Kononov Alexander Fedorovich - one of those heroes whose name was lost in the sands of time. Therefore, for many, this person remains unknown, since his personality almost never fell into the sight of the media. This is sad, because during the Second World War he proved himself to be an incredible daredevil, able to withstand an entire army of German soldiers.
Prewar years
Kononov Alexander Fedorovich was born on September 12, 1925. His homeland was the small village of Visimo-Utkinsk, which is located in the Sverdlovsk region. His parents were from a poor class. Therefore, after graduating from four classes, Alexander went to work for the local logging industry.
It should be noted that this event played an important role in his life. After all, it was here that Alexander Kononov learned to drive a tractor. In the future, this will help him cope with the T-34 tank, which will become his weapon of retaliation against the German invaders.
The Great Patriotic War
According to official documents, Alexander Kononov was enlisted in the ranks of soldiers of the Red Army in June 1943. When they learned about his ability to drive a tractor, he was sent to the 11th training tank regiment, where he took the course of a young soldier. And already in December 1943 Kononov came to the front as a driver-mechanic of the T-34 of the 2nd Tank Army.
He spent most of the war on the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian fronts. In 1944, their division was transferred to the 2nd Belorussian Front. And in 1945, together with the rest of the troops went on the offensive in the Berlin direction. During all this time, he repeatedly proved himself to be a valiant and judicious warrior, for which he received an award from a senior management.
Brilliant victory over the Germans near Poland
In January 1945, the tank division of Alexander Kononov took up a position near the Polish city of Gruec. The Germans were well equipped here, which led to fierce resistance on their part. In addition, in one of the battles, the commander of Alexander tragically dies, but, instead of panic, the young man takes command.
As a result, Alexander Kononov proved himself to be a born leader. Thanks to his precise orders, enemy communications were destroyed. In addition, he managed to defeat 3 tanks, 4 trucks with ammunition, 37 carts with a cargo of Germans, as well as two platoons of enemy soldiers.
Members of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, admired by such a victory, in February 1945 awarded Alexander Fedorovich Kononov the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Later he will be given the Order of Lenin and the Golden Star medal. However, the awards did not stop the young fighter, and he decided to continue the attack on the enemy. As a result, Kononov with his tank brigade reached Germany itself, taking part in battles on the Elbe River.
Peaceful time
At the end of the war, the foreman of the Soviet Army Alexander Kononov decided to stay in Germany. Here he served until 1950, after which he was demobilized to his homeland. But here, I didn’t stay idle for a long time, because I found a tractor driver’s place in the exploration team of the Tagil expedition.
In January 1952 he received a promotion, after which he became a senior drilling worker. In 1953 he joined the Vysokogorsk Geological Party, where he worked for the next 27 years. During this time, he managed to conduct more than one hundred geological explorations and drilling, most of which took place without the slightest hesitation.
Ultimately, the party leadership spoke of him as the best worker capable of solving any problem. In addition, thanks to his efforts, many new deposits were discovered, which became a great contribution to the development of the country's economy.
Retirement years
Alexander Kononov retired in 1980. However, despite this, he continued to work under the banner of his own party for several years. Only in 1983 he finally abandoned the geological business and switched to a peaceful retirement life in Nizhny Tagil. But even here the great hero proved himself as a real man.
So, Kononov took an active citizenship. Over the years, he conducted educational work with adolescents, instilling in them the spirit of true patriotism. For this, in 1995 he was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the city.
Died Alexandra Fedorovich Kononov November 29, 2006. The grave of the great Hero of the Soviet Union is located in his hometown of Visimo-Utkinsk, where his relatives moved him after his death.