Sacrifice of an 83-Year-Old Father: Deceived Nazi Troops for the Nation, Became a Martyr Himself

Kathmandu — At 83 years of age, his body may not have supported him much, but the love for his country and hatred for the enemy in his heart was so strong that even by sacrificing his own life, he taught the enemy a lesson. That deed has been immortalized on the pages of history, as a chapter that Russian descendants will proudly remember.

Date: February 14, 1942. The height of the brutal Second World War. On that day, 83-year-old Matvey Kuzmin, born in the village of Kurakino in the Velikiye Luki district of Russia’s Pskov Province, inscribed his name in history in golden letters.

When the war began, Matvey Kuzmin was a well-known and knowledgeable person in his area. The surrounding forests and paths were like the back of his hand. He did not know that those very paths would become witnesses to his final journey.

On February 13, a German army battalion stationed in the village planned to reach the rear of the Russian forces. They needed a guide. Their eyes fell upon the 83-year-old elder, Matvey.

The battalion commander forced him to show the way, to lead them to the village of Pershino, where Russian troops were stationed. Matvey agreed, but he had a different plan in mind.

He secretly sent his son Vasily to the Russian forces. The message was: “I am leading the German troops via another route. You set up an ambush near the village of Malkino.”

The night of February 14. Matvey began leading the German detachment through circuitous paths. He deliberately slowed their pace. By the time they neared the village of Malkino, it was already dawn.

There it was — the ambush set by the Russian 31st Separate Cadet Rifle Brigade. Suddenly, there was a hail of bullets. The German battalion, caught in a surprise attack, was completely destroyed. Most of the soldiers were killed; the rest were captured.

Realizing they had been deceived, the German soldiers’ fury reached its peak. They shot and killed Matvey Kuzmin right there. Having fulfilled his duty, he too became a martyr — but not before teaching the enemy a lesson.

The story of Matvey Kuzmin’s bravery spread far and wide. His comrades and contemporaries openly praised his courage. On May 9, 1965 — Victory Day — he was posthumously awarded the title ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’. He became the oldest person in history to receive this honor.

Even today, his statue stands at the Partizanskaya metro station in Moscow, inscribed with the words: “Hero of the Soviet Union Matvey Kuzmich Kuzmin.” Nearby stands another statue of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya — two partisan heroes, two immortal stories.

Russia’s land has many heroes, but this story of an 83-year-old father — who, under the pretext of guiding the enemy, walked into the jaws of death himself but ensured his country’s victory — will remain immortal for centuries.