear missiles, the creation of a reliable air defense shield for the country, and the deployment and operation of the ocean-going nuclear fleet.

Dmitry Fedorovich was born on October 17 (30), 1908 in Samara into a large working family and learned working life early. In 1922, Dmitry began serving as a volunteer in the CHON (special purpose units), then served in the 12th Turkestan Rifle Regiment. Participated in military skirmishes with Basmachi bandits. After demobilization, he worked at the Balakhna pulp and paper factory and at the same time studied at the Makaryevsk vocational school. Then he left for Ivanovo-Voznesensk, where he worked at the Ivanovo-Voznesensk textile factory. In 1929, he entered the mechanical faculty of the Polytechnic Institute and entered the Moscow Higher Technical School. Bauman. In 1932, he was first transferred to the Mechanical Engineering Institute, and then to the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute. There Dmitry received basic knowledge on the structure of the Soviet Armed Forces, their logistics and personnel support system.

In 1934, he began working at the Leningrad Artillery Research Maritime Institute as a design engineer. The rapid industrialization of the USSR opened up the path to leadership positions for people with excellent technical education. During this period, Dmitry Fedorovich received the necessary lessons in organization, efficiency, and a systematic approach from Academician A.N. Krylova. At the same time, Ustinov mastered the principle of combining fundamental scientific research, development work and production, which led to the timely updating of technological processes, technologies and equipment.

In 1937, Dmitry Fedorovich was transferred to the design bureau of the Bolshevik plant (formerly the Obukhov plant). In 1938 he headed the enterprise. Dmitry Ustinov I worked hard, 12-14 hours a day, with virtually no rest. I slept only 4-6 hours, sometimes I went to bed at 3 am, and was already working at 6 am. And he worked tirelessly all day, setting an example for those around him. He will retain this habit throughout his life. Dmitry distinguished himself as a talented production organizer, quickly delved into all matters, participated in the design of new types of ship weapons, and took part in tests. Already in 1939, the plant was awarded the Order of Lenin, 116 of its workers were awarded state awards. Dmitry Ustinov received his first Order of Lenin. In total, during his labor-filled life, Ustinov became a holder of eleven Orders of Lenin (there were only two such people).

It is also worth noting high human qualities of Dmitry Fedorovich. When Ustinov, already as Minister of Defense, traveled around the country, he always refused to take part in the traditional feasts organized for the arrival of the distinguished guest. He said: “You sit, eat, and I’ll go talk to the soldiers and officers.” Colonel General Ivashov, who worked for a long time next to Ustinov, noted that after Dmitry Fedorovich became Minister of Defense, drinking, partying, and hunting trips among employees of the defense department stopped (although they were a long-standing tradition). For Ustinov, nothing existed except public service. At the same time, he had a good understanding of people and sought to work with the best, who combined military, technical and human qualities. Therefore, advancement up the personnel ladder under Ustinov was based only on professional qualities. He was distinguished by his “Stalinist” demands on people; the higher the position, the greater the responsibility.

On June 9, 1941, Ustinov, at the age of 33, headed the People's Commissariat of Armaments of the USSR. It was a highly responsible defense industry that supplied its products not only to the active army, but also to the tank, aviation and shipbuilding industries. The main products of the People's Commissariat of Armaments were artillery systems. Stalin personally controlled the activities of the People's Commissariat and gave great value"God of War" (artillery).

Dmitry Fedorovich made a great contribution to the overall victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany. We had to work even more intensively than in pre-war times. Sometimes they worked for 2-3 days in a row. The boundaries between day and night were erased. In the first months of the war, a huge amount of work had to be done to evacuate millions of people, hundreds of enterprises and tens of thousands of pieces of equipment. During these difficult days, People's Commissar Ustinov often visited factories and helped set up factories in new locations. Thus, on June 29, the evacuation of the largest enterprise in the industry, Arsenal, began. In August, literally before the eyes of the Germans, the last echelon was sent. Production began on the third day! The People's Commissariat was also evacuated to Perm. An operational group led by Ustinov remained in Moscow, another was sent to Kuibyshev, where the Soviet government was evacuated. At the same time, it was necessary to increase and organize the production of weapons. Every day the activities of the People's Commissariat of Armaments were reported personally to Stalin.

The work was organized in such a way that in December 1941 the decline in production was stopped, and from the beginning of 1942 there was already a general increase in arms production. Nobody in the West expected this. The restructuring of the national economy on a war footing in the Soviet Union was completed in the shortest possible time. The plan by the end of 1942 was not only fulfilled, but also exceeded. And this is a huge merit of the People's Commissar himself, the designer, organizer and caring boss. Dmitry Fedorovich knew every shop manager at all enterprises, designers and the best workers, he knew production perfectly across the entire range of products and problem areas in every workshop.

When, by the beginning of December 1941, the decision was made to create strategic reserves to strengthen active army, Ustinov accurately determined the volume of weapons and equipment for hundreds of rifle, artillery, anti-aircraft and tank formations of the RGK. To arm the strategic reserve units, they quickly organized the production and supply of weapons with factories that were scattered throughout the Union. In 1942, Ustinov was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

It was a well-deserved reward. Ustinov was one of the “Soviet titans” who forged the victory of the USSR. As the head of the Main Artillery Directorate Nikolai Yakovlev noted, remembering those who ensured victory over Germany: “For some reason I remember the young People’s Commissar of Armaments Dmitry Fedorovich Ustinov: Agile, with a sharp look of intelligent eyes, an unruly shock of golden hair. I don’t know when he slept, but it seemed like he was always on his feet. He was distinguished by his constant cheerfulness and great friendliness towards people: He was a supporter of quick and bold decisions, and had a thorough understanding of the most complex technical problems. And at the same time he did not lose his human qualities for a minute. I remember when we literally ran out of energy at long and frequent meetings, Dmitry Fedorovich’s bright smile and appropriate joke relieved the tension and poured new strength into the people around him. It seemed like he could handle absolutely everything!”

Thanks to Ustinov and other workers, Soviet industry surpassed German industry in volume and quality of products. The correspondence duel of the German Imperial Minister A. Speer with D. F. Ustinov ended in favor of Stalin’s “iron commissar”. Thus, on average, per year, the enterprises of the People's Commissariat of Armaments provided the Red Army with one and a half times more guns and 5 times more mortars than the industry of the German Empire and the countries it occupied.

After the war, Dmitry Fedorovich retained his post, only in 1946 he changed his name - the People's Commissariat was transformed into a ministry. Ustinov became the Minister of Armaments of the USSR and held this post until 1953. In this period Dmitry Ustinov played important role in the development of a rocket project, thanks to which Russia is still a great power with which other powers are forced to reckon. Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed that the masters of the West are ready to use the most destructive weapons against the enemy - atomic bombs, and only the possession of advanced weapons will preserve the security of the peoples of the USSR. Ustinov, coordinating the work of the research institute, design bureau, industrial enterprises for the needs of the country's defense, played an extremely important role in the creation of a fundamentally new type of strategic weapons - ballistic missiles. The People's Commissariat of Armaments was not directly related to rocket technology, but already in 1945, Dmitry Ustinov gave a correct forecast for the development of military equipment and weapons. Largely thanks to his persistence, the Decree of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was issued on May 13, 1946, which provided for the establishment of a missile industry, a missile test site and specialized missile units. It is not for nothing that Dmitry Ustinov was the deputy chairman of the state commission on October 18, 1948 at the first launch of the A-4 ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar test site.

In 1953, Ustinov became the Minister of Defense Industry of the USSR, the old department was enlarged. During this period, being an ardent admirer of the development of advanced types of weapons, Ustinov played a major role in strengthening the nuclear missile potential of the Soviet Union. Supporting Khrushchev and moving up the administrative ladder - having received the post of chairman of the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR, and deputy (since 1963 - first deputy) chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Dmitry Ustinov pushed the interests of the military-industrial complex and the nuclear missile industry. What’s interesting is that Ustinov did not renounce Stalin during the years of debunking the “cult of personality.”

In 1957, Ustinov became the head of the acceptance of the first nuclear submarine. Dmitry Fedorovich played an outstanding role in the creation and deployment of the ocean-going nuclear fleet. Ustinov became " godfather» many nuclear-powered ships, including heavy missile submarines strategic purpose Project 941 "Shark". Ustinov also played a major role in the development of the electronics industry, necessary for the development of the defense complex, primarily missile weapons. On his initiative, Zelenograd was founded, focused on the development of electronics and microelectronics.

Khrushchev, who was himself an active supporter of missile development, supported Ustinov. True, the process of strengthening the nuclear missile potential of the USSR took place at the expense of conventional weapons; during the reign of Khrushchev, many non-nuclear missile projects suffered great damage, and conventional armed forces were sharply reduced with the disposal of a huge amount of modern weapons. Suffered serious damage during this period soviet fleet. It must be said that Ustinov shared the then popular opinion among the top Soviet leadership about the obsolescence of large surface ships.

After Nikita Khrushchev was removed from power, Ustinov, although he left his post in the Council of Ministers, retained influence in the military industry. It must be said that Ustinov, who initially supported Khrushchev, in particular during the speech of the so-called. Anti-party group, eventually became an active participant in the anti-Khrushchev conspiracy. It is obvious that over time he saw Khrushchev’s sabotage role in the country’s defense capability. Since 1976, Ustinov headed the USSR Ministry of Defense and became a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. In the political field, Ustinov supported Brezhnev to the last.

Secretary General

Having enormous influence in the military-industrial complex, Ustinov, although he eliminated a number of obvious distortions in the development of the Soviet military machine, was unable to change the general trend. As a result, the interests of the military-industrial complex most often stood above the interests of the armed forces, and the defense order was formed based on the interests of industry. Among the most famous examples such a imbalance: the adoption in the 1960-1970s of three tanks that were similar in combat capabilities, but seriously different in design (T-64, T-72, T-80); diversity of the Navy's missile systems with a tendency to build new ships for each new complex, instead of modernizing the previous ones. In addition, Ustinov was one of the main opponents of the construction of aircraft carriers classic type, which led to the emergence of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers.

Having become the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Ustinov radically changed military doctrine. Before him, the armed forces of the USSR were preparing for a high-intensity non-nuclear conflict in Europe and on Far East, where powerful armored forces were to play the main role. Dmitry Fedorovich placed the main emphasis on the dramatic increase and modernization of the operational-tactical nuclear potential of the Soviet troops in the European direction. The medium-range missile system RSD-10 "Pioneer" (SS-20) and the operational-tactical systems OTR-22 and OTR-23 "Oka" were supposed to pave the way for USSR tank divisions in Europe. Ustinov completed the creation of a strategic management system for the Armed Forces and their groups with the introduction of the latest systems and automated control tools. Also, his merit is the creation in the countries of the Warsaw Treaty Organization of their own military industry and equipping the allied armies with the latest military equipment and weapons.

Many contemporaries noted the ability of Marshal of the Soviet Union Ustinov to select the best and most effective projects from the available ones. So, a whole layer of great life statesman was associated with the organization of air defense of the USSR. Back in 1948, Joseph Stalin set the task of organizing a reliable defense of Moscow. In 1950, the Third Main Directorate of the Council of Ministers of the USSR (TSU) was created. In the shortest possible time - in four and a half years, they created the Moscow air defense system, where the S-25 systems were on duty. For its time, it was a technical masterpiece - the first multi-channel anti-aircraft missile system. With the support of Ustinov, the S-125 short-range anti-aircraft missile system was adopted in 1961. Ustinov was also an active supporter of the adoption of the S-200 long-range anti-aircraft missile system. Under his control, the S-300 air defense systems were created. Knowing perfectly all the previous systems, Dmitry Fedorovich delved into the smallest details and made the most stringent requirements for the new anti-aircraft missile system.

It must be said that in fact under the leadership of Ustinov, who became the only domestic leader of this rank who occupied key positions in the USSR defense complex under Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko, such an effective and strong national defense system was created that it allowed Russia for a long time be safe even after the collapse of the USSR. Under Ustinov’s leadership, almost all types of main weapons that are now in service with the Russian Armed Forces were developed and put into production. These are T-72 and T-80 tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters, Tu-160 strategic bomber, S-300 air defense system and many other types of weapons and equipment that have still retained their combat capabilities. efficiency and compelling the world restrain its aggression towards Russian civilization. These types of weapons and their modifications will protect Russia for a long time. And this is the merit of the “Stalinist People’s Commissar” Dmitry Fedorovich Ustinov. Thanks to such titanic people, the Soviet Union was a superpower that maintained peace throughout the planet. When the last titans like Ustinov left, they were able to destroy the Soviet Union.

Ustinov headed the Ministry of Defense until his death on December 20, 1984. He died at a combat post. D. F. Ustinov - Hero of the Soviet Union and twice Hero of Socialist Labor, awarded 11 Orders of Lenin, Order of Suvorov 1st class, Order of Kutuzov 1st class, medals of the USSR, orders and medals of foreign countries. Laureate of the Lenin and two State Prizes of the USSR.

Ustinov Dmitry Fedorovich
3.10.1908–20.12.1984

Marshal of the Soviet Union,
Minister of Defense of the USSR

Originally from Samara, grew up in a working-class family. In 1922–1923 he served in the Red Army.

After service, he graduated from vocational school and fur. Institute (1934). He worked as a mechanic, engineer, designer, and plant director. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945), only 33 years old, on the instructions of I.V. Stalin, he was appointed People's Commissar of Armaments, made a major contribution to achieving victory, for which in 1942 he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

In 1953 he was awarded the “Stalin Prize” 1st class.

After the war - Minister of Armaments, Minister of Defense Industry, Deputy. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR. In 1961 he was awarded the second Gold Medal "Hammer and Sickle". In 1965–1976, he coordinated and directed the work of scientific institutions, design bureaus, and defense industrial enterprises. From 1976 to 1984 he was the Minister of Defense of the USSR. July 30, 1976 D.F. Ustinov was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In connection with the 70th anniversary of his birth, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Laureate of Lenin (1982) and State Prizes (1953, 1983).

He was buried on Red Square in Moscow near the Kremlin wall.

A bronze bust was installed in Samara.

Marshall D.F. Awards Ustinova:

Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (10/27/1978), 2 Gold medals “Hammer and Sickle” of the Hero of Socialist Labor (06/3/1942, 06/7/1961),
11 Orders of Lenin,
Order of Suvorov 1st degree,
Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
16 medals,
as well as orders and medals of foreign countries; he was awarded the title of Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (10/6/1982).

V.A. Egorshin, “Field Marshals and Marshals.” M., 2000

Ustinov Dmitry Fedorovich

Born October 17 (October 30), 1908 in Samara; Russian. In 1927 he graduated from a vocational school in Makaryev, in 1934 - from the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute.

In 1922, he volunteered to join the Red Army and served as a private. After demobilization in 1923, he worked his way up from a mechanic to a plant director.

During the Great Patriotic War - People's Commissar of Armaments of the USSR (1941–1946).

After the war - Minister of Armaments of the USSR (1946–1953), Minister of Defense Industry of the USSR (1953–1957).

In 1955, the Ministry of Defense decided to “... consider the Minister of Defense of the USSR to be in active military service from the day he was assigned a military rank with secondment to the Ministry of Defense Industry of the USSR.”

From 1957 to 1963 - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, from 1963 to 1965 - First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR, from 1965 to 1976 - Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, from 1976 Mr. - Minister of Defense of the USSR.

D. F. Ustinov - Hero of the Soviet Union (10/27/1978), twice Hero of Socialist Labor (1942, 1961). He was awarded 11 Orders of Lenin, the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree, and the Order of Kutuzov, 1st degree. 16 medals, as well as orders and medals of foreign countries. D. F. Ustinov is a laureate of the Lenin (1982) and State Prizes (1953, 1983).

Marshal Ustinov: the last defender of socialism. Alexey Semenov - Marshal

Biography

Ustinov Dmitry Fedorovich