Ilya Arkhipovich Vlasenko (19 July 1902 – 11 May 1963) (, , ) was a political commissar in the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

during and following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Vlasenko was awarded the title

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

in 1943 for his leadership in the

Battle of the Dnieper The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 on the Eastern Front of World War II. Being one of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost four million troops at one point and stretched over a front. Ov ...

Pre-war

Vlasenko was born on 19 July 1902 in the town of

Dobrush Dobrush (, ; ) is a town located in Gomel Region, Belarus. It is located on the Iput River. It serves as the administrative center of Dobrush District. As of 2025, it has a population of 17,901. Dobrush is first mentioned in 1335. Dobruh is ...

(now part of the Gomel Region in

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

). His father was a worker at the city's paper mill. Vlasenko graduated from the city's two year primary school. In 1917, he began working at the paper mill. Between 1924 and 1926, Vlasenko served in the

as a soldier with the 2nd Radio Regiment at Bryansk. After demobilization, Vlasenko became a trade union leader at the Dobrush paper mill. He was elected to the Central Committee of the Trade Union of Paper Industry Workers. In 1929, he became head of the trade union's personnel department in Moscow. In 1931, Vlasenko became the director of the Krasnaya Zvezda paper mill in

Chashniki Chashniki is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Chashniki District. It is famous for the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War and the Battle of Chashniki that took place during the French invasion of ...

. He then became head of the quality control department in the 7th Anniversary of the October Revolution Factory in Moscow. He was elected a deputy of the Moscow Soviet of People's Deputies. In May 1932, by the decision of the Communist Party he was mobilized and sent to strengthen the Party and political work in the troops of the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...

. He served in the Tula region and graduated from the KomVUZ and the Higher School of Border Troops.

Second World War

On 24 June 1941 according to the mobilization plan Battalion Commissar Vlasenko forms together with Lieutenant-Colonel Safiulin 69th Brigade NKVD in the city of Tula and becomes a military commissar of the brigade. 69th Brigade as part of the 50th Army actively participates in the Tula defense operation (the part of

Battle of Moscow The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II, between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated H ...

), reflecting the onset of the

2nd Panzer Army The 2nd Panzer Army () was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 2nd Panzer Group on October 5, 1941. Organisation Panzer Group Guderian () was formed on 5 June 1940 and named after its commander, general Heinz Gude ...

under command of

Guderian Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (; 17 June 1888 – 14 May 1954) was a German general during World War II who later became a successful memoirist. A pioneer and advocate of the "blitzkrieg" approach, he played a central role in the development of ...

, who later wrote: "An attempt to capture the city at once stumbled on a strong anti-tank and anti-aircraft defenses and ended in failure, and we have suffered significant losses in tanks and officers". For his personal bravery, courage and leadership in combat Vlasenko awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

and the title of "Senior Battalion Commissar". He was appointed a military commissar of the

8th Motor Rifle Division NKVD The 8th Motorized Rifle Division of the NKVD Internal Troops (Russian: 8-я мотострелковая дивизия внутренних войск НКВД СССР 8-y motostrelkovaya diviziya vnutrenikh voisk NKVD SSSR) was formed in acco ...

and then of the

13th Motor Rifle Division NKVD The 13th Motorized Rifle Division of the NKVD Internal Troops (Russian: 13-я мотострелковая дивизия внутренних войск НКВД СССР 13-y motostrelkovaya diviziya vnutrenikh voisk NKVD SSSR) was formed as a ...

, and participated in the

Second Battle of Kharkov The Second Battle of Kharkov or Operation Fredericus was an Axis powers, Axis counter-offensive in the region around Kharkov against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted 12–28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front (World War II), Easter ...

, was fighting in the region of

Izium Izium or Izyum (, ; ) is a city on the Donets River in Kharkiv Oblast, eastern Ukraine that serves as the administrative center of Izium Raion and Izium urban hromada. It is about southeast of the city of Kharkiv, the oblast's administrative cen ...

Kupiansk Kupiansk or Kupyansk (, ; , ) is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kupiansk Raion. It is also an important railroad junction for the oblast. Kupiansk hosts the administration of Kupiansk urban hromada, ...

Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...

Borisoglebsk Borisoglebsk () is a town in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Vorona River near its confluence with the Khopyor. Population: 65,000 (1969). History Borisoglebsk was founded in 1646 and was named for the Russian s ...

. After significant losses in the battle, June 15, 1942, the 13th Motorized Rifle Division NKVD was reorganized, incorporated into the

and was named the

95th Rifle Division The 95th Rifle Division (Russian: 95-я стрелковая дивизия 95-y strelkovaya diviziya) was a Red Army Division (military), Rifle Division during World War II, formed three times. The division was first formed in November 1923 with ...

. In September 1942 the division arrived in

Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

. It defended the

Mamayev Kurgan Mamayev Kurgan () is a dominant height overlooking the city of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) in Southern Russia. The name in Russian means "tumulus of Mamai". The formation is dominated by a memorial complex commemorating the Battle of Stali ...

, the Krasny Oktyabr factory,

Stalingrad Tractor Plant The Volgograd Tractor Plant (, ''Volgogradski traktorni zavod'', or , ''VgTZ''), formerly the ''Dzerzhinskiy'' Tractor Factory or the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, is a heavy equipment factory located in Volgograd, Russia. It was once one of the larg ...

. For the defense of Stalingrad, the

was awarded the title of Guards, March 1, 1943, it transformed into the

75th Guards Rifle Division The 75th Guards Rifle Division () was a Red Army Division (military), infantry division during World War II and afterwards, which later became the 75th Guards Tank Division and was finally disbanded in the 1990s. The 75th Guards Rifle Division wa ...

. For his courage, determination and leadership in the battle Colonel Vlasenko awarded a second

. In July 1943, the Division as part of the

13th Army Thirteenth Army or 13th Army may refer to: * Thirteenth Army (Japan) * Japanese Thirteenth Area Army * 13th Army (Russian Empire), unit in World War I *13th Army (RSFSR), a unit in the Russian Civil War *13th Army (Soviet Union) The 13th Army (, ...

participated in the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...

near the

Ponyri Ponyri () is the name of several inhabited localities in Kursk Oblast, Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in ...

– Olhovatka. In the heavy fighting the offensive of German troops, who used a large number of tanks, was halted with heavy losses to the enemy. For exemplary performance of combat tasks and for displaying courage and heroism the Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, and Colonel Vlasenko awarded the

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...

. August 27, 1943, the Division entered the territory of Ukraine. In the battles for the liberation of Ukraine and

the Division liberates station Khutor-Mikhailovsky, townships Yampil,

Baturyn Baturyn (, ) is a historic city in Chernihiv Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located in Nizhyn Raion (district) on the banks of the Seym River. It hosts the administration of Baturyn urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. P ...

and September 9 town

Bakhmach Bakhmach (, ) is a city located in Nizhyn Raion of Chernihiv Oblast (province), in northern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Bakhmach urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It has a population of In 2025 the population is 16,30 ...

. For the heroism shown during the liberation of the city Bakhmach, the division is assigned the name "Bakhmach". September 21 the Division forces the Desna River, and September 23 Division boosts the

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

River, 35 km north of Kyiv, near the village Yasnogorodka (

Vyshhorod Raion Vyshhorod Raion () is a raion (district) in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Vyshhorod. It has a population of On 18 July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, the number of raions of Kyiv Oblast w ...

). The capture and expansion of the bridgehead made it possible to concentrate the troops for an attack on Kyiv and the liberation of the Ukrainian capital. Guard Colonel Vlasenko for his courage and heroism was awarded the title of

. He participates in the further liberation of Ukraine, then Belarus (

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...

) and was awarded the third

. In June 1944, Vlasenko was appointed head of the political department of the

61st Rifle Corps The 61st Rifle Corps (Russian: 61-й стрелковый корпус '' '') was a Red Army infantry corps during World War II, formed twice. The 61st Rifle Corps was formed firmed in Tula during September 1939. After Operation Barbarossa, it was ...

of the 69th Army of the

1st Belorussian Front The 1st Belorussian Front (, ''Pervyy Belorusskiy front'', also romanized " Byelorussian"), known without a numeral as the Belorussian Front between October 1943 and February 1944, was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, bein ...

. During the Lublin–Brest offensive 61 Corps July 20, 1944, crossed the Bug River, and July 29 crossed the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

near the town of

Puławy Puławy (, also written Pulawy) is a city in eastern Poland, in Lesser Poland's Lublin Voivodeship, at the confluence of the Vistula and Kurówka River, Kurówka Rivers. Puławy is the capital of Puławy County. The city's 2019 population was Cen ...

and captured the bridgehead. January 15, 1945, the Corps, acting in the Vistula–Oder offensive, freed the city of

Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship. Radom is the fifteenth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in its province w ...

and was awarded the honorary name "Radom." Continuing the offensive, the Corps forcing the rivers Pilica and

Warta The river Warta ( , ; ; ) rises in central Poland and meanders greatly through the Polish Plain in a north-westerly direction to flow into the Oder at Kostrzyn nad Odrą on Poland's border with Germany. About long, it the second-longest riv ...

, freed the city Tomaszow and

Jarocin Jarocin () is a town in west-central Poland with 25,700 inhabitants (1995), the administrative capital of Jarocin County in Greater Poland Voivodeship. Jarocin is a historical town, having been founded and granted city rights in the 13th century. ...

and came to the

Oder The Oder ( ; Czech and ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and its largest tributary the Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows through wes ...

to the north of the city of

Frankfurt (Oder) Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (, ; Central Marchian: ''Frankfort an de Oder,'' ) is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after Potsdam, Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel. With around 58,000 inh ...

. For his heroism and bravery, the skill to lead troops in combat Guard Colonel Vlasenko was awarded the

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov ( ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established during World War II t ...

2nd Class. In April 1945, the Corps participated in the

Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...

, doing offensive from the Kyustrin's bridgehead. In the

Battle of the Seelow Heights The Battle of the Seelow Heights () was part of the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation (16 April – 2 May 1945). A pitched battle, it was one of the last assaults on large entrenched defensive positions of the Second World War. It was fough ...

the Corps gave not retreat

9th Army (Wehrmacht) The 9th Army () was a World War II German field army. It was activated on 15 May 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command. History 1940 The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried Line during its involvement in the invasion of ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, then it participated in the elimination of the enemy force, which was surrounded by the south-east of

. For a breakthrough fortified enemy band and skilful political leadership of the offensive operations Colonel Vlasenko was awarded the

Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union) The Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky (, ) was a Soviet award named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Hetman (leader) of the Ukrainian Cossack Hetmanate. The award was first established on October 10, 1943, by the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR during ...

2nd Class. May 1, 1945, Guards Colonel Ilya Vlasenko graduated part in the hostilities of

when the 61st Radom Rifle Corps came out on the river

Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

near the city of

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

and met with US troops.

Post-war

In July 1945, Vlasenko was appointed head of the Political Department and Deputy Chief for Political Affairs for the

Soviet Military Administration in Germany The Soviet Military Administration in Germany (; ''Sovyetskaya Voyennaya Administratsiya v Germanii'', SVAG; , SMAD) was the Soviet military government, headquartered in Berlin- Karlshorst, that directly ruled the Soviet occupation zone in German ...

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...

province and he served in that position until the

German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

was established in 1949. For his work in Germany, he was awarded the

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

. Between 1950 and 1951 Vlasenko studied at the

Lenin Military-Political Academy The V. I. Lenin Military-Political Academy (), abbreviated as VPA, was a higher military educational institution of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1919 to 1991 that provided advanced training to political workers. History The predecessor of ...

. From April 1951 he was the Deputy Head of the Political Administration of the South Ural Military District, and from October 1953 to 3 October 1957 Vlasenko was Head of the Political Administration of the District. He was promoted to the rank of "Major-General" in 1954. Vlasenko was awarded the

in 1950 and the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

in 1956. Vlasenko retired in 1957. He lived in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, died on May 11, 1963, and was buried in Kyiv Lukyanovka military cemetery next to his wife Valentina Vlasenko (Subbocheva). The couple tied their fate during the battles in Stalingrad.

Awards

* "Gold Star" Medal

, № 1551 (1943) * Two

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

, № 15872 (1943); № 323959 (1956) *

Orders of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of Sovi ...

, three times № 36663 (1942); № 1974 (1942); № 6676 (1950) *

, 2nd class, № 1151 (1944) * Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class, № 1022 (1945) *

, № 61618 (1948) * Two Orders of the Red Star, № 252484 (1943); 1272563 (1945) *

Medal "For Battle Merit" The Medal "For Battle Merit" () was a Soviet military medal awarded for "combat action resulting in a military success", "courageous defense of the state borders", or "successful military and political training and preparation". It was created on ...

, №1504878 *

Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union awarded to military and civilians who had participated in the Battle of Moscow. History The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" was established on May ...

Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union. Medal history The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" was established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet o ...

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established on May 9, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote military partici ...

Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" The Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on June 9, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to satisfy the petition of the People's Commissariat for Defe ...

* Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" *

Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" The Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on September 20, 1947 and bestowed to prominent Sovie ...

* Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" * Bronze medal Meritorious on the Field of Glory (Poland) * Medal Medal for the Oder, Neisse, Baltic (Poland)

Honors

* A street in Dobrush was named for Vlasenko. * A stele with Vlasenko's name was erected in Dobrush's Second World War memorial. * A memorial plaque is located on house number 4 on Lavra St. in Kyiv, where Vlasenko lived in his last years (abducted by unknown persons in September 2022). * There is a monument to Vlasenko at the Lukyanovka military cemetery in Kyiv.

Bibliography

* «Dnipro – the river of heroes» – 2nd ed., Ext. – Kyiv: Political lit. Publ. of Ukraine, 1988 – . *
Memoirs by Vasili Chuikov: ''Сражение века''
''Battle of the Century''.

''Various days of the war''.
О войне и товарищах. Сборник воспоминаний. — Красноград: АО «КМП», 1996. — 208 с. с илл. — 950 экз.
''About the War and Comrades. Collection of the veterans memories''.

References

External links

*
Biography
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vlasenko, Ilya 1902 births 1963 deaths People from Dobrush district Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Lenin Military Political Academy alumni Soviet major generals Soviet military personnel of World War II from Ukraine Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union), 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the Red Star