Week 21, Military: Zahar Kholmyansky, WWII Hero

Week 21 of 2025's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is "Military."

Very few people would look at pictures of the youngest Kholmyansky brother, Zahar, and think “war hero.” They might gaze into those large, soulful eyes and guess he was an artist, or a poet, or perhaps maybe a scholar. But he was a war hero, even if it wasn’t something he set out to be. He never talked about his medals.  It wasn’t until his military records were found and a commendation letter was discovered that the family knew the extent of Zahar’s heroism. 

Zahar was conscripted into the Red Army in 1937 when he was twenty-six years old and served his mandatory two years. He settled back into civilian life as an office worker, but when WWII broke out, he was called up. On July 3, 1941 he became part of the 10th Artillery. From the very beginning of the war, he was part of a reconnaissance detachment which acted as the eyes and ears ahead of the main battalions. They infiltrated enemy lines to gather information about troop placement and potential vulnerabilities. It was one of the more dangerous jobs and required soldiers who were highly observant and able to think clearly and quickly under pressure. He was continuously deployed to forward areas where he obtained intelligence on the enemy’s firing systems, which were then destroyed. He distinguished himself throughout the war, earning his first medal “For Defense of Leningrad” in 1942. 

It was a series of heroic actions in 1944 which earned him a Medal of Valor, which was the Soviet equivalent of the Bronze Star. On January 14, 1944, he personally discovered four fire points and two mortar batteries, breaking the enemy’s long-term defensive position. During a battle on March 29, 1944, the battery commander was wounded. Sr. Sergeant Kholmyansky immediately stepped in and “personally conducted fire operations and repelled enemy counterattacks.” Two months later during the liberation of the village Dogaya Niva on June 12, 1944, he uncovered two enemy fire points and two mortar batteries which were immediately suppressed by his division. And even during the chaos of a long and bloody war, he tried to better himself and learn more. His July 1, 1944 commendation letter stated that, “At present time, he actively works on improving his knowledge and on preparing his detachment for the battles ahead.”

By the end of the war, he had risen to the position of Jr. Lieutenant in the 184th Mortar Division, and he was awarded two additional medals. On September 5, 1945 he received a medal “For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriot War 1941-1945,” and on June 3, 1946 he was awarded a second medal “For the Defense of Leningrad.” Zahar was demobilized on October 16, 1945, and he returned to a quiet life with his family.