16 Facts About Semyon Kurkotkin

Semyon Konstantinovich Kurkotkin was a Soviet military commander and a Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Semyon Kurkotkin graduated from a tank school and began his career as a political officer in armored units.

Semyon Kurkotkin graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1958, and a succession of corps and army commands followed before Kurkotkin became first deputy commander-in-chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, and commander-in-chief of the Transcaucasus Military District and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Semyon Kurkotkin was appointed chief of the Rear Services of the Soviet Armed Forces in 1972, a position he held until his retirement in 1988.

Semyon Kurkotkin received the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1981 and became a Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1983.

Semyon Kurkotkin graduated from the Moscow Industrial-Pedagogical Technical College in 1936.

Semyon Kurkotkin joined the Red Army in 1937, becoming a cadet at the Oryol Tank School in September of that year.

In early 1942 Semyon Kurkotkin was sent to study at the Retraining Courses for Military Commissars of Tank Units in Gorky, and after completing the course became military commissar of the 475th Separate Heavy Tank Battalion of the Voronezh Front in May 1942.

Semyon Kurkotkin graduated from Academic Officer Improvement Courses at the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization in 1943 and in October of that year became deputy commander of the 14th Guards Tank Brigade of the 4th Guards Tank Corps of the 1st Ukrainian Front, fighting in the Battle of the Dnieper.

Semyon Kurkotkin became commander of the 13th Guards Tank Brigade of the corps in November, leading it in the Lower Silesian, Upper Silesian, Berlin, and Prague Offensives in the final months of the war in 1945.

Semyon Kurkotkin became commander of the division before studying at the Special Faculty of the Military Academy of the General Staff.

Semyon Kurkotkin continued to hold increasingly senior command positions, becoming first deputy commander-in-chief of the GSFG in July 1965 and commander-in-chief of the forces of the Transcaucasian Military District in April 1968.

Semyon Kurkotkin was promoted to colonel general on 24 February 1967.

In recognition of his "contributions to the training and combat readiness of forces" and "personal courage and bravery" during World War II, Semyon Kurkotkin was made a Hero of the Soviet Union on 18 February 1981.

Semyon Kurkotkin was a recipient of the following Soviet awards and decorations:.

Semyon Kurkotkin was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1976 and 1989, a deputy of the Soviet of Nationalities from its 8th to 11th convocations, and a delegate of the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th party congresses.