Vladimir Borisovich Borisov (; 15 July 1902 – 30 June 1941) 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, after ...

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 ...

. A veteran of 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 ...

, Borisov served in command positions at military schools during the 1920s and in the late 1930s rose to division command after holding staff positions. Decorated for his command of the

37th Rifle Division The 37th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. It served in the North Caucasus Military District; established at Novocherkassk in 1919. In June–July 1939 it was at Omsk preparing for action a ...

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 ...

, Borisov became commander of the

21st Rifle Corps The 21st Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. It was part of the Western Front. It took part in the Great Patriotic War. The headquarters formed in the Moscow Military District in September 1939. Assigned to the WSMD with the 17th, ...

in Belarus just before the outbreak of

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 ...

. He was killed during the

Battle of Białystok–Minsk The Battle of Białystok–Minsk was a German strategic operation conducted by the Wehrmacht's Army Group Centre under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock during the penetration of the Soviet border region in the opening stage of Operation Barbarossa, ...

in late June 1941 while leading his corps in a breakout attempt.

Early life and Russian Civil War

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

, Borisov was born on 15 July 1902 in

Kharkov Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

. He joined the

in February 1919 during the

, becoming a

Red Army man Red Army man () was the lowest military rank in the Red Army of the Soviet Union from 1918 to 1946. On 30 November 1917, after the October Revolution, the Military Revolutionary Committee cancelled all "officer and class ranks" in keeping with th ...

of the 1st Kharkov Regiment. Transferred to the 1st Chuguyev Regiment to serve as a platoon commander in June, he fought against the

Armed Forces of South Russia The Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR or SRAF) () were the unified military forces of the White movement in southern Russia between 1919 and 1920. On 8 January 1919, the Armed Forces of South Russia were formed, incorporating the Volunteer Army ...

on the Southern Front. Serving as officer for errands by the commander of a battalion of the 1st Reserve Regiment in Kharkov in January 1920, Borisov became a cadet and later junior

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

at the Kharkov Infantry Command Courses of the Southwestern Front in February. After graduating from the courses, he became a platoon commander at the School of Red Officers in October.

Interwar period

In June 1921 Borisov was sent to study in a tactics group at the Military Pedagogical Institute, but did not graduate because he was expelled due to illness. In January 1922 he was appointed assistant head of the reserve of the

Kharkov Military District The Kharkov Military District () was a military district of the Russian Empire, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and the Soviet Union. Throughout its history, the district headquarters was located in the city of Kharkov in northeast ...

, then again sent to study in a tactics group at the Kiev Military Pedagogical School. After graduation in December of that year he serve at the 1st VTsIK Red Officers School as a platoon commander, tactics instructor, company commander, and battalion commander. In April 1936, after graduating from 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 ...

, he was sent to the staff of the

Belorussian Military District , image = Soviet Union Belorussian Military District.svg , image_size = 300px , caption = The territory of the Byelorussian Military District in 1991. , dates = 28 November 1918 – 6 May 1992 , country = (1918–1920) (1920–1991) (1922� ...

, where he served as assistant chief of the 1st department and in February 1938 became chief of the 3rd section of the department. The chief of the 1st department, Colonel

Leonid Sandalov Leonid Mikhaylovich Sandalov () (10 April 1900, Vichuga, Ivanovo Oblast – October 23, 1987) was a Soviet military leader with the rank of colonel-general. During World War II, he led staffs of the armies and fronts. After the war, he led th ...

, assessed Borisov as an "energetic and enterprising commander" who possessed "great capacity for work". General

Rodion Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky (russian: Родио́н Я́ковлевич Малино́вский, ukr, Родіо́н Я́кович Малино́вський ; – 31 March 1967) was a Soviet military commander. He was Marshal of the Sovi ...

, on the district staff, wrote that Borisov's work and conversations in this period with him showed that Borisov was "unconditionally devoted to the Socialist Homeland". From August 1939 he commanded the

of the Belorussian Special Military District. Promoted to ''

kombrig (russian: комбриг) is an abbreviation of Commanding officer of the brigade (russian: командир бригады, komandir brigady; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR from 1935 to 1940. It was also the ...

'' on 4 November 1939, Borisov led the division in the

. On the night of 9–10 March 1940, Borisov personally commanded the 247th Rifle Regiment of the division in the capture of the island of Vuorastu, which enabled the 168th Rifle Division to escape from encirclement. For his "skillful leadership" of the division in this action and "demonstrated personal courage and heroism," Borisov was awarded 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 b ...

. Given the rank of

on 4 June 1940 when the Red Army introduced general officer ranks, he became commander of the

of the Western Special Military District (the former Belorussian Military District) in March 1941.

World War II

After the beginning of

, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June 1941, Borisov led the corps as part of the 13th Army of the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

in the

, utilizing the fortifications of Minsk Fortified Region, against the German

3rd Panzer Group The 3rd Panzer Army (german: 3. Panzerarmee) was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 3rd Panzer Group on 1 January 1942. 3rd Panzer Group The 3rd Panzer Group (german: Panzergruppe 3) was formed on 16 November ...

in the

Lida Lida ( be, Лі́да ; russian: Ли́да ; lt, Lyda; lv, Ļida; pl, Lida ; yi, לידע, Lyde) is a city 168 km (104 mi) west of Minsk in western Belarus in Grodno Region. Etymology The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuani ...

region. His corps attacked piecemeal and retreated precipitately towards

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

. In late June the 3rd and

2nd Panzer Group The 2nd Panzer Army (german: 2. Panzerarmee) was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 2nd Panzer Group on October 5, 1941. Organisation Panzer Group Guderian (german: Panzergruppe Guderian) was formed on 5 June 1940 ...

s broke through the Western Front defenses on the flanks of the corps, encircling the

3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

10th 10 (ten) is the even natural number following 9 and preceding 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the first double-digit number. The rea ...

, and 13th Armies in a pocket west of Minsk. While riding on a tank and directing the retreat of the 37th Rifle Division during the breakout attempt of the corps on 30 June, Borisov was killed by a German shell during a bombardment in the area of the town of Radoshkovichi, and was buried in the town cemetery.

Awards and honors

Borisov received the following awards and decorations: *

(1940) *

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 (1965) *

Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «XX лет Рабоче-Крестьянской Красной Армии») was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Un ...

(1938)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * 1902 births 1941 deaths Military personnel from Kharkiv Soviet major generals Recipients of the Order of Lenin Frunze Military Academy alumni Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet military personnel of the Winter War Soviet military personnel of World War II from Ukraine Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Deaths by firearm in the Soviet Union Deaths by firearm in Belarus Deaths by explosive device {{DEFAULTSORT:Borisov, Vladimir Borisovich