Elena Kolesova (1920-1942) - intelligence officer, commander of the sabotage group of the partisan special forces unit (military unit No. 9903), Hero of the Soviet Union. Born on August 1, 1920 in the village of Kolesovo (now Yaroslavsky District, Yaroslavl Region) in a peasant family. By nationality - Russian. Her father died in 1922, and she lived with her mother. She also had a brother Konstantin, a sister Galina, and a brother Alexander. From the age of eight, she lived in Moscow with her aunt and aunt’s husband (7, Ostozhenka Street). She studied at school #52 of the Frunzensky District (14, 2nd Obydensky Lane). She graduated from seven classes in 1936. She graduated from the 2nd Moscow Pedagogical College (now Moscow City Pedagogical University) in 1939. She worked as a teacher at school #47 of the Frunze District (now gymnasium #1521), then as a senior pioneer leader. Veteran of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. She worked on the construction of defensive structures until October 1941. He graduated from courses for medical orderlies. After two unsuccessful attempts to get to the front in October 1941, she was accepted into the group (official name — military unit #9903) of Major Arthur Sprogis (1904-1980) - a Special Authorized Intelligence Department of the Western Front Headquarters. Passed short-term training. For the first time in the rear of the enemy was on October 28, 1941 with the purpose of mining roads, destroying communications and conducting reconnaissance in the area of stations of Tuchkovo, Dorokhovo and the village of Staraya Ruza in the Ruzsky District of the Moscow Region. Despite the setbacks (two days in captivity), some information was collected. Soon there was a second task: a group of nine people under the command of Elena Kolesova spent eighteen days scouting and mining roads in the Akulovo - Karabuzino area. the combined detachment #1 of the Intelligence Department of the Headquarters of the Western Front, in which Kolesova was, engaged in battle with enemy troops in January 1942, on the territory of the Kaluga Region (near the city of Sukhinichi). Group members: Elena Kolesova, Antonina Lapina (born in 1920, in May 1942 was captured, sent to Germany, after returning from captivity lived in the city of Gus-Khrustalny) - Deputy Group Commander, Maria Lavrentieva (born in 1922, in May 1942 was captured, sent to Germany, further fate is unknown), Tamara Makhonko (1924-1942), Zoya Suvorova (1916-1942), Nina Suvorova (1923-1942), Zinaida Morozova (1921-1942), Nadezhda Belova (1917-1942), Nina Shinkarenko (1920-1942). The group completed the task and delayed the enemy until the approach of units of the 10th Army. All participants of the battle were awarded. The Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR Mikhail Kalinin awarded Elena Kolesova the order of the Red Banner in the Kremlin on March 7, 1942. She joined the CPSU (b) In March 1942. A sabotage and partisan group of twelve girls under the command of Elena Kolesova was parachuted into the Borisovsky District of the Minsk Region on the night of May 1, 1942. Many girls had no experience in skydiving - three crashed on landing, one broke her spine. Two girls were detained and taken to the Gestapo on May 5. The group began fighting in early May. Partisans blew up bridges, derailed the military trains with the Nazis and military equipment, attacked police stations, ambushed, destroyed traitors. For the capture of the "ataman-paratrooper Lelka" ("tall, hefty, 25 years old, with the order of the Red Banner"), 30 thousand Reichsmarks, a cow and 2 liters of vodka were promised. Soon ten local Komsomol members joined the group. The Germans found out the location of the camp of the sabotage and partisan group and blocked it. The activities of the partisans were greatly hindered, and Elena Kolesova led the group deep into the forest. The group destroyed a bridge, four enemy trains, three trucks, and six enemy garrisons from May 1 to September 11, 1942. On a summer day, in front of the sentry, she blew up an enemy train with equipment. An operation to destroy the German garrison in the heavily fortified village of Vydritsy by a group of partisan detachments began on September 11, 1942. Kolesova's group also took an active part in this operation. The operation was successful, but Elena was mortally wounded in the battle. She was initially buried in the village of Mihovska of the Krupsky District, Minsk Region. Her remains were moved to the city of Krupki in a mass grave, in which her battle friends were also buried in 1954. A monument was placed on the grave. Rewards: The title of the Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Elena Kolesova posthumously by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on November 21, 1944 for "heroic feat shown while performing a combat mission behind enemy lines". She was also awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner and the Red Star. Memory: Monuments were installed on the grave, at school #2 in Krupki (author V. Paleychuk) and in the village of Mordvinovo of the Yaroslavl Region. Memorable signs were installed at the place of fatal injury and the first burial (near the former village of Mihovska). There are memorial plaques on the building of the Moscow State Pedagogical University #2 (now MSPU) (4, 2nd Agricultural Passage) and school #47 (10, 1st Neopalimovsky Lane) of the city of Moscow, on the building of the Moscow Komsomol Committee (5, Kolpachny Lane), on the building of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute (14, Krasnokazarmennaya Street). School #2 in Krupki, streets in Volgograd, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Krupki and the village of Zorichi in the Borisovsky district of Minsk Region are named after her. A suburban electric train running on the Yaroslavl direction of the Moscow Railway is named after Elena Kolesova.