YEVGENY ABRAMOVICH BIRBRAER

(1912-1943)

Hero of the Soviet Union

Yevgeny Abramovich Birbraer - commander of a mortar company of the 225th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 78th Guards Rifle Division of the 7th Guards Army of the Steppe Front, Guard Senior Lieutenant. He was born on the 23rd of July, 1912 in Gomel in the family of a shoemaker. After finishing 8th grade, he moved to Leningrad, where he worked as a mechanic at a factory. In 1932-1934 Birbaer studied at the Leningrad Institute of Journalism, after which he worked as a journalist and became a member of the CPSU (b) since 1934.He was in the Red Army since 1936. Yevgeny Abramovich was the member of the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40. In 1941 he was again drafted into the ranks of the Red Army. He was in the battles of the Great Patriotic War since December 1941. In August 1942 he graduated from the Shot course. Participated in the counteroffensive near Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad. During the defense of Stalingrad, he commanded a mortar company. At the beginning of 1943, he took an active part in the encirclement of enemy troops, where 330 thousand Nazis were captured. He took part in the battles at the Kursk Bulge. Yevgeny Abramovich distinguished himself in the battles for the liberation of Kharkov, for which he was awarded a medal. Particularly distinguished himself when crossing the Dnieper.He was the commander of a mortar company of the 225th Guards Rifle Regiment (78th Guards Rifle Division, 7th Guards Army, Steppe Front) of the Guard Senior Lieutenant Yevgeny Birbrayer on the night of September 25, 1943 successfully crossed the Dnepr River near the village of Domotkan, Verkhnedneprovsky District, Dnipropetrovsk Region .... When capturing a bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnepr, Yevgeny Abramovich’s mortar company participated in repelling twelve enemy counterattacks. Fulfilling the task of covering the crossing, holding and expanding the bridgehead, Eugene Birbraer died a heroic death in battle on October 6, 1943.. He was buried in a mass grave in the village of Pravoberezhnoe, Verkhnedneprovsky district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, on the Dnepropetrovsk-Kiev highway. By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 26, 1943, Senior Lieutenant Yevgeny Abramovich Birbraer was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the exemplary fulfillment of combat missions of the command on the front of the struggle against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism of the Guards displayed at the same time. He was also awarded with the Order of Lenin, a medal.