Merkushev, Alexander Maksimovich_x000D_ _x000D_ Hero of the Soviet Union, Major, participant of the Great Patriotic War. _x000D_ He was born on November 14, 1918 in the city of Kazan in the Russian family of a worker. Since 1921, he lived in the city of Kotlas, Arkhangelsk region, where he graduated from 5th grade and the Federal Law school. He worked in a ship repair plant. He had been in the Red Army since 1938. Alexander Maksimovich Merkushev took part in the combats of the Great Patriotic war in August 1942. He had been a Communist since 1944. _x000D_ The company commander 457 th Infantry Regiment (1st Belorussian front), Senior Lieutenant A. M. Merkushev in combat 28.6.1944 — 29.6.1944 in the village Sitkovo (Bobruisk district, Mogilev region) and on the shosse Bobruisk—Minsk fought off 13 enemy attacks, trying to escape from the encirclement. For this feat, Alexander Maksimovich Merkushev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on March 24, 1945. _x000D_ Rewards: Gold Star Medal, Order of Lenin, Order of Alexander Nevsky, two orders of the Patriotic war of the 1st degree, three orders of the Red Star, medals, including: "In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin", medal "For Military Merit", medal "For Defense of Stalingrad", "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic war of 1941-1945" , medal "For Capture of Konigsberg", medal "For Capture of Berlin", medal "For Faultless Service" 1st degree. _x000D_ Memory: Honorary citizen of Kotlas (1987). In honor of the Hero's feat, three commemorative plaques have been installed in Kotlas: on the buildings of Lyceum No. 3 and Kotlas technical school of trade and public catering, as well as on the memorial wall in the city Park. _x000D_ On July 05, 2015, a bust of Alexander Maksimovich Merkushev was installed in the territory of the state educational institution of the Arkhangelsk region "Kotlas technical school of trade and public catering" (Arkhangelsk region, city of Kotlas) _x000D_ In 2016 Kotlas College of trade and public catering renamed to Kotlas College service named after A. M. Merkushev, also near the bust comes with 2 steles with the names of soldiers, former employees of the College.