Are heroic actions of people possible in our time? We know a lot about the exploits of Soviet soldiers that took place on the battlefield. Is there a place of selflessness at the present time? Indeed, today a crisis is rampant, there is a constant increase in prices, and many do not have confidence in the future. But, despite all this, we can safely say that the heroic actions of people in our time are possible. After all, there will always be a courageous person who, with a risk to his life, will do something that he simply cannot but do.
Concept of feat
How to describe the heroic deeds of people in our time? An essay on this subject must begin with a definition of the concept of “feat”. And for this it is worth referring to the dictionary of V.I. Dahl. The author explains the word “feat” as a glorious, important deed, valiant deed or deed. What are the roots of this concept? The word “feat” comes from “push”, “push”, “push forward”, “move”. In turn, “pushing” means nothing more than forcing you to do something or induce. Such an explanation gives reason to talk about the feat as an act connected with righteousness and spirituality, as well as with high moral principles of the person who committed it.
What about an act that involves material interest or self-interest? By definition, it does not fall under the rank of feat. Indeed, this selfless act is an important thing for people, committed without any selfish purpose. It is not for nothing that the one who performs the feat in Russia is called a hero.
Dahl's dictionary contains another interpretation of the word "feat." This is "hard and selfless work, an important undertaking, a cause." These are labor feats. Nowadays in Russia, they are associated with scientific discoveries, with the release of products, with the staging of performances or the creation of films that do not leave spectators indifferent.
The highest government award of Russia
During the existence of the USSR, for the accomplishment of military and labor feats, they were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and awarded a medal called the "Golden Star". However, other times have come. The Soviet Union did not, and others replaced the previous awards. 03/20/1992 the Russian government established a new title - Hero of the Russian Federation, which corresponds to the award - the "Golden Star" medal. The material for making the latter is gold.
This medal is in the shape of a five-pointed star. On its back there is an inscription - “Hero of Russia”. The ribbon for the medal is painted in the colors of the national flag. The president personally presents this award and only once.
The first heroes of the Russian Federation
Sometimes selfless affairs are unknown to a wide range of citizens. And this often distinguishes the heroic deeds of people in our time. For the first time, the newly established award was presented in 1992. There were two heroes. However, one of them received a high rank and a medal posthumously.
Award No. 1 was received by SK Krikalev, who for a long time stayed at the Mir space orbital station. In those years, this was a real record.
The award, having number two, was awarded to Major General Oskanov S.O. On February 7, 1992, he performed a training flight, which he had to make in difficult weather conditions. At this time, the MIG-29 plane manned by him was denied the auto horizon. Poor visibility caused the pilot to lose spatial orientation. Leaving the cloud zone, Oskanov suddenly saw an approaching village. It was the village of Hvorostyanka, located in the Dobrinsky district of the Lipetsk region. At the cost of his life, the Major General prevented the plane from falling onto residential buildings.
What is the highest award for?
People who have committed heroic deeds are nowadays marked by the state. And today there are quite a lot of them. According to official figures, about a thousand Golden Star medals have been awarded today for the exploits of people.
Most of these heroes received their award for military merit. Among them were about a hundred participants in the war with Nazi Germany, who did not receive a high rank in previous years. Unfortunately, almost all of them received their medal posthumously.
The feats of the heroes of Russia these days for the hostilities in Chechnya were also highly praised. Their number amounted to almost five hundred people.
In addition, the title of Hero of the Russian Federation was assigned to the military and special services officers who performed feats outside the combat zone. In the list of award recipients you can also find citizens of the country working as testers, rescuers, astronauts, etc.
Military Awards
The heroic actions of people in our time, as in previous years, are often committed during the period of military service. Exploits in the life of the military are far from uncommon, because almost every medal presented is a reward for military operations. Often she finds her hero posthumously.
We list some of the military who received the highest state award:
- Vorobyov Dmitry. He received his award in 2000 at the age of 25. She was appropriated for an operation on the territory of Chechnya.
- Tibekin Oleg. He was awarded a posthumous reward. In 2000, Oleg allowed his colleagues to retreat near Grozny, but he himself was shot at point blank range.
- Scavenger Valentine. The award was presented to him in 1994. In Rostov, Valentin sat at the helm of a helicopter, which the terrorists demanded in exchange for the lives of the students they had captured. Thanks to the guy’s ingenuity, all the children remained alive.
The list of servicemen who received a high rank could be continued for a very long time. Indeed, brave heart heroes perform the deeds of our days in any extreme situation in order to save the lives of others.
Modern Awards
For the Syrian campaign, by decree of the president, six military men were awarded the title of Hero of Russia. Among them:
- Alexander Dvornikov. As the chief of staff of the Central Military District, he commanded troops during the fighting in Syria.
- Vadim Baykulov is a military intelligence officer.
- Victor Romanov - senior test navigator.
- Andrey Dyachenko - deputy commander of the 47th squadron, which is part of the sixth army of the Air Force.
Two servicemen received a high state award posthumously. It:
- Oleg Peshkov - lieutenant colonel, crew commander of the Su-24M, who died on November 24, 2015 during the shelling of the aircraft by the Turkish Air Force.
- Alexander Prokhorenko , who was surrounded by militants in the province of Homs and caused fire.
Civil Award
The state highly appreciates the heroic deeds of people in our time. See the photo of presenting the highest state award to civilians below. It clearly confirms that the Gold Star medal today can be obtained not only by military personnel. An ordinary person can be awarded with it (there are more than a hundred of them today).
The first winner of the country's highest civilian award was Nurdin Usamov. During the war in Chechnya, he examined energy facilities in the republic. Moreover, all work was carried out with a risk to his life. And already from the moment of the liberation of certain regions of Chechnya, he began to establish work to restore the entire energy complex of the republic. Nurdin Usamov was not frightened by the constant threats of the militants who fired and mined objects.
The feats of heroes these days are committed by women. A vivid example of this is Nina Vladimirovna Brusnikina. Working as a machine milking operator in the Gryazovets district of the Vologda region, she noticed flames bursting out of dry grass feed on the territory of the livestock complex on April 26, 2006. The woman took all possible measures so that the fire did not spread to the constructions of the breeding plant. Subsequently, firefighters who arrived at the site of the fire confirmed that without selfless actions Nina Vladimirovna could hardly have saved the complex. That is why on October 5, 2006, N. Brusnikin was awarded the Golden Star medal with the title of Hero of Russia.
People who have been awarded the highest awards of the two countries
The 90s of the last century are characterized by the collapse of the USSR and the emergence of the Russian Federation. At the junction of the existence of these countries, some people received a double award.
They were awarded the title of Hero of the USSR and Hero of the Russian Federation. There are only four such citizens. Among them:
- Krikalev Sergey Konstantinovich. This is a famous astronaut with a large number of professional awards. He became a hero of the USSR in 1989. At the same time, he was awarded the Golden Star medal. In 1992, S. Krikalev received the first such award of the Russian Federation.
- Polyakov Valery Vladimirovich. Despite his medical education, he received the highest state award as an astronaut. In 1989, Polyakov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and in 1995, after completing a record space flight lasting 437 days, the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
- Maydanov Nikolay Savinovich. This courageous man was a helicopter pilot. He received the highest USSR award in 1988 for military merit. The title Hero of the Russian Federation was awarded Maydanov in 2000 posthumously.
- Chilingarov Arthur Nikolaevich. This is a scientist and a famous polar explorer, also engaged in political activities for some period of time. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Chilingarov after completing a difficult government task. In 2008, he was awarded the second highest award. The scientist received the title of Hero of the Russian Federation after the completion of a deep-sea expedition.
All these people are the brave and courageous citizens of their country. In our time, Russia, as in previous times, estimates the heroic deeds of people very highly. After all, all the exploits were accomplished in extreme conditions, where it was necessary to show special resourcefulness and ingenuity.
It is worth saying that all the Heroes of Russia are extraordinary people. Often, they rightfully deserve other high state awards. Thus, the world-famous gunsmith-designer M. T. Kalashnikov was not only the Hero of Russia, but was twice awarded the Hero of Socialist Labor award. V. Beiskbaev is a veteran of World War II, as well as cosmonauts T. A. Musabaev and Yu. I. Malenchenko, not only Heroes of the Russian Federation, but also Heroes of Kazakhstan. V.A. Wolf - Sergeant of the Airborne Forces, winner of the Hero of Russia and Hero of Abkhazia awards. S. Sh. Sharipov - an astronaut who is both a hero of the Russian Federation and a Hero of Kyrgyzstan.
Heroic deeds of ordinary people
In 1997, the highest award of our country was first presented to the girl - Marina Plotnikova (posthumous). She accomplished her feat in July 1991 in the Tomalinsky district of the Penza region. Marina, along with her two younger sisters, bathed in the Khoper River. They were joined by a friend - Natasha Vorobyova, who soon fell into a whirlpool and began to sink. Marina saved her. However, at this time her younger sisters fell into the maelstrom. The courageous girl was able to save them, but she was exhausted and, unfortunately, died.
And let not all the exploits of ordinary people these days are evaluated by the Hero of Russia award. But, nevertheless, these citizens of our country can be considered as such. And despite the fact that the exploits of ordinary people these days are sometimes invisible, but they will always remain in the grateful hearts of people.
Respect and admiration worthy of the heroic deed of seventy-nine-year-old Elena Golubeva. She was the first to rush to help people who suffered during the crash of the Nevsky Express. An elderly woman brought them clothes and her blankets.
The real heroes of the city of Iskitim (Novosibirsk region) were two students of the local assembly college. They, a 17-year-old Nikita Miller and a 20-year-old Vlad Volkov, twisted a raider who tried to rob a grocery stall.
The priest from the Chelyabinsk region Alexei Peregudov was not confused in a difficult situation. He had to save the life of the groom right at the wedding. The guy lost consciousness during the wedding. Priest Peregudov, examining the recumbent, suggested that he had a cardiac arrest. Then the priest began to provide first aid. After performing an indirect heart massage, which Peregudov had previously seen only on television, the groom came to his senses.
In Mordovia, a heroic act was committed by Marat Zinatullin. This war veteran in Chechnya saved an elderly man by pulling him out of a burning apartment. Seeing the flame, Marat climbed onto the roof of a barn located next to the house, and from there he could get to the balcony. Zinatullin broke the glass and got into the apartment, where on the floor lay a 70-year-old pensioner poisoned by smoke. Marat was able to open the front door and take the victim to the entrance.
November 30, 2013 at the Chernoistochinsky pond a fisherman fell through the ice. The man came to the aid of an emergency worker of the housing and communal services Rais Salakhutdinov. He also fished on this pond and was the first to hear a cry for help.
Courageous acts of children
What is a feat these days? An essay on this topic can illuminate various situations. And among them, the courageous deeds of the young citizens of our country stand out especially. Who are they, children - the heroes of our time? The feats of our days are performed by ordinary students, whose courage in extreme situations causes deep respect.
For example, the youngest hero in our country is Zhenya Tabakov. At the time of the feat, he was a student of the second class. The order of courage with which Zhenya was awarded was awarded to his mother. The boy received him posthumously for protecting his sister from the criminal. Under the guise of a postman, he entered the apartment and began to demand money from the children. Grabbing his sister, the felon ordered the boy to bring all the valuable that was in the apartment. Eugene tried to protect himself and the girl by hitting the criminal with a table knife. However, the second-grader’s weak hand could not harm an adult man. The furious criminal, previously convicted of robberies and murders, inflicted eight stab wounds to his wife, from which the boy died on the same day in the hospital.
Students from the village of Ilyinka, located in the Tula Region, Nikita Sabitov, Andrei Ibronov, Artem Voronin, Vladislav Kozyrev and Andrei Nadruz are also real heroes. The boys pulled out seventy-eight-year-old pensioner Valentina Nikitina from the well.
And in the Krasnodar Territory, schoolchildren Mikhail Serdyuk and Roman Vitkov managed to save an elderly woman who could not get out of a burning house. At a time when the boys saw a fire, flames swept almost the entire veranda. The schoolchildren took an ax and a sledgehammer from the barn and knocked out the glass. Roman climbed out the window and, breaking the door, carried the woman out into the street.
And these are not all the children-heroes of our time. The feats of our day are performed by young citizens of the country, having a noble heart and a solid character.
Work for courageous people
Often in the country there are emergency situations and serious fires. And therefore, the exploits of the Ministry of Emergencies are not uncommon these days. Rescuers have to act in difficult situations, showing courage and ingenuity. And always the employees of the Ministry of Emergencies prove their high professionalism, coming to the aid of people sometimes in difficult situations.
The exploits of firefighters these days can be described for a long time. Moreover, some of them are committed outside the work. For example, Alexander Mordvov, senior lieutenant of the fire service from Samara, at six in the morning saw flames in the house opposite. Fire swept over the five-story Khrushchev, spreading from a pile of garbage left under the balcony of the first floor. Alexander, wearing a tracksuit, rushed to help the firefighters who had already arrived at the scene. The senior lieutenant managed to take a woman panting from burning, but could not enter the entrance again due to the dense smoke. Alexander “borrowed” a special jacket from the fire brigade, ran into the house and took out three children and nine adults in turn from the burning apartments. Later, at the request of the victims of the fire, the savior in a training suit was awarded the medal "For Merit to Samara."
The exploits of firefighters today help to save the lives of not only people. Sometimes the Ministry of Emergencies has to save animals. So, once a call was received to the duty officer of the Ufa search and rescue squad that inhuman screams came from the ventilation pipe of one of the city houses. These sounds terrified residents of nearby apartments for two days. Rescuer Alexander Permyakov discovered an ordinary puppy who got into the ventilation shaft and could not get out of there. It was not easy to get a dog. The narrow shaft made it impossible to bend over or turn around. However, Alexander managed to grab the prisoner by the tip of his tail and pulled him out.
Life often confronts people with emergency situations. And employees of the Ministry of Emergencies are always in a hurry to help them. So, nothing portended trouble on a typical June day in the city of Saratov. But a sudden pouring downpour flooded the city. Under the water were many streets, including the street. Tankers. On it, right in the middle of the carriageway, a bus of the ninety route stalled. Rescuers went to the aid of passengers in distress. The driver who transported the brigade, Konstantin Lukyanov, parked an emergency vehicle near the scene and was waiting for his comrades. Suddenly he saw a multi-ton truck, which, having lost control, was rushing to the bus stop. A few more moments, and the car would crash into the people on the sidewalk. The decision was made instantly. Lukyanov took a hit on himself, taxiing across the truck across the roadway. Thanks to the selfless actions of this courageous man, the people who were at the bus stop remained alive.
The exploits of the heroes of our day are numerous. We should always remember people who, at the risk of their lives, save the lives of others. The strength of their spirit should also inspire us to do good deeds.