Mikhail Cherepanov: ‘I agree with those people who don’t grant it. It is a devaluation of the title’

Who bombed Kazan?

Kazan is wanted to be given the status of the City of Military Glory. Mr Cherepanov, what do you think about this initiative?

If Kazan is given such a title when the rival's no bomb landed here, no rival bomber flew till Kazan, it should be given to the cities that were really bombed: Samara, Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod). Saratov, Ulyanovsk, moreover, Chelyabinsk deserve the title who did not less than we did. Then a half of Russia should be called Cities of Military Glory. The same logic is used when all veterans of the war were given Patriotic War Awards by Brezhnev's order. They were earned by blood on the front, while in 1985 they were handed out like souvenirs.

Wait, Brezhnev was not alive in 1985…

Brezhnev made a decision to grant all the people awards. He died in 1982. According to his order, the awards were given till 1985. They were handed out in all the country. This award almost became a badge 'War Veteran'. I'm afraid the same thing will happen here. Does a city of military glory mean a city that had fights or is it a city with merits to the homeland? Almost all the cities have merits to the homeland: Omsk, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen… Then let call all the cities a City of Military Glory. They all had military divisions, not to mention defence industry. We are almost devaluating this title. It is told that military actions must take place there. Grozny that did not have any actions was an exception because it was a front-line city.

This story has been continuing for about 20 years. Our veterans started it. At that moment I worked at Memory Book… Every time we were not given this title because of the logic: if the city is not at the front, it means that, physically, it can't be a City of Military Glory. Perhaps it can't be a City of Labour Glory. By the way, Yakutia sent its sharpshooters as well as Buryatia, Chelyabinsk sent tanks, Komi, Kirov… They all prepared their soldiers and officers.

'In July 1942, Kazan was really taken photos, not bombed.' Photo: картататарстана.рф

There is a version that the German Air Forces bombed the city 1941. Is it true?

I know this presupposition. There are many witnesses who saw a bomb falling on Spartak factory. Indeed, it fell and exploded by chance. But it fell from our Soviet bomber that was taking off from our aviation enterprise. Some witnesses said they saw planes flying above our facilities and above the bridge. But they were scouts who took photos, not bombers. Some photos are on the Internet, look, you can find them there. In July 1942, Kazan was really taken photos, not bombed.

Senseless trench

Is not the Kazan line enough to be granted the status?

Yes, there is another reason: we built a defensive line – the Kazan line. But it was built 800 km away from military actions in 1941. Then such a defensive line was needed near Stalingrad or at least near Gorky, near the front. There is no sense in spending huge money, distracting enormous power to dig 400 km of an anti-tank trench, which was perpendicular to Volga.

Look at the map. If the Germans had gone from, for example, Moscow, they would have started attacking along the trench. If they had gone from Stalingrad, they would have conquered Volga first and have gone towards us.

Was the anti-tank trench important for neither the Soviet Union nor the Germans?

This anti-tank trench on the Chuvash side did not play any role – neither strategic nor tactical. This is why it is a strained example of military glory, to put it mildly. Look at the map. Show it to any kid and ask: 'Is this line, which is perpendicular to Volga, able to play any role if the Germans attack?' Where could Germans attack from? If they had started from the south, conquered Stalingrad, it goes without saying, they would have conquered Volga first, they would not have run up the stream. They actually needed the Caucasus, not Kazan.

Who built the defensive anti-tank trenches? Did militants help?

What militants? They were built by kolkhoz workers, feminine students. Women dug, there were no excavators. Try to dig a 3-metre pit with a shovel. The pit has a length of 400 km. How many people simply froze, caught cold and died. What a price was paid for this line! These girls would have been so useful if they had worked in the Gunpowder Factory or Aviation Plant. They would have been so useful to the front. It was in 1941…

We, of course, patriots of Kazan should support our city, so that it will be given this title. Patriots of any city should support their city. Like Izhevsk where Kalashnikov lived and where the pride of our country — Kalashnikov automatics — is still made.

'This anti-tank trench on the Chuvash side did not play any role – neither strategic nor tactical. This is why it is a strained example of military glory, to put it mildly.' Photo: rukazan.ru construction of the Kazan line

'One needs to deserve the title'

So are you for granting the status?

Yes, I am. But I know why we won't be given it. I agree with those people who don't grant it. Indeed, it is a devaluation of the title.

Probably cities don't need this name because at least one half of the country will be a candidate for it.

It is like calling all the cities Hero Cities. For example, what is the difference between Rzhev and Smolensk? Smolensk is a Hero City, while Rzhev – is not. Then we should have at least 50 Hero Cities, not 11. But it is a devaluation of the title. Sorry, but it is like calling all the pilots who died in Syria Heroes of Russia. That's unacceptable: one needs to deserve the title of the Hero of Russia, not just die.

How many soldiers did Tatarstan send to the war?

700,000. Kazan sent at least 100,000.

Is there any information how many people worked in defence enterprises of the republic?

People evacuated from Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad and other cities also worked here. We had not only an aviation plant. A watch military factory was evacuated to Chistopol. Zelenodolsk got many defensive factories, including factories that manufactured navy, spare parts for tanks, Katyushas, projectiles, etc. Kazan and all Tatarstan was a real arsenal, a defence capital, so to speak. But it is difficult to say we did more than Gorky or Samara. No one will say the amount of workers. It is still a secret.

No one will say the amount of workers. It is still a secret.' Photo: National Archive of Tatarstan. Aviation Engine Assembly Shop in Factory No. 16. 1942.

Over 50 years have passed…

Maps that Germans created are still a secret for us. We should not know what enterprises were located in Kazan at that moment. Nazi Germans knew that. And we should not know it.