Antonov Alexander Semyonovich. Born on January 31, 1917 in the village of Almametyevo, Morkinsky District. After graduating from a neighboring school in 1935, he began to work as a teacher at the Iletsk primary school in the Paranginsko region. In 1936 he entered the Mari Pedagogical Institute at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, where he graduated from 3 courses. He worked as a mathematics teacher at the Paranginsk secondary school and at the same time studied in absentia at the institute for the 4th year. In 1940 he graduated from the institute with a diploma as a teacher of mathematics. In the same year he was drafted into the army and sent to the Far East. He served as the commander of a long-term reinforced concrete artillery point (1941-1945).