Gallery Defense of Rostov by the Battery of Oganov and Vavilov

In the main gallery of the underpass, there is a mosaic picture focusing on the Great Patriotic War. The mosaic is a tribute to military valor of defenders of Rostov-on-Don, the artillery men of the battery under command of Senior Lieutenant Sergey Oganov. In November 1941, the Nazi started a new advance to the city, launching a tank blow from the North through Bolshye Saly settlement. Near Berber-Oba mound, the artillery men of the 317th Rifle Division of the 56th Army from the battery of Sergey Oganov and Commissar Sergey Vavilov distinguished themselves.

The heroic artillerists of Oganov’s battery repulsed slashing attacks of the Germans for three days. The commander showed valor in these fights. Commander Sergey Oganov was not only a commander on the battle field, but also a gun aimer, a shell carrier, a loader. In mere minutes, he set three machines of the enemy on fire. He helped his subordinates, provided first aid and managed to fulfil his commanding tasks at the same time. But in the next fight, a shell fragment mortally wounded the brave soldier and commander Sergey Oganov. Lieutenant V. I. Puzyrev took command of the battery, and Political Instructor S. Vavilov stood to one of the guns. After he ran out of live ammunitions, Vavilov also died a hero. The short biographical dictionary Heroes of the Soviet Union says about Junior Political Instructor S. V. Vavilov: “He distinguished himself in fighting on November 18, 1941 near Bolshye Saly settlement. In the unequal six-hour fighting, the battery knocked out several tanks. Many warriors perished. Vavilov was wounded. With a bombshell in his hand, he made a move towards the enemy’ tank and, sacrificing his life, blasted it.”

The courageous artillerists repulsed three blistering attacks of the enemy, 12 foe tanks were burnt down, 18 were shot down, and two fighting vehicles were blasted with bunches of bombshells. 27 soldiers of the heroic battery perished in the battle, 4 guns were shot down and damaged. No enemy tank, no German soldier crossed the line of defense of the Don heroes. Orders and medals were posthumously awarded to the heroic artillery men, and Oganov and Vavilov received the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

The scene of fighting of Oganov and Vavilov’s battery with the Nazi troops is made in mosaic. To make the picture on the defense of Rostov-on-Don, according to Y. N. Labintsev’s concept, mosaics in subdued tones were needed, but they lacked… Only tiles of bright colors were given to the artists. And the group of Labintsev had to repaint and rekiln the ceramic tiles to get the right tones. The result is remarkable.