Nikolay Belyayev

Nikolai Mikhaylovich Belyaev (; 22 October 1922 – 8 December 2015) was a Soviet and Russian navy officer who fought in the Eastern Front of World War II. A 2nd rank Captain, he was among the last surviving people to have raided the Reichstag in the Battle of Berlin.

Early life Belyaev was born to a peasant family in , Ostashkovsky Uyezd, Tver Governorate, Russian SFSR. After eight grades of school, he started writing for the "Leninist Udarnik" newspaper. There, he met Yelizaveta Chaikina, during this time the secretary of Komsomol's Penovsky District.

Military career After World War II broke out, Belyaev signed up to the Penovsky District Military Komissariat as a volunteer soldier. A member of the Northern Front and later the Karelian Front, he fought in the Arctic Campaign in defence of Murmansk from 13 August 1941. From 16 August 1943, he was transferred to the Staraya-Russa Offensive of the Northwestern Front, now a senior sergeant. but he remained on the frontline until 21 August, commanding a 55 mm mortar squad, for which he was awarded the "For Battle Merit" Medal.

In January 1945, the 3rd Shock Army was transferred to the 1st Belorussian Front. As part of his unit, Belyaev took part in the liberation of Warsaw. During the battles for the liberation of the city of Wangerin, he led soldiers in an attack, for which he was nominated for the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class, but was instead awarded the Order of the Red Star.

On 29 April 1945, for the skillful organization of Komsomol work in the regiment, Belyaev was nominated for the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class. He was awarded it after the victory, in June.

During the assault on the Reichstag, he was in the cover group that followed the banner group of Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria, who raised the Victory Banner. Before that, during one of the attempts to install a homemade banner, his friend Pyotr Pyatnitsky was killed. After the capitulation of the Reichstag garrison, he left the inscription "Our Liza" on the wall of the building in memory of Liza Chaikina, who had been executed by the Nazis during the war. After his officer classes, After completing his service, he worked in Leningrad at the Red Banner Textile Factory for about 40 years, until 2001. After the war, Belyaev repeatedly visited Berlin on the anniversaries of Victory Day. at the Serafimovskoe Cemetery.

Awards and honors Belyaev's awards and honors include: Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class(1945) Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class (1944) 2 Orders of the Red Star (first from 1945 ) ) Medal "Veteran of Labour" Medal "For the Defence of the Soviet Transarctic" Medal "For the Capture of Berlin"