Kopytov, Stepan Loginovich

Stepan Loginovich Kopytov was born on August 15, 1924 in the village of Brylino, Chashinsky district, Ural region , (now Kargapolsky district, Kurgan region ).

He graduated from elementary school, after which he worked on a collective farm . He looked after the horses, worked in the forge as a hammer thresher ^[1] .

In 1940 he was sent to the Kopeysk school of factory apprenticeship . When the Great Patriotic War began , he participated in the unloading and installation of equipment of enterprises evacuated from the western regions of the country.

September 26, 1942 Kopytov was called up by the Chashinsky RVK to serve in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and was sent to the training regiment of junior commanders. He graduated from the regimental school. Since August 25, 1943 - on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. He participated in the Battle of Kursk , was a shooter of the 3rd Rifle Battalion of the 29th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 12th Guards Rifle Division of the 61st Army of the Central Front . He distinguished himself during the battle of the Dnieper ^[2] .

On September 28, 1943, Kopytov was among the first in the regiment to cross the Dnieper in the vicinity of the village of Glushets, Loyovsky district, Gomel region of the Belorussian SSR, and took an active part in repelling German counterattacks. On September 29, he carried out a wounded company commander, Lieutenant Kudryavitsky, from a battlefield, killed 3 German soldiers in hand-to-hand combat, then, defending a trench with a wounded commander, destroyed about 10 more soldiers. In that battle, he received a bayonet wound in the chest and was picked up by the funeral team of another part. During the sorting of the bodies, the orderlies discovered that Kopytov was still alive, and sent him to the hospital. In his part, he was declared dead ^[2] .

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 15, 1944, Junior Sergeant Stepan Kopytov was posthumously awarded the high rank of Hero of the Soviet Union for "exemplary execution of the combat missions of command on the front of the fight against the German invaders and the courage and heroism shown by the guard". When it turned out that Kopytov was alive, he was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal number 8266 ^[2] . At the time of submission to the title of Hero S.L. Kopytov - non-partisan.

After the war, Kopytov was demobilized. He lived in the city of Mogocha, Chita Region , worked as a locomotive engineer.

Stepan Loginovich Kopytov died on December 22, 1993, was buried on the Walk of Fame of the Mogochi city ​​cemetery ^[2] .

• The Gold Star Medal No. 8266, January 15, 1944 ^[3] .
• Order of Lenin , January 15, 1944 .
• Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree.
• 5 medals ^[4] .
• Badge "Honorary Railway Worker" .

A street in Mogoch and an electric locomotive “ VL60 ” are named in honor of Kopytov ^[2] .

• 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.
• Aleshkin A.M. With a heart on an embrasure. Irkutsk, 1976.
• The Golden Constellation Trans-Urals. Prince 1. The mound. Parus-M. 2000.