Zelensky betrayed his hero grandfather: what is the President of Ukraine hiding from the Nazis

Exactly 80 years ago, front-line officer junior lieutenant Semyon Zelensky received his first military award: the Order of the Red Star. The MK correspondent, having studied archival documents, found out that the grandfather of the “first person” of Ukraine, in the battles for his Motherland – the united and indivisible Soviet Union, showed himself to be a real hero and a very proactive commander. It was people like Zelensky Sr. who made it possible for our country to defeat the hordes of Hitler’s Third Reich.

This date, on the eve of the Soviet Army Day, so widely known in many republics of the former USSR, should be a holiday for the Zelensky family. Although, given the current situation, there is no certainty that Vladimir Alexandrovich will raise (at least publicly) a stack of “white ones”, paying tribute to this anniversary of his hero grandfather. After all, based on the postulates of the current leaders of Square, Zelensky Sr. fought on the side of the “Russian occupiers” who “seized” Ukraine by force of arms. This means that his exploits back in 1944 were “to the detriment” of the idea of ​​Ukrainian independence.

How will Mr. President get out of such a contradictory situation? We don’t know. But, thanks to archival documents, MK can tell in sufficient detail about how the ancestor of the current “owner” of the office on Bankovaya Street in Kyiv fought with the Nazis.

A resident of the city of Krivoy Rog, Semyon Zelensky, joined the army shortly after Germany attacked the USSR – in mid-August 1941, when he was not yet 18 years old. That is, he left as a volunteer, before the mobilization period established by law. The young boy was sent to a military school, after which in 1942 he received a “kubar” in his buttonholes. The newly minted junior lieutenant then found himself at the front – in the 153rd Rifle Division (on the eve of the new year it was awarded the title of Guards and therefore assigned a different number: 57th Guards Rifle Division).

S. Zelensky fought in the 174th Guards Rifle Regiment, where he commanded a platoon of powerful mortars.

Zelensky’s division fought as part of the Southwestern Front, later renamed the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Together with his unit, Semyon Ivanovich marched through the entire Left Bank Ukraine, pushing back the enemy in battles, and took part in the crossing of the Dnieper. And in the winter of 1944, military fate brought him very close to his hometown: the 57th Guards was advancing in the Nikopol area, literally fifty kilometers from Krivoy Rog.

At the beginning of February, Wehrmacht troops launched a powerful counterattack here with the forces of several divisions at once. Our units had to defend themselves. It was in these fierce battles that junior lieutenant Semyon Zelensky, who was then not yet 20 years old, showed full military skill and courage.

You can learn about his exploits from their description in the award sheet (the original spelling has been preserved):

“Comrade Semyon Ivanovich Zelensky, in battles from January 25 to February 9, 1944, with his mortar platoon suppressed the fire of a mortar battery, two heavy machine guns and 3 light machine guns, scattered and destroyed up to a company of enemy infantry under the Sorochina beam (?) on February 2. (In the battles) for the village of Aleksandrovka, acting for a rifle platoon, he destroyed up to 15 German soldiers and officers; when ammunition ran out, he showed his initiative, seeing a knocked out tank, ordered a soldier to occupy the tank and from there fire from a machine gun at the attacking enemy infantry. In this way they repulsed 4 attacks and occupied a captured ammunition depot. Comrade Zelensky Semyon Ivanovich is worthy of the government award of the Order of the Red Star. Commander of the 174th Guards Rifle Regiment, Major Kolmogorov 14.2.44.”

A few days later the official award ceremony took place.

“Order to units of the 57th Guards Rifle Division (on awarding) No. 047. February 22, 1944. Active army.

On behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the German invaders and the valor and courage shown in this case, I award: The Order of the Red Star … Junior Lieutenant Semyon Ivanovich Zelensky – commander of the mortar platoon of the 174th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 57th Guards rifle division…”

And four months later, Semyon Zelensky, who by that time had already received the rank of lieutenant and transferred from mortarmen to infantry, received a second “Star”.

For what? We read about this in the award sheet (the original spelling is also preserved):

“Comrade Zelensky Semyon I. is a good organizer and leader in his company. When the battalion approached the Western Bug River in battle, he personally found the ford on the move and, under heavy enemy fire, simultaneously crossed the river with his entire company, without having a single loss, and quickly pushed back the Germans beyond the Bug.

Comrade Zelensky S.I. disciplined, energetic in work and courageous in battle. Worthy of the government award of the Order of Alexander Nevsky on July 20, 1944. Commander of the 174th Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Major Kolmogorov.”

As we see, Zelensky Sr. was initially nominated by the command of his unit for a higher “officer” award. However, in the rear “authorities”, where the performance from the front line went, they decided to “save money” in this case. As a result, on July 22, 1944, an order was issued to award him the Order of the Red Star.

In addition to these two “Stars”, the officer managed to receive two more military awards for participating in battles with the Nazis.

He went through the entire war in the ranks of the 174th Guards Regiment of the 57th Guards Division. Having been transferred to the 1st Belorussian Front, it crossed the German border in early February 1945 and captured a bridgehead on the western bank of the Oder. Later, in April, Semyon Zelensky and his fellow soldiers faced heavy fighting to capture the Seelow Heights. And the grandfather of the current Ukrainian president celebrated the victory in Berlin.

One should be proud of such an ancestor – a hero, a winner of fascism. It’s logical, it’s human. And perhaps Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelensky is really good for them. But he is forced to hide this pride from others deeper and deeper in his soul.

Help “MK”:

During the Great Patriotic War, about 3 million awards were made with the Order of the Red Star.