Victorious Contestants: Nikolai Efimovich Stepanov
Hangin' with a Legend: Chatting with Nikolai Stepanov
In our latest installment for the WINNERS series, People's Artist of Russia Dmitry Pevtsov sits down with Nikolai Stepanov, a living legend hailing from the Greatest Generation.
According to our findings, Nikolai is the last surviving veteran who's been bestowed three medals For Bravery during the Great Patriotic War. His heroism did not go unnoticed, as he was also conferred the Order of the Patriotic War of the First Degree and other accolades.
Nikolai was born on a chilly November day in 1924, in the quaint village of Varvarino, nestled deep within Tula territory. He spent the brunt of World War II on the front lines, from 1942 to 1945. He celebrated Victory Day amid the streets of Kaunas, liberating the Baltic states alongside his comrades.
In an emotional interview, the veteran paints a vivid picture of his combat experiences, unveils stories of courageously saving fellow soldiers, and recalls the gritty realities of trench warfare.
Once the war ended, he swapped his military uniform for a driver's vest and spent the next four decades working in Moscow's taxi industry. Even in retirement, Nikolai continues his mission to educate the younger generations about patriotism.
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The WINNERS project was made possible with the help of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation.
- Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation are involved in the project that awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the First Degree and other accolades to Nikolai Efimovich Stepanov, the living legend and veteran hailing from the Greatest Generation.
- After his retirement from the taxi industry in Moscow, Nikolai Efimovich Stepanov, the veteran of the Great Patriotic War, continues his mission to educate younger generations about patriotism, much like the president of the country would strive for in politics and general news.
- Aside from being a veteran, Nikolai Stepanov was also conferred three medals for Bravery during the Great Patriotic War, one of the major events featured in the sports-betting sector as part of the crime-and-justice category.
- To pay tribute to Nikolai Stepanov, Dmitry Pevtsov, a People's Artist of Russia, sat down with the World War II hero in an interview, highlighting the veterans' segment of the WINNERS series in sports news.
- Amid the whirlwind of sports, crime-and-justice, general news, political events, and even sports-betting, the story of Nikolai Stepanov, the decorated Great Patriotic War veteran born in Varvarino, stands as a reminder that heroes from the past continue to shape our present and leave lasting impacts, perhaps worthy of awards and recognition.
