Colonel General Tofig Aghahuseynov ( az, Tofiq Yaqub oğlu Ağahüseynov; 1 February 1923 – 12 May 2021) was a Soviet-Azerbaijani military leader.

Early life

He was born on February 1, 1923, in the city of

Nukha Shaki ( az, Şəki) is a city in northwestern Azerbaijan, surrounded by the district of the same name. It is located on the southern part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, from Baku. As of 2020, it has a population of 68,400. The center ...

of the

Azerbaijan SSR Azerbaijan ( az, Азәрбајҹан, Azərbaycan, italics=no), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; az, Азәрбајҹан Совет Сосиалист Республикасы, Azərbaycan Sovet Sosialist R ...

in a family of a doctors. In 1930, the family moved to Baku and in the same year he went to school No. 1. In 1940, after graduating from school, he entered the energy faculty of the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute.

World War Two

After the start of the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...

, he, on September 29, 1941, voluntarily joined the ranks of 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 ...

and was sent to the Baku School of Anti-Aircraft Artillery. In October 1942, after completing an accelerated training course, Lieutenant Aghahuseynov was appointed commander of the control platoon of the 2nd Battery of the 160th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ; rus, Арха́нгельск, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk), also known in English as Archangel and Archangelsk, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies o ...

. He participated in repelling enemy air raids on Arkhangelsk and

Severodvinsk Severodvinsk ( rus, Северодвинск, p=sʲɪvʲɪrɐdˈvʲinsk) is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina, west of Arkhangelsk, the administrative center of the oblast. As of the 2 ...

. He also participated in the Vistula–Oder offensive and 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– ...

Post-war years

In October 1946, he was appointed battery commander of an anti-aircraft battalion in Vilnius, and was posted to Baku the following year. From September 1949 to 1954, he was enrolled as a student at the Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy. Upon completion of his studies, he was appointed commander of an anti-aircraft artillery battalion in Baku, and from 1955 was an officer of the artillery combat training department at the headquarters of the Baku Air Defense District. From 1968 to 1969, he was commander of the 10th Air Defense Division in the city of

Volgograd 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 August 1969, he was appointed commander of the 12th Air Defense Corps in

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...

. On 7 June 1975, he was appointed a member of the Military Council and First Deputy Commander of the Baku Air Defense District. He became the district commander on 5 April 1980, serving the territory of the

South Caucasus 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 ...

, the

Turkmen SSR Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

, and the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

to Rostov and

Mariupol Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...

. On 6 May 1980, he was appointed Commander of the Air Defense of the

Transcaucasian Military District The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia into the Soviet Union. It was disbanded by being redesignated as a Grou ...

. A week later, the district was disbanded. On 24 December 1981, by order of Marshal

Dmitry Ustinov Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov (russian: Дмитрий Фёдорович Устинов; 30 October 1908 – 20 December 1984) was a Marshal of the Soviet Union and Soviet politician during the Cold War. He served as a Central Committee sec ...

(the

Minister of Defense of the USSR The Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union refers to the head of the Ministry of Defence who was responsible for defence of the socialist Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1917 to 1922 and the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1992. Peo ...

at the time), he was appointed representative of the Commander-in-Chief of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact member states to the Commander of the Air Defense of the

Czechoslovak People's Army The Czechoslovak People's Army ( cs, Československá lidová armáda, sk, Československá ľudová armáda, ČSLA) was the armed forces of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic from 1954 until ...

. He served in this position for five years. In 1987, due to the length of service, he was transferred to the reserve.

Service in the National Army

In 1992, he became a freelance National Advisor on Military Issues to the President of Azerbaijan. On April 21, 1997, he was called up for military service in the

Azerbaijani Armed Forces The Azerbaijani Armed Forces ( az, Azərbaycan Silahlı Qüvvələri) were re-established according to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Armed Forces from 9 October 1991. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) had originally formed ...

and was appointed to the newly established position of Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on military issues. He served in this position until 2002. From 12 September 2017 up until 2021, he was the Head of the Organization for War, Labor, and Armed Forces Veterans of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Republican Veterans' Organization.

Death

He died on May 12, 2021. Condolences were given by the

Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan () or MN is an Azerbaijani government agency that is associated with the Azerbaijani military. The ministry is responsible for keeping Azerbaijan defended against external threats, preservin ...

. He was buried with honors at the

Alley of Honor The Alley of Honor ( az, Fəxri Xiyaban, Honorary ''Allée'') is a public cemetery and memorial in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Alley includes burials of famed Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijan-affiliated expatriates, including several Presidents, scientists a ...

. Assistant to the President and Head of the Military Affairs Department of the

Presidential Administration The term administration, as used in the context of government, differs according to the jurisdiction under which it operates. In general terms, administration can be described as a decision making body. United States In American usage, the ter ...

, Colonel-General Maharram Aliyev, who attended the funeral, presented the state flag on his coffin to his family.

Military ranks

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

(1942) *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

(1954) *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

(1956) *

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 ...

(1960) *

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 ...

(February 3, 1968) *

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 ...

(December 5, 1972) *

Colonel General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

(May 6, 1980)

Awards

Azerbaijani Flag Order Azerbaijani Flag Order ( az, Azərbaycan Bayrağı Ordeni) is an award presented by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. History and status Azerbaijani Flag order was among several medals and orders, requested to be reviewed and created ...

Shohrat Order Shohrat Order ( az, Şöhrət ordeni), translated as ''Order of Glory'', is an award presented by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. History and status The order was created by the Decree No. 757 of the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar ...

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...

* Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class * 3 Orders of the Red Star * Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" *

Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" The Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (russian: Медаль «За взятие Берлина») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on June 9, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to s ...

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 ...

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aghahuseynov, Tofig People from Shaki, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University alumni 1923 births 2021 deaths Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Soviet colonel generals Azerbaijani generals Burials at II Alley of Honor Soviet military personnel of World War II