On the Nameless Height (song)

On The Nameless Height (Russian: На безымянной высоте) is a Soviet song about World War II. The text was written by Mikhail Matusovskiy in 1963 and music by Veniamin Basner. The song was based on the real history and is about three soldiers, fifteen friends of whom died in the battlefield. The height concerned the one located near the Rubezhenka settlement in the Kuibyshev Region, Kaluga Oblast while the soldiers, mentioned in song, were a part of Soviet 139th infantry division.

Contents

Background

In August, 1943 the 139th Rifle Division was increased newly arrived draftees-volunteers. Eighteen newly arrived factory workers from Novosibirsk were given a task to occupy unnoticed a height behind enemy lines in the vicinity of today's settlement Rubezhonka in Kaluga Oblast. Headed by the Second Lieutenant Yevgeniy Proshin, they were given the deadline for their mission for September 14. Their call sign was Luna. Upon completion of the task Luna gave a positive SITREP for a successful mission. However, soon they were spotted by a German patrol which led to the encirclement of the element and its elimination. No real evaluation of the mission was recorded. Despite the lyrics which say about the three survivors, there were only two in fact: Sergeant Vlasov, Konstantin and Private Lapin, Gerasim. Their lives were miraculously spared when they were knocked unconscious. Sergeant Vlasov was captured as a prisoner, but later was able to escape to partisans; Private Lapin was found among the dead by the advancing elements of Soviet Armed Forces.

Here is the list of the soldiers that were lost in that mission: Nikolai Danilenko, Dmitriy Yaruta, Yemelyan Belokonov, Petr Panin, Dmitriy Shliakhov, Roman Zakomoldin, Nikolai Galenkin, Timofei Kasabiyev, Gavriil Vorobyov, Aleksandr Artamonov, Dmitriy Lipovitser, Boris Kigel, Daniil Denisov, Petr Romanov, Ivan Kulikov.

Translated sample of lyrics

A grove's been smoking under the mountain
And already the sunset was ablaze
There was the three of them remaining
Out of the other eighteen guys
How many of them, good friends of ours
Were left to lie in the darkness there
Nearby the settlement "Unknown"
Atop the height that has no name
There was a rocket up and shinig
Then falling down like a faded star
Who only once has seen it happened
He won't forget till he die
He won't forget it, will not forget it
The fierce attacks that happened there
Nearby the settlement "Unknown"
Atop the height that has no name
Over us the "Messeri" have been circling
They were well seen as in a broad day...
But only closer we have grown
Under the crossing artillery hell.
No matter how difficult it was
You were committed to your dream
Nearby the settlement "Unknown"
Atop the height that has no name

See also

External links