Andrey Nikitovich Lyakhov (russian: Андрей Никитович Ляхов; 25 August 1909 – 19 September 1943) was a

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

killed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

who commanded the

95th Guards Rifle Division The 95th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 226th Rifle Division, and served in that role until well after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It ended the ...

Early life and prewar service

Andrey Nikitovich Lyakhov was born on 25 August 1909 in the village of Konstantinovka, Konstantinovskoy ''

volost Volost ( rus, во́лость, p=ˈvoləsʲtʲ; ) was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe. In earlier East Slavic history, ''volost'' was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ...

'', Petrovsky '' uyezd'', Stavropol Governorate. Before his military service, he began studies at the Stavropol Agricultural ''

Tekhnikum A tekhnikum (russian: техникум) is a type of vocational school in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, as well as in modern Russia, Ukraine and some other post-Soviet states. The term was borrowed from 19th-century German education, where ...

'' in 1928, while working as a livestock specialist at the '' sovkhoz Plemrassadnik'' , a sheep farm part of the ''tekhnikum''. Conscripted into the

on 13 November 1931 by the Voroshilovsky RVK in Voroshilov, Lyakhov was sent as a cadet to the one-year conscript detachment of the 65th Rifle Regiment of the 22nd Rifle Division at

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...

. After graduating in October 1932, he was appointed to the 25th (later the 112th) Rifle Regiment of the

38th Rifle Division The 38th Rifle Division (38-я стрелковая дивизия) was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. Formed in 1918 as the 2nd Don Infantry Division. In February 1919, as part of the 1st Army, the Div ...

Novocherkassk Novocherkassk (russian: Новочерка́сск, lit. ''New Cherkassk'') is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don River. Novocherkassk is best known as t ...

, serving as a machine gun platoon commander, platoon commander in the regimental school, and assistant commander and commander of the 2nd Machine Gun Company. In May 1937, Lyakhov was transferred to serve as a tactics instructor at the Armavir Reserve Officers Improvement Course (KUKS). From October of that year he served in the same position at the Junior Lieutenants Course in

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern ...

and from April 1938 at the Millerovo Reserve KUKS. On 10 February 1940 he was appointed assistant chief for the training and personnel sections of the Nizhny Chir Reserve KUKS, then served as chief of the training department of the course. In November of that year, Lyakhov transferred to serve as chief of staff of the 751st Rifle Regiment of the 165th Rifle Division of the North Caucasus Military District, forming at Ordzhonikidze. By 1941, he completed two courses of the correspondence department of the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...

World War II

After

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

began, the 165th was sent to the Southwestern Front with the 64th Rifle Corps, where it joined the 26th Army. Unloading at Brovary on 12 July 1941, the 165th was tasked by the front headquarters with ensuring the defense of the

Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...

crossings, then as part of the corps attacked towards

Fastov Fastiv ( uk, Фа́стів) is a city in the Kyiv Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. On older maps it is depicted as Chvastiv ( pl, Chwastów). Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It also serves as the admin ...

in the second echelon. During these actions, Lyakhov was concussed on 15 July but did not leave the frontline. He was wounded on 27 July near Klekhovka, Fastov District and evacuated to a hospital. After recovering, Lyakhov was sent back to the Southwestern Front and on 4 October appointed chief of staff of the 987th Rifle Regiment of the

226th Rifle Division The 226th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed as one of the first reserve rifle divisions following the German invasion of the USSR. After being hastily organized it arrived at the front along the lower Dniepr ...

. With the division as part of the 21st Army he fought in defensive battles on the eastern bank of the Seversky Donets. For his actions in the battle for Yastrebovo on 29 December, in which he was wounded, then-Major Lyakhov was awarded the

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...

on 10 April 1942. Wounded a second time on 13 February 1942 near Sazhnoye, he was appointed commander of the regiment in April, leading it in the

Second Battle of Kharkov The Second Battle of Kharkov or Operation Fredericus was an Axis counter-offensive in the region around Kharkov against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted 12–28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objectiv ...

during May and June. On 22 June the division marched to the Korocha region, rejoining the 21st Army, part of the Southwestern Front and then the Stalingrad Front from 12 July, fighting in the Battle of Voronezh and the defensive of the approaches to Stalingrad. During the Battle of Voronezh, Lyakhov was wounded a third time on 13 June near Novo-aleksandrovskoy, Kharkov Oblast. The 226th was withdrawn to the

Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK ( ru , РВГК)) comprises reserve military formations and units; the Sta ...

(RVGK) for rebuilding at Buguruslan on 6 August. Joining the

Don Front The Don Front was a front of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War, which existed between September 1942 and February 1943, and was commanded during its entire existence by Konstantin Rokossovsky. The name refers to Don River, Russia. For ...

on 18 October, the division fought as part of the

66th Army The 66th Army was a field army of the Red Army. It was established in August 1942 from the 8th Reserve Army. The 66th Army fought to break through to the Volga to the north of Stalingrad during September and October 1942. During Operation Uranus, ...

in offensive operations to destroy the German forces around

Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...

. In January and early February 1943, in Operation Koltso, the division, overcoming stubborn Axis resistance, assault-crossed the Mokraya Mechetka and on 2 February captured the ruins of the

Stalingrad Tractor Factory , romanized_name = , former_name = , type = Open joint-stock company , traded_as = , industry = Machinery, Defence , fate = , predecessor = , successor = , founded = , founder = , defunct = , hq_location_ ...

. For this action the division was converted into the

on 4 May. Then-Lieutenant Colonel Lyakhov was awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...

on 21 January and the Order of Alexander Nevsky on 11 March. After the end of the Battle of Stalingrad the division was withdrawn to the RVGK in the Steppe Military District, where it joined the

5th Guards Army The 5th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought in many critical actions during World War II under the command of General Aleksey Semenovich Zhadov. The 5th Guards Army was formed in spring 1943 from the 66th Army in recognition o ...

. In June 1943 Lyakhov, promoted to colonel, was appointed deputy commander of the 95th Guards Rifle Division, and from 30 June temporarily commanded it while Major General

Nikolai Nikitchenko Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko (; 17 December 1901 – 1 April 1975) was a Soviet Army major general. Early life and Russian Civil War A Russian, Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko was born on 17 December 1901 in Starodub, Chernigov Governorate. ...

was being treated for illness. On 10 July the division and its army were sent to the

Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front (Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a ...

in the area west of Prokhorovka on the Psel and fought in the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...

. When Nikitchenko returned from 26 July Lyakhov resumed his duties as deputy division commander. In August he fought with the division in the Belgorod-Kharkov offensive. From 12 to 26 August the division fought in fierce fighting in the Bogodukhov region, then attacked along the Kharkov-

Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...

railway. From 7 September the division with the army fought in heavy battles on the Poltava sector as part of the

Steppe Front The Steppe Front (russian: Степной фронт) was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War which existed from July to October 1943. History On 9 July 1943, Stavka designated a new Reserve Front in the Voronezh region, that had ...

, in which Lyakhov was killed on 19 September. After the liberation of Poltava, he was buried in the square of the Kiev station.

Awards

Lyakhov was a recipient of the following decorations: *

* Order of Alexander Nevsky *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...

, 1st class *

Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" (russian: Медаль «За оборону Сталинграда») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union. Medal history The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" was established on ...

* Foreign orders

References

Citations

Bibliography

* 1909 births 1943 deaths People from Stavropol Governorate Soviet colonels Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Alexander Nevsky Recipients of the Order of the Red Star {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyakhov, Andrey