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Pavel MashtakovParticipant of the Great Patriotic War
Date of Birth: 19.05.1920
Country:  Russia |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Pavel Semyonovich Mashtakov was born on May 19, 1920, in the village of Bolshoe Vysokovo to a peasant family. After completing seventh grade in 1936, he moved to Kovrov to live with relatives and enrolled in a factory school. He completed two years of study before being conscripted into the Red Army in 1940.
Military Service
World War IIDuring the Great Patriotic War, Mashtakov served as a commander of a 76-mm artillery gun in the 146th Guards Artillery Mortar Regiment of the 14th Guards Cavalry Division within the 7th Guards Cavalry Corps of the 1st Belorussian Front. He rose to the rank of Guard Senior Sergeant.
In 1941, Mashtakov received his baptism by fire in the Battle of Taganrog on the Mius River. He distinguished himself by destroying two enemy tanks but was wounded in the process. After recovering in a hospital, he was assigned to the 146th Guards Artillery Mortar Regiment.
Mashtakov fought in the Battle of Stalingrad, the crossing of the Dnieper and Desna rivers, and the liberation of Belarus. He was among the first to reach the Soviet border, earning the Order of the Red Banner. He also played a significant role in the fighting in Poland.
Hero of the Soviet Union
In January 1945, Mashtakov's bravery shone brightest during the battle for Kleintitz. Single-handedly remaining at his gun, he repelled several enemy tank attacks, enabling his regiment's headquarters to break free from encirclement. For this act of heroism, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on March 24, 1945.
Mashtakov participated in the Battle of Berlin and was present at the Frunze Airport on May 19, 1945, to greet the Victory Banner that had been hoisted atop the Reichstag. He marched in the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945.
Post-War Life
In May 1946, Mashtakov was demobilized from the army and moved to Vladimir. He graduated from the Vladimir Power Engineering College in 1949 and worked for 34 years at the "Tekhnika" Production Association before retiring in 1986.
Mashtakov remained actively involved in military and patriotic work as a member of the Oblast Council of Veterans. He was the last Hero of the Soviet Union residing in Vladimir and was honored with obelisks in the Kovrov Alley of Heroes and Vladimir, as well as a bas-relief in Vladimir. His name is also immortalized on the memorial of Ivanovo heroes.
Honors and Awards
Hero of the Soviet Union (January 24, 1945)Order of the Red Banner
Order of Lenin (January 24, 1945)
Order of the Patriotic War, First Degree
Order of the Patriotic War, Second Degree
Order of the Red Star
Medal "For Military Merit"
Honorary Citizen of Vladimir (2005)
Honorary Citizen of Kovrov (2012)
