The famous scout, Hero of Russia Alexei Botya, who led the operation to rescue the Polish city of Krakow in January 1945, died on the 104th year of life. In the same Monday He was 103 years old. Alexei Botya met the 2nd world war on 1 September 1939. Fought in the ranks of the Polish army anti-aircraft calculation. His combat score was opened on the 1st day of the war, shooting down Nazi Junkers. During the defense of Warsaw brought their number to three. Later Poland surrendered, the military unit in which he served, was surrendered to the red army who liberated before the poles occupied Western Belarus and Ukraine that these lands have not got to the Nazis. So Botya became a Soviet citizen. With the beginning of the great Patriotic war he enlisted in the intelligence school from the Omsbon (separate motorized rifle brigade of special purpose), where he was trained to Deposit at the time the Nazis occupied the area. He studied a year and a half, in the form of practical training during the period of the battle for Moscow was held a combat practice, participating in raids on the enemy's rear in the Moscow region. in 1943, reconnaissance and sabotage group "the Olympus" under the command of captain of state security Viktor Karasev Botana sent to the territory of the Ukrainian city of Ovruch in Zhytomyr region. in September 1943 under the direct supervision Botana the operation took place on the explosion of Ovruch gebitskomissariat (regional administration) at the time when they gathered the Authorised inspection and seasoned specialists on the battle With the guerrillas, who is from Germany. Killed about 80 of Nazi officers. in January 1945, "Lieutenant Alyosha" (the So-called Botana the locals) has made what he considers the main achievement of his life. He got to know about the plan of the Nazis to undermine the dam reservoir on the Dunajec river. The spilled water was to stop the Soviet offensive. Thus, under the threat of flooding was the Polish city of Krakow. Group Botana was able to mine the warehouse of explosives and ammunition, located in the Jagiellonian castle, and the plans of the Nazis, in conjunction With its detonation was literally waved in the air. After the war Alexei Botya left to work in foreign intelligence in the form of the scout-the illegal immigrant. Later helped to create the special forces of the foreign intelligence service of the KGB " Vympel ". The tenth of may, 2007 by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Colonel Alexei Botany the rescuing of Krakow was awarded the title of Hero of Russia. <span style="color:darkgray