Romashin, Mikhail

Born Nov. 11 (24), 1905, in the village of Krylovka, now in Briansk Raion, Briansk Oblast; died Sept. 9, 1964, in Briansk. A leader of the partisan movement in the Briansk region during the Great Patriotic War. Hero of the Soviet Union (Sept. 1, 1942). Member of the CPSU from 1928. Son of a worker.

Romashin became a worker in 1920. In 1930 he was sent on kolkhoz construction as one of the dvadtsatipiatitysiachniki (Twenty-five Thousanders). In 1939 he became secretary of the Briansk raion committee of the ACP(B). In the autumn of 1941, Romashin assumed command of the Briansk Partisan Detachment and later of the N. A. Shchors Brigade. In the spring of 1943 he directed operations to blow up the Navlia Bridge over the Navlia River and the Vygonichi (or “Blue”) Bridge over the Desna River; these railroad bridges were important in the fascist German preparation for the attack at the Kursk Bulge.

After the oblast was liberated from fascist occupation in September 1943, Romashin engaged in soviet and party work. In 1961 he retired on a merit pension. He was awarded the Order of Lenin and various medals. A street in the city of Briansk is named after him.