The military rank is Red Army soldier. Branch of troops is Ground troops, Air Force (except Marine aviation), shore service, NKVD Frontier troops. The history of the 86th Separate Rifle Brigade in which my grandfather served is described below. Unfortunately, I have very few documents and memories of the relatives… The 86th Separate Infantry Brigade (Special Operations Brigade - SOBR): The Brigade Commander was Colonel Laskin; the Head of the Brigade Staff was Major Bogaichuk. The Commissar of the Brigade - Seniour Brigade Commissar was Kuzmin. It was formed in December 1941 in Kirov from reservists. On February 25, the 86th SOBR received a material unit and on February 26 it became part of the 34th Army. In the winter of 1941-42, the troops of the southern group of the 34th Army advanced on the German-occupied district center of the Leningrad region of Molvotitsy. The enemy's defense in this area consisted of a system of very well formed fortified strong points. On February 24, the enemy's defenses were breached in the area of Velikusha, Novaya Russa, Pavlovo, and Bykovo by units of the 130th RD and 27th SORB. The most fortified settlement Velikusha three times passed from hand to hand. On February 28, the 86th SOBR had the task of capturing the village of Spasovo, and by the end of the day to capture Molvotitsy. The neighbor on the left was the 130th RD, and on the right it was the 225th RR of the 23rd RD at village Georgievckoy and Chernye Luki. At 9 o’clock evening on February 28, the Group Command received an order to stop the battle at Spassovo and in the morning of March 2nd go to the operational subordination of the 130th Rifle Division with access to the area of Staroe Guchevo, Glybochitsa area. The task of mastering Spasovo was not completed by the Brigade. March 2nd by order of the Commander of the 130th RD the 86th SOBR had the task to seize the strongholds Antonovo, Lyubno and Novyi Novosel, and to the end of the day to go to the front of Chernay Rechka, Kornevo, facilitating thereby the acquisition of area Velikusha, Ostrovnya, Diaghilevo by units of 130th RD. The Brigade entered the battle after marching up to 100 km and having very tired, exhausted people, but the 86th SOBR units fought with great tenacity, without unauthorized waste from positions. The task of mastering Antonovo the 86th SOBR had failed due to the limited time to prepare for an offensive on the heavily fortified points Antonovo and Lyuben, weak training of personal staff and headquaters, poor training artillery brigade, the lack of support of heavy artillery and the lack of intelligence. But this action secured the capture of village Velikusha by 130th RD. With the loss of this line, the enemy was threatened with a complete encirclement of the Molvotitsky group. On the night of March 8th to 9th 1942, the enemy set fire to Molvotitsy and began to retreat. March 9th 1942 Molvotitsy was completely liberated by units of the 23rd RD and the front line of the Southern Group 34A began to pass in the district of localities Votolino-Boshoy and Malyi Vragovo – Kulotino – Belle – Chernaya – Lunevo – Kornevo - Ozhedy – Dyagilevo – Butjkovo – Lyuben – Antonovo – Andreevskoe – Porogi – Narezka – Rysnevo – Glykhoe Demidovo. The 86th SOBR had occupied a section of defense from the village Pechysche – Dyagilevo – Narezka – Rysnevo –Glykhoe Demidovo. At the end of 1942, part of the defense line was transferred to the 166th RD and the brigade itself was moved north to the Demyansky district. When the Demyansk entrapment was eliminated, the 63rd RD was formed from units of the 86th SOBR and 45th SOBR. Its full name was the 63rd Vitebsk Red Banner Rifle Division.