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Nikita KaracupaHero of the Soviet Union
Date of Birth: 25.04.1910
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
Biography of Nikita Karatsupa
Early Life and Military CareerNikita Fedorovich Karatsupa was born on April 25, 1910 in the village of Alekseyevka, now part of the Kuybyshev district in the Zaporozhye region. He grew up in a peasant family and was raised by his mother after his father's early death. At the age of three, Karatsupa and his mother moved to Kazakhstan, where he lived in Atbasar. At the age of seven, he became an orphan and was raised in the Shchuchinsk children's home in the Kokchetav region.
Karatsupa was drafted into the border troops in October 1932. He completed his training in dog handling at the Far Eastern District Junior Officers School in 1933, and then participated in courses for dog handling officers at the Central Border Troops School. He served as a guide and instructor for the dog service at the Poltavka border post in the Grodekovo Red Banner Border Detachment, as well as in various positions in the Pacific, Eastern, Western, and Transcaucasian Border Districts.
Military Achievements
Karatsupa's exceptional courage and resourcefulness made him a legendary border guard. Despite their elaborate tactics, he was able to apprehend violators of the border, running for long distances and engaging in combat in adverse weather conditions. Over his 20 years of service, Karatsupa participated in 120 clashes with enemies, detained 338 border violators alive, and eliminated 129 spies and saboteurs who refused to surrender their weapons.
Recognition and Later Life
On June 21, 1965, Nikita Fedorovich Karatsupa was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, along with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, for his exemplary performance in defending the State border of the USSR and the displayed courage and heroism. He was also awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Star, and several medals.
Karatsupa's name was given to schools, libraries, river vessels, and border posts in Vietnam and India. He was honored as an honorary border guard of the post where he had faithfully stood guard for the first ten years of his border service. In his later years, he lived in Moscow and worked at the Central Museum of Border Troops. Nikita Karatsupa passed away on November 18, 1994.
