Arkady (Abram) Samuelovich Igdalov

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Igdalov Abram (Arkady) Samuilovich (Samoilovich) (1916– 1993). Born in the town of Nevel, Vitebsk province. (now - Pskov region). He graduated from the seven-year school. After serving in the Red Army, he moved to Leningrad. He worked at the plant "Leninskaya Iskra" (now - JSC "Accumulator company "Rigel" "). Member of the Soviet-Finnish War. Again drafted into the army on July 5, 1941 by the Leninist RVK of Leningrad. Fought on Leningrad and 2nd Baltic fronts. In 1941 he was wounded. In 1941-1944. - commander of the reconnaissance squad of the control platoon commander of artillery 268th SD. Since January 1945 - minder control link of the 148th IAP of the 185th IAD. Staff Sergeant. NaI. S. Igdalov 248 Citizen of the Order of Glory III degree (1944), medals "For Courage" (1944), "For Military Merit" (1945), "For the Defense of Leningrad" (1943). After the war he lived in Nevel.

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During the Great Patriotic War he served in intelligence, was the commander of the intelligence department of the control platoon. He was awarded medals “For Courage”, “For the Defense of Leningrad”, “Order of Glory, 3rd degree”. In the award list it is written “he proved himself to be a courageous intelligence officer who knows his business, always being on the front line (!). Always goes ahead, in the battle formations of our units and skillfully solves the assigned tasks. "

Arkady was awarded the "Order of Glory" 3rd degree for reconnaissance during the battles on the Karelian Isthmus. Despite all the difficulties of conducting reconnaissance in a wooded area, he timely discovered a retreating enemy column, which was immediately covered by artillery fire, as a result of which the enemy suffered heavy losses.

In the battle for the heights to the west of Lake Salo-Yarvi, he reconnoitered two artillery and one mortar battery, which “according to Comrade Igdalov's target designation were suppressed by our art. fire, which contributed to the fulfillment of the task of our advancing units. "

In the award list of Arkady for the medal "For Courage" I read: "Comrade Igdalov A.S. in the period of battles from 21.01 to 26.01.44, proved himself to be a combat reconnaissance officer, strictly fulfilling his tasks, having time to conduct reconnaissance behind the enemy, giving target designation that the enemy is retreating, where. T. Igdalov reported the directions of the enemy's withdrawal routes, and our artillery fired in these areas to prevent the withdrawal of his units. "

Restrained, even dryish style of his letters ("I am in full health", "I have no news from you"). But twice Arkady will change his manner. It was he who will report on the execution of Isaac's young wife, their little daughter and other relatives who remained in the city of Nevel on November 15, 1943, a month and a half after the liberation of our city. In the letter, he says that Isaac's family died more than two years ago. Arkady speaks of this at once, like a military man to a military man; refers to the response to his request from the Nevel City Council and even to the eyewitness testimony of the execution. And then, realizing how scary it will be to read these lines to his brother, as if he divides the grief into two (“be strong as I am,” “we have to take revenge and revenge”), leaves a little hope (“maybe this is not true”). And he asks not to inform the parents in Sverdlovsk yet ("after all, the old people will not survive").Isaac's wife, sister Vera and two-year-old daughter Anechka and 860 other Jews were shot at Golubaya Dacha, a suburb of Nevel.

December 6, 1942, Arkady writes a letter to the commander of the unit, where his brother Isaac serves. In this letter, one can feel great anxiety, because in a war, every day of a loved one may be the last. Here are the lines of this letter: “Greetings from the Leningrad front. Comrade commander! In your unit my brother Igdalov IS serves, and for a month now I have not received any letters from him, I ask you to tell the reason for his silence. "

From the letters we learn that Arkady took part in breaking the blockade of Leningrad. The letter Igdalov Pavel (Pinkhus) Semenovich (Samuilovich)does not specifically say about this, but you can guess from some details (“today we have broken through the city’s defenses”, “a German skidded without underpants”). For this feat he was awarded the award "For the Defense of Leningrad", which is confirmed by the award list.