![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stalin-line.by\/images\/Krichevtzovy.jpg\")
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n\tThe brothers Konstantin, Minai and Yelisei grew up in a large Belarusian family with six sons and three daughters.<\/p>\n
\n\tTheir father, Georgy Trofimovich, was a humble village teacher who instilled a love of music in his older children. After leaving school, the brothers enrolled at a music college. In 1939, universal military conscription was introduced in the Soviet Union, and the two eldest brothers, Konstantin and Minai, who had already graduated from college, were called up for service. Yelisei still had another year of study remaining, so he was granted a deferment.<\/p>\n
\n\t In the late 1930s, Soviet people held the Red Army in high regard, and border guards, pilots and tank crews were particularly admired. The elder brothers joined the tank forces. Not wishing to be left behind, Yelisei applied to the military registration and enlistment office to have his deferment revoked and requested service in the tank forces. The enlistment office staff were unable to revoke the deferment. However, family crews were widespread at the time. They therefore advised him to write directly to the People's Commissar for Defence, Kliment Voroshilov, asking for his help in joining the army and serving alongside his brothers in the same crew. His wish to serve his Motherland was granted, and the army gained another family crew.<\/p>\n
\n\tDuring their two years of service, the brothers were transformed from musicians into professional soldiers. By the outbreak of war, Konstantin, holding the rank of starshina, was the commander of a BT fast tank. Minai, a senior sergeant, was the driver-mechanic, while Sergeant Yelisei Krichevtsov served as loader. Their light tank brigade fought its first battle in the Bia\u0142ystok salient, where the most powerful Soviet force, the 10th Shock Army, was concentrated.<\/p>\n
\n\tHowever, on 22 June 1941, German armoured spearheads rapidly began outflanking the 10th Army from both sides in an attempt to cut off the salient. The Soviet tank crews became bogged down fighting German infantry divisions. These had numerous anti-tank guns and, in place of tanks, StuG III self-propelled assault guns whose frontal armour could not be penetrated by the Soviet 45 mm guns. The tanks of the shock army therefore suffered heavy losses.<\/p>\n
\n\tOn 26 June, while covering the withdrawal of their units near \u0141apy railway station, the Krichevtsov brothers fought their final battle. When their light BT tank was hit and caught fire, they drove the blazing vehicle into a German self-propelled gun in a final ramming attack.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe brothers never became musicians. Instead, for the sake of those of us alive today, they sacrificed the most precious thing they had \u2014 their lives.<\/p>\n
\n\t<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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