15 Facts About Vasily Gordov

Vasily Nikolaevich Gordov was a Soviet Army colonel general and Hero of the Soviet Union.

Vasily Gordov was born on 30 December 1896 in the village of Matveyevka in Ufa Governorate.

Vasily Gordov joined the Imperial Russian Army in 1915 and was promoted to junior sergeant.

Vasily Gordov enlisted in the Red Guard in 1917, joining the Red Army in 1918.

Vasily Gordov ended the Russian Civil War as the commander of the 53rd Rifle Regiment, fighting in the campaign against Nestor Makhno, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Between 1925 and 1926, Vasily Gordov served as an advisor in the Mongolian People's Army.

Vasily Gordov was the Chief of Staff of the 18th Rifle Division from May 1935 to 1937.

In July 1937, Vasily Gordov became the commander of the 67th Rifle Division.

Vasily Gordov fought in the Winter War as the 7th Army chief of staff, but was removed from command after alleged failures.

Vasily Gordov was shifted to the Baltic Military District, where he became its Chief of Staff.

Timoshenko was recalled to Moscow, and General Vasily Gordov installed as the commander of the Stalingrad Front on 23 July 1942.

General Vasily Gordov directed the withdrawal of the battered survivors of the Kharkov battle behind the line of the Chir River to regroup and receive reinforcements.

In 1947, Vasily Gordov had a conversation with his former Chief of Staff, Filipp Rybalchenko, in which they made remarks somewhat critical of Stalin's policies.

Vasily Gordov was sentenced to death under Article 58 on 24 August 1950 and executed that day in Lefortovo Prison.

Vasily Gordov was posthumously rehabilitated on 11 April 1956 and his name appears on a memorial.