Officials of the Oryol customs post of Kursk customs honor the memory of his countryman Michael D. Pospelov. Facts from the biography of Mikhail Pospelov was inspired by well-known Soviet scriptwriter Valentin Yezhov writing in collaboration with Rustam ibrahimbayov script of the film “White sun of the desert”. The hero of the film Director Vladimir Motyl – the customs officer Paul A. Vereshchagin, brilliantly played by Pavel Luspekaev, loved by the people, and his words firmly established in folklore.
The image of officer Paul Vereshchagin became the unofficial symbol of the customs service of the USSR, and later Russia. He erected monuments in several cities of our country, a Maritime border in the far East protects a large customs ship “Pavel Vereshchagin”.
Mikhail Pospelov was born 19 may 1884 in eagle. After receiving home education, he entered the Tiflis cadet school, which three years later he graduated from the second category. After graduation he served in Libuska infantry regiment. At the end of 1910 made the transfer from the headquarters stationed in the eagle division into a Separate corps of border guards and came to the Russian-Persian border.
The new place had to contend not only with the movement of smuggled goods, but with gangs of local bandits who attacked villages, capturing and selling into slavery in Persia, the Turkmen girls.
Mikhail was a true warrior: good shot, was an excellent rider, had six Imperial prizes for shooting and vaulting (horsemanship). Special awards in those days were allowed to wear attached to the scabbard of the officer’s personal checkers.
Mikhail Pospelov very carefully treated to his subordinates and taught them everything he knew himself. While settled in their life, solved their personal problems – was the real father of the commander. In order to diversify the soldier’s diet on Germanskom post sown grain, was a garden, in which grew a variety of fruit trees, in the pond were splashing carp.
Pospelov protect residents of the border villages, and they helped the soldiers of the post, seeing them as his only escape from the bandits.
Thanks to a well-organized intelligence was able to seriously pull local smugglers and bandits. “Red devil” – the nickname was received by the Pospelov, not only for flaming red mustache, but also for achievements in the protection mandated Severnogo Germanskogo border.
Came in 1917, has made two revolutions. A period of anarchy, civil war and collapse. The soldiers, recruited mainly in Central Russia, returned home. Some of the officers went to fight for the white army of Denikin, and some have gone abroad.
Instead of returning home to eagle, Michael Pospelov and his wife Sofya and the personal interpreter of left threat on the border, turning his house into a fortress. In the yard stood the mortar on the roof of the machine gun. In this fortress grew and two daughters – Lena and Vera. Attempts by smugglers to get even with the “Red devil” had gotten so stiff resistance that they have abandoned plans of revenge.
In 1919 Pospelov tired of the lawlessness of bandits, recruited volunteers from the local community, armed and trained them, since the weapons remained enough. He was soon able to restore order on the first post “German”, and then in the area of responsibility Germanskogo squad. One of the biggest challenges was financial. There was no money, and the soldiers had to be fed. For this Pospelovo had to go to Persia and in the local market to sell everything available in the family dear Persian and Turkmen carpets.
In the summer of 1919, the Red army liberated Ashgabat. In December 1919 the order for troops of the Turkestan front, Mikhail Pospelov was appointed commander of the border battalion with the location in Germane. A year and a half he already commands the First border regiment. The regiment guards have all the Soviet-Persian border. With the formation of the Cheka troops of the Turkestan Mikhail Pospelov was appointed head of the first district 35th border guard brigade. In July 1923 Pospelov became the first head of educational edge school in Ashgabat. Teaches Junior commanders to protect the border. From 1925 to 1933 Mikhail is involved in the fight and the defeat of basmachestva in Central Asia. At the same time assists the academician A. Fersman and geologist D. Shcherbakov in search of in the Karakum desert minerals. Two pyatisotverstnoe hike deep into the Karakum was marked by great success, was discovered by the sulfur reserves of several million tons.
Before the great Patriotic war Mikhail Pospelov because of age and past the RAS goes to work in the fire Department of the city of Tashkent. In the war he is no longer involved. Died Mikhail Pospelov in 1962, eight years before the release of the pictures of the White sun.
Mikhail lived a colorful life. An officer in the Royal Corps of border guards (up to 1893 the frontier customs guard was the paramilitary unit of the Department of customs duties of the Ministry of Finance of Russia) by the example of his life showed that a Russian patriot is important in life – to fulfill your duty to the Motherland, the people and his family.
Officials of the Oryol customs office are proud of their countryman. His life is a true role model in the service of his Fatherland!
Sergey Bryantsev,
press Secretary of the Kursk customs