Soviet Nevsky Pyatachok

[abmskid]

I am a canadian and I am married to a beautiful ukrainian woman, who grandfather (still alive today) fought at the Nevsky Pyatachok (Nevsky bridgehead). He is 93 years old. He has a medal from this battle and I am trying to find out more of this battle and the medal. I know the medal is very important as his whole pension (and it is a decent pension) is based on this medal. I know the battle was horrific from what little I have read on the web and the stories I have heard from grandfather. He was there in leningrad for the siege and described living there and the battles he fought in. During the Nevsky bridgehead battle he described the crossing of the river in this way, the river water was blue and cold but during the battle it was red and warm! Any information on this battle or the medal would be greatly appreciated. Grandfather was a captain in the infantry and there was about 2000 men in his regiment when the battle started, after the battle he was one of 12 men left in the regiment.

[censlenov]

Could you please post a picture of the medal or desrcibe it abit. You've got me interested with such a great story.

Cheers

Chris

[abmskid]

I will get my wife to get a picture of this medal and post it as soon as possible, front and back, I do remember the medal had this type of picture engraved on it, it shows the two banks of the river neva and the arrow indicating the push across and the bridgehead. Grandfather lived through the seige of Leningrad and all the horrors of it, he remembers eating sawdust cookies with motor oil holding the fine chips together. He told me about other stories of people eating the dead. One night in his encampment a young girl about 8 years old ran into the camp and woke the soldiers and him asking for protection from her parents. Apparently she had over heard her parents discussing that as soon as she was asleep they would kill her and eat her as they had no food. I cannot imagine what he lived through and what he saw. These are a few of the things he told me about. Its hard to talk to him as he doesn't speak any english so my wife with her limited english has to translate what I ask and then what he says. Also some of the questions get tough for him because he then remembers other things that he doesn't want to remember and then that conversational topic is closed. He likes to talk about his experiences in the war but there are certain things he doesn't want to remember. My wife told about one, at one time when they were fighting the finnish army he said that the most brutal troops he ever fought against were the Finnish womens battalions (thats right battalions of women soldiers), He said that on several occaisions they would find russian soldiers that had been skinned and hung from trees. Its no wonder at times he just stops talking and walks into the other room.

Edited February 17, 2010 by abmskid

[abmskid]

Could you please post a picture of the medal or desrcibe it abit. You've got me interested with such a great story.

Cheers

Chris

[abmskid]

Have the picture but can't get it to upload can you help

Alan

[censlenov]

Hi Alan

you'll have to either resize the photo to under 110kb's (to paste on the forum) or upload to photobucket and paste a link.

Cheers

Chris

[abmskid]

Hi Alan

you'll have to either resize the photo to under 110kb's (to paste on the forum) or upload to photobucket and paste a link.

Cheers

Chris

[RedMaestro]

Very interesting story!

I've never seen that medal before. Perhaps some commemorative award? Could we please see the rest of the picture? It looks like there is also an Order of the Red Star at the very least!

-Alex

[abmskid]

No its not commemorative, it is the actual award that he was given, he receives a pension along with other benefits because of this medal. A normal pension is usually around 800 hryvna but he receives 2200 hryvna, also it entitles him to free medical support, outside of medicines. He has a number of medals, I will see if I can get them online in the next week or so. Of all his medals this one is the important to him.

Alan

[abmskid]

Hope this works, here are the medals in photobucket, the link is

http://s940.photobucket.com/home/abmskid/index

Alan

[koopyetz]

Alan:

With the Red Star you are in a position to get it researched. You will have additonal historical information about your Grandfather's time in the Great Patriotic War and learn the circumstances surrounding this award.