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Vasiliy KrotiukCommander of the 705th Rifle Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel
Date of Birth: 14.01.1910
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Vasiliy Kupriyanovich Krotjuk
Early Life and CareerVasiliy Krotjuk was born on January 14, 1910, in the village of Dobraya, Ukraine, into a peasant family. After completing seven years of schooling, he became the manager of a village club in 1924.
In 1932, Krotjuk joined the Red Army. He graduated from junior lieutenant courses in 1936 and served in the Far East. He participated in the Khasan battles in 1938 and joined the Communist Party.
World War II
Krotjuk entered the Great Patriotic War in August 1941. In 1942, he was appointed commander of a cadet battalion and sent to the Voronezh sector, where Nazi Germany was advancing towards Stalingrad and the Caucasus.
During the Battle of Kursk, Krotjuk's 705th Rifle Regiment, located at the southernmost point of the Kursk salient, repeatedly repelled German attacks. General Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky, commander of the 60th Army, provided the regiment with crucial artillery support.
Crossing the Dnieper
In September 1943, the 705th Rifle Regiment reached the Dnieper River north of Kyiv and began crossing on makeshift rafts. Despite heavy enemy fire and bombing, the regiment established a bridgehead on the right bank of the river.
Krotjuk's regiment held its positions against numerous German counterattacks involving infantry and tanks. For his courage and heroism during the Dnieper crossing, Krotjuk was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on October 17, 1943.
Later Life
Krotjuk was severely wounded in the Battle of Prague and spent an extended period in hospitals. After demobilization in 1946, he moved to Kyiv as an invalid. He actively participated in local affairs and promoted military-patriotic education among young people.
Vasiliy Krotjuk passed away on March 2, 1982, and was buried in the Lukyanovka Military Cemetery in Kyiv.
