ZAITSEV Gennady

Born September 12, 1934 in the village Solomatova Chusovoy district of the Perm region in the family of an employee. Father - Zaitsev Nikolay Yakovlevich (1906-1985). Mother - Zaitseva Anna Petrovna (1914-1995). Wife - Zaitseva (Mikhailova) Zoya Ilinichna (1935g.rozhd.). Son - Zaitsev Sergey (1959g.rozhd.).

Father GN Zaitseva worked on Lyaminskom woodworking factory. Shortly after the start of World War II it as reserve officer called to active duty. Gennady, who was barely seven years old, and his three sisters were in the care of the mother. After the war, the father of the family had not returned. So grow up all four of a mother.

In 1948, after graduating from seven classes Lyaminskoy schools, Gennady Zaitsev decided to enroll in college Kama River Shipping. But fate decided otherwise. Mother fell ill and had to go to work on the same Lyaminsky a woodworking factory, where his father worked before the war.

The Mill Gennady worked for five years as an electrician. Elected a member of the trade union committee, the secretary of the Komsomol committee, was a propagandist ...

In autumn 1953 came the move to the army. Serve happened in a separate Special Purpose Regiment of the Office of the Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin. This regiment served for three years. Year and a half ordinary shooter, then commander of the department. At the end of 1956 before retiring in stock Gennady offered to stay on enlistment, and he agreed.

He served in the position of sergeant. Soon he was encouraged to work in state security organs. For two years Gennady Zaitsev externally finished 8-10-th classes, after which he was invited to serve in a separate officer's battalion, commanded by Colonel Nikolai Gushchin.

In 1959 he merged the 9-th of the KGB to the management of the commandant of the Moscow Kremlin, to protection of the top leaders of the country. When Khrushchev began to decline in the military and law enforcement agencies, GN Zaitseva was not fired, but on the advice of Colonel Gushchina transferred to the 7 th of the KGB under the Council of Ministers of the USSR and then sent to the High School of the KGB named F. E. Dzerzhinsky. In 1966, he graduated from it and received a specialty lawyer.

July 29, 1974 in administration, where he served GN Zaitsev, under the orders of the Chairman of the Committee Kosudarstvennoy security S. V. Andropov, was founded the famous anti-terrorist group "A", or, as it subsequently dubbed journalists, "Alpha". The first commander of the unit was assigned to the border guard, the Hero of the Soviet Union, then Major, now Major-General Vitaly Bubenin, and his deputy - Major Robert, Yvon.

In April 1977 Bubenin asked to be returned back to the border guards, and a group headed by Major Yvonne. And six months later Yuri Andropov appointed commander of the unit GN Zaitseva.

One of the first combat missions group had an operation to neutralize terrorists threatening to blow up the U.S. embassy in Moscow. March 28, 1979 one of the visitors representation, threatening an explosion, demanded the immediate dispatch to the U.S..

GN Zaitsev then had to negotiate with a terrorist, posing as a staff member of the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For two and a half hours he tried to persuade the offender to abandon their claims.

However, the "visitor" was nervous, and the explosion could not be avoided. Fortunately, the losses among employees of the group "A" was not, and that the terrorist was seriously wounded and died shortly thereafter.

In subsequent years, the group "Alpha" under the leadership of GN Zaitseva had many occasions to participate in operations to free hostages in different locations of the country, including air transport. And in all cases, the offenders have been cleared, and the hostages and staff offices no injuries.

One of the most dangerous incident "on air" occurred in the city of Ufa, the Bashkir ASSR in September 1986. Then on the night of September 20, three soldiers of the Interior Ministry of the USSR: Junior Sergeant NR Matzneff, . Corporal AB Konoval and ordinary SV Yagmurzhi kidnapped RPK light machine gun, . sniper rifle and machine, . filled with 220 rounds, . willfully left part and went to the airport,
. After killing the two policemen on the way, . Matzneff and Yagmurzhi entered airfield, . stormed the plane TU-134, . Flight route Lviv - Kiev - Ufa - Nizhnevartovsk, . with 76 passengers and five crew members, . closed the door and, . shooting of two hostages, . demanded the flight to Pakistan,
.

As directed by the chairman of the KGB of the USSR VM Chebrikov Group "A" immediately flew to Ufa for the release of the hostages and neutralize terrorists.

Employees of local authorities were negotiating with the terrorists, hoping to persuade them to renounce criminal intent. However, the bandits at gunpoint, continued to be held on board as hostages, members of the crew and passengers, placed them in the tail section.

One of the bandits, armed with a submachine gun, was at the entrance to the salon from the cockpit. And the other, armed with machine guns, hiding behind a flight attendant, was hiding at the end of salon. Judas cockpit bandits stuck, blocked the escape hatches from the inside.

First, the terrorists were invited to go to another plane, which had previously been placed team of the. But they said they will fly only on "his" plane, agreeing to let the salon to inspect only one authority and carry out repairs on the outside. By plane sent a team to five the number of people who have installed in the field of possible penetration of the plane, stepladder and drove ladder. However, the terrorists suddenly refused to let a specialist on board and demanded to remove the ladder. But special forces were prepared and carried out other operational activities, resulting in the hostages were released. However, there was the threat of bombing and life are in the cockpit. Under this critical situation, one of the bandits had to be liquidated

. December 19, 1986 Chairman of the KGB of the USSR VM Chebrikov for great contribution to ensuring the USSR State Security, . courage and bravery, . displayed during the removal of especially dangerous criminals, . in the presence of members of the board handed GN Zaitsev Gold Star of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin,
.

All the years of service in the "Alpha" and the subsequent GN Zaitsev had the opportunity to participate in many very dangerous operations. But perhaps the most complex and amazing in its cruelty was an operation to free the hostages, which started in Ordzhonikidze, and ended in Mineral Waters. This sophisticated and cynical deceit, which showed a band of Paul Yakshiyantsa, has not yet been. Here, the hostages were children. December 1, 1988, four bandits took a bus with 32 students of 4 th grade and their teacher.

Criminals in the event of failure of their requirements ($ 2 million and the provision of aircraft for departure abroad) threatened to burn all the hostages: under every seat in the bus they put on three three-liter cans of gasoline. Conduct combat operations in these conditions was extremely dangerous.

Talks lasted seven o'clock. During these "bidding" terrorists demanded the first flight to Pakistan, then in South Africa, and eventually to Israel. During this time, managed to free 20 children.

Through diplomatic channels, the Soviet side agreed with the Government of Israel, landing with the terrorists and extradite them to the Soviet Justice.

Some hotheads offered to arrange an exchange of fire in the plane and to punish the bandits. However, GN Zaitsev flatly refused to go to extreme measures: risk the lives of the hostages and members of the crew in these conditions it was impossible.

Had time to put up with the demands of terrorists. He brought up the money.

As a result of subsequent negotiations could "barter" of all the hostages, and the aircraft flew only with 9 crew members. In agreement with the Israeli authorities, the perpetrators were immediately arrested and extradited to the Soviet side soon. Thus, without loss of life saved all the hostages.

In November 1988, the KGB had appointed GN Zaitseva deputy chief of the 7 th of the KGB of the USSR.

October 22, 1990 GN Zaitsev conferred the rank of general. In August 1991 he, together with all the "alfovtsami" has experienced the events in Moscow. A year later, on July 2, was summoned to the Kremlin and was offered again to lead the "Alpha"

. In this position, GN Zaitsev suffered a tragedy in October 1993 when officers of the Special Forces, despite the claim by President Yeltsin, did not shoot at the defenders of the White House and provided a way out of Deputies and the Supreme Council of the burning building
.

In March 1995, Gennady retired with the rank of Major-General. After his discharge, he took part in the creation of a private security company - "Security Agency" Alpha-95 "- and led his. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the FSB of Russia and a member of the Coordinating Council of the Moscow city police department. In 1999 he was elected vice-president of the Association of Veterans' anti-terror unit "Alfa", and in May 1999 - a member of the Central Committee of All-Russia union of workers of non-governmental organizations, security.

Hero of the Soviet Union G. Zaitsev awarded the Order of Lenin, Red Banner of Labor Red Banner, two Orders of Red Star and many medals. He is an honorary member of the USSR State Security.

Lives and works in Moscow. Address: Russia, 121069, Moscow, Skatertny lane, 8, Private Security Agency security "Alpha-95". Phone: (095) 290-23-02.