Birthday anniversary of Ivan Mikhailovich Petrov (Toivo Juhonpoika Vähä) (1901-1984), a colonel of the KGB Border Troops, writer and honorary citizen of Petrozavodsk

Toivo Juhonpoika Vähä was born on March 30 (April 12) 1901, in Helsinki in a workers' family. He started working at the age of 14. In 1918, he took part in the Finnish Revolution. Later he had to emigrate to Russia, where he worked at the Petrograd plants.

During the Civil War, he joined the Red Army and fought at a Separate Cavalry Division, took a course at the international Petrograd Red Officer School (1920-1923). In 1922, as a soldier of the legendary Toivo Antikainen's squadron, he made a ski raid to the rear of the Finnish White Guard. From 1923, he served as a border station commander at the Sestroretsk border.

In 1925, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for his participation in the Cheka Operation Trust. At the same time, he received official documents as Ivan Mikhailovich Petrov. After graduating from the Border Academy in 1928, he served in Belarus, the Far East and the Black Sea Border Guards.

Ivan Petrov was repressed in 1938. He took part in the 1939–1940 Winter War. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he became the commander of the Infantry Regiment of the North-Western Front. In September 1941, Vähä was seriously wounded. After the recovery, he served as the head of the Zlatoust Infantry Academy.

Since 1967, he has lived in Petrozavodsk. After retirement, he became a writer. In his memoirs - The Red Finns, In Critical Years, My Borders - he spotlighted the fate of the Red Finns - participants in the 1918 Finnish Revolution, Operation Trust and Toivo Antikainen's ski raid to Kimasozero, the Great Patriotic War and his long service in the Border Guards.

In 1973, Ivan Petrov became a member of the Union of Writers of the USSR. He was awarded the State Prize of the Karelian ASSR in the literature (1979), the Orders of Lenin, the October Revolution, the Red Banner (three times), the Order of Friendship, the Order of Red Star and many medals.

Ivan Petrov died on June 18, 1984.

People still preserve the memory of Ivan Mikhailovich Petrov, the legendary person of his time. His monument was erected in the city of Chudnov (Zhytomyr Region, Ukraine), where he worked for many years as a director of one of the enterprises. In 1985, the cargo ship of the White Sea-Onega Shipping Company received his name. In Petrozavodsk, in May 2000, a memorial plate was unveiled at house No. 18 on Herzen Street in memory of Ivan Petrov. Besides, the monument to the Karelian Border Guards includes such words: "The border outposts are named after them. Petrov Ivan Mikhailovich (Toivo Vähä). Participant of the Cheka Operation Trust, honorary citizen of Petrozavodsk".

Lit.: Дюжев Ю. И. Петров Иван Михайлович (Тойво Вяхя) // Карелия: энциклопедия. В 3 т. Т. 2. К–П. Петрозаводск, 2009; Его границы: к 100-летию со дня рождения Тойво Вяхя (И. Петрова). Петрозаводск, 2001; Иван Петров (Тойво Вяхя) // Лица столицы. Петрозаводск, 2003. С. 100–101; Иван Михайлович Петров (Тойво Вяхя (1901–1984) // Почётные граждане Петрозаводска: рекомендательный указатель литературы. Петрозаводск, 1987. С. 24–27; И. М. Петров (Тойво Вяхя): (к 90-летию со дня рождения) // Календарь памятных дат Карельской АССР, 1991 год. Петрозаводск, 1990. С. 18–20; И. М. Петров (Тойво Вяхя) // Литературная Карелия. Петрозаводск, 2020. С. 157–158; Кручинкин С. А. Их имена носят заставы: [М. Т. Шмаргин, Н. Ф. Кайманов, А. Ф. Бусалов, И. Т. Доценко, И. М. Петров (Тойво Вяхя): очерки]. Петрозаводск, 2010 (Из содерж.: Мартынова Л. И. Воспоминания современников о И. М. Петрове (Тойво Вяхя). С. 156–170); Петров И. М. // Писатели Карелии: биобиблиографический словарь. Петрозаводск, 2006. С. 218–219; Савкина И. Л. И. М. Петров (Тойво Вяхя) (1901–1984) // История литературы Карелии. Т. 3. Петрозаводск, 2000. С. 376–388; Тихонов О. Н. Свидетель: документальный роман. Петрозаводск, 1990.

Information provided by the National Library of the Republic of Karelia