ensive , ▁the ▁purs uit ▁of ▁retre ating ▁German ▁forces ▁to ▁the ▁O der , ▁the ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁a ▁bridge head , ▁Bak lan ov ▁" show ed ▁ability ▁and ▁per se ver ance ▁in ▁organization ▁and ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁corps , ▁consist ently ▁comple ting ▁his ▁assigned ▁combat ▁tasks ", ▁according ▁to ▁his ▁army ▁commander , ▁Colonel ▁General ▁Ale k sey ▁Z had ov . ▁In ▁the ▁subsequent ▁Berlin ▁Off ensive , ▁the ▁corps ▁crossed ▁the ▁Ne isse , ▁Sp ree , ▁and ▁the ▁El be , ▁making ▁the ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁meet ings ▁with ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁United ▁States ▁Army . ▁It ▁ended ▁the ▁war ▁fighting ▁the ▁Prag ue ▁Off ensive ▁during ▁early ▁May . ▁For ▁his ▁" h ero ism ▁and ▁sk illed ▁leadership ▁of ▁troops ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁for ▁Dresden " ▁Bak lan ov ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁title ▁Hero ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁May . ▁During ▁the ▁Moscow ▁Vict ory ▁Par ade ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁June , ▁he ▁commanded ▁the ▁combined ▁regiment ▁representing ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Ukrain ian ▁Front . ▁ ▁Post war ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁Bak lan ov ▁continued ▁to ▁command ▁the ▁ 3 4 th ▁Gu ards ▁R if le ▁Corps ▁when ▁it ▁re located ▁to ▁the ▁K iev ▁Military ▁District , ▁and ▁transferred ▁to ▁command ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁Gu ards ▁R if le ▁Corps ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁district ▁after ▁the ▁former ▁was