Vladimir Osmuhin Member of the underground organization 'Young Guard'. Date of Birth: 01.01.1925 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Vladimir Osmukhin

Vladimir Osmukhin was born on January 1, 1925, in the city of Krasnodon, into a family of civil servants. His father, an engineer-economist, was a knowledgeable and well-read man who had a significant influence on Vladimir's character, teaching him to love books and fostering his curiosity. From a young age, Vladimir was fascinated by stories of courageous and brave individuals.

He began attending school at the age of seven and was a diligent student who actively participated in school life. In his early years, he served as the head of the sanitation commission, and in later years, he became a pioneer leader and the editor of the school newspaper. Teachers remember Vladimir Osmukhin as a recognized expert in electrical engineering, spending evenings in the physics lab reading popular technical magazines and constructing models. He was also a talented artist, with one of his drawings dedicated to A.S. Pushkin displayed in the "Young Guard" museum.

In 1939, Vladimir Osmukhin, a student at School No. 4 named after K.E. Voroshilov, joined the ranks of the Lenin Komsomol. In 1941, his family was struck by a great tragedy when his father passed away. Vladimir deeply mourned the loss of his close and kind friend. Just a month later, the Great Patriotic War began. In the new school year, he entered the 10th grade but, without completing his studies, he started working as an electrician in the mechanical workshop of the CEMM.

With the arrival of the Nazis, childhood came to an end, and a harsh youth began. In his diary, Vladimir Osmukhin wrote, "The fascist beasts are raging in our hometown. What is more valuable than the Motherland? - Nothing!" He had already decided that he would fight against the hated enemy. "Better to die standing than to live on one's knees," he wrote. Soon, Vladimir returned to his previous place of work as a mechanic at the CEMM. A strong bond was formed between him and F.P. Lyutikov, who knew the Osmukhin family well and trusted Vladimir. Lyutikov assigned this determined young man various tasks, such as distributing leaflets, collecting weapons, and engaging in acts of sabotage in the workshops. Through Lyutikov, the leader of the underground party, Vladimir maintained contact with the underground Komsomol, of which he was a member.

Together with his friends, Osmukhin listened to Soviet Information Bureau broadcasts on a restored old radio, wrote texts for leaflets, and actively participated in the preparation for the 25th anniversary of the October Revolution. In the apartment of Georgy Arutyunyants, the boys, including Vladimir, set up an underground printing press and on the night of November 6, 1942, released the first printed leaflet exposing the false propaganda of the occupiers. Using a primitive printing press, the underground activists also produced copies of temporary Komsomol membership cards.

In November, a group of Young Guard members, including Sergey Tyulenyin, Semyon Ostapenko, Demyan Fomin, and Vladimir Osmukhin, set up an ambush near the village of Shevyrevka and recovered a herd of cattle that the Nazis had seized from the local population to send to Germany. On January 5, 1943, Osmukhin was arrested. After enduring brutal torture, he was thrown into a mine shaft on January 15. He was buried in a mass grave of heroes in the central square of the city of Krasnodon.

Vladimir Andreevich Osmukhin was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class, and the Medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War," 1st Class.