The Second World War lasted for 1,418 days. More than 11,500 warriors received the highest recognition during military operations. About a quarter of them were posthumously awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. One of these heroes was Ivan Trofimovich Zinchenko, a staff sergeant of the Red Army.
Ivan was born in 1921 in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine. He finished school, started his working career in a factory, and obtained a military service registration certificate there. He participated in hostilities since the very beginning of the war on different fronts (Kalinin, Western, and Southwestern) together with the mobile infantry forces. He was hospitalized due to injury. Ivan returned to the Red Army of the Voronezh Front after his recovery, as a commander of the machine-gun platoon of the 1st tank army in the rank of staff sergeant.
The Battle of Kursk is of the most significant battles of the Second World War by its scope, number of troops, tension, and military-political results. Ivan Trofimovich accomplished a great feat during these iconic events.
The Germans launched an offensive on Syrtsovo on the third day of the Battle of Kursk in the Belgorod Axis. They suffered losses but slowly advanced, breaking through the defense line of the Voronezh Front. The area under control of Zinchenko’s platoon was attacked by a group of tanks of over 50 machines of different classes. Approximately one and a half companies of German troops were assaulting under that cover.
Ivan Trofimovich managed to fight off a series of tank attacks near the village of Syrtsovo, Yakovlevsky District, Belgorod Oblast (254,5 in height). During these battles, the commander took out a middle class fascist machine personally. This was only possible by a synchronous blow of a couple of anti-tank grenades under its base. The warrior did it at the cost of his own life.
Zinchenko was interred in the village of Syrtsevo (former Syrtsovo), Belgorod Oblast. His feat formed the basis of military novels and monographs (mentioned by Dragunsky, Koltunov, and Solovyov). During the years of war, Ivan Trofimovich was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class, the Order of Lenin, and posthumously, the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. The street and the school in his hometown, Bila Tserkva, are named after him.
Ivan was born in 1921 in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine. He finished school, started his working career in a factory, and obtained a military service registration certificate there. He participated in hostilities since the very beginning of the war on different fronts (Kalinin, Western, and Southwestern) together with the mobile infantry forces. He was hospitalized due to injury. Ivan returned to the Red Army of the Voronezh Front after his recovery, as a commander of the machine-gun platoon of the 1st tank army in the rank of staff sergeant.
The Battle of Kursk is of the most significant battles of the Second World War by its scope, number of troops, tension, and military-political results. Ivan Trofimovich accomplished a great feat during these iconic events.
The Germans launched an offensive on Syrtsovo on the third day of the Battle of Kursk in the Belgorod Axis. They suffered losses but slowly advanced, breaking through the defense line of the Voronezh Front. The area under control of Zinchenko’s platoon was attacked by a group of tanks of over 50 machines of different classes. Approximately one and a half companies of German troops were assaulting under that cover.
Ivan Trofimovich managed to fight off a series of tank attacks near the village of Syrtsovo, Yakovlevsky District, Belgorod Oblast (254,5 in height). During these battles, the commander took out a middle class fascist machine personally. This was only possible by a synchronous blow of a couple of anti-tank grenades under its base. The warrior did it at the cost of his own life.
Zinchenko was interred in the village of Syrtsevo (former Syrtsovo), Belgorod Oblast. His feat formed the basis of military novels and monographs (mentioned by Dragunsky, Koltunov, and Solovyov). During the years of war, Ivan Trofimovich was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class, the Order of Lenin, and posthumously, the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. The street and the school in his hometown, Bila Tserkva, are named after him.
