Home-Museum of I.N. Koval, Hero of the Soviet Union

Ivan Nesterovich Koval was called up for the Red Army in 1941, and from July 1942 fought continuously on the fronts of World War II. By September 1943, he had risen to command an artillery gun as part of the 7th Guards Army of the Stepnoy Front, where he would soon distinguish himself through an act of extraordinary individual courage during one of the most critical operations of the eastern campaign.

During the crossing of the Dnieper River, Koval’s gun crew was tasked with a vital but dangerous mission: to distract and divert Nazi forces, creating the opportunity for the main body of Soviet troops to cross the river. During the protracted and intense battle that followed, the gunners successfully destroyed an enemy tank and inflicted significant casualties on enemy soldiers and officers. As the battle wore on and his comrades fell, Ivan Koval found himself entirely alone at his gun — yet he continued fighting with remarkable determination, single-handedly loading, aiming and firing without pause. For this outstanding display of courage and heroism, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in October 1943.

In 1984, to mark the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the Moldavian SSR’s territory, a home-museum dedicated to I.N. Koval was inaugurated in Kamenka. The museum’s collection brings the hero’s story to life through photographs of his family, personal documents and belongings, household items from both the pre-war and post-war periods, books from Ivan Nesterovich’s personal library and numerous other exhibits that together paint an intimate portrait of this remarkable soldier’s life beyond the battlefield.

Address: 8, Kirov 3rd Lane, Kamenka
Phone: +373 216 2 13 12