Najafgulu Radzhabali oglu Rafiyev (Azerbaijani: Nəcəfqulu Rəcəbəli oğlu Rəfiyev; 22 March 1915 – 24 December 1970) was an Azerbaijani

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

and a

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 ...

. Rafiyev was awarded the title for the leadership of his tank platoon during

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 ...

. During the battle, his platoon cut of the German escape route after crossing the

Ptsich The Ptsich, or Pcič official transliteration (, ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It flows south through Belarus, taking its source near Minsk, and draining into the Pripyat, being its left tributary. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .

and moving across the

Bobruisk Babruysk (, ) or Bobruysk (, ; , ) is a city in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babruysk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is situated on the Berezina River. Babruysk o ...

– Glusk highway. The platoon subsequently helped capture

Baranovichi Baranavichy or Baranovichi is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Baranavichy District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has a population of 170,817. ...

. Postwar, Rafiyev continued to serve in the army and retired in 1956. He lived in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

Early life

Rafiyev was born on 22 March 1915 in

Ordubad Ordubad is the second largest city of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the capital of an eponymous district. Ordubad is a medieval city of the Caucasus and in its current capacity of a town was founded in the 18th century. The town ...

to a working-class family. After nine years of studying at the

sericulture Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, the caterpillar of the Bombyx mori, domestic silkmoth is the most widely used and intensively studied silkwo ...

courses in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, he returned to Ordubad and worked as a senior inspector at the cocoon-seed station. He moved to Baku in 1931. Rafiyev graduated from trade school and then railway technical school. In 1935, he was drafted into 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 ...

and sent to the armored forces. He graduated from the Leningrad Higher Armored School in 1941.

World War II

Rafiyev fought in World War II from June 1941. On 26 June, he fought in battles south of

Kremenets Kremenets (, ; ; ) is a city in Ternopil Oblast, western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kremenets Raion, and lies north-east of the Pochaiv Lavra. The city is situated in the historic region of Volhynia and features the 12th-c ...

. He was wounded in the head but remained in the line. During the retreat Rafiyev fought south of

Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( ; see #Names, below for other names) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Zhytomyr Oblast (Oblast, province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding ...

and

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

. At

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

Rafiyev's tank reportedly destroyed two heavy German tanks, six guns and killed more than 50 German soldiers. During an action at

Matveyev Kurgan Matveyev Kurgan () is a rural locality (a ''settlement'') and the administrative center of Matveyevo-Kurgansky District, Rostov Oblast, Russia. Demographics Its population has grown over the decades: History The Russians started settlin ...

he was wounded a third time but did not leave the front. During the engagement, Rafiyev's crew reportedly destroyed a German tank, two heavy guns, mortars, and killed 35 German soldiers. In 1943, he joined the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

. Rafiyev became a tank platoon commander of the 3rd Tank Regiment of the 37th Mechanized Brigade, part of the 1st Mechanized Corps, and subsequently led them during

. On 26 June, near

, the platoon captured the crossing over the

and moved along the Bobruisk-Glusk Highway, cutting the escape route for German troops. On 27 June, pursuing German troops, the platoon reached Lenino. On 8 July the platoon reached Baranovichi. On 7 July, he was 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 ...

. On 27 September, Rafiyev received the title Hero of the Soviet Union 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 ...

for his leadership.

Postwar

In 1945, Rafiyev graduated from the Higher School of Armored Officers. In 1951, he graduated from the Higher School of Self-Propelled Artillery Officers. He became a military commissar in the

Julfa District Julfa District () is one of the 7 districts of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The district borders the districts of Ordubad, Babek, Shahbuz, as well as the Syunik Province of Armenia and the East Azerbaijan Province of Ira ...

. He retired in 1956 with the rank of major and later lived and worked in Baku. In 1969, he became an honorary citizen of Glusk. Rafiyev died on 24 December 1970 and was buried in the

Alley of Honor The Alley of Honor (, Honorary ''Allée'') is a public cemetery and memorial in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Alley includes burials of famed Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijan-affiliated expatriates, including several Presidents, scientists and artists. There ...

Legacy

Streets in Baku, Ordubad and

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

are named for Rafiyev. A bust of Rafiyev was constructed in Ordubad.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rafiyev, Najafgulu 1915 births 1970 deaths Soviet military personnel of World War II Soviet Azerbaijani people Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin People from Ordubad Soviet Army officers Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner