By the summer of 1943, fundamental changes had already taken place in the Great Patriotic War. The front line moved to the west. Almost directly, it rested at one end in Leningrad, the other in the Black Sea coast. Only in the area of Orel, Kursk, and Belgorod did this line form a bulge. In military history, it received the name of the Kursk Bulge.

It was here that the Nazis concentrated large forces during the hot summer months. On July 5, 1943, the Soviet command countered the German offensive against the northern and southern flanks of the Kursk salient with a strong defense. The enemy, which was attacking Kursk from the north, was stopped after four days.

Soviet troops, having largely drained the enemy of blood, launched a counteroffensive on July 12. Then, in the area of the Prokhorovka railway station, the largest tank battle of the Second World War took place (up to 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns on both sides). Developing the offensive, the Soviet troops to 23 August otbresti enemy 140-150 km, liberating Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov.

On this day, the Battle of Kursk ended. The following letters from fallen soldiers describe the details of the battles, during which the Wehrmacht's offensive strategy and its efforts to turn the tide of the war in its favor ultimately failed.

"Hello, my dears, dear father, mother, Yulia, and Rita! I send you all a warm greeting from the front. I'm still alive and well. I'm participating in fierce battles with the enemy. The Germans are advancing again. The artillery and German mortars are firing. The front lines are engulfed in flames. Our soldiers are heroically repelling the enemy. They have deployed many tanks. I haven't seen the superiority of our aviation yet, but now our planes are constantly bombing his troops...

There are even more difficult battles ahead. He wants to surround and destroy us. But we're more likely to do the same to him. In our sector... they're launching psychological attacks... The enemy will make a mistake again. I was slightly wounded in the thigh, and the wound has already healed. I'm happy because the shell landed nearby. Hello to everyone.

Goodbye. L. Ruban.

8.07.43"

As an eighteen-year-old boy in 1942, Leonid Feodosievich Ruban joined the army. He graduated from the junior commanders ' course for the Guards mortar units - the famous "Katyusha". As a commander of the M-13 combat unit, he fought in the 314th Guards Mortar Regiment of the Voronezh Front. In battles with the enemy of the Guard, Sergeant Ruban showed courage and bravery, for which he was presented with the Order of the Patriotic War II degree. However, the award had not yet been sent to the higher headquarters, and after Leonid Feodosyevich's death, the commander of the 439th Separate Guards Mortar Division, Captain M. Valuykin, added an amendment to the award sheet:

"On July 13, he destroyed 2 German tanks and several dozens of infantry with the fire of his installation. While firing on enemy tanks and infantry attacking our positions under enemy mortar fire, com. Ruban died a brave death. On the account of the installation of General Sergeant Ruban over a hundred destroyed Germans, 4 tanks and 1 six-barrelled mortar of the enemy."

"Hello, Katya! On July 21, my unit went on an attack against the Nazis. We captured a village. Of course, the Nazis could not withstand our onslaught, and their resistance was broken. I personally took two Nazis prisoner, Katya. Even so, I continued to command my company.

The task that was set was completed... I didn't tell you the reason for the delay in reading your letters, Katya. The fascist air force was interfering, as we were moving westward and were about 10 to 12 kilometers away from Orel. The invader was exerting all its efforts to save its retreating troops.

Although it is no secret that the enemy is strong, the Red Army is stronger than the enemy... The Russians are advancing westward...

23.07.43.

This is one of the last letters to his wife, Ekaterina Alekseevna, from Lieutenant Mikhail Leontyevich Simakhin, commander of a company in the 447th Rifle Regiment of the 397th Rifle Division. The following is a citation for the Order of the Red Banner:

"Taking part in offensive battles since 17.7.43, com. Simahin proved to be a strong-willed and courageous commander. Skilfully combining fire and movement, the company occupied 6 settlements in hard-fought battles. On August 8, 1943, advancing on the village of Dvory, the company was held up by heavy rifle and machine-gun fire. Tov. Simakhin advanced, discovered two machine guns, and called in artillery fire, which suppressed the machine guns. He then led his company in a bayonet charge. The Germans, unable to fight back, began to retreat. Suddenly, a sniper bullet struck the hero-commander in the chest. His soldiers, inspired by their commander's determination, captured the village and secured their position.

"Dear brother Styopa, I welcome you!.. I haven't been out of the fire since the fourth of July. The fascists will get a kick in the teeth. "Who else wants to go to Moscow? I shout as we fire the missiles down the throat of the damned enemy. "Who else wants it?".. "

The Nazis don't like our Katyushas. They're looking for us day and night...

Be healthy and unharmed... I embrace you. Your brother Victor. 30.07.43"

From the very beginning of the Battle of Kursk, the commander of the fire platoon of the 226th Guards Mortar Regiment, Lieutenant Viktor Stepanovich Sidorov, did not leave the battlefield. On July 30, 1943, the day the last letter was written, he was severely wounded and died in a hospital on August 5.

"In my previous letter, I promised to write to you about all my activities in more detail... Let me start from the beginning. On the evening of August 1, under the cover of darkness, I drove my car to help my comrades. The night and the next day were relatively calm... On August 3, artillery preparation began in the morning...

After the artillery preparation and the air raid, the enemy tanks launched a counterattack against us. Fifteen German tanks were moving along the hill... When they were closer, about 600 meters away, I and the others opened fire on them. With the first shell, I knocked out all the camouflage and the tops of the nearby pine trees with an air wave. I could clearly see these bastards. I loaded an armor-piercing shell and, with the nth shot, hit and set fire to one German T-IV tank. After that, I fired a few more shots... I knocked out another tank... The battle lasted five hours. During this time, we knocked out 21 German tanks together with the artillerymen, including three Tigers...

Today, the radio reported that the Eagle had been captured... That's all I have to do...

6.08.43"

Most of Lieutenant Lev Nikolaevich Malinovsky's military career was spent with the 1st Tank Corps, which played a significant role in the Battle of Kursk. In his letters to his family, Lev Nikolaevich shared stories about these battles. For his bravery and courage, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, Second Class.

L.N. Malinovsky was killed on December 15, 1943, in a battle near the village of Pylki in the Gorodoksky District of the Vitebsk Region. Posthumously, Lev Nikolaevich was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, First Class.

"Good afternoon, my dear... Since August 1, 1943, I have been on the front line. For more than a month now, I have been engaged in continuous, intense, and fierce battles...

Yesterday, August 18, I was wounded for the second time. Both wounds were minor... The battle ended, and I went to the medical unit at night. But tomorrow or the day after, I'll be back on the front lines. I'm so angry at the Germans that I'm ready to shoot them all in the head.

I'm a platoon commander, and I'm young and inexperienced to lead men into battle, but I do lead... I've been awarded...

Mother, if I die, know that I died for the honor of my country, for the happiness of all of you...

19.08.43"

Yes, on September 19, 1943, in the battles for the village of Kichkitovka in the Krasnokutsky District of the Kharkiv Region, the commander of a rifle platoon of the 294th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 97th Guards Rifle Division, Lieutenant Mikhail Nikolaevich Ivanov, the author of this letter, was killed for the sake of his homeland and the happiness of his family. The 97th Guards Rifle Division participated in the Belgorod-Kharkiv Offensive Operation. The following lines from Lieutenant Ivanov's award sheet provide insight into his bravery in the August battles:

"In the battles of 12 and 13.8.43, near the Gavrishi station, a counterattack was launched by two infantry companies and 30 tanks. At the most critical moment of the battle, Lieutenant Ivanov personally used a heavy machine gun to cut off the advancing infantry from the tanks and destroyed up to 30 fascists with flanking fire, thereby helping to repel the counterattack. Despite being wounded in this battle, he did not leave the battlefield...

For his personal courage, bravery, and ability to lead combat operations, Lieutenant T. Ivanov is worthy of the government award of the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class, posthumously.

The significance of the Battle of Kursk cannot be overestimated. As a result of this victory, Soviet troops expelled the Nazis from the Left-Bank Ukraine and the Donbas, crossed the Dnieper River, and liberated Kiev on November 6. Offensive battles were successfully conducted in the south of the country. The enemy withdrew from Novorossiysk and the North Caucasus, and the Taman Peninsula was liberated in early October. In October, a number of eastern regions of Belarus were cleared of the Nazis. This was largely facilitated by the active combat operations of partisans and underground fighters in various regions of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. We will tell our readers about the last letters of the patriots who died behind enemy lines, and their courage and heroism, in the next issue of the magazine.

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