During the Second World War, the Soviet pilot Alexei Mariesyev returned to flying after the amputation of both legs to continue fighting at the front. For his militant achievements he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Mariesjew owed his success to iron consistency and stubbornness. On the other hand, it can be said that in the most tragic moment of his life - when he frostbitten his legs and was dying - fate smiled at him.
As his son Wiktor recalled years later, the medical staff of the hospital to which the pilot ended up found him dead. The paramedic was about to take him to the morgue, but suddenly Prof. Nikolai Terebiński and pronounced:"But he is alive!" Alexei's treatment was started immediately.
Unlucky flight
Already as a child, Alexei, born in 1916 in a deaf village in the Saratov Oblast, dreamed of flying. After graduation, wanted to enter the pilot school but was not admitted due to medical condition - suffered from rheumatism after malaria years ago. However, he did not give up on his dream and he reached his goal, albeit in a roundabout way.
In 1934 he started working as a turner in one of the aviation industry enterprises and at the same time became a member of the aviation club. Three years later, he was drafted into the army. He served in the border protection forces in the Far East, where he serviced planes. He was noticed by the commanders and sent to the pilot school in Rostov-on-Don. He graduated from it in 1940 as a junior lieutenant and became an instructor. He held this position until the German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.
On April 5, his Yak-1 plane was hit. Mariesjew used all his craftsmanship and knowledge to reach the front lines and land in Soviet-controlled territory.
Alexei volunteered for the active army and on August 6 he went to the front. On April 1, 1942, he shot down the first enemy plane, on April 4 - two more . On April 5, his Yak-1 plane was hit. Mariesjew used all his craftsmanship and knowledge to reach the front line and land in the area controlled by the Soviet side. Managed to. Although Alexei himself did not know about it at the time, he found himself in the Waldai poviat of the Novgorod Oblast.
18 days in the forest
The landing was hard - the pilot fell from a height of 30 meters and passed out. He found himself in the forest, in complete wilderness. The plane was completely destroyed - only the tail and cockpit remained. Probably as a result of the strong impact, Alexei experienced hallucinations. He thought his plane was attacking the Germans and he was shooting at them. He also imagined a woman carrying a bucket of water.
Since Alexei's legs were broken, he could not walk. He moved by crawling. This is how the pilot decided to reach the nearest village. Though it was early April, there was snow all around. On the one hand, it was a source of water for Mariesjew, but on the other, it led to the man's body cooling down and frostbite, and as a consequence - to necrosis of the legs.
A heroic pilot on a Russian postage stamp
After 18 days, the pilot crawled to the vicinity of the village of Płaj, where he was spotted by two teenagers - Sergei Malin and Sasha Wichrow. The boys told about the stranger Sasha's grandfather, who went to the place indicated by them with a wheelbarrow and took the wounded man to his house. Mariesjew was emaciated and had long stubble. It was clear that he needed specialist help. After a few days, soldiers from a nearby unit appeared and took him to their hospital.
Death and Resurrection
There, the doctors gave him warm compresses for his legs. When asked by the patient whether the limbs had been frostbitten, the medics replied in the negative. After a few days, Alexei was taken to another facility. There he was given a few blood transfusions, after which his condition slightly improved, but the doctors still hadn't addressed the frostbite.
Soon Mariesjew was visited by a friend - also a pilot. He took him to Moscow. Alexei's condition was so bad at the time that he was declared dead in the capital hospital . Had it not been for Professor Nikolai Terebiński, Mariesjew would have ended up in the morgue. Terebiński examined the patient and found that the man suffered leg necrosis and that the only way to save his life was amputation. Alexey, 26, did not want to agree, because he could not imagine his life without flying. Then the professor - tired of talking to the stubborn pilot - simply performed the operation.
Soon the pilot received prostheses; first he began to use crutches on them, and then - with a cane. But his mood was gloomy. Alexei's attitude changed when the nurse caring for him brought him an article about the English pilot Douglas Bader, who resumed flying after a limb amputation. This gave the patient hope. Alexei started intensive rehabilitation.
A triumphant return
Mariesyev was sent to a sanatorium where a doctor named Mirolubov worked. He was a member of the commission admitting pilots to fly. Alexei approached him, told about himself and declared his willingness to return to flying. He moved so confidently that Mirolubov ... didn't believe his story. He only stopped doubting her when the patient showed him his dentures.
Mariesjew invited the doctor to the club for an evening dance to prove to him that he not only walks efficiently, but even dances. Other committee members also showed up in disbelief at Alexei dancing, and then let the patient on test flights, which were excellent.
In 1948, the Soviet writer Boris Polevoj wrote the book "A Tale of a Real Man" based on the events of Mariesyev's life. A feature film was made on its basis.
But there was still a long way to go back to the front. The veteran's permit was to be issued by the commanders of the air forces, who turned out to be safeguards. Although Mariesjew showed them the article about Douglas Bader and the results of his test flights, the generals were adamant. But the pilot did not give up and broke the thresholds of their offices for so long that he finally received the necessary documents.
In June 1943, Alexei entered the hunting regiment. He fought near Kursk, was the deputy squadron commander, made 86 sorties, shot down 7 enemy aircraft. He received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1948, the Soviet writer Boris Polevoj wrote the book "A Tale of a Real Man" based on the events of Mariesyev's life. A feature film was made on its basis. The planet and several high schools were named after the pilot. In 2004, Moscow authorities established the A. Mariesjewa awarded to people who managed to survive in extreme situations, showing courage and heroism.