The story of a native of Irkutsk region and a resident of Yakutia, deprived of the gold Star of the hero of the Soviet Union (based on the materials of the REGNUM News Agency, June 22, 2019). "I Am A Hero Of The Soviet Union! If you don't believe it, look at the documents!"... Nikolai Kudryashov, who lived in Yakutia after the great Patriotic war and was born in Irkutsk region, remained in the memory of colleagues, employees of Nyurbinsky airline, as "Kolka — hero". He received the title of the hero of the Soviet Union in 1944, was stripped of it in 1953, and was restored it posthumously in 2013, according to REGNUM News Agency. Speaking about Nikolai Kudryashov, the "SakhaDay" news agency notes that the reason why he was deprived of the award was human indifference to heroes and extreme demands for this title instead of the care and attention that the person who performed the feat needed. His colleague, aviation veteran Mikhail Vasiliev, who worked with him at the airline in the city of Nyurbe, told about Kolka's heroism. There were also tall tales about "Kolka the hero", but the regional edition discovered the story of his personal file and the fact that Nikolay Petrovich Kudryashov was really a Hero of the Soviet Union. Nikolai Kudryashov was born in 1922 in the family of a mining worker in Cheremkhovo, Irkutsk region. When he was a year old, his mother died, and when is was 7, his father died. Until the age of 11, he was brought up in an orphan home, and then his sister took him in. Nikolai Kudryashov's life was difficult. At the age of 17, he joined Kirov mine, where he was an apprentice electrician. In 1942, he was drafted into the army as a senior machine gunner in the 520th rifle regiment of the 167th rifle division. In 1943, he was appointed a commander of the machine-gun crew. He fought bravely, as evidenced by the awards: in 1942 he was awarded the medal "for bravery", in 1943 the order of Glory of the III degree. His fighting skills grew, and in 1943 he was appointed a commander of a machine-gun platoon with the rank of second Lieutenant. In 1944, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Lieutenant Nikolai Kudryashov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the order of Lenin and the gold Star medal for his heroism and bravery in the battles against the Nazi invaders. "He showed himself as a disciplined, strong-willed officer. Quickly and accurately perform all orders and instructions, in good faith relates to their duties. On a daily basis, he works to improve his knowledge in combat and political training and his General education level. Takes an active part in the social life of the division. In tactical training, he has a good rating... He knows and loves his job. Disciplined, demanding of himself and his subordinates. Carefully treats military and state property. Ideologically sustained. Morally stable. Devoted to the cause of the Lenin-Stalin party and the Socialist Motherland" said Nikolai Kudryashov's service description given to him by the commander of the 3rd rifle battalion, major Kanibolotsky. A few months later in 1946 in the certification for the assignment of the next military rank he was given a diametrically opposite characteristic: "...Has an exceptionally low level of General education... Was sent to officer training courses, but did not study. Uncultured, behaves unworthily in public places, often uses alcohol, drinking is accompanied by debauchery. He does not enjoy authority among the personnel. The appearance is sloppy and not pulled up. Conclusion: there are no prospects for growth in the red Army. Retire to the reserve." A combat officer who has repeatedly looked death in the eye, deservedly awarded the highest military award, did not seek protection — and dismissed from the army, went to his native Cheremkhovo. Nikolai Kudryashov moved to Yakutia in the fall of 1956, where he got a job as a miner in the 167th geological party of the amakinsky expedition in the Oleneksky district. In March 1964, he began working in the Nyurba United air squadron as a forklift driver. As it turned out, Nikolai Kudryashov was deprived of his awards on January 2, 1953, after being sentenced to 6 years in March 1952. The reason for the punishment was hooliganism, intentional infliction of light bodily harm and illegal possession of firearms. At the Nyurba airline, Nikolai Kudryashov was known as Kolka the hero. But there were also those who did not believe that he was a real Hero, even though he told about his feat. One of these stories is described in the memoirs of a veteran of aviation of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia and the Nyurbinsky aviation enterprise Vladimir Nikolaevich Pan-Si-He, who knew Nikolai Kudryashov closely: "Nikolai Petrovich was a very sociable person, there was no one in the squad who did not know him. I often had to meet and talk to him. Once I brought him to a conversation — for which he was awarded the title of Hero. He said the following: "My machine-gun platoon was ordered to seize a bridgehead on the opposite bank of the river, strongly fortified by the Nazis, and hold it until the main forces arrived. The platoon took a bridgehead and quickly strengthened itself. The Germans made repeated attacks, trying to destroy us or throw us back into the river. The platoon fought bravely, and one by one the men were killed in a deadly battle. Suddenly I felt that I was alone, and the German continued to attack after attack. Here they are before me-faces twisted with anger, eyes of fascists. I was terrified, but I had no choice but to fight to the last bullet. He squeezed his eyes shut so that he could not see the angry faces of the Krauts, and continued to desperately mow down the enemy ranks with machine-gun fire. Suddenly everything was quiet, I opened my eyes, I see a mountain of corpses in front of me. I looked back towards the river and saw that the soldiers of our regiment were moving to the Bank. For a long time I could not believe that I was still alive"...". "It was somewhere in 1956-57 years, recalled the veteran of health Telman Maryanov. — There was a volleyball court in the courtyard of the amakin expedition hotel. Sometimes he played volleyball with us. Once, when he was drunk, he was arguing loudly with someone and said: "I am a Hero of the Soviet Union!". There was a roar of laughter, and not only his interlocutors laughed, but also those around him. Of course, who could believr that a drunk man in the ordinary clothes of a worker is a real Hero. He ran to the hotel, came out about five minutes later with a suitcase and said: "If you don't believe me, look at the documents." So, in my opinion, no one bothered to look at them...". Nikolai Kudryashov died on March 23, 1973, at the age of fifty-one. Buried in the cemetery of the city of Nyurba. Contrary to the official decision, Nikolai Petrovich Kudryashov died as a Hero of the Soviet Union: on a modest monument on his grave, there is a photo of him with The gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, which was never returned to him during his lifetime… But he was posthumously restored to this rank — this decision was made on October 24, 2013. By decree of the President of the Russian Federation of October 24, 2013, Nikolai Petrovich Kudryashov was posthumously restored to the rights to state titles and awards of the USSR. He was also awarded the order of Glory of the III degree (16.12.1943), medals "for bravery" (20.01.1943), as well as "for liberation of Prague" and "for Victory over Germany in the great Patriotic war of 1941-1945".