Hero of the Soviet Union: Alexander Matrosov’s Legendary Sacrifice From 75 Years Ago is Remembered

This year marks 75 years since the feat of Alexander Matrosov. In the battle in Pskov region in 1943 a 19 y.o. kid from a group home blocked the German machine gun with his body. As a result, his group fulfilled the military mission. Matrosov was a military volunteer. He was in action for only two days. His military feat influenced the Great Patriotic War. Dmitry Pischukhin reports on the case. It was the third year of the GPW, Leningrad has just been besieged, Stalingrad suffocates in the fire. Meanwhile near Pskov the 6th rifle regiment had the mission to destroy the enemy's troops in the important transportation knot, Chernushki village. The main goal is to fling back the enemy as far as possible. Alexander Matrosov with the assault detachment gets the mission to destroy firing points of the enemy. Breakthrough efforts were in vain. In one of pillboxes the machine gun kept shelling. The young soldier made a desperate decision — to block the fire with his body. He just turned 19 on Feb. 5, 1943. A young guy from Dnepropetrovsk, raised in an orphan home, sacrifices his life for the offensive operation. Elena Kondratovich, Patriotic Center named after Alexander Matrosov: "There was a letter in his pocket to the girl he was in love — Lidia Kurganova from Ufimsk labor colony. "Lida, I love this life so much, but if I happen to die, I'd like to die the way that Russian General did, standing upright and facing the west". The name of Matrosov jointly with Zoya Kosmodamianskaya, Oleg Koshevoy and General Karbyshev became household names. Ivan Vannik participated in the defense operation near Velikye Luki in 1943. He confessed that the feat of Matrosov was inspiring. Ivan Vannik: "We had already forced off two attacks, Germans are getting ready for the third attack. I told the commander: "We've nothing to do but to draw the fire on ourselves." I don't know how I stayed alive". The offensive operation near Velikie Luki in winter 1943 was not only of local significance, it was strategically important. It squeezed the German "Center" group, and broke connections between the German armies in the North and in the South. As a result, Stalingrad battle ended up successfully. This is why the battle for Velikie Luki is sometimes called Maly (Little) Stalingrad. During the Great Patriotic War over 400 soldiers did a heroic deed, but they did not receive publicity. Within the seconds when Matrosov blocked the German pillbox, decided the course of one battle. The seconds, which allowed to change the course of war in the southern wing of the Soviet-German Front. Dmitry Pischugin, Sergei Ishchenko, Yuri Smirnov, Galina Orlova, Vesti.