Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🗓 On July 27, 1911, legendary Soviet intelligence agent Nikolay Kuznetsov was born.
Kuznetsov chose his vocation in 1932, becoming an undercover agent. Before the Great Patriotic War started he served in the foreign intelligence service.
At his own request, Nikolay was sent to join the special-purpose partisan unit dubbed The Victors, which operated in the Nazi-occupied Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Posing as a German officer, Kuznetsov gathered valuable intelligence behind the frontline. He uncovered the plans of the Nazis to assassinate the "Big Three" Allied leaders at the upcoming 1943 Tehran Conference, thus preventing the impending terrorist attack.
⚔️ His paramount mission, however, was to eliminate as many high-ranking Nazis as possible. During the war he managed to kill dozens of German military officers and officials in the Nazi-occupied Ukraine.
After successfully completing an operation in Lvov, the situation in Galicia became tense. Kuznetsov and his comrade-in-arms fled the city and while moving towards safety on March 9, 1944, ran into members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
🕯 Surrounded by the enemy, Nikolay died a hero, blowing himself up with a grenade and killing several Nazi collaborators.
✍️ Years prior Kuznetsov wrote to his brother: It is almost certain that I will have to make a sacrifice. And I consciously do it, as I deeply realize that I am giving my life for a holy, just cause. We will destroy fascism, we will save the Fatherland.
🎖 On November 5, 1944, Nikolay Kuznetsov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously).
It is unfortunate that in modern Ukraine forgetting the feats of the uncompromising fighter against the Nazis and their collaborators is now customary. Moreover, it has been reported in the media that yet again an attempt was recently made in Lvov to open the grave of Nikolay Kuznetsov and steal his remains.
#FacesOfVictory #WeRemember
Kuznetsov chose his vocation in 1932, becoming an undercover agent. Before the Great Patriotic War started he served in the foreign intelligence service.
At his own request, Nikolay was sent to join the special-purpose partisan unit dubbed The Victors, which operated in the Nazi-occupied Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Posing as a German officer, Kuznetsov gathered valuable intelligence behind the frontline. He uncovered the plans of the Nazis to assassinate the "Big Three" Allied leaders at the upcoming 1943 Tehran Conference, thus preventing the impending terrorist attack.
⚔️ His paramount mission, however, was to eliminate as many high-ranking Nazis as possible. During the war he managed to kill dozens of German military officers and officials in the Nazi-occupied Ukraine.
After successfully completing an operation in Lvov, the situation in Galicia became tense. Kuznetsov and his comrade-in-arms fled the city and while moving towards safety on March 9, 1944, ran into members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
🕯 Surrounded by the enemy, Nikolay died a hero, blowing himself up with a grenade and killing several Nazi collaborators.
✍️ Years prior Kuznetsov wrote to his brother: It is almost certain that I will have to make a sacrifice. And I consciously do it, as I deeply realize that I am giving my life for a holy, just cause. We will destroy fascism, we will save the Fatherland.
🎖 On November 5, 1944, Nikolay Kuznetsov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously).
It is unfortunate that in modern Ukraine forgetting the feats of the uncompromising fighter against the Nazis and their collaborators is now customary. Moreover, it has been reported in the media that yet again an attempt was recently made in Lvov to open the grave of Nikolay Kuznetsov and steal his remains.
#FacesOfVictory #WeRemember
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⭐️ On September 12, 1941, in a battle near the village of Anastasievka, the young Soviet pilot Yekaterina Zelenko performed her immortal feat.
On that day the senior lieutenant rammed an enemy Messerschmitt, downing the German fighter. This episode is the only instance of ramming in world military history, performed by a female pilot.
Katya's love for the sky was evident in her early childhood, when she was jumping from the roofs of barns with an umbrella.
After finishing school Yekaterina entered the Voronezh aviation technical school, in 1934 she was enrolled as a cadet in the Orenburg Flying School.
🛩️ In just 11 months, the talented aviator was awarded the rank of pilot and sent to serve in the 10th Army Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron in Kharkov.
Zelenko gained her first combat experience during the Soviet-Finnish War, where she was the only female pilot to take part in combat operations.
In 1940 Yekaterina was enlisted in the 135th Close Range Bomber Regiment, where she mastered the new Su-2 close-range bomber.
During the Great Patriotic War Zelenko made 40 sorties and participated in 12 air battles. The pilots under her command destroyed 45 tanks, 20 vehicles and a battalion of German infantry.
💬 On her last mission Yekaterina went together with navigator Nikolay Pavlyk, who later recalled: After the reconnaissance mission...our Su-2 was attacked by seven Messerschmitts. We were running out of ammunition. At that moment one of the Nazi fighters obscured the view and Zelenko fired the SHKAS machineguns. The Nazi plane fell steeply to the ground. However, we were also hit. I reported to her that I was wounded. Zelenko gave the order to leave the aircraft and get to our troops to report on the reconnaissance results.
In her damaged bomber Zelenko went to approach one of the enemy aircraft and ram it. Both planes went up in flames and plummeted to the ground.
🎖 For her feat Yekaterina was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
#FacesOfVictory
On that day the senior lieutenant rammed an enemy Messerschmitt, downing the German fighter. This episode is the only instance of ramming in world military history, performed by a female pilot.
Katya's love for the sky was evident in her early childhood, when she was jumping from the roofs of barns with an umbrella.
After finishing school Yekaterina entered the Voronezh aviation technical school, in 1934 she was enrolled as a cadet in the Orenburg Flying School.
🛩️ In just 11 months, the talented aviator was awarded the rank of pilot and sent to serve in the 10th Army Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron in Kharkov.
Zelenko gained her first combat experience during the Soviet-Finnish War, where she was the only female pilot to take part in combat operations.
In 1940 Yekaterina was enlisted in the 135th Close Range Bomber Regiment, where she mastered the new Su-2 close-range bomber.
During the Great Patriotic War Zelenko made 40 sorties and participated in 12 air battles. The pilots under her command destroyed 45 tanks, 20 vehicles and a battalion of German infantry.
💬 On her last mission Yekaterina went together with navigator Nikolay Pavlyk, who later recalled: After the reconnaissance mission...our Su-2 was attacked by seven Messerschmitts. We were running out of ammunition. At that moment one of the Nazi fighters obscured the view and Zelenko fired the SHKAS machineguns. The Nazi plane fell steeply to the ground. However, we were also hit. I reported to her that I was wounded. Zelenko gave the order to leave the aircraft and get to our troops to report on the reconnaissance results.
In her damaged bomber Zelenko went to approach one of the enemy aircraft and ram it. Both planes went up in flames and plummeted to the ground.
#FacesOfVictory
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📅 On February 11, 1930, the youngest Hero of the Soviet Union Valya Kotik was born.
When the Nazis occupied his home village Shepetovka, 11-year-old Valya began fighting against the invaders. The young partisan showed exceptional bravery.
Valya often put his life at risk, participating in real combat operations. He directly took part in attacks on German convoys, bridge demolitions, and ambushes. He was frequently ordered to monitor German patrols, memorize their schedules and movements. The intelligence gathered by Valya was always very prompt and reliable, characterized by precision and accuracy.
🕯 On February 16, 1944, during heavy fighting for Izyaslav, Valya was severely wounded and died the next day at the age of 14.
For his heroism in the fight against the occupiers, Valya Kotik was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was also awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class, and the Medal "Partisan of the Great Patriotic War" 2nd class.
In many cities of the former Soviet republics, monuments installed and streets named in honor of the heroic boy.
❗️ In today's Ukraine Valya's legacy is being erased, instead other "heroes" are being cherished - Hitler's cronies, murderers and war criminals. Since 2022, there is no longer a Valya Kotik street in Kiev, nor there is a monument in the village of Dolhoye in the Zakarpattia region, now dismantled.
#FacesOfVictory
When the Nazis occupied his home village Shepetovka, 11-year-old Valya began fighting against the invaders. The young partisan showed exceptional bravery.
Valya often put his life at risk, participating in real combat operations. He directly took part in attacks on German convoys, bridge demolitions, and ambushes. He was frequently ordered to monitor German patrols, memorize their schedules and movements. The intelligence gathered by Valya was always very prompt and reliable, characterized by precision and accuracy.
🕯 On February 16, 1944, during heavy fighting for Izyaslav, Valya was severely wounded and died the next day at the age of 14.
For his heroism in the fight against the occupiers, Valya Kotik was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was also awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class, and the Medal "Partisan of the Great Patriotic War" 2nd class.
In many cities of the former Soviet republics, monuments installed and streets named in honor of the heroic boy.
❗️ In today's Ukraine Valya's legacy is being erased, instead other "heroes" are being cherished - Hitler's cronies, murderers and war criminals. Since 2022, there is no longer a Valya Kotik street in Kiev, nor there is a monument in the village of Dolhoye in the Zakarpattia region, now dismantled.
#FacesOfVictory
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🗓 On August 31, 1941, Ivan Sereda, a cook in the Soviet 91st Tank Regiment of the 46th Tank Division within the Northwestern Front’s 21st Mechanised Corps, accomplished a feat which made it into the chronicles of the Great Patriotic War.
It happened #OnThisDay in 1941 near Dvinsk, modern-day Daugavpils, Latvia, when the noise from an approaching Nazi tank filled the field kitchen while Sereda was cooking lunch for his soldiers.
Ivan Sereda grabbed an axe and a rifle and threw himself on the armoured vehicle. He managed to damage the machine gun’s barrel and started knocking on the armour with the head of his axe pretending to give orders to other fighters. When the Nazis spotted Soviet scouts and tried to get them, the cook took a handful of grenades, crawled to the tank and set off an explosion. After that, he took out over ten Nazi motorcyclists with his rifle. His group fended off the attack and returned to its quarters with trophy weapons and three prisoners.
An excerpt from the recollections by Ivan Sereda’s fellow in arms, Vladimir Bezvitelnov:
🎖 Ivan Sereda received the Hero of the Soviet Union title along with the Order of Lenin and the Golden Star medal for his heroism and exemplary execution of multiple combat missions.
#FacesOfVictory #WeRemember
It happened #OnThisDay in 1941 near Dvinsk, modern-day Daugavpils, Latvia, when the noise from an approaching Nazi tank filled the field kitchen while Sereda was cooking lunch for his soldiers.
Ivan Sereda grabbed an axe and a rifle and threw himself on the armoured vehicle. He managed to damage the machine gun’s barrel and started knocking on the armour with the head of his axe pretending to give orders to other fighters. When the Nazis spotted Soviet scouts and tried to get them, the cook took a handful of grenades, crawled to the tank and set off an explosion. After that, he took out over ten Nazi motorcyclists with his rifle. His group fended off the attack and returned to its quarters with trophy weapons and three prisoners.
An excerpt from the recollections by Ivan Sereda’s fellow in arms, Vladimir Bezvitelnov:
“When the fighters from his detachment returned after completing their combat mission and saw a German tank near their field kitchen, as well as the captive Nazis and Ivan Sereda holding his rifle, they could not believe their eyes. There was so much laughter. Only the Germans had their noses down, since they did not understand anything”.
#FacesOfVictory #WeRemember
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#WeRemember
🕯On November 29, 1941, Soviet partisan scout Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, after brutal torture and humiliation, was executed by Nazis. She was the first woman awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously) during the Great Patriotic War.
When the war broke out, young Zoya, like many of her peers, became a home-front worker: she sewed duffel bags and buttonholes for shelter-halves, served as a stamper and tally clerk at a factory.
At the age of 18, shortly upon graduation from school, she volunteered to fight Nazis.
⚔️ In late October of 1941, when the Battle of Moscow was in full swing, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya joined the Red Army. She was enlisted in reconnaissance at the headquarters of the Western Front. Along with other volunteers, Zoya learned the guerrilla warfare and sabotage skills, such as mining, cutting wire lines, and obtaining information about the enemy.
On November 4, 1941, her scout group was dispatched in the Nazi rear to lay minefields in the vicinity of Volokolamsk, near Moscow.
After this mission was successfully completed, scout group commanders of reconnaissance unit No 9903, in which Zoya served, were tasked with burning 10 villages in the enemy rear within a week.
Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya managed to burn three houses in Petrishchevo village, used by the Nazis as a transport hub during the offensive on Moscow.
The remote village also housed a Wehrmacht radio intelligence unit. Among the houses that were burned by Zoya, one was used as a communications centre, and the others as barracks for Nazi soldiers waiting to be sent to attack Moscow.
During this mission, the young woman was captured by the enemy.
The Germans tortured Zoya for a long time. Despite the humiliation and brutal beating, the partisan lady did not betray her comrades, did not give away to the enemy the number of her unit or any other information that was a military secret. She did not even give them her name, saying during interrogation that she was Tanya.
▪️ On November 29, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was publicly hanged by Nazis in front of the inhabitants of one of the occupied villages.
💬 Zoya’s final words were to her fascist executioners:
Only on January 1, 1942, her body was finally interred. In 1942, Zoya was properly reburied at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
🎖 Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya and her heroic feat will forever remain in people's memory as the embodiment of unparalleled fortitude and courage, dedication and heroism. Her example inspired hundreds of thousands of her peers to fight Nazis in #WWII.
#Victory80 #FacesOfVictory
🕯On November 29, 1941, Soviet partisan scout Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, after brutal torture and humiliation, was executed by Nazis. She was the first woman awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously) during the Great Patriotic War.
When the war broke out, young Zoya, like many of her peers, became a home-front worker: she sewed duffel bags and buttonholes for shelter-halves, served as a stamper and tally clerk at a factory.
At the age of 18, shortly upon graduation from school, she volunteered to fight Nazis.
⚔️ In late October of 1941, when the Battle of Moscow was in full swing, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya joined the Red Army. She was enlisted in reconnaissance at the headquarters of the Western Front. Along with other volunteers, Zoya learned the guerrilla warfare and sabotage skills, such as mining, cutting wire lines, and obtaining information about the enemy.
On November 4, 1941, her scout group was dispatched in the Nazi rear to lay minefields in the vicinity of Volokolamsk, near Moscow.
After this mission was successfully completed, scout group commanders of reconnaissance unit No 9903, in which Zoya served, were tasked with burning 10 villages in the enemy rear within a week.
Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya managed to burn three houses in Petrishchevo village, used by the Nazis as a transport hub during the offensive on Moscow.
The remote village also housed a Wehrmacht radio intelligence unit. Among the houses that were burned by Zoya, one was used as a communications centre, and the others as barracks for Nazi soldiers waiting to be sent to attack Moscow.
During this mission, the young woman was captured by the enemy.
The Germans tortured Zoya for a long time. Despite the humiliation and brutal beating, the partisan lady did not betray her comrades, did not give away to the enemy the number of her unit or any other information that was a military secret. She did not even give them her name, saying during interrogation that she was Tanya.
▪️ On November 29, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was publicly hanged by Nazis in front of the inhabitants of one of the occupied villages.
💬 Zoya’s final words were to her fascist executioners:
“You will hang me now, but I am not alone. There are 200 million of us. You cannot hang everyone. I will be avenged.”
Only on January 1, 1942, her body was finally interred. In 1942, Zoya was properly reburied at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
🎖 Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya and her heroic feat will forever remain in people's memory as the embodiment of unparalleled fortitude and courage, dedication and heroism. Her example inspired hundreds of thousands of her peers to fight Nazis in #WWII.
#Victory80 #FacesOfVictory
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By the end of 1942, the German troops launched a punitive expedition against the partisans of the Kopyl, Uzden and Nesvizh districts in the Minsk Region of the Byelorussian SSR. Seven thousand Wehrmacht soldiers and officers supported by tanks, artillery and mortar fire, were tasked with destroying the Voroshilov Brigade, which operated in those areas.
The Nazis attempted an offensive in the direction of the village of Lavy, where the partisan hospital was located.
In order to evacuate the wounded and to concentrate forces for a decisive battle with the Germans, one of the detachments led by Vikenty Drozdovich was deployed to take defensive positions in the village of Kletishche.
⚔️ Outnumbered by the enemy, 18 Soviet partisans held back the onslaught of German Nazi invaders for four hours, repelled eight enemy attacks and destroyed 85 Nazis. When they ran out of ammo, they kept on fighting using rifle butts and knives. The feat of the young heroes made it possible to evacuate the hospital and played an important role in disrupting the Nazi punitive expedition.
✍️ Later, a note was found in a machine gun barrel at the partisans’ defensive positions: “We are dying for the Motherland... Please consider us Komsomol members.”
🕯 All 18 heroes died a valiant death in the name of Victory. The youngest partisan had just turned 15…
▪️ Vikenty Drozdovich
▪️ Mikhail Desyukevich
▪️ Alexander Zhdanovich
▪️ Alexey Korol
▪️ Franz Klimovich
▪️ Pavel Lych
▪️ Grigory Nikonovich
▪️ Vasily Ostreyko
▪️ Eduard Petrashevsky
▪️ Nikolay Sinevich
▪️ Ivan Tumilovich
▪️ Alexander Kharitonovich
▪️ Dmitry Titko
▪️ Nikolay Tertychny
▪️ Konstantin Shityko
▪️ Nikolay Yakimovich
▪️ Alexander Yasiuchenya
▪️ Vladimir Kachanovsky
On July 3, 1960, a monument was erected on a mass burial site in the Kopyl District in honour of the partisans heroes of the Battle of Lavy.
#FacesOfVictory #Victory80
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🕯 On December 1, retired Police Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Shpagin passed away – the last of the Podolsk cadets who defended the south-western approaches to Moscow in October 1941.
Ivan Shpagin volunteered to the front in June 1941 and was sent to the Podolsk Artillery School. The training course for junior officers was initially to last for three years, but after the beginning of the Great Patriotic War it was reduced to six months.
The enemy was relentlessly approaching Moscow. In early October, the cadets of the infantry and artillery schools of Podolsk formed a combined regiment of 3,500 men. The soldiers were ordered to take positions on the Ilyinsky line and to delay the enemy for 5-7 days at any cost, until the arrival of reserve troops.
💬 From Ivan Shpagin's memoirs:
Podolsk cadets fought to the death. Their feat made it possible to win the time necessary for Soviet units to deploy along a new line of defence. The Nazis failed to enter Moscow.
🎖 For bravery, steadfastness and courage shown in the battles, Ivan Shpagin was awarded the Orders of Patriotic War I and II Class, three orders of the Red Star, medals For Military Merits, For Bravery and For Victory over Germany.
In 1942, after graduating from the military school, Ivan Shpagin fought in the North Caucasus sector. In 1943, he took part in liberating the Ukrainian SSR. He was wounded twice but each time returned to active service. After the war, he served with the army and police divisions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for over 30 years.
#FacesOfVictory
Ivan Shpagin volunteered to the front in June 1941 and was sent to the Podolsk Artillery School. The training course for junior officers was initially to last for three years, but after the beginning of the Great Patriotic War it was reduced to six months.
The enemy was relentlessly approaching Moscow. In early October, the cadets of the infantry and artillery schools of Podolsk formed a combined regiment of 3,500 men. The soldiers were ordered to take positions on the Ilyinsky line and to delay the enemy for 5-7 days at any cost, until the arrival of reserve troops.
💬 From Ivan Shpagin's memoirs:
Together with comrades from the Podolsk artillery school, I was repelling the attack of Hitlerites’ tanks and infantry. We had been then roused on alarm, and 3,500 cadets were sent to defend the south-western borders of Moscow. Thus, yesterday’s schoolchildren held their defensive positions for 18 days. Only 500 people survived.
Podolsk cadets fought to the death. Their feat made it possible to win the time necessary for Soviet units to deploy along a new line of defence. The Nazis failed to enter Moscow.
🎖 For bravery, steadfastness and courage shown in the battles, Ivan Shpagin was awarded the Orders of Patriotic War I and II Class, three orders of the Red Star, medals For Military Merits, For Bravery and For Victory over Germany.
In 1942, after graduating from the military school, Ivan Shpagin fought in the North Caucasus sector. In 1943, he took part in liberating the Ukrainian SSR. He was wounded twice but each time returned to active service. After the war, he served with the army and police divisions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for over 30 years.
#FacesOfVictory
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#FacesOfVictory
🕯 On December 18, 1941, Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitry Lavrinenko, renowned as the most successful Soviet tank ace and the top scoring tank commander of the Allies in #WWII, perished during the Moscow counter-offensive of the Red Army.
Dmitry Lavrinenko took part in 28 battles, fighting the Nazis, and in just two and a half months of the war he destroyed 52 enemy tanks. None of his comrades ever managed to demonstrate such efficiency throughout #WWII.
Dmitry Lavrinenko was distinguished by his creative decisions on the battlefield, and along with exceptional gunner's marksmanship, he showed unrivalled mastery of driving the legendary Soviet T-34 tank: Lavrinenko successfully exploited the principal advantage of the #T34 over German tanks — its higher speed and maneuverability.
In 1934, before reaching conscription age, young Lavrinenko voluntarily joined the Red Army. Initially assigned to the cavalry, the future tank ace was then sent by his command to study at the Ulyanovsk Tank School, from where he graduated in 1938 ranked second lieutenant.
⚔️ In October 1941, young tank commander Lavrinenko opened his personal score by burning several enemy tanks. During the Battle of Moscow, a tank platoon within the 4th Tank Brigade, commanded by Lavrinenko, prevented the Wehrmacht mechanised units from advancing north from Orel to Moscow — during those difficult battles Lavrinenko destroyed four German tanks.
In November 1941, Lavrinenko's tank platoon, fighting side-by-side with the 'Panfilov men' — the units of the renowned 316th Rifle Division commanded by Major-General Ivan Panfilov — repelled the Nazi attacks on Moscow from the Volokolamsk direction.
In December 1941, as the Moscow counter-offensive of the Red Army was launched, the Soviet forces engaged the Nazis again in heavy battles near Volokolamsk. The retreating German troops desperately tried to delay the rapid counter-attack of the Red Army. A tank unit commanded by Lavrinenko broke through the Nazi defence near the village of Pokrovskoye and destroyed the German garrison there. Caught by surprise, the enemy troops were defeated by pincer attack.
▪️ During the liberation of Goryuny village near Volokolamsk (now Anino village in the Moscow Region) from the Nazis, Dmitry Lavrinenko was mortally wounded by shrapnel. Before succumbing to death, he managed to burn his last, 52nd enemy tank in that battle.
🎖 In front-line combat leaflets, published in December 1941, Lavrinenko was hailed as "the bravest of the brave." Central Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts reported on the exploits of the legendary tank ace, an excellent tactician, who crushed entire enemy columns on the battlefield.
💬 Marshal of the Armored Forces of the Soviet Union Mikhail Katukov remembered:
"When I heard about the death of Lavrinenko, my eyes went black... Lavrinenko and death — these two concepts did not fit in the mind. Lavrinenko seemed invulnerable: how many fights he came out victorious in!"
To honour Dmitry Lavrinenko, streets and schools in various cities across Russia are named after him.
#WeRemember #Victory80
🕯 On December 18, 1941, Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitry Lavrinenko, renowned as the most successful Soviet tank ace and the top scoring tank commander of the Allies in #WWII, perished during the Moscow counter-offensive of the Red Army.
Dmitry Lavrinenko took part in 28 battles, fighting the Nazis, and in just two and a half months of the war he destroyed 52 enemy tanks. None of his comrades ever managed to demonstrate such efficiency throughout #WWII.
Dmitry Lavrinenko was distinguished by his creative decisions on the battlefield, and along with exceptional gunner's marksmanship, he showed unrivalled mastery of driving the legendary Soviet T-34 tank: Lavrinenko successfully exploited the principal advantage of the #T34 over German tanks — its higher speed and maneuverability.
In 1934, before reaching conscription age, young Lavrinenko voluntarily joined the Red Army. Initially assigned to the cavalry, the future tank ace was then sent by his command to study at the Ulyanovsk Tank School, from where he graduated in 1938 ranked second lieutenant.
⚔️ In October 1941, young tank commander Lavrinenko opened his personal score by burning several enemy tanks. During the Battle of Moscow, a tank platoon within the 4th Tank Brigade, commanded by Lavrinenko, prevented the Wehrmacht mechanised units from advancing north from Orel to Moscow — during those difficult battles Lavrinenko destroyed four German tanks.
In November 1941, Lavrinenko's tank platoon, fighting side-by-side with the 'Panfilov men' — the units of the renowned 316th Rifle Division commanded by Major-General Ivan Panfilov — repelled the Nazi attacks on Moscow from the Volokolamsk direction.
In December 1941, as the Moscow counter-offensive of the Red Army was launched, the Soviet forces engaged the Nazis again in heavy battles near Volokolamsk. The retreating German troops desperately tried to delay the rapid counter-attack of the Red Army. A tank unit commanded by Lavrinenko broke through the Nazi defence near the village of Pokrovskoye and destroyed the German garrison there. Caught by surprise, the enemy troops were defeated by pincer attack.
▪️ During the liberation of Goryuny village near Volokolamsk (now Anino village in the Moscow Region) from the Nazis, Dmitry Lavrinenko was mortally wounded by shrapnel. Before succumbing to death, he managed to burn his last, 52nd enemy tank in that battle.
🎖 In front-line combat leaflets, published in December 1941, Lavrinenko was hailed as "the bravest of the brave." Central Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts reported on the exploits of the legendary tank ace, an excellent tactician, who crushed entire enemy columns on the battlefield.
💬 Marshal of the Armored Forces of the Soviet Union Mikhail Katukov remembered:
"When I heard about the death of Lavrinenko, my eyes went black... Lavrinenko and death — these two concepts did not fit in the mind. Lavrinenko seemed invulnerable: how many fights he came out victorious in!"
To honour Dmitry Lavrinenko, streets and schools in various cities across Russia are named after him.
#WeRemember #Victory80
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⭐️ On December 21, 1896, the legendary Marshal, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky was born.
The Soviet forces under his leadership fought in the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War, including the Battles of Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk, took part in the liberation of Belarus, the defeat of the German forces in East Prussia and the Battle of Berlin.
Konstantin Rokossovsky invariably showed a bright military talent as well as ability to think and act unconventionally during numerous important military operations.
👉 In the Battle of Stalingrad Rokossovsky commanded the forces of several fronts which encircled the army of General Paulus.
👉 In the Battle of Kursk he displayed outstanding military skills in organising and conducting artillery counter preparation, rebuffing German troops’ offensive and later during the counteroffensive.
👉 In the Belarusian operation [Operation Bagration] it was Rokossovsky who proposed two powerful converging break-throughs by the forces of the 1st Belarusian Front.
Contemporaries of the legendary Marshal spoke of his modesty, charm, fair demanding nature and devotion to saving the lives of his men. It comes as no surprise that soldiers and officers treated him with respect and great warmth.
✍️ Konstantin Rokossovsky made a significant contribution to the art of war, developed his own unique military style, leaving behind invaluable memoirs, titled Soldier's Duty. For Rokossovsky, this duty consisted in fighting better than the enemy.
#FacesOfVictory
The Soviet forces under his leadership fought in the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War, including the Battles of Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk, took part in the liberation of Belarus, the defeat of the German forces in East Prussia and the Battle of Berlin.
Konstantin Rokossovsky invariably showed a bright military talent as well as ability to think and act unconventionally during numerous important military operations.
👉 In the Battle of Stalingrad Rokossovsky commanded the forces of several fronts which encircled the army of General Paulus.
👉 In the Battle of Kursk he displayed outstanding military skills in organising and conducting artillery counter preparation, rebuffing German troops’ offensive and later during the counteroffensive.
👉 In the Belarusian operation [Operation Bagration] it was Rokossovsky who proposed two powerful converging break-throughs by the forces of the 1st Belarusian Front.
Contemporaries of the legendary Marshal spoke of his modesty, charm, fair demanding nature and devotion to saving the lives of his men. It comes as no surprise that soldiers and officers treated him with respect and great warmth.
✍️ Konstantin Rokossovsky made a significant contribution to the art of war, developed his own unique military style, leaving behind invaluable memoirs, titled Soldier's Duty. For Rokossovsky, this duty consisted in fighting better than the enemy.
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The feat accomplished by the reconnaissance unit in Koktebel became one of the highlights of the Kerch-Feodosia Landing Operation. It lasted from December 26, 1941, until January 2, 1942, and was aimed at driving the enemy force away from Sevastopol and preventing it from advancing to the Caucasus. The plan provided for carrying out landing operations along the Kerch Peninsula’s northeastern and southern coasts. They had to be carried out in stormy weather, while the enemy fought hard to retain its positions.
The 29-strong reconnaissance unit was on a mission to distract the German garrison in Koktebel and prevent it from helping the German and Romanian forces deployed in and around Feodosia. “No one had any hopes of surviving in our unit, but we really wanted to help our brothers over in Sevastopol,” one of the participants in the landing operation said.
The D-5 submarine took the marines from Novorossiysk and arrived at the destination in the night of December 29. The conditions for carrying out the landing operation were extremely unfavourable. There was a category five storm, freezing temperatures, and icy wind. When the 29 heroes got into the dinghies, the enemy started firing machine guns and mortars at them from its coastal fortifications. The marines had to jump into water and to engage the enemy while covered waist-deep in icy water.
By the evening of January 1, the offensive by the Soviet forces gained enough momentum for them to reach Koktebel. This enabled the Red Navy fighters to join the main landing force. All the volunteers who were still alive suffered wounds.
The selfless efforts by these 29 heroes prevented German troops from derailing the Kerch-Feodosia Operation and invading the Caucasus. In 1958, a monument to the Red Navy volunteers who died during the operation was established in Koktebel – it shows four harsh, courageous stone-carved faces.
#WeRemember
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🌟 On February 8, 1945 — exactly 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago — a group of ten Soviet prisoners of war led by Mikhail Devyatayev carried out one of the most daring escapes from Nazi captivity.
In July 1944, Devyatayev’s plane was shot down near Lvov, and he was captured unconscious. A month later, the senior lieutenant attempted to escape, but was caught and sent to the Sachsenhausen death camp.
The pilot managed to swap his death row inmate patch for a penal prisoner’s number, assuming a new identity. Under a false name he went to a different concentration camp on the Usedom Island, near the Peenemünde rocket centre in the Baltic Sea, where German scientists were testing V-2 rockets.
On February 8, Devyatayev and his comrades were taken out for repair works at a local airfield. The Germans were unaware that they had a highly experienced Soviet pilot among the prisoners. Before his capture, the fighter pilot had completed nearly 200 sorties, took part in dozens of aerial battles, and shot down multiple enemy aircraft.
✈️ Seizing the opportunity, Devyatayev and nine other Soviet prisoners stealthily killed a guard and hijacked a German Heinkel bomber. The Soviet pilot broke away from the pursuit and flew beyond enemy lines.
Upon returning to the Soviet Union, Devyatayev provided valuable intelligence on the location of missile installations, which were later destroyed in an airstrike. The Peenemünde testing site was captured by Soviet forces in March 1945.
🎖 On August 15, 1957, Mikhail Devyatayev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
#Victory80
In July 1944, Devyatayev’s plane was shot down near Lvov, and he was captured unconscious. A month later, the senior lieutenant attempted to escape, but was caught and sent to the Sachsenhausen death camp.
The pilot managed to swap his death row inmate patch for a penal prisoner’s number, assuming a new identity. Under a false name he went to a different concentration camp on the Usedom Island, near the Peenemünde rocket centre in the Baltic Sea, where German scientists were testing V-2 rockets.
On February 8, Devyatayev and his comrades were taken out for repair works at a local airfield. The Germans were unaware that they had a highly experienced Soviet pilot among the prisoners. Before his capture, the fighter pilot had completed nearly 200 sorties, took part in dozens of aerial battles, and shot down multiple enemy aircraft.
✈️ Seizing the opportunity, Devyatayev and nine other Soviet prisoners stealthily killed a guard and hijacked a German Heinkel bomber. The Soviet pilot broke away from the pursuit and flew beyond enemy lines.
Upon returning to the Soviet Union, Devyatayev provided valuable intelligence on the location of missile installations, which were later destroyed in an airstrike. The Peenemünde testing site was captured by Soviet forces in March 1945.
#Victory80
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🗓 On May 6, 1907, a remarkable Soviet pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Nikolay Gastello, was born.
Gastello went down in the history of the Great Patriotic War as the first pilot to carry out a “fire ram” against the Nazi invaders, steering his burning aircraft into a concentration of enemy vehicles.
His journey in aviation began in 1932, when he enrolled at the Donbass Proletariat Military Pilots School in Lugansk. The following year, he was assigned to the 82nd Heavy Squadron of the 21st Heavy Bomber Aviation Brigade, flying the TB-3 aircraft. He later continued his service in the 1st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.
✈️ In 1939, as a flight commander, Gastello took part in the Battle of the Khalkhin Gol River. In 1939-1940, he fought in the Soviet-Finnish War.
At the start of the Great Patriotic War, Captain Gastello commanded a squadron in the 207th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Regiment. On June 24, 1941, during a Luftwaffe raid, he shot down a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber from the ground, using the gunner’s station of a grounded aircraft.
On June 26, 1941, on the fourth day of the war, Gastello performed his immortal feat when his crew took off in a DB-3F bomber to deliver a strike against a German mechanised column on the Molodechno–Radoshkovichi road. During the mission, after breaking through enemy defenses, Captain Gastello dropped his bombs on the target. While retreating, his plane was hit by an anti-aircraft shell and the pierced fuel tank caught fire, engulfing the plane in flames. At that moment, Captain Gastello made the decision to steer the burning bomber into a cluster of enemy equipment.
🎖 For his courage and heroism, Nikolay Gastello was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, his name was permanently inscribed in the rolls of the 2nd Squadron of the 194th Separate Guards Order of the Red Banner Military Transport Regiment.
Gastello’s feat became a symbol of self-sacrifice. His example inspired countless Soviet pilots to acts of similar courage throughout the war.
#Victory80
🗓 On May 6, 1907, a remarkable Soviet pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Nikolay Gastello, was born.
Gastello went down in the history of the Great Patriotic War as the first pilot to carry out a “fire ram” against the Nazi invaders, steering his burning aircraft into a concentration of enemy vehicles.
His journey in aviation began in 1932, when he enrolled at the Donbass Proletariat Military Pilots School in Lugansk. The following year, he was assigned to the 82nd Heavy Squadron of the 21st Heavy Bomber Aviation Brigade, flying the TB-3 aircraft. He later continued his service in the 1st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.
✈️ In 1939, as a flight commander, Gastello took part in the Battle of the Khalkhin Gol River. In 1939-1940, he fought in the Soviet-Finnish War.
At the start of the Great Patriotic War, Captain Gastello commanded a squadron in the 207th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Regiment. On June 24, 1941, during a Luftwaffe raid, he shot down a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber from the ground, using the gunner’s station of a grounded aircraft.
On June 26, 1941, on the fourth day of the war, Gastello performed his immortal feat when his crew took off in a DB-3F bomber to deliver a strike against a German mechanised column on the Molodechno–Radoshkovichi road. During the mission, after breaking through enemy defenses, Captain Gastello dropped his bombs on the target. While retreating, his plane was hit by an anti-aircraft shell and the pierced fuel tank caught fire, engulfing the plane in flames. At that moment, Captain Gastello made the decision to steer the burning bomber into a cluster of enemy equipment.
Gastello’s feat became a symbol of self-sacrifice. His example inspired countless Soviet pilots to acts of similar courage throughout the war.
#Victory80
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🕯 On November 29, 1941, Nazi invaders executed the legendary Soviet partisan Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, having brutally tortured her but failing to break her spirit and resolve.
In the first days of the Great Patriotic War, military commissariats received thousands of applications from Soviet citizens asking to be sent to the active army. In the midst of the Battle of Moscow, 18-year-old Zoya was among the volunteers.
In October 1941 she was assigned to Military Unit No. 9903 – a special reconnaissance-and-sabotage formation attached to the headquarters of the Western Front. There she underwent a training course in demolition and sabotage, covert movement, and intelligence gathering.
⚔️ On November 4, 1941, the group of reconnaissance fighters – Zoya among them – moved into the German rear.
The Red Army soldiers were tasked with disrupting enemy communications on the Volokolamsk direction. After successfully mining the roads near Yadrovo and Gryadnevo, the saboteurs received a new assignment: to disable key supply and communication points by setting fire to a number of local strongpoints that the Germans used as barracks, depots and radio posts.
One such locations was the village of Petrishchevo – a small settlement where the Nazis had placed elements of Wehrmacht radio intelligence, a combined communication hub, storage facilities and a temporary camp for troops preparing for the assault on the Soviet capital.
Zoya succeeded in carrying out part of the mission, destroying several buildings with incendiary bottles – including the communication hub of the German unit. But as she attempted to escape the village on the evening of 28 November 1941, she was captured by a German patrol.
Testimonies later collected by the investigative commission confirm that throughout the night the Nazis subjected Zoya to brutal torture: they beat her, kept her barefoot in the freezing cold and deprived her of sleep. Despite the pain and suffering, the 18-year-old partisan did not reveal her comrades, her unit or the group’s route. She did not even give her real name, calling herself “Tanya”.
▪️ On the morning of November 29, 1941, the Nazis executed Zoya – hanging her publicly in front of the residents of Petrishchevo whom they had forcibly driven to witness the killing. Contrary to the expectations of her executioners, Zoya faced death with courage, walking to the gallows with her head held high.
💬 Soviet war correspondent Pyotr Lidov described the last moments of the young partisan’s life as follows:
Zoya’s body remained at the place of execution, abused by the Nazis until late December. Only on 1 January 1942 local residents were able to bury her beyond the edge of the village. Later, her remains were transferred to the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
🎖 The feat of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was immortalized in history as one of the earnest examples of the strength of the human spirit and devotion to the Fatherland.
The incredible courage displayed by the young partisan has inspired generations for over eight decades – Zoya’s name remains a symbol of unparalleled bravery, loyalty to duty and readiness to defend one’s country to the bitter end.
#Victory80
🕯 On November 29, 1941, Nazi invaders executed the legendary Soviet partisan Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, having brutally tortured her but failing to break her spirit and resolve.
In the first days of the Great Patriotic War, military commissariats received thousands of applications from Soviet citizens asking to be sent to the active army. In the midst of the Battle of Moscow, 18-year-old Zoya was among the volunteers.
In October 1941 she was assigned to Military Unit No. 9903 – a special reconnaissance-and-sabotage formation attached to the headquarters of the Western Front. There she underwent a training course in demolition and sabotage, covert movement, and intelligence gathering.
⚔️ On November 4, 1941, the group of reconnaissance fighters – Zoya among them – moved into the German rear.
The Red Army soldiers were tasked with disrupting enemy communications on the Volokolamsk direction. After successfully mining the roads near Yadrovo and Gryadnevo, the saboteurs received a new assignment: to disable key supply and communication points by setting fire to a number of local strongpoints that the Germans used as barracks, depots and radio posts.
One such locations was the village of Petrishchevo – a small settlement where the Nazis had placed elements of Wehrmacht radio intelligence, a combined communication hub, storage facilities and a temporary camp for troops preparing for the assault on the Soviet capital.
Zoya succeeded in carrying out part of the mission, destroying several buildings with incendiary bottles – including the communication hub of the German unit. But as she attempted to escape the village on the evening of 28 November 1941, she was captured by a German patrol.
Testimonies later collected by the investigative commission confirm that throughout the night the Nazis subjected Zoya to brutal torture: they beat her, kept her barefoot in the freezing cold and deprived her of sleep. Despite the pain and suffering, the 18-year-old partisan did not reveal her comrades, her unit or the group’s route. She did not even give her real name, calling herself “Tanya”.
▪️ On the morning of November 29, 1941, the Nazis executed Zoya – hanging her publicly in front of the residents of Petrishchevo whom they had forcibly driven to witness the killing. Contrary to the expectations of her executioners, Zoya faced death with courage, walking to the gallows with her head held high.
💬 Soviet war correspondent Pyotr Lidov described the last moments of the young partisan’s life as follows:
When the partisans were brought to the scaffold and a noose was placed around her neck, the girl cried out in a clear, ringing voice:
– Hey, comrades! Why so grim? Be brave, fight, strike the Germans, burn them, poison them!
A German standing nearby raised his hand as if to strike her or cover her mouth, but she pushed his hand away and continued:
– I am not afraid to die, comrades. It is a happiness to die for one’s people…
The photographer took pictures of the gallows from afar and close up and then tried to position himself to photograph her from the side. The executioners glanced uneasily at the commandant, who shouted to the photographer:
– Hurry up!
Then the girl turned towards the commandant and the German soldiers and continued:
– You will hang me now, but I am not alone – there are two hundred million of us. You cannot hang us all. They will avenge me…
Zoya’s body remained at the place of execution, abused by the Nazis until late December. Only on 1 January 1942 local residents were able to bury her beyond the edge of the village. Later, her remains were transferred to the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
🎖 The feat of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was immortalized in history as one of the earnest examples of the strength of the human spirit and devotion to the Fatherland.
The incredible courage displayed by the young partisan has inspired generations for over eight decades – Zoya’s name remains a symbol of unparalleled bravery, loyalty to duty and readiness to defend one’s country to the bitter end.
#Victory80
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🏅 On December 3, 1942, one of the most heroic episodes of the partisan war on the Nazi-occupied territory of Belarus took place – the feat of eighteen Komsomol fighters led by Vikenty Drozdovich.
By late 1942, the German command, alarmed by the growth of the partisan movement and successful sabotage operations against the rear of Army Group Centre, launched a massive punitive operation against the partisan units operating in the Belarusian SSR.
One of the main objectives of the Nazi troops was to destroy the Voroshilov partisan brigade and its field hospital hidden deep in the forest near the village of Lavy (Kopyl District of the Minsk Region). The Germans deployed up to seven Wehrmacht battalions reinforced with tankettes, artillery, mortars, armoured vehicles, and aircraft.
💬 As noted in the field report “Details about the Heroes of the Lavy Battle”:
To hold off the enemy long enough to evacuate the wounded and regroup, the command decided to place ambushes along the most likely routes of the enemy’s advance. The Kletishche-Lavy direction was entrusted to 18 fighters under the command of the experienced scout Vikenty Drozdovich. They took up positions at the Kletishche cemetery and met the enemy with machine-gun fire.
The Nazis anticipated an easy victory. Their artillery had pounded the area for hours, and their units were pushing in along every road to encircle the partisans. Yet they gravely miscalculated, underestimating the spirit of Soviet fighters.
💬 As stated in the award citation for Hero of the Soviet Union Vikenty Drozdovich (posthumously):
Vastly outnumbered and outgunned, Drozdovich’s group – the youngest of whom was only 15 – managed to eliminate at least 85 Nazis, wound or incapacitate more than a hundred. Due to the self-sacrificing feat of the eighteen Komsomol fighters, the field hospital was successfully evacuated and the partisans of the Voroshilov brigade managed to escape encirclement to continue their struggle.
🌟 Eternal glory to the heroes!
👉 Read more about the feat of the eighteen Komsomol fighters on “The Partisan Chronicles" website – a project of BelTA and the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War.
#Victory80
By late 1942, the German command, alarmed by the growth of the partisan movement and successful sabotage operations against the rear of Army Group Centre, launched a massive punitive operation against the partisan units operating in the Belarusian SSR.
One of the main objectives of the Nazi troops was to destroy the Voroshilov partisan brigade and its field hospital hidden deep in the forest near the village of Lavy (Kopyl District of the Minsk Region). The Germans deployed up to seven Wehrmacht battalions reinforced with tankettes, artillery, mortars, armoured vehicles, and aircraft.
💬 As noted in the field report “Details about the Heroes of the Lavy Battle”:
“After several marches and attempts to escape the punitive units, the Voroshilov brigade stopped to rest in the Lavy Forest. The Germans began to encircle the forest from three sides. The brigade took up defence at the forest edge…”
To hold off the enemy long enough to evacuate the wounded and regroup, the command decided to place ambushes along the most likely routes of the enemy’s advance. The Kletishche-Lavy direction was entrusted to 18 fighters under the command of the experienced scout Vikenty Drozdovich. They took up positions at the Kletishche cemetery and met the enemy with machine-gun fire.
The Nazis anticipated an easy victory. Their artillery had pounded the area for hours, and their units were pushing in along every road to encircle the partisans. Yet they gravely miscalculated, underestimating the spirit of Soviet fighters.
💬 As stated in the award citation for Hero of the Soviet Union Vikenty Drozdovich (posthumously):
“Eight times the fascists, supported by mortars and artillery, attacked the handful of brave men and each time were driven back, suffering heavy losses. The battle lasted four hours. When the ammunition ran out and the partisans were surrounded by the Nazis, Drozdovich rallied the surviving fighters and led them into hand-to-hand combat. In this fight, the partisans and their commander Drozdovich were killed”.
Vastly outnumbered and outgunned, Drozdovich’s group – the youngest of whom was only 15 – managed to eliminate at least 85 Nazis, wound or incapacitate more than a hundred. Due to the self-sacrificing feat of the eighteen Komsomol fighters, the field hospital was successfully evacuated and the partisans of the Voroshilov brigade managed to escape encirclement to continue their struggle.
👉 Read more about the feat of the eighteen Komsomol fighters on “The Partisan Chronicles" website – a project of BelTA and the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War.
#Victory80
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⚓️ On January 16, 1909, Boris Alexeev was born – commander of the S-33 submarine of the Black Sea Fleet, Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain 1st Rank, Candidate of Naval Sciences.
From a young age, Boris Alexeev devoted his life to the sea – already at 14, he worked on vessels of the Volga-Caspian Shipping Company. In 1931, he graduated from the Baku Maritime Technical School and entered service in the USSR Navy.
After completing submarine command courses in Leningrad, Alexeev first served with the Pacific Fleet and, from November 1939, with the Black Sea Fleet, where he met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
⚔️ The defence of Sevastopol and the liberation of Crimea became key chapters of his combat record. Between 1941-1944, while commanding submarine S-33, Boris Alexeev carried out 18 combat patrols.
Even when his submarine was undergoing repairs, he continued to fight the Nazi invaders. For instance, in the spring and summer of 1942, acting as the supporting commander of submarine S-31, he broke through to besieged Sevastopol – delivering ammunition and food and evacuating wounded and sick Red Army soldiers.
In 1943-1944, S-33 conducted raids against enemy communications between Sevastopol and western Black Sea ports, as well as off the Crimean coast. The results of these operations were confirmed after the war:
• April 20, 1943 – sank the Romanian transport Suceava;
• September 22 and December 27, 1943 – destroyed two enemy transports by torpedoes, of approximately 6,000 and 4,000 tons;
• May 12, 1944, off Cape Sarych – intercepted and sank an enemy landing barge, capturing the naval ensign of Nazi Germany.
💬 Excerpt from the award citation for Boris Alexeev (June 5, 1944):
🏅 On July 22, 1944, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Boris Alexeev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, and submarine S-33 was granted the Guards status.
After the Victory, Boris Alexeev continued his exemplary service – commanding a submarine division of the Black Sea Fleet, graduating with honours from the Voroshilov Naval Academy and training new generations of submariners. He passed away on January 25, 1972, and was laid to rest at Serafimovskoe Cemetery.
#Victory81
⚓️ On January 16, 1909, Boris Alexeev was born – commander of the S-33 submarine of the Black Sea Fleet, Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain 1st Rank, Candidate of Naval Sciences.
From a young age, Boris Alexeev devoted his life to the sea – already at 14, he worked on vessels of the Volga-Caspian Shipping Company. In 1931, he graduated from the Baku Maritime Technical School and entered service in the USSR Navy.
After completing submarine command courses in Leningrad, Alexeev first served with the Pacific Fleet and, from November 1939, with the Black Sea Fleet, where he met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
⚔️ The defence of Sevastopol and the liberation of Crimea became key chapters of his combat record. Between 1941-1944, while commanding submarine S-33, Boris Alexeev carried out 18 combat patrols.
Even when his submarine was undergoing repairs, he continued to fight the Nazi invaders. For instance, in the spring and summer of 1942, acting as the supporting commander of submarine S-31, he broke through to besieged Sevastopol – delivering ammunition and food and evacuating wounded and sick Red Army soldiers.
In 1943-1944, S-33 conducted raids against enemy communications between Sevastopol and western Black Sea ports, as well as off the Crimean coast. The results of these operations were confirmed after the war:
• April 20, 1943 – sank the Romanian transport Suceava;
• September 22 and December 27, 1943 – destroyed two enemy transports by torpedoes, of approximately 6,000 and 4,000 tons;
• May 12, 1944, off Cape Sarych – intercepted and sank an enemy landing barge, capturing the naval ensign of Nazi Germany.
💬 Excerpt from the award citation for Boris Alexeev (June 5, 1944):
Captain 2nd Rank Alexeev completed 18 fully autonomous combat patrols during the Patriotic War.
His combat record includes seven enemy ships sunk and one damaged. All attacks were conducted boldly and persistently, despite active countermeasures of the enemy escort.
At sea, Captain 2nd Rank Alexeev constantly seeks out the enemy, finds him and delivers a devastating blow. Through his courage and determination, inflicting significant damage on the enemy, he has earned universal respect among the personnel of the submarine brigade.
He is worthy of the title “Hero of the Soviet Union”.
🏅 On July 22, 1944, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Boris Alexeev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, and submarine S-33 was granted the Guards status.
After the Victory, Boris Alexeev continued his exemplary service – commanding a submarine division of the Black Sea Fleet, graduating with honours from the Voroshilov Naval Academy and training new generations of submariners. He passed away on January 25, 1972, and was laid to rest at Serafimovskoe Cemetery.
#Victory81
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🌟 On March 23, 1915, legendary Soviet sniper, one of the greatest shoots of #WWII & the Great Patriotic War, hero of Stalingrad, Vassily Zaitsev was born in the village of Yeleninka, Orenburg Region, the Russian Empire.
In 1935, Vassily Zaitsev was drafted into the Red Army and assigned to the Navy. The war found him serving on the Pacific Fleet. Like most Soviet people he was eager to volunteer to the frontlines to fight the Nazis and defend the Motherland. The future hero of Stalingrad submitted five requests for transfer to active duty units in the European front. Finally, his wish was granted in the summer of 1942.
In September 1942, Vassily arrived in Stalingrad as part of the 284th Rifle Division of the 62nd Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Vassily Chuikov. During the street battles for the city, he proved himself to be an outstanding marksman and was subsequently appointed as a sniper. Later, he was involved in the liberation of Donbass and the Battle of the Dnieper. In total, he eliminated 242 Nazi invaders.
Zaitsev possessed exceptional eyesight and hearing, iron self-control, and a talent for improvisation. He developed the group hunting tactic using six-man teams and employed camouflage and decoys.
A masterful sniper, Zaitsev personally trained new shooters, who became known as Zaitchata (leverets). He taught them to change positions after two or three shots, disguise themselves thoroughly, and use decoys such as dummy soldiers to trick the enemy. Zaitsev’s main demand for his trainees was to think outside the box and improvise.
🎖 On February 22, 1943, Vassily Zaitsev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title for personally training 28 snipers and killing 225 Nazi soldiers and officers during the street battles in Stalingrad between October 10 and December 17, 1942.
Vassily Zaitsev died on December 15, 1991. In 2006, his remains were in a solemn ceremony moved to the site of the Stalingrad Battle at the Mamayev Kurgan. His famous sniper rifle is carefully preserved at the Museum-Reserve "Battle of Stalingrad" in Volgograd, available for all to see.
In 1935, Vassily Zaitsev was drafted into the Red Army and assigned to the Navy. The war found him serving on the Pacific Fleet. Like most Soviet people he was eager to volunteer to the frontlines to fight the Nazis and defend the Motherland. The future hero of Stalingrad submitted five requests for transfer to active duty units in the European front. Finally, his wish was granted in the summer of 1942.
In September 1942, Vassily arrived in Stalingrad as part of the 284th Rifle Division of the 62nd Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Vassily Chuikov. During the street battles for the city, he proved himself to be an outstanding marksman and was subsequently appointed as a sniper. Later, he was involved in the liberation of Donbass and the Battle of the Dnieper. In total, he eliminated 242 Nazi invaders.
Zaitsev possessed exceptional eyesight and hearing, iron self-control, and a talent for improvisation. He developed the group hunting tactic using six-man teams and employed camouflage and decoys.
“It is my passion to observe the enemy’s behaviour. You see a puffed up Nazi officer come out of a trench shelter. He looks arrogant and bosses his soldiers around with imperative gestures. They fulfil his will, his wishes and whims with strict accuracy. But he has no idea that his minutes are numbered,” Vasily wrote in his memoirs, No Land For Us Across The Volga.
A masterful sniper, Zaitsev personally trained new shooters, who became known as Zaitchata (leverets). He taught them to change positions after two or three shots, disguise themselves thoroughly, and use decoys such as dummy soldiers to trick the enemy. Zaitsev’s main demand for his trainees was to think outside the box and improvise.
🎖 On February 22, 1943, Vassily Zaitsev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title for personally training 28 snipers and killing 225 Nazi soldiers and officers during the street battles in Stalingrad between October 10 and December 17, 1942.
Vassily Zaitsev died on December 15, 1991. In 2006, his remains were in a solemn ceremony moved to the site of the Stalingrad Battle at the Mamayev Kurgan. His famous sniper rifle is carefully preserved at the Museum-Reserve "Battle of Stalingrad" in Volgograd, available for all to see.
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🌟 On April 30, 1945, just ten days before Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender, soldiers of the 674th Rifle Regiment of the 150th Rifle Division of the 1st Byelorussian Front, Grigory Bulatov and Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev, raised the first Red Banner on the facade of the Reichstag during the battle for the key Nazi citadel.
The distance between Himmler’s house, where Bulatov and Koshkarbayev had been braking through to the Reichstag, was less than 500 metres. The fighting was so intense and fierce that it took our forces seven hours to reach the Reichstag walls. The Red Army soldiers pushed the Nazis back under barrage fire — they had to overcome numerous trenches and anti-tank fortifications.
💬 Excerpt from private Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev’s account of the battle for the Reichstag:
🖋 The 150th Division’s military report:
The red flag installed by Bulatov and Koshkarbayev — the legendary makeshift flagpole — was the first of the banners raised on the Reichstag building by Soviet soldiers-liberators, marking the long-awaited and upcoming Victory in #WW2.
🎖 For their courage and heroism during the battle of the Reichstag, Grigory Bulatov and Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Subsequently, the memorials were dedicated to the Heroes in their home regions: to Gigory Bulatov in Kirov and to Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan and in the Republic’s capital, Astana.
#Victory81 #OurHeroes #WeAreProud
The distance between Himmler’s house, where Bulatov and Koshkarbayev had been braking through to the Reichstag, was less than 500 metres. The fighting was so intense and fierce that it took our forces seven hours to reach the Reichstag walls. The Red Army soldiers pushed the Nazis back under barrage fire — they had to overcome numerous trenches and anti-tank fortifications.
💬 Excerpt from private Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev’s account of the battle for the Reichstag:
Preliminary shelling commenced. As the first shots were fired, Bulatov and I ran to the Reichstag.
I hoisted Bulatov up, supporting his legs, and we installed a flag right there, at the first-floor level.
🖋 The 150th Division’s military report:
On April 30, 1945, at 2:25 pm, Koshkarbayev and Bulatov crawled to the building lobby and attached a red flag to the main staircase.
The red flag installed by Bulatov and Koshkarbayev — the legendary makeshift flagpole — was the first of the banners raised on the Reichstag building by Soviet soldiers-liberators, marking the long-awaited and upcoming Victory in #WW2.
🎖 For their courage and heroism during the battle of the Reichstag, Grigory Bulatov and Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Subsequently, the memorials were dedicated to the Heroes in their home regions: to Gigory Bulatov in Kirov and to Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan and in the Republic’s capital, Astana.
#Victory81 #OurHeroes #WeAreProud
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#FacesOfVictory
🌟 On May 23, 1921, Soviet #WW2-era underground partisan fighter and scout, Hero of the Soviet Union Anna Morozova was born. She is regarded as one of the most successful leaders of the Soviet underground resistance movement units operating in the Nazi rear.
In the aftermath of Nazi Germany’s treacherous invasion of our Motherland, Anna Morozova, like many of her peers, volunteered for the fight against the enemy at the age of just 20. In the settlement of Seshcha (present-day Bryansk Region), where Anna and her family had moved before the war, the Nazis deployed the 2nd Luftwaffe fleet at the local airbase. Right from there, German aircraft carried out bombing against Moscow, as well as Yaroslavl, Gorky, Saratov, and other Soviet cities.
Anna Morozova and her family found themselves in the Nazi occupation within the five-kilometre “dead zone” around the settlement, established by the enemy in order to secure the strategic airfield — in the deep rear. Together with several local young women, Anna Morozova became involved in the Komsomol youth underground organisation, which was coordinated by the Bryansk partisan headquarters.
Operating under extraordinarily difficult conditions deep in the enemy rear, Anna Morozova and her comrades successfully performed their tasks over a period of two years, inflicting substantial damage on the enemy. Their clandestine partisan activities included numerous acts of successful sabotage directed against Nazi aircraft, railway echelons, and ammunition depots belonging to the German fascist invaders.
In 1944, Anna Morozova was sent to East Prussia and Poland as a member of the scout group codenamed "Jack". The unit uncovered a secret Luftwaffe airfield and gathered strategically significant intelligence on the Nazi garrisons in the region.
At the end of December 1944, a member of the “Jack” group was captured by the enemy and, under torture, disclosed his comrades' temporary dislocation, thereby exposing the entire unit to Germans. SS units subsequently located the Soviet scouts and launched a large-scale manhunt.
Engaged in unequal fight with the superior Nazi troops, Anna Morozova was heavily wounded.
Polish partisans concealed her in a willow thicket, but the Nazis eventually discovered her safe haven. Morozova kept fighting until expending her final cartridge and, in order to avoid capture, detonated a grenade, killing herself together with the advancing SS punitive detachment.
🎖 In 1965, Anna Morozova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously) “for exceptional service, courage, and heroism performed in the struggle against the German fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
***
To mark the 20th Anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the multi-part motion picture Calling Fire Upon Ourselves was produced by Mosfilm, based on the novella by Ovidy Gorchakov.
The film depicts real events that occurred in 1942–1943 in the Nazi rear in the Bryansk region, specifically in Seshcha. The role of Anna Morozova was portrayed by Lyudmila Kasatkina.
#OurHeroes #WeRemember #Victory81
In the aftermath of Nazi Germany’s treacherous invasion of our Motherland, Anna Morozova, like many of her peers, volunteered for the fight against the enemy at the age of just 20. In the settlement of Seshcha (present-day Bryansk Region), where Anna and her family had moved before the war, the Nazis deployed the 2nd Luftwaffe fleet at the local airbase. Right from there, German aircraft carried out bombing against Moscow, as well as Yaroslavl, Gorky, Saratov, and other Soviet cities.
Anna Morozova and her family found themselves in the Nazi occupation within the five-kilometre “dead zone” around the settlement, established by the enemy in order to secure the strategic airfield — in the deep rear. Together with several local young women, Anna Morozova became involved in the Komsomol youth underground organisation, which was coordinated by the Bryansk partisan headquarters.
Operating under extraordinarily difficult conditions deep in the enemy rear, Anna Morozova and her comrades successfully performed their tasks over a period of two years, inflicting substantial damage on the enemy. Their clandestine partisan activities included numerous acts of successful sabotage directed against Nazi aircraft, railway echelons, and ammunition depots belonging to the German fascist invaders.
In 1944, Anna Morozova was sent to East Prussia and Poland as a member of the scout group codenamed "Jack". The unit uncovered a secret Luftwaffe airfield and gathered strategically significant intelligence on the Nazi garrisons in the region.
At the end of December 1944, a member of the “Jack” group was captured by the enemy and, under torture, disclosed his comrades' temporary dislocation, thereby exposing the entire unit to Germans. SS units subsequently located the Soviet scouts and launched a large-scale manhunt.
Engaged in unequal fight with the superior Nazi troops, Anna Morozova was heavily wounded.
Polish partisans concealed her in a willow thicket, but the Nazis eventually discovered her safe haven. Morozova kept fighting until expending her final cartridge and, in order to avoid capture, detonated a grenade, killing herself together with the advancing SS punitive detachment.
🎖 In 1965, Anna Morozova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously) “for exceptional service, courage, and heroism performed in the struggle against the German fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
***
To mark the 20th Anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the multi-part motion picture Calling Fire Upon Ourselves was produced by Mosfilm, based on the novella by Ovidy Gorchakov.
The film depicts real events that occurred in 1942–1943 in the Nazi rear in the Bryansk region, specifically in Seshcha. The role of Anna Morozova was portrayed by Lyudmila Kasatkina.
#OurHeroes #WeRemember #Victory81
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#FacesOfVictory
📆 On September 27, 1942, during the #BattleOfStalingrad, the legendary defence of 'Pavlov’s House' commenced — the epic fierce fighting for a residential building near the right bank of the Volga River, which was heroically defended for almost two months by a group of Red Army soldiers led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov.
The battle for #PavlovHouse lasted 5️⃣8️⃣ days.
❗️ "Pavlov’s House" defenders set out a stronghold in an ordinary #Stalingrad residential building — turning the house into an impregnable fortress. The Red Army slodiers held back the enemy’s onslaught for very much longer than entire European nations resisted the Nazis in the early years of #WW2 — Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France — all were crushed by Hitler's war machine within a matter of (!) just weeks.
💬 As Marshal Vasily Chuikov, a Hero of the Battle of Stalingrad, later recalled:
The stakes in the fighting for 'Pavlov’s House' were extremely high — the Red Army soldiers fought to the death for the entire Volga defensive bridgehead — preventing the enemy from crossing the river and establishing a foothold on its right bank. 👉 The capture of this key bridgehead would have enabled the Nazis to break through the defensive lines of our forces and cut off the Soviet Union’s vital wartime transport artery during the #GreatPatrioticWar.
The defence of 'Pavlov’s House' has gone down in world history as a symbol of the unrivaled courage, fearlessness and unbending will of the Soviet people — the Heroic generation of our Victorious Nation that defeated the Nazi Reich and defended the sovereignty and independence of our #Motherland.
***
In the autumn of 1942, amid fierce defensive battles for Stalingrad, a reconnaissance group led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov reached a four-storey residential building on Lenin Square in the city centre, near the right bank of the Volga, during the night of September 27.
The building seized by Pavlov’s men was, in fact, the forward defence point on the entire front. It was an ordinary residential building made of just brick and timber and was hardly suitable for establishing a stronghold capable of holding back the Nazi hordes.
The group of Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, which was being pushed back towards the river by the enemy, had to make a stand in that building, drawing Wehrmacht units advancing towards the Volga into the fighting and buying time to prepare the Red Army’s counteroffensive near Stalingrad.
Within just days, Pavlov’s men managed to equip the building for long-lasting defence. When the Germans launched their offensive, the 'Pavlov’s House' defenders — around just 30 (!) soldiers vs. hordes of well-equiped and armed Nazis — mounted a determined all-round defence, moving between the floors depending on the direction of the enemy attacks.
In response, the Germans unleashed the firepower of its artillery and tank armada on 'Pavlov’s House'. The enemy subjected the building to direct-fire bombardment from effectively all sides simultaneously.
It looked like Pavlov’s men were doomed.
🌟 Yet, despite the increasingly intense fire of the Nazi artillery, the defenders of the 'Pavlov's House took #NoStepBack!
They heroically held their positions for almost two months (!), steadfastly repelling endless enemy attacks and preventing the Germans from breaking through to the Volga.
#OurHeroes #LestWeForget
After the Great Patriotic War, 'Pavlov’s House' was rebuilt. Today, this memorial serves as a symbol of the heroism of the defenders of Stalingrad.
🎖 The Heroes of 'Pavlov’s House' were duly honoured by their Motherland.
Yakov Pavlov was awarded the Star of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion, while his other soldiers who fought for the legendary House received the Orders of the Red Star, the Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd Class, as well as the Medal “For the Defence of Stalingrad”.
#Victory81
📆 On September 27, 1942, during the #BattleOfStalingrad, the legendary defence of 'Pavlov’s House' commenced — the epic fierce fighting for a residential building near the right bank of the Volga River, which was heroically defended for almost two months by a group of Red Army soldiers led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov.
The battle for #PavlovHouse lasted 5️⃣8️⃣ days.
❗️ "Pavlov’s House" defenders set out a stronghold in an ordinary #Stalingrad residential building — turning the house into an impregnable fortress. The Red Army slodiers held back the enemy’s onslaught for very much longer than entire European nations resisted the Nazis in the early years of #WW2 — Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France — all were crushed by Hitler's war machine within a matter of (!) just weeks.
💬 As Marshal Vasily Chuikov, a Hero of the Battle of Stalingrad, later recalled:
Yakov Pavlov’s men killed considerably more Nazi soldiers than the defenders of Paris during Hitler's invasion
The stakes in the fighting for 'Pavlov’s House' were extremely high — the Red Army soldiers fought to the death for the entire Volga defensive bridgehead — preventing the enemy from crossing the river and establishing a foothold on its right bank. 👉 The capture of this key bridgehead would have enabled the Nazis to break through the defensive lines of our forces and cut off the Soviet Union’s vital wartime transport artery during the #GreatPatrioticWar.
The defence of 'Pavlov’s House' has gone down in world history as a symbol of the unrivaled courage, fearlessness and unbending will of the Soviet people — the Heroic generation of our Victorious Nation that defeated the Nazi Reich and defended the sovereignty and independence of our #Motherland.
***
In the autumn of 1942, amid fierce defensive battles for Stalingrad, a reconnaissance group led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov reached a four-storey residential building on Lenin Square in the city centre, near the right bank of the Volga, during the night of September 27.
The building seized by Pavlov’s men was, in fact, the forward defence point on the entire front. It was an ordinary residential building made of just brick and timber and was hardly suitable for establishing a stronghold capable of holding back the Nazi hordes.
The group of Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, which was being pushed back towards the river by the enemy, had to make a stand in that building, drawing Wehrmacht units advancing towards the Volga into the fighting and buying time to prepare the Red Army’s counteroffensive near Stalingrad.
Within just days, Pavlov’s men managed to equip the building for long-lasting defence. When the Germans launched their offensive, the 'Pavlov’s House' defenders — around just 30 (!) soldiers vs. hordes of well-equiped and armed Nazis — mounted a determined all-round defence, moving between the floors depending on the direction of the enemy attacks.
In response, the Germans unleashed the firepower of its artillery and tank armada on 'Pavlov’s House'. The enemy subjected the building to direct-fire bombardment from effectively all sides simultaneously.
It looked like Pavlov’s men were doomed.
They heroically held their positions for almost two months (!), steadfastly repelling endless enemy attacks and preventing the Germans from breaking through to the Volga.
#OurHeroes #LestWeForget
After the Great Patriotic War, 'Pavlov’s House' was rebuilt. Today, this memorial serves as a symbol of the heroism of the defenders of Stalingrad.
🎖 The Heroes of 'Pavlov’s House' were duly honoured by their Motherland.
Yakov Pavlov was awarded the Star of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion, while his other soldiers who fought for the legendary House received the Orders of the Red Star, the Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd Class, as well as the Medal “For the Defence of Stalingrad”.
#Victory81
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