Sergey Semenovich
Biryuzov
1904-1964
Sergey Semenovich Biryuzov was a Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces of the USSR, Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1955), Hero of the Soviet Union (01.02.1958). He became a People’s Hero of Yugoslavia. He was born on August 21, 1904 in the city of Skopin, Ryazan region. In the Red Army from September 15, 1922, in 1923, he was transferred as one of the best cadets in Moscow to the VTSIK Joint Military School, from which he graduated in 1926. In 1929 he graduated from the 2nd year of the Evening Workers’ University). Then he was a platoon commander of the regimental school of the 65th Rifle Regiment (September 1926 – December 1929), company commander. 36th Air Fleet in the North Caucasus Military District (until June 1930), from February 1931 he was a company commander of the 3rd Rifle Regiment of the Moscow Proletarian Division, chief of staff of the training battalion (until April 1932), battalion commander in the same division (until June 1934, when he was sent to study in academy). In 1937 he graduated from the Military Academy of the Red Army named after M. V. Frunze with a diploma of the 1st degree. He continued his service as Chief of Staff of the 30th Rifle Division (October 1937 – April 1938), head of the operations department at the headquarters of the Kharkiv Military District (until August 1939). Since August 1939, Brigade Commander Biryuzov is the commander of the 132nd Rifle Division in the Kharkiv Military District, which he brought to the best in the district for combat training. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Major General S.S. Biryuzov commanded the 132nd Rifle Division on the Southwestern, then Bryansk fronts. He was a participant of the Smolensk battle. Having taken one of the first blows of Guderian’s tank hordes in July 1941, the division broke out of the encirclement three times. Then the Chief of Staff of the Southern (30.04.1943 – 20.10.1943, 4th Ukrainian) Front (20.10.1943 – 15.05.1944), 3rd Ukrainian Front (15.05.1944 – 29.10.1944), commander of the 37th Army (from August 1939 to April 1942) as part of the 13th Army on the Western Front. He was a participant of the Smolensk Defensive Battle and the Battle for Moscow. In October 1941, he was wounded and spent several months in the hospital, only being listed as a division commander. For courage and heroism, he was awarded the Order of Lenin. Chief of Staff of the 48th Army on the Bryansk Front (from April to November 1942). During the first year of the war, he received 5 wounds, including two severe ones. From November 1942 to April 1943, he was Chief of Staff of the 2nd Guards Army of the Stalingrad (later Southern) Front. From April 1943 – Chief of Staff of the Southern (from October 1943 – 4th Ukrainian) Front, commanded by F.I. Tolbukhin. The main battles of Biryuzov in this position: the Donbass operation, the liberation of the Crimea, the Iasi-Kishinev operation, the liberation of Belgrade. From October 1944 — Commander of the 37th Army (until May 1946) and Chief Military Adviser to the Bulgarian Army. The army was on the territory of Bulgaria until the end of the war and did not conduct military operations. He participated in the development and conduct of operations to liberate Donbass, Northern Tavria and Crimea, as Chief of Staff of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, S.S. Biryuzov participated in the planning and implementation of the Iasi-Kishinev operation, which ended with the defeat of 18 enemy divisions. He prepared and conducted an extensive program of measures for operational camouflage of troops, successfully organized interaction with the formations of the 2nd Ukrainian Front and the Navy forces, ensured uninterrupted control of the front’s troops during the liberation of Romania, Bulgaria and during the Belgrade offensive operations. After the war he was a Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Group of Troops, Deputy Chairman of the Allied Control Commission in Bulgaria and Chief Military Adviser to the Bulgarian Army. Since 1947, Commander of the military district, then Commander-in–chief of the Central Group of Troops, 1st Deputy Commander–in-Chief of the country’s Air Defense Forces, since 1955 Deputy Minister of Defense – Commander-in-chief of the country’s Air Defense Forces, and since 1962 – Strategic Missile Forces. In 1963-1964, he was a Chief of the General Staff was the 1st Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. He was awarded 5 Orders of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of Suvorov 1st and 2nd degree, Kutuzov 1st degree, 5 medals of the USSR (including “For the Defense of Stalingrad”, “For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945” and other awards.
Address: Moscow, Marshal Biryuzova str., 32
