Zotov Vladimir Mikhailovich (1926, Ufa — 19 January 2018, Nizhny Novgorod) — a The Great Patriotic War, tankman, teacher of history and military training, founder and permanent director of the museum of GAZ volunteer tankmen “Poisk” in the Avtozavodsky district of Nizhny Novgorod. The first teacher of the Avtozavodsky district to be awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Nizhny Novgorod.[2]
Military service
A native of Ufa, Zotov made attempts to get to the front as early as 1941, before reaching the age of 16. In September 1942, when he was not yet 17, he was finally called up and sent to a tank school in Chelyabinsk.[2] At the end of June 1943, Zotov, a T-34 tank driver-mechanic, arrived at the Western Front with the 11th Guards Tank Army, 5th Tank Corps, 41st Tank Brigade.[2]
He took part in the tank battle on the Kursk Bulge, blocking the German troops’ route to Oryol. After being reorganised, his unit was transferred to the Baltic Front. Zotov took part in the breaking of the Leningrad blockade and in the liberation of Belorussia and Latvia. Having become a tank commander, he knocked out a German “Tiger”, for which he was awarded the Order of Glory.[2] He was wounded twice and suffered a concussion; in one of the battles he received a severe wound to his arm — he refused amputation, and the doctors managed to save it.[2]
He was awarded two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st class, the Order of Glory, 3rd class, the medal “For Combat Merit” and the badge “Excellent Tankman”.[1] He holds commendations from the Ministry of Defence of the USSR and the Soviet Committee of War Veterans, the “Honorary Badge of the Committee of War Veterans” and the “Honorary Badge of the Veterans of the Armed Forces of Russia”.[1]
Work at GAZ and teaching career
From 1955 Zotov worked at the Gorky Automobile Plant, and after graduating from the pedagogical institute he taught history and military training for more than 30 years in the schools of the Avtozavodsky district.[1] He led the "My Homeland the USSR" expeditions and conducted 29 hikes to sites of the military glory of the Avtozavod workers.[1] He was awarded the titles "Distinguished Worker of Public Education of the RSFSR" and "Distinguished Worker of Public Education of the USSR", was a laureate of the "Public Recognition" prize for his feat at the front, an honoured veteran of the Gorky Automobile Plant, and a four-time prize-winner of the "Along the Road of Glory, the Road of the Heroes' Fathers" hikes.[1]
The GAZ "Poisk" Museum of Volunteer Tank Crews
Years after the war Zotov began to create a museum of volunteer tank crewmen drawn from the Avtozavod workers. The museum, officially named the "GAZ 'Poisk' Museum of Volunteer Tank Crews", is located at 18 Permyakova Street in the Avtozavodsky district.[2] By the time of the interview in 2015 the museum had been operating for 25 years, receiving students every Tuesday and Friday; over that time more than 70 thousand schoolchildren had visited it.[2] Zotov was the museum's permanent director and chief guide.[2] He called the fostering of patriotism in young people the museum's main task and the purpose of his own life.[2]
Vladimir Zotov became the first teacher of the Avtozavodsky district to be granted the title of honorary citizen of the city of Nizhny Novgorod.[2] He died in his 92nd year; the farewell ceremony took place on 21 January 2018 at the Veterans' House of the Avtozavodsky district.[1]
Sources
- Nizhegorodskaya Pravda — To Be a Citizen Is to Serve the Motherland (archived)
- Vremya N — Vladimir Zotov, honoured veteran and head of the Nizhny Novgorod patriotic museum "Poisk", has died (archived)
- lib-avt.ru — The Fate of a Tankman (archived)