Russia – Soviet: A Sapper’s Order of the Red Star awarded to Red Army Soldier Mikhail Grigorevich Tabakov, 669th Rifle Regiment, 212th Rifle Division for clearing a minefield outside of Zhizdra, Kaluga Oblast on 28th June 1943 allowing a successful breach of the enemy’s defences. He would as part of a group block an enemy log bunker, destroy 6 German soldiers and take 1 prisoner being severely wounded in the process. This likely marked the end of his service with it being 1968 before the award was presented to him, a not uncommon event as due to the chaos of war, the Red Army would frequently ‘lose’ soldiers who had been wounded and admitted to hospital.
Order of the Red Star, the reverse numbered 3624941
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Along with award document without photograph listing this Order of the Red Star and a Medal for Combat Merit.
Mikhail Grigorevich Tabakov was born in the city of Kineshma, Ivanovo Oblast in 1923. A Russian national he attained an elementary education and joined the Red Army on 9th May 1942. He would see frontline service from the 10th October 1942 when he would participate in the fighting near Roslavl with the 669th Rifle Regiment, 212th Rifle Division.
He would receive a Medal for Combat Merits by decree of the 669th Rifle Regiment on 6th September 1943, before later receiving this award by decree of the 212th Rifle Division on 29th January 1944.
This decoration was presented to Tabakov many years later in 1968 for his service as a Red Army Soldier and as a Sapper with the 669th Rifle Regiment, 212th Rifle Division, the citation reading:
‘On 28th June 1943, outside of Zhizdra, he cleared a German minefield, thereby enabling the successful breach of the enemy’s defences. He went on missions to reconnoitre the enemy rear and mine the roads.
In a group of five soldiers, he blocked an enemy log bunker and destroyed 6 German soldiers and took 1 prisoner. He was severely wounded and is located at Hospital 2956 for recuperation.’
It is likely that due to his wounding that Tabakov was ‘lost’ to the military authorities, thus explaining why this decoration took almost 25 years to be presented to him. The chaos of war meant that this was not an uncommon occurrence in the Red Army.
At the time of the presentation on 30th September 1968 he was working as a metalworker at the Volna Movie Theatre, city of Kineshma, Ivanovo Oblast. And was living at 94 Kutuzov Street in the city of Kineshma.
