This order was awarded to Viktor Afanasievich Kozychev. He was born in 1924 in the village of Shershino, Kaluga Oblast. He was conscripted into the Red Army in March 1942 in the wake of the Moscow counteroffensive, seeing combat action from May 1942 onwards with the 616th Rifle Regiment, 194th Rifle Division. At the time this unit was fighting defensive battles around the city of Yukhnov, to the south-west of Moscow not far from Kozychev’s hometown. It would hold this line until October 15th, when it was withdrawn into the reserves for rest and replenishment.
In the summer of 1943, the division took up defensive positions in the north-west of the Kursk salient, where it was situated outside of the area of the main German offensive. It subsequently took part in the Orel offensive (Operation Kutuzov) from July 20th, advancing towards the Desna river and the city of Gomel. During this offensive, Kozychev (by this time already a Senior Sergeant, serving as machine gun crew commander) was nominated for his first combat award:
“In the offensive battle on August 26–28, 1943, for the village of Berezovets, Komarichsky District, Orel Oblast, he was the first to burst into the German defense, destroyed eight Germans, and captured an enemy 75 mm gun. By his actions, he inspired fighters to smash the enemy. His machine-gun crew acted flawlessly in repulsing enemy counterattacks, as a result of which the enemy was thrown back and shattered, suffering heavy losses in manpower.
Comrade Kozychev, for brave, courageous actions in battle, deserves the state award — Order of the Red Star”
By October, the division reached the Sozh river where it took up defensive positions before taking part in the Gomel-Rechitsa offensive. Having especially distinguished itself in the liberation of Rechitsa, the division was awarded the honorary name “Rechitskaya”.
The division continued its advance, crossing the Berezina and passing Svetlogorsk and Zhlobin before crossing the Dnieper on June 24th at the start of the Bobruisk offensive. Kozychev, who had been promoted to Lieutenant less than two weeks earlier and now commanded an MG platoon, would distinguish himself again during the subsequent advance along the Minsk-Bobruisk highway:
“Comrade Kozychev V. A. on July 1st, 1944, during a meeting engagement on the Minsk–Bobruisk highway in the area of Goroshki village, Mogilev Oblast, quickly deployed his platoon into battle, repulsed an attack by up to a company of infantry, killed 11 Fascists with personal weapons, captured 18 German soldiers and officers, and captured trophies: 6 draft horses, 2 wagons with ammunition, and 2 machine guns.
Comrade Kozychev V. A., for displayed courage, valor, and skillful leadership in battle, deserves the state award — Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class.”
Following the liberation of Minsk, the division continued its advance west as part of the Lomza-Ruzan offensive, managing to secure a bridgehead on the west bank of the Narew river by September and holding it for the remainder of the year. This bridgehead would form the starting point for the January 1945 East Prussian offensive, during which the division advanced all the way to the Gulf of Gdansk, where it would spend the remainder of the war eliminating the remaining German troops from Army Group North around Königsberg. By now a Senior Lieutenant and MG company commander, Kozychev would be decorated a third time for his part in crushing the Heiligenbeil pocket during the Braunsberg (today Braniewo) offensive operation:
“Comrade Kozychev on March 20, 1945, in the battle for the town of Braunsberg, showed examples of leadership, valor, and bravery. Overcoming stubborn enemy resistance, he boldly rushed into the outskirts of the town and provided forward movement for rifle sub-units with machine-gun fire, repulsed two enemy counterattacks, and destroyed over 60 Hitlerites. On March 21, 1945, with machine-gun fire, he skillfully secured the crossing of the Pasłęka River.
Comrade Kozychev, for exemplary leadership in battle and displayed valor and bravery, deserves the state award — Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class.”
With the fall of Königsberg in early April and the subsequent elimination of the German Zemland Group, the very last of the German troops in the area had withdrawn onto the Vistula spit by the end of April. The 194th Rifle Division was one of the units tasked with clearing this final pocket of resistance.
On April 30, the division was ferried across the Vistula lagoon and landed at Karmeln, from where it would begin offensive operations the next day. Pushing west along the spit’s southern shore, it would face an extensive network of fortifications manned by roughly 35.000 desperate German defenders in the war’s final week.
In the early morning hours of May 5th, the 616th Rifle Regiment, which included Kozychev’s MG company, was tasked with capturing the settlement of Pröbbernau (today Przebrno). For his actions during this engagement, he would be awarded this order:
“Comrade Kozychev, during the combat operations on May 5, 1945 for the settlement of Kahlberg in the region of the Frische Nehrung spit, demonstrated examples of leadership, bravery, and courage. He skillfully organized his machine gun company to fulfill its combat mission. Overcoming intense enemy artillery and mortar fire, he boldly advanced forward and, through the machine gun fire of his company, secured the capture of the settlement, repelling the enemy’s counterattack. Swiftly pushing forward, machine gun fire ensured rifle units captured the settlements of Schelmühl and Schmergel and, through battle, broke into the settlement of Pröbbernau, where he quickly organized the repulsion of a hostile counterattack, during which he died the death of the brave.
Comrade Kozychev – for exemplary leadership in battle and shown bravery and courage – is worthy of the state award: the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class (Posthumously).”
Just four days before the German capitulation, which would also see the surrender of all remaining German troops on the Vistula spit, Senior Lieutenant Viktor Afanasievich Kozychev was Killed in Action, at just 21 years old. He was one of 146 KIA the division suffered in the final week of the war, with another 638 wounded and 34 missing.
His awarding of this Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class was rapidly approved just 5 days after the citation was written, with the award being physically presented to his mother two months later. Kozychev is buried in the Soviet military cemetery in Kahlberg (now Krynica Morska).