My Dear Grandfather

I would like to present here the biography of my grandfather Samuil (Shmuel) Kopylov.

Unfortunately I don’t remember my grandfather – he died when I was 5 months old.

However, I know that he was a really remarkable person, modest and kind, who never spoke about his heroic past and deeds in World War II.

When I grew up I became interested in his biography and that is what I found out from different sources.

My grandfather was born on February 27, 1917 in Tsaritsyn (later Stalingrad, today Volgograd). He met my grandmother when they both studied engineering in Moscow college and they got married in March 1941 and in June 1941 he joined the army in the war against fascist Germany. He fought in the troops of the Western and 1st Belorussian fronts and took part in battles for the cities of Rzhev, Smolensk, Borisov, Minsk, Vilnius, Kaunas.

He was one of the few twice Commander of the Order of Alexander Nevsky – which is a rare and very respectful case.

The Order of  Alexander Nevsky is one of the most beautiful orders of the times of the Soviet Union. The award was established in July 1942 and during the years of the Great Patriotic War became one of the most revered in the Soviet Army.

My grandfather, Major Kopylov was awarded the first Order of Alexander Nevsky on July 24, 1944 for the the following  merits:”On July 17, 1944, the commander of the 386th separate sapper battalion of the 215th rifle division, Major S. Kopylov, in the area of ​​the Buraki village of the Vitebsk region, timely built a bridge across the Sukhodrovka river with a carrying capacity of 60 tons and let tanks pass through it.

On July 23, 1944, in the area of ​​the village of Osipovka, under enemy fire, he built two bridges with a carrying capacity of 30 and 60 tons and promptly let mechanized units of troops through them.

For the selfless work of engineering support for the advancement of units of the 215th Infantry Division through the territory of China, the commander of the 386th separate sapper battalion, Major S.M. Kopylov on September 29, 1945 was awarded the second Order of Alexander Nevsky.

At the end of the war, grandfather continued to command the sapper battalion. He was dismissed from the army in 1946 with the military rank of “major”.

My grandfather  is a holder of 5 orders, including the Order of the Red Banner, two orders of Alexander Nevsky, orders of the Patriotic War of I and II degrees. He was also awarded by many medals.

After his dismissal, he worked at the USSR State Committee for Construction and passed away in 1995.

I am really very proud of my grandfather!