Heroes of Belarus

Heroes… They are people who set an outstanding example, who proved that there are truly eternal values and more important things than personal well-being and even their own lives. They confirmed the verity of the life formula — courage plus professionalism equals a heroic deed!

The Minsk Times new project is dedicated to people awarded the highest Hero of Belarus title

Vladimir Karvat — the first Hero of Belarus

Vladimir Nikolayevich Karvat was born on November 28th, 1958 in Brest. As his teachers recall, Vladimir studied easily and willingly, although he did not particularly strive to be an excellent student. He stood out for his athleticism, was passionately keen on football, and the coaches predicted him a bright football career. But Karvat dreamed of the sky. As a child, the boy was interested in the military history of his native land, so he used to spend his free time with his teacher and friends in the Brest Fortress. Exploring the casemates and ruins of the citadel and listening to the stories about its defence made a great impression on Vladimir, and inspired him to become a military pilot.
In 1977, he entered the Armavir Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots. After graduation, he was sent to the Far East. Vladimir Karvat rose through the ranks from a pilot to a deputy regiment commander for flight training. He flew the MiG–23 fighter aircraft, mastered the L–29 jet trainer and SU–27. His career was going well.
Vladimir’s personal life could not get any better. He met his future wife Nina back in his school years, and Nina followed her husband to the Far East. They lived in the military settlement of Kalinka in the Khabarovsk Krai for 13 years. The Karvat family was known to be friendly and close-knit — such spouses are called ‘one bone one flesh’. They had two children, a daughter and a son.
In the summer of 1994, Vladimir Karvat arrived to serve in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus and was appointed head of airborne-firing and tactical training of the 61st Fighter Air Base in Baranovichi. The accumulated experience allowed Vladimir Karvat to feel confident from the first days of his service and to successfully cope with difficulties in his new post. In addition, Vladimir was an open and cheerful person, tactful and considerate, with a good sense of humour, which made the airbase staff immediately take fancy of him and wholeheartedly welcome his appearance at the base. Vladimir Karvat was a top-notch professional and he generously shared the secrets behind his skills and flying techniques with his subordinates. It is his high professionalism that helped him to make a difficult, yet the only right decision in the critical situation.


On May 23rd, 1996, Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Karvat carried out a training mission on the SU–27P aircraft, which included flying in clouds with large roll angles and practising air combat tactics at low altitudes in adverse weather conditions at night. When the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 900 metres, a fire broke out. The plane got out of control and started falling down. The situation on board was critical. The pilot was ordered to eject himself from the aircraft, but at that time the plane was flying over the villages of Arabovshchina and Bolshoye Gatishche in Baranovichi District. Despite the danger of explosion, Karvat tried to turn the aircraft aside until the very last moment. Fourteen seconds after the reported failure, the SU–27P crashed one kilometre away from the village of Arabovshchina and exploded at a considerable distance from residential houses. It was not just one kilometre — each metre deprived the courageous pilot of the chances of life. At the cost of his own life, Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Karvat prevented the aircraft crash on the populated area, thus saving dozens of human lives.  
Many local residents witnessed the crash and rushed to the burning wreckage of the plane to help the pilot. A fire brigade from the urban settlement of Gorodishche arrived 20 minutes later. The fire-fighters managed to bring down the flame preventing the cockpit from inflammation, but the pilot perished in the crash. According to the commission investigating the causes of the crash, it was established that Vladimir Karvat had done everything possible to prevent the plane from crashing into the populated areas until the last second.
Aviation Lieutenant Colonel, first-class military pilot Vladimir Karvat died at the age of 37. 

On November 21st, 1996, by Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Lieutenant Colonel Karvat was awarded the Hero of Belarus title (posthumously) for the exemplary courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty.

Award

The Hero of Belarus title is the highest degree of distinction, which is awarded only once for exceptional services to the state and society associated with a heroic deed performed in the name of freedom, independence and prosperity of the Republic of Belarus. Currently, thirteen citizens of Belarus have been honoured with the highest state award.
Persons awarded the Hero of Belarus title are also given a special insignia — the Hero of Belarus medal. 
The Hero of Belarus medal is a five-pointed star with smooth multifaceted rays on the front side. The reverse side of the medal has a smooth surface, with the medal number in the centre. The medal is attached to a rectangular suspension device covered with a red moire ribbon with a green stripe. 
The medal and its suspension device are made of 585 gold and weigh 19 grammes.                                                                                          
BELTA

Memory

• Minsk and Brest streets are named in honour of Hero Karvat.
• A nominal scholarship of the Hero of Belarus was established — it is given to the best cadet of the Aviation Faculty of the Military Academy of the Republic of Belarus.
• Karvat’s name was given to the square in Baranovichi, located next to the 61st Fighter Aviation Base. 
• The Karvat Museum was set up on the territory of the 61st Fighter Aviation Base.
• The bust of the first Hero of Belarus was installed on Kosmonavtov Boulevard in Brest.
• A monument to the heroic deed of Vladimir Karvat was erected in the village of Arabovshchina in Baranovichi District.
  
• The Vladimir Karvat mini-football tournament is held annually.
  
• In 2012, a museum dedicated to the first Hero of Belarus was opened at School No. 8 in Brest, which is named after Vladimir Nikolayevich Karvat. The exposition contains about 200 exhibits that tell about the life and heroic deed of the pilot. These include documents, photos and personal possessions. The centre of the museum features a stand made in the form of a five-pointed star with a mock-up of the villages of Arabovshchina
  and Bolshoye Gatishche of Baranovichi District. 
  
• Documentaries ‘An Ordinary Hero’ and ‘The Sky Remembers’ were shot about Karvat.
• A personalised postage stamp and a silver commemorative coin ‘Vladimir Karvat. Heroes of Belarus’ were issued.
  
  
   

Based on  materials of belta.by and Heroes of Belarus by Nikolai Machekinest