Tank commander with the call sign “Alyosha”.
Photo: video frame
… – Aisen Sergeevich, information recently came that the entire crew of the Alyosha tank, including your guy from Yakutia, was presented for the title of Hero of Russia. I would like to congratulate you on this, this is a very important event. Have you met their relatives yet?
Head of Yakutia Aisen Nikolaev
Photo: Ivan MAKEEV
– We are all in Yakutia, of course, very proud of the fact that our compatriot Alexei Neustroev was presented by the Minister of Defense with the title of Hero of Russia for the feat that he and his fighter friends and comrades-in-arms did. accomplished.
The whole world saw this feat.
My friends from China have already arrived, they say that even the Chinese showed us a recording of this already legendary battle. And they are proud and rejoice that there are such Heroes in Russia. Of course, we know the relatives of our Alexei Neustroev, they are from the Ust-Aldan region.
Today I was supposed to meet them there, in their village.
But we have great grief in the republic, our first president, Mikhail Efimovich Nikolaev, has died, and I head the commission to organize his funeral.
And so far, unfortunately, I have not been able to leave or contact the relatives of the hero, but I will definitely do it later.
– My condolences. I met him, interviewed him both when he was the head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and when he worked in the Federation Council. Very smart, modest, like all Yakuts, and literate. Simple pip. It was always a pleasure communicating with him. This is not just my opinion, but my friends were his assistants in the Federation Council, and they say the same thing, how nice it was to work with this person.
– Yes, Mikhail Efimovich did a lot for the republic and for Russia as a whole.
It was in the most difficult 90s that the republic held, and then they helped the whole country to hold out.
And, of course, he sincerely loved Yakutia, sincerely loved Russia, did a lot for its development.
Such was our spiritual leader.
More recently, I also received a telegram from our President with words of deep condolences on the death of Mikhail Efimovich Nikolaev, with kind words, with an assessment of his contribution to strengthening inter-ethnic peace in our country as a whole.
– Yes, if you take this aspect, he was a federal level politician.
Because let’s remember, there were all kinds of trends in the ’90s.
And not only in Yakutia, but also in other republics. And it helped a lot, you rightly said, Russia. Blessed memory for him.
Today, for the first time, we call the name of Alexei Neustroev?
– Yes. Well, we knew from the beginning, you could say, the name of our Hero.
But now, after the Defense Ministry issued its official press release stating that the Defense Minister presented the entire Alyosha crew to the title of Hero of Russia, their names are already known, including our Alexei Neustroev.
– Have you talked to him on the phone?
– Not yet, but I really hope that soon we will have such an opportunity.
– I hope you do not forget about Komsomolskaya Pravda, about our friendship with you, and we too …
– Yes, I will definitely tell you that Komsomolskaya Pravda is asking for an interview with him.
He himself is very modest, from a simple and ordinary rural family, he has several brothers, a mother, a father.
Of course, I will also talk to them and meet with them with great pleasure, with pride.
These are, in effect, those people who are very important to our country today, who are fighting today for the freedom and sovereignty of our Homeland.
– Tell me, was the tank called “Alyosha” because Alexei Neustroev was its gunner, or is Alyosha still there?
– I can’t say for sure.
– Remember, I asked you: in the heroic carriage, a Yakut guy with a good name Yakut Alyosha? You smiled so much … And this name was given to the tank, and this tank is known to the whole world: there was a report in India, in China. It’s already past one in the morning, I dare not stop you. I hope we can talk to your Alyosha.
– Thank you for the kind words, thank you for the words of condolence. This is very important for us. And of course we’ll definitely catch up with you later.
– And we are waiting for you, of course, as always, visiting us in the editorial office, at Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda. Komsomolskaya Pravda is with you, Aisen Sergeevich.
– Thank you.
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