A memorial plaque to Soviet General Ivan Lisov was unveiled in Vitebsk
The memorial sign adorned the facade of the building on Kutuzov Street. Previously, it was called Krivaya, and Ivan Lisov was born here in May 1912.
The opening ceremony was attended by the city leadership, representatives of public organizations, cadets, servicemen of the 103rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade, and schoolchildren. Among the invited guests was the grandson of Lieutenant General Ivan Lisov, Igor Lyapunov. "For us, this event is very exciting and touching. It is the dream of his daughter, my mother, and all our relatives that his achievements and merits are recognized and remembered here. He was a very bright, energetic, and patriotic person, he cared about the airborne troops, to whom he dedicated most of his life. Thanks to him, the airborne troops acquired the blue beret and the telnyashka. A lot of equipment was tested under him, including the BMD-1 and Il-76, and others. He dreamed of innovation until the last day," recalls Igor Lyapunov about the lieutenant general.
He notes that his grandfather was always an ideal for him, a man who went through the Great Patriotic War, wanted to live, and loved life. "I followed in his footsteps, graduated from the Ryazan School, served in the airborne troops, and completed my service in Vitebsk with the rank of major," said Igor Lyapunov. - My son is currently serving, and we are also raising our second son in the spirit of patriotism and love for the Motherland. The army greatly changes young people, they become more courageous, independent, and truly understand the true values in life." He accepted the honorary badge named after General Lisov from the representative of the public organization of paratroopers.
"In recent decades, Vitebsk has been spoken of as a city of artists, but in reality, if we recall famous natives, people who lived here, they are not only artists, but also historians, philosophers, military leaders, and renowned scientists. It is very gratifying that in recent years we have been discovering the names of these people, practically retrieving them from oblivion. And today we are unveiling a plaque to Lieutenant General Ivan Lisov – a man who stood at the origins of the development of the airborne forces of the Soviet Union, developed parachute sports, and did a lot for the upbringing of the younger generation," noted Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies.
According to him, since the beginning of the year, about fifty memorial signs have been installed in the Vitebsk region to immortalize the memory of outstanding natives. In a few days, a memorial plaque to Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Sobolevsky, the first medic to receive this high title in peacetime, will be unveiled in Gorodok. Also, in the coming days, Vitebsk Secondary School No. 28 will be named after Hero of the Soviet Union Efrosinya Zenkova; the school will be the 52nd institution of education to be named since January 2022. And despite the fact that the Year of Historical Memory is ending, the work of immortalizing names will continue.
The commander of the 103rd Vitebsk Separate Guards Airborne Brigade, Vladimir Safonov, noted that the methods developed by General Lisov using parachute systems remain the foundation today. "The peculiarity that distinguishes our branch of service from others is the execution of assigned tasks using parachute systems. Personnel continue to improve their skills in carrying out training combat missions. Using the example of legendary people like Ivan Lisov, we are educating new generations, the future of our state," he said. The commander also assured that the brigade's personnel are ready to carry out all assigned tasks, to protect the independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of their country.
Ivan Lisov joined the airborne forces in the 1930s. He made an invaluable contribution to their creation, raised the level of airborne training, and developed and introduced mass parachute sports and orienteering in the Soviet Union. In addition, Lisov proposed introducing the blue beret for paratroopers, which they wear to this day (previously, the headwear was crimson). The idea was then supported by Lisov's commander and associate Vasily Margelov.
Ivan Lisov loved the sky and the Airborne Forces. Even after retiring, he was one of the most active mentors for Soviet youth, supervised the military-patriotic movement in Russia, and cared about immortalizing the exploits of paratrooper heroes. The lieutenant general passed away in 1997.
"BELTA"