Vasily Avtonomovich SHARAFANENKO

Vasily Avtonomovich Sharafanenko was born in a large peasant family, was the eighth child. After school, he worked on a collective farm as a tractor driver's assistant. When the Great Patriotic War began, he was 17 years old. In the first days of the war, his older brothers and sister went to the front. He himself was drafted into the army in 1943, graduated from the front-line regimental school in the rank of sergeant of the anti-tank rifles department. He fought on the 4th Ukrainian Front, commanded the detachment, participated in the battles for Mariupol, Melitopol, Crimea, was wounded, shell-shocked.

In 1943, he embarked on his combat path with the 347th Division. The Soviet troops were in the middle of operation on the liberation of the Rostov Oblast, then they entered Donetsk. Getting from a private to a platoon commander for Vasily Sharafanenko took only a few months. When the commander was contused, Vasily Avtonomovich was appointed in his place. Near Melitopol, he was seriously wounded for the first time. After treatment, he returned to the front line. At that moment our troops were already fighting for Crimea. On the fourth day of fierce battles, Soviet troops broke through the invaders' defense line. The anti-tank company of Vasily Avtonomovich was fighting its way further - to Sevastopol, which was besieged by the Germans. He was wounded during the offensive. Sent to the hospital again. And then new fights. In 1944, he arrived in Stalingrad, where he greeted the Victory.

Awards:
Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st class, medal "For Courage", medal
"For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."