The Way of the Hero (To the 100th anniversary of I.G. Ledovsky, the Hero of the Soviet Union)

2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory over fascism. The Victory Day has forever entered our history as a vivid example of friendship between peoples, loyalty to military duty and devotion to the Fatherland.

Pavlodar residents also made a significant contribution to the defeat of fascism. Soldiers and officers fought to death at the walls of Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad, defended large cities and small villages in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, liberated Poland and Czechoslovakia, Germany and Manchuria.

For heroism and courage, twenty-three natives of our region were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union - the highest distinction for personal and collective military services to the Soviet state.

Senior Lieutenant Ivan Grigorievich Ledovsky became one of the residents of Pavlodar who was awarded this rank during the war years.

He was born on June 15, 1920 into a peasant family, in the village of Belovskoye, Omsk Region. In 1922 he and his family moved to the village of Moiseevka, Zhelezinsky District. After graduating from five classes of school, Ivan Ledovsky worked as a fireman at a collective farm steam mill, and then as a tractor driver and combine operator.

In 1938, by the Urlyutyubsky district military registration and enlistment office, he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army, served in the Leningrad military district, and took part in the Finnish war. In June 1941, I. Ledovsky was sent on a business trip to a military unit located in the Brest Fortress, where he received his first battle.

From 1941 to 1943, Ivan Grigorievich was wounded four times, twice - seriously, but each time he returned to duty and fought heroically.

In the summer of 1944, our fellow countryman fought as part of the First Belorussian Front, in the 918th rifle regiment of the 250th rifle division. By this time, he was already the commander of the second machine-gun company. And it was then, in 1944, that I.G. Ledovsky accomplished a feat that made his name immortal.

In the award list, his feat is described as follows: “Senior Lieutenant Ledovsky in the battles on the First Belorussian Front for the village of Ozerane of the Rogachevsky district of the Gomel region during the breakthrough of the enemy's deeply echeloned defense provided the rapid and swift advance of our infantry with heavy machine guns, preventing the enemy from firing at advancing units.

Moving forward, Senior Lieutenant Ledovsky, when crossing the Berezina River, with his personal example, courage and heroism as part of a battalion, defeated the enemy at the river crossing, seized the ferry and the crossing ... "

Thanks to the swiftness of our compatriot's actions, more than a hundred enemy soldiers were destroyed, eleven guns, about three hundred horses and other trophies were captured, and most importantly, the division was provided with ferry means across the Berezina River.

For this battle, by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Senior Lieutenant Ivan Grigorievich Ledovsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was also awarded the Orders of the Patriotic War of I and II degrees, the Red Star and medals.

The name of the valiant warrior I.G. Ledovsky is included in the "Calendar of significant and memorable dates for 2020" and the bibliographic index "Stars of Our Victory. 1941-1945. Heroes of the Soviet Union and Cavaliers of the Order of Glory of three degrees”, published by the Regional Library.

Streets in Pavlodar and Kalachinsk (Russia) are named in his honor, and a bust of the Hero is installed on Victory Square.