My father, Nikolai Nikolaevich, was a career officer, a military pilot. After graduating from the Krasnodar Aviation School, he was sent to the front. He ended the war in Berlin in May 1945. A year later, in Khankala, a suburb of Grozny, he met a Terek Cossack woman, Nadya, my mother.
In 1958, my father came under the so-called Khrushchev reduction and was dismissed from the Armed Forces. This fate befell many captains and majors in those years - young, healthy men, full of strength and energy. The father was extremely painful about what happened. It got to the point that somehow, with his characteristic directness, he slashed at me: “Don’t let your foot in the army!”
I understood that there was an unhealed, painful wound in his soul. This does not go unnoticed. He passed away in the prime of his life - at 43 years old.
I always remembered my father’s order and after graduating from school I entered the architectural faculty of the Moscow Institute of Land Management Engineers. However, after the death of his father, he was forced to quit his studies and go home, as the family found itself in a difficult situation. He got a job and helped his mother and sisters. But when the time came to fulfill my sacred duty to the Motherland and put on a military uniform, I submitted a report with a request to enroll me as a cadet at the Kazan Higher Command Tank School, thereby violating my father’s ban. I am sure that I did the right thing then, and I have no doubt that if the father were alive, he would be happy for his son. And not at all because Troshev Jr. rose to the rank of general and became commander of the district troops. My father loved the army very much, and apparently this feeling was passed on to me. In fact, I continued the main work of his life, which I am proud of.
I still remember with gratitude my first commanders: platoon commander Lieutenant Solodovnikov, company commander Captain Korzevich, battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Efanov, who taught me the basics of military science.
Almost thirty years later, the knowledge acquired within the walls of the school, and then in two academies, had to be applied not only in everyday life, but also in war. War is special in every way. In the war that the army waged, due to objective and subjective circumstances, on its territory against bandits and international terrorists. During the war that took place in my homeland. In a war that followed special rules and, by and large, did not fit into any classical schemes or canons.
The tragic events of recent years in the North Caucasus were perceived ambiguously in our society in the mid-90s, and even now cause controversy.
Maybe I would never have started writing my own memoirs. However, quite a few books have already been published that directly or indirectly talk about the events in Chechnya. Surprisingly, most authors are terribly far from the issues they address in their “creativity.” They have not really seen and do not know either the war, or the people (whose names nevertheless appear on the pages of the books), or the mentality of the local residents, or the army. In general, thanks to this lightweight approach of some authors, an entire mythology of armed conflicts in the North Caucasus has been created.
It's a bad start. Based on these myths created by the writing fraternity, a new shoot of fairy tales about the Chechen war begins to grow. For example, the thesis about the complete mediocrity and powerlessness of the army in the first Chechen campaign has already been accepted as an axiom in Russian society. Now, relying on this dubious thesis, another generation of “Chechnya specialists” is building their equally dubious concepts and conclusions on a crooked foundation. What could come of this other than an ugly design?
For me, a person who went through both Chechen wars and participated in battles with the Wahhabis in Dagestan, it is difficult for me to put up with speculation, or even outright lies, about events that I know for certain.
Another circumstance prompted me to take up the pen. The Chechen war made many politicians, military leaders and even bandits widely known both in our country and abroad. I knew and know most of them personally. I met and communicated with some, with others I was in the general ranks - shoulder to shoulder, with others I fought to the death. I know who is who, what lies behind the words and actions of each person involved. However, the image that the press or they created for themselves often does not correspond to reality. I admit that my assessments are too personal. But even in this case, I think that I can publicly express my attitude towards many “famous characters of the Chechen wars.” I even have to do this, if only for the sake of completeness of the picture.
What prompted me to talk about the war in the North Caucasus was the desire to warn everyone against repeating the serious mistakes made in the 90s, both political and military. We must learn the bitter lessons of Chechnya. And this is impossible without a sober, calm and deep analysis of all the events that have occurred in this republic over the past ten years. I hope that my memories will contribute to this.
The diaries, which I tried to keep as regularly as possible, were a good help in working on the book. Memory is an unreliable thing, so I sometimes wrote down many episodes in detail, giving my assessments of events. Therefore, the reader will find many diary fragments.
I cannot help but express my gratitude to those who helped in the work: Colonel V. Frolov (officer of the operational department of the headquarters of the North Caucasus Military District), Lieutenant Colonel S. Artemov (head of the analytical department of the editorial office of the Military Bulletin of the South of Russia), and other employees of the district newspaper. My special thanks to military journalists Colonels G. Alekhine and S. Tyutyunnik, who actually became co-authors of this book.
When conceiving these memoirs, I saw my future readers in those who lost relatives and friends in Chechnya, who probably want to understand why and how their sons, husbands, brothers died...
Fate brought me together during the war with different people: with politicians, and with military leaders of the highest rank, and with leaders of gangster formations, and with ordinary Russian soldiers. I got to see them in different situations. Each of them showed themselves differently: some were firm and decisive, some were passive and indifferent, and some played their “card” in this war.
I preferred to talk primarily about those whom I personally met, whom I saw in action (for example, that’s why I don’t write about Dzhokhar Dudayev). But among the characters there are many who fought on a different “front” line. Of course, I expressed my attitude towards those notable figures whose names are on everyone’s lips. As with any memoir, the author's assessments are controversial, sometimes very personal. But these are my assessments, and I think I have the right to them.
In a difficult, extreme situation, the whole essence of a person appears as if on an x-ray; you can immediately see who is worth what. In war there is everything - cowardice, stupidity, unworthy behavior of military personnel, and mistakes of commanders. But this cannot be compared with the courage and heroism, dedication and nobility of the Russian soldier. To him we owe everything that is best in our military history. No matter how competently and beautifully the commander draws an arrow (the direction of attack of the strike) on the map, an ordinary soldier will have to “drag it on his shoulders.” Our Russian soldier needs to bow at his feet for bearing the heaviest burden of military trials and not breaking down or losing heart.
Unfortunately, not everyone with whom I walked shoulder to shoulder along the difficult roads of the Caucasus is mentioned in this book. But I gratefully remembered and will remember my military colleagues, comrades in arms (from soldier to general), who, in a difficult hour for the new Russia, stood up to defend its integrity. And to those who laid down their heads on the battlefield, I bow deeply: eternal glory to them!
Eight years ago, General Gennady Troshev, to whom Russia owes a lot, died tragically in a plane crash. Today streets, schools, cadet corps and even a trawler bear his name.
Against my father's will
Eight years ago on this day, all news broadcasts began with the same message. Early in the morning of September 14, 2008, a Boeing 737 plane crashed during landing in Perm, killing everyone on board. Any plane crash of this magnitude is a great grief, but that tragedy caused a special resonance. Many people were shocked by the news that among the passengers was the legendary Gennady Troshev, who was flying to a sambo tournament and the opening of a children's sports school. The death of famous people, especially under such circumstances, a priori attracts increased attention. But then the reason was not only that this man’s name was on everyone’s lips.
Many people knew, loved and respected Gennady Troshev closely for his deeds and actions. He was a versatile person, but it so happened that his main services to the country were closely related to the army and war. And even his father’s behest could not change anything in his fate. As if providence was preparing him to play an important role in the history of Russia at a turning point in its history.
Gennady Nikolaevich was born into the family of a combat pilot who ended the Great Patriotic War in Berlin. After the Victory, Nikolai Troshev, at the age of only 43, fell under Khrushchev's large-scale reduction of the Soviet Armed Forces. In just a few years, more than three million soldiers and officers lost their shoulder straps. Out of frustration, the father then said to his son: “Don’t let your foot in the army!” And at first he obeyed. The future Hero of Russia entered college to become an architect, but soon realized that the desire for military service was much stronger than the will of his parent. As a result, he left the civilian university and submitted documents to the Kazan Higher Tank Command School. Thus began his long, difficult and eventful military service.
War on the land of childhood
An almost mystical predestination can be found in various circumstances of this person’s life. He was born in 1947 in the “capital” of the recently ended war - Berlin. And straight from there, as a newborn, he ended up with his parents in the city of the future war - Grozny (many sources even write that he was born there). It was in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic that Gennady Troshev spent his childhood, which subsequently played a big role in the fate of the inhabitants of this long-suffering corner of Russia. At the command post in the Kadar zone during the fighting in Chechnya. Photo: General Troshev Foundation for Patriotic Education of Youth
Seven years of General Troshev’s life were closely connected with the fighting in Chechnya. From 1995 to 2002, he brought order there in several different positions. He began as commander of the 58th Army and ended as commander of the entire North Caucasus Military District. But no matter who he was listed on the papers, his principles and strategy did not change. Historians and people who knew General Troshev closely highlight several key points in his approach to resolving the conflict, which had a great influence on the outcome of events in the republic. Firstly, he consciously went to this war, although for him, who grew up in Chechnya, it was not easy.
“Of course, it’s a shame. Of course, it’s hard to fight on your own land, Russian soil. Moreover, where he was born and raised,” he once admitted to a journalist, sighing heavily.
Unlike some colleagues, the general was not afraid of the enormous responsibility. For example, at one time, First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces Eduard Vorobyov simply did not want to take command of the operation in Chechnya. He cited her unpreparedness and filed a letter of resignation. There were other refuseniks.
“Not everyone even took on this matter, because you need to understand that at that time everything in the army was very difficult,” says the daughter of the military leader, Natalya Belokobylskaya, who is the president of the General Troshev Foundation for Patriotic Education of Youth. “And it seems to me that one of my father’s main merits is that he was, in principle, able to form and prepare combat-ready forces to fight the enemy.” We didn’t see the whole picture then, but now we understand that we were fighting in Chechnya against a global evil - terrorism.”
Victory without weapons
The most important point was Gennady Troshev's strategy in Chechnya. On the one hand, he was opposed to any truce with the bandits, which would give them the opportunity to lick their wounds and then continue to rob, take hostages and kill.
“Any stop to the war is a half-measure and a crime,” said the general. “Only by completely destroying and dispersing the gangs will we be able to live and work in peace.”
And the experience of the Khasavyurt agreements concluded in 1996 clearly proved the truth of these words. In subsequent years, religious extremism spread in Chechnya, which resulted in an attack by international gangs on Dagestan and the resumption of large-scale hostilities.
At the same time, Gennady Troshev was always ready to negotiate with the enemy in order to avoid human losses. The military leader understood well that many of the residents of the republic who took up arms were simply brainwashed. Radical and other forces from abroad were actively involved in this. That is why in 1999 he began a dialogue with the Chechen mufti Akhmad Kadyrov, who had previously declared jihad against the Russian military, but then changed his position to pro-Russian. Thanks to this, the second largest and most important city in Chechnya, Gudermes, was soon liberated from the bandits without a fight. Everyone also knows what an important role Kadyrov later played in establishing peace in Chechnya.
And Gennady Nikolaevich is given credit for the fact that in many ways it was his efforts that led to a turning point in the information war against federal troops. Moreover, these attacks were not only from enemy “trenches”, but also from behind.
“Politicians brought the situation in Chechnya to the point of bloodshed, and the military had to clean up everything,” continues Natalya Belokobylskaya. - And for this, many later called them murderers. This was partly due to the closed nature of the army, because no one gave any interviews. People didn’t understand what was happening and didn’t trust anyone. And Gennady Nikolaevich was able to convey the necessary information, correctly place the accents and reduce the intensity.”
It is interesting that during all these events the general carefully kept diaries, which later formed the basis of his books. There are three of them: “My war. Chechen diary of a trench general", "Chechen relapse. Notes of the commander" and "Chechen break". Gennady Troshev signs his book about the Chechen war for the soldiers. Photo: General Troshev Foundation for Patriotic Education of Youth
Hero, Cossack and just a family man
The merits of Gennady Troshev were recognized at the highest level. In 1999, for the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya and Dagestan, he received the gold star of the Hero of Russia. At the end of 2002, he was appointed commander of the troops of the Siberian Military District, but due to his convictions, he publicly refused this position, after which he was sent to the reserve. But soon a new and also very important page in his life began. President Boris Yeltsin presents Gennady Troshev with the Hero of Russia medal. December 1999. Photo: General Troshev Foundation for Patriotic Education of Youth
In February 2003, he became an adviser to the Russian President on Cossack issues. And this was not just an honorary position, which is often given to retired managers for past services. The fact is that Gennady Troshev was a hereditary Terek Cossack and always dreamed of making his contribution to the revival and unification of the entire Russian Cossacks. And he succeeded in this too. His great merit is considered to be the adoption of the federal law “On the State Service of the Russian Cossacks” in 2005, something his predecessor failed to do in a whole decade. Knowledgeable people say that in the process of this work Gennady Troshev spent a lot of nerves and made many enemies.
He also paid great attention to working with youth. He supported children's sports and was actively involved in the creation of Cossack cadet corps. As a result, even almost all of Gennady Troshev’s grandchildren also joined the cadets. Meeting with students of the Yakut Cadet Corps. Photo: General Troshev Foundation for Patriotic Education of Youth
“My eldest daughter at first did not want to enter the cadet corps,” says Natalya Belokobylskaya. - But in the year of her father’s death, she herself told me that she would go there because her grandfather wanted it that way. Then she pulled her middle-aged daughter towards her, and after that they sat down with their youngest son together. They said stop sitting near my mother’s skirt. So everyone became cadets. It’s hard to say where they will go next, but I would really like there to be continuers of military affairs. After all, everyone in our family served: both men and women.” The young Troshev family. Photo: General Troshev Foundation for Patriotic Education of Youth
According to her, Gennady Troshev was always very worried about the military, about the entire army and would probably be happy about the changes taking place in it. But at the same time, she says that her father was not a rude soldier, as the military is often called.
“I have three children, and he personally came to pick each one up from the maternity hospital,” recalls Natalya Belokobylskaya. “I was even surprised by such a reverent and attentive attitude, because he is still a man, an officer.” In general, he was very caring not only with his family. He was keenly interested in the affairs of the children of his friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and could call and ask how they were doing. I don’t even know how he managed to do it all, but that was his character. He was also a very cheerful, pleasant and non-offensive person. We all miss him very much." Gennady Troshev was a very cheerful person. Photo: General Troshev Foundation for Patriotic Education of Youth
There were many cities in the life of Gennady Troshev, but the last years of his life were connected with Krasnodar. His father learned to defeat the Nazis at a local flight school, and he and his family moved to Kuban due to the start of the second Chechen campaign in 1999. According to Natalya Belokobylskaya, at that moment my father didn’t even have his own apartment, but they gave him housing in Krasnodar. Later, the family acquired a house, not far from which there is a small cemetery and a church. Hearing its bell ringing, for some reason Gennady Troshev always said to his relatives: “You hear, that’s where you’ll bury me.” That is why, after the death of the head of the family, his widow Larisa had no doubts about the burial place, although they were offered different options. The relatives of Hero of Russia Gennady Troshev are glad that they can quickly reach his grave at any time, and remember him every time they hear the bell ringing.
Troshev Gennady Nikolaevich - Deputy Commander of the Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus, Commander of the Vostok Group, Lieutenant General.
Born on March 14, 1947 in the center of the Soviet zone of occupation of Germany (now the capital of Germany), the city of Berlin, in the family of an officer. Russian. He spent his childhood years in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
Since 1965 - in the Soviet Army. In 1969 he graduated from the Kazan Higher Command Tank School. He served in various positions in the tank forces. In 1976 he graduated from the Military Academy of Armored Forces named after R.Ya. Malinovsky, and in 1988 - the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. From August 1988 to September 1991 - commander of the 10th Ural-Lvov volunteer tank division of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany.
From 1994 to 1995, he commanded the 42nd Vladikavkaz Army Corps of the North Caucasus Military District. In January 1995, by order of the Minister of Defense, the transfer of army units from most Russian military districts to the Grozny region began. In the same month, Troshev was appointed commander of a group of troops of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in the Chechen Republic. Participant of the first Chechen war (1994-1996). Lieutenant General (05/05/1995).
From 1995 to 1997 - commander of the 58th Army of the North Caucasus Military District. On July 29, 1997, he was appointed deputy commander of the North Caucasus Military District. In August 1999, he became commander of a group of federal forces in Dagestan.
With the outbreak of hostilities in Dagestan in August 1999, Troshev was entrusted with command of the operation to clear the Kadar zone of Islamic militants. It was Troshev who developed and carried out the operation to block and destroy gangs in the villages of Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi and liberate the Novolaksky region of Dagestan. Troshev knew how to prepare not only military, but also political support for the upcoming operation. He negotiated with the elders of settlements located on the path of the troops’ advance, and during these negotiations Troshev proved himself to be a good diplomat.
Since October 1999, deputy commander of the United Group of Forces in the North Caucasus and commander of the Vostok group, led its actions during the second Chechen war.
U By the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of December 4, 1999, for the courage and heroism shown during the liquidation of illegal armed groups, Lieutenant General Gennady Nikolaevich Troshev was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
Since December 1999 - First Deputy Commander of the Joint Group. On January 7, 2000, he was appointed deputy commander of the Joint Group of Federal Forces.
On April 21, 2000, he was appointed commander of the United Group of Federal Forces in the North Caucasus, on May 31, 2000, he was appointed commander of the troops of the North Caucasus Military District, and on May 15, 2001, he temporarily headed the group of federal forces in Chechnya.
On December 18, 2002, he was dismissed from the post of commander of the North Caucasus Military District - “for public discussion of decisions taken by the leadership of the Armed Forces of the country,” namely, after refusing to lead the Siberian Military District.
From February 25, 2003 to May 7, 2008, he was an adviser to the President of the Russian Federation on Cossack issues.
Lived and worked in the hero city of Moscow. Died on September 14, 2008 in a Boeing 737-500 plane crash at the Perm airport. Buried on October 22, 2008 with military honors in the cemetery of the village of Severny near Krasnodar.
Colonel General (02/22/2000), active state adviser of the Russian Federation, 2nd class (07/14/2007).
Awarded the Soviet Order “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR”, 3rd degree (1990), Russian Orders “For Services to the Fatherland”, 4th degree (06/23/2008), “For Military Merit” (1995), Friendship of Peoples ( 1994), medals, as well as orders and medals of foreign countries, including the Order of Leon (Abkhazia).
Honorary citizen of the cities of Prokhladny (2000) and Nalchik (2002) of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Makhachkala (2000) of the Republic of Dagestan, Shali (2001) of the Chechen Republic.
In accordance with the order of the head of the administration of the city of Grozny of the Chechen Republic, in September 2008, Krasnoznamenaya Street, located in the Leninsky district of Grozny, was renamed Gennady Troshev Street. In November 2008, the name of Gennady Troshev was given to the Dagestan Cadet Corps, on whose building a memorial plaque was installed. The name of Hero of Russia Gennady Troshev was also given to a cadet school in the village of Chernyshevsky in the Republic of Yakutia in 2008; a memorial plaque was unveiled on the school building on April 14, 2009.
years of life 03/14/1947 – 09/14/2008 - Russian military general
Military heritage
The personality of Gennady Troshev has become legendary, both in civilian and military circles. An extraordinary, honest, strong, persistent and at the same time very flexible “combat general”, who made serving and defending the fatherland his calling, was respected both among his comrades and among those whom he opposed.
The future military leader, Gennady Nikolaevich Troshev was born in March 1947 in Berlin. He came from the family of an officer, a pilot of a group of Soviet troops stationed in Germany, and a beautiful Terek Cossack woman. The father of the future military leader, Nikolai Nikolaevich Troshev, went through the entire Great Patriotic War and met victory in Berlin.
He met his wife Nadezhda Mikhailovna in Khankala, where he served, they got married in 1946, and a year later they had an heir. In 1958, changes occurred in the views of the high command on the army, and massive reductions in personnel began. Nikolai Troshev was also fired. As a result, the family moves to Nalchik, where Gennady Troshev spent his childhood. Here in 1965 he will graduate from school No. 11, which will later be named after him.
After graduating from school, Gennady Troshev submits documents to the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering. The father did not want his son to become a military man; the mental wound left by government officials was too strong. But suddenly he falls ill and dies. The young man is faced with the task of providing for his family, Gennady Troshev gets a job at a furniture manufacturing plant, and then in 1966 he enters the Kazan Higher Command Tank School, 3 years later he graduates with honors. The years of service in the biography of Gennady Troshev are a series of directed efforts, hard work and steadfastness in one’s convictions. Time will pass and he will sincerely believe that his father would be proud of him and support his life choice, because he loved the army and this masculine feeling was passed on to his son.
Soldier of the Fatherland
In 1969, with the rank of guard lieutenant, he commanded a platoon in the 20th Guards Army in Juterborg, Germany, under his leadership the platoon was noted as exemplary for two years in a row. Already in 1971 he received command of a company of the same army unit. Gennady Troshev always realized the importance of developing the professional competence of a military commander, so he never tired of acquiring knowledge. From 1973 to 1976 he studied at the Military Academy of Armored Forces. In 1976 he was transferred to the Nikolaev region of the Ukrainian SSR, where Gennady Nikolaevich Troshev served as chief of staff in the 10th separate tank regiment.
In 1978, the tank regiment came under his command. A year later he was again transferred to Tiraspol, here he would command a tank regiment until 1984. In 1988 he graduated from the Academy of the USSR General Staff. Afterwards he headed the command of the 10th Panzer Division located in the GDR. In 1992, Gennady Troshev was sent to Transnistria on a business trip to resolve the interethnic conflict that had broken out. It was here in Bendery that long battles took place, as a result of which the coup was repulsed.
In the fall of 1994 he received a new appointment as commander of the 42nd Army Corps in Vladikavkaz. At the beginning of 1995, the 42nd Corps entered the Chechnya region, and already in October 1995 Troshev became the head of the 58th Army. It was thanks to his extraordinary talent and high military competence that the course of the military campaign in 1995 and 1996 changed in favor of the Russian troops. Despite large-scale victories, peace could not be achieved, the cleared areas could not be brought under post-war control, and smoldering hotbeds flared up again.
In August 1999, the forces of General Troshev’s military group in Dagestan defeated the gangs of several field commanders. Many operations to clear populated areas of militants showed him to be an excellent commander, able to achieve victory without bloodshed. Afterwards, the general headed the military formation that entered Chechnya from Dagestan. Here his peacekeeping diplomatic qualities were revealed.
Realizing that the army was on foreign territory, he tried to gain local support through his personal acquaintance with the respected elders of the settlements; on several occasions he personally participated in negotiations with the elders. The militants did not receive support from civilians; they had to go to remote areas where artillery and aviation could operate. In the fall of 1999 he manages to occupy Gudermes. The peaceful liberation of the city was noted by many representatives of the international community.
In 2000 he was awarded the rank of Colonel General. He was also appointed commander of the North Caucasus Military District.
General Troshev was sincerely surprised by the press’s unfair assessment of the army’s actions. That is why in 2001 “My War. The Chechen Diary of a Trench General” was published, a book about the war in Chechnya, written based on Troshev’s memoirs and diaries. Description of the military operations of the first and second Chechen companies. The military, into whose hands the manuscripts fell, highlighted the unsurpassed order and structure of the material. And in this matter, Gennady Troshev showed diligence and showed the highest level of military education. Later, several more books will be published under his authorship: “My War”, “Chechen Relapse”. He wanted everyone to know the truth about the feat of those people who gave everything to protect their native country, about those who were unfairly criticized by the media.
In December 2002, he refused the offer to take up the post of commander of the Northern Military District, received from Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov. As a result, he is appointed advisor to the President of the Russian Federation and deals with the problems of the Cossacks. Here too, the hereditary Cossack did not drop the banner of honor and loyalty to the country and from 2003 to 2008 took active steps to reorganize the complex and multifaceted model of the Cossack way of life.
In mid-September 2008, General Troshev suddenly died as a result of the crash of the Boeing on which he was flying to Perm. This disaster claimed the lives of 88 people, and a shadow of remembrance was declared in the city for the victims.
Unknown General Troshev
Little is known about the personal life of Gennady Troshev; this is due to the specifics of his service, position and level of decisions made. His wife Larisa Trosheva knew a completely different “general”, a loving husband, a man with many hobbies. In his youth, he played football well, at a professional level, had 1 category in athletics in gymnastics, played the guitar, loved to draw, and in the last years of his career he was great. He mastered billiards and won the championship among civil servants. He left behind two loving daughters Olga and Natalya, they grew up and have children of their own, now his legacy lives on in his descendants.
The memory of General Troshev lives in the hearts of many people throughout Russia. In March 2009, a non-profit foundation for the patriotic education of youth named after him was established. Streets named after General Troshev are open in Smolensk and Krasnodar. Also, two Cossack corps in Kuban in the Volgograd region were named in his honor. Many literary works and songs are dedicated to him, including the biography of Gennady Troshev in documentary photographs.
Journalists loved Gennady Troshev very much: of the “Chechen” generals of this rank, he was the most accessible and sociable. Once, during the siege of Argun, a group of Russian and Western journalists was brought to Troshev’s position. It was a great success to get to the front line, and no other general would have allowed this. After the journalistic interest in the fighting was satisfied, the general showed us his kung - a fairly comfortable command vehicle.
“This is where I sleep,” the general pointed out, “and this is where I have lunch.” The assistants quietly tried to wink at the general: they say, there is no need for such details, otherwise the foreigners are too curious about something. But Troshev did not notice this. He answered all questions, joked and simply, without pathos, explained why the Russian army came to Chechnya. It turned out that the military general is a handsome man, and his subordinates are not monsters who came to kill, but tired guys who defend their homeland and dream of peace. One of my colleagues, a Spanish journalist, then said: “This general is a very smart politician.”
General Troshev really had every chance to follow in the footsteps of his colleague General Shamanov, who replaced the commander's kung with the governor's chair. But it was his passion for politics that played a cruel joke on him.
Many officers who knew the general closely believe that the beginning of his end was the book “My War.” In fact, the book was written, of course, not by General Troshev, but by his subordinates from the newspaper “Military Herald of the South of Russia.” Operational workers helped with the invoice, providing entries from the combat log, which recorded everything that happened since the beginning of the second Chechen war. True, the general immediately forgot about his co-authors and did not mention them at any press conference. However, as you know, many famous officials and politicians write books in the same way.
The book “My War” became a kind of bestseller; it was even going to be published abroad. They say that this was prevented by the Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Kvashnin, who jealously watched the literary successes of his subordinate. “After the book was published, he changed a lot,” one of Troshev’s former subordinates told me. “It was no longer possible to simply approach him on some issue. There were sycophants who came with all sorts of offerings, although before he would not allow such things to come close.”
Troshev’s increased popularity did not suit either Plenipotentiary Representative Kazantsev or Chief of the General Staff Kvashnin, who were well aware of Troshev’s ambition and were not at all confident in his controllability.
One of the people close to Troshev once told me such a case. One day, General Kazantsev, the then commander of the North Caucasus Military District, called his deputy to the carpet. The commander was distinguished by an intemperate disposition; in fits of anger, in addition to the usual army obscenities, he allowed himself other liberties - for example, he threw objects that came to hand at his subordinates. In general, the officers went to his office as if they were going to Golgotha. Troshev was unlucky that day; his commander was clearly not in a good mood. Scolding his subordinate for some offense, General Kazantsev became increasingly incensed, especially since Troshev behaved confidently and calmly. In anger, Kazantsev threw the telephone receiver at Troshev. Troshev picked up the phone and said: “If you do this again, this phone will fly in the opposite direction.” They say that General Kazantsev did not allow himself to do this again in the presence of Troshev. But he probably didn’t forgive his disobedience.
Perhaps the rather good attitude of the Chechens towards him also played against Troshev. Suffice it to recall the bloodless capture of Gudermes. While the commander of the West group, General Shamanov, demolished entire villages, Troshev achieved victories through more peaceful means. In the fall of 1999, he took a risky venture - he went to Gudermes to meet with the influential Yamadayev brothers, who occupied key positions in Maskhadov's army. The general convinced the authoritative Chechens that there was no point in fighting, that Maskhadov would never rise again, and that the troops would take Gudermes anyway, only with heavy losses. And he made an agreement - they took Gudermes without a fight. This was, perhaps, the largest victory not only in the eastern direction, but also in the entire second campaign. The army has proven that it can take entire cities without violence.
“Troshev is a good person,” the Chechens said about him. The general also endeared them to him by repeatedly declaring his “Chechen” roots: he was born in Grozny, spent his childhood there, and his mother was buried in Chechen soil. “This people is close to me, this land is dear to me, and I did not come here to destroy,” said the general. Only the closest officers knew that the general was not born in Grozny, but somewhere between Germany, where his military father served, and Kabardino-Balkaria, where his father was transferred after serving abroad. The rest - about his childhood in Grozny and his mother buried there - was true.
And when the general refused the offer to head the Siberian Military District, information appeared about Troshev’s plans for the presidency of Chechnya. And it immediately became clear that they were trying to send the general into Siberian “exile” specifically to cool his exorbitant political ambitions. But something else is interesting: what had to be promised to the general (or how to scare him) in order for him to agree to the obviously disastrous position of adviser on Cossack issues. Most likely, we will never know.
