Measures approx. 3.5" x 5", printed on cardboard semi-gloss photo paper. In the photo, Paraskun is wearing three Orders of Glory, and many WW2 and post-war decorations, including the Order of Lenin, on a civilian jacket. The verso has Paraskun's full name hand-printed in pencil on top, and his initial and last name, in ink, at the bottom.

The photo is in very good to excellent condition. Both upper corners show small shallow creases, away from the image and not too noticeable or detractive. The verso is quite clean; both inscriptions are crisp and perfectly legible.

Vasiliy Paraskun was born in 1924 to the family of a peasant in a village in Altai Region. Finished four classes of elementary school, worked as a tractor driver on a collective farm. In the Red Army since March 1943, on the front lines since June 1943.

In August 1944, jr. sgt. Paraskun, squad commander with the 91st Engineering Corps, 69th Army, 1st Belorussian Front, built a 36-meter bridge under enemy fire across the Vistula near Bochotnica, Poland, allowing 17 automobiles, 19 guns, 20 horse-driven wagons, and a large number of troops to cross and continue their offensive. For that, Paraskun was awarded with the Order of Glory 3rd class.

Over the course of January 1945, sgt. Paraskun cleared 2 corridors in minefields defusing nearly 400 mines, defused the mines under the bridge across the Warta River south of Poznan, Poland, and built a bridge across the Obra river near Zbaszyn in western Poland. For that, he got his Order of Glory 2nd class.

On 15 April 1945, sr. sgt. Paraskun and his squad cleared 5 corridors in minefields, then 7 more corridors over the course of the next week, defusing 65 mines. In addition to that, he personally killed more than 10 enemy soldiers. That brought him the Order of Glory 1st class.

Sgt. Maj. Paraskun was discharged from active duty in 1947, returned to his home village and worked on his collective farm. He died in 1999. His name was immortalized in the Memorial of Glory in Barnaul, the regional center. His bust was erected in the Alley of Glory in the village Kytmanovo where he had lived.

Research Materials: photocopies of the award commendations for the three Orders of Glory; photocopy of the article about Paraskun in the Russian-language catalog Cavaliers of All Three Classes of the Order of Glory.

Please note that the penny in our photo is for size reference.