Vasiliy Avramenko Rifleman of the 592nd Rifle Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Date of Birth: 01.01.1913

1. Early Life and Career
2. Military Service
3. Crossing the Dnieper
4. Counterattack and Hand-to-Hand Combat
5. Hero of the Soviet Union
6. Later Life

Early Life and Career

Vasili Maksimovich Avramenko was born in 1913 in the village of Slavgorod, Ukraine, to a peasant family. He received a primary education and later worked as a tractor driver, combine operator, and mechanic in a state farm.

Military Service

Avramenko enlisted in the Red Army in 1941 and served throughout the Great Patriotic War. He fought in the defense of Crimea and later as part of the Southern, Stalingrad, Southwestern, and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts.

Crossing the Dnieper

In 1943, Avramenko was a rifleman in the 592nd Rifle Regiment of the 203rd Rifle Division. During the preparations for the crossing of the Dnieper River near the village of Petro-Svistunovo, he organized the collection and preparation of fishing boats for the operation.

On September 28, 1943, Avramenko and his detachment crossed the river in the first wave. He led his men in fierce fighting on the captured beachhead, destroying a machine gun emplacement and a bunker, killing ten enemy soldiers and capturing three.

Counterattack and Hand-to-Hand Combat

On October 2, 1943, enemy tanks attacked and threatened to encircle the regiment's left flank. Avramenko rallied his comrades and moved forward under heavy fire. He skillfully camouflaged himself, waited for the tanks to approach, and then threw grenades and Molotov cocktails at them. He destroyed one tank and disabled another.

Not wasting a moment, Avramenko led his men in a charge, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He killed several enemy soldiers and forced the rest to retreat. In the fighting for the Dnieper crossing, he killed 30 enemy soldiers and captured three.

Hero of the Soviet Union

For his bravery and heroism, Avramenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on March 19, 1944. However, due to a clerical error, his middle name was incorrectly entered, and he did not receive his award until 1952.

Later Life

Avramenko continued to serve in the Red Army until his demobilization in 1946. He then lived and worked in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, where he died on December 15, 1972.