Ivan Dmitrievich Zinoviev (Russian: Иван Дмитриевич Зиновьев; 17 January 1905 – 1942) 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, afte ...

colonel 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 ...

. Zinoviev began his military service with the OGPU Border Troops and fought against the Basmachi. He was awarded the title Hero of the

Soviet Union 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, ...

and the

Order 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 ...

for his leadership of a border post during the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

. 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 ...

, Zinoviev became commander of the

393rd Rifle Division The 393rd Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as an infantry division of the Red Army, and served twice during the Great Patriotic War in that role. In its first formation the division followed a very similar combat path to that of the 411th Rifle ...

and led the division during the Barvenkovo-Lozovaya Operation but was captured and seriously wounded during the Second Battle of Kharkov. Zinoviev was sent to a concentration camp in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, then transferred to another camp in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

, where he tried to escape and was shot.

Early life

Zinoviev was born on 17 January 1905 in the village of Dubovka in

Samara Governorate Samara Governorate (russian: Самарская губерния) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and Russian SFSR, located in the Volga Region. It existed from 1850 to 1928; its seat was in the city of Samara ...

to a peasant family of eleven children. He graduated from five grades and worked on a farm.

Military service

In 1927, Zinoviev was drafted into the OGPU Border Troops. He was assigned to the 47th Border Guard Detachment of the

Central Asian Border District The Red Banner Central Asian Border District (Russian language, Russian: ''Краснознамённый Среднеазиатский пограничный округ'') was a district of the Soviet KGB Border Guards. It had its headquarters in ...

. In 1928, he graduated from the school of junior commanders and became a squad leader. Zinoviev fought in actions against the Basmachi. In 1931, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In November 1931, he was seriously wounded while fighting against a large group of Basmachi and 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 t ...

. In 1932, he became a platoon commander. Zinoviev graduated from mid-level commanders refresher courses at the Kharkov School of Border Troops in 1934. He was appointed chief of staff of the Border Commandant's office in the

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (, ; russian: Туркменская Советская Социалистическая Республика, ''Turkmenskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika''), also commonly known as Turkmenistan o ...

. In 1939, he graduated from the

Higher School of the Border Troops Higher may refer to: Music * The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band Albums * ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007 * ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title song, 2000 * ''Higher'' (Harem Scarem album) or the title song ...

Winter War

Along with other graduates of the school, Zinoviev was sent to the front in the Winter War. He became a company commander in the 4th NKVD Border Troops Regiment. The company under his command was tasked with supply line protection in the village of Uoma. From 15 December 1939, the border troops conducted continuous fighting with Finnish partisans and repulsed several attempts to destroy the outpost. On 10 January 1940, Zinoviev's company was surrounded by two Finnish battalions. Although wounded, he continued to lead the defence. For about a month, the company repulsed fierce Finnish attacks. By this time, only 32 out of 132 Border Troops were still in fighting condition, as the rest were either dead, seriously injured or frostbitten. Zinoviev himself had been wounded twice. On the night of 11–12 February, he led a counterattack that broke through the encirclement and extricated the company. On 26 April, Zinoviev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for his reported "courage and heroism".

World War II

Zinoviev was sent to 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 ...

but managed to finish only one course. While at the academy, he wrote a book about his experiences in the Winter War, which was published by Voenizdat in 1941. With the outbreak of war with Germany, he was appointed commander of the 6th Army's 393rd Rifle Division. Zinoviev led the division during defensive battles along the

Siversky Donets The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Done ...

in fall 1941. During the Barvenkovo-Lozovaya Operation in January 1942, the division reportedly captured 174 settlements. He was awarded a second Order of the Red Banner on 27 March for his leadership during the offensive.Order of the Red Banner citation, available online a
pamyat-naroda.ru
/ref> In May 1942, the division fought in the Second Battle of Kharkov. Along with the 6th Army, the 393rd was surrounded in the Izyum Pocket and destroyed. Zinoviev was seriously wounded on 29 May and taken prisoner by German troops. He was sent to a concentration camp in Germany but was transferred to a camp in Norway. Zinoviev was shot by the Germans for planning an escape from the camp.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zinoviev, Ivan 1905 births 1942 deaths Soviet colonels Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Soviet prisoners of war Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner People from Bavlinsky District People executed by Nazi Germany by firearm Russian people executed by Nazi Germany People murdered in Norway Frunze Military Academy alumni