Nikolai Reek VR I/2, VR II/2, VR II/3 (born Nikolai Bazykov; in

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 ' ...

Governorate of Estonia The Governorate of Estonia, also known as the Governorate of Esthonia (Pre-reformed rus, Эстля́ндская губе́рнія, r=Estlyandskaya guberniya); et, Eestimaa kubermang was a governorate in the Baltic region, along with th ...

– 8 May 1942 Ussollag,

Perm Oblast Until 1 December 2005, Perm Oblast (russian: Пе́рмская о́бласть) was a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in Privolzhsky (Volga) Federal District. According to the results of the referendum held in October 2004, Perm Oblast was ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

) was the

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

n military commander during the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westwa ...

. In 1910, he graduated from Chuguyev Military Academy. He participated in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, in 1917 graduated

Imperial Nicholas Military Academy The General Staff Academy () was a Russian military academy, established in 1832 in St.Petersburg. It was first known as the Imperial Military Academy (Императорская военная академия), then in 1855 it was renamed Nichola ...

. Reek joined Estonian units in 1917 and was Chief of Staff until dissolution of these units. After that he organized the Defence League in

Virumaa Virumaa ( la, Vironia; Low German: ''Wierland''; Old Norse: ''Virland'') is a former independent county in Ancient Estonia. Now it is divided into Ida-Viru County or Eastern Vironia and Lääne-Viru County or Western Vironia. Vironians built ma ...

. In Estonian Liberation War Reek was firstly commander of 5th regiment at Viru Front, in January 1919 he became Chief of Staff of 1st Division, in April he became Chief of Staff of 3rd Division. Reek played important role in winning war against

Baltische Landeswehr The Baltic Landwehr or ("Baltic Territorial Army") was the name of the unified armed forces of Courland, Couronian and Governorate of Livonia, Livonian Baltic nobility, nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919. Command structure The Lan ...

. In September 1919 he achieved the rank of

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 ...

and served as Chief of Staff of Viru Front. After war Reek repeatedly served in positions of Chief of Staff, Minister of Defense and Commander of 2nd Division. At 1938 Reek 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 ...

. In 1941

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, ...

occupation authorities arrested Reek imprisoned in

Usollag Usollag, full name: Usolye Corrective Labor Camp (russian: Усольлаг, Усольский исправительно-трудовой лагерь (Усольский ИТЛ) ) was a Gulag forced labor camp established on February 5, 1938 an ...

and the following year executed him.KINDRALLEITNANT NIKOLAI REEK: LÜHIÜLEVAADE ELU- JA TEENISTUSKÄIGUST
/ref> Reek is recipient of the Latvian military

Order of Lāčplēsis The Order of Lāčplēsis (also Lāčplēsis Military Order, lv, Lāčplēša Kara ordenis), the first and the highest Latvian military award, was established in 1919 on the initiative of Jānis Balodis, the Commander of the Latvian Army during ...

, 2nd class.

References

Nikolai Reek
*

Ülo Kaevats Ülo Kaevats (29 September 1947 – 30 January 2015) was an Estonian statesman, academic and philosopher. In 1972, he graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry of the University of Tartu with a qualification from a physicist and a rese ...

et al. 2000. ''Eesti entsüklopeedia 14''. Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus,

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reek, Nikolai 1890 births 1942 deaths People from Tallinn People from Kreis Harrien Defence Ministers of Estonia Estonian lieutenant generals Imperial Russian Army officers Russian military personnel of World War I Estonian military personnel of the Estonian War of Independence Recipients of the Cross of Liberty (Estonia) Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class I Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 1st Class Recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis, 3rd class Estonian people executed by the Soviet Union People who died in the Gulag

See also

References

External links