Faces of war

Sarybekyan Ishkhan Barsegovich Ishkhan Barsegovich Sarybekyan, born in 1912, in 1944 - Senior Sergeant, squad commander of a machine-gun company of the 1369th Rifle Regiment of the 417th Rifle Division of the 51st Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Hero of the Soviet Union (1945).

Ruvim Minakhimovich Zvenyatsky was born in 1921 on September 12 in Yuzovka. His father, Ruvim Minakhimovich Zvenyatsky, born in 1898, worked as a film mechanic, died in October 1943 at the front of the Great Patriotic War near Smolensk; mother, Olga Naumovna Zvenyatskaya, born in 1900. –a housewife, during the war was evacuated to Kokshetav town of Kazakh SSR, and later - to Belovodsk town. In 1944 she returned to the city of Stalino. In 1937 Ioseph joined the ranks of the Komsomol. From 1938 to 1940, he was deputy secretary and later secretary of the Komsomol Committee at School No. 1 named after Dimitrov in the town of Stalino. After finishing 10th grade (in 1940), in September 1940 he was drafted by Stalin GVK into the Red Army. From 09.1940 to 12.1940, he was a soldier of the 3rd Searchlight Regiment, 3rd Air Defense Corps, Transcaucasian Military District. In October 1940, he was elected Deputy Secretary of the Komsomol Bureau of the unit. In January 1941, by the political department of the 3rd Air Defense Corps was sent to the courses of junior political workers in the political direction of the Transcaucasian Military District, where he studied from January to July 1941. In 1941, he completed the first course of the History Department of the Stalin Pedagogical Institute by correspondence. From 06. 1941, he took part in the battles - 790th Rifle Regiment, 392nd Rifle Division, 46th Army, the Transcaucasian Front – he was the political worker of the company, the Komsomol bureau. 15.09.41 By Order No. 0259 of the NKO, he was titled junior political officer. In February 1942, the Political Department of the 46th Army he was transferred by the Komsomol Bureau to the 808th Rifle Regiment, 394th Rifle Division, 46th Army. He was accepted as a candidate to the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (Bolsheviks). In June 1942, Political Department of the 46th Army transferred him to strengthen Komsomol's work in the 815th Rifle Regiment 394th Army Rifle Division of the 46th Army of the Transcaucasian front and was elected as a secretaryt of the Komsomol bureau of the regiment. From October to December 1942, he was being treated in evacuation hospital No. 2464 (Tbilisi). After treatment in the hospital, from December 1942 he continued to serve in the Black Sea Group of Forces - 287th Independent Communications Battalion, 13th Rifle Corps of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Political Division. He was elected to be a secretary of the Komsomol bureau. In December 1942, the Political Department of the 13th Rifle Corps accepted him as a member of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (b). Party ticket No. 5079101. 30.01.43 By Order No. 029 of the Military Council of the Black Sea Group of Forces, he was promoted to the rank of Senior Lieutenant. In July 1943, in connection with the abolition of the Institute of Deputy Chief of Staff of the political unit, he was sent to the Kiev Military School of Communication as a student. From 10.1944 to 07.1947, he was a platoon commander of the Kiev Red Banner Military School of Communication named after Kalinin. By Order No. 0187 of June 6, 1947, by the Army Communications Troops Commander he was sent for further service in the Urals Military District - 63rd Rifle Corps, 969th Independent Communications Battalion - as a commander of a telegraph training platoon. On March 15, 1948, he married a citizen Miroita Mikhailovna Chipysheva. 21.02.50 by order № 0426 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army he was awarded the title "Captain". From August 1950 to December 1950, he was the secretary of the primary party organization 969 Independent Communications Battalion. 63 Building corps Urals Military District. By order №0583 of 14.12.50 he was transferred to the Seaside Military District and appointed Chief of Communications of the Artillery Division 63rd Mechanic regiment of the 7th division. From December 1950 to April 1955 he served in the Soviet troops in the People's Republic of China (Far Eastern Military District). 08.03.55 was dismissed to the reserve by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense №01301. From 03.55 to 07.57 he worked as deputy chief of the Olgin office in the village of Olginka, Donetsk region, and from 07.57 to 04.83 - the head of Chistyakov (Torez) communications center (Chistyakovo (1964 - Torez), Donetsk region). Four convocations of 1961, 1963, 1965 and 1967 he was elected deputy of Chistyakov (Torez) City Council. By the Order of the Civil Code of the USSR № 143 of 28.04.75 he was awarded the title of "major". He was awarded medals "For military services, for the victory over Germany, the Chinese-Soviet friendship, the Order of the Great Patriotic War I degree and the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky III degree"... The last military rank - Lieutenant Colonel of the reserve. He died on October 16, 2004. He was buried in Torese, Donetsk People's Republic.

Lev Davydovich Zorko (28.07.1924 - went missing after September 25, 1941 / officially - in December 1942) was born in Moscow, the only child of David Leontievich Zorko (a Belarusian peasant from under the city of Grodno, since 1918 - a Red Army soldier, party and Soviet worker, "twenty-five thousander") and his wife Lidia Gavrilovna (maidens name Tarakanova, from a family of Moscow shopkeepers). He lived his short life in B. Gnezdnikovsky Lane, in the house of Nirnsee. Having buried his father in his adolescence, Lev finished 8 (or 9) classes and dreamed of entering a military school. In early July 1941, at the age of 17, he volunteered for the People's Militia from the plant ATE-1 (he was listed as one of the workers). He said nothing to his mother, only to his uncle, V.G. Tarakanov, with whom he signed up for the militia. He got into the 2nd division, together with all of the rest he began training in the Moscow region and soon was noted in the factory newspaper "Electric", as setting an example in mastering knowledge. At the end of July, during a long hike of the 2nd Division, he scrubbed his feet and fell behind his part. From the outpost at Novoduginskaya station he was sent to the assembly point, where, having added two years of age, he signed up for the 4th company of the 16th Border Guard Regiment (postal address: VPS No. 871, item 78/4) and started shooting training near the town of Gzhatsk. On August 10, he took the military oath. On September 25, 1941 he wrote to his mother: "We have finished our training, we are on our way to perform a combat mission". There was no more news from him, and all the letters addressed to him and, later, to the commander of his company, were returned with the note "the addressee left unknown where to". Lev Davydovich Zorko was officially declared "missing” in December 1942. His mother (see photo in the Photo Album) searched for him all the remaining 35 years of his life, but she could not find any information about the comrades, the circumstances of his death and the place of burial. Zorko's parents rest in the Donskoy cemetery and in the lobby of the Nirnsee house on B. Gnezdnikovsky Lane, str. 10, where Lev Zorko was born and from where he left to go to the front, there is a memorial plaque with the names of the inhabitants of the house who have not returned from the Great Patriotic War. Lev Zorko is among them.

Ivan Kuzmich Zakharchenko, fought in the rank of Senior Sergeant in the 192nd regiment of heavy howitzer artillery from February to September 1945 in Western Ukraine, then served in Germany after the war. He was awarded with the Order of "Patriotic War 2 degree". My grandfather was born on August 14, 1927 in the village of Tverdokhlebovo, Bogucharsky district, Voronezh region. His mther was named Marfa, his father - Kuzma (listed as missing on the battlefield). Fleeing from hunger, the family moved to Kuban, to the village of Kamyshevatskaya, Yeysky district, Krasnodar region, where young Vanya met Katya Kuznetsova, my grandmother, his future wife Ekaterina Ivanovna. Presumably, that's where he was called to defend the Motherland from the 9th grade of school, when on October 25, 1944, the mobilization of draft age in the Soviet Army was announced. It was the last military mobilization. And it also was the longest and the hardest period of service of 9 years! There were no mass conscriptions into the army until 1953. Seventeen-year-old boys had the hardest time of settling post-war conflicts with opponents of the Soviet Power after the liberation of the occupied territories from fascist invaders. Grandfather fought in Western Ukraine with gangs of Ukrainian nationalists, the so-called UUNovtsy or, in othe words, the Banderavians. According to my grandfather's stories, this enemy was worse than Germans, much more dangerous and cunning. The Banderavians were particularly cruel not only to the Soviet soldiers, but also to the Ukrainian civilians who supported the Soviet Power. They brutalized, burned, cut everything and everyone. It was very difficult to determine who was a friend and who was an enemy. The Soviet soldiers were invited to the hut for a stand, treated like welcomed guests, and everyone was cut out at night...Of course, grandfather did not tell us all the details of the horrible, terrible atrocities committed by the Bandera people. Only later I found out from the historical reports what his words meant...The facts of murders; dismembering parents in front of their children, pulling out and sawing off limbs, cutting out eyes, removing scalps, and so on. Neither children, nor old people, nor women were spared...The heart freezes with horror and pain, and a full, real picture of the events my grandfather had the opportunity to participate in emerges in fron of my eyes. The war that crippled his youth, however, did not break his soul. He was very kind, loved music and literature. After the war, he received a higher education, having graduated from the Voronezh Forestry Institute. He lived in the town of Povorino. In 1956, his daughter Olga, my mother, was born, and in 1958, his son Sergey. As an example to his descendants, my grandfather kept cheerful disposition and love of life. Only a small but deep dimple on the chin, the scar, which was the result of a blow to the face by a whip of one of Bandera people, always reminded about this terrible war ... Grandfather died and was buried in the town of Povorino on October 17, 1991.

The combat way of Private Guard Zakharov began in March 1942 at the Kalinin Front. In the Warsaw-Poznań offensive operation of 1945, the corps compounds and units, introduced into the breakthrough from the Magnuszewski bridgehead in the strip of the 8th Guard Army, for 14 days with battles went about 650 km. They participated in the liberation of the cities of Kolo (January 20), Konin ( January 21), Kebnitz (January 27) and others. By February 1, the forward units of the Corps had reached the Oder River (Odra) southeast of Frankfurt. For exemplary performance of command tasks during the defeat of the Nazi invaders in Poland and the valor and courage shown by the personnel, the corps was awarded the Order of the Red Banner (Decree of the PVS USSR from 19.02.1945). Its 19th Guard Mechanic brigade was awarded the honorary name of Łódź (February 19) and the Order of Lenin (April 5, 1945). In the East Pomeranian Operation (February - early April 1945), the Corps participated in the liberation of East Pomerania. For distinction in battles during the liberation on March 12 of the city Neustadt (Weicherovo), the Corps was awarded the Order of Suvorov of the 2nd degree (Decree of the USSR Supreme Soviet of 26.04.1945). In Berlin offensive operation the corps was brought into the battle from Kyustrin bridgehead in the strip of 8th Guard Army. In the course of persistent and intense battles in cooperation with the units of the 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Army broke through a deeply echelonized enemy defenses in the Zeeland Heights, on April 25 he crossed the Teltow Canal and started fighting in the streets of Berlin. On May 2 in the center of the capital of fascist Germany in the area of Zoo railway station its advanced units joined the units of 2nd Guard Tank Army. For distinction in battles during taking the city of Berlin, the corps was given the honorary name "Berlin" (June 11, 1945). During the years of the Great Patriotic War, the fighter M.N. Zakharov was wounded three times, but each time he returned to the ranks and, together with his fellow soldiers, with heavy battles, reached Berlin.

Zoya Ivanovna Zyubina (Byl'eva) graduated from a nursing school in Izhevsk in 1938 and worked in the town Mozhga in the Udmurt Republic. In 1940, she entered the preparatory courses at the Izhevsk Medical Institute, but on June 23, 1941, she was summoned to the Mozhga District Military Commissariat and was mobilized into the active army along with the other 600 medical workers. Since July 1941, she took part in combat operations in such settlements as: Staraya Toropa, Novaya Toropa, Kushinovo, Rzhev and Kalinin in the Kalinin (Tver) region. The battlefield was led by the chief surgeon of the military hospital Boris Nikolaevich Muitanovsky. After the normalization of the situation on the Kalinin front, she was transferred to Leningrad. And in 1943 she was moved to the Kursk Bulge. Then, she continued her combat way in Belarus, Poland, Eastern Prussia and Germany. For the capture of Berlin was awarded the Medal "For Merit in Combat". After Germany signed an unconditional surrender agreement, Zoya worked in a hospital with Russian, British and American prisoners of war. In summer 1945 she was sent to the Far East, where in the legendary Port Arthur on September 23, 1945 she welcomed the final Victory. The senior operating sister Z.I. Zyubina (Byleva) was awarded: the Order of the Great Patriotic War II degree, the Red Star, Medals "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "For the capture of Berlin", "For military services", Medals of Zhukov and "Veteran of Labor.” Jubilee Medals: "20, 25, 30, 40, 50 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "50, 60, 70 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR", for active participation in humane activities and in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Order of Lenin of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of the USSR, two signs of excellence in sanitary service. Resolution of Presidium of Regional Committee of the Red Cross Society. She was awarded many certificates of honor: for honest work and highly humane attitude to her duties: 1961-1972: By the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Marshal of the Soviet Union, Comrade Stalin she received commendations for the excellent action in battles to surround and destroy Bobruisk group of German troops and for the liberation of the city of Bobruisk. A letter of commendation from the Society "Znanie" of the RSFSR, Voronezh regional organization. Gratitude in connection with the 40th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

I was born when my great grandfather was no longer alive. But I was told a lot about him by my grandmother and father. And I know that he lived a hard, but decent life. His portrait is hanging in my room, and I often look at him. My grandfather's name was Alexander Vasilyevich Zaitsev. When the war started, he was 34 years old. He immediately went to the front. By profession, he was a chauffeur. And during the war, such soldiers were very much needed. He was transporting soldiers, weapons, grenades, food and medicine. The fate of the battle depended on whether ammunition was delivered on time to the front line during the war. He was under the German fire many times, but never let his comrades down. The combat vehicle was helping him out. But my great-grandfather did not make it to Berlin. One day, he was badly wounded: a shell fragment broke through his leg. My great-grandfather spent a long time in hospital in Moscow. His leg was treated, but the shot leg became much shorter than the other one, and he had to always walk with a cane and limp. My great-grandfather had many combat awards, but according to his father and grandmother, he did not like to brag about them and talk about them. At the front three of his brothers also fought with the Germans: Konstantin Zaitsev, Peter Zaitsev and Dmitry Zaitsev. Peter Vasilyevich reached Berlin. All brothers were wounded in battles with the Germans, but returned home alive. Not sparing their strength, their youth, they defended their homeland from enemies. And when they returned home, they took up peaceful labor, restoring their homeland, destroyed by the enemy. After the war, my great-grandfather worked as a mechanic in the automobile shop of the “Free Falcon” steel factory and "treated" cars. He was respected by everyone. He was wise and fair. He had three daughters. The youngest, my grandmother, was born after the war. My great-grandfather built a house, in which we live as a family even now. He planted apples and pears. Their harvest pleases us every year. So the memory of our great-grandfather still lives in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Lavrentiy was drafted to The Red Army on February 20, 1942. The service took place in the 134th Verdinsk Red Banner Order Suvorov Rifle Division, which since April 1944 as part of the 69th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front took part in the Lublin-Brest, Warsaw-Poznan and other offensive operations of the Soviet troops. Since February 13, 1945, the Red Army 4th Rifle Company of the 515th Brandenburg Rifle Regiment L.M. Zelensky was on the front line. Taking part in the Vistula-Oder operation, the 515th rifle regiment in 18 days walked with fights over 500 kilometers, and with minimal losses, liberating dozens of Polish settlements, crossing the rivers that were on the way. Having overcome the powerful Mezeritsky fortification, the regiment entered the territory of fascist Germany, meeting fierce resistance of the enemy when approaching the river Oder. During February-March 1945 the 515 th Regiment held the defense in the eastern part of the German city of Frankfurt on Oder. At this time, the Berlin offensive operation was being prepared by the supreme stakes. Soldiers and commanders of the Soviet Army were waiting for the moment to deliver a crushing blow to the fierce enemy. And this moment came ... On April 16, 1945 our troops, after a powerful artillery training and crushing bombardment, rushed to the lair of fascism - Berlin. The Red Army soldier LM Zelensky distinguished himself in the battles to expand the bridgehead on the western (left) bank of the river Oder. Among the first, he broke into the trenches of the enemy, and in hand-to-hand combat killed eight German soldiers, and then threw grenades at the enemy dugout, eliminating four other fascists. On May 2, 1945 the 515th rifle regiment received an order to reach the Elbe river, destroying the enemy on its way. The soldiers fulfilled the task, having met with allied American troops near Magdeburg. There was no limit to rejoicing. My great-great-grandfather Lavrentiy was also among the victorious soldiers. The 515th Brandenburg Rifle Regiment was then stationed on the eastern bank of the Elbe on the temporary demarcation line. The soldiers welcomed the Victory Day in the forest near the town of Burg. There was no limit to their joy. The soldiers were saluting from all kinds of weapons, hoping that these shots would be the last...The Commander of the 515th Guards Regiment Lieutenant Colonel K.I. Ponomarchuk presented his subordinate to the high soldier award - the Order of Glory, III degree. On May 18, 1945, the Commander of the 134th Infantry Division of the Guard, Major General V.F. Stepin, signed the award documents of Lavrentiy Maximovich.

Alexander Leontievich Zverkov was born in 1917 in the village of Telyatnikovo, Barguzinsky district of Buryat-Mongol ASSR in the family of Leontiy Tikhonovich Zverkov and Akulina Kuzminichna (maiden name Zarubina). On July 03, 1941, he was conscripted to the war by the Nenets HVAC of Arkhangelsk region in Naryan-Mar. The troops of the Leningrad Front were fighting under extremely difficult blockade conditions. Later, by stubborn defense combined with offensive actions, with the help of the Volkhov Front and the Baltic Fleet, they exhausted and exsanguinated the enemy, forcing him to move to the defense, finally frustrating the plans of Hitler's command to seize Leningrad. The chief of the medical department of the 100th branch of the infirmary of the 224th rifle division of the Leningrad front, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Zverkov, participated in the defense of Leningrad since December 26, 1942. The 224th rifle division (2nd formation) was formed in June 1942 on the basis of the 116th rifle brigade. At the beginning of December 1942 the division was ferried on ships under fire of Germans along Ladoga lake from Kobon pier to Osinovka. On January 12, 1943, the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts began Operation "Iskra" with the aim to unblock Leningrad. The 67th Army's attack on Mustalovo did not have serious success, so it welcomed fresh units from the Leningrad Front's reserve, including 224th Infantry Division. In January 1943, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts conducted an operation to break through the blockade of Leningrad south of Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost). The land link between the city and the country was re-established. From 19.03.1943 to 04.04.1943, the 224th Rifle Division of the 55th Army participated in the battles to break through the blockade of Leningrad. From 22.07.1943 to 22.08.1943 - as a part of the 55th Army participated in the Mghin operation. From 14.01.1944 to 30.01.1944 - as a part of the 42nd Army took part in the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinskaya operation, during which it participated in the liberation of the cities of Gatchina and Red Village. In January 1944, the division was given the name "Gatchina Division" for the liberation of Gatchina. In January-February 1944, the Leningrad Front, in cooperation with the Volkhov, 2nd Baltic Front and Baltic Fleet, defeated a group of German armies "North" near Leningrad and Novgorod, liberated Leningrad from the enemy blockade, Leningrad region and part of Kalinin region, entered Estonia. At the end of June 1944, the division was included from the reserve of the Leningrad Front in the 59th Army, which was given the task of capturing the islands of the Vyborg Bay and creating a starting point for the front to move on to the Finnish coast. In the award sheet, the comrades-in-arms gave a high characterization of Alexander Leontievich Zverkov's medical and human qualities: "The chief of the medical department of the 100th sickbay of 224th Gatchina Rifle Division of the Leningrad Front's 224 Senior Leutenant Zverkov A.L. is a serious, hard-working, persistent doctor who knows how to organize medical work in any conditions. During the combat operations, with the massive influx of seriously wounded horses, he demonstrated the maximum organizational ability to provide comprehensive, conscientious and qualified medical care. Thanks to this, the seriously wounded horses were evacuated to the rear of the Army in a timely manner, and most of the wounded horses recovered and returned to service.” School # 346 of St. Petersburg has a museum of the 224th Red Banner Gatchina Rifle Division. Alexander Leontyevich Zverkov was awarded the Order of the Great Patriotic War of the II degree, the Medal "For Combat Services" and the Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad". After the war, he lived and worked in Shuya city.

Alexey Svertilov Svertilov Aleksey Ivanovich, born in 1914, in 1944 - Captain, squadron commander of the 807th Assault Air Regiment of the 206th Assault Aviation Division of the 8th Air Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Hero of the Soviet Union (1945).

Svidersky Alexander Grigorievich Svidersky Alexander Grigorievich (1908-1944), in 1944 - Major, commander of the 867th self-propelled Artillery Regiment of the 19th Tank Corps of the 4th Ukrainian front. Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, posthumously).

Vasily Sidorin Vasily Sidorin, born in 1921, in 1944 - Lieutenant, flight commander of the 807th Assault Aviation Regiment of the 206th Assault Aviation Division of the 8th Air Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Hero of the Soviet Union (1945).

Simonok Vladimir Polikarpovich Simonok Vladimir Polikarpovich (1912-1942), 1941-1942 - Junior Lieutenant, commander of a Mortar Company of the 31st Rifle Regiment of the 25th Chapayev Rifle Division of Independent Coastal Army. Hero of the Soviet Union (1942).

Sinitsin Fedor Semenovich Sinitsin Fedor Semenovich (1918-1944), in 1944 - Lieutenant, platoon commander of the 1179 Rifle Regiment of the 347 Rifle Division of the 2nd Guards Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Hero of the Soviet Union (1945, posthumously).

Sirotin Victor Nikolaevich Sirotin Viktor Nikolaevich, born in 1922, in 1944 - Senior Lieutenant of the guard, flight commander of the 75th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 1st Guards Assault Aviation Division of the 8th Air Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Hero of the Soviet Union (1945).