Pyotr Gavrilov

Pyotr Mikhaylovich Gavrilov (Russian: Пётр Миха́йлович Гаври́лов; 1900–1979) was a Soviet officer known as the hero of the Defense of Brest Fortress.

He was an ethnic Kryashen. A major in command of the 44th Motor Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Rifle Division, he was taken captive by the Germans on July 23, 1941 after holding out for 31 days. He was released after the end of the war in May 1945.

According to official Soviet data, after his release from captivity he was restored to the army in the same rank. His party membership was not restored due to the loss of his membership card and stay in captivity. He was the chief of camp for Japanese prisoners of war in Siberia in 1946-1947. Afterwards, he moved to Krasnodar.

In 1956 he found again his first wife and adopted son, whom he had not seen since the first day of the war. After Sergey Smirnov's book The Brest Fortress («Брестская крепость») was published in 1956, Gavrilov's party membership was reinstated. He was awarded the Order of Lenin and title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1957. From 1968 until his death he lived in Krasnodar at the address Svetlaya street, 103 (in 1980 the street was renamed Gavrilova).

Pyotr M. Gavrilov died in Krasnodar, January 26, 1979. He was buried in Brest.