Turkov, Denis Ilyich

Denis Turkov was born on August 23, 1904 in the village of Brovkino (now the Vyazemsky district of the Smolensk region ). After graduating from four classes of the school, he worked as a foreman of carpenters. In 1926 - 1929 he served in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, graduated from the regimental school. In June 1941, Turkov was called up for service in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. Since August of that year - on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. In the battles he was wounded ^[1] .

By September 1943, the foreman Denis Turkov was an assistant commander of a sapper platoon of the 221st Guards Rifle Regiment of the 77th Guards Rifle Division of the 61st Army of the Central Front . He distinguished himself during the battle of the Dnieper . At the end of September 1943, Turkov organized the collection of ferry facilities - rafts, boats, and ferries. During the crossing across the Dnieper in the vicinity of the Galki village of the Bragin district of the Gomel region of the Belorussian SSR, Turkov replaced the out-of-command platoon commander and successfully delivered reinforcements and ammunition to the bridgehead on the west bank of the river, evacuated the wounded. September 28, 1943 he died in battle. He was buried in a mass grave in the village of Nedanchichi, Repki district, Chernihiv region of Ukraine ^[1] .

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 15, 1944, for the "exemplary performance of command missions at the front of the battle against the German invaders and the courage and heroism shown" of the Guard, Sergeant Major Denis Turkov was posthumously awarded the high rank of Hero of the Soviet Union . He was also awarded the Order of Lenin and a number of medals ^[1] .

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov . - M .: Military Publishing , 1988. - T. 2 / Love - Yashchuk /. - 863 s. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-203-00536-2 .