In St. Petersburg, the plaque to Carl Gustav Mannerheim, installed in June of this year, was removed. The memorial sign to the Finnish marshal was repeatedly doused with paint, and in October activists chopped it up with an ax
Memorial plaque to Marshal Carl Gustav Mannerheim on the facade of the Military Academy of Logistics after being attacked with an ax by activists of The Other Russia, October 2016 (Photo: Georgy Polyakov/Interpress/TASS)
The memorial plaque to Finnish Marshal Carl Gustav Mannerheim was removed from the facade of a building on Zakharyevskaya Street in St. Petersburg, TASS reports. The same information is confirmed by Interfax and Fontanka. The latter writes that the board was removed by “unknown people.” The publication also published photographs from the scene.
“Mannerheim’s personality is hotly debated. But we can definitely say that this is an extraordinary person who is related to our history, and his role will be studied by historians for a long time,” press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov.
Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, who attended the opening ceremony of the memorial plaque, emphasized that the Mannerheim memorial was being established in order to preserve the memory. He noted that the erection of monuments to the heroes of the First World War is an attempt to cope with the tragic split in society.
Carl Gustav Mannerheim was born in 1867 in the Grand Duchy of Finland (part of Russian Empire), from 1887 to 1917 he served in the Russian army, participated in the Russo-Japanese War, commanded several units in the First world war. After the Bolsheviks came to power, Mannerheim left for Finland, which declared independence from Russia, and in 1918 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Finnish army. During the Winter War and World War II, he led the Finnish army in battles against the USSR. On August 4, 1944, Marshal Mannerheim became President of Finland.
A memorial plaque to Carl Gustav Mannerheim was unveiled today in St. Petersburg. The head of the presidential administration, Sergei Ivanov, and the Minister of Culture, Vladimir Medinsky, spoke at the ceremony to the dissatisfied cries of supporters of the Anti-Maidan movement. Mr. Ivanov suggested not “throwing out the words from the song”: after all, before collaborating with Adolf Hitler as President of Finland, Karl Mannerheim was a hero of the Russian tsarist army. Historians urge people not to use history for political purposes.
A memorial plaque to Karl Mannerheim is installed today on the building of the Military Academy of Material and Technical Education in St. Petersburg. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the plaque, the head of the Kremlin administration, Sergei Ivanov, called not to justify the Finnish period of Karl Mannerheim’s life, but also not to forget the worthy service of the Russian general. “As they say, you can’t erase a word from a song. No one is going to whitewash Mannerheim’s actions after 1918, but before 1918 he served Russia and, to be completely frank, he lived and served in Russia longer than he served and lived in Finland,” said Mr. Ivanov. The head of administration also said that he had brought with him two “ historical document" “On January 1, 1918, he (Karl Mannerheim.- “Kommersant”) wrote a letter of resignation from military service and asked to assign him a pension, quite legally, by the way,” Mr. Ivanov clarified. “And the second document is even more amazing: in February 1918, the Soviet government assigned Mannerheim a pension in the amount of 3,761 rubles, a lot of money at that time, that is, general Mannerheim was a Soviet military pensioner."
Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky explained that the installation of monuments to the heroes of the First World War, who then found themselves on the other side of the barricades, is “an attempt to overcome the tragic split in society.” “To those who are shouting there now, I want to remind you from us: you don’t need to be holier than the Pope and don’t try to be a greater patriot and communist than Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin,” the minister advised representatives of the Anti-Maidan movement, who accompanied the ceremony with an action protest, shouting: “Shame on the traitors to the motherland!”
Karl Mannerheim was a hero of the tsarist army, participated in Russian-Japanese war, commanded units of the Russian army in the First World War. After the Bolsheviks came to power, he left for his homeland, Finland, which declared independence. In 1918, Karl Mannerheim became commander-in-chief of the Finnish army. Under his leadership, from 1933 to 1939, a system of defensive fortifications was built on the Karelian Isthmus along the border with the USSR, which later became known as the “Mannerheim Line”. He commanded troops during the Soviet-Finnish War, as well as during World War II on the side fascist Germany, although he resolutely rejected the plan to capture Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). In August 1944, he was elected president of the country and concluded a truce with the USSR.
Sergei Ivanov recalled yesterday that during the Russian-Japanese War, Karl Mannerheim was wounded twice and received high state awards. And in 1906–1908 he made a horseback trip to China and made many valuable military observations, after which he returned to St. Petersburg and continued his service, went through the entire First World War and participated in the Brusilov breakthrough. And Vladimir Medinsky added that Joseph Stalin “personally defended Mannerheim, ensured his election and his retention of the post of President of Finland, and knew how to treat a defeated but worthy enemy with respect.”
“It is important to distinguish between politicking, the use of history for political purposes, and simply studying history,” Vladislav Kononov, executive director of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO), told Kommersant. It was the Russian Military Historical Society that initiated the installation of monuments to the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812, the First World War, as well as the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, the search for unknown heroes of which continues today. “Enough with cliches, stop using categorical judgments, we need to better understand our own history,” calls Mr. Kononov. “There is no overestimation of history. If we talk about Karl Mannerheim as a Russian general before 1918, then we should look up to such heroes.”
Ekaterina Grobman
In St. Petersburg, a memorial plaque was installed on the building of the Military Engineering and Technical University with the name of the general of the Russian army, and later the marshal and president of Finland, Karl Mannerheim. The ceremony was attended by the head of the presidential administration, Sergei Ivanov, who stated that “no one is going to whitewash Mannerheim’s actions after 1918, but before 1918 he served Russia,” Interfax reports.
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Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, who was also present at the ceremony, said that monuments to the heroes of the First World War are an attempt to “cope with the tragic split in society,” RBC reports.
Karl Mannerheim served in the Russian army from 1887 to 1917, starting as a cornet and ending with the rank of lieutenant general. He participated in the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars. Soon after the October Revolution, he returned to Finland shortly before it declared independence. He later headed the Finnish Defense Council and commanded its army during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–40, and at the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War he led the offensive in Karelia on the side of the Axis powers. In 1944, Mannerheim became president of Finland, replacing the retired Risto Ryti, and signed peace with the USSR.
According to the candidate historical sciences Kirill Alexandrov, Mannerheim served faithfully in the Russian army until 1917, has 10 officer awards and is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.
Of course, a plaque for Baron Mannerheim would be inappropriate in Leningrad. But our city has been called St. Petersburg again for 25 years, in which not only palaces are organic, but also people - first of all. Mannerheim is an outstanding representative of the Russian guards society and the Russian imperial army late XIX– beginning of the twentieth century. Our memory is discrete - we remember that Finnish troops fought against the Soviet Union during World War II. But the memory of military, royal, guards Petersburg, St. Petersburg Great War, as the First World War was called, we have no - no memory of Mannerheim.
Kirill Alexandrov recalls that Mannerheim is a lieutenant general of the Russian imperial army, an officer whose awards include the Order of St. George, IV degree, and the very prestigious Arms of St. George, received for bravery. The historian also recalls that contemporaries called the First Patriotic War the Second Patriotic War, so Carl Gustav Mannerheim can be considered a hero of the Second Patriotic War.
The memorial plaque to Mannerheim at 22 Zakharyevskaya was installed on the second attempt - a year ago they had already tried to install it in another place, on Galernaya Street, but then, due to the ambiguous attitude of the townspeople, the event was postponed.
A memorial plaque in memory of the Finnish military leader who fought in World War II against the Soviet Union and participated in the siege of Leningrad was installed in St. Petersburg today, June 16. The reaction of society was not long in coming: politicians, experts and ordinary citizens of St. Petersburg and Russia made condemning statements against the initiators of the installation of the memorial plaque. At this time, the authors of this historical initiative declare that by doing so they tried to “reconcile and unite society,” the correspondent reports.
Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergey Ivanov today took part in the installation ceremony in St. Petersburg memorial plaque to the Finnish marshal and president Karl Mannerheim on the facade of the Military Academy of Logistics on Zakharyevskaya Street in St. Petersburg. They decided to open the object perpetuating the ally of Nazi Germany on Thursday, June 16, as part of the anniversary XX St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, TASS reports.
According to the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, the board is installed in order to “preserve memory.”
“The plaque in honor of Mannerheim is another of our attempts to overcome the tragic split in our society on the eve of the centenary of the Russian Revolution. That is why we are erecting monuments throughout the country to the heroes of the First World War, who later found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades,” he noted.
At the opening ceremony, Sergei Ivanov recalled the contribution that Mannerheim made in the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars.
“As they say, you can’t erase words from a song. No one is going to whitewash Mannerheim’s actions after 1918, but until 1918 he served Russia, and to be completely frank, he lived and served in Russia longer than he served and lived in Finland,” Ivanov said at the opening.
At the same time, on the eve of the opening of the memorial plaque, a petition to the President of the Russian Federation with a request " prevent the installation of a memorial plaque to the fascist ally Karl Mannerheim in St. Petersburg". At the time of publication of the news, the petition was signed by about 830 campaign participants.
The text of the petition says:
"We want to change the plans of the Russian Military Historical Society to install a memorial plaque to Karl Mannerheim, an ally of Adolf Hitler, in St. Petersburg."
The petition was supported by a politician Daria Mitina. She asked readers on her Facebook page to “sign a petition to prevent the perpetuation of memory fascist henchman Mannerheim in St. Petersburg - Leningrad!
"Carl Gustav Emil von Mannerheim, President of Finland, former general Russian army, was indeed an ally of Hitler and received awards from his hands. His subsequent surrender this fact doesn't make amends at all. Let memorial plaques and monuments be erected to him in his homeland, and in St. Petersburg, which suffered from the blockade organized, among other things, by the Finns, the memorial plaque will look like strange to say the least", writes one of the citizens who signed the petition in the comments.
In an address delivered on June 16 at the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, it was noted that Marshal Karl Mannerheim “commanded the Finnish-fascist troops during the siege of Leningrad, pursuing the goal destroy the city named after Lenin, the cradle of the Great October Revolution, together with its defenders and residents."
"Deputies of the Communist Party faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg decisively condemn plan to install a memorial plaque in honor of Hitler's accomplice, Finnish Marshal Karl Mannerheim, and perceive this act as mockery of fond memory dead to the blockade of Leningraders and defenders of the city, as an act of desecration of our Great Motherland,” the statement emphasizes.
"Attempts to falsify and denigrate Soviet history and rehabilitation of fascist criminals - Vlasov, Mannerheim, Krasnov and others in Russia, the legal successor of the USSR, which defeated Nazi Germany, mean only one thing: INThe Great Patriotic War, by and large, has not ended even todayI. The followers of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin continue to wage it against our country., and as long as they are in power, Russia will not be independent, great and prosperous,” concluded the head of the Communist Party faction VladimirDmitriev.
Deputies from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation recalled that Russian legislation provides responsibility for the rehabilitation of Nazism- Art. 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In particular, approval of crimes established by the International Military Tribunal is prohibited. According to the communists, the installation of this memorial plaque is Oapproval of the crimes of the fascists and their accomplices. In particular, actual approval of their inhumane actions to exterminate the civilian population of the besieged city.
"The installation of a memorial plaque is a blasphemous act, a disregard for all the siege survivors, all those who died in besieged Leningrad, those who gave their lives in the fight against fascism. It is especially scary that this is happening on the eve of June 22 - the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow", - addressed the deputy head of the Communist Party faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Alexey Vorontsov to the assistant city attorney Olga Andreeva.
He shared his opinion on perpetuating the memory of the Finnish marshal with Nakanune.RU writer, historian, author of books about the Great Patriotic War, resident of St. Petersburg Igor Pykhalov.
“If in the situation with Kadyrov (one of the bridges in St. Petersburg on June 16 was named after Akhmat Kadyrov - approx. Nakanune.RU) one can still argue, then everything is obvious here. Mannerheim is simply an ally of Hitler and an accomplice in the siege of Leningrad, therefore Placing a sign is strictly unacceptable. A year ago, such an initiative was defeated and the board was removed. Now I'm even afraid to make predictions. But here everything is clear: there should be no Mannerheim boards", the expert noted.
In connection with the public outcry surrounding the memorial plaque to Mannerheim, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation commented on the situation Dmitry Peskov. In his opinion, the Finnish marshal is a person “whose role will be studied by historians for a long time.”
“Indeed, Sergei Borisovich Ivanov is participating in the opening of the memorial plaque today, and, indeed, Mannerheim’s personality is still controversial. But we can definitely say that this is an extraordinary personality", Dmitry Peskov said in response to a question about how the Kremlin views the installation of a plaque for the marshal, who took the side of Germany in World War II and participated in the siege of Leningrad, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
In response to the public reaction, which mainly condemned the decision to install the sign, Vladimir Medinsky stated:
“To those who are screaming there now, I want to remind you from us: no need to be holier than the Pope and there is no need to try to be a greater patriot and communist than Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, who personally defended Mannerheim, ensured his election and retention of the post of President of Finland and knew how to treat a defeated but worthy opponent with respect,” said the Minister of Culture.
Let us remind you that Mannerheim is the national hero of Finland. Of the 83 years of his life, 30 years were associated with Russia. In 1887, he entered the Nikolaev Cavalry School in St. Petersburg, served in the 15th Alexandria Dragoon Regiment, in the Cavalry Regiment. In 1897-1903, Mannerheim was in the service of imperial court In Petersburg. Participated in the Russo-Japanese War, commanded in different parts active Russian army in the First World War.
After the Bolsheviks came to power, Mannerheim left for Finland, which declared independence from Russia in December 1917. In 1918 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Finnish army. In 1941-1944 he led the Finnish armed forces in the war against the USSR, while, contrary to German demands, he refrained from attacking Leningrad from the north. Remaining commander-in-chief of the Finnish armed forces, in August 1944 he was elected president of the country and concluded a truce with the USSR.
As reported about a year ago in St. Petersburg, then the installation was prevented.
The memorial plaque to Karl Mannerheim is solemn - with an orchestra, a military guard and distinguished, but not numerous, guests, among whom were Sergei Ivanov and Vladimir Medinsky, ex. prev The Churov Central Election Commission, and without a crowd of people, opened on June 16. The plaque on the wall of house No. 22 on Zakharyevskaya Street, where the Military Engineering and Technical University is located, appeared the night before the opening and was heavily guarded by police until the morning.
The plaque was placed on the building of the Military Engineering and Technical University on Zakharyevskaya Street: before the 1917 revolution, this house housed the regimental church of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment, in which Mannerheim served.
As the head of the Kremlin administration, Sergei Ivanov, said at the official opening ceremony of the plaque, “no one is going to whitewash Mannerheim’s actions after 1918, but before 1918 he served Russia.” The ex-chairman of the Central Election Commission Churov discovered inaccuracies in the reproduction of the orders on the general’s chest.
The precautions were not taken in vain. Three days later, unknown persons covered the board with red paint, as Radio Baltika reported. 
The cadets washed off the paint.
Mannerheim's personality is controversial.
You may recall that V. Putin in 2001 laid a wreath at Mannerheim's grave in Helsinki. 
Medved was also noticed doing something similar.
Of course, residents of St. Petersburg, many of whom know firsthand about the 900-day siege of Leningrad and that the northern arc of the siege was held by the allies Hitler's Germany, Finns. We also remember the war with the White Finns, commanded by Mannerheim, we know, and many have seen, Mannerheim’s defensive line, a high-level fortification structure.
But at the same time, few people know that not a single shell arrived from the Finnish front to Leningrad, the Finnish army stopped at the old Russian border, did not cut the Murmansk-Moscow railway line along which Lend-Lease cargo was transported...
Here, for example, is what writer Daniil Granin said about the opening of the board:
“I understand those who oppose the Mannerheim memorial plaque. Their reproaches are clear to me. Mannerheim’s troops formed part of the blockade ring..
But there is another very important circumstance that many people forget about. The Finns, for their part, did not shell the city, and, despite Hitler’s demand, Mannerheim forbade shelling Leningrad from guns."
So who is he, Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, baron, Russian military leader, lieutenant general of the tsarist army; cavalry general of the Finnish Army, field marshal, Marshal of Finland, regent of the Kingdom of Finland from December 12, 1918 to June 26, 1919, ally of the Third Reich, President of Finland from August 4, 1944 to March 11, 1946?
Gustav Mannerheim came from an old Swedish family. After the victory over the Swedes, one of his ancestors was the leader of the delegation received by Alexander I and contributed to the success of the negotiations, which ended with the approval of the constitution and autonomous status of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Since then, all Mannerheims began to be distinguished by a clear pro-Russian orientation, fortunately Alexander I repeatedly reminded: “Finland is not a province. Finland is a state."
Gustav Mannerheim graduated from the University of Helsingfors and the Nikolaev Cavalry School with honors. He gained his first combat experience in the Russian-Japanese War (1904-1905), commanding two squadrons, and showed himself to be a fairly capable military man. He served with Budyon and Brusilov. Received the rank of colonel.
During the First World War he fought in Galicia. After the revolution in 1918, he decides to leave for his native Finland. He led the Finnish army. He was not only a skilled warrior, but also well versed in politics. In 1927 he began to build a defensive line on the border with the USSR. In the war with the White Finns (a topic, by the way, extremely sparingly covered in our country), the Red Army took this line. But at what cost? Our losses amounted to 400,000, while the Finns lost 20,000.
Since the beginning of the war, Finland found itself, as it were, sandwiched between Germany and the USSR. And Mannerheim found his political line, which ensured the independence of his country during the Second World War.
Here I will quote a post found on LiveJournal. The author somewhat idealizes the positive role of Mannerheim and Finland during the war. But the fact remains that Mannerheim fought for the independence of his country. Finland emerged from the war with the USSR with the conclusion of an armistice agreement, signed on September 19, 1944 in Moscow. After this, Finland, not satisfied with the speed of the withdrawal of German troops from its territory, began military operations against Germany (Lapland War).
So, a post from the LiveJournal of user "anty_big_game"
How Mannerheim “saved” Leningrad
Why do former security officers lay flowers at Mannerheim’s grave and install a memorial plaque in the city on the Neva! It’s no coincidence, you see?
After World War II, the leaders of countries that were German satellites were executed. Some were hanged, others were shot. There was only one exception - the commander-in-chief of the Finnish army, Karl Mannerheim. He was not punished; on the contrary, he was even promoted. At the request of Joseph Stalin, Mannerheim was elected President of Finland. And it was with him that the Soviet Union concluded a peace treaty. And already in our time, Vladimir Putin laid flowers on the baron’s grave in Helsinki. Why this love for Karl Mannerheim?
istpravda.ru
During his tenure as Commander-in-Chief, Karl Mannerheim receives complete information about everything happening in his country, writes rolershar.ru. Nothing can hide from his gaze. In the summer of 1942, in complete secrecy in southern part Military trains arrive in Finland. They are guarded by the Gestapo and selected units of the Wehrmacht. The Abwehr is also on alert. No one along the train route should know what they are carrying in their carriages.
The Soviet command, having received information about these secret transportations, strives to find out as many details as possible. Reconnaissance groups are being sent to Finland. The fate of most of these groups is tragic. But still, with incredible efforts, it is possible to establish where and what the mysterious trains are carrying. The best ships of those years, ideal for conducting combat operations on the lake, secretly appeared on the shores of Ladoga. MAS fast boats with well-trained crews have been deployed from the ports of southern Italy.
The Siebel ferries, a symbol of Hitler's unfulfilled dream of occupying the British Isles, arrived secretly from Germany. They were intended to cross the English Channel. The actions of the Germans are led by Colonel Fritz Siebel himself, the designer of the miracle ferries.
Simultaneously with the appearance of a powerful Italian-German flotilla on Ladoga, it became known where Manstein’s 11th Army had been moved from near Sevastopol. Her traces were found near Leningrad. Here, the excellent strategist and greatest commander of the Wehrmacht, Erich von Manstein, placed both the latest Tiger tanks and the super-powerful Dora gun. With their help, Hitler wanted to destroy the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts. He has already come up with a name for this operation. He had already come up with a name for this operation - “Nordlicht”, “Northern Lights”.
The Soviet leadership links all this information together. The General Staff concludes: preparing major operation Wehrmacht to capture Leningrad and eliminate water communications on Ladoga. Hitler is confident of success. However, he did not take into account one thing - the Russians are ready for a strike, they know a lot about Operation Nordlicht. And they owe this knowledge partly to the man whom the Fuhrer considered his faithful ally - Finnish Marshal Karl Mannerheim.
Karl Mannerheim
The Baron knew very well all the weak and strong sides of the Russian army, because he himself for a long time served in it. He understood that the USSR would not lose the war with the Germans, but would most likely win. Therefore, Mannerheim was as careful as possible. He ordered Finnish troops not to cross the old border with the Soviet Union, and from the very beginning he was most likely preparing not for victory, but for defeat, realizing that he would have to negotiate peace with the Soviet Union. Karl Mannerheim is the oldest politician in Europe. He is an officer of the old school, the school of the 19th century. Mannerheim’s principles do not fit the idea of exterminating millions of people; he does not want to destroy the city on the Neva, with which he has been associated for almost 30 years of his life.
Adolf Hitler is a child of the 20th century, a person not rooted in traditional culture. He prefers to destroy the foundations and create a new civilization. The old familiar culture, morality and religion have fallen. Leningrad, the cradle of the Bolshevik revolution, will be the first result of the Third Reich's modernization of the barbaric world.
The German-Italian flotilla on Lake Ladoga included selected soldiers of the Italian “marinomilitare” and the Wehrmacht. These were experienced warriors who survived numerous bloody battles with the British. They knew how to fight both on land and at sea.
Soviet intelligence establishes channels for communication and exchange of information with the Finnish side. This mission was entrusted to the representative of the Soviet embassy in Sweden, Boris Yartsev. The Finns are making it clear: their army will not cross the line of the old border along the Sestra River. This means the Finnish commander-in-chief's refusal to support German plans for the final destruction of Leningrad.
Finnish Vickers tank
Vessels of the Italian-German flotilla make test trips and practice interaction. The crews indulge in Finnish cured herring, Karelian pies, and venison from Lapland. In the evenings, in the company of charming Finnish girls, sailors watch luxurious films with simple plots.
Marshal Mannerheim gave many orders orally, without leaving copies that could get to the Germans, who were quite active in his General Staff. Coldly and calmly, he increases the distance between him and his German ally. He refuses to subordinate the Finnish army to the German command, but also does not agree to take German units under his command. At the beginning of 1942, in response to regular questions from Wehrmacht generals about the fate of the Finnish front, Mannerheim snapped: “I will not attack anymore.”
The Americans maintained diplomatic relations with the Finns, and they warned the Finnish leadership that an attempt to expand the front line and attacks on the Soviet Union would lead to the severance of Finland’s ties with the West. Mannerheim did not want to become a complete vassal of Nazi Germany, and therefore he made a decision for himself: to stay away from the Germans. But Hitler hopes to break the will of his stubborn ally. Now he urgently needs Finland to destroy Leningrad. But with a commander like Mannerheim, Finnish soldiers will not be able to help German army. This means that you need to look for a truly faithful person in this northern country. And there is such a person - General Paavo Talvela.
This man began serving in the German army, then transferred to the Finnish army, fought with the Russians in Civil War, graduated from the Academy in 1924, defending a diploma on the topic “War with the Russians in Karelia.” He had one ally in his head - Germany, his profession was to fight the Russians.
In 1942, Talvela became the Finnish representative at Hitler's headquarters. Endless colorful ceremonies, military parades, discipline, bearing, luxury and wealth of the Reich. One soil, one nation, one leader. The imperial spirit is great. This is what modest Finland is missing. Talvela feels Hitler's favor and strives to meet his hopes. A plan for a brilliant operation is created in his head, which became an integral part of the German plan for the destruction of Leningrad. The purpose of the operation was to capture Suho Island, located in the middle of the Road of Life.
The German command is trying to hide preparations for the operation from Mannerheim, but not a single secret can be hidden from the marshal. He is aware of all their preparations. The Baron is looking forward to the performance of the German-Italian flotilla and is preparing a surprise for his ally. It is beyond his capabilities to prohibit General Talvela from carrying out the operation. He is Hitler's protege, but Finland is completely dependent on Germany for the supply of weapons and food.
And Mannerheim applies the tactics that he learned during his 30 years of service in Russia: after all, any undertaking can be ruined by delays, bureaucracy and sabotage. Suddenly, the Finns fall ill with an incomprehensible serious illness - the equipment that previously worked like a clock stops working, the Finnish diligence has disappeared somewhere. For some reason, the port workers are surprisingly slow and inefficient. German sailors are surprised: nothing is being done on time.
Mannerheim at a meeting with Hitler
Paavo Talvela understands: only Hitler can cure the Finns from the Russian disease. He convinces the Fuhrer to personally fly to Finland and convince Mannerheim. On June 4, 1942, Mannerheim celebrates his 75th anniversary. Opportunity. With the help of the Fuhrer, Talvela will be able to persuade the obstinate marshal and begin to implement his plan for creating a Greater Finland. But he doesn’t understand - for Mannerheim, Hitler’s speech is not an argument, rather an irritant.
Karl Mannerheim is a lonely, cold man, with established habits once and for all. He does not like new friends, books, activities, he watches the shape of his own mustache, he loves hunting large predators, and horse riding. Of all the world's politicians, only the King of Sweden is respected. Adolf Hitler is a man of the crowd. He likes rallies sports, torchlight processions. He loves Nietzsche, Wagner. This inspires him to new conquests. Among politicians, he values only himself and, perhaps, Stalin.
Arriving at Mannerheim's headquarters, Hitler unleashed a stream of incoherent words on the marshal. He showered Mannerheim with gifts: a luxurious Mercedes 770, 3 military all-terrain vehicles, the Order of the German Eagle with a large gold cross. But the most important gift was the Reich Chancellor’s own portrait, painted by the artist Troupe.
All this could have impressed anyone, but not Mannerheim. He does not value the Fuhrer's gifts, especially those that are bourgeois and in poor taste. Mannerheim sells the expensive Mercedes to Sweden, gives the all-terrain vehicles to the army, and throws the cross and the portrait away, out of sight. For him, a meeting with Hitler is a diplomatic ritual, nothing more.
In 1941, the situation in Finland could not have been worse. It was sandwiched between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. In the distance were the influential Great Britain and France. Mannerheim and President Ryti believed that Finland must survive this moment. The main thing for her is to remain small but independent. And General Talvela believed that with the help of Germany it should become great country in the northeast, defeat Russia and spread from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains, from the Arctic Ocean to the Volkhov.
Talvela expected a lot from this visit, but the old marshal turned everything around in his own way. Knowing that the visit was being watched in Moscow, London, and Washington, Mannerheim decided to show that he would not dance to the tune of the “Pied Piper of Munich.” There is a “prohibition” law in the Finnish army. Only Mannerheim, following a habit established since Tsarist times, did not sit down at the table without a glass of vodka. However, in honor of his anniversary, the marshal decided to please his soldiers. Big gesture! Trucks with valuable cargo are rushing to the front line. Two bottles of vodka for the dugout. On the marshal's birthday, the Finnish army is demonstratively incapable of combat. Sign to enemies anti-Hitler coalition: The Finns ended their war.
General Talvela understands where Mannerheim is pushing. If the operation he has planned is not carried out now, then his plans will not come true. Suho Island must be captured before the end of navigation; later the Ladoga ice will leave the Siebel ferries and speedboats motionless. We need to land troops on Suho and gain a strong foothold. Then the Germans will completely control transportation on Ladoga, both on ice and by water. Leningrad will be left without supplies and die.
At Hitler's headquarters, Operation Brazil is scheduled for October 21, 1942. Information is again hidden from Baron Mannerheim. But the marshal again knows everything and manages to warn the Russian command about the departure of the German-Italian flotilla from the ports of the northwestern shore of Ladoga. On October 21-22, at the Soviet Headquarters of the High Command, Stalin and Vasilevsky waited for news from Ladoga. They were ready to give the combat-ready strategic aviation the order to act.
Strictly according to plan, the first battle group left at 17.30, the second at 17.45. Both are from different points. On the ferries there are strike groups, an elite landing force, a team of sappers, special unit infantry. The total number is more than 100 people.
Talvala sets the task for the flotilla: to land troops on the island, install artillery and equip Suho as a base for further attacks. There is no doubt about victory. After all, the ships of the Soviet Ladoga flotilla are trash not worth mentioning. By 7 o'clock in the morning the enemy squadron was approaching Suho. Thanks to the heavy fog, she was not noticed. But 2 small ships of the Ladoga flotilla are on combat duty in the island’s waters. This is the sea hunter “107” of Lieutenant Kovalevsky and the minesweeper “100” of Senior Lieutenant Karpin.
At the airfields of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, aircraft are being prepared, and the crews are undergoing detailed instructions. War vehicles fueled and equipped with full ammunition. At 7.10, an enemy flotilla is spotted at the island's lighthouse, but mistakes them for their convoy. At 7.15 the Germans open hurricane artillery and machine gun fire on the island and the fortifications located on it. The very first salvos turn out to be accurate, leaving the Suho garrison without radio contact. But a Soviet coastal battery of 100mm guns returns fire on the approaching ships. Lieutenant Karpin sends a radiogram from his ship to radio operators in Novaya Ladoga.
The first Luftwaffe planes are approaching Suho. 9 Junkers bomb the island. Soon there is no living space left on it. The only shelter for the defenders is the lighthouse. Under the cover of aircraft, the Germans approach Suho. 3 infantry strike groups and 1 demolition group are landed from landing boats. They manage to destroy 2 of the three Russian guns. The battle was short, only one hour, but terrible. Just imagine a site the size of half a football field. There are stones everywhere. And 70 paratroopers and 90 Red Navy men met in these stones. Grenades, bayonets, butts, point-blank shots. By the end of the battle, only 12 of the Soviet garrison could fight, the rest were killed or seriously wounded.
The Germans are close to victory. You just need to capture the third gun, and also wait for the rest of the landing force to land. But the Red Navy and Marshal Mannerheim took away the victory that Talvela and Hitler had been waiting for. The weather forecast presented by the Finns did not come true. Storm 5 points - instead of clear weather. The Siebel ferries ran into underwater rocks. It turns out that the Finns did not provide the necessary information about the location of the area they knew well. At 8.00 the Germans lost contact with the boats in which the rifle groups were located and the commander decides to send a signal with a rocket to cancel the actions of these groups. But not only this order interrupted the German landing attack. The garrison of Suho Island, commanded by Senior Lieutenant Gusev, counterattacks.
Noticing the missile, all German strike groups returned from the island to the ferries, taking with them five captured Russians. The squadron still faces a difficult journey back. And the storm and fire from the hunter and minesweeper do not allow repairs to be carried out on site. Ferries that are already damaged have to be abandoned. The Germans are transferring all their fire to soviet ships, which maneuver in the forest from gaps. Airplanes from two fronts and the Baltic Fleet are rushing to the aid of their two ships and the surviving defenders of the island. They rain bombs on the Germans and hit them with machine guns. Gunboats and sea hunters of the Ladoga military flotilla approach the island. Throughout the daylight hours they pursue and destroy the enemy. As a result of the battle, 15 German aircraft were shot down and 17 ships were sunk.
Mannerheim spent this day as usual. He could no longer change anything; everything depended on the Russians. The marshal was waiting for the outcome, and it came. On October 23, at 4 a.m., the badly battered German squadron returned to base, where Italian boats had already returned earlier. Even on the way to Suho, they reported a lack of fuel. The operation failed. General Talwell's plan failed. The same fate befell Operation Nordlicht - Leningrad was not taken, the Road of Life continued to function. Soon Ladoga will freeze, and German ships and their crews will be out of work.
In the late autumn of 1942, German Siebels and Italian boats set off back to the Baltic. The defeat of the Italian-German flotilla became known to everyone. Like a true military man, Mannerheim found time to express his admiration for his courage German soldiers who fought in this battle, visited the wounded in the hospital. But he did not take any further steps to support his allies. Mannerheim did not participate in the Talvela operation and did not send his troops to Leningrad. Knowing the vulnerability of the Soviet fleet on Ladoga, he did everything possible to ensure that the German command’s operation failed.
For General Talvel, the defeat in Operation Brazil was the ruin of his life. He failed to impose an active anti-Russian position on Mannerheim. In 1944, Finland leaves the war. Each was rewarded according to his deeds. Stalin agreed to conclude peaceful agreement only with Mannerheim. Mannerheim was surrounded by honor. It was he who established such relations with Moscow that allowed Finland to remain independent.
Mannerheim on the hunt
But General Talvela walked along the Helsinki esplanade with a pistol in his pocket. He expected that he could be arrested any minute. And although this did not happen, he was not hired into the business. Neither the British, nor the Americans, nor the Russians wanted to deal with Hitler's henchman. He died in deep disgrace.
Mannerheim understood: he managed to deceive Hitler, now it is necessary to improve relations with the Soviet Union. In this maneuver between Hitler and Stalin, the Finnish marshal will outplay both of them. Finland will not lose its face. Mannerheim's plans for preservation in Northern Europe an independent country where order and law reign will become a reality. In Suomi there is a place for everyone who honestly served their Motherland. “Only he was able to convince the Finnish people that Finland would capitulate, and he was truly a patriot of his country,” said Stalin. When Herda Kuusinen put her position on war criminals on his desk, Stalin crossed out Mannerheim, the first on the list, with a red pencil and wrote “Do not touch” at the top.
Stalin's unusual attitude towards Mannerheim is explained not least by the service that the marshal provided Soviet Union V critical moment. In the terrible year of 1942, a timely warning saved Leningrad. And this was enough to forgive Mannerheim for his alliance with Hitler. Finland defended its values and continued to live its life. And Mannerheim, restrained for the time being, decided to openly confront the Third Reich. The Finnish army turned its bayonets against its forced ally. And Mannerheim emerged victorious from this battle.
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As for my opinion, I would refrain from installing a memorial plaque.
Just as I would not name a bridge in St. Petersburg after Akhmat Kadyrov. Why? I will refrain from expressing my opinion; they will consider me an extremist.
By the way, this is the bridge of discord. 
