Burba, Vladimir Trofimovich

Volodymyr Burba was born in 1918 in the city of Radomyshl (now Zhytomyr Region of Ukraine ) in a working-class family. He graduated from high school. In 1938 - 1940 he served in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. In 1941, Burba graduated from the second course of the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute . In June 1941 he was re-drafted. In 1942 he joined the VKP (b) . From the same year - on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. He participated in battles on the Southern , South-Western , 3rd Ukrainian and 1st Byelorussian fronts. In 1942 he graduated from the courses "Shot". By August 1944, Guards Lieutenant Vladimir Burba commanded a rifle company of the 220th Guards Rifle Regiment ( 79th Guards Rifle Division , 28th Guards Rifle Corps , 8th Guards Army , 1st Belorussian Front). He distinguished himself during the crossing of the Vistula ^[1] .

The rifle company, commanded by Lieutenant Vladimir Trifonovich Burba, occupied defenses in the rye. During the battle, it turned out that this was the most important part of the division’s defense - the enemy sent the main attack here. Communist Burba skillfully organized the defense. The tanks were met with grenades and armor-piercing fire. The shooters beat on the gaps from rifles and machine guns, blinding the drivers of enemy vehicles. Six attacks, one after another undertaken by the Nazis, but could not get through the line occupied by the guards. The seventh attack began. Tanks came close to the positions of our infantry. The lieutenant rushed towards the lead tank and hit him with a bunch of grenades. But then the second tank advanced. Burba, seeing no other way to stop the enemy, with a second bunch of grenades rushed under the enemy machine and blew it up.

The communist officer was loyal to the oath until his last breath. At the cost of his life, he detained the enemy. Inspired by the commander's immortal feat, the guardsmen stood to death. No one spared his life, everyone had one thought: to stand up and win, to revenge the enemy for the death of his beloved commander.

- Marshal of the Soviet Union V.I. Chuikov , "The End of the Third Reich" ^[2]

On August 1, 1944, the company of Burba crossed the Vistula south-east of Warsaw . During the day, the fighters repelled German counterattacks. On the second day after the massed air raids, the German troops launched new counterattacks. Six attacks were repulsed for the second day. During the seventh counterattack, when the positions of the company attacked 17 tanks , Burba shouted: “Death to fascism! We will die, but we will not retreat! ”- rushed to the tanks and blew up two of them with grenades . On August 7, 1944, when German troops again attacked the positions of the company, Burba destroyed one tank with a bunch of grenades, and under the second he rushed himself with another bundle in his hands. The tank was destroyed, but Bourba himself was killed in the explosion. The feat of Burba allowed to repel this attack, and in the evening reinforcements approached the remnants of the company. Vladimir Burba was buried in the village Mushkovichy of the Warsaw Voivodeship of Poland ^[1] .

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 24, 1945, for the “unprecedented feat in battles with the German fascist invaders on the bridgehead beyond the Vistula River” guard Lieutenant Vladimir Burba was posthumously awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union . He was also awarded the Order of Lenin and the Red Star .

The street in Radomyshl is named after Burba. The name of Burba is carved on the monument to the Heroes of the Soviet Union - natives of the Radomyshl region ^[1] .

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. College I. Shkadov . - Moscow : Military Publishing , 1987. - T. 1 / Abaev - Lyubichev /. - 911 s. - 100 000 copies - ISBN SEC., Reg. Number in the PSC 87-95382.
• Golden Stars Polesie. 3rd ed., Kiev, 1985.