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Geroy Sovetskogo Soyuza Gavriil Epifanovich Sobyanin - snayper

Gavril Yepifanovich Sobyanin was born on May, 25 1896 in Perm governorate in peasant’s family. He got primary education. In 1914-1916 he participated in the First World War. In 1918 his family moved to Beryozovsky region of Omsk (now Tyumen) governorate, where he worked in Igrim settlement.

In August of 1942 he went to the front as a volunteer. He served as Red Army sniper shooter of 301st rifle regiment of the 2nd Pribaltiysky front.

Skillful hunter, Gavril Sobyanin arrived to the front in August of 1942 and immediately passed short-term snipers courses. Rifle regiment where waged a war private soldier Sobyanin was in defense at one of the portions of the Western front. Daily at the sunrise sniper had been going to his fire position usually located on the neutral strip. Every day the number of fascists shot by Sobyanin had been growing up.

Later his regiment changed over to offensive. And in offensive employments for liberating Soviet Baltic Republics skillful shooter private soldier Sobyanin was marked with braveness and soldier’s smarts. In the battle for Saakyuda settlement in Latvian SSR being in the first rows of streaking troop shooting his sniper’s rifle killed more than ten enemies.

On October 7, 1944 during advance in the region of Syntazhi, Latvia, when severe machine guns fire forced our soldiers to hit the ground at the river shore, by tidy shots Gavril Sobyanin destroyed machine-gun crew, 2 enemy’s snipers and was on of the first who force crossed Maza-Yugla river.

During breakthrough of another fortified enemy’s defense line on November 4, 1944 private soldier Sobyanin was the first who rushed to the attack and lugging off other warriors of the troop burst into the first enemy’s trench providing capturing of beneficial bound. But enemy’s infantry covered by tanks launched a counterattack. Then private soldier Sobyanin took upon himself command over the unit instead of left the ranks commander, organized defense and by volley fire cut off fascist’s infantry from the tanks. By point-blanking fire, grenades and in scrimmage our battlers braked through enemy and survived ones rolled back.

Booting Nazi occupants from the territory of Latvia rifle regiment as a part of which Sobyanin has been waging a war by the end of 1944 came up to defended post of enemy’s defense Garakas. Enemy’s gun posts were located on beneficial heights. Routes of approach to the front edge were covered with barrier of barbered wire. All approaches were exposed to the fire of enemy’s machine guns. Sobyanin executed the duties of observation sniper. He detected enemy’s gun posts and destroyed them with his rifle or pointed their positions to artillerists.

By tidy fire brave warrior killed up to ten enemy soldiers and military officers and destroyed 3 machine gun crews and pointed 9 gun posts to artillerists who plastered them with the fire. When our battlers rushed to the attack, Gavril Sobyanin first jumped off from the dug-out position and lugged off the others. The troop conquered important height.

Six times enemy committed to counterattack up to battalion of infantry with tanks, but each time they had to retire bearing losses.

On December 23, 1944 fascists managed to break into our trenches. In this unequal battle Gavril Sobyanin was killed. According to some sources his personal count consists of about 60 killed fascists.

On June 29, 1945 for braveness and military valour exhibited in the battles with enemies he was post mortem awarded with the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. He was also awarded with the orders of Lenin, Red Banner, and “For Valour” and “For Combat Service” medals.

He was buried in Kursisi settlement of Saldus region, Republic of Latvia. He is eternally enrolled in the lists of military unit.