Ivan Ivanovich Fedyuninsky (russian: Ива́н Ива́нович Федю́нинский; July 30, 1900 – October 17, 1977) was a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
military leader and
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
(1939).
Early life
Fedyuninsky was born into a peasant family near
Tugulym
Tugulym (russian: Тугулым) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Tugulymsky District of Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe an ...
in the Urals. He finished the village school in 1913 and was apprenticed to a painter and decorator. He joined the Red Army in 1919.
Military career
He fought on the Western Front in the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
and was wounded twice. On July 29, 1921, he was transferred to 33rd Reserve Regiment at the city of
Omsk
Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...
. He studied at the Red Army Command Staff school in Omsk and in 1923, he was transferred to Vladivostok where he studied at the Infantry school from 1923 to 1924.
Upon completion, he was appointed platoon commander in the 107th rifle regiment. In 1929, as the commander of the 6th company of the 36th Rifle Division of the
Far Eastern Military District
The Far Eastern Military District (russian: Дальневосточный военный округ; Dalʹnevostochnyĭ voennyĭ okrug) was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific ...
, he took part in the
1929 Sino-Soviet conflict on the
Chinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or CER (, russian: Китайско-Восточная железная дорога, or , ''Kitaysko-Vostochnaya Zheleznaya Doroga'' or ''KVZhD''), is the historical name for a railway system in Northeast China (als ...
. For resourcefulness and skillful leadership shown personal bravery in these battles, he 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 ...
and a personal weapon.
In October 1930 he entered
Vystrel course The Vystrel course () was the popular name for an officer training course of the Soviet Armed Forces, later part of the Russian Armed Forces, located in Solnechnogorsk. The training course had a one year curriculum to train battalion and regiment le ...
. After graduating with honors, he returned to the Far East where he was appointed battalion commander, and in 1936, an assistant regiment commander.
Battles of Khalkhin Gol
Fedyuninsky served as the commander of the 24th Motorized Regiment in the
Battle of Khalkhin Gol
The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (russian: Бои на Халхин-Голе; mn, Халхын голын байлдаан) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolia, Ja ...
, where he won the
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
for his valour. He was promoted to divisional commander in 1940, taking over the
82nd Rifle Division
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
, later motorised rifle division.
In the Bain-Tsagan battle, Fedyuninsky's regiment, accompanied by tanks, broke through to the rear of the Japanese troops, causing great damage to the enemy. Having disrupted logistic communications, which led the Japanese to a quick retreat from the bridgehead, they had captured near Mount Bain Tsagan on the western bank of the Khalkhin Gol River. Fedyuninsky's regiment captured a lot of equipment and heavy artillery, which was left over by Japanese troops, after they were forced to clear the bridgehead. For his heroism during the battle, he received the
Hero of Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
.
World War II
Following the start of
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 ...
in 1941, Fedyuninsky was the commander of the
15th Rifle Corps, stationed in the regions of
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
and
Kovel
Kovel (, ; pl, Kowel; yi, קאוולע / קאוולי ) is a city in Volyn Oblast (province), in northwestern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kovel Raion (district). Population:
Kovel gives its name to one of the oldest runi ...
in the
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
. The corps, which consisted of three divisions, with the beginning of the war, unlike many other formations, successfully fought defensive battles and inflicted several tangible counterattacks on the advancing German troops. After being wounded in these battles, at the direction of the front commander, he was taken by plane to a hospital in Moscow.
In September 1941, in one of the most critical periods in the
Battle of Leningrad, he was appointed deputy commander of the Leningrad Front by Marshal
Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov ( rus, Георгий Константинович Жуков, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ˈʐukəf, a=Ru-Георгий_Константинович_Жуков.ogg; 1 December 1896 – ...
, and at the same time appointed as the commander of 42 A . After Zhukov's departure in October 1941, he temporarily commanded the front, then, on October 27, was appointed commander of 54 A , which under his command took an active part in the
Tikhvin
Tikhvin (russian: Ти́хвин; Veps: ) is a town and the administrative center of Tikhvinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on both banks of the Tikhvinka River in the east of the oblast, east of St. Petersburg. Tikhvin i ...
defensive and Tikhvin offensive operations as part of
Leningrad Strategic Defensive, as a result of which the Soviet troops achieved strategic success. In 1942, the army took part in the
Battle of Lyuban, in which it was not successful and suffered heavy losses.
By April 1942, he had been in command of 5 A on the Western Front and takes part in the
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between September 1941 and January ...
. In October 1942, he was appointed deputy commander of the Volkhov Front by Marshal
Kirill Meretskov
Kirill Afanasievich Meretskov (russian: Кири́лл Афана́сьевич Мерецко́в; – 30 December 1968) was a Soviet military commander. Having joined the Communist Party in 1917, he served in the Red Army from 1920. During th ...
. The headquarters of the Supreme Command assigned Fedyuninsky the personal responsibility for breaking the blockade of Leningrad on the right wing of the
Volkhov Front
The Volkhov Front (russian: Волховский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the first period of the Second World War. It was formed as an expediency of an early attempt to halt the advance of the Wehrmacht Army Group ...
. For his successes in
Operation Iskra
Operation Iskra (russian: операция Искра , translation = Operation Spark), a Soviet military operation in January 1943 during World War II, aimed to break the Wehrmacht's siege of Leningrad. Planning for the operation began shortl ...
, which was conducted to break through the
Shlisselburg
Shlisselburg ( rus, Шлиссельбу́рг, p=ʂlʲɪsʲɪlʲˈburk; german: Schlüsselburg; fi, Pähkinälinna; sv, Nöteborg), formerly Oreshek (Орешек) (1323–1611) and Petrokrepost (Петрокрепость) (1944–1992), is ...
-
Sinyavinsky ledge, he was awarded the
Order of Kutuzov
The Order of Kutuzov (russian: орден Кутузова ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established du ...
, 1st degree. During the operation, he was seriously wounded.
In May 1943 he was appointed deputy commander of the
Bryansk Front
The Bryansk Front (russian: Брянский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War.
First Formation (August - November 1941)
General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first fo ...
. On July 14, 1943, he assumed command of the
11th Army and participated in the battles of
Bryansk
Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population:
Geography Urban layout
The location of the settlement was originally ass ...
and
Gomel-Rechitsa operations.
In December 1943, he was appointed commander of the
2nd Shock Army
The 2nd Shock Army (russian: 2-я Ударная армия) was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to ''overcome difficu ...
near Leningrad, which was striking from the
Oranienbaum Bridgehead
The Oranienbaum Bridgehead ( in Russian) was an isolated portion of the Leningrad Oblast in Russia, which was retained under Soviet control during the siege of Leningrad in World War II. It played a significant role in protecting the city.
Histo ...
. By false concentration of troops and equipment on the right flank, he managed to mislead the enemy, while the main blow by concentrated forces in mid-January was inflicted on the main direction from
Ropsha
Ropsha ( rus, Ропша, p=ˈropʂə) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, settlement in Lomonosovsky District, Leningrad Oblast, Lomonosovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about south of Petergof, Peterhof and south ...
, which led to a connection with troops of 42 A and the defeat of the German units in the area. Thus, a decisive contribution was made to the operation to lift the blockade of Leningrad.
Later, in the first half of February 1944, the 2nd Shock Army fought heavy battles for
Narva
Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru County, Ida-Viru county, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which ...
, in which they failed to occupy the city. Narva was liberated on July 26, 1944 during the
Narva Offensive. The offensive was carried out from the bridgehead, which later received the name "Fedyuninsky bridgehead". At the end of the Tallinn offensive, his unit took part in battles with
Army Group North
Army Group North (german: Heeresgruppe Nord) was a German strategic formation, commanding a grouping of field armies during World War II. The German Army Group was subordinated to the ''Oberkommando des Heeres'' (OKH), the German army high comma ...
locked in the
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket (Blockade of the Courland army group), (german: Kurland-Kessel)/german: Kurland-Brückenkopf (Courland Bridgehead), lv, Kurzemes katls (Courland Cauldron) or ''Kurzemes cietoksnis'' (Courland Fortress)., group=lower-alpha ...
and in the
East Prussian Operation. He later led his unit during the
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II.
After the Vistula– ...
in 1945. For their successful operations, the troops led by him were noted 25 times in the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Fedyuninsky was promoted to
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
on 11 July 1945 and he took part in the
Victory Parade
A victory parade is a parade held to celebrate a victory. Numerous military and sport victory parades have been held.
Military victory parades
Among the most famous parades are the victory parades celebrating the end of the First World War a ...
on
Red Square
Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...
, in Moscow. From 1946 to 1951 he commanded
7th Guards Army
The 7th Guards Army was a field army of the Red Army during World War II and of the Soviet Army during the Cold War.
History
The 7th Guards Army was formed from the 64th Army on April 16, 1943.
64th Army had originally been formed from 1s ...
.
Later career
After the war Fedyuninsky was deputy commander of the
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...
(1951–54), commander the
Transcaucasian
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
(1954–57) and
Turkestan
Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang.
Overview
Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turke ...
(1957–65) Military Districts. He was promoted to the rank of
General of the Army in 1955 and was an inspector and advisor to the
Soviet Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defense (Minoboron; russian: Министерство обороны СССР) was a government ministry in the Soviet Union. The first Minister of Defense was Nikolai Bulganin, starting 1953. The Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) was the ...
from 1965 until his death. He was also a deputy in the
Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet (russian: Верховный Совет, Verkhovny Sovet, Supreme Council) was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ...
.
He died in Moscow on October 17, 1977 and was buried with full honors at the
Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery ( rus, Новоде́вичье кла́дбище, Novodevichye kladbishche) is a cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist ...
.
Honours and awards
Ivan Fedyuninsky was awarded four
Orders of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...
, five
Orders of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet Union, Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War b ...
, two
Orders of Suvorov (1st and 2nd Class), two
Orders of Kutuzov,
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 ...
,
(3rd Class), numerous medals, and a few foreign orders and medals.
Soviet
Foreign
;Other awards
He is an honorary citizen of the cities of:
Volkhov
Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov east of St. Petersburg. Population:
It was previously known as ''Zvanka ...
,
Kingisepp
Kingisepp (russian: Ки́нгисепп or ), formerly Yamburg (), Yam (), and Yama (; Votic language, Votic: Jaama), is an ancient types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Kingiseppsky District of Lening ...
,
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
,
Bryansk
Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population:
Geography Urban layout
The location of the settlement was originally ass ...
,
Karachev
Karachev (russian: Карачев) is an ancient town and the administrative center of Karachevsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. Population:
History
First chronicled in 1146, it was the capital of one of the Upper Oka Principalities in t ...
,
Gomel
Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census).
Etymology
There are at least six narratives of the ori ...
,
Choibalsan (Mongolia),
Flomberha (Poland).
Sources and references
*
John Erickson (historian)
John Erickson, FRSE, FBA, FRSA (17 April 1929 – 10 February 2002) was a British historian and defence expert who wrote extensively on the Second World War. His two best-known books – ''The Road to Stalingrad'' and ''The Road to Berlin'' ...
, The Road to Stalingrad (1975), & The Road to Berlin (1982).
page in Russian from warheroes.ru
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fedyuninsky, Ivan
1900 births
1977 deaths
People from Sverdlovsk Oblast
People from Tyumensky Uyezd
Army generals (Soviet Union)
Soviet military personnel of World War II
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 1st class
Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class
Recipients of the Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR"
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Gold Cross of the Virtuti Militari
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 2nd class
Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit
Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta