Alexander Matrosov

Alexander Matveyevich Matrosov (Алекса́ндр Матве́евич Матро́сов; Олександр Матвійович Матросов) (February 5, 1924 – February 22 or 27, 1943), born in Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk) was a famous Soviet infantry soldier during World War II.

According to Soviet sources, on 22 February 1943, in the battle for the village of Chernushki, currently in Loknyansky District, Pskov Oblast, Matrosov threw himself onto a German pill-box, blocking the machine-gun with his own chest, to allow his unit to advance. For his self-sacrifice in battle, Matrosov was posthumously awarded the distinction Hero of the Soviet Union.

Contrary to the Soviet account, M. J. Broekmeyer claims that Matrosov had been dragged in front of the post by the Germans when he tried to push down the barrel of the gun after having crawled up above the firing hole, and that his death was moved from February 27 to 22 to match the day of the creation of the Red Army.

According to Chinese propaganda, Matrosov's tale also inspired Huang Jiguang, a famous Chinese revolutionary martyr, to perform similar feat during the Korean War.

In popular culture
Matrosov is the hero of the 1947 war film, Private Aleksandr Matrosov (Рядовой Александр Матросов), by director Leonid Lukov.