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Vladimir KuznetsovPlatoon Commander of the 276th Guards Rifle Regiment, Guards Junior Lieutenant, Hero of the Soviet Union
Date of Birth: 16.06.1916
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Content:
- Early Life
- Pre-War Career
- Military Service
- Battle for Stalingrad
- Battle of Kursk and Beyond
- Crossing the Dnieper River
- Heroism and Award
- Post-War Career
- Kuznetsov died on April 10, 1987, and was buried in Pervomaisk.
Early Life
Vladimir Ivanovich Kuznetsov was born on June 16, 1916, in the Kletsky Voisko Don Oblast (now Surovikinsky District in Volgograd Region) to a peasant family. In 1933, he graduated from a junior high school in the town of Surovikino.
Pre-War Career
After completing vocational training in 1934, Kuznetsov worked at the "StalGRES" power plant as a duty officer. From 1935 to 1938, he was employed as a repairman at the "1-bis" mine. In 1938, he was appointed leader of the folk instrument club at the Maxim Gorky Club in Krasnodon. Among his students were several members of the future "Young Guard" resistance group.
Military Service
Kuznetsov was conscripted into the Red Army in 1941 and sent to the Shostkino Sumy oblast. With the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, his unit was transferred to the Urals. In 1942, he was sent to a military academy in Tyumen but could not complete his studies.
Battle for Stalingrad
Kuznetsov was assigned to the 93rd Independent Rifle Brigade in August 1942. The brigade participated in the Battle of Stalingrad, with Kuznetsov receiving his first combat experience on October 20, 1942. For their role in defeating the enemy, the brigade was renamed the 12th Guards Independent Rifle Brigade.
Battle of Kursk and Beyond
In March 1943, the brigade was transferred to the Kursk Bulge area and reorganized into the 92nd Guards Rifle Division. Kuznetsov fought in battles in Belgorod and Voronezh regions, as well as in the liberation of Ukraine and Moldova.
Crossing the Dnieper River
In September 1943, the division joined the Steppe Front and arrived at the Kremenchug direction. On September 27, they liberated the town of Koleberda and reached the Dnieper River. Kuznetsov's platoon was ordered to cross the river, establish a beachhead, and hold it until reinforcements arrived.
Heroism and Award
On the night of September 30, 1943, Kuznetsov's platoon crossed the Dnieper River near the village of Uspenka. They captured a beachhead and held it for four days under heavy enemy fire. Kuznetsov destroyed two enemy tanks using grenades and Molotov cocktails.
For his courage and heroism, Kuznetsov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on February 22, 1944. He received the award on December 23, 1944.
Post-War Career
Kuznetsov was discharged from the army in January 1945 due to health reasons. He settled in the city of Pervomaisk in the Nikolaev region of Ukraine, where he worked in various positions within the construction industry.
