Lev Mikhaylovich Dovator (1903 - December 19, 1941) was a Soviet

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 major-general and a Hero of the Soviet Union

Hero of the Soviet Union

The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...

 (1941).

Dovator came from a family of peasant

Peasant

A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...

 Jewish origin. At the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was posted as Chief of Staff of the Red Army

Red Army

The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...

's 36th Cavalry Division. He soon became the commander of a cavalry group, and in August - September 1941 this cavalry group executed the most daring raid through the rear areas of the German army in Smolensk

Smolensk

Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...

 region.

During the battle of Moscow

Battle of Moscow

The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...

, Dovator was the commander of 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, which fended off the enemy advancement at Volokolamsk

Volokolamsk

Volokolamsk is a town and the administrative center of Volokolamsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Gorodenka River, not far from its confluence with the Lama River, northwest of Moscow. Population: -History:...

. He was killed in action near the outskirts of Ruza

Ruza

Ruza is a town and the administrative center of Ruzsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Ruza River west of Moscow. Population:...

. He was reportedly cut down by machine-gun fire while crawling towards a forward position to get a better look. Dovator was posthumously given the tile Hero of the Soviet Union

Hero of the Soviet Union

The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...

 two days after this. (Upon hearing of his death, Marshal Georgi Zhukov is said to have lamented that it was a grievous loss.)

External links

• Biography of Major-General Lev Mikhailovich Dovator at www.generals.dk