"Unique A I. Marinesko" - at the Presidential Library cinema club

The Presidential Library hosted a regular meeting of the cinema club, timed to the 105th anniversary of the birth and the 55th anniversary of the death of the commander of the legendary S-13 submarine Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko. There were presented two films: the film "Unique A. I. Marinesko" by Alexander Sorokin and the film about the Museum of the Russian Submarine Forces.

The Russian Submarine Force Museum was at first a modest school museum, but became a state museum. An impulse to development was given 20 years ago during one of the meetings at which a high school student asked about the dramatic fate of the "submariner № 1", as Marinesko was called.

In addition to patriotic and educational work with young people, now the museum is engaged in serious scientific work involving great specialists.

What Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko did to become an indestructible authority for submariners is reflected the full-length documentary film, which was presented by its author, director Alexander Sorokin. At the beginning of the film, one of the experts, a professor at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Konstantin Shilov, noted the youth knows little about Alexander Marinesko, while for the post-war generations this name was cultic. What happened to the legendary submariner, why did his destiny change so drastically in peacetime  becoming a posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union?

The film of Alexander Sorokin, based, among other things, on military newsreels, memoirs, reflections of scientists and sailors puts before the audience these and other uneasy questions

The central episode of the film was the feat of Marinesko. On the night of January 30 to January 31, 1945, the German super-liner “Wilhelm Gustloff” (the film shows the solemn descent of the ship to the water with the participation of the highest ranks of the Hitlerite rate) went into the sea with a responsible task: to take the top of the naval leadership of fascist Germany to safety. For cover it was announced that the ship saved women, old people, children, but the flag with the symbol of the Red Cross was not raised - the Reich was confident in the success of the operation. The Germans were not lucky - C-13 under the command of Marinesko was sent to combat duty that night. The submarine by three torpedo volleys sent to the bottom the superliner "Wilhelm Gustloff."

February 10, 1945, the submarine S-13 sank the ship "General von Steuben". On both ships there were, according to various sources, from 8 to 10 thousand people.

For these attacks, the captain of the third rank Marinesko was presented to the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union". However, he was already awarded posthumously. In 1945, Marinesko was sent into retirement, and he did not return to the fleet. What was the mistake of the "submariner №1", that irritated the higher ranks in the legendary commander of the S-13 and what was the uniqueness of Marinesko - exhaustive answers to these and other questions are given in the film by the daughter of the sailor Tatiana Marinesko and experts invited by the director.