Meliton Varlamis dze Kantaria or Kantariya (5 October 1920 in Jvari, Georgia – 27 December 1993 in Moscow), Hero of the Soviet Union (8 May 1946), was a Georgiansergeant of the Soviet Army credited to have hoisted a Soviet flag over the Reichstag on April 30, 1945, together with M. A. Yegorov and Oleksiy Berest.
Born to a peasant family in a small Georgian town of Jvari, he worked in a kolkhoz until being mobilized in the Red Army in 1940. During World War II, he served in the 756th Rifle Regiment, 150th Rifle Division, of the 3rd Shock Army at the 1st Belorussian Front. He, together with Sergeant M.A. Yegorov, mounted a red banner over the Reichstag on 1 May 1945.
Demobilized in 1946, he lived thereafter in Sukhumi working as a statal shop manager. Afilied PCUS in 1947. A year after thesecessionist war in the region had begun he moved with his family to Moscow. where he died two months later in December 1993 in the Kremlin hospital.
Pore Mosulishvili (July 20, 1916 – December 3, 1944) was a Georgian soldier and partisan in the Italian resistance movement. He was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor and the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his heroic self-sacrifice during WW II.
Pore Mosulishvili (father's name - Nikolozi) was born in July 20, 1916 to Kvemo Machkhaani, Municipality of Signaghi, Kakheti, Georgia, died December 3, 1944 in Lesa,Novara,Italy.
In 1939 Pore was recruited in the Red Army. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, he completed his duty with great distinction, and was given a field promotion to non-commissioned officer.
1944 Pore Mosulishvili was taken prisoner by Hitler's army. He was transferred to Italy with other Soviet and Czechoslovak prisoners.
Brigade Garibaldi
In Stresa Pore Mosulishvili was put in contact with the partisans of the 118th Brigade Garibaldi and September 7, 1944 made contact with another 36 Georgian prisoners who fought with the Italian Resistance. The Georgians 2nd Battalion of the 118th one quickly gained a reputation for toughness. From October 9 to October 14 they took part in the defence of the republican partisan of Ossola. October 26, 1944 2nd Battalion lead a fight against a Fascist train and killed 23 supporters of the Fascist Republic of Salo.
In November, 1944 the Fascists decided to unleash a violent counter-offensive in the area of the Mottarone-Vergante, in low Verbano, operative sector of the Brigade "Servadei". This caused the partisans to separate into small groups, in an attempt to avoid reprisals.
December 3, 1944 Pore Mosulishvili, together with sixteen partisans, were surrounded by a Hitlerians force. Nazists stated that if the commander surrendered, the others would be spared, otherwise everyone would be killed.
The commander Edo Del Gratta did not surrender. Pore Mosulishvili, who was already wounded, told partisans to disarm and discard their weapons. Mosulishvili exited the hut and told Nazists: 'I am the Commander, but I prefer death to captivity!' He shouted: 'Viva l'Italia! viva i partigiani! viva liberta!' ('Live the Italy! live the partisans! living freedom!'), then he put the revolver to his throat and pulled the trigger.
Pore Mosulishvili made a self–sacrifice to save the lives of others, - 16 guerilas, which were taken prisoners and in April 1945 they were released by the Italian partisans.
Pore Mosulishvili is buried in Arona.
Meliton Varlamis dze Kantaria or Kantariya (5 October 1920 in Jvari, Georgia – 27 December 1993 in Moscow), Hero of the Soviet Union (8 May 1946), was a Georgiansergeant of the Soviet Army credited to have hoisted a Soviet flag over the Reichstag on April 30, 1945, together with M. A. Yegorov and Oleksiy Berest.
Born to a peasant family in a small Georgian town of Jvari, he worked in a kolkhoz until being mobilized in the Red Army in 1940. During World War II, he served in the 756th Rifle Regiment, 150th Rifle Division, of the 3rd Shock Army at the 1st Belorussian Front. He, together with Sergeant M.A. Yegorov, mounted a red banner over the Reichstag on 1 May 1945.
Demobilized in 1946, he lived thereafter in Sukhumi working as a statal shop manager. Afilied PCUS in 1947. A year after thesecessionist war in the region had begun he moved with his family to Moscow. where he died two months later in December 1993 in the Kremlin hospital.
Konstantin Nikolaevich Leselidze ((October 15, 1903 – February 21, 1944), was a Colonel-General and Hero of the Soviet Union who distinguished himself at the North, Transcaucasus and Ukrainian front during World War II. He was also the elder brother ofViktor Nikolaevich Leselidze
Leselidze was born on October 2 or 15, 1903 in Ozurgeti, Georgian (then part of the Russian Empire) to an ordinary employee family. He was the elder brother of another decorated warhero, colonel Victor Leselidze who also died in the same year of the war. In May 1921 after graduating from high school in Tbilisi Leselidze joined the Red Army and was deployed primarily in Georgia. He participated in the suppression of local anti communism movements and uprisings before graduating from the Georgian Joint Military School in 1925 and in 1929 from the Tbilisi Artillery School for advanced officer courses. Leselidze was member of the All-Union Communist Party Bolsheviks already since 1925. During the period of 1922 to 1938 he commanded artillery units from batteries to regiments and the Georgian Joint Military School. In June 1938 he got appointed to chief of artillery, infantry division and was active during the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. From February 1941 to the outbreak of hostilities, colonel Leselidze was chief of artillery, rifle corps in the Belorussian Special Military District.
Great Patriotic War
In the first year of war, colonel Leselidze remained in command of the artillery in the 2nd infantry corps and the 50th army on the soviet western front. In June 1942 he became commander of the 3rd Infantry Corps, 46th Army of the Transcaucasus Front. Only two months later, Leselidze was promoted to major general and given command over the 46th Army, in which he remained until January 1943. From January to March the same year, lieutenant general of the 47th Army and from March to February 1944, commander of the 18th Army in the Transcaucasus, the North Caucasus and the 1st Ukrainian Front as colonel general. The stretching campaigns led him and his forces to the Battle of Moscow, Battle of Caucasus and the liberation of Ukraine, being additionally involved in the Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Taman, Kerch-Eltigen and Zhitomir-Bordichevskoy defensive operations. The troops under his command exposed great bravery and Leselidze's tactics managed to defend the Caucasus from Wehrmacht takeover, initiating the liberation of the entire area by soviet forces. His forces did also claim a foothold on the Kerch Peninsula, north-east of Kerch itself.
Pore Mosulishvili (July 20, 1916 – December 3, 1944) was a Georgian soldier and partisan in the Italian resistance movement. He was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor and the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his heroic self-sacrifice during WW II.
Pore Mosulishvili (father's name - Nikolozi) was born in July 20, 1916 to Kvemo Machkhaani, Municipality of Signaghi, Kakheti, Georgia, died December 3, 1944 in Lesa,Novara,Italy.
In 1939 Pore was recruited in the Red Army. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, he completed his duty with great distinction, and was given a field promotion to non-commissioned officer.
1944 Pore Mosulishvili was taken prisoner by Hitler's army. He was transferred to Italy with other Soviet and Czechoslovak prisoners.
Brigade Garibaldi
In Stresa Pore Mosulishvili was put in contact with the partisans of the 118th Brigade Garibaldi and September 7, 1944 made contact with another 36 Georgian prisoners who fought with the Italian Resistance. The Georgians 2nd Battalion of the 118th one quickly gained a reputation for toughness. From October 9 to October 14 they took part in the defence of the republican partisan of Ossola. October 26, 1944 2nd Battalion lead a fight against a Fascist train and killed 23 supporters of the Fascist Republic of Salo.
In November, 1944 the Fascists decided to unleash a violent counter-offensive in the area of the Mottarone-Vergante, in low Verbano, operative sector of the Brigade "Servadei". This caused the partisans to separate into small groups, in an attempt to avoid reprisals.
December 3, 1944 Pore Mosulishvili, together with sixteen partisans, were surrounded by a Hitlerians force. Nazists stated that if the commander surrendered, the others would be spared, otherwise everyone would be killed.
The commander Edo Del Gratta did not surrender. Pore Mosulishvili, who was already wounded, told partisans to disarm and discard their weapons. Mosulishvili exited the hut and told Nazists: 'I am the Commander, but I prefer death to captivity!' He shouted: 'Viva l'Italia! viva i partigiani! viva liberta!' ('Live the Italy! live the partisans! living freedom!'), then he put the revolver to his throat and pulled the trigger.
Pore Mosulishvili made a self–sacrifice to save the lives of others, - 16 guerilas, which were taken prisoners and in April 1945 they were released by the Italian partisans.
Pore Mosulishvili is buried in Arona.
Meliton Varlamis dze Kantaria or Kantariya (5 October 1920 in Jvari, Georgia – 27 December 1993 in Moscow), Hero of the Soviet Union (8 May 1946), was a Georgiansergeant of the Soviet Army credited to have hoisted a Soviet flag over the Reichstag on April 30, 1945, together with M. A. Yegorov and Oleksiy Berest.
Born to a peasant family in a small Georgian town of Jvari, he worked in a kolkhoz until being mobilized in the Red Army in 1940. During World War II, he served in the 756th Rifle Regiment, 150th Rifle Division, of the 3rd Shock Army at the 1st Belorussian Front. He, together with Sergeant M.A. Yegorov, mounted a red banner over the Reichstag on 1 May 1945.
Demobilized in 1946, he lived thereafter in Sukhumi working as a statal shop manager. Afilied PCUS in 1947. A year after thesecessionist war in the region had begun he moved with his family to Moscow. where he died two months later in December 1993 in the Kremlin hospital.
Konstantin Nikolaevich Leselidze ((October 15, 1903 – February 21, 1944), was a Colonel-General and Hero of the Soviet Union who distinguished himself at the North, Transcaucasus and Ukrainian front during World War II. He was also the elder brother ofViktor Nikolaevich Leselidze
Leselidze was born on October 2 or 15, 1903 in Ozurgeti, Georgian (then part of the Russian Empire) to an ordinary employee family. He was the elder brother of another decorated warhero, colonel Victor Leselidze who also died in the same year of the war. In May 1921 after graduating from high school in Tbilisi Leselidze joined the Red Army and was deployed primarily in Georgia. He participated in the suppression of local anti communism movements and uprisings before graduating from the Georgian Joint Military School in 1925 and in 1929 from the Tbilisi Artillery School for advanced officer courses. Leselidze was member of the All-Union Communist Party Bolsheviks already since 1925. During the period of 1922 to 1938 he commanded artillery units from batteries to regiments and the Georgian Joint Military School. In June 1938 he got appointed to chief of artillery, infantry division and was active during the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. From February 1941 to the outbreak of hostilities, colonel Leselidze was chief of artillery, rifle corps in the Belorussian Special Military District.
Great Patriotic War
In the first year of war, colonel Leselidze remained in command of the artillery in the 2nd infantry corps and the 50th army on the soviet western front. In June 1942 he became commander of the 3rd Infantry Corps, 46th Army of the Transcaucasus Front. Only two months later, Leselidze was promoted to major general and given command over the 46th Army, in which he remained until January 1943. From January to March the same year, lieutenant general of the 47th Army and from March to February 1944, commander of the 18th Army in the Transcaucasus, the North Caucasus and the 1st Ukrainian Front as colonel general. The stretching campaigns led him and his forces to the Battle of Moscow, Battle of Caucasus and the liberation of Ukraine, being additionally involved in the Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Taman, Kerch-Eltigen and Zhitomir-Bordichevskoy defensive operations. The troops under his command exposed great bravery and Leselidze's tactics managed to defend the Caucasus from Wehrmacht takeover, initiating the liberation of the entire area by soviet forces. His forces did also claim a foothold on the Kerch Peninsula, north-east of Kerch itself.
