KASPARYAN SUREN AKOPOVICH

KASPARYAN SUREN AKOPOVICH

Sergeant of Guard, Participant of World War II, The Hero of the Soviet Union (November 18, 1944)

He was born on August 15, 1924 in the village of Kilijbakh in the Stepanakert district of Nagorno-Karabakh (now the Askeran region of the KSSR) in an Armenian peasant family. When he was a child, the Kasparyan family moved to Tashkent for permanent residence, and he finished in 1940 from the 7^th grade of high school. After finished from high school, he worked as a plumber at the Gorky shoe factory in Tashkent.

At the age of 18, he was drafted into the Red Army in December 1942 by the Leninsky District Military Commissariat in Tashkent.

During World War II, the 82^nd Guards Rifle Division of the 8^th Guards Army served as an artilleryman in the 86^th Guards Special Fighter-Tank Division. In 1943, the Artillery Regiment graduated from the School of Artillery Directors, became a sergeant, and enlisted in the army in October of that year. He took a heroic part in the battles against the Nazi invaders on the 3^rd Ukrainian and 1^st Belorussian fronts.

During World War II, he served as an artilleryman in the 82^nd Guards Rifle Division of the 8^th Guards Army and the 86^th Guards Special Fighter-Tank Division. He graduated from the Artillery Regiment’s School of Artillery Directors in 1943, was promoted to sergeant, and enlisted in the Army in October of that year. He took a heroic part in the battles against the Nazi invaders on the 3^rd Ukrainian and the 1^st Belorussian fronts.

He fought valiantly in the battles of Poland on August 20, 1944. During the Battle of Magnushevsky bridgehead, the Nazis tried to stop Soviet troops from advancing west. In this aim, the Nazis launched a counterattack with infantry and 40 heavy and medium heavy tanks. 19 of tanks attacked the firing point of Kasparyan’s artillery.

Kasparyan resolutely fought with the enemy and destroyed their tank on the first attack. The first success inspired the sergeant, despite the strong fire of the enemy, he continued to bravely shoot the Nazis and destroyed 4 German Tiger tanks in a row. A total of 5 tanks were destroyed by the sergeant, the rest retreated. However, one of the enemy tanks managed to destroy the artillery several times, and Kasparyan was severely wounded. He did not leave the battlefield despite being wounded. But he was sent back by order of the commander.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 18, 1944, “For exemplary performance of combat duties, courage and heroism in the fight against Nazi invaders on the front” Sergeant Suren Kasparyan was awarded the title of “The Hero of the Soviet Union”.

He died on January 3, 1994.