ILYA PAVLOVICH KOZHAR
1902 – 1967
Hero of the Soviet Union
Kozhar Ilya Pavlovich was born in the village of Maloye Goltsevo (now the Tolochinsky district of the Vitebsk region). Since 1924 he was at party work.
Kozhar I.P. participated in the Great Patriotic War since July 1941. He was one of the organizers and leaders of the underground and partisan movement in the BSSR. Since August 1941, Kozhar I.P. - Secretary of the Gomel Underground Regional Committee of the Communist Party (b) B. Since November 1942, he was appointed commander of the Gomel partisan formation. Against the partisan formation of Kozhar, the German command repeatedly took punitive operations.
September 16, 1943 - one of the ten commanders of the partisan formations of the Byelorussian SSR - I.P. Kozhar was awarded the military rank of "Major General."
On November 10, 1943, the Gomel-Rechitsa offensive operation of the troops began. The commander of the 65th Army, P.I. Batov, noted that "the main role in this operation was assigned to the connection of Ilya Kozhar." After the liberation of Rechitsa, about 6 thousand partisans from Kozhar's formations became part of the Belorussian Front.
On January 1, 1944, Major General Kozhar Ilya Pavlovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1943-47, Kozhar served as secretary of the Gomel Regional Committee of the Communist Party (b) B. In 1947-63, he was the director of the Republican Party School under the Central Committee of the CPB. Kozhar I.P. - a member of the Central Committee of the CPB in 1952-58 and 1960-61, and since 1961 - a member of the Revision Commission of the CPB. In 1963 - its chairman. Ilya Pavlovich also worked as a history teacher at the Belarusian State University, was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council of the BSSR of the 3rd-5th and 7th convocations.
Kozhar Ilya Pavlovich lived in Minsk until the end of his days.
Awards: two medals of Lenin, the Medal of the Red Banner of Labor, medals, including the Gold Star medal.
A memorial plaque is installed on the building of the former Minsk Higher Party School. The street in Gomel and the Kokhanovskaya school of the Tolochinsky district of the Vitebsk region are named after the Hero.