Russia – Soviet: The fine capture of Poznan Railway Station and subsequent Oder bridgehead Order of Alexander Nevsky to ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ Captain G.S. Boltaev of the 57th Guards Rifle Division, who would go on to be decorated with the Soviet Union’s highest title for his role in the capture of the main street of the strategically important town of Seelow at the top of the dominant Seelow Heights, the last major German defensive position before Berlin, he would go on to take part in the street fighting for the city of Berlin itself, being decorated with an Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class for his role in knocking out an Armoured Personnel Carrier, 30 German soldiers and capturing 5 machine-guns and 12 prisoners.
Order of Alexander Nevsky, type 2, reverse numbered ‘25283’
Condition: Good Very Fine
Georgy Semyonovich Boltaev was born in the city of Kostanay, Kazakhstan into a peasant family, a Russian by nationality he completed his education, before working as an accountant of the Glavparfumeria association in the city of Semipalatinsk, now Semey, Kazakhstan.
He initially served a two year period in the Red Army between 1936 and 1938, before a short break, he then was recalled in 1939, before being dismissed in 1940. Living in the city of Abakan, worked as the chief accountant of the Khahass regional committee of the Red Cross Society, then he was transferred to the city of Krasnoyarsk as head of the financial planning committee of the Red Cross Society.
He was called up again on 25th May 1942 and sent to study at the Tambov Military Infantry School. After graduation in May 1944, he served in the Army, initially with the 3rd Ukrainian Front before transferring to the 1st Belarussian Front where he served as a platoon commander and later a company commander.
Boltaev’s first decoration was an Order of the Red Star, this was as a result of fighting to expand the Magnushevsky Bridgehead in the area of the village of Rychivul. As commander of a rifle company, Boltaev on August 26th, 1944 under enemy fire, with his company crossed the Radomka River, entered the enemy’s flank and with a decisive onslaught captured in the first trench, gaining a foothold before the rest of the units approached. The next day, the enemy trying to regain the lost positions, made five counterattacks and held the occupied line. His Red Star was awarded by the Commander of the 57th Guards Rifle Division.
He took part in the Lublin-Brest and Warsaw Poznan offensive operations.
It was during the later offensive that Boltaev would perform the actions that would lead to the award of this Order of Alexander Nevsky, during which time Boltaev was appointed commander of a company of submachine gunners. In the final battles of the Warsaw-Poznan offensive operation, the company operated on the left flank of the regiment. On January 29th, 1945, during the capture of the railway station, the soldiers were the first to attack the enemy positions, destroyed up to 20 German soldiers, which attracted the attention of the main forces of the enemy and contributed to the successful offensive of the regiment and the capture of the station. Subsequently, the 172nd Guards Rifle Regiment went to the Oder River south of the city of Kustrin, crossed the river on the ice and seized a bridgehead. On February 4, 1945, the enemy counterattacked the regiment’s battle formations. When the commander of the neighbouring rifle company went out of action, G.S. Boltaev took over command of both companies, organised a perimeter defence and did not allow the enemy to outflank and attack the regiment’s flank. In the battle, 4 firing positions were destroyed and 7 vehicles with enemy infantry were knocked out. He was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky by the commander of the 8th Guards Army.
He would later take part in the Berlin Strategic Operation being awarded the title ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ for:
‘The Commander of a company of submachine gunners of the 3rd Rifle Battalion of the guard, Captain Georgy Semyonovich Boltaev in battles when breaking through enemy defences on the western bank of the river Oder and the battles for the town of Seelow from 04/16/45 to 04/17/45 showed exceptional courage and heroism. So, on 04/16/45, under heavy enemy fire, overcoming numerous minefields, Comrade Boltaev was the first with his company to burst into the enemy trenches, and after hand-to-hand combat knocked him out of the first two lines. Pursuing the enemy while overcoming an anti-tank ditch flooded with water, he stormed into the third line of defence. The enemy having concentrated his forces, supported by five self-propelled guns, launched a counterattack. Comrade Boltaev personally knocked out the enemy’s self-propelled cannon from the faust-cartridge carried away the fighters and, repelling the enemy’s onslaught, burst into the railway station with his company, the Seelow platform and the Seelow heights, which ensured the advance of other parts and the capture of the heavily fortified dominant heights. At the same time, the company destroyed 2 self-propelled guns, captured a battery of 75mm guns, destroyed 5 firing points and more companies of enemy soldiers and officers.
On 04/17/45 pursuing the enemy, Comrade Boltaev broke into the town of Seelow with a decisive assault, skilfully commanding subordinates and being in battle formations, cleared the central street of the town of Seelow from the enemy, while 50 enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed and 15 soldiers were captured.’
He was awarded the title of ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ by the Supreme Soviet on 31st May 1945.
Boltaev would go on to fight during the Battle of Berlin where he was to be decorated with the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class:
‘On the outskirts of the city of Berlin on April 23, 1945, G.S. Boltaev’s company was among the first to cross the Spree River, knocked the enemy out of the trenches, advanced to the Weig Canal and also forced it, destroying 4 firing points, up to 40 enemy soldiers and capturing 15 prisoners. In street battles in Berlin, the soldiers knocked out an armoured personnel carrier, destroyed up to 30 enemy soldiers, captured 12 prisoners and 5 machine guns. By Order of the Commander of the 4th Guards Rifle Corps was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.’
After the war, during 1946, Boltaev transferred to the reserve. He lived and worked in the city of Abakan, since 1970, in the city of Grozny in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic, he died on August 13, 1986 and is buried in the Central Cemetery of Grozny.
With copy research, including biographies from Wikipedia and the warheroes,ru website.
