Rank: Corporal. Unit: 207th Pomeranian Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division. Alexander Barabanov was born on September 17, 1920 in the village of Zubovka, Sergeyevsky District, Samara Region, in the family of Andrey and Anna Barabanov. The family had three children: Natalia, Alexander, Ivan and later Nina was born. They had a prosperous farm, therefore, they were recognized as “kulak” and Andrey and his family were exiled to Central Kazakhstan in 1935. In the first year, Natasha died due to hunger and diseases, and only three of them survived: Alexander and Ivan and their one-year-old daughter Nina. A new life had to start in terrible cercumstances: long frosty winters, hunger, lack of basic living conditions. However, gradually life returned to normal. The mutual assistance of the disadvantaged people helped in many ways. Andrey worked for a Shoe-making workshop. He was a very good furrier, he was an excellent Skinner and made shoes and fur coats. Alexander started his career very early, Andrey suddenly disappeared for many years and the family was left without a breadwinner. The Great Patriotic war began. Alexander went to the front in May 1942. He took the military oath in Akmolinsk on May 20, 1942. On June 22, 1942, as part of 496 enlisted men, He arrived in to Ivanovo from Akmolinsk as in a group of 496 men and was enlisted in the 594th Rifle Regiment of the 207th Rifle Division. The 52nd Separate Rifle Brigade arrived for staffing in Ivanovo at dawn on June 4, 1942. It was reformed into the 207th Rifle Division. 82% of division personell did not previously participate in battles. Compared to the 52nd SRB, this is a depressing situation. There were many soldiers in the brigade after medical treatment. The composition is qualified and even in this case the losses were terrible; b) the number of convicted persons - 15% ! Every seventh soldier was previously convicted! 5% were in captivity or on the occupied territory, every twentieth was under the "German"! 34% were of limited fit and older than 35 years. Every third one was of limited use! There were just two months for training The workers of the Ivanovo Region at a solemn meeting in the village of Krasnoe presented the division with the Red Battle Banner, as well as the banners of the rifle regiments on August 06, 1942. The 207th Rifle Division of the first formation existed from June to November 1942, only 5 months, but what months it were! The division was formed, replenished with weapons and equipment, and trained from June 4 to August 22. Of the 685 people of 52nd SRB, the division already had 10,414 men by August 1942. On August 23, 1942, A train with 594th Rifle Regiment of the 207th Rifle Division was sent from Ivanovo to Stalingrad. The Division took defence near Berezovsky in the Stalingrad Region on August 29, 1942. The Germans attacked it near the village of Grachi on September 05, 1942. Alexander was seriously wounded with a fractured tibia by an explosive bullet during the battle on September 06, 1942 (Sunday). At first, he was sent to 255th Medical Battalion, and later to the evacuation hospital #3502 in Omsk (Kuibyshevsky District, school #64, Chkalov Street, 33). The division was in a combat for more than a month from 5.9. to 12.10. 1942. During the month there were two periods of continuous fighting: from 05-23.09.1942 (19 days), then there was a short break from 24.09 - 09.10.1942 (two weeks), and again the offensive, from 09.10-12.10.42 (4 days). The division was sent to reserve after 23 days of the Stalingrad meat grinder... Out of 10,414 people in the ranks only 2,620 people were left… Three weeks of fighting: 75% loss of personnel! In December, Alexander was called up to the front again, an as not fit for combat service was sent to train as a driver. He arrived int the Tashkent on 29.12.1943 and was enrolled in the 4th separate training motor transport battalion (subordination of Central Asian Military District). Upon completion, he was enrolled in 125th Reserve Regiment. He served in the 70th transport regiment (reference: 188 iptap 4 battery (188th Anti-tank Artillery Regiment existed from 25.3.45 to 11.5.45) from 15.01.1944 to March 1945. A. Barabanov took part in the battles from 10.06.1944 to 11.03.1945. He was driving GAZ with a howitzer in a tow on the roads of the First Ukrainian Front since 1943. He drove through Europe, up to Prague.He was wounded again on 10.08.1944. He was enrolled in 53rd Anti-tank Artillery Brigade (Reference: 53rd Anti-tank Artillery Brigade existed from 25.3.45 to 11.5.45) from 01.03.1945 to October 1945. Enlisted in the 7th Guards Anti-tank Artillery Brigate Motor Transport Regiment from 25.10.1945 . With He was enrolled in 321 KV IPGAP as a driver from 08.12.1945 to June 1946. Awards: Medal of Military Merit (#325020 E from 22.12.1955) Medal for the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War (#105321) Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree (#754204) Jubilee medal: 20 years (from 09.08.1966), 30 years (from 22.11.1977), 40 years (from 05.05.1985), 50 years (from 22.02.1970), 60 years (from 23.10.1979) 70 years (from 05.11.1988). Demobilized in March 1946. For military services, he was awarded medals. His main award - the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree found its hero only in 1985. Having received two serious injuries during the war, Alexander Andreevich did not seek disability, and did not use benefits. When honoring war veterans on Victory Day May 9, he always stood modestly on the sidelines. Alexander was extremely modes and intelligent. He was a wise mentor to young people. He was distinguished by hard work and ingenuity. He was always among the leading men. He worked for 40 years as a machine operator for the state farm "Peredovik", in the Shock Motor Tractor Station, which was later renamed the State Farm of the XXI-Party Congress (Priishimskoe village, Osakarovsky District, Karaganda Region). There were only two entries in his employment record. One - "accepted to the collective farm as a driver", the second - "dismissed due to retirement". During his vacation in 1943, Alexander married Maria Rubanova. Their daughter, Valentina, was born on December 31, 1943. Their family was surprisingly strong and friendly: three daughters and five sons (Valentina, Tatiana, Nikolai, Natalia, Anatoly, Vladimir, Alexander and Yuri). He was not a particularly strict father, but he taught his children to work and to be disciplined from childhood. He taught them to be honest and fair. In the 1980-s the front-line soldier was given an old jeep, which passed military combat roads. Alexander Barabanov died on July 27, 1991.