The book offered to the reader tells about the heroic battles of the 63rd Rifle Corps in the first weeks of the Great Patriotic War and about the fate of its commander, Lieutenant General Leonid Grigorievich Petrovsky. The soldiers of the corps were not only able to stop the enemy, but also, during fierce battles in July 1941, they recaptured from him two regional centers of the Gomel region - the cities of Zhlobin and Rogachev, sowing panic among the enemy soldiers and officers and forcing the German command to think deeply about the prospects for the outbreak of war. An important role in the success of the corps belonged to its commander, Lieutenant General Leonid Grigorievich Petrovsky, whose personality has not yet received the proper assessment in our history - the one that he rightfully deserves. This book aims to correct this situation. The publication is illustrated with photographs from the general’s personal archive.