Heroes and feats

The combat path of my grandfather, senior sergeant Buyantuev Tsyren-Dondok Doksonovich (Republic of Buryatia, Selenginsky district, village Noekhon). 236 soldiers left Noekhon for the war, 127 of them did not return from the front: some died, some went missing. The names of 127 dead soldiers are included in the "Book of Memory". In the village there is a monument to the soldiers-fellow villagers. It contains a list of all those who did not return from the front. The war did not bypass our family - the Buyantuyev family. According to the stories of my dad and close relatives, I know that my grandfather, Buyantuev Tsyren-Dondok Doksonovich, fought at the front. I know my grandfather only from memories, since he died long before my birth. My grandfather was born in the village of Noekhon in the Selenginsky region in 1913 into a family of peasants. My grandfather did not like to remember the war, but thanks to my dad, Bimba Tsyrendondopovich Buyantuev, I learned the battle path that he went through. Grandfather fought to Berlin. He fought in the ranks of the famous 62nd Guards Cavalry Regiment of the 18th Guards Division of the 7th Cavalry Corps of General Konstantinov. Already in the first battles, he showed himself to be a brave, resourceful soldier, for this he was appointed commander of the crew of a heavy machine gun. Senior Sergeant Tsyren-Dondok Doksonovich received his first award - the Medal for Military Merit in the summer of 1942 in the battles for the town of Sukhinichi. From the memoirs of my grandfather, which are kept in the museum of the Noekhon secondary school: “Having successfully overcome the Desna, the regiment began to deploy on the right bank of the river. The Germans tried several times to knock us out of this bridgehead. A platoon under my command repulsed several Nazi attacks during the afternoon, but did not surrender the height. " For the courage shown in this battle, the Order of the Red Star shone on my grandfather's chest. The fearless platoon commander took part in many battles and more than once showed valor and courage. In the battles for the Dnieper he was wounded. Having recovered after being wounded, he liberated the cities of Chernigov and Mozyr in Belarus as part of his 18th Guards Division. In the fall of 1943, the troops of the Central Front (renamed into Belorussian in October 1943) approached the Dnieper. On November 26, after continuous fighting, our troops liberated Gomel. The time for the release of Mozyr was approaching. An operation was developed that went down in the history of the Great Patriotic War as the Kalinkovichi-Mozyr operation. Five days were given to prepare the operation. In the conditions of wooded and swampy terrain and off-road , communications acquired particular importance. The Hitlerite command took all measures to strengthen its group. It attached exceptional importance to the Kalinkovichi railway and highway junctions, the regional center of Mozyr. The defense was held by 9 infantry and 2 tank divisions, 3 divisions of assault guns, a cavalry regiment and other units. Long-term defensive structures, pillboxes, trench lines were built, the area was heavily mined. The battle for Mozyr reached the highest tension on January 13th. The enemy continued to counterattack. Mozyr was completely released by 6 a.m. In the battles for Mozyr, significant losses were inflicted mainly on the enemy's 86 infantry divisions, 1,500 soldiers and officers were killed. 710 sq. kilometers, more than 80 settlements are occupied. In the battles for the liberation of Mozyr, the troops suffered heavy losses. Also, my grandfather, together with his division, liberated the city of Chernigov. For 40 days of the offensive, Soviet troops completely expelled the fascist invaders from Poland and launched hostilities on the territory of Nazi Germany. The 7th Cavalry Corps of General Konstantinov, in which my brave grandfather fought, also participated in the Berlin offensive. The glorious military path of our fellow countryman ends in Berlin. For the courage and heroism shown during the Great Patriotic War, my grandfather is awarded two military medals "For the capture of Berlin", "For the liberation of Warsaw", the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree. Having returned home with victory, he gives all his strength and knowledge to his native collective farm. He works in various areas of collective farm production - construction, as a shepherd on a brood flock, as a foreman of a tractor brigade, as a deputy chairman of a collective farm. Together with my grandmother Tsyrema Dondopovna, they raised six wonderful children. For his great organizational skills, the people elected him in 1968 as the chairman of the Noekhon Somon Council. He worked in this position without fail until retirement. For long-term, fruitful work in collective farm construction, he is awarded a state award - the Order of the Badge of Honor. He has not been among us for a long time, but the memory of him as a fearless warrior, a person infinitely loving his land, a wonderful leader always lives in the hearts of relatives and fellow countrymen. In the history of mankind, there are events over which time has no power. The Great Patriotic War should never be erased from the memory of our people, no matter how much time has passed after its end. It is everyone's duty to cherish the memory of those who did not return from the war, to pay tribute and gratitude to those who are with us.During the war he took part in many military operations: • liberated the cities: Sukhinichi, Chernigov, Mozyr in Belarus; • participated in the battles for Desna, Dnieper; • participated in the Kalinkovichi-Mozyr operation; • He ended the war when he reached Berlin. For military operations he was awarded: • Order of the Red Star; • Order of the Patriotic War II degree; • Medal "For Military Merit"; • medal "For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War in 1941 - 1945"; • medal "For the capture of Berlin"; • Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw". He was also awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor and has anniversary medals. I imagine him young, handsome and cheerful, although I know that the soldiers were exhausted, tortured by the war. But they instilled confidence in everyone: the mother was consoled, the wife was encouraged with an affectionate word, the children were instructed to learn and help their relatives. Gradually, the image of my grandfather Buyantuev Tsyren-Dondok Doksonovich, a loving son, brother, father, courageous defender of the Fatherland, liberator of Europe from the German invaders, appears. Let the memory of those who selflessly loved their Motherland, who bequeathed to us faith in Russia, will remain with us. I am proud of my grandfather. I think that today he would be proud and happy, and happily celebrated the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Bychkov Yegor Sidorovich was born in 1915 or 1917 in the village of V.-Yashinka, Yeltsovsky district of Altai Territory. A member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, on July 12, 1942, he volunteered for the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and was sent to the front by the Kuzedeevsky regional military enlistment office of the West Siberian Military District. On July 23, 1942, at the Yurga station of the Novosibirsk (now Kemerovo) region, the formation of the 150th rifle division of Siberian volunteers took place. On the morning of September 14, 1942, the division's transfer by rail to the west began. From 23 to 30 September 1942, the Siberian Volunteer Division was in camps near Moscow. Here it was replenished with military equipment, vehicles and partly with weapons. After checking the combat readiness of the units, the division was transferred by rail to the unloading points - the Selizharovo and Shuvaevo stations. From here the Siberian Volunteer Division made a 170-kilometer march under the city of Bely. On November 16, 1942, the 150th Infantry Division in the 41st Army began to prepare for hostilities. From November 24, 1942 to January 20, 1943, units of the division fought fierce battles with the enemy in the area of ​​the city of Bely. The active actions of our troops in this sector of the Kalinin Front forced the German command to urgently transfer 12 new divisions to the "Rzhevsky salient" area and thereby significantly weaken their forces already moving towards Stalingrad. At the cost of enormous losses, the Siberian volunteers for several months constrained the actions of the selected Nazi troops of the Center group. The success of the Battle of Stalingrad, a turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War, was largely ensured by the bloody battles on the Kalinin (Tver) land. The feat of the Siberians became a vivid evidence of their high patriotism and unparalleled courage.

Born on July 22, 1921 on the Berezhny farm of the Nagolensk village council. He graduated from the Nagolensk Seven-Year School and continued his studies at the Rovenskaya secondary school. In the spring of 1939, after finishing 10th grade, he took a month-long course at the Rossosh Pedagogical School of the Voronezh Region. Upon graduation, he was sent to the Aydar secondary school as a primary school teacher. His great-grandfather was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army in 1940, and he served in the city of Stanislav (now Ivano-Frankivsk). In six months he graduated from the courses of radio operators and received the first class. At the Kursk Bulge he received the Order of the Red Star. As part of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade, my great-grandfather went to the end of the war. And the path was as follows: from June 1941 to September 1941 the South-Eastern Front - a cadet, from September 1941 to February 1942 the Central Front - a senior radio operator, from February 1942 to October 1942 the Voronezh Front - a senior radio operator, from October 1942 to March 1943 Western front - senior radio operator, from March 1943 to November 1943 Voronezh front - head of the radio station, from November 1943 to November 1944 1st Ukrainian Front - head of the radio station, from November 1944 to May 1945 the Belorussian Front - head of the radio station. The brigade itself by this time was called the First Guards Chertkovskaya, twice the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner, the Orders of Suvorov, Kutuzov, B. Khmelnitsky tank brigade. On May 25, 1945 on the outskirts of Berlin, commander M.E. Katukov visited his brainchild - the 1st Guards Tank Brigade. Ilya Alekseevich was awarded medals: "For Military Merit", "For the Defense of Moscow", "For the Liberation of Warsaw", "For the Capture of Berlin", "For Victory over Germany", three Orders of the Red Star, two Orders of the Patriotic War , the Order of Glory of the 3rd Degree. There are a lot of jubilee medals, commemorative tokens and signs. In 1985 he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree. The war for him ended in the Tiergarten, 500 meters from the Reichstag, and he was fired on June 28, 1946. And in August 1946, he was registered as a primary school teacher at the Nagolensk seven-year school. Along with this, he studied in absentia at the Rossosh pedagogical school, which he graduated in 1949. In 1952 he was transferred to the director of the Novo-Lozovskaya seven-year school. He worked until 1958, and from 1949 to 1953 he studied at the Rossosh State Teachers' Institute. From 1958 until his seniority retirement, he worked as a mathematics and physics teacher at the Nagolensk school, which was converted into a secondary school. When he was retired, he worked as a military commander and, if necessary, replaced other teachers. Berezhnoy Ilya Alekseevich died on May 10, 2008, having met the next anniversary of the Victory.

Rank: Captain Branch of Service: Air Force Mikhail Bubnov was born in Kusa in 1911. He finished seven years of school and began to work at a machine-building factory as an art casting moulder. After some time, he decided to continue his education and entered the school of factory apprenticeship. As the best student, he was sent on an excursion to Moscow. In parallel with his studies, Mikhail was engaged in a drama club, participated in performances. The desire to get knowledge did not leave Mikhail, and he entered Telephone Department the Sverdlovsk School of Communications. M. Bubnov entered the V. Chkalov Orenburg Higher Flight School in 1932. After his successful graduation, in the rank of Lieutenant in 1936, he was sent to the Kiev Special Military District. Here Michael was perfecting his flying skills. The People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR awarded M. Bubnov the badge Excellent Cadet of the Red Army. Mikhail never forgot about his family, and often wrote them. He married a Kusa girl, Alexandra. He took her with him to the place of service. They lived in Vasilkov, which is 30 kilometers from Kiev. The pilots were in military camps and could only come home on weekends. The war began on Sunday, June 22, 1941. The pilots of the 43rd Fighter Regiment immediately took to the skies and defended Kiev, Kharkov, and Rostov-on-Don. Later, the front moved to Stalingrad. Mikhail met the war with the rank of Captain, as a Deputy Commander of the 2nd Fighter Squadron of the 43rd Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 22nd Fighter Aviation Division of the 16th Air Army. The daring, brave and tactically competent pilot not only showed his skills in the air, but also taught this to the younger generation of pilots, was an example for them. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner at the end of 1941. Actively and successfully led the squadron to attack enemy ground forces and escort our bombers. All combat tasks were performed perfectly. He totally performed more than 220 sorties. M. Bubnov was presented to the Order of Lenin in August 1942, which he did not have time to receive, since he did not return from a combat mission on September 23, 1942.

In 1943, the Germans drove her together with her mother and other villagers to Belarus. They drove people through the Mogilev and Gomel regions. For most, it was a one-way road. The Germans guarded huge kilometers of the column of prisoners. The prisoners held the formation so as not to give cause for nagging. “We walked in the middle of the column, and on the sides were Germans with machine guns, German tanks,” my great-grandmother recalls. - I huddled in fear to my mother ... ”. This is how she walked for many days and nights in the crowd of the doomed along the "road of death." Was it easier for her that she was not alone, that her fate was shared by thousands of other people? “No, it didn't make it any easier. We were very depressed and scared, ”says my great-grandmother. Until now, she is haunted by terrible pictures: “I remember how our convoy was bombed by planes. There was panic. Mothers in despair tried to protect their children with themselves, the eerie cries of distraught people were heard, the desperate voices of children calling: "Mom, Mom!" Bolt. Moans. A bomb exploded not far from us and formed a large crater. The dead lay around her. During these terrible days, the little girl experienced the first painful loss of loved ones. In this bombing, my great-grandmother lost her mother, my great-great-grandmother. And then there was a concentration camp in the Bogushevsky forests. They, little prisoners, starved to death, they were tried to be killeed with slave labor. Along with the adults, they were forced to dig trenches and rarely were given shovels. During such work, the hands of the children were bloody. Each time they fell asleep, they did not know if they would survive tomorrow. They killed everyone in the camp: both old and small. She, a ten-year-old girl, hungry, half-naked, emaciated, had a chance to experience something that an adult cannot bear. The Germans beat them, baited. The children did not play, nothing could entertain them. They looked at their tormentors with eyes that did not understand what their fault was. They cried in silence. It was impossible to cry loudly, the constant malnutrition, the cruelty of the guards, inhuman punishment for the slightest offense ... Soviet troops were coming closer and closer. Retreating, the Germans decided to burn the prisoners. For three days they kept them in sheds packed to capacity. No one hoped to survive. But our soldiers managed to liberate the prisoners. Desperate people cried and hugged their liberators. Mothers hugged their children tighter. Only no one hugged my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother returned home in 1944. Relatives (mother's sisters) took her into care.

Mikhail Vasilyevich Bessarab was born on August 2, 1924, in the village of Malaya Koshelevka in the Nezhinsky district of the Ukrainian Chernihiv region. He finished only 4 classes at school, and later, in 1943 was drafted into service in by the Nezhensky RMC of the Chernihiv region at the age of 18. Took a signalman and communication courses. Participated in battles near Kiev and on the Vistula River as part of the 1st Ukrainian Front. He took part in the battles of the 4th Ukrainian Front on December 1, 1945 He was awarded by: • Order of the "Patriotic War, 2nd class" • Order of Glory • Medal "For the victory over Germany" • Medal "For the liberation of Prague" • Medal "For courage" Sergeant Mikhail Bessarab particularly distinguished himself in the battles of 1943, as evidenced by the lines from the commendation list: “In the Army since 1943, in battles since 1943. Participated in the liberation of Warsaw, in crossing of the Vistula. He was wounded 3 times in battles. He took part in the Moravia–Ostrava Offensive in 1945 and repelled enemy’s counterattacks. Comrade Bessarab was the first to attack the enemy and encouraged the rest of his comrades by that spirit. The counterattack was repelled, the enemy suffered heavy losses. Comrade Bessarab killed four Nazis. He was awarded the Order of the “Patriotic War of the 2nd,class". During the offensive battles conducted by the regiment from April 15, 1945, Comrade Bessarab showed himself to be a brave, courageous and skillful warrior. The communication lines directed by Comrade Bessarab always worked perfectly. In the battle for the village of Ileshovitsa on April 20, 1945, under heavy enemy’s artillery and machine-gun fire he eliminated up to eighteen line breaks. During the repulsion of the enemy’s counterattack on April 20, 1945, near the village of Ileshovitsa, Comrade Bessarab, supported by the infantry, repelled the enemy’s counterattacks. At that time he killed three German soldiers and captured one prisoner with a light machine gun. Disciplined, self-possessed, enjoys authority among soldiers and officers. (From the commendation list)

Bykov Nikolai Petrovich, was born on May 3, 1914, in the city of Saratov, in a working class family. He would have been 100 years old in 2014. My great-grandfather, Nikolai Petrovich Bykov, is a career officer with the rank of major. He was in active military service of the USSR Armed Forces until September 8, 1958. From 1930 to 1933 he studied and graduated from the Saratov Industrial Technical School, got a diploma in electrical engineering. Worked as an electrical engineer in the Bakalsk mining administration (Satka district of the Chelyabinsk region) in 1934- 1935. Then he changed the working place to Saratov alkaline battery plant (till February 1936). From February 1936 to October 1937 he was on active military service in 110th Artillery Regiment named after Voroshilov in Saratov. From November 1937 to October 1939 he worked at the Saratov State Plant named after Lenin as an electrical engineer. Since October 1939 to June 23, 1941, he studied at the Saratov Institute of Agricultural Mechanization and finished two courses there. Along with his studies ( October 1940 - June 23, 1941) he worked at the Saratov State Plant named after Lenin, first as a specialist, and then as a shift engineer. But his peaceful studies and work were interrupted by the war. Already on June 23, 1941, my great-grandfather, Nikolai Petrovich Bykov, went to the front as part of the Tarashchansky Regiment of the 45th Rifle Division named after N.Shchors of the 62nd Army. Together with other soldiers, he was fighting from Stalingrad to Berlin, liberating Ukraine, Belarus and Poland as the commander of a Sapper Platoon first, and then as an engineer of a Rifle Regiment until February 1947. When he became a military pensioner in 1958, he took an active part in the creation of the chronicle of the 74th Guards Division, met with veterans, helped to organize corners of military glory, often spoke to young about combat path of his division. That was the reason why he wrote down his memories of his war years and carefully kept photographs of his front-line friends, so we have them now. The young officer Nikolai Petrovich Bykov came on vacation in 1947 to his parents in the city of Saratov, where he met the love of his life, my great-grandmother Zoya Vasilievna Sosnovtseva, and they married on November 26, 1947. They lived a long and happy life together, finally they had four daughters, one of whom (Bykova (Kolesnikova) Galina Nikolaevna) became my grandmother. He was awarded by the Order of the Red Star, Orders of the “Patriotic War of 1st and 2nd classes”, and the medal “For Courage”.

Bruskov Pavel Vasilievich (11/15/1914 - 01/14/1989). Born in the village of Pirochi, Kolomensky district, Moscow region (formerly the village of Pirochi, Zaraysky district, Ryazan province). He began his career after school at the Kolomna machine-building plant, and continued at the plant No.213 in Moscow. In 1935, he graduated from the military school of pilots (Kacha Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots in the Crimea) where he joined the ranks of the CPSU. Since the beginning of flight operations (1939), the total number of flight hours was 1631 hours 20 minutes, including 125 hours 20 minutes at night. P.Bruskov flew on aeroplanes of various types: U-2, UTI-4, I-16, Yak-1, Yak-7, Yak-9, LaGG, Yak-1b, Yak-7u, Kittyhawk, Sanders, Yak-11, Yak- 18, PO-2, MiG-15, ULA-9. LA-9, MiG-15 bis. From 1939-1943 P.V. Bruskov was assisting the Commander of the squadron for Komsomol work questions at the Kacha Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots of the Volga Military District. In 1943, he was appointed as a Commander of an Air Regiment for political affairs of the 6th Aviation Corps (Moscow Air Defence Front). From 1943 to 1944, then 1944 - 1946 became the Commander of 42nd and 488th squadrons under the 1st VIA (western front). In 1943, being the commander of 429th Fighter Regiment, he made 3 sorties during the day and 3 sorties at night to repel an attack of fascist aircraft above Yaroslavl and intercept enemy’s aircraft in the area of Ramenskoye. As part of the 488th Fighter regiment (May- July 1944) Bruskov P.V. flew 5 combat missions to escort especially important government aircraft along the routes: Moscow - Leningrad, Moscow - Smolensk, Moscow - Velikie Luki, Moscow - Bryansk. All tasks were completed with excellent marks. He served in the army for 25 years, finished his service in the rank of Colonel in Petrozavodsk. After the decree on the reduction of the Armed Forces (December 1960), he returned to Moscow and continued to work as an engineer in Executive Committee (Kiev District of Moscow). He supervised the improvement of the pedestrian zone of the Old Arbat, the territory of the Kiev railway station square, the park area of on Poklonnaya Gora. He died on January 14, 1989. Bruskov P.V. has government awards, orders and medals. He has got the following Orders: -Order of “Red Banner” -Order of “Patriotic War 1st and 2nd classes” Medals: - Medal” For military services” -Medal “For defence of Moscow” -Medal “For victory over Germany’ Jubilee and other medals: -Medal "For the Victory over Germany” - Medal “Veteran of labour” -Medal “Veteran of the armed forces” - 2 medals of the Czechoslovak Republic (for his work as a counsellor).

MY GRANDFATHER IS MY HERO. My grandfather - Anatoly Aleksandrovich Belekhov is four times father, by today's standards, had a large family. He was born in Kostroma province, Susanin district, the village of Korosteli. I know shamelessly little about him. When you just start living, you don’t think about death. How can you end? How can everything end around us? All I have is two faded family photographs. On the first - my grandfather is among festively dressed relatives, at the age of about fifty and on the second -he is modestly dressed, with a slight half-smile and a squint of my father's eyes. And my grandfather had bad effects of a severe concussion in that war, the Great Patriotic War, where he, an experienced soldier who passed through the Finnish battle and was the first issue of the legendary "Maxim", was stunned by mines, bombs, shells - everything that they had faced in 1941. At that time they were not yet grandfathers, but surrounded by fascists, whom they beat "to the last bullet." He had no bullet for left for himself ... As a result, grandfather was taken prisoner. For a long time, until the end of the war. Fascist Germany lived well. When you read exculpatory memories from the “other side” of the war, the citizens of the Third Reich (because of their childish naive innocence or something) have never heard of what the world has experienced and what, in the most honest way, perhaps, was shown in the great truth about “Ordinary Fascism” by Roman Carmen ... And in the peaceful fascist hinterland, in the middle of the twentieth century, there was a slave market, with the most valuable prisoners of war: strong, hardy, “golden-handed” Slavs. One of them was my grandfather. Some Frau, in some small town, far from the war ... Four years like an "empty dream" ... Victory, liberation, and then was a choice: either post-war Europe, or even swollen with "military yeast" America. Only now I realized what a man's act my grandfather had done. In spite of everything: both, promises and the threat from - "to be in the camp" to - "ten years without the right of correspondence", the grandfather strove home. Even he already was in the list of missing persons he had no doubt that he was WAITED FOR! Wife, parents, two sons and two daughters- all of them. Thanks, God, they were not killed, they were not imprisoned, but they were sent to the Urals, to Chelyabinsk ... Until 1953, every week the former soldier went to register to NKVD and answered the same question: "Why didn't he shoot himself?" with the same answer: "I had no gun" How was it at that time on the front line? Only him, the second number, and "Maxim". There were no personal weapons. On the thirtieth anniversary of the Victory, my grandfather was awarded a jubilee medal: a modest brass medal, but with the image of Motherland, a salute and the inscription "To the participant in the war"! My father was most happy about the medal. I think he was the first to comprehend the heroism of our grandfather, before others from our large family. He was silently empathizing with the grandfather's tragedy of suspicion, misunderstanding, probably sidelong glances, and his inner guilt for having survived ... In 1985, the year of the fortieth anniversary of Victory, my grandfather died, at 2000 my father has gone. Nobody to ask. Recently in the market I saw a rare in our area berry and I asked, from where did the seller come? “From the Kostroma region, Susanin district ...”- was the answer. Maybe it was the news from my grandfather. Or was it a blessing? I enlisted my grandfather in our modern regiment - Immortal. Now we go to the parade on May 9 together, me and my grandfather - Anatoly Aleksandrovich Belekhov - a soldier and Hero of the war, the country and our family.

Nikolai Tarasovich Bessonov was born on December 19, 1908, in the village of Samkovo (former names: Pochinok Samkovsky, Pochinok Chertov) of the Nolinsky district in Vyatka province. He joined the ranks of the Red Army on April 10, 1941, in the Kyrchansk District Committee of the All-Union Bolshevik Party of the Kirov Region. Bessonov Nikolai Tarasovich, tractor mechanic of the Kyrchansk MTS was accepted as a candidate member of the Bolshevik CPSU. He went to the front twice: first as a volunteer immediately after the declaration of war, but at that time he was sent to harvest the crops. For the second time it was the agenda of the Kyrchansk RVС, and he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army on August 12, 1941. N.Bessonov served in the rank of private in the 3rd Machine- gun Company of the 3rd battalion of the 53rd Rifle Regiment of the 4th division of the 44th Army. Nikolai Tarasovich took part in hostilities on the Central Front during the war. On October 18, 1941, he was taken prisoner during the attack near the town of Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga Region. “Our division was defeated on October 18, 1941, near Maly Yaroslavets; me and a group of comrades from our battalion were captured by the Germans and were sent to the assembly point of the city of Roslavl, from where we were sent by whole echelon through the city of Warsaw to Hamburg city, Germany. I stayed in the prisoner of war camp in Hamburg until August 1943, worked on rough earthworks and loaded wagons, then our entire camp was transferred to the city of Grulich, Sudetenland, where I stayed until May 9, 1945. Prisoners of war were used for earthworks and logging. After being liberated by units of the Red Army, I was sent to the assembly point of the city of Schemberg, later- to the 177th Reserve Rifle Regiment, the 812th Reserve Rifle Regiment and the 1203rd Reserve Rifle Regiment of the 304th Rifle Division. I passed through a filtration check everywhere and in October 1945 I was demobilized from the Red Army ”- these are the words of Nikolai Tarasovich, taken from an archive document. N.Bessonov had a certificate "Participant of the Great Patriotic War", also he was awarded medals: "For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945", "Thirty years of victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945", "60 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR ". After the war, Nikolai Tarasovich Bessonov worked at the Kyrchansk MTS, then at the “Priroda” collective farm. He was awarded the medal “Veteran of Labor" for many years of his honest work. Nikolai Tarasovich died on June 27, 1981, and was buried in the village of Arkhangelskoye.

Ivan Vasilievich Bozhko was born in 1914. He lived in the city of Parkommuna (now the city of Perevalsk, Luhansk region) before the war, was married, raised four children: Victor, Galina, Claudia and Nikolai. He worked as a miner. Ivan Vasilyevich was drafted to the Red Army at Southern Front from the first days of the War. Since April 18, 1944, Ivan Vasilyevich fought on the 3rd Baltic Front, which was formed on the Supreme Command Headquarters’directive (April 18, 1944) from the formations of the left (southern wing) Leningrad Front to break through the “Panther” line near the cities of Pskov-Ostrov. Ivan Vasilyevich was appointed as a Commander of the 3rd Baltic Front by Colonel General Ivan Maslennikov. The 3rd Baltic Front began its offensive on July 17, 1944. On the morning of July 21, the troops of the 3rd Baltic Front entered the city of Ostrov from the south, and during the day they occupied more than 150 small settlements in battles. On July 23, they liberated the city of Pskov, later (July 30-31) they conducted offensive battles south-west of Pskov. As a result of this offensive, the Red Army advanced 50-130 km westward. After the liberation of the city of Riga, on October 16, 1944, the Front was disbanded. Front’s field management with front-line units and institutions and the 54th Army were transferred to the reserve of the Supreme Command Headquarters. The rest of the troops were transferred to the Leningrad (67th Army), 1st Baltic (61st Army) and 2nd Baltic (1st Shock Army and 14th Air Army) fronts. Ivan Vasilyevich Bozhko died in battle near the village of Vadrino (now the village of Vadrino, Ostrovsky district, Pskov region) on July 15, 1944, two days before the start of a major offensive of the 3rd Baltic Front. As it was indicated in the funeral he showed much of his heroism and courage. According to the commendation list (July 8, 1944), I.Bozhko repeatedly showed examples of courage and resistance in battles with the German invaders: -On October 12, 1941, as part of a unit covering the detachment of the 714th Regiment of the 395th Rifle Division, he was wounded in the battle near Mariupol, but did not leave the battlefield; -On July 5, 1942, he was wounded again in a defensive battle for the Shterovsk plant (Southern Front). He destroyed an officer and two enemy soldiers in that battle; -On March 21, 1943, he was wounded for the 3d time in the battles for the Okhotnichy settlement (Dnepropetrovsk region). He attacked and captured the enemy's dugout, destroyed enemy’s garrison of 7 people, including one officer. Worked together with a group of soldiers from the 3rd brigade -On March 31, 1944, during a breakthrough of a heavily fortified enemy’s strip on the Mnoga River (the Leningrad region, now the Pskov region) he was one of the first to burst into the enemy trench. Under heavy artillery and rifle fire, showing courage and braveness, he destroyed one German officer and a soldier in hand-to-hand combat. The Red Army soldier Ivan Vasilyevich Bozhko, the deputy commander of the PTR section of the 1st company of the 40th separate machine gun and Artillery battalion, was awarded the medal "For Courage" by order to the troops of the 67th Army of the 3rd Baltic Front (July 13, 1944). The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR marked his valor and courage during combat missions against German invaders.

The battle path of my grandfather. My grandfather's name is Bunegin Pyotr Ivanovich. He was a blue-eyed old soldier, gray-haired, hardened by a difficult childhood and gone through the hell of war. Until his death, his soul did not allow him to sit up doing nothing. His face, covered with many wrinkles, shows how exhausting his military and labour years were. He tried to show himself as a strong, restrained and fair man. Grandfather loved to talk about his life, joked a lot, but at the same time he did not sit still, because he had a motto in his life: "You move - you live" Grandpa was born on June 17, 1926, in a large peasant family. He went to school at 9. The Great Patriotic War began in 1941, and his father was called to the front. Finally, my grandfather had to go to work as a groom instead of him. In 1943, he joined the Komsomol organization, and on November 6 he was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army. He was only 17 at that time! Ah, war, what have you done?.. Our yards have become quiet. Our boys raised their heads. They grew up earlier. They stood for a while on the threshold And went away, soldier after the soldier. My grandfather passed the course of a young soldier in the city of Belebey in the 49th Artillery Regiment, Racon platoon. He took the military oath there. In April 44, he was sent to the front. He had to fight on the 1st Ukrainian front of the 52nd Army of the 936th Infantry Regiment with a large anti-tank rifle. My grandfather was both a spotter and a shooter. The 254th Division, in which he served, received the honorary title - Cherkasskaya and was awarded the Orders of Lenin, Order of Red Banner, Order of Suvorov, Order of Kutuzov, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky. The military unit of my grandfather was located near the Kovel station, Vladimir-Volyn region. He started from here liberating Poland and Germany, and finally reached Czechoslovakia. The major operation was planned at the Sandomierz bridgehead On January 18, 1945. Our engineers cleared and marked the passages pierced by the artillery with poles ahead of time. Therefore, the operation began earlier than it was planned. It happened on January 12, at 5 a.m and developed rapidly. The German historian Friedrich von Mellenthin wrote about this offensive: “The Russian offensive developed with unprecedented strength and swiftness. It is impossible to describe everything that happened between the Vistula and the Oder for the first time in the months of 1945. Europe didn’t know anything like this since the fall of the Roman Empire. " In a battle near the village of Gidle, my grandfather destroyed a German armoured vehicle. Unfortunately if managed to give a return shot. Its shell exploded near my grandfather and he was wounded by three shrapnel in the spine. That ache stayed with him through life. As a result, the barrel of the grandfather's gun was torn off, and the second soldier - a guy from Bashkiria - was killed. Grandfather's legs failed, he was laying all night on the snow, warming himself with sips of alcohol from a flask, till the nurse found him in the morning. He was the only one from his battalion to return to his unit after the hospital. The troops of the 254th Infantry Division entered German territory after liberating Western Ukraine and Poland. On May 2, the division entered the area north-west of Gorlitz, where it was replenished, and on May 7, 1945, it launched an offensive from the area south of Nisko, 17 kilometres north-west of Gorlitz, with the task of breaking through the enemy's defences and subsequently capturing the city of Zittau. The division reached the city by May 8, 1945, could not take it on the move and took it only on May 9, 1945. Later the division rushed to Mlada Boleslav, and soon the enemy was knocked out by the advanced division. They stopped on the outskirts of a city. Grandfather with his combat comrades entered one of the luxurious two-story houses and saw a woman there. They were very surprised when she began speaking Russian. The soldiers got acquainted with her and were happy to discuss much. They learned that she was taken prisoner in the Suma region. She became the servant of a German rich man. One morning the woman woke up and the owners were gone. They ran away after they had heard about the success of the Russian army. The soldiers saw a radio in the room and turned it on. It was reported about the complete surrender of Germany. My grandfather and his comrades were stunned by that news, could not hold back tears of joy after the message. It was VICTORY !!!! But some German groups still continued a stubborn resistance. Everything ended finally on May 11th for my grandfather. He was sent to a military school in June, after the end of the war. J. Stalin ordered to reduce all military personnel at the same time. My grandfather was among those and in 1947 he was sent to serve in the city of Novosibirsk in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He guarded German and Japanese prisoners of war in a camp. My grandfather got his first military award at that time. He was marked by the Order of the Red Star. How strongly I hate the war, For many years it comes to my dreams Breaks them and silence, It knocks at my door at night. My former comrades also come Who did not return from the battlefield, I lost friends every day, And I fell asleep in a trench while standing … My grandfather returned to his native village after demobilization in 1950, Burannaya, Sol-Iletsk district, Orenburg region, where he worked until 1986. For his excellent work he was awarded the Order of the “Badge of Honour”, he has the medals “For Labour Valour” and medal “Veteran of Labour”.

Hero of the Soviet Union, Guards Senior Sergeant Bikbov Yevgeny Arkhipovich was born on August 2, 1914 in the Cossack village of Ostrolenka, Verkhneuralskiy district of the Orenburg province, in a Cossack family. Nağaybäk by nationality. Parents: father - Bikbov Arkhip Ilyich, mother - Pelageya Illarionovna. Father carried the Cossack service and died in the Carpathians in 1916, fighting on the fronts of the First World War. Mother ran the household and raised her orphaned children alone. She joined the "12 Years of October" collective farm in 1929 (the year of farm’s collectivization) and worked there until her old age. She passed away in 1966. Eugene grew up and helped his mother with the housework till he was 13, also studied at the Ostrolensk village school, from which he graduated in 1926. From 1929 to 1936 he worked at a local collective farm. In 1936, Evgeny Arkhipovich was called up for active service in the ranks of the Red Army by the Nagaybak Regional Military committee, served in the troops of the Separate Red Banner Far Eastern Army. While serving, Yevgeny Arkhipovich took part in hostilities against the Japanese aggressors in the area of Lake Khasan. After demobilization from the army, Yevgeny Arkhipovich returned to his native village of Ostrolenka. After a short rest, as a well-trained soldier, he was appointed to work in the district police department. Yevgeny Arkhipovich worked there until 1942. Brought up on the best labour and military traditions, Bikbov Evgeny Arkhipovich volunteered for the front. From December 1943 to February 1944 he practised military training in a marching battalion. After completing his studies, he receives a referral to the 25th Guards Yelninsk Tank Brigade of the 2nd Guards Tatsinsk Tank Corps and enters the battle near the city of Smolensk. In April 1944,the soldiers of the brigade, including Y.Bikbov, were awarded the "Guard" badges for the liberation of the city of Smolensk. Continuing the offensive to the West, the guardsmen entered the territory of Belarus and carried out a number of military operations to liberate the city of Orsha. Guard Sergeant E. Bikbov was awarded the Order of the Red Star. The Tank Brigades were assigned a combat mission to reach the line of the Berezina River and force it. Based on the assigned tasks, the Submachine gun squad under the command of the Guard Senior Sergeant Bikbov forces the Berezina River and takes a bridgehead on its right bank, holds it and ensures the crossing of the main forces of the brigade, and subsequently the entire corps. On June 30, 1944, under cover of night, 18 guardsmen led by their Commander of the Guard, Senior Sergeant E.Bikbov began to carry out a combat mission. Under enemy’s fire, the soldiers moved forward along the flaming bridge, reached half of it, but it was impossible to go further, since the bridge was half destroyed and burned down. The commander gave the order to go down into the water, to cross the river by swimming. E.Bikbov reached the opposite bank and gave the light signal to join him. Only 13 warriors gathered. The remaining 5 people died while crossing the river. Machine gunner N.Stepkin, radio operator I.Elkin and all the machine gunners received the task and, after the signal of the commander, proceeded to carry it out. Under the cover of our “Katyushas”, the squad led a successful battle on a small area with the many times superior force of the Nazis. A group of 30 guardsmen, led by Senior Lieutenant Mariev, crossed over to help the squad by dawn. More than 180 soldiers and officers were killed and wounded, 200 people were taken prisoner, 17 trucks, 2 field kitchens, 6 mortars, 2 batteries of guns, 400 rifles, machine guns and many were captured as a result of many hours of fighting on a small section of the coastline of the Berezina River. Thus, the path for the liberation of the capital of Belarus Minsk was clear thanks to the heroic efforts of the soldiers of the corps units, including the soldiers of the guard department of senior sergeant E.Bikbov, On March 24, 1945, for the heroic deed of forcing the Berezina River, the Commander of the submachine gun squad of the 25th Guards Yelninsk Tank Brigade of the 2nd Guards Tatsinsk Tank Order of the Red Banner and Suvorov of 2nd class of the Guard Corps, Senior Sergeant Bikbov Evgeny Arkhipovich was awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The following words were in the certificate issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to the Hero of the Soviet Union Bikbov Yevgeny Arkhipovich: "To the Hero of the Soviet Union, Comrade Bikbov Yevgeny Arkhipovich. For your heroic deed, shown during the execution of combat missions of the command on the front of the struggle against the German invaders, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the SSR on March 24, 1945 gave you the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Chairman N. Shvernik, Secretary A. Gorkin. Moscow, Kremlin. June 5, 1948 No. 016502. " On July 3, 1944, Yevgeny Bikbov's department took part in the assault and liberation of the city of Minsk. For the heroism and courage shown during the liberation of Minsk, the entire personnel of the 2nd Guards Tank Corps received the gratitude from the Supreme Commander and artillery salute in their honour in Moscow.

My great-grandfather Alexander Ivanovich Bochkarev was born on March 23, 1921 in the village of Abramovo, Arzamas district of the Nizhny Novgorod region. He graduated from high school in the neighbouring village of Kamenka. He dreamt of becoming a doctor and he studied at the Gorky paramedic and midwifery school in 1937-1940. He became the head of a medical centre in the village of Sumarokovo after the perfect results of studies. My great-grandfather was drafted into the army in December 1940, to the 24th Reserve Regiment, which was located in the city of Kotelnich. He was eager to go to the front line, like many others did, he wanted to help the Motherland and contribute to the Victory. My family doesn't like talking about the war. I knew that my great-grandfather had fought, he was a doctor. Once he carried 28 wounded from the battlefield. Great-grandfather also disliked conversations on this topic, if my mother insisted, he always told stories with a happy ending. Recently, once again, I asked my parents about my great-grandfather. They told me the same stories that I already knew. What was there during the war? I knew that in October 1941 my great-grandfather was sent to the Volkhov front as a medical instructor and a senior military assistant in the 7th Tank brigade. I tried to go through the combat path of my great-grandfather. This front was located near Leningrad, the life of the whole city depended on the result of the battle. The Germans wanted to surround Leningrad with a double blockade and join forces with the Finnish front. At the end of 1941, during the war, Soviet soldiers carried out an operation to unblock Leningrad. It was in that place, near the village of Myasnoy Bor, that the Red Army broke through the fascist defences. The resulting "gap" was used by the soldiers of the 2nd Shock Army. But the enemy's forces were much stronger, the Nazis threw more and more divisions. Our army had to retreat and take up defensive positions. They were totally surrounded by the enemy. In May-June 1942, the 7th Tank Brigade and my great-grandfather were sent to break through the corridor and participate in the operation to withdraw the 2nd Shock Army from the encirclement. From February 16 to March 10, 1942, the brigade was reorganized from the 46th Tank Brigade. On February 16, 1942, being in the reserve of the 4th Army of the Volkhov Front (Marya-Steremno area), the brigade was engaged in combat training. By February 23, it concentrated in the area of Bolshaya Vishera. On March 10, it was operatively subordinated to the 2nd Shock Army. From March 11 to April 7, 1942, it advanced from the Ozerka area in the direction of Krasnaya Gorka. Subsequently, it fought being surrounded together with the 2nd Shock Army. It was redeployed to the Novaya Kerest region, from where on March 25-26 it advanced in the direction of Myasnoy Bor in order to break through the encirclement ring. From April 8 to April 13, 1942 in the reserve of the 2nd Shock Army, it was located in the area of New Kerest. On April 10 it made a march to the Kostylevo area, joining the 59th Army. From April 14 to May 15, 1942, it conducted offensive battles in the forest area of the Mostki village. From May 16 to May 29, 1942 the reserve of the Volkhov front, it concentrated in the area of Bolshiye Vyazhischi as the reserve of the Volkhov front. From May 30 to June 4, 1942 started offensive battles in the area of the village of Myasnoy Bor. This area was in forests and swamps. Today this place where the bloodiest battles took place is called the "Valley of Death". About 100 thousand of our soldiers died in these battles. Great-grandfather's brigade first-aid post was located in the forest, just south of the village of Berezovik. Several tents were scattered throughout the forest and hidden under the trees. The wounded were everywhere. Operations and dressings went on day and night. The medical staff donated their blood when there was not enough blood for the wounded. But that was not the worst thing. The most terrible thing was to carry out wounded soldiers from the battlefield: "When a battle is going on, both on the ground and in the sky, it is very difficult to carry a boat-drag with the wounded, it was necessary to run low or to crawl on our bellies" My great-grandfather also talked about his meeting with the General, and this story was included in the book "Time has no power" by N.S. Semenova (this is a great-grandfather's brother-soldier). The fight went well. Tankers, interacting with a battalion of riflemen, defeated the Nazis near the village of Novo-Pogorelets. Brigade Commander V. Koptsov with his adjutant Ursov went to the battlefield o understand the situation better, and in the deep snow they saw people: - What are you doing? - We take people out, for the third time shrapnel and bullets cut the strap of the drag, - answered my great-grandfather Alexander Bochkarev. Together with medical instructor Ivan Kurganov, from the very beginning of the battle, they are here, under incessant fire. - How many people were evacuated? - asked the Brigade Commander. - Twenty-eight since morning - sweat was rolling down Bochkarev's face. Later, Koptsov reported that they were suffering heavy losses, there were a lot of wounded in the first-aid post. Remembering the meeting with the military assistant Bochkarev, he sighed heavily. When they arrived at post, they saw groups of the wounded were sitting around. Some were eating from the pot, some were smoking, and others just warmed themselves. “This is their order,” the commissar said indignantly. Suddenly a song was heard muffled either by the distance or by the banner of the tent: "The heart feels easy from a cheerful song, it never gives sadness" - What it is? - The brigade commander drew back the thin canvas curtain, and he was immediately poured over with a heavy smell of drugs, carbolic acid and something rotting. He saw that the doctors had blood on their elbows ... Girls in white coats, sprinkling snow on the operating tables, swept it to the floor with spruce branches, and snow covered the middle of the tent with red-brown red lead. The brigade commander felt sick from what he saw, he looked at the doctors and at the gramophone, from which the song was still pouring. The chief physician hastened to explain: “To detect a shock with seriously wounded, we adopted this method - playing a musical disc. It is possible to determine the reaction. If the wounded has such a condition, we urgently send him to the anti-shock department. If there is no shock, he goes to the surgery. Up to 150 people could be admitted per day. The seriously wounded had to be urgently taken to the rear, but in war conditions this is not always possible. My great-grandfather organized the removal of the seriously wounded. For his work, my great-grandfather was awarded the Order of the Red Star. These are the words of fellow soldiers about the work of doctors (from the book "In the forests and swamps of the North-Western Front" Book 3 Part 12): "I want to say a kind word about the front-line doctors: orderlies, sanitary instructors, paramedics, doctors. How many wounded they have saved ! And how the chemical heating pads provided by the medical service warmed the soldiers and commanders. You put a piece of snow in a heating pad, shake it, put it in your bosom - you will feel warm and your heart will feel better. It saved many soldiers from frostbite. Later, on other fronts, I did not meet these heating pads. On our front, tarpaulin and wooden boats were widely used, as well as teams of sanitary dogs to remove the seriously wounded from the front line. " On March 30, there was a battle near Myasnoy Bor, where my great-grandfather was seriously wounded. Senior surgeon Nikolai Nazarov was taking bullet fragments out his shredded thigh for almost 2 hours. And not only fragments. “Take it, Sasha, as a memory,” he said and gave my great-grandfather a piece of his cotton trousers and a tobacco pouch. - This small ”gift” saved your legs. The wound was very serious, my great-grandfather had to be taken to the rear, to normal conditions. The Germans stepped up the offensive, there was no road. Great-grandfather was delirious with a very high fever. When he came to his senses Nazarov offered to cut off his leg, but he did not agree. And then they found such a way out. An Il-2 plane flew to them with food and medicine, my great-grandfather and another seriously wounded man were tied to the wings of this plane, and they flew to the hospital. Several times the great-grandfather lost consciousness, but he was able to survive. My great-grandfather was only 20 years old when he got to “Death Valley”. Fate gave him life, and he lived it with honour and dignity. For my great-grandfather, this place is “Death Valley”, because there he lost many of his friends, and almost died himself. For me, it is the Valley of Memory and the Valley of Heroes. Our generation must enter a new war, the war of memory. In this war, everyone was a hero and a brave man. We must always remember this! Victory in the Great Patriotic War came at a very high price. The fate of thousands of people has remained unclear. The search of their graves is still going on. If you, too, still do not know the fate of your relative, here is a list of sites that can help you with this: Immortal Regiment of Russia. Generalized data bank "Memorial". "Soldat.ru" - a database of those killed in the Second World War. https://pamyat-naroda.ru/ On the map of the Novgorod region today there are no villages like Lyubino Pole, Koptsy, Krutik, Zemtitsy, Teremets-Kurlyandsky, Krechno, Novaya Kerest ... They were burned down in the fire of war and never revived. 100 thousand soldiers and commanders of the 2nd shock, 52nd and 59th Armies of the Volkhov front remained in the forest tracts. The failure of the Luban operation is not their fault. They did everything they could. Their courage increased the glory of the Fatherland. Every meter of Meat Bor is watered with their blood, marked by their death. They lie in swamps and mosses, in clearings and in thickets, in streams and rivers. They have become this land, this forest, this water. Myasnoy Bor turned into one huge cemetery in 1942. Now there is a memorial "Myasnoy Bor" in memory of the victims.

Rank: Specialist Branch of service: Artillery Pavel was born on June 29, 1915 in Kus, in a large family. In 1939, he was drafted into the Soviet army and served in the Far East. He returned home just before the beginning of the Patriotic War, which no one even suspected at that time. Pavel got a job at a machine-building plant, dreamed of a family and children, but in June 1941, the war broke out, and he received a summons to the front. At first Pavel was a telephone operator, and in 1942 he became an artilleryman, commanded a 76 mm gun, and took part in the defense of Leningrad. Those were terrible days. Defending the city, the soldiers had to literally drag their guns on themselves, and lie on the cold ground and in the water for days under heavy enemy fire. Pavel said that sometimes, before the next attack, they did not immediately manage to get up from the ground — their clothes just froze to it. He was wounded in the battle, but returned to the ranks after being bandaged. Pavel was awarded a medal for the heroic defense of Leningrad. After the liberation of Leningrad, our troops with heavy and bloody battles drove the Nazis out of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and reached Germany. The city of Koenigsberg met them with an impregnable defense. To clear the way for the infantry, to break through the armor of enemy pillboxes, the guns had to be rolled out on direct fire. The gun crews became a convenient target for the Germans, but this did not force the Soviet soldiers to retreat. During those battles, Pavel Belugin and his comrades, when changing the position of the gun, captured several Germans. One of the prisoners, in recognition of the valor of Russian soldiers, gave my grandfather a watch. This watch ran regularly until 1960, and it is still kept in our family as a relic. For our grandfather, the war did not end with the fall of the Reichstag. Then they were transferred to the Far East, where there was a war with Japan. They failed to break through strong Japanese fortifications, as they say, "head-on", and our command decided to maneuver. To bypass the enemy from the rear, the troops moved across the desert, the mountains of the Small and Great Khingan. They were carrying guns and shells, and the wheels of the guns were stucking in the sand. When crossing the desert, the soldiers had to face a shortage of water. Not all were able to withstand this test, many died in the desert. To slightly dull the feeling of thirst they were given at night... salted herring. This was how the salt deficiency in the body was replenished. Since then, my grandfather did not like herring, and did not eat it under any pretext. The Japanese did not expect an attack by Soviet troops from the desert, the suddenness of the maneuver decided the outcome of the battle. During the war, Pavel Belugin was awarded three Orders: of Glory, of the Red Star and the Patriotic War, and six medals: For the defense of Leningrad, For Military Merit, For Bravery, For the Capture of Konigsberg and For the Victory over Japan.