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“The Pride of the Don Steppes”

The 25 of April is the 135th anniversary of our countryman Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, Marshal of the Soviet Union, thrice Hero of the Soviet Union.

Semyon Mikhailovich was born in Kozyurin Village, now Stanitsa Budyonnovskaya the Proletarsk District of the Rostov Region. He fought in the Russian-Japanese war (1904–1905), during the First World War he fought at the German, Austrian and Caucasian fronts. He was awarded for bravery the Crosses of St. George of four degrees and four medals.

During the Civil War the equestrian corps of Budyonny crushed the armies of generals Denikin, Mamontov, Shkuro, Wrangel. In 1932, he graduated from the Military M.V.Frunze Academy, commanded the troops of the Moscow Military District, served as First Deputy of the USSR People's Commissar of Defence. During the Great Patriotic War he was a member of the Supreme Command, took part in the defence of Moscow, and was Commander of the South-Western, Southern and North-Caucasian Fronts.

Budyonny repeatedly met with Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov. In 1963, Sholokhov sent a telegram to Semyon Mikhailovich on his 80th anniversary: “I warmly congratulate you, dear countryman, a pride of the Don steppes, on your glorious jubilee. I give you many hugs and firmly believe that in twenty years I will congratulate and embrace you with great enthusiasm again. Yours, Mikhail Sholokhov”.

The writer was answered with a letter, where Budyonny wrote: “I am proud to be a countryman of the writer, whose mighty truth of life and the artistic perfection of literary works showed with such a dazzling brilliance the mass of historical events of the Great October, Civil War and the formation of Soviet Power. I signed for the power of the Soviets with my sabre, and I am glad that my military autograph was useful for your wonderful works”.

Later, in early May 1964, M.A.Sholokhov and S.M.Budyonny met in Rostov at the holiday “The Don Musical Spring”, and in 1965, Budyonny presented Sholokhov with his book “The Distance Travelled” with an inscription: “To the glorious son of our Motherland, a wise writer M.A.Sholokhov. S.Budyonny. 11.10.65”.

In 1966, at the ceremonial meeting devoted to opening a bust of S.M.Budyonny in Rostov-on-Don, Mikhail Alexandrovich made a speech and congratulated the marshal for his merits being highly appreciated.

Galina Govorukhina
Yevgeniya Afanasyeva