Grafov, Vladimir Sergeevich

Vladimir Grafov was born on June 28, 1913 in the city of Bugulma (now Tatarstan ) in the family of a railway worker. In 1931 he graduated from the Bugulminsky vocational school with a degree in tractor mechanics, after which he worked for some time as a traveling mechanic at the Bugulminsky farm. Since 1931, he worked as a fitter for the assembly of tractor engines at the Leningrad plant “ Red Putilovets ”. He graduated from the rabfak in Leningrad . Returning to Bugulma, he worked until 1935 as a mechanic at the Bugulma machine-tractor workshop. In 1935-1937 he served in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army . Having been demobilized, he worked as the director of the Bugulma branch of Glavavtotractorsbyt. In 1939 - 1940 he again served in the army, participated in the battles at Khalkhin Gol . Since 1940 he worked as the director of the Bugulma machine-tractor workshop ^[1] .

In November 1941, Counts was drafted into the army for the third time. In June 1942, he graduated from the Orenburg Tank School and was sent to the front. He took part in the battles on the Kalinin , Voronezh , 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts. He participated in the battles for the White and Rzhev , the Battle of Kursk , Belgorod-Kharkov , Zhytomyr-Berdychiv , Proskurov-Chernivtsi , Lviv-Sandomir , Vistula-Oder , East Pomeranian , Berlin operations. By April 1945, the Guard Major Vladimir Grafov commanded the guards separate motorcycle battalion of the 8th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. Distinguished himself during the Berlin operation ^[1] .

On April 19, 1945, Grafov led the reflection of enemy counterattacks in the area of ​​the settlement of Marxdorf , 10 kilometers southwest of the city of Zeelov . In that battle, 2 tanks , 4 guns and about 2 infantry companies were destroyed. On April 20-21 , commanding the advance detachment, he approached Erkner , broke through two tanks to the railway bridge over the canal between the lakes, destroyed his guards and cleared mine, which contributed to the successful passage of the canal by parts of the corps and their exit to the suburbs of Berlin . On April 23, Grafov’s battalion was tasked with capturing the Adlershof airfield. The group led by Grafov was the first to cross the Spree and an hour later reached Adlershof, destroying 70 aircraft on it. Once surrounded, the group took the battle with superior enemy forces and was liberated by Abram Temnik's brigade. After that, Grafov’s group connected with Major Vladimir Zhukov’s group and repulsed attacks of superior enemy forces within two days ^[1] .

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 31, 1945, for the “exemplary performance of command missions during the Berlin operation and the courage and heroism shown” of the guard, Major Vladimir Grafov was awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Golden Star medal under the number 7072 ^[1] .

In 1956, with the rank of lieutenant colonel Grafov, he was sacked. He lived in Kazan , worked as the director of the Kazan inter-district workshop of overhaul, the senior engineer of Remmanagement, the director of the Mechanical Repair Shops of the fuel industry, the director of the Central workshops, the chairman of the trade union committee of the Kazdorstroy trust. He died on December 9, 1991, was buried in the Samosyrovsky cemetery of Kazan ^[1] .

He was also awarded the Orders of the Red Banner , World War 1 and 2 degrees, two orders of the Red Star , as well as a number of medals ^[1] .

The bust of Grafov was installed in Bugulma ^[1] .

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov . - M .: Military Publishing , 1987.- T. 1 / Abaev - Lyubichev /. - 911 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN comp., Reg. RCP No. 87-95382.
• Katukov M.E. At the tip of the main blow. Ed. 2nd, rev. - M., 1976.