Fedor Poletaev National hero of Italy, Hero of the Soviet Union Date of Birth: 14.05.1909 Country: Russia

1. National Hero of Italy, Hero of the Soviet Union
2. Joining the Partisan Movement
3. The Battle of Cantalupo
4. The Legacy and Recognition

National Hero of Italy, Hero of the Soviet Union

Fedor Poletaev, also known as Fedor Poetan, was born on May 14, 1909, in the village of Katino in Ryazan Oblast, Russia. At the age of 22, he was conscripted into the army and later worked in a collective farm forge after being demobilized. When the Great Patriotic War began, Poletaev was mobilized again and sent to the 9th Infantry Division. In the summer of 1942, his division was surrounded, and he was taken prisoner. For the next two years, he was moved from one prisoner of war camp to another until he ended up in Liguria, Italy.

Joining the Partisan Movement

Liguria, particularly the city of Genoa, was a center for the partisan movement in the Apennines. Poletaev managed to escape with a group of prisoners of war in the summer of 1944 and soon became a fighter of the "Orest" brigade, part of the partisan division "Pinan Chikero." The Italians changed his surname to "Poetan." Known for his discipline, courage, and remarkable composure, the Russian soldier quickly earned the love and deep respect of the partisans.

The Battle of Cantalupo

In early 1945, the Germans decided to eliminate the Ligurian partisans and launched a broad punitive operation. Near the town of Cantalupo, a crucial battle unfolded that would determine the fate of the partisan forces in the region. Poletaev, along with a group of partisans from Nino Franki's detachment, blocked the German soldiers' path. Despite being outnumbered, their determined attack forced the Germans to switch to a defensive position. They took cover behind a bend in the snow-covered road and in a nearby shed. Time was of the essence for the partisans, as reinforcements could arrive at any moment. Suddenly, Poletaev emerged in full height on the snow. Leading the fire from his machine gun, he ordered the German soldiers to surrender in a powerful and commanding voice. The partisans quickly arrived, and the bewildered Germans began to drop their weapons and raise their hands. However, one of them unexpectedly raised his gun and shot Poletaev in the heart. He, the man to whom the Ligurian partisans owed their salvation and victory, was fatally wounded.

The Legacy and Recognition

Fedor Poletaev was buried with full honors at the cemetery in Rocchetta, and later his remains were ceremoniously transferred to the "Staglieno" cemetery in Genoa. On April 25, 1947, a rally took place in Genoa, during which a representative of the Italian government presented a bronze five-pointed star, the emblem of a Garibaldi partisan fighter, to the Soviet consul for Poletaev's family. Another honor was the gold medal "For Military Valor" on a blue moiré ribbon. On the back of the gold disc was engraved his name - Fedor Aleksandr Poetan. The gold medal is the highest and most prestigious award of the Italian Resistance. It is worth noting that in Italy, generals must give the first salute to a soldier awarded the Gold Medal. It is a very rare distinction, and among its recipients, there is not a single foreigner except for Russian soldier Fedor Poletaev, who became the National Hero of Italy.

It was only 15 years later that the authorities recognized Poletaev's heroism, as the word "prisoner of war" no longer synonymous with "traitor." Journalist Sergei Smirnov, with the help of found photographs and documents, proved that the National Hero of Italy was none other than Fedor Andrianovich Poletaev, a peasant blacksmith from Ryazan and a Soviet warrior. By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on December 26, 1962, Fedor Andrianovich Poletaev was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his bravery and courage demonstrated in battles against the German fascist invaders as part of an Italian partisan detachment. A monument to F.A. Poletaev was erected in Ryazan on December 24, 1970, on a street named after the hero. Italy also has monuments dedicated to him, and an oil tanker, the "Fedor Poletaev," was named in his honor. The ashes of Fedor Poletaev rest in peace at the Staglieno cemetery in Genoa, on a marble plaque within a bronze laurel wreath oval there is his photograph and the inscription in golden letters: "Gold Medal. Fedor Aleksandr Poetan (Fedor). Cantalupo, Liguria. 2/2 1945."