Heroes and feats

My great-grandfather, Peter Ivanovich Kozlov, was born in 1908 in Nizhny Novgorod region. When the war started, he volunteered for the front. He was 33 years old. His wife and six children were waiting for him at home. I studied the documents of the military archive and learned that my great-grandfather began his military career in Tula region near the village of Shishlovo as part of the 1113th rifle regiment of the 330th rifle division of the Western front. In October 1941, the division in which my great-grandfather fought took part in the defense of Moscow, and it turned out that it fought very close to the legendary Podolsk cadets. At that time, my great-grandfather was a sanitary engineer. He carried wounded soldiers from the battlefield, saving their lives. From December 1941 to August 1942, he carried 89 people. For his bravery and dedication, he was awarded the Order of the red banner – an award he proud all his life, which he considered the most important and most expensive for himself. A few years ago, my grandmother (his daughter) showed me a book about the great Patriotic war, in which my great-grandfather marked his entire battle path on the map. And recently I was able to find the smilar map in the archives. My great-grandfather went half the country on foot and took part in the liberation of cities such as Kaluga, Smolensk, Mogilev and Minsk. In 1944, the Red Army fought bloody battles on the territory of Belarus. The Germans were pushed to the border of Poland and the USSR. Great-grandfather's division came for the city of Baranovichi. The Germans resisted fiercely. Many years later, the great-grandfather told his children that he often dreamed of these fights, he called them "meat grinder" - they were so bloody. It was the place, where my great-grandfather's battle path ended. One day, he was ordered to mine several bridges. While performing this combat mission, great-grandfather was seriously wounded, but still managed to mine most of them. Now I know for sure, thanks to the archives, that it was in the middle of July 1944. My great-grandfather was commissioned in August 1944. He was treated in the hospital for a long time. Half a foot was amputated, and for the rest of his life he carried in his body the splinter, which wondered him. After the war my great-grandfather worked in a collective farm. The family had three more children.

My wonderful father was born in a simple peasant family with many children. He studied brilliantly at school, had a phenomenal memory, loved to study, and dreamed of getting a higher education and becoming a physicist. The war mercilessly destroyed all plans, and in November 1943, at the age of 17, he went to the front after his 3 brothers and a sister. He fought as a radio operator in the artillery of the 1st Ukrainian front. He was seriously wounded in the battle for the capture of Berlin. A field surgeon saved his shot-through legs from amputation, and he had to live with a bullet near his heart for the rest of his life. The most long-awaited news of the Victory found in a hospital near Berlin. After hearing the intense gunfire, all the wounded who could hold weapons prepared to defend the hospital. And this was the first victory salute from automatic bursts. After the war, he served in Budapest and Vienna. I was able to return to civilian life only after 10 years. By this time, 2 brothers Mikhail and Peter, and sister Nadezhda had already returned home from the war. Among 8 children of Elena and Stepan Koronov, the war took only their son Fyodor. After demobilization, he worked and studied in absentia at a technical school. Then all his life he worked as a telemechanic engineer in the right-Bank power grids of Volgograd. He was a long-term permanent party organizer of the company. He was highly respected by his colleagues. In Volgograd, he met his only love, my mother Soboleva Galina Andreevna. My mother was born and raised in Stalingrad. Miraculously survived on the way to the evacuation. When their train was bombed by the Germans, grandmother Klava and younger sister Tamara were able to get out on their own, and my mother was taken of the mangled car out by the soldiers. After returning from the evacuation, they wept on the ruins of their once beautiful home with their favorite old piano and a huge cloth table, and vowed never to get attached to things again in their lives. Therefore, they lived modestly all their lives, not suffering from materialism and hoarding. My father was also a naturally modest, very decent, calm and balanced person. He was very fond of all the children, and when he went out into the yard, all the neighborhood kids reached out to him. Dad didn't like to talk about the war. Only occasionally and only individual stories. He said: "It was a difficult time. My comrades died. But that was my youth. And youth is always beautiful."

My grandfather, Kononenko Fyodor Kuzmich, was born in a large cossack family on June 20, 1914 in Umanskaya (now the village of Leningradskaya), located in the North of the Krasnodar territory. He left for the war in 1941. He fought in the fourth Mozyr guards cavalry red banner division named after the order of Suvorov. Part of it was liberated Rostov-on-don. In 1943, he fought for the liberation of Kiev, Zhitomer, Gomel and Crimea. Great-grandfather injured his head, not hard, but he lived with a fragment inside for the rest of his life. During crossing Kerch Strait in the evacuation operation of Crimea, my grandfather said, they were attacked by Nazi planes and bombed. They bombed the barges, which used to cross. A lot of soldiers died. The rest of them moved to Taman land by swimmimg. The commendation list says " Cossack Kononenko built a raft from improvised material, swam across the Kerch Strait and took out weapons and equipment." In the same commendation list " at night, under the fire of the enemy, cossack Kononenko quickly established a connection between 39th and 37th guards command posts. In the battles of the guards, cossack Kononenko showed himself as a brave, initiative and disciplined warrior" and on February 5, 1944 he was awarded the medal "for bravery". In the winter of 1944, they were surrounded by enemy in the forests of Hungary. There is an extract from the commendation list: " with the division passed a hard way through the gorges of the Carpathian mountains, saved the life of the commander and horses more than once". For this fate on November 3, 1944 my great-grandfather was awarded the order of Glory of the III degree. In February 1945, guard private Kononenko was awarded the order of the red Star, for being the first, who noticed the column of moving enemy, opened fire and destroyed the enemy trying to get around our soldiers. In may 1945, guardsman of the Red Army Fyodor Kuzmich was awarded the order of the Patriotic was of the II degree. A note from the commendation list "when two German tanks attacked the headquarters of the division, he was the first one, who started the evacuation of staff documents and radio stations, "destroyed six German soldiers with automatic fire." He returned home in 1946 and continued working in his native collective far and passed way from tractor driver to mechanic.

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".

Born on January 7, 1926 in the village of Antonovka, Omsk region. Before a young man put on a soldier's greatcoat in the harsh 1943, Ivan Kalyabin lived for seventeen years in the village of Pugachevo in Antonovsky rural settlement. He raised bread, mowed hay, and knew how to work on the land like a peasant. After a year of training as a Junior commander in Achinsk regiment, Ivan went to the front as a signalman in the sixth anti-tank fighter regiment. The first battle was taken by a young soldier near Staraya Russa, where he received a baptism of fire. The Germans were eager to break the defense, took a favorable position -at a height. Enemy mortar fire did not allow the soldiers to get up. They received the command "Establish communication!" The signalmen had to make an incredible effort to detect a break in the telephone wire. They layed down in a crevice, not far from the fire barrage of enemy guns. The slightest movement could take a life. Ivan felt something hit the heel of his boot and flew off with a whoosh! Carefully checking the ground around him, he found a healthy shell fragment. In an instant, the boy's entire life flashed before his eyes. He told his comrades about this story only after the end of the combat operation. From that moment on, the young commander looked into the eyes of death more than once. On the battlefields he developed his bravity and those qualities that later, in peacetime, allowed him, Ivan Petrovich Kalyabin, to lead a team of fellow villagers. Sometimes this boldness bordered on risk, but the risk was usually justified. Nothing is possible on the front without communication. Before setting up a command post, they pulled wires along the neutral line in the direction of the enemy lane. We worked side by side with the scouts. In these operations, many valiant, brave fighters were killed. In one of these battles near Riga, we managed to take in a ring a strong enemy group, equipped with powerful equipment. The main troops were pulled back to the Central front, and the regiment where Ivan Petrovich served was assigned the task to defeat the enemy! Every now and then the connection was lost, the signalmen had enough work. Problems were fixed one by one. Once, while laying the line, Ivan discovered the enemy's line, and quickly realized that it must be immediately eliminated, thereby depriving the enemy an important connection. For this operation, the Siberian Kalyabin received a medal - "for Bravery"! A great joy for Ivan Petrovich was the news that his father, Peter Ivanovich, was fighting nearby. The letters arrived very quickly, but they still did not have a chance to see each other, although they fought side by side until the end of the war. The fighting was fierce. When Riga was liberated, Ivan Petrovich accidentally met his cousin Olga Yakovlevna Prikhodko, who also fought with the enemy. They let him spend the whole day with her, and there was no end to the memories of home and family! On the Victory day signalman Kalyabin met guarding the banner of the regiment. Ivan Petrovich was demobilized only in 1950. At the end of the war, ten young men, including Ivan Petrovich, were grouped and sent under the command of Colonel Brusin, who headed the economic unit in Riga military hospital. The team spent two months preparing food for horses, and there were about 500 of them. One day the Colonel called Ivan Petrovich to him and offered to become a stable boy. Horses that were worn out in battle, required good care. From letters from relatives, he learned that his father met Victory day in Budapest. Returning to his homeland, Ivan Petrovich began a peaceful life. In 1951, he married Nina Andreyevna, built his own house, and raised three sons, Yuri, Vladimir, and Alexander. For more than twenty years, he worked as a field breeder and a Manager of the Department. This position is not an easy one, and it is no coincidence that he was given such a trust for his ability to lead, value the opinion of his fellow countrymen and defend it. He died on September 25, 2012. We remember, love and are proud...

Petr Kirillovich Koshevoy (December 8, 1904-August 30, 1976) was a Soviet military commander. Commander of the Siberian military district (1957-1960), Kiev military district (1960-1965), commander-in-Chief of the group of Soviet troops in Germany (1965-1969). Marshal of The Soviet Union (1968). Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (may 16, 1944, April 19, 1945). Candidate for the Central Committee of the CPSU (1961-1971). Born on December 21, 1904 in the city of Alexandria, Kherson province of the Russian Empire (now part of the Kirovograd region of Ukraine) in a peasant family. By nationality-Ukrainian. In February 1920, at the age of 15, he joined the Red Army. The Civil war, a soldier of the 2nd regiment Cervoneascii 8th Chervonokutskyy divisions of the division commander V. M. Primakov fought in the South-Western front. He participated in the battles against the Polish army and Petliura, later fought with the detachments of N. Makhno and numerous gangs of those times in Ukraine. In August 1922, he was sent to study. In 1923, he graduated from the Crimean cavalry courses. From October 1923 to August 1924, he served in the 3rd cavalry regiment of the Chervonny Cossacks of the 1st cavalry division of the Chervonny Cossacks as a squadron Sergeant. Then he was sent to study again and in 1927 graduated From the Ukrainian cavalry school named After S. M. Budyonny. While studying in 1925, he joined the CPSU (b). From September 1927, he was a platoon commander of the 61st cavalry regiment of The Stalin Special cavalry brigade in the Moscow military district. In November 1931, he was assigned to assignments at the Department of higher education of the Moscow military district headquarters, but soon transferred as an assistant commander of a machine-gun squadron to the 1st Soviet United military school of the red army named after VTsIK (All-Russian Central Executive Comittee), then a platoon commander of a mechanized division in this school. In the same year, 1932, Koshevoy himself graduated from the Armored improvement courses of the red army command staff in Leningrad. From September 1932 to may 1936, he again served in the 61st cavalry regiment of the I. V. Special cavalry division. Stalin was head of the regimental school and assistant chief of operations of the division staff, and later became chief of staff of the 61st cavalry regiment. In 1936, he was sent to study at the Academy. In 1939, he graduated from the Frunze Military Academy of the red army. From January 1939-chief of staff of the 15th cavalry division of the TRANS-Baikal military district, from February 1940-commander of the 65th rifle division in this district. In October 1941, the division began moving to the front. On the way, the division was delayed for several days and took part in the parade in Kuibyshev on November 7, 1941. Then it was sent to the Volkhov front. Participant of the great Patriotic war since November 1941. Member of the Tikhvin offensive operation in the 4th separate army. From July 1942-commander of the 24th guards rifle division. The division under his command, after being replenished in the reserve in early August, was transferred to the 8th army of the Volkhov front, and participated in the Sinyavinsky offensive operation in 1942. In October, it was again withdrawn to the reserve of the VGK Headquarters and after replenishment in the Tambov region in December, it arrived at the Stalingrad front. Participated in the Kotelnikovskaya operation, repulsing the attempt of army group "Don " by field Marshal Manstein to unblock the 6th German army of General Paulus surrounded in Stalingrad. In January, the division moved to the southern front, where it participated in the North Caucasus and Rostov offensive operations, and in July-in the Mius offensive operation. From August 1943-commander of the 63rd rifle corps of the 51st army of the southern front, participated in the Donbass offensive operation. Then, in the 44th and 51st armies of the 4th Ukrainian front, he participated in the Melitopol offensive. The commander of the 63rd rifle corps (51st army, 4th Ukrainian front), major General P. K. Koshevoy, especially showed military skill during the Crimean offensive operation. During the breakout of the multi-layered German long-term defense, General Koshevoy's 63rd rifle corps broke through several enemy defense lines in the inter-lake defiles on the Karanka, TUI-tube section, occupied the strongly fortified points of Karanka, TUI-tube, Samay, Ass-man, Tomashevka, Chuchak, kirk-Yishun in stubborn battles from April 8 to April 10, and on April 10 broke out into the operational expanse of the Crimean Peninsula. At the same time, the corps was initially assigned the task of delivering an auxiliary strike, but its actions were so successful that the commander of the 51st army, General Ya. g. kreizer, moved the direction of the main attack of the army to the offensive zone of the 63rd rifle corps. Rapidly pursuing the enemy, the corps broke into Dzhankoy on April 11, and on April 13 — into Simferopol, cutting the enemy's 17th army in two. In subsequent battles, by April 18, 1944, the corps reached the border of the Chernaya river and the approaches to Sevastopol, liberating the cities of Bakhchisarai, Balaklava, Karasu-Bazar and more than 200 settlements. In these battles destroyed: 6371 soldiers and officers of the enemy, 121 machine guns, 181 artillery pieces of different calibers and 20 tanks. It was captured: 2120 horses, 8193 rifles and submachine guns, 775 hand and machine guns, 61 mortars, 304 guns of various calibers, a lot of small arms and military equipment, captured 8471 enemy soldiers and officers. The corps also performed well during the assault on Sevastopol, including the main German fortifications on Sapun mountain. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on may 16, 1944, major General Pyotr Kirillovich Koshevoy was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the order of Lenin and the gold Star medal for his successful leadership of military formations and for his bravery and heroism. From may 1944-commander of the 71st rifle corps in the 31st army of the 3rd Belorussian front. He distinguished himself in the Belorussian and Gumbinnen-Goldap offensive operations. Since January 1945-commander of the 36th guards rifle corps of the 11th guards army of the 3rd Belorussian front. Under his command, the corps fought offensive battles in the East Prussian offensive, ending the war with participation in the Zemland offensive and in the storming of the fortress city of Pillau. But he especially proved himself during the assault on Konigsberg. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on April 19, 1945, for exemplary performance of combat tasks of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism of the guard, Lieutenant General Pyotr Kirillovich Koshevoy was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the second gold Star medal. Pyotr Kirillovich Koshevoy proved to be an initiative and strong-willed commander. For the successful combat operations of the units that he commanded during the great Patriotic war, 15 times were noted in the orders of the Supreme Commander. Guards Lieutenant General P. K. Koshevoy commanded the combined regiment of the 3rd Belorussian front at the Victory parade. At the end of the great Patriotic war, he remains in the position of commander of the 36th guards rifle corps. From July 1946 to March 1947-commander of the 6th guards army (Baltic military district). From 1947 to 1948, he attended Higher academic courses at the Voroshilov Higher military Academy. From April 1948-commander of the 5th army (Primorsky and far Eastern military districts), from June 1954 — commander of the 11th guards army (Baltic military district). Since July 1955 — first Deputy commander-in-Chief Of the group of Soviet troops in Germany. From July 1957-commander of the Siberian military district, from April 1960-commander of the Kiev military district. The highest position held by P. K. Koshevoy — in January 1965, he was appointed commander-in-Chief Of the group of Soviet troops in Germany. During this time, he did much to strengthen the combat capability of the Group, which "should have been ready to reach Gibraltar in three days". On April 15, 1968, General of the army Koshevoy was awarded (together with P. F. Batitsky) the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. As commander-in-Chief of the group of Soviet troops in Germany, Koshevoy took part in organizing the invasion of Czechoslovakia on August 20, 1968 by units of the 20th guards army from the Group, which, in accordance with the plans for Operation Danube, established control over the main objects of the Czechoslovak capital, Prague. In October 1969, Koshevoy was replaced as commander-in-Chief and replaced by V. G. Kulikov. From that time until the end of his life, he held the honorary position of inspector General of the Group of General inspectors of the Ministry of defense of the USSR." Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 6th and 7th convocations (1962-1970). He died on August 30, 1976. P. K. Koshevoy was the first of those who died in the rank of Marshals of the Soviet Union, buried not at the Kremlin wall, but at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow (plot 7). Rewards: Twice Hero Of The Soviet Union (16.05.1944, 09.04.1945); five orders of Lenin (17.12.1941, 16.05.1944, 30.04.1945, 09.12.1964, 22.02.1968); order of the October Revolution (04.12.1974); three orders of the red banner (03.11.1944, 15.11.1950, 21.02.1969); Order of Suvorov 2nd degree (31.03.1943); two orders of Kutuzov 2nd degree (17.09.1943, 04.07.1944); order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 1st degree (05.05.1945); USSR medals; foreign awards. By order Of the Minister of defense of the USSR of April 9, 1977, the name of Peter Kirillovich is assigned to the Omsk higher tank engineering school of the order of the red Star. Memorial plaque in memory of P. K. Koshevogo installed in Novosibirsk on the building where the headquarters of the Siberian military district (Derzhavina street, 3). The project 302 Viking Akun was named after Marshal Koshevoy. Bust in the city of Omsk. Bust in the city of Alexandria. Bust in the city of Volgodonsk and the street named after him. Honorary citizen of Sevastopol (6.05.1974). Works: P. K. Koshevoy In the years of the military. — Moscow: Voenizdat, 1978. - 283 p — - (Military memoirs). Koshevoy P. K. For Leningrad! For Stalingrad! For the Crimea!. - Moscow: Algorithm, 2017. - 331 p. - (Feat. Remember The Heroes Of The Soviet Union).

Our great-grandfather, Alexey Zinovievich Belov, was called up to the front in June 1942. He was 19 years old, when he finished the school. He got into the rifle regiment №1007 and became a submachine gunner. That summer, his rifle regiment participated in the battle for Stalingrad, where the great-grandfather was seriously wounded. He spent four months in a hospital. After the hospital, in January 1943, he was sent to the 193rd guards rifle regiment of the 327th rifle division with the rank of guard corporal, submachine gunner. As part of this regiment, he participated in all the battles with the Nazis and on July 17, 1943 was awarded the order of the red Star for courage and bravery shown in battles with the enemy. In September 1943, the great-grandfather was again seriously wounded and remained in the evacuation hospital until April 1944 (almost lost a leg). After being hospitalized and injuged his leg, he was assigned to the 2nd separate heavy tank brigade and became a loader. He fought as a tank driver until the victory. He went all over Europe on a tank and participated in the assault on Berlin. He celebrated Victory day in Berlin, and his signature is on the Reichstag. My great-grandfather was awarded the order of the red star and twice awarded the order of the Patriotic war. He also received the medal "for liberation of Warsaw", the medal" for victory over Germany", the medal "for the capture of Berlin". After the war, he served in Germany for two more years and was discharged in February 1947. My great-grandfather rarely talked about the war. He told his children how they crossed Dniester river on rafts, and at that time German planes flew in and began to bomb their rafts crossing the river. He was in the water in the middle of the river, but he could not swim, so he managed to grab a log that went under the water from the explosions, but swam on it to the shore. About Stalingrad nightmare he remembered once that they could not raise a head from the trench, and then a shell hit their trench, and the soldier next to him was torn to pieces, and he, like a madman, jumped out of the trench, but remained alive. Great-grandfather said that it's only scary at first, and then you think it would be better to be killed in order this whole nightmare was over. When he was in the infantry, in combat campaigns, especially in winter, they were so exhausted that were afraid to sit down at halts, because then they could not get up and could freeze, so rested and slept standing up, leaning against a tree. They felt more protected in a tank, but from explosions nearby and blows to the tank, my great-grandfather was twice shell-shocked. The real war is much more terrible than the one shown in the movies. And we must remember the feat of our great-grandfathers!

Born in 1924 on the farm Beisyuzhok Krasnodar territory. The boy grew up an orphan, his father died in a battle with bandits in the year of his son's birth, and soon his mother died. In the early 30s, together with his older brother's family, Ivan moved to Ukraine. Graduated from the Federal law school, he worked as a bricklayer. When the homeland was in a grave danger, 17-year-old Ivan Kalimanov volunteered. He received his baptism of fire in Stalingrad. The middle of September 1942, and especially the second half of it, were very difficult for the Stalingraders. On September 15, fierce fighting broke out in the area of the railway station. The station passed from hand to hand. The struggle was for every block, street and house. And yet Stalingrad held on. Struggling, but holding on. This was primarily due to such courageous people as Ivan Kalimanov. In the struggle for Volga stronghold near Mamayev Kurgan in December 1942, Ivan Kalimanov was seriously wounded. And in February 1943, I. E. Kalimanov was again drafted into the army and enlisted as a machine gunner in the 1st battalion of the 658th rifle regiment of the 218th Romodino-Kiev rifle division. By the end of September 1943, the Red Army was making decisive progress in the struggle for Dnieper. The rate of the Supreme command took into account crossing of the river. A Directive was sent to the troops, which, in particular, indicated that for crossing Dnieper in Smolensk region and below the rivers equal to Dnieper in terms of difficulty to overcome, Soviet soldiers should be awarderd the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, in 1949, he left for the construction of the Shchekinsky gas plant in Tula region, worked as a construction driver, and from 1953 until retirement worked at Pervomaiskaya CHP as a high-pressure boiler driver. After his retirement Kalimanov lived in a small house surrounded by apple gardens on the outskirts of Pervomaisky. He worked hard and lovingly tended his middle-aged apple orchard. Ivan Eremeyevich died on August 15, 2006. His native team of power engineers remember and deeply honor the Hero of the last war. Citizens of Pervomayskiy are proud to have worked and lived next to such a wonderful person.

My grandfather, Beisenov Kenesbay Beisenovich was born on the 1st of October in Edirey of Karaganda region in Kazakhstan. He was called up in may 1942. In Tashkent, he was trained as a military signalman. "There were a lot of losses. One regiment, completely destroyed, was re-formed near Moscow. So we, the signalmen, were torn from our studies and brought to Moscow, trained to shoot from machineguns and then sent to the front back" - told Kenesbay Beisenovich. Not far Velikiye Luki the recruits marched four days to the front. "The young ones got there well, but the old ones stayed on the road: who died, who got sick," he shared his memories. In November 1942, Kenesbai Beysenov participated in the liberation of Velikiye Luki, later - the cities of military glory. During the Great Patriotic war, the battles for the liberation of Velikiye Luki were so fierce that the city was nicknamed "Little Stalingrad". The city has created a Museum and erected a monument to Alexander Matrosov, who performed his feat at the village of Chernushki near Velikiye Luki. During the liberation of this city, 19-year-old Rifleman Beisenov was seriously wounded — he received a through wound in the chest and was hospitalized. He needed a complex operation, so he was sent to Moscow. Severe wounds were cured only by February 1943. After being discharged from the hospital, the soldier was again sent to the front line, fought in the 27th combined arms army under the command of General Sergei Trofimenko, the Hero of the Soviet Union. Kenesbay Beisenovich was a radio operator at the headquarters of the 27th army. He became a participant in the legendary Korsun-Shevchenko battle. This is an offensive operation of the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian fronts, conducted on January 24 - February 17, 1944 in order to destroy Korsun-Shevchenko group of the Wehrmacht. "We surrounded this 73,000-strong army, some of them were captured, the rest were destroyed" - the veteran described. "From 1944 to 1945, our army fought through Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, liberated Budapest and reached Austria." The front-line soldier was discharged in February 1947. For his military services, Kenesbay beysenov was awarded the order of the Patriotic war of the I degree, medals "for bravery", "for the capture of Budapest". The work of Kenesbay Beisenovich in time of peace also received awards. He was a respected man in the region. And on his birthday, October 1, his warm house gathered numerous guests: children and grandchildren, front-line friends and colleagues. Kenesbay Beisenovich Beisenov died on July 20, 2012, at the age of 89.

My niece, Tatyana Vladimirovna Semyonova, recalls: "My uncle, Pyotr Ivanovich Korolev, was born on October 13, 1921 in the city of Lublin, Moscow region (the city of Lublin is a part of Moscow). He had two brothers and three sisters. My uncle was a hardworking and optimistic person. He loved animals, especially horses. Peter Ivanovich Korolev was drafted into the Red Army in October 1940. Place of call: Lublin GVK, Lublin, Moscow region. From the first days of the Patriotic war, my uncle fought as a tank driver, participated in battles in Belarus as part of tank units, where, as a tank commander, he blew up an enemy's tank. In September 1941, after a concussion, he was sent to an infantry unit. In the battle, he replaced the retired company commander, personally captured a 37-mm gun and destroyed the enemy's machine-gun crew. In the battle of Stalingrad, he destroyed up to 30 Hitlerites. He was seriously wounded and could not continue to fight. He was awarded the Medal "for bravery". As noted in the order of his award, during his service in the regiment, my uncle showed himself to be a conscientious, honest, well-trained Sergeant, a good gunsmith. Excerpt from the order for the 731st anti-Aircraft artillery regiment from 14.06.1945 on awarding the Medal "for bravery":"Master of the gun of the 9th battery, Sergeant Korolyov Pyotr Ivanovich, for excellent personal training, high performance in daily work and discipline, courage and bravery shown in battles with the German invaders." After the hospital, my uncle Petya was sent to the city of Chuguev to repair an equipment and worked there until 1946. After returning home, my uncle worked at the Tupolev Aviation plant. He married, raised his son Alexander, and helped to raise his grandson Pavel. By the 40th anniversary of the Victory, my uncle was awarded the order of the Patriotic war of the II degree. Unfortunately, uncle Petya and his son Sasha are no longer with us. But there is his grandson Pavel and two great-granddaughters-Sashenka and Zhenechka. My uncle Petya loved painting and was engaged in coinage. He liked to read and had a collection of good library. I was always happy when uncle Petya came to visit us. My uncle didn't talk about the war. When I asked him about the war, I saw how his face changed and I didn't want to ask any more. I know that he repeatedly met his fellow soldiers. War is not an adventure film. This is the pain of loss, the pain of injuries, blood, the horror of bombing and shelling, the fear for the lives of their relatives. War is such a pain that you can't speak. Bright memory to those who fought!

Petr Georgievich Kosenkov was born in a peasant family in the village of Bolshye Kuchki, Tarsky uyezd, Omsk region, on July 12, 1923. In 1934, he graduated from primary school in Bolshye Kuchki, in 1938 - Oryol seven-years school, in 1941- Tarsk pedagogical school. In November 1941, Pyotr Georgievich was called into the Red Army up. Since June 1942 - in the battles of the great Patriotic war. In July 1942, during the battles near Moscow, Pyotr Georgievich was seriously wounded. From November 1942, after recovery, he was a commander of the submachine gun squad. The second serious wound happend in April 1943. In August 1943, after the hospital, he was sent to the courses of Junior lieutenants of the 40th army. In December 1944, he was wounded again. Then returned to the unit and in February 1945 received another wound. In March 1945, after returning to service, Kosenkov was again wounded. The last wound was severe. In September 1945, after the long treatment in the hospital, senior Lieutenant Kosenkov returned to the regiment and became a commander of the 3rd battalion of the 74th rifle red banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky division. From the commendation list submitted to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union: "Crossing Danube river on November 6, 1944 in the area of Apatin, (Hungary), Kosenkov, under enemy fire, was the first to transport the entire personnel of his roth on fishing boats. Having found a weak section of the enemy's defense, Kosenkov silently crawled to the enemy trenches and accurately threw a grenade, which destroyed the enemy machine gun. Despite heavy machine-gun fire from the enemy's left flank, he threw his company into the enemy trenches and forced hand-to-hand combat. Seizing one section after another, he crawled to the machine gunner up, killed him, and opened fire from the captured machine gun. Breaking through the enemy's defenses, Kosenkov boldly moved forward, pursuing the retreating enemy, breaking it into small groups and destroying them. Finding a threat from the right flank, he entered into an unequal battle. Firmly held the conquered bridgehead, which ensured the movement of other units to the enemy shore and expand of the bridgehead." From the memories of Peter Georgievich (31.01.1966, edited 19.09.2007 by the daughter, Reva-Kosenkovs V. P.): "As soon as our boats left the shore, the enemy opened a hurricane of artillery and mortar fire, and we were continuously bombed by aircraft from above. When I reached the middle of the Danube, a shell hit the boat in which I was travelling with the sappers, and it began to sink. Among 24 soldiers, who sailed in the boat, only three left alive, including me." In May 1946, major Peter Georgievich retired to the reserve. He lived in Krasnoyarsk, graduated from the Krasnoyarsk forestry Institute. Made responsible party and economic work. Since 1967, he lived and worked in Omsk as a head of "Omskles" plant in Omsk region. The street in Coastal residential district of Omsk is named after his name. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 24, 1945, Lieutenant Kosenkov Pyotr Georgievich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the order of Lenin and the gold Star medal for exemplary performance of a combat mission, courage and initiative shown during the crossing of a water barrier. Peter G. Kosenkov was awarded: the order of the red Star, the medal "for victory over Germany in the great Patriotic war of 1941-1945", the medal "for liberation of Belgrade".

Rank: Petty officer 2nd class. Military branch: the Soviet Navy and Naval forces of the NKVD border troops. My grandfather Viktor Ivanovich Kruglov was born on April 12, 1928 in Leningrad. His family lived on Bolshoy Prospekt of the Petrogradskaya side in building 2/1. The Kruglov family was large and close-knit. The father, Ivan Yakovlevich, was a qualified worker: a 5th rank blacksmith, who worked at the Yacht Club forging keels for yachts. The mother, Agatha p., sister Mary (born 1914), Nina (1926), Vera (born in 1922). During the winter blockade, Victor's father died of illness and hunger and was buried at the Smolensk cemetery in a mass grave. In the winter of 1943, my grandfather was very weak: the constant hunger, lack of fuel (firewood, cabinets, chairs) slowly chipped at his health... The only solution was to forge documents, adding a year to his age, and go to the military enlistment office. At first, he was assigned to the drummers’ division, but he was so weak, he could not hold the drum. V. I. Kruglov recalled, "I dozed off in the military enlistment office. I wanted to eat and sleep. Suddenly a man in a black greatcoat appeared out of nowhere. "Come with me!" he said, “The Navy is handing out sugar!» My grandfather happily agreed as his uncle Sergey was a sailor, and his father worked with yachts. The sea was close. And then the school of de-miners in Kronstadt... " They Brought us to the Fox Nose, and while loading up, gave out herring to everyone. I ate it in a blink of an eye, which made me very thirsty, and Vasya and I ran away from the train at the stop to get water. When we returned, the entire train had been bombed down. It’s a miracle we stayed alive. " Next was the de-miners school. My grandfather served on the ship called "Cloud" in the "Bad Weather" division. Afterwards, he surved on the minesweeper "Vladimir Polukhin". He was the petty officer of the second class. In 1945, he was only 17 years old. He recited stories about the Islands of Lavansaari, Tyuters, mountain Halli, Gogland – I, his grandson, managed to visit these places. How clearly had his memory captured everything! We spoke with him on the phone in 2004, and he recalled the airfield on Moshchny island (Lavansaari), the dislocation of the battery, the pier. In 2009, he died. He is the hero of our family. Grandfather was one of the millions who brought the Great Victory closer – I am proud of him. My grandmother and him have two children, three grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Rank: Lieutenant. Military branch: Ground troops. Division: 49th Guards rifle Kherson Red-Banner order of Suvorov division. A participant of the Great Patriotic War, order bearer, Lieutenant of the Guard, he walked the front-line path from Stalingrad to Berlin. He was born in 1907 in the village of Ivanovka, Enotaevsky district, Astrakhan region. Before the war, he married a woman from his village, Claudia. A little later, he moved together with his family into the city of Stalingrad, into the village of Lesobaza, where a timber processing base had already been put into operation, where would he work before the war and after the war. A month after the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in July 1941, he was called to the frontline by the Kirov Military Comissiriat of Stalingrad. He completed courses on training junior commanders and became the commander of a rifle platoon of the 149th guards rifle Budapest regiment of the 49th guards rifle Kherson Red-Banner order of Suvorov division. From the first day of the war to the Victory day, he did not part with his weapon. He liberated Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Austria from the fascists. He finished fighting in the suburbs of Berlin. He was wounded during the battle near Rostov, in November 1942, has had two concussions: in August 1941 and in July 1943. Fighter I. P. Kuzmin fought bravely on the frontlines of the Great Patriotic War, while his family, being in the village of Lesobaza, was living through all the horrors of the battle of Stalingrad. It was terrifying when the Germans, breaking through the line of defense of our troops, approached the city. German planes dropped bombs onto the city, constantly bombed Lesobaza as well: the village was covered with a huge veil of smoke, the barges, which were standing in still water, were burning, the air was saturated with burning fumes and soot, fire spread throughout the whole village. It was hard to breathe, and even harder to escape. The Kuzmin family and all the residents of the village sought shelter in dugouts that were prepared in advance, ran away from the bombings to the Yergeninsky heights: in ravines, bushes they tried to escape the horror and explosions. But the family survived and waited for their victorious father from the frontline. During the battles for the liberation of Austria from the Nazi invaders, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian front with the assistance of the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian front, surrounded and defeated a group of German troops that were trying to retreat from Vienna to the North, and captured the cities of Korneiburg and Floridsdorf — powerful German defense strongholds on the left Bank of the Danube, as well as occupied many settlements in Austria. During the battles, the front troops captured over 3,000 German soldiers and officers. It was in this battle that Ivan Petrovich distinguished himself. For his fortitude and courage, he was awarded a government award - the Order of the Red Star. This was in April of 1945. Korneiburg is a small town in Austria, liberated by Soviet troops in the spring of 1945 by the 3rd Ukrainian front. The troops who participated in the battles during the defeat of the encircled enemy group and for the liberation of Korneiburg and Floridsdorf were thanked and saluted in Moscow with 20 artillery volleys from 224 weapons. The Guard of Leutinant Kuzmin takes part of the merit for this. Ivan Petrovich passed away early – he was only 45 years old. He died in 1952.

He was born on June 22, 1920 at the Otrado-Kubanskaya station in the Gulkevichy district of Krasnodar Krai in a large Cossack family. There he finished seven years of school, worked on a collective farm, and was called up for active military service when he turned 18 years old. Ivan Ilyich was lucky enough to begin this service in the Red Banner Baltic fleet, in the legendary Kronstadt. Here he received the education to become a Navy radio operator. In 1939, the Soviet-Finnish war began, and my father went to the frontlines. Later, he recalled how difficult this war had been. Especially memorable to him was the bitter winter cold, which created incredibly difficult conditions for the combatants. And then he was back to Kronstadt again. Here Ivan Ilyich went through accelerated training at the commander's courses, receiving an officer's rank. Soon, the Great Patriotic War began. During the first months of the war, he served in Kronstadt, and then was assigned to the Northern fleet. Here, throughout the whole war, he served in command positions, fighting on torpedo boats of the Northern fleet. He talked about the war rarely, but rather liked to talk, not without humorous light, about the many Maritime traditions that he had learned during his years of service in the Navy. After the war, he stayed in Leningrad. Here he met my mother. In the following years, my father worked as a highly ranked electric and gas welder at the Admiralty shipyard. And he was very proud of it. He was proud to be a part of the heroic working class of the Great city of Lenin. Ivan Ilyich was a Communist who joined the party in the difficult year of 1942. He was well aware of the role and significance of the working class for our country. In conversations at home, he always spoke warmly of his working comrades. By nature, he was a collectivist, a consistent supporter of truth and justice. Each launch of a new ship was also his holiday. Once, at his invitation, I visited the launch of a ship on the Admiralty Avenue. This event made a strong impression on me and I still remember it well. It was a real holiday of work without any organization and official fuss. It was a natural result of the colossal work of thousands of workers, engineers, designers - all the people to whom such great and holy concepts as our Soviet homeland, its Navy, the traditions of their grandfathers and fathers-the same creators of ships for the protection of sea borders - were dear. Many of those who were at the festival still remembered the war and understood very well what another cruiser meant for the fleet. Ivan Ilyich passed on his respect for the working class and the working man to me forever. And another thing: he never contrasted his rank of naval officer with that of a worker, a Builder of naval ships. For him, these were states of the same order, of the same scale of measurement. My father knew a lot, read a lot. Therefore, he was well versed in Russian literature. He played the Russian seven-string guitar well. As any self-respecting sailor, he tap-danced wonderfully. He, like any naval officer, loved guests, festive friendly dinners. Ivan Ilyich was very friendly, easy to talk to, but understood very well what a man's and an officer's dignity is. Unfortunately, I don't remember him in his officer's uniform, but his Navy cutlass hung on the wall in our room for a long time. Ivan Ilyich was a very modest man: even on May 9, he was embarrassed to wear his military awards, for some reason. He limited himself to wearing only the Order of the Great Patriotic War and award pads. In 1990, there was an event that excited him. He suddenly received a summons from the military enlistment office. He returned from there in a restrained happy state and with a small box. In it, was the medal "For Bravery". He was awarded it back in 1944. And only then, after so many years, the award has found its hero. Ivan Ilyich worked as long as he had the strength to continue. When he became seriously ill, he met this fact with dignity and courage. He refused to stay in the hospital; it was too late to start intensive treatment. For too long, he had been hiding his serious illness from his family. Ivan Ilyich died on April 17, 1993. He was buried in the southern cemetery of Leningrad, not far from his wife, my mother. They are separated by only three hundred meters, or only three minutes of walking...

Rank: Lieutenant-colonel. Branch of service: Artillery. Unit: 157th rifle division (1st formation). It is early morning of June 21, 1941: a Sunday. There is only silence around. The country is sleeping peacefully. The first rays of the sun have lit up the treetops. Birds are twittering, awakened by the sun. And suddenly this peace was destroyed by the buzz of innumerable planes that flew from the West. And then the planes began to descend, circling over the city, and dropping bombs. At first, the city residents could not understand what was happening. All around them were explosions, columns of smoke and fire. Panic set in. This is how my great-grandfather describes the first hours of the war. At the time, he was a seventeen-year-old boy in the city of Zhytomyr, where his father Kuzmenko Pavel Ignatievich served. The regiment, which Pavel Ignatievich managed, was immediately engaged into fierce battle. My grandfather remembers how his father ran home and ordered: "Quickly, run to the station! War has begun!". Great-grandfather, mother, and sister managed to leave the city on a freight train. The railway station and the city of Zhytomyr were destroyed in the first few hours of the war. My great-grandfather's family was evacuated to the city of Frunze. Grandfather Volodya and his friend got a job at a Weapons factory that produced shells for the frontlines. They hoped to get to the frontline as soon as possible and fight the enemy, drive it from their homeland. My grandfather was not even 18, when he secretly ran away from home, entered the Ryazan artillery school and graduated from it in May 1943. With the Lieutenant rank, Vladimir Pavlovich was sent to the frontline. Lieutenant Vladimir Pavlovich Kuzmenko fought in Stalingrad, Belarus, and Germany. During a battle near the town of Instenburg (Germany) my great-grandfather was seriously injured when fragments of a projectile hit the left side of his body. Before the battle, Vladimir Pavlovich moved the pistol from the holster to the breast pocket of his tunic - this saved his life. The shell fragment did not hit his heart, but the gun, instead. The gun turned into a shapeless piece of metal. My great-grandfather did not like to remember the war, but he once told my grandmother, Irina Vladimirovna, about that brutal battle. Soviet troops had fought their way to the city of Insterburg. Fascist planes were flying in the sky, dropping bombs on our fortifications. Tanks and artillery joined the battle. The battery, which was commanded by a young Lieutenant Kuzmenko, repelled the attack of German tanks. Suddenly a shell exploded nearby and ... He woke up. He was struck by the silence and the night sky with bright stars. All around him was snow. It was very cold. Grandpa could not cry out or move; blood was slowly flowing from his numerous wounds. And nearby paramedics crawled: they were looking for the wounded in the field. Grandpa started to blink relentlessly and tried to moan, in hopes of drawing attention to himself. The soldiers noticed that the Lieutenant was alive, carried him out of the battlefield and took him to the hospital. After treatment, Lieutenant V. P. Kuzmenko continued to fight and saw the end of he war in Berlin. My great-grandfather was awarded the Order of the Great Patriotic War and the medal "For the Victory over Germany". From July 1945 to March 1947, Vladimir Pavlovich continued to serve in Germany as the commander of a fire platoon of a howitzer artillery regiment. Then my great-grandfather served in Uzbekistan (Tashkent), Turkmenistan (Ashgabat), GSFG (Dresden), Belarus (Borisov). During his years of service in the Soviet army, he was awarded thirteen medals. During his well-deserved retirement, my grandfather led an active social life. He was an activist for the Council of War and Labor veterans in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), a permanent member of the choir of war and labor veterans. He was invited to schools for conversations with the children. On May 9, 1995, my great-grandfather participated in a TV program (Bishkek) dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory of the Soviet people .