He died a brave death defending Smolensk My grandfather Nikonor Sysolyatin was born on August 7, 1902 in the village of Okinichi, Kirov Region, Arbazhsky District. Before the war, he was the Chairman of the collective farm of the Yarashinsky village Council. At the front, my grandfather was a Specialist, served as a squad leader of the 950th Rifle Regiment of the 274th Yartsevskaya Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Shulga, and then went missing. My mother, Nikonor's daughter, was only three years old when the terrible news came about her father, whom she remembers from the only photo sent from the front. Anastasia, my grandmother, could not believe in the death of her husband for a long time, especially since there was a mistake in the death notice, instead of the name Nikonor, Nikolay was indicated. Only 40 years after the war, my mother was able to collect information about my grandfather and found out that he died in battle on September 3, 1943, on the 804th day of the Great Patriotic War, fighting for the city of Smolensk. He died two weeks before its liberation, when the troops of the 31st Army of the Western Front broke the enemy's resistance and on September 16 cleared the city of the Nazis. I continued to search for the exact burial site of my grandfather and for several years tried unsuccessfully to gather any information. And only in the anniversary year of 2015, thanks to the help of young people of historical forum "SmolBattle", I have received the supporting documents that my grandfather was buried near the village of Radygino Yartsevo district of Smolensk Region. He is currently buried in a mass grave at the military cemetery #3, located near the village of Petrovo in the district of Yartsevo, Smolensk Region, 15 kilometers from the city of Yartsevo. This military cemetery consists of 12 burial mounds measuring 2x3 meters and surrounded by black metal posts connected by chains. Inside the fence there is a monument - a sculpture of a single soldier made of marble chips. On its pedestal is a cast iron plate with the inscription: "Eternal memory of the heroes who fell in the battles for the freedom and independence of our Motherland in 1941-1945". Officers, sergeants, and soldiers of the 82nd Red Banner Rifle Division, 274th, 359th Rifle Divisions, 529th Anti-tank Artillery Regiment, 90th Separate Pontoon-bridge Battalion, 72nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Guards Motorcycle Regiment, 233rd Assault Aviation Division, and 133 Guards Aviation Bomber Regiment who took part in the defense and liberation of the Yartsevsky District and died bravely in the battles for their Homeland are buried in this military cemetery. In 1954-1958, remains of 4047 soldiers who died in 74 villages of the Yartsevsky District were reburied at the cemetery. Names of only 3,914 are known. In 1995 the monument was reconstructed by sculptor A. Chibisov. On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, remains of 5 655 soldiers were buried at the military cemetery in Petrovo. Among them senior officers: Colonel Nikolay Ilmenkov, who died on September 1, 1943; Major Nikolay Rymaszewski, who died of wounds on June 5, 1944; Major Fyodor Chapaikin, who died on September 6, 1943, Major Leno Shchetinin, who died on сентября 4, 1943. A feature of the military cemetery in the village of Petrovo is the place where the remains of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Guards Lieutenant Alexey kholzunov – Deputy Squadron Commander of the 32nd Guards Fighter Air Regiment (210th Fighter Air Division, 1st Fighter Air Corps, 3rd Air Army, Kalinin Front), who by February 1943 had made 265 sorties, shot down 12 enemy aircraft in 87 air battles. A. Kholzunov, who was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, and medals, died on March 7, 1943. He was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on May 1, 1943. 3,728 soldiers and officers of the Soviet army who died in the war with the Nazi invaders were also reburied in the city of Yartsevo in the Smolensk region, ten years after Victory Day.