Ivan Ilyich
Lyudnikov
1902-1976
Ivan Ilyich Lyudnikov was the commander of the 15th Rifle Corps of the 13th Army of the Central Front, Colonel-General, the Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1930 he finished Shooting and Tactical Advanced Training Courses of the Red Army “Shot” named after the Comintern, in 1938 – the Military Academy of the Red Army named after M.V. Frunze. Since 1938 he was the Head of the department in the 13th Directorate of the General Staff of the Red Army. Since 1939 he was the Head of the Zhytomyr Infantry School. Since March 1941 he was Colonel Lyudnikov commanded the 200th Rifle Division of the Kiev Special Military District. He was a participant of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941 on the South-Western Front. He was at the head of the division through defensive battles in Korostensky UR and near Chernigov, participated in the Kiev defensive operation. On September 14, 1941, he was seriously wounded in battle and was treated in a hospital in Kazan. After recovering from November 1941, he was the commander of the 16th separate cadet rifle Brigade, a participant in the Rostov offensive operation. Since May 1942 he was the Commander of the 138th Rifle Division on the Southwestern, Stalingrad and Don fronts. Ivan Ilyich Ludnikov became particularly famous during the Battle of Stalingrad. During the most critical days of the defence of Stalingrad – on the night of October 17 – the 138th Rifle Division under the command of Colonel Ivan Ludnikov crossed to the right bank north of the Barricade factory and held the defence until the end of the famous battle. For the successful management of troops during the crossing of the Dnieper and the courage shown at the same time, Lyudnikov was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Since May 1944, Ivan Lyudnikov commanded the 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian, then Trans-Baikal fronts. The army troops successfully operated during the encirclement and defeat of the enemy’s Vitebsk grouping, distinguished themselves in the battles during the capture of the cities of Tapiau, Allenburg, Nordenburg, Letzen, Konigsberg. After the war he continued to command the 39th Army, the 10th Guards Army, and the 13th Army. From December 1949 to November 1952, he was the Deputy Commander–in-Chief of the Group of Soviet Troops in Germany (GSVG). Since 1954 he commanded the troops of the Tauride Military District. In 1959-63 he was the head of the courses “Shot”, in 1963-68 – the Head of the Faculty of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR.
Address: Moscow, Leninsky Prospekt, 61/1
