Vasiliy Ivanovich Petrov (russian: Васи́лий Ива́нович Петро́в; – 1 February 2014) was a Russian military official and

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (russian: Маршал Советского Союза, Marshal sovetskogo soyuza, ) was the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in 19 ...

Background

Petrov was born in 1917 in Chernolesskoye,

Stavropol Governorate The Stavropol Governorate was a Governorate (province) of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of present-day Stavropol Krai. It was created in 1847 out of the territories of Caucasian peoples and disbanded in Russian SFSR in 1924. ...

. He completed high school in 1935 and studied for two years at a teacher training institute until 1937. Petrov 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 1939 and completed the lieutenant's course in 1941. During World War II, he fought in the defence of Odessa,

defence of Sevastopol ''Defence of Sevastopol'' (russian: Оборона Севастополя, or Воскресший Севастополь) is a 1911 historical war film about the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War and one of the most important films in ...

and the Campaign in the Caucasus. He later took part in the liberation of

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

(was part of the USSR) and the invasion of Romania, in addition to the Budapest Offensive in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. After the war, Petrov completed Military Studies 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 ...

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 ...

. He subsequently rose through the Soviet military ranks, being promoted to Colonel in 1952, Major General in 1961, Lieutenant General in 1965, Colonel General in 1970 and General in 1972. In 1983, Petrov was eventually appointed

. In the late 1970s, Petrov served as a military advisor to the

Ethiopian Army The Ethiopian Ground Forces () is the land service branch of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. It is senior of the two uniformed military branches. It engages in land warfare and combined arms operations, including armored and mechanized o ...

. He was assigned to assist and rebuild the force during the

Ogaden War The Ogaden War, or the Ethio-Somali War (, am, የኢትዮጵያ ሶማሊያ ጦርነት, ye’ītiyop’iya somalīya t’orineti), was a military conflict fought between Somalia and Ethiopia from July 1977 to March 1978 over the Ethiopi ...

. In 1982, Petrov was awarded 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 ...

. He commanded the

Far East 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 ...

in 1972–1976 and served as Commander-in-Chief of Ground Forces in 1980–1985. He then succeeded Sergey Sokolov as First Deputy Minister of Defence until his retirement in 1986 due to ill health. From 1992, Petrov served as a military advisor to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. He died in 2014 at the age of 97 and was laid to rest at the

Federal Military Memorial Cemetery The Federal Military Memorial Cemetery (Russian: Федеральное военное мемориальное кладбище) is a national cemetery of Russia, located in Mytishchinsky District, Moscow Oblast, on the north-eastern outskirts o ...

Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...

Honours and awards

;Soviet Union and Russia *

(16 February 1982) *

Order of Alexander Nevskiy The Order of Alexander Nevsky ( ''orden Alexandra Nevskogo'') is an order of merit of the Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious s ...

(3 May 2012) * 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 ...

(December 1967, February 1978, 16 February 1982, January 1987) *

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 ...

(February 1974) *

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 ...

(October 1944) *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...

, 1st class, twice (July 1944, April 1985), 2nd class (October 1943) *

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 ...

, twice (November 1942, October 1955) *

Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

, 3rd class (February 1976) *

Medal for Combat Service A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR" The Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR" (russian: Медаль «За отличие в охране государственной границы СССР») was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established t ...

Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus" The Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus" (russian: Медаль «За оборону Кавказа») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union. Medal history The Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus" was established on May ...

Medal "For the Defence of Odessa" The Medal "For the Defence of Odessa" (russian: Медаль «За оборону Одессы»; ) was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of th ...

Medal "For the Defence of Sevastopol" The Medal "For the Defence of Sevastopol" (russian: Медаль «За оборону Севастополя») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Sovie ...

Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation" A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Медаль «За победу над Германией в Великой Отечественной войне 1941—1945 гг.») was a military de ...

Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «Двадцать лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.») was a ...

Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «Тридцать лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.») was a ...

* Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" *

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

Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «50 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.») is a state commemorativ ...

* Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" * Jubilee Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" ;Foreign awards * Order "Ernesto Che Guevara", 1st class (Cuba, 1985) * Order of the Red Banner (Czechoslovakia) (1982) * Order of Victorious February (Czechoslovakia) (1985) *

Order of Sukhbaatar The Order of Sukhbaatar (or Order of Suche Bator) is a state decoration of Mongolia, originally instituted on 16 May 1941. It was awarded to Mongolians and foreigners "for special services to defenses, economic and cultural construction of the Mon ...

(Mongolia, 1981) * Order of the Red Banner (Mongolia, 1982) * Order "For Military Merit" (Mongolia, 1971) *

Scharnhorst Order The Scharnhorst Order ( or ) was the highest medal awarded to members of the East German National People's Army (NVA). It was given for services to military or other strengthening of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Established on 17 Februa ...

(East Germany, 1983) * Order of the Flag of the Hungarian People's Republic with diamonds (Hungary, 1985) *

Order of Tudor Vladimirescu Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

, 1st class (Romania, 1974) * Order "For Military Merit", 1st class (Romania, 1985) * Order of the National Flag (Ethiopia, 1982) * Order of National Flag of Korea (North Korea, 1985) * Order "The People's Republic of Bulgaria", 1st class (1985) * Order "For military Valour", 1st class (1983) ;Faith-based * Order of St. Grand Prince Dmitriy Donskoy, 2nd class

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Petrov, Vasiliy Ivanovich 1917 births 2014 deaths People from Novoselitsky District People from Stavropol Governorate Marshals of the Soviet Union Soviet military personnel of World War II Frunze Military Academy alumni Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR" Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Burials at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni