Pyotr Braiko
Soviet Ukrainian partisan (1919–2018)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pyotr Yevseevich Braiko (Russian: Пётр Евсеевич Брайко; 9 September 1919 – 7 April 2018)[1] was a Soviet soldier during the Second World War who gained the status of Hero of the Soviet Union following the conflict.
Pyotr Yevseevich Braiko | |
|---|---|
 Braiko in 2011 | |
| Native name | Пётр Евсеевич Брайко |
| Born | 9 September 1919 |
| Died | 7 April 2018 (aged 98) |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Service years | 1938–1960 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
He took part in seven raids by the guerrilla brigade of Sydir Kovpak. Though he did not achieve his dream of a career as a military pilot he graduated from the Moscow Border Communication College. He entered action on June 22, 1941 as a Soviet border guard on the border with Romania and witnessed the tragic encirclement and routing of Soviet forces near Kiev. He would come to spend years deep behind enemy lines where he took guidance from Soviet guerrilla leaders in Ukraine including Sydir Kovpak, Semyon Rudnev and Pyotr Vershigora.
