Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko (; 17 December 1901 – 1 April 1975) was a

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Early life and Russian Civil War

A Russian, Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko was born on 17 December 1901 in Starodub, Chernigov Governorate. During 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 ...

, Nikitchenko joined the

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 ...

in the settlement of Unecha on 27 October 1918 and was sent as a Red Army man to the commandant's platoon of the 1st Ukrainian Division. With the division, he fought on the Southern Front against the

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from ...

. In February 1919 he was wounded and hospitalized until June. After recovering in June he was sent to the convalescent detachment of the 19th Reserve Rifle Regiment at Bryansk, where he served as an assistant platoon commander in the regimental reconnaissance detachment from February 1920. In December 1920 he transferred to the 22nd Rifle Regiment at Liski as assistant platoon commander in the reconnaissance detachment. With the 22nd, he fought in the suppression of the Kolesnikov revolt near Ostrogozhsk. In April 1921 he was sent to study at the 27th

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fed ...

Infantry and Machine Gun Command Course. As a cadet, he fought in the suppression of the Tambov Rebellion between May and November of that year.

Interwar period

After graduating from the course in September 1922, Nikitchenko was appointed to the 143rd Rifle Regiment of the 48th Rifle Division of the Moscow Military District at Rybinsk, where he served as an assistant platoon commander, platoon commander, and assistant company commander. Completing the commanders' refresher course at the Ashenbrenner Moscow Infantry School between November 1924 and July 1925, he returned to the regiment to serve as a company commander and chief of the regimental school. In October 1930 he transferred to the VTsIK Combined Military School in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, where he served as a tactics instructor and chief of a cadet battalion. At the same time he completed two night courses at 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 ...

. In late 1934 Nikitchenko was transferred to the 250th Rifle Regiment of the 84th Rifle Division of the Moscow Military District, ending his studies at the academy due to the transfer to a different garrison. In August 1936 he was appointed chief of the 3rd section of the 6th department of the district staff. From November of that year he commanded a cadet battalion at the VTsIK Combined Military School, then from August 1937 was a tactics instructor at the Ivanovo Reserve Officers Improvement Course (KUKS). He commanded kursant battalions at the Kharkov Military School for Red Commanders and the Ordzhonikidze Red Banner Military School from April and November 1938, respectively. From July 1939 he served as assistant chief for training and personnel of the Odessa Infantry School, and from July 1940 was chief of the

Kamyshlov Kamyshlov (russian: Камышло́в) is a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Pyshma River ( Ob's basin) at its confluence with the Kamyshlovka River. Population: History It was founded in 1668 Kamyshevsky ...

Infantry School.

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, then-

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 ...

Nikitchenko oversaw the formation of the Ufa Infantry School from July 1941, organizing the training process and preparing command personnel for the frontline. From March 1942 he commanded the 210th Cadet Rifle Brigade, formed from military schools in Bashkiria. On 15 August of that year, Nikitchenko took command 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 ...

, arriving at Buguruslan for rebuilding. In late September the division was sent to fight in the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...

and on 18 October 1942 joined 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, ...

of 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 ...

. From 24 October to 2 February 1943 the 226th fought in offensive operations to destroy the German forces at Stalingrad. In January and early February 1943, in Operation Koltso, the division under his command, 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

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 ...

on 4 May and Nikitchenko 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 14 February. He was promoted to the rank of

on 1 March. After the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, the division 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 ...

before joining 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 ...

. Nikitchenko was hospitalized on 29 June and handed over command of the 95th Guards to division deputy commander Colonel

Andrey Lyakhov Andrey Nikitovich Lyakhov (russian: Андрей Никитович Ляхов; 25 August 1909 – 19 September 1943) was a Red Army colonel killed in World War II who commanded the 95th Guards Rifle Division. Early life and prewar service Andr ...

. After Nikitchenko returned to command the division in September, he led it in the attacks towards

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 ...

and

Kremenchug Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro river, Dnipro River. The city serves as the Capital city, administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (Raio ...

. Crossing the Vorskla on 22 September, the division captured

on the next day. For distinguishing itself in the capture of Poltava, the division received the name of the city as an honorific. Continuing the offensive, elements of the division captured Kremenchug on 29 September. In late September and early October during the Battle of the Dnieper the division fought in heavy offensive battles in the Pyatikhatka sector, covering the right flank of the breakthrough of the

5th Guards Tank Army The 5th Guards Tank Army (Russian: 5-я гварде́йская та́нковая а́рмия) was a Soviet Guards armored formation which fought in many notable actions during World War II. The army was formed in February 1943. Until the aft ...

, then attacked towards Aleksandriya, ensuring the junction of the 5th Guards and 57th Armies. In November Nikitchenko was fell ill and was evacuated to Moscow for treatment, then in late January 1944 appointed chief of the 5th department of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate of the Main Personnel Directorate and deputy chief of the directorate supervising

Suvorov Military School The Suvorov Military Schools (russian: Суворовское военное училище) are a type of boarding school in the former Soviet Union and in modern Russia and Belarus for boys of 10–17. Education in these schools focuses on mil ...

Postwar

Postwar, Nikitchenko in April 1946 was appointed chief of the 3rd department of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate of the Ground Forces as a result of the abolition of the post of deputy chief of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate. From April 1948 he served as chief of the 4th department of the directorate before transferring to serve in the same position in the 3rd department in July 1949. From January 1950 to August 1951, Nikitchenko was at the disposal of the Main Personnel Directorate due to illness, then was appointed chief of a course of the correspondence department of the Frunze Military Academy. Retiring in October 1952, Nikitchenko died in Moscow on 1 April 1975.

Awards

Nikitchenko was a recipient of the following decorations: *

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 b ...

(4) *

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 ...

, 2nd class * Medals * Foreign orders

References

Citations

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikitchenko, Nikolai Stepanovich 1901 births 1975 deaths People from Chernigov Governorate People from Starodub Soviet major generals Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet military personnel of World War II Frunze Military Academy alumni Academic staff of the Frunze Military Academy