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Aleksander MomotenkoChairman of the Nikolaev regional organization of veterans of Ukraine, Nikolaev, Hero of Ukraine.
Country:
 Ukraine |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Komsomol and Political Involvement
- World War II and Military Service
- Post-War Career
- State Service and Veteran Advocacy
- Honors and Awards
- Legacy
Early Life and Education
Born on January 15, 1915, in a humble family in a village that later became the town of Novyi Buh, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine, Oleksandr Ivanovich Momotenko was the son of farmers Ivan Oleksiyovych Momotenko and Praskovia Ivanivna Tsehelna. After his mother's passing when he was nine, his father remarried, and he gained a younger half-brother named Vanya.
In 1931, after completing pedagogical courses, Momotenko became a primary school teacher in the village of Kalynivka, Novyi Buh district.
Komsomol and Political Involvement
As a dedicated member of the Komsomol (Young Communist League), Momotenko was elected to the Ulyanovsk District Council in 1937. Later, in 1939, he moved to Mykolaiv and served as the head of the rural youth department of the Oblast Komsomol Committee.
World War II and Military Service
With the outbreak of World War II in 1941, Momotenko was elected as the First Secretary of the Oblast Komsomol Committee, a position he held until December 1941 when he entered the Red Army to fight in the war. During his service, he sustained a severe injury and was hospitalized.
Post-War Career
After returning from the war in May 1945, Momotenko resumed his political career in the Oblast Party Committee, serving as an instructor and then deputy head of the military department. In 1951, he was elected as the First Secretary of the Central District Party Committee, and in 1954, as the Second Secretary of the Oblast Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
State Service and Veteran Advocacy
From 1974 to 1986, Momotenko headed the Oblast Committee of People's Control. In 1987, he became the Chairman of the Mykolaiv Oblast Organization of Veterans of Ukraine, a position he held until his passing.
Honors and Awards
For his bravery and self-sacrifice during World War II and his outstanding contributions to the veterans' movement in Ukraine, Momotenko was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine on May 7, 2005. He also received numerous other awards, including the Order of the Gold Star of Hero of Ukraine, Soviet orders of the Patriotic War, the Red Star, and the Badge of Honor, as well as Ukrainian orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the Order of Merit.
Momotenko was also bestowed with the Honorary Distinction of the President of Ukraine, the Honorary Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and the honorary citizenship of Novyi Buh.
Legacy
Oleksandr Ivanovich Momotenko passed away in Mykolaiv on December 12, 2013. He was buried at the Meshkovsky Cemetery. His wife, Yevdokia Andreevna, had passed away in 1998. They had a daughter, Lyubov Oleksandrivna. Momotenko's legacy continues to inspire veterans and his memory is honored as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication to his country.
