Russia – Soviet: An excellent post-Kursk Medal for Bravery, Vistula-Oder Offensive Order of Glory 3rd Class and Berlin Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Guards Sergeant Mikhail Ivanovich Zavarykin, Signals Squad Commander of the 177th Guards Rifle Regiment, 60th Guards Rifle Division, who having taken part in the post-Kursk offensive across southern Ukraine would take part in the Vistula-Oder offensive, during the opening days of which he chased down an escaping German on his horse, and having engaged in personal combat, bit off his ear and nose, forcing him to surrender before executing him. He would later go on to take part in the battles at the Seelow Heights and in the centre of Berlin, where he was often the first into trenches laying his cables. His division took part in the fierce fighting around the Silesian Railway Station in Berlin. After the war it would guard the high-ranking German prisoners at Spandau Prison.
Medal for Bravery, reverse numbered 361304
Order of Glory 3rd Class, reverse numbered 199768
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, reverse numbered 578815
Condition: Good Very Fine
Along with:
Award Booklet detailing the last two awards.
Note confirming the loss of original documents which included the official proof of his award for the Medal for Bravery. At some time the recipient had swapped jackets with another soldier, his original documents being sowed into a pocket inside.
Mikhail Ivanovich Zavarykin was born in the village of Dukhanovka, Tambov Oblast, Shulginsky District in 1923, a Russian by nationality, he attained an elementary education before joining the Red Army in January 1942. After training he would have taken part in the Battle of Stalingrad being awarded the medal for the Defence of the city by Order of the Decree dated 22nd December 1942, his unit then titled 278th Rifle Division taking part in the counter-attacks and then offensive around the city that began in November 1942 with the encirclement of the German Sixth Army. As a result of the Division’s service during that campaign it was granted the honorific ‘Guards’ title and renamed the 60th Guards Rifle Division. He was wounded in December 1942 and again in June 1943.
Zavarykin was to receive his first decoration, a Medal for Bravery by decree of the 178th Guards Rifle Regiment, 60th Guards Rifle Division the citation reading as follows:
‘Telephonist, Signals Company, Guards Red Army Soldier Zavarykin, Mikhail Ivanovich, for the following: during the offensive and battle for height 165.1, in spite of the intense hail of enemy artillery fire, he eliminated breaks in the signals line in a timely fashion, which facilitated timely communications with Command.’
Zavarkyin would receive another light wound in April 1944 whilst continuing to fight with this unit which would have fought its way through Ukraine before being transferred to the 1st Belarussian Front in time for the major Red Army offensive that drove it from the Vistula to the Oder over the course of 3 weeks from 12th January 1945. By this time he was a Signals Squad Commander in the 117th Guards ‘Chisinau’ Rifle Regiment, 60th Guards ‘Pavlograd’ Red Banner Rifle Division. He would be awarded the Order of Glory 3rd Class by decree of 60th Guards Rifle Division on 21st February 1945 for his part in the opening days of the offensive, the citation as follows:
‘On 14th January 1945 while breaching the enemy’s permanent defences in the area of Bude Augustowske, Comrade Zavarykin provided communications for the rifle battalion, skilfully organising a communications centre. Under a hail of enemy fire, Comrade Zavarykin and his squad laid a line to the assault group. In spite of traversing a minefield and wire entanglements, was provided on time and worked seamlessly. Breaks in the line were fixed quickly and cleanly.
On 18th January 1945, while unwinding a signals cable, 2 Germans attacked Comrade Zavarykin. One of them he killed immediately. The other attempted to run. Comrade Zavarykin wanted to open fire on the fleeing German. But his submachine gun jammed. Comrade Zavarykin began to overtake the German on a horse, and galloping up to the Hitlerite shouted ‘Hande Hoch!’ The German threw himself at Zavarykin. A fight started. Comrade Zavarykin, having bitten off one of the German’s ears and his nose, forced the latter to surrender and executed him.’
After that experience, Zavarykin would go on to fight in the Berlin offensive, as a result of which he was decorated with the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class by decree of the 32nd Guards Rifle Corps on 28th May 1945. By this time he was a Head of a Communication Channel, 177th Guards Rifle Regiment, 60th Guards Rifle Division, the citation for his award reading:
‘Zavarykin acts decisively and boldly. While breaching the enemy’s defences in the area of the village of Genschmar, he laid a telephone line under heavy enemy mortar fire. He was one of the first to storm the enemy trenches laying the cable. In battles outside Berlin, he repaired up to 50 breaks in the line. In street battles in Berlin, comrade Zavarykin always went in the ranks of the infantry, laying down cable. More than once he participated in repulsing enemy counterattacks. He started a personal tally; over the course of all battles, he killed 11 German soldiers.’
He was still serving in 1946 with the same unit, and while it is uncertain when his personal service ended, 60th Guards Rifle Division would go on to guard the German high ranking prisoners at Spandau Prison after the Nuremberg trials.
