Heroes and feats

Yershov Pavel Nikolaevich (1913-18.8.1944) Participant of the Finnish and Great Patriotic wars. He was called up to the front on January 21, 1942. In Kusa he left a wife and three young daughters at home. He has served in the rank of Sergeant Guard in the 17th Guards Rifle Regiment, 5th Guards Rifle Red Banner City Division, 3rd Belorussian Front. He was awarded: 1) Medal "For Corauge" - an extract from the award order: "the squad Commander of the Rifle company of Guards Sergeant Yershov Pavel Nikolaevich, is awarded for the fact that being 26.06.44 y. in the battle for the village Zasekli in Orsha district, Vitebsk region, fire from his machine gun at point-blank range, shot two and captured one enemy soldiers." 2) Order of Glory Third Class, for breaking through a heavily fortified enemy strip in the area of villige Vydritsa, Orsha district, Vitebsk region com. Yershov was the first to raise his squad to attack and burst into the trench. In hand-to-hand combat action, com. Yershov killed 12 German soldiers and took three prisoners. Unfortunately, he did not receive the award because he was injured and passed away. In the “death notification” that his wife received on 27.11.1944 it was written: "Your husband, Sergeant Yershov Pavel Nikolaevich was injured and died of wounds on August 18, 1944 in the battle for the socialist Motherland, loyal to the military oath, showing heroism and courage." He was buried with military honors in the village of Kaminitsa, 8 km east of the Lithuanian SSR Kalvaria city. In the difficult post-war years, his wife and daughters did not have the opportunity to visit the grave of their husband and father. And only in 1985, we, his grandchildren, went to Lithuania to the place of our grandfather’s death and visited the soldiers' cemetery in Kalvaria.

This story is written on the basis of my farther’s tellings, who served from the first days of the war until 1947, as well as from his documents and photos. Nikolay Yeruntsov was a descendant of the Cossacks hitherto known in the 4th generation from the farm Dyadino, who later moved to the farm Kononov. Nikolay's grandfather, Eustaphius Yeruntsov, was one of the Cossacks who wrote a petition to the Diocese for the construction of the Holy Trinity Church in the Dyadin farm, who gave up their territory of kuren free of charge for the construction of the church and was buried later in the old believers cemetery in the Dyadin farm, whose tombstone still lies on the guard of the former rich and numerous, but now forgotten farm. My father was a statuesque Cossack with Grishka Melekhov’s nose (Grigoriy Melikhov, a character of the novel “Quiet Flows the Don” by M. Sholokhov), jet-black hair, and a cossack forelock. Being brought up on the Cossack regulations, attached to work, love for the Motherland and family, respect for parents and elders could not stay away when the fascist evil spirits were introduced to the borders of the Soviet Union. Nikolay Vasilyevich Yeruntsov was 17 years old when the war began. 4 of his brothers went to the front, he was not 18, and yet on July 13, 1941, being in the Litvinovsky military Commissariat, he asked to go to the front adding an extra year to his age. They went almost on foot to Stalingrad, and then the Stalingrad artillery training center, transferred to the Chebarkul camp, where young soldiers were trained and prepared for artillery units.” After 6 months, my father ended up as scout observer in the 467th anti-tank fighter regiment, where he served until December 1943. Thus his life at the front began. From the memoirs of Nikolay Vasilyevich: "Every day we crawled and examined the enemy's positions. And both day and night. The task was always the same: to find out the location of the enemy, and this was the location of the trenches. To find out the fire points (then, it was followed to establish what fire points were available) and capture a prisoner for interrogation. This was done in any weather and under any conditions." He captured the German prisoners, went on a reconnaissance mission to the rear of the enemy to find out the location of German equipment. And they smashed the vaunted "Tigers"and "Panthers". They called themselves "Farewell Motherland" as they were destined in every battle - either to stop the enemy or to perish. The equipment was heavy, and when the Germans advanced, it was impossible to retreat with it, and leaves the enemy too. He talked about Stalin's order No. 227 - "Not a step back." Scouts and saboteurs were the only people in the army who spent the entire war, as they say, face to face with the enemy and with death. In literal sense…And any horror movie will seem to you a lyrical comedy, after the honest story of a military intelligence officer about what he had to see and experience in intelligence. After all, they very, very often had to kill Germans not with machine guns, but cut them with knives and strangle them with their hands… Think for yourself what is behind the phrase: "I removed the sentry" or "we quietly defused the guard...". From the memoirs of Nikolay Vasilyevich: "Immediately after arriving in the regiment, I was handed a bowie-knife in a scabbar that was being the hallmark of a scout. I was the youngest scout… And then combat training began. In the field, everything looked so simple and easy to understand. Training in scout tactics, night marches, overcoming obstacles, knife fighting, shooting battle, actions to capture a prisoner for interrogation, the basics of disguise, and all these things seemed to be as easy as pie. It was then, in the first battles, we quickly figured out what misfortune is all about in intelligence. We have learned from our own mistakes. The scouts were not too fond of alcohol, but there were times when before the reconnaissance battle we drank 200 grams of vodka, or even more. Reconnaissance by battle was called "reconnaissance by death". Those who know what combat reconnaissance is, they will understand me now. As a rule, we did not drink before the usual scouting, it was a normal job for us, and we did not need to stimulate our courage with alcohol. The score of the prisoners for interrogation went to the pair of scouts from the capture group who directly took these prisoners. The entire office "on tests" was conducted at the headquarters and in the intelligence department of the division. Only a prisoner taken in a prepared search in the conditions of stationary enemy defense was considered to be a valid prisoner for interrogation. And if you captured "half a platoon" or "half a battery" of the Germans in battle, then they were not considered to be as “test prisoners for interrogation". For a person, who has fought for several years in intelligence, the figure of 25-30 prisoners for interrogation available on a personal account seems to me the maximum. The life time and luck for scouts were limited. And then any lucky scout could be killed or maimed. But for us, the main thing was to complete the task; no one thought about their life and did not regret themselves. And every search for us was a mandatory meeting with death. Often the scouts were torn by mines, but mostly died when retreating to their own or right in front of the German trenches, being discovered by the opponents. I had some vague hopes of survival. The first time, a grenade fragment hit my leg. The second time I was caught by a sniper bullet. For the third time, while in the vicinity of the enemy, I transmitted data obtained using a large stereo tube. I was atop tree, and my companions were down there. An explosion occurred. I hurried down, and one of my comrades was killed. It was only at the bottom that I was told that my back was bloodied complitely. A grenade fragment hit me in the back, close to my heart. "Got me, German bitch..” I said. Then another-explosion, pain and complete failure… I came into mind in the hospital on the third day, being all wounded by shrapnel. The surgeon took out more than one fragment from the back.” Later, 40 years after the war, when the unbearable pain made itself felt, it turned out with the help of X-rays that there was a bullet in the spine itself. Children and grandchildren remember this picture as a relic that their great-grandfather showed them with pride and a sly smile. But the surgeons did not advise removing it, since no one could guess the consequences. From the memories of Nikolay Vasilievich: "For a long time I couldn't understand what kind of world I was in. The surgeon who operated on me said: «Don’t push your luck, boy, you will be killed! » A good scout has to get used to the idea that one might be killed at any moment. One needs to get used to it. If you think about how to survive, you are no longer reliable. But I wanted to live! You know, after the Kursk Bulge, there were still almost two years of terrible carnage ahead, and it was impossible for a scout to survive it… At least on my example, you can see this”. By chance, after the hospital, until the very end of the war, Nikolay Vasilievich was the Commander of Intelligence department of the 78th Guards howitzer artillery regiment. Passed, or rather traveled along the roads of war: Stalingrad, Sapun-mountain Crimea, Poland, Germany, where he beat the Nazis in the very lair – Berlin. He smashed the enemy with a" weapon of retribution " - a song Katyusha. He spoke with pride about the power of Katyusha , this terrifying humming sound that rang out overhead during the flight of shells, and the powerful column of dust when the volley was fired. M-13 for its time, of course, were good! Unexpected and mass attacks caused terrible fear in the German ranks. From my father's memoirs: "the following often happened on the battlefields. During the preparation for the launch, they often forgot to remove the spacers that hold the projectile in a wooden box (factory packaging) during transportation. If the struts were not removed, then the whole "thing" started together with the box, and there were cases that together with the machine! This design had dimensions of about 1.5 by 2 meters, which led to conversations in the ranks of the Germans that the Russians were completely "fucked up" and were shooting at them with sheds!” And between fights they sang, and then another friend got into the hands of Katyusha and shells! Being a scout - observer, Nikolay returned from the mission not only with the prisoner for interrogation, but also with a personal trophy, a German accordion. Nikolay independently learned to play the accordion in the moments of silence between fights. The music warmed my soul, I remembered the Don region and my mother's singing at work. Victory day found Nicholay in Berlin, and after the end of the war, Nikolay Vasilyevich devoted another 2 years to serving the Motherland. He valued his military awards very much. They were the most "soldier's" – two orders of the Red Star, 4 medals "For Bravery", "For the liberation of Warsaw", "For the Victory over Germany", "Order of the Patriotic war II Class", and a large number of commemorative medals. After the war, only three of the five brothers returned. Yeruntsov Peter Vasilyevich born in 1914, called up on 15.10.1941. went missing in July 1942; Yeruntsov Pavel Vasilyevich born in 1909, called up on 30.11.1941. went missing in January 1942. It was subsequently established that Paul had been burned while in captivity; Yeruntsov Alexander Vasilyevich born in 1918, left for service in 1938, after which he immediately went to the front. He had passed a great, glorious way of fighting. He was awarded the Red Star order; the Order of Glory Third Class; medals: "For the capture of Budapest", "For the liberation of Prague", "For the defense of Leningrad" and many others. Yeruntsov Ivan Vasilyevich born in 1922 was a sniper, with the rank of Junior commander. He had the Order of the Patriotic war 2nd Calss; the medal "For Military actions", the medal "For Bravery". And my father, Yeruntsov Nikolay Vasilyevich born in 1924 commander of the intelligence Department of the regiment's management, guard Sergeant of the 78th Guards howitzer artillery regiment. He went through the war from 1941 to 1947. He married a girl named Katyusha, who bore him three children. He had participated in the construction of village “Vostochny” after the war, and then worked for a long time at the mine “Severnaya”. We remember how proud he was to wear a jacket with medals on holidays. May 9 was a day of special pride and joy for him. We, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, continue this tradition and now his photos and medals are always on the festive table on May 9, and his favorite songs still continue to sound - "Katyusha" and "March of the gunners". The Gunners, Stalin gave the order! Gunners, the Fatherland calls us! From many thousands of batteries, for the tears of our mothers, for our Homeland — fire! Fire!

Efimov Gleb Fedorovich was born on May 7, 1920 in Uglich. After finishing the 7th grade of a secondary school No. 1, he went to Leningrad in a military school to become a career soldier, like his uncle, Ivan Vlasyevich Efimov (a participant in the famous Brusilov Breakthrough), who was for him the ideal. But, as the son of dispossessed parents, he was not accepted, although by this time his parents had already been rehabilitated and restored to their rights. He suffered injustice hard. Back home, in 1936, he enrolled in the Uglich Pedagogical college and received a degree as a primary school teacher. There he was given not only good professional knowledge, but also learned to shoot accurately, for which he received the "Voroshilovskiy shooter" badge, and to play the violin. He sang well and loved music. On August 9, 1939, Gleb Fedorovich was sent to work as the Head of the Krasnoroshchensk elementary school in the Achinsky district of the Krasnoyarsk region. On October 8, 1940, he was called up by the Uglich district Commissariat of the Yaroslavl region to serve in the army in the 88th Artillery regiment, stationed in Proskurov (so-called the present- day of the current city of Khmelnitsky in the Carpathian region until 1954), where he took the military oath on December 5, 1940. He also served in the cavalry in the Baltic States. When the cavalrymen had to go in a box, that is, on a march, they put wooden shields on their feet so that the tightly moving horses would not crush their legs. From May to November 1941, he was a cadet at the 1st Kiev Artillery schoo. In 1941, he was awarded the rank of Lieutenant. Then they were quickly retrained. And he got into the landing unit. They were being prepared to be dropped off at the rear of the enemy. From January 1941 to January 1942, Yefimov Gleb Fedorovich was the Commander of the mortar platoon of the 22nd Airborne Brigade of the 9th Airborne Corps, located in the ASSR of the Germans of the Volga Region (Central Front). He had to train new recruits in military matters. On January 16, 1942, while training young soldiers, he was wounded and concussed by a grenade that exploded almost in his hand. His right hand was torn off, and a mass of shrapnel hit the right side of his head and torso, up to his hip. His face was burned. Many soldiers at the front received the same injury. The fact is that grenades sometimes turned out to be of poor quality, as the military factories were infiltrated with saboteurs, which managed to produce deliberately defective products. Such grenades could have been produced by dysfunctional teenagers, who had replaced fathers in the factories. For treatment, he was sent to a hospital in Kirzhach, Ivanovo region, where he stayed until February 1942. After returning from the hospital as a disabled person of the 2nd group, grievously experiencing his injury, he tried not to tell his family about the war. He was very sad that he did not have time to fight the Nazis in open combat. Gleb Fyodorovich devoted his entire life to educating the younger generation. He worked in the accounting sector of the Uglich Komsomol city Committee, as a Head teacher in orphanages in the Yaroslavl region. After graduating from the historical-philological faculty of the Yaroslavl State pedagogical Institute (YSPI), he taught history in urban schools in Uglich, 5 years as Director of secondary school No. 3 as well as he was the Head of Education Department and the Director of High school № 5 within 6 years. For participation in the Great Patriotic war, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, the medal "For the Victory over Germany" and subsequent commemorative medals. He died in 1985.

Military rank is Corporal. Branch of troops is Signal troops. Subunit is the 286th Leningrad Red banner Rifle division. Ivan Grigoryevich was drafted into Red Army on March 17, 1941 by the Vyshnevolotsky RVC of the Kalinin region. During the Great Patriotic war, in the period from July 14, 1941 to January 05, 1942, Epifanov I. G. took part in the fighting with the German invaders on the Leningrad front, near Nevsky Dubrovka. This village is located on the right bank of the Neva river and was a springboard from which the Soviet troops were transported to the left bank (on the " Nevsky Pyatachok»). In the battles on the "Nevsky pyatachok" Ivan Grigoryevich received twice light wounds, after which in the period from January 05, 1942 to February 19, 1944, he fought in the Volkhov field. From February 19, 1944 until the end of the war, he again took part in the battles on the Leningrad front. On March 02, 1944, I. G. Epifanov, being in the rank of Corporal and holding the position of telephone operator of the 847th Separate communications company of the 286th Rifle division of the Volkhov’s front 8th army was awarded the medal "For the defense of Leningrad "(series and number of the certificate to the medal: AB 34048) for participation in the defense of the city of Leningrad. Deputy commander of the 286th Military division, Lieutenan-Colonel A. M. Lushnikov on behalf of the USSR Supreme Councel Presidium decorated Epianov I.G for for participation in the defense of the city of Leningrad, June 25, 1944 I.G. Epifanov, being in the rank of Corporal and holding the position of a reconnaissance platoon of the command of the artillery commander of the 286th Infantry Division, by Order No. 03 on artillery of the 286th Infantry Division of the 21st Army of the Leningrad Front on behalf of the USSR Suprime Councel Presidium was awarded the medal "For Military Merit" for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command at the front of the struggle against the German-Finnish invaders and for the valor and courage shown at the same time. In the award list signed by the Artillery Commander of the 286th Rifle division, Major Strogonov, dated June 24, 1944, the combat feat of corporal Epifanov is summarized, for which he was awarded the specified award: “Corp. Epifanov, working as a liaison officer of the Artillery commander of the 286th RD throughout all battles from 10.6 to 23.6.44, clearly and in a timely manner carried out all the orders of the commander and the chief of staff of the Ring Road, as a result of which secret urgent packages always came to Artillery subunits of the division and neither shelling nor bombing served as an obstacle to the brave scout in the performance of a combat mission. Under Comrade Epifanov, a horse was killed by fragments of an exploding mine, but Comrade Epifanov reached the 854th headquarters on foot and promptly presented an important operational document. Lance Corporal Epifanov I.G. deserves to be awarded the medal "For Military Merit". November 12, 1945, corporal Ivan Grigoryevich Epifanov was demobilized. December 11, 1945, I. G. Epifanov was awarded the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic war of 1941-1945" by the Kalinin Regional Military Commissar Colonel Matvey Ilyich Yazykov on the basis of the decree of the USSR Suprime Councel Presidium dated May 09, 1945 (certificate number: Zh-0143679). During the entire war, he had two minor injuries. After the war, Epifanov I. G. worked at Mstinskiy dam of the Vyshnevolotskaya water system in the village Sadovy Vyshnevolotsky district of the Kalinin region. He died on February 6, 1979. He was buried in the cemetery near village Salpa of Vyshnevolotsky district of the Tver region.

Branch of Troops is Ground Army Forces, Air Forces (except Naval aviation), shoe service, NKVD troops and frontier troops. Subunit: 3rd guards’ cavalry Kuban-Mozyr Red banner Order of Suvorov division. Eremeev Leonid Illarionovich was born in the family of Yeremeyev Illarion Mironovich, who was a clergy and his wife Paraskeva Grigoryevna. In the 1930-s the family was repressed and exiled to the Northern Urals. From February 1935 to 1937 (apparently attributing his age to himself), Leonid Illarionovich served in the 83rd NKVD Cavalry division in Turkestan (Kushka city and Mary city). From September 15, 1941, he was a cadet of the 11th Reserve Cavalry regiment stationed in Irbit, Sverdlovsk region. There he graduated from the command staff courses, and received the first officer rank of Second Lieutenant. On February 11, 1942, he was sent to the front at the disposal of the North Caucasus military district, where he was appointed Commander of the sabre platoon of the 10th Kuban cavalry regiment of the 10th Cavalry division of the 17th Cavalry corps. During the same period, he was promoted to the next military rank of Lieutenant. During the period of April-May 1942, the corps participated in defensive battles at the border: Manychskoye on the river Don up to Azov, Shabelskoye, Yeisk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Temryuk. The Corps was assigned the task of defending the coast of the sea of Azov, the right Bank of the Don River, in cooperation with the Azov military flotilla, and preventing the landing of enemy sea and air troops on the territory of the defended area. May 12, 1942, he was concussed and wounded by shrapnel in both legs. He was treated in hospitals of Krasnodar and Kislovodsk until July 1942. August 28, 1942, he was appointed commander of the sabre reconnaissance platoon of the 12th Guards Cavalry regiment of the 3d Guards Cavalry division, 2nd Guards cavalry corps. In the composition of which, in September 1942, during the Rzhev-Sychevskaya offensive operation of the Western front, he was again wounded, somewhere in the area of cities: Sychevka-Zubtsov-Gzhatsk. October 3, 1942, he was sent to a hospital located in the village of Pogoreloe Gorodishche of Tver region. After treatment, being recognized as a limited fit, in 1942-1944 he served as a Senior instructor of the Vsevobuch Tarus district Military Commissariat, at that time in the Tula region (now Kaluga region). March 2, 1944, he was discharged from the reserve for health reasons. He died on August 26, 1946, while being treated at the All-Union Central Soviet of Trade Unions sanatorium No. 1 (now the Raduga sanatorium) in Kislovodsk. The military rank is guards Lieutenant.

Milirary rank is Sergant-Major (Starshina). Branch of Troops is Ground forces, Air Force (except Naval aviation), shore service, NKVD troops, frontier troops. Subunit: the 9th Rifle Krasnodar Red banner, orders of Kutuzov and Red Star Plast volunteer division. My great-grandfather, Eremenko Peter Pavlovich, whom I unfortunetly never saw, since he died in 1973, was born back in 1904, in the city of Anapa, Krasnodar region. Our family knows nothing about his childhood and youth, but the information about great-grandfather's participation in the Great Patriotic war has been preserved. Peter Pavlovich was mobilized as Red Army soldier on 10.10.1941 and was assigned to the 129th Reserve Rifle regiment of the 26th Reserve Rifle brigade. From May 1942 to October 1943, he fought in the 645th Rifle division of 1169th Rifle regiment, passing the Southern and North Caucasus fronts, reaching the rank of Sergant-Major. During the specified period of time, he received three injuries: in the stomach, a serious leg unjury and a light penetrating injury. Since 12.10.1943, the great-grandfather gets to serve in the famous 9th Plast Rifle Krasnodar order of Red Star division in the 193rd Rifle-mountain Plast regiment. The fascists called the soldiers of this division "Stalin's thugs" with horror for their courage, "anger" and antipacy towards the enemies of the Motherland. The great-grandfather participated in the capture of the cities of Genbitz, Krakow (Poland), Opelm, Opava, Moravian Islands, Olomouc (Czech Republic), Zilina (Slovakia) for which he was awarded six Letters of Commendation of comrade J. Stalin with stipulation in the military ticket and personal file. My great-grandfather received the most memorable award - Order of Glory of Third Class in February 1945. Extract from the Award list No. 09 for personnel: When the enemy counterattack in quatity of 5 tanks and a platoon of infantry on the village of Garmanitsy 13.01.1945 Sergant-Major Eremenko P. P. was not at a loss, personally operated for a manual machine gun and opened a hurricane fire on the enemy infantry and cut it off, dispersed the group (5-6 people) of the enemy who broke through the line with hand grenades. Thus he made it possible to hold the captured line, and personally destroyed 3 Germans and one light machine gun. In April 1945, my great-grandfather was again shot in the right shoulder. In May 1945, Peter Pavlovich was awarded Order of the Red Star in the hospital, and in October 1946 the medal "For the Victory over Germany".

Military rank is Colonel. Branch of Troops is Artillery. Participant of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Colonel Korbut Raphael Alexandrovich was born on March 15, 1922 in a peasant family in the village Virovka Emilchenskiy district, Zhitomir region of Ukrainian SSR. In 1940, he entered the Tomsk artillery school. From September 1941 with the cadet battalion, he participated in the Defense of Moscow. In April 1942 after the beginning of Red Army counteroffensive, the remaining cadets of the battalion (8 people) were sent to Junior commanders' training courses. Upon completion of course, he took part in combat operations on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War with the artillery units of the Ukrainian and Belarusian fronts for the liberation of the territory of the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Germany. During the fighting on the war fronts, he was awarded 2 Orders of Red Star, medals “For the Defense of Moscow", “For Military Merit", "For the Victory over Germany". After the war, he served in the artillery brigade of Karl-Marx-Stadte of the German Democratic Republic. In 1961 in accordance with the USSR Ministers Council Decree No. 1384-615 on the creation of strategic Missile Forces, he was assigned to the 14th Kiev-Zhytomyr Order of Kutuzov III Class Missile division, located in Yoshkar-Ola, Mary SSR. He finished his service in the USSR Armed forces in 1970 with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In accordance with the order of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation dated to 27.04.2000 No. 2 "on awarding military ranks to participants of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" for services in the Great Patriotic War to the Motherland, courage and selflessness shown in the defense of the Fatherland, and in commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the Great Victory, Lieutenant-Colonel Korbut R. A. was awarded the military rank of Colonel. During his service in the Armed forces of the USSR, Korbut Raphael Alexandrovich was awarded the following orders and medals: Order of the Patriotic War Second Class, medal "For Military Merit», Zhukov’s medal, medal «60 years the Belarus Republic Liberation», medals "30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years of the USSR Armed forces», medals " 20, 30, 40, 50 years of Victory in the 2nd WW», medals "Veteran of the USSR Armed forces" and "Veteran of Labor», medals "For Distinction in Military service 1, 2, 3 Classes», medal "For Military valor in honor of the 100th anniversary of Lenin», the Honorary badge: "War veteran", "60 years of Victory in the 2nd WW", "60 years of the Battle of Moscow", "In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow", "Front-Line soldier 1941-1945". He died in 2006 at the age of 84.

Military rank is Sergant-Major. Branch of troops is Ground forces, Air Forces (except Naval aviation), shore service, NKVD troops and frontier troops. Vladimir Gavrilovich Konanov was born in 1918 in village Varakino Chebsar district of the Vologda region. He has finished 4 forms of a secondary school and received a specialty as a Head of handicraft production. He began fighting in the Soviet-Finnish war in 1939-1940, where he won a trophy in battle, a Finnish knife "Finka", which he later shaved with. He had risen to the rank of Sergant-Majorand and later served in the Airborne brigade. At the end of the war, he lived in city Pushkin, Leningrad region, from where in 1941 he was drafted by the Pushkin RVC of the Leningrad region into Red Army. He served in the 62nd Guards Rifle regiment with the rank of Sergeant. Sergeant Konanov participated in the defense of Leningrad, namely, at the Nevsky Pyatachok bridgehead, where on December 9, 1941, he was seriously wounded by a mine fragment in the back and leg, and a burst from a machine gun in the chest, piercing the lungs. "Nevsky Pyatachok" became one of the symbols of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice of Soviet soldiers. After the war, the Nevsky Pyatachok memorial was erected on the fighting site. After being wounded at the end of 1942, he was taken along lake Ladoga, the so-called "Road of life", and until 1944 he was treated in various hospitals. The Commission of No.1215 evacuation hospital of city Irkutsk was declared him unfit for military service. After discharge, he was sent to the Vologda region for rehabilitation, where he remained. He was assigned the 2nd disability group. That did not prevent him from working hard in the post-war period, knowing his strong-willed character, the management directed him to difficult areas to restore production at the creameries of the Vologda region. For long-term and impeccable work, he was awarded the title of "Veteran of labor of the Vologda dairy plant". In 1977, he was awarded the Veteran of Labor medal. During his military service, he received many awards, including Order of the Patriotic War First Class, Order of Glory Third Class, medal "For the Defense of Leningrad", etc. He died in July 1990.

Military rank is Red army soldier. Branch of troops is Ground forces, Air forces (except Naval aviation), shore service, NKVD troops ad Frontier troops. Kapridov Nikolay Yegorovich was born in the village of Trophimovka Ekaterinovskiy district of Saratov region. At an early age, he was orphaned and raised by his aunt. At an early age he was orphaned and raised by his aunt. From the age of 15 he worked in a collective farm on a tractor, at the age of 18 he became a foreman. In 1942 he was drafted into the army, in the Far East, where after a short training in military matters, he was sent to the front near Leningrad, in the area of the Karelian isthmus. Participated at combat levels of breaking the siege of Leningrad. In 1944, he was seriously wounded in battle, by numerous shrapnel from a shell that exploded nearby. He lost two fingers on his left hand, and the remaining three never functioned again. Also, several fragments remained in his body for life. In 1944, Nikolay Yegorovich was sent as an invalid to his homeland. But without despair, he continued to work for the good of the country. In his native collective farm, he began working in the collective farm bee-keeping team. Already in 1946, Nikolay Yegorovich managed a collective farm apiary, and in 1951 he took 1st place in the Saratov region for collecting honey and wax, for which he was awarded a 1st degree diploma by the Minister of agriculture of the USSR. In 1952, Nikolay Yegorovich published a small book-brochure guide for novice keepers. Nikolay Yegorovich was an excellent family man, a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. In the house of Nikolay Egorovich and his wife Kapralova Ekaterina Timofeevna was always welcome, there was love and kindness. Nikolay Yegorovich died in 2012, November 5th, but like millions of other participants and veterans of the Great Patriotic War, he made a huge contribution to the protection and post-war development of our Motherland!

Military rank is Major. Branch of Troops is Artillery. My great-grandfather, Ivan Antonovich Kovneristov, was born on July 30, 1910 in the village of Sadki in the Rostov region in the family of a poor peasant. In 1929, his great-grandfather and his father became members of the commune, named after Ivanov. In the commune, he worked as an oil engine driver, storekeeper, foreman for the removal of vegetables, and stable boy. On 1st November, 1932, he was elected Secretary of the Party cell. In July 1938, he was sent to work in the Chernyshevsky district as District Prosecutor. July 1, 1941 he was drafted into the Red Army and enlisted in the 32nd Anti-Aircraft artillery regiment of the SLE as a Political officer of the battery. In August 1941, he left for the front near Taganrog with the 1st Rostov consolidated regiment. In October 1941, he was appointed Political Commissar of the 6th company of the 2nd battalion of the 1153rd Composite regiment of the 343rd Composite division of the 56th Army. With the same Army, he participated in the liberation of the city of Rostov–on-don. November 28, 1941, he was wounded and shell-shocked. In March 1942, he was appointed commander of the 4th battery of the 1024th Howitzer regiment CV GHQ reserve. In the same regiment, in November 1942, he was appointed Secretary of the Party Bureau of the regiment, and in April 1943, when the 2nd regiments were reorganized into a brigade, he was appointed Senior instructor of the Political Department of the 106th Howitzer regiment CV GHQ. The letter of thanks to my great-grandfather was personally handed over by the Commander of the 2nd Belorussian front, Marshal of the Soviet Union K. Rokossovsky. Ivan Antonovich was awarded with Red Star order (order No. 033 from 28.09.1943 years), Order of Red Star in January 1945 for fighting in East Prussia, with the medal "For Oder, Nyssa, Baltic sea", for participation in the heroic assault and capture of Kenigsberg he received medal "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". The museum of 15th ACP GHQ Military glory has been opened in Kaliningrad at school No.48.

Military rank is Sergeant. Division is the 383rd Feodosiya-Brandenburg Red Banner division of Suvorov’s Order. Korobeynikov Peter Yakovlevich was a driver of the transport company of the Artillery division of the regiment, brought amunition to the front line, a rifleman, a gunsmith, a car mechanic of a 120-mm mortar battery, and a squad leader of a captured battalion. On the front edge, it provided uninterrupted battery fire. During the fighting on the Kerch Peninsula, he repeatedly brought ammunition directly to the battery's firing position. Before the onset of 10.01.1944 under enemy fire day and night, he provided ammunition to the regiment's artillery unit. In a short time, under his leadership and on his initiative, a car was assembled from separate parts, which was in service. In the battles during the breakthrough of the enemy's defenses on the Pulawski bridgehead (Poland) under enemy fire, he promptly delivered ammunition for the regiment's unit. During the pursuit of the enemy, he picked up a captured car, repaired it and put it into operation, which ensured the timely delivery of ammunition. From 14 to January 30, 1945 repeatedly on a motorcycle he performed the tasks of a scout-liaison between the main patrol and the main forces of the regiment. Being 28.01.1945 on the way, captured 2 enemy scouts of the surrounded group, which was later destroyed. He was injured in both hands, head and cracked ribs. He died on 22.12.1962 after surgery from his injuries.

Military rank is Lieutenant. Branch of troops is Ground forces, Air forces (except Naval aviation), shore service, NKVD troops ad Frontier troops.Korzh Nikolay Zinovievich was born on August 21, 1920 in the village of Polyanetskoye, Savrasnky district, Odessa region, Ukrainian. He had finished 10 forms of the secondary school. Since 1939 he became a cadet of the Odessa military infantry school named after K. E. Voroshilov and later he became a cadet of the Chkalovsky military infantry (rifle and machine gun) school. In 1941 he was drafted to the Red Army by Water transport RCC (Reginal Military Commissariat) of Odessa, Ukrainian SSR. With the rank of Lieutenant Nikolay Zinovievich was confirmed of appointment Platoon Commander of the 50th separate machine gun battalion of the 12th Mogilev-Podolsk fortified area of the Southern front. In August 1941, he was surrounded by the enemy with the 12th fortified district and did not leave the encirclement. Due to this fact he was considered to be missing since September 1941. He was captured and held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Romania. After an escape attempt he was transferred to the German concentration camp Mauthausen in Austria, from which he also escaped. In 1944, he was again drafted into Red Army, passed a special investigation and was sent to the 27th separate Assault battalion as a private soldier. In combat actions for Budapest from January 10 to February 25, during the storming of strong points, he distinguished itself in action – "threw grenades at 2 firing points, where he destroyed 5 German soldiers, and disabled 2 machine guns." He received the medal "For Couarage" and was restored to the rank of Lieutenant as a Commander of a machine-gun platoon. Together with his unit being a part of machine-gun company, he was transferred to the Eastern Front near Krasnoyarsk. He was demobilized in 1946. After the war, in 1946, he returned to the village of Kolodistoe in Odessa region with his wife, and later moved with his family to the village Uspenskoe, Krasnodar territory, later moved to Izobilnyi town of Stavropol region. He died on October 02, 1982.

Military rank is Red Navy man. Branch of troops is Shore defense and Air defense Artillery, shore units, aviation of Red Army and Navy forces of NKVD frontier troops. Vasily Gavrilovich Kovalev was born on June 30, 1921 in the village of Makashevka in Borisoglebsky district of the Voronezh region. Not much time passed, and the boy was already reading, counting, and writing fluently. And when it was time to go to school, the teachers examined Vasya Kovalev. He started learning from the 4th form. Not everyone is given this. After all, one needs to have a lot of willpower to learn your own primary education in those difficult times and to achieve these results. And, of course, that talent was not overlooked. Vasya Kovalev was raised in an orphanage. There was a lot missing - clothes, food, but even more so, the children experienced the cold indoors when they were ravaging the Siberian frost. The children’s home was in the care of the collective farm «Bolshevik», which neglected its duties and did not provide the children with fuel, so the children with the sled had to follow the firewood into the forest in order not to freeze. March 17, 1925, a note appeared in the Peskov district newspaper “Kolkhozny Truda” under the heading "Waiting for help". This was Vasya Kovalev's first publication. This article gave birth to the boy's love for the newspaper, the confidence that it will always help to find a justice. This publication was brought to the attention of Pavel Kuprianovich Satin, who was the editor of the newspaper at the time. It was he who saw in this talented boy the future newspaperman. This is what Pavel Kuprianovich remembered: "In the summer of 1937, after graduating from Junior high school, we invited Vasily Kovalev to work in the editorial office of the district newspaper. I had a desire to teach him newspaper genres, to give sprouts the opportunity to sprout and put down roots. However, I had to endure the ridicule that was spread in the editorial office of "kindergarten". But then I somehow believed that he would make a good newspaperman. And I was not mistaken." The years passed. And the little boy Vasya Kovalev has turned into an active freelance correspondent, behind whose shoulders a huge, interesting wa, a large and vital professional experience. He learned to use a pen, find interesting twists, themes and details. Vasily Gavrilovich, like no other, easily found a common language with his respondents and devoted his entire life to public work. Very often, fellow countrymen themselves suggested to him relevant and interesting topics for essays and articles. When his 50th anniversary was celebrated from the moment when his first publication appeared in the press, Vasily Gavrilovich was interviewed, in which he noted that the work is very interesting, exciting, but so difficult that sometimes you have to worry after the publication of critical material. His plans included searching for new heroes, discovering interesting events, and honoring his work! For colleagues, Vasily Gavrilovich remained the first true friend who forever devoted himself to the difficult but grateful profession of a journalist. “We are glad that you are with us again, And your style is beautiful and clean. You go against the wind again, still arguing with fate. Live to strengthen the Motherland, Write to be proud of you. Your fellow countrymen and colleagues in spirit, paper, pen...” These lines are from Vasily Gavrilovich's certificate of honor from 15.03.1985. V. G. Kovalev was a local historian. Local history was the main business of his life. He wrote the book "Povorino, my Povorino", where he gave an interesting and detailed account of the history of the villages of the Povorinsky district. Kovalev spent many years studying the history of his native land. He selflessly served the Motherland. Participated in the Great Patriotic War, fought in the Northern fleet, was a mechanic on a ship. For military services, he was awarded orders and medals. All that he did, we will never forget, fellow countrymen are proud of such a man patriot. In conclusion, we can say that Vasily Gavrilovich was not only a local historian, the best correspondent, but also attentive, responsive, determined, but at the same time – a simple man, a good family man. The main thing in the work of the journalist Vasily Gavrilovich Kovalev was to look for new heroes, discover new names, find interesting events, and honor people for their work. And Kovalev's biography is worthy of being known and proud of not only his countrymen. As long as we remember him, Vasily Gavrilovich will be alive.

Kuzmin Vasily Ivanovich died defending Sevastopol. Buried in a mass grave. His niece, Anna Ivanovna Kuzmina, found the burial site and visited it in the 70s.

Millitary rank is Sergeant, Branch of troops is Artillery. My grandfather was born December 2, 1923. Before the war, he finished 7 grades of secondary school and worked on a state farm. December 14, 1941 he was called up by the Moshkovsky RСС (Rigional Military Commissariate). He was assigned to the 13th Separate Communications battalion. He was wounded near the town of Luga. After the hospital in February 1942, he fought in the 369th Separate Sapper battalion, 1st company with the rank of Junior Sergeant. Next January 1943 it was the 709th Anti-Aircraft artillery regiment, machine gun company where he has rank of Sergeant; August 1945 it was the 880th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery division, where the Sergeant Kovalev became the weapons Commander; May 1946 he was in the 2016th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment with the rank of Senior Sergeant, battery Sergeant. He fought on the North-Western front (from 12. 1941 to 12.1943), 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts (12.1943 to 04.1945) and Leningrad front (04.1945). He was shell-shocked. The gratitude of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief comrade Stalin "For the capture of the city of Dvinsk" (Leningrad region) was announced. He has met the victory in Courland. He was discharged on 04.02.1947. The weapon was handed over on 15.03.1947. Awarded the Order of the Red Star on 14.05.1945. Summary of his feat: "He participated in the Patriotic War from the first days, and was wounded in the battles for the Motherland. Brave and courage Section Commander, which accounts for two downed enemy aircraft. Being in the infantry formations, during the fights of May 6 and 7, his crew destroyed four enemy machine-gun points and personally he killed three soldiers with a rifle. In a difficult combat situation, he was not lost, showing courage and bravery, serving as an example for others." After the war, he returned to his native village. Married my grandmother. Together they raised 4 children and 8 grandchildren.