Burnaev Sergey Alexandrovich
15. 1. 1982 - 28. 3. 2002
Hero of Russia

Born on January 15, 1982 in the urban-type settlement Dubenki, Dubensky district of Mordovia. Russian. Since 1987, the family lived in the urban-type settlement of Zaoksky, Zaoksky district, Tula region. Graduated from high school. He worked at a rubber shoe factory.

In May 2000, he was called up for military service in the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. He served in the 1st Red Banner Special Purpose Detachment "Vityaz", which is part of the Separate Special Purpose Division of the Moscow District of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

As part of the detachment, he twice went on business trips to participate in hostilities during the second Chechen war: from December 2000 to May 2001 and from November 2001. He showed courage and skill in several special operations.

On March 28, 2002, the detachment conducted a special operation in the city of Argun. During the operation, the fighters discovered a large warehouse of weapons and ammunition in the basement of one of the city's secondary schools. A whole system of underground passages leading into the same basement was also discovered. It was decided to check these moves. The first to move along the narrow manhole, Sergeant Burnaev found a group of militants and entered into battle with them. Firing at him with automatic fire from several points, the bandits did not allow him to break through to their own, and the rest of the soldiers were not allowed to go to his aid. In the pitch darkness, Sergei Burnaev fought with automatic fire and grenades, guided by the flashes of shots. Finally, the special forces managed to break through to his rescue and together began to destroy the bandit group. With bursts of fire from a machine gun fire, Sergei Burnaev saw a grenade thrown by the militants rolling along the floor of the underground corridor towards the soldiers. There was no time to throw it back, and for the sake of saving his comrades, Sergei made the last decision - he covered the grenade with his body. At the cost of his own life, Sergeant Burnaev saved the lives of the rest of the soldiers.

Soon, this hellish dungeon battle ended. A bandit group consisting of 8 militants was completely destroyed, a large number of weapons were found. Only one Sergey Burnaev died on the part of the Russian servicemen ... He was buried in the urban-type settlement of Zaoksky, Tula region.

For the courage and heroism shown during the performance of a special assignment in conditions fraught with the risk of life, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 992 of September 16, 2002, Sergeant Burnaev Sergei Aleksandrovich was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

On November 10, 2002, the President of the Russian Federation V.V.Putin presented the "Gold Star" of the Hero of Russia to the mother of S.A. Burnaev. In the homeland of the Hero, in the village of Dubenki, Mordovia, a monument is erected in his honor, and in the village of Zaoksky, Tula region, there is a memorial plaque on the building of the school where the Hero studied. Hero of Russia S.A. Burnaev is forever enlisted in the lists of the military unit of the Internal Troops.

Another story about the Hero:
"We saw him off with a stellar salute with the whole detachment ..."
On March 28, 2002, immediately after the Day of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, in the Chechen city of Argun, a serviceman of the 1st Red Banner Vityaz special-purpose regiment, Sergeant Sergei Burnaev, was killed. For the "knights" who did not have "two hundredths" after the first Chechen campaign, the death of a comrade became a tragedy.

Warrant officer of "Vityaz" Aleksey: "Despite the fact that Argun is a relatively small town, it can be cleaned for two weeks or a month without getting out of there. All the same, even after that, barrels and ammunition will float up there. They are so cleverly hidden. And float up. they will be in the hands of “spirits.” During the day they are civilians with real passports, and at night two or three such “law-abiding” citizens will come to the cache, take weapons and fire at a military outpost or engineer reconnaissance ... It is very difficult to fight such militants. It's almost impossible to catch. "

"Vityaz" officer sapper Alexander: "In the basement of the school we found several plastic bottles with radio stations sealed in plastic, tuned to the same frequency. A deadly toy. Put a box with nails next to it, go to the frequency and ... group. Just did not take into account the "spirits" that we have special devices on our armored personnel carriers that suppress such signals. Maybe because the school was surrounded by armored personnel carriers, we did not fly into the air, or maybe we were just lucky. "

The task was set to the detachment in the morning. A few minutes to collect - and the column of armored personnel carriers "Vityaz" is already flying towards Argun. The specified area was found quickly: before that, the special forces had cleared this city more than once and therefore knew it well. They immediately set up a cordon and conducted a reconnaissance. Everyone agreed that the place for the "spirits" caches was ideal: the school was located on a vacant lot, several houses were adjacent to it, where it was possible to arrange firing points in such a way that they would shoot everything around.

The school itself was cleaned out quickly: in the U-shaped three-story building, except for broken furniture and broken glass, there was nothing. All that remained was to clear the basement of the building. Before entering, the assault groups once again coordinated their actions. According to operational data, in the basement of the school there could be "spirits" guarding the warehouse. In addition, the FSB agents also threw in "joyful" news: according to their information, the school basement could be connected by underground passages with nearby houses. Detachment armored personnel carriers bristled with trunks in the direction of the windows of five-story buildings, and the soldiers of the cover groups scattered around the houses.

We moved very carefully. The lanterns were turned on only for a split second, in order to orient themselves and find a passage to the next room. We examined several rooms. The group, which also included Sergeant Sergei Burnaev, immediately found a shell for installing a land mine in the first room, and from another room the soldiers pulled out a disguised sports bag, in which they found an assault rifle with a grenade launcher and an unloading vest with ammunition. Nice catch for a start. And in front of the commandos were waiting for even more than two-thirds of the basement.

On the street, near the detachment armored personnel carriers and the soldiers of the operational brigade of the Volga District of the Internal Troops who had arrived for reinforcements, who were also cordoned off, people began to stroll around. Their interest was understandable - the pile of weapons near the combat vehicles was growing: other search groups working in another wing of the school's basement also found weapons. At first, the movement of the residents did not arouse suspicion, but the houses were too close, from the upper floors of which the soldiers could be seen at a glance. Yes, the faces of the same young people became familiar. Although everything seemed to be in order with the documents.

Carefully examining room after room and finding weapons, the search groups went towards each other. Between them sat the doomed militants, preparing for a mortal battle. The "spirits" knew that they would not leave the basement alive. Therefore, their task was reduced to a minimum - to take more servicemen with them to the next world. In his assault group, Sergeant Sergei Burnaev walked ahead of everyone ...

For further passage, the commandos had to climb into a window slightly larger than a window. It was not easy for tough guys in body armor with weapons and ammunition to do this. Sergei was the first to enter the window and began to cover the approach of the others. The fighters of the group went after him. Suddenly, from the darkness, several machine-gun fires rang out point-blank. The militants fired from an embrasure in the wall. Instantly assessing the situation, the soldiers and officers of the "Vityaz" rushed to the saving reinforced concrete wall that separated them and the "spirits". In continuous darkness, blinded and deafened by flashes and explosions of grenades, the "knights" grouped together and entered the battle. In the heat of the battle, they did not notice that the officer was wounded, and blood was oozing from the eyebrow of one sergeant-conscript - a splinter touched his forehead. Burnaev was the closest to the militants. The "spirits" cut him off with fire and did not let the others get close. At first, Sergei threw grenades into the opening, and when there was only one left for himself, he began to shoot from outstretched hands: enemy bullets did not give an aim.

At this time, the group began to roll back - the ammunition was running out, and the wounded had to be pulled out. The elder shouted to Sergei to leave. They would have covered him, but Burnaev showed with signs that he would stay and cover the rest himself. Perhaps he saw something that the others did not see. The penultimate soldier who ran to the door broken down by the APC froze for a second: an explosion was heard in the depths of the basement. Immediately after this, another assault group from the Vityaz reconnaissance company burst into the basement. It was quiet in the dark. Only in the distance, on the right side of the basement, were shots heard. Two "spirits" went to meet the groups that were cleaning the other wing. They were not allowed to leave. The scouts found the body of the sergeant and several militants he had killed. Sergei lay facing the enemies, clutching a machine gun, twisted by the explosion. Even at the last moment of his life, he thought about how to cover his brothers.

“Knights” said goodbye to Sergei Burnaev in Reutovo near Moscow. According to the spetsnaz tradition, the coffin with the sergeant's body was carried out in front of the unit's personnel. After that, the officers of the Vityaz regiment accompanying Sergei took their son to his parents in Tula. The council of "maroon berets" of the special purpose unit "Vityaz" unanimously decided to hand over a maroon beret to the parents of the deceased comrade.

At the opening ceremony of the monument to the dead servicemen of the Interior Ministry troops, installed in a park near the Interior Ministry headquarters in Moscow (in the form of a nine-meter granite stele and a sculpture of a grieving mother)

then Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin noted the feat of Sergei Bunaev.

He was just beginning to live. I was going to get married. I dreamed of building my own house. The battle in the Chechen city of Argun at once canceled all his plans. On March 27, 2002, time stopped for Seryozha Burnaev ...

He was born and until the age of five he lived in Dubenki in Mordovia. Then he moved with his family to the Tula region. Parents lived very modestly. Father became a laborer, mother - an accountant in a construction organization. They settled in an old wooden barrack. They hoped that with time everything would be settled, and a better life would come for their sons.

The youngest, Seryozha, was always very open, serious beyond his years. He stood up for the weak, stood up like a mountain for the offended. From the age of five he was engaged in karate. Over the years, it has grown into a professional hobby. Sergei even had several belts. At the same time, he did not differ in a strong physique. The conscription commission even determined that the weight was insufficient.

He dreamed of getting into the army from the age of seventeen. In the military registration and enlistment office, his ardor was cooled: it is not allowed. They said, be patient, boy, another year, everything has its time. He waited patiently. I got a job at a chemical products plant. He did not disdain any work. Didn't smoke or drink, by the way. Although it is not fashionable today ...

Seryozha really asked to join the special forces or the Airborne Forces. In May 2000, his dream came true. He was drafted into the Vityaz special forces detachment of the elite division of the internal troops. And already in November there was the first business trip to Chechnya. For a long six months.

In November 2001 - the second business trip. The first letter from Sergei arrived on December 12th. “Sorry, Mom, it happened. Again in Chechnya ... "

My mother, Valentina Vasilievna, was anxious, terribly worried. My heart was aching and aching. And then they were tormented by terrible dreams. She dreamed that her son was running away somewhere, she was trying to catch up with him, but could not. The last letter arrived on February 10th. “This is your unlucky son and brother writing. I am fine. Celebrated my birthday. 20 years after all. I love you all. I'll be there soon".

The "Knights" at that time were in the Chechen city of Argun. According to the information received by them, in the basement of the city school No. 4 there was a large warehouse of weapons. It was decided to involve professionals in the operation. On March 27, 70 special forces in 7 armored personnel carriers drove up to the school building. Our fellow countryman was among them. A battle ensued in the dungeon. The special forces entered into fire contact with the militants who were guarding the weapons depot. Resisting, the bandits threw a grenade at our soldiers. In the dungeon, the death of many children was inevitable. Without hesitation, Sergeant Burnaev covered the grenade with his body. He died. But his comrades survived. And they completed the operation.

The terrible news of the death of Sergei instantly flew to Mordovia. Here, in his homeland, there are many people who are close, dear to him. A whole delegation from the village of Dubenki went to the funeral in the Tula village of Zaoksky.

The funeral took place on April 8th. On the eve, on Friday, one on one, without witnesses, the "Knights" said goodbye to the deceased comrade. They asked to be given this opportunity. They did not want to show his loved ones their tears.

Sergei did not want to leave the army until he earned the "maroon" beret. His dream has come true. True, after death.

“One of Serezha's friends, those who were with him at the time of his death, accompanied a zinc coffin,” says the late cousin Tatyana Shigaeva. - Together with the body, the soldiers brought the "maroon" beret into the house. One of the fighters kissed him and said: “Nobody should touch the beret. Sergey deserved it. "

Came to say goodbye to Seryozha and his girlfriend Masha. His parents were waiting for their marriage, dreamed of grandchildren ...

“I don’t want anything in this life,” cried his father, Alexander Semyonovich.

Trouble does not come to a house alone. The Burnaev family, who lost their son overnight, was essentially left without a livelihood. Sergei's father recently lost his job. The mother was given a notice of dismissal on the second day after the death of her son. They continue to live in a wooden barrack. True, the administration promises to provide an apartment. But they are now too spacious in the two dark barracks rooms.

Sergei was going to return in May, to introduce the bride to his parents. Completion of the house. Did not have time…

Four years ago he came to Dubenki for the last time. I was glad how many relatives, cousins and sisters he has here.

“Let's get together somehow,” he suggested, “I’ll serve in the army, I’ll come and meet.

They met at his own funeral.

P.S. By the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 16, 2002, Sergeant Sergei Aleksandrovich Burnaev was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously) for courage and heroism displayed in the performance of military duty in the North Caucasus region.

In the homeland of the Hero, in the village of Dubenki, a monument is erected in his honor, and in the village of Zaoksky, Tula Region, there is a memorial plaque on the building of the school where the Hero studied. Hero of Russia S.A. Burnaev is forever enlisted in the lists of his military unit of the Internal Troops. In the town of Reutov, Moscow Region, on the Alley of Heroes of the military memorial complex "To All Reutov People Who Died for the Fatherland" (Victory Street), a bronze bust of the hero was also installed.

Maya Baklanova
The newspaper "Izvestia Mordovii" for 17.05.2002

While some of the young people are trying to use all the opportunities so as not to serve, Sergei Aleksandrovich Burnaev dreamed of the army. He tried to get into the Airborne Forces, but was drafted into the special forces, the elite group "Vityaz". And I never regretted it afterwards. He had a goal - to earn a maroon beret. The detachment council unanimously decided to hand it over to twenty-year-old Sergei, who had stepped into immortality by his feat on March 28, 2002.

The life path of the future hero

Two sons grew up in the family of Alexander and Valentina Burnaev. The youngest Sergei, born on January 15, 1982 in Mordovia, went to school in the village of Zaoksky (Tula region), where the family had by that time moved to a permanent place of residence. He grew up as a boy, agile, did not differ in exemplary behavior, but he respected the elders and stood like a mountain for the weak. Cheerful, noisy, cocky, he seemed to be in a hurry to live, becoming a real leader in a boy's company. Possessing he stood up for his older brother, he refused to retake the session at the technical school, where he entered after graduation. Only because the teacher was counting on monetary "gratitude".

Burnaev Sergey Alexandrovich, whose photo in childhood can be seen in the article, never smoked and was not fond of alcohol. After working for some time at a rubber footwear factory, in 2000 he readily went to the army, hitting the ODON of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Vityaz group, located in the city of Reutov (Moscow region). The sworn parents found their son thinner, but happy. Despite the enormous physical exertion and the severity of the service, the guy became the best shooter in the unit and was early transferred to the reconnaissance group.

War travel

In Chechnya, Sergei Aleksandrovich Burnaev, whose biography is closely intertwined with the Vityaz special unit, visited twice. From December 2000 to May 2001, as a conscript soldier, and from November 2001 as a contract soldier. After spending 250 days in the combat zone, Sergey, who became a sergeant and unit commander, took part in eighteen operations. The most serious among them are in Shali, Mesker-Yurt, Bachi-Yurt, Germenchuk, Chechen-aul, as well as in the villages of Novye and Starye Atagi. In these battles, he proved himself to be a skillful warrior who won the recognition of his comrades in arms, who gave him the nickname "Brown".

In December 2001, he wrote a letter to his mother, where he asked for forgiveness that he was again in the war. He knew how worried she was for the first time, and therefore reported that there were no hostilities in Chechnya, and the detachment was only exercising control over the observance of the passport regime. Sergei dreamed of giving his family a gift - to build a house, so he easily endured the hardships and hardships of a military trip. In his native village, a bride named Maria was waiting for him, he loved life and made plans, the implementation of which was simply postponed until the end of the contract.

Argun: special operation "Knights"

In the internal troops, a professional holiday. On this day, the "Vityaz" received an award, and on the 28th it already set off to perform a combat mission. The FSB reported about an ammunition depot in the basements of school No. 4 in the city of Argun, where the commandos sent 7 armored personnel carriers and 70 personnel. Nobody studied at school for a long time. Standing in a vacant lot, it was ideal for a meeting place for militants, from where they got out with weapons, fighting the feds. And then they again turned into civilians, hiding for a while.

Sergei Aleksandrovich Burnaev was also part of the spetsnaz group, along with his unit. In the impenetrable darkness of the basements, they found an ammunition depot and two militants killed during the operation. But the scout Burnaev did not believe that the nest of militants was limited to this, and again rushed with his guys to the basement, finding a whole network of underground passages.

Rescue of comrades in arms

Making his way through the narrow tunnels, Sergei Aleksandrovich Burnaev walked in front, again stumbling upon the stoned suicide bandits. Having entered the battle, he was cut off from his comrades, focusing in complete darkness only on the flashes from the shots. During the shootout, Sergei was wounded, but the special forces managed to get through to him and continue to destroy the group of militants. A platoon commander and two conscripts were also injured in that battle. Suddenly, from the side of the bandits, a grenade rolled through the hole in the pipe. During the next flash from the shot, Sergeant Burnaev saw a mortal danger. He had exactly four seconds to make a decision.

He took the only true for himself, covering the grenade with his body and protecting his fighters. The battle continued for another two hours, during which 8 bandits were killed, including two field commanders. Later it will become known that another group of militants broke through to their aid and failed to pass through the cordon. The twenty-year-old hero remained lying face to the defeated bandits, tightly holding a twisted submachine gun in his hands. And one of those whom he saved his life for a whole year lost his voice, shaken by the events of a terrible battle.

Honoring the Hero

The special forces said goodbye to their comrade in Reutov, where today there is a bust of a heroic sergeant on the Alley of Heroes. The officers were taken to Zaoksky, where a solemn funeral took place at the cemetery. One of the servicemen put on the lid of the coffin by right now belonged to the parents of the special forces. In November 2002, in the Kremlin, Alexander and Valentina Burnaevs from the hands of the president received a well-deserved award for their son - the Star of the Hero. And they were also given an apartment, fulfilling a dream that Sergei Aleksandrovich Burnaev himself once wanted to realize.

In Dubenki, where the sergeant was born, a monument is erected to him, and in Zaoksky - a memorial plaque. A school is named after him, where every year the best class is awarded the title of "Burnaevites", and he himself is forever enrolled in the military unit of the Internal Troops. Burnaev Sergey Alexandrovich - Hero of Russia, whose feat will always be an example for the younger generation. To give one's life for the sake of comrades-in-arms is the highest manifestation of fortitude and the meaning of human destiny.

Burnaev Sergey Alexandrovich

Burnaev Sergey Alexandrovich- Squad Commander of the 1st Red Banner Special Purpose Detachment "Vityaz" of the Separate Special Purpose Division of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergeant.

Born on January 15, 1982 in the urban-type settlement Dubenki, Dubensky district of Mordovia. Russian. Since 1987, the family lived in the urban-type settlement of Zaoksky, Zaoksky district, Tula region. Graduated from high school. He worked at a rubber shoe factory.

In May 2000, he was called up for military service in the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. He served in the 1st Red Banner Special Purpose Detachment "Vityaz", which is part of the Separate Special Purpose Division of the Moscow District of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

As part of the detachment, he twice went on business trips to participate in hostilities during the second Chechen war: from December 2000 to May 2001 and from November 2001. He showed courage and skill in several special operations.

Soon, this hellish dungeon battle ended. A bandit group consisting of 8 militants was completely destroyed, a large number of weapons were found. Only one Sergey Burnaev died on the part of the Russian servicemen ... He was buried in the urban-type settlement of Zaoksky, Tula region.

For the courage and heroism shown during the performance of a special assignment in conditions fraught with the risk of life, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 992 of September 16, 2002, Sergeant Burnaev Sergei Aleksandrovich was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

On November 10, 2002, the President of the Russian Federation V.V.Putin presented the "Gold Star" of the Hero of Russia to the mother of S.A. Burnaev.

In the homeland of the Hero, in the village of Dubenki, Mordovia, a monument is erected in his honor, and in the village of Zaoksky, Tula region, there is a memorial plaque on the building of the school where the Hero studied. Hero of Russia S.A. Burnaev is forever enlisted in the lists of the military unit of the Internal Troops.

Burnaev Sergey Aleksandrovich - squad leader of the 1st Red Banner Special Forces "Vityaz" of the Separate Special Purpose Division of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, sergeant.
Born on January 15, 1982 in the urban-type settlement Dubenki, Dubensky district of Mordovia. Russian. Since 1987, the family lived in the urban-type settlement of Zaoksky, Zaoksky district, Tula region. Graduated from high school. He worked at a rubber shoe factory.
In May 2000, he was called up for military service in the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. He served in the 1st Red Banner Special Purpose Detachment "Vityaz", which is part of the Separate Special Purpose Division of the Moscow District of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
As part of the detachment, he twice went on business trips to participate in hostilities during the second Chechen war: from December 2000 to May 2001 and from November 2001. He showed courage and skill in several special operations.

Hero's Story:
On March 28, 2002, immediately after the Day of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, in the Chechen city of Argun, a serviceman of the 1st Red Banner Vityaz special-purpose regiment, Sergeant Sergei Burnaev, was killed. For the "knights" who did not have "two hundredths" after the first Chechen campaign, the death of a comrade became a tragedy.
Warrant officer of "Vityaz" Aleksey: "Despite the fact that Argun is a relatively small town, it can be cleaned for two weeks or a month without getting out of there. All the same, even after that, barrels and ammunition will float up there. They are so cleverly hidden. And float up. they will be in the hands of “spirits.” During the day they are civilians with real passports, and at night two or three such “law-abiding” citizens will come to the cache, take weapons and fire at a military outpost or engineer reconnaissance ... It is very difficult to fight such militants. It's almost impossible to catch. "

Officer "Vityaz" Eduard: "If it had not been for Bury (Sergeant Sergei Burnaev. - Author), our group would not have left there. Only after the battle do you understand how mentally strong the person is who, covering his comrades, deliberately chooses death. her in order to save the lives of others. "
"Vityaz" officer sapper Alexander: "In the basement of the school we found several plastic bottles with radio stations sealed in plastic, tuned to the same frequency. A deadly toy. Put a box with nails next to it, go to the frequency and ... group. Just did not take into account the "spirits" that we have special devices on our armored personnel carriers that suppress such signals. Maybe because the school was surrounded by armored personnel carriers, we did not fly into the air, or maybe we were just lucky. "

In war, spetsnaz is always ready to perform unexpected tasks. So it was this time. According to operational information, in one of the schools on the outskirts of Argun there was a cache with weapons and ammunition. Probably, he should have been guarded.
The task was set to the detachment in the morning. A few minutes to collect - and the column of armored personnel carriers "Vityaz" is already flying towards Argun. The specified area was found quickly: before that, the special forces had cleared this city more than once and therefore knew it well. They immediately set up a cordon and conducted a reconnaissance. Everyone agreed that the place for the "spirits" caches was ideal: the school was located on a vacant lot, several houses were adjacent to it, where it was possible to arrange firing points in such a way that they would shoot everything around.

The school building was also completely suitable for organizing a cache: in order to go down to a reinforced concrete basement without windows, two thick boarded up doors had to be knocked out. And the basement of the school was built as if specifically in order to conduct military operations in it: the rooms, separated by reinforced concrete ceilings, do not directly join each other, but there are a lot of windows through which you can fire.
The school itself was cleaned out quickly: in the U-shaped three-story building, except for broken furniture and broken glass, there was nothing. All that remained was to clear the basement of the building. Before entering, the assault groups once again coordinated their actions. According to operational data, in the basement of the school there could be "spirits" guarding the warehouse. In addition, the FSB agents also threw in "joyful" news: according to their information, the school basement could be connected by underground passages with nearby houses. Detachment armored personnel carriers bristled with trunks in the direction of the windows of five-story buildings, and the soldiers of the cover groups scattered around the houses.

It was decided to throw several assault groups into the basement, which entered from different directions. Let's go blindly: there was no map, not even a drawing of the room. And he would not hurt: the darkness in the basement is impenetrable. The beams of powerful lanterns snatched out pieces of glass wool lying in the sandy dust, and small windows at head level - ideal loopholes for the defenders.
We moved very carefully. The lanterns were turned on only for a split second, in order to orient themselves and find a passage to the next room. We examined several rooms. The group, which also included Sergeant Sergei Burnaev, immediately found a shell for installing a land mine in the first room, and from another room the soldiers pulled out a disguised sports bag, in which they found an assault rifle with a grenade launcher and an unloading vest with ammunition. Nice catch for a start. And in front of the commandos were waiting for even more than two-thirds of the basement.

The other two rooms turned out to be empty, and in the third ... As soon as the first soldier climbed into the window, a burst of automatic weapons was immediately heard. Usually "spirits" do not glow, they sit until the last, hoping that they will not be noticed. These were either stoned, or simply lost their nerves, because a lot of time had passed since the beginning of the operation, and the noise from the street in the basement was clearly audible. The "knights" threw grenades into the room where the militants were sitting. About ten deadly gifts flew through the window. The explosion of a grenade in the basement is a terrible thing. It is almost impossible to hide or hide - the debris ricochets off the walls. Immediately, a split second after the last explosion, while the dust had not yet settled, the assault group, shining with lanterns, flew into the room and found two militants. They sat stunned and at that moment hardly understood what was happening. The "spirits" were dragged out into the street. One, seriously wounded, was not a lodger, and the second was caught by shrapnel in only a few places. He was also of interest to the operatives.
On the street, near the detachment armored personnel carriers and the soldiers of the operational brigade of the Volga District of the Internal Troops who had arrived for reinforcements, who were also cordoned off, people began to stroll around. Their interest was understandable - the pile of weapons near the combat vehicles was growing: other search groups working in another wing of the school's basement also found weapons. At first, the movement of the residents did not arouse suspicion, but the houses were too close, from the upper floors of which the soldiers could be seen at a glance. Yes, the faces of the same young people became familiar. Although everything seemed to be in order with the documents.

And in the basement, in the room where the militants were sitting, the group found an impressive arsenal: several machine guns with grenade launchers, sleeping bags, cartridges, grenades and shots for a grenade launcher.
Carefully examining room after room and finding weapons, the search groups went towards each other. Between them sat the doomed militants, preparing for a mortal battle. The "spirits" knew that they would not leave the basement alive. Therefore, their task was reduced to a minimum - to take more servicemen with them to the next world. In his assault group, Sergeant Sergei Burnaev walked ahead of everyone ...

For Sergei, this trip was not the first. As a conscript soldier he ended up in Chechnya for six months. Since childhood, he wanted to become a military man and dreamed of serving in the airborne troops or in the special forces. His dream came true - he ended up serving in the cradle of the special forces of the internal troops - the Vityaz special-purpose regiment. Despite heavy physical exertion, Sergey liked to serve here. Shortly before the trip, he signed a contract on the passage of service in this unit, choosing as a place of service one of the most combat units of the "Vityaz" - a reconnaissance company, the team of which became his second family.
... For further passage, the commandos had to climb into a window slightly larger than a window. It was not easy for tough guys in body armor with weapons and ammunition to do this. Sergei was the first to enter the window and began to cover the approach of the others. The fighters of the group went after him. Suddenly, from the darkness, several machine-gun fires rang out point-blank. The militants fired from an embrasure in the wall. Instantly assessing the situation, the soldiers and officers of the "Vityaz" rushed to the saving reinforced concrete wall that separated them and the "spirits". In continuous darkness, blinded and deafened by flashes and explosions of grenades, the "knights" grouped together and entered the battle. In the heat of the battle, they did not notice that the officer was wounded, and blood was oozing from the eyebrow of one sergeant-conscript - a splinter touched his forehead. Burnaev was the closest to the militants. The "spirits" cut him off with fire and did not let the others get close. At first, Sergei threw grenades into the opening, and when there was only one left for himself, he began to shoot from outstretched hands: enemy bullets did not give an aim.

The elder shouted to Sergei to leave. They would have covered him, but Burnaev showed with signs that he would stay and cover the rest himself. Perhaps he saw something that the others did not see. The penultimate soldier who ran to the door broken down by the APC froze for a second: an explosion was heard in the depths of the basement. Immediately after this, another assault group from the Vityaz reconnaissance company burst into the basement. It was quiet in the dark. Only in the distance, on the right side of the basement, were shots heard. Two "spirits" went to meet the groups that were cleaning the other wing. They were not allowed to leave. The scouts found the body of the sergeant and several militants he had killed. Sergei lay facing the enemies, clutching a machine gun, twisted by the explosion. Even at the last moment of his life, he thought about how to cover his brothers.
“Knights” said goodbye to Sergei Burnaev in Reutovo near Moscow. According to the spetsnaz tradition, the coffin with the sergeant's body was carried out in front of the unit's personnel. After that, the officers of the Vityaz regiment accompanying Sergei took their son to his parents in Tula. The council of "maroon berets" of the special purpose unit "Vityaz" unanimously decided to hand over a maroon beret to the parents of the deceased comrade.
At the opening ceremony of the monument to the dead servicemen of the Interior Ministry troops, installed in a park near the Interior Ministry headquarters in Moscow (in the form of a nine-meter granite stele and a sculpture of a grieving mother)