Hero of the USSR Konstantin Zaslonov

The farther away from us the events of the Great Patriotic War, the more we must make efforts to preserve the memory of the heroes of the past time. From this article you will find out who Constantine Zaslonov was and for what merits he was awarded the Order of Lenin and awarded the title of Hero of the USSR (posthumously).

Character traits

To this day many of his letters have come down, in which he told about his life, shared his thoughts. Therefore, even after many years it is possible to characterize his personality, to understand what kind of person he was. Everyone who read them becomes clear that Zaslonov Constantine was loved and respected in the team. It was not for nothing that he was trusted when he ran the locomotive depots and when he became the commander of the partisan detachment. People obeyed his will, despite the fact that Konstantin Zaslonov was only 31 at the beginning of the war, and he took a leading position in the depot at the age of 27. It happened because he thoroughly knew his business, tried to understand everything he had taken, and then to teach others.

Hero Preferences

To the depot management station Roslavl Smolensk region and Orsha Vitebsk region Konstantin Zaslonov was admitted after he graduated from a professional railway school, and then worked for five years in simple positions. He was a mechanic, an assistant to a machinist, and a locomotive master. This helped him to thoroughly master the locomotive business, especially since he loved technology, showed interest in all novelties.

He had a dream that is difficult to understand in our time, especially young people. He wanted to become a member of the Communist Party, and not just to become, but to be worthy of it, therefore, even as a partisan detachment commander, Konstantin Zaslonov doubted whether he deserved the trust of his party comrades so that they could take him into their ranks. He was accepted as a candidate member of the CPSU (B.) In August 1942, two months before his death.

Towards your goal

Konstantin Zaslonov was born in a simple working family on January 7, 1910. This event took place in Ostashkov, Kalinin region. It was possible to him to visit the farmhand at a fist, to learn shoemaking skill.

After the revolution, he was educated, and was sent to Leningrad. There he began to study for a railwayman, but a year later he was drafted to work. Having worked in various depots, at the beginning of the war he was in Belarus. After the arrival of the fascists Konstantin Zaslonov was evacuated to Moscow, but could not be there and wrote a letter asking him to create his own partisan detachment. The request was granted, and he crossed the front line with a group of 40 people in October 1941.

Military everyday life

It turned out that the fascists on the Belarusian land, where Konstantin Zaslonov went, whose photo you can find in this article, was very much. To reach their goal, namely Orsha, they could not have been the whole group. Therefore, it was decided to make their way one by one and, finding a job at the station Orsha, to get together again and engage in guerrilla activity.

Zaslonov himself was easily recruited to work, because he was an excellent specialist, and the Germans needed knowledgeable people to restore the locomotive movement. Soon the detachment began subversive work. All its members had to hide in the woods. They were busy blowing trains. Fascists had a hard time.

From Zaslonov's reports it is clear that his detachment sent derailed convoys, blew up railway bridges, smashed fascist garrisons, destroying the enemy, his equipment and weapons, causing irreparable damage to the Germans.

The best partisan

Konstantin Zaslonov was an excellent commander. His detachment was called "Uncle Kostya," which speaks of the respect that the guerrillas felt for their young commander. Zaslonov guided hard, clearly giving orders, seeing before him great goals. Traitors, spies, provocateurs, he spared and others advised to get rid of them at any cost.

Zaslonov was a dangerous enemy for the fascists. They assigned a reward of 50,000 marks for his head. In addition, who caught Konstantin alive or killed him, they promised to give the award - an iron cross and arrange a paradise in Germany. And the peasants were promised to give two estates for this.

Killing Zaslonov, heroically fighting with punishers. And the ambush on them the partisan detachment was arranged by itself, having received information about the movement of the fascists. A brutal battle ensued between the villages of Kuzmino and Utrilovo near the road, during which the commander of the detachment was killed.

That was Konstantin Zaslonov, whose biography can serve as an example for young people. His exploits are not forgotten. In different cities of Russia and Belarus, monuments and memorial plaques are installed, streets are named in his honor, including in St. Petersburg.