AWARD CITATION

1. Surname, name, patronymic: Leschenko, Mikhail Dmitrievich.

2. Military Rank: Captain.

3. Position, unit: Party Leader of the 93rd Independent Tank Destroyer Division of the 21st Perm Red Banner Rifle Division.

Recommended for: Order of the Red Star.

4. Year of birth: 1908.

5. Nationality: Belorussian.

6. Party Membership: Member of the VKP/b/ from 1931.

7. Participation in the Civil War, military action defending the USSR and in the Great Patriotic War: On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since 1941, Western, Karelia and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts. 

8. Has Wounds and Contusions in Great Patriotic War: Two light wounds and one contusion.

9. From What Time In Red Army: from 1936.

10. What Call-Up Station: Stalinsky Call-Up station, city of Minsk.

11. Awards (For What Deeds): Order of the Red Banner and Medal of Partisan of the Great Patriotic War 1st Class for organizing a partisan detachment and for the struggle in  the enemy rear.

12. Permanent Home Address: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Zhitomirskaya Oblast, 26 Levanevskogo Street.

Brief Description:

Comrade Leschenko has been at the front since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. During the temporary German occupation on the territory of Ukraine, Comrade Leschenko had been active for over two years in the “Fyodorov” partisan detachment, and for this he was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the Medal of the Partisan of the Great Patriotic War 1st Class.

He has been with the division since September 1944 as a Party Instructor of the 93rd Independent Tank Destroyer Division. He took part in actions near Kandalakshisk, where he showed personal courage and his ability to encourage the Communists and personnel to fulfill military objectives.

In January 1945, in the area of Abo-Kaloz /Hungary/ and Shaponia with the anti-tank units, Comrade Leschenko ensured the infantry’s movement forward, having repelled two counter attacks from armored vehicles. By skillfully placing the Communists and members of the Komsomol between subordinate units and by showing his personal combat example provided for the fulfillment of military objective set for the Division.

Comrade Leschenko deserves to be awarded the Order of Red Star.

Head of Political Instruction Department of the 21st Perm Red Banner Rifle Division Guards Lieutenant Colonel /Puzanov/.