Iosif Rodionovich Apanasenko

Born Apr. 3 (15), 1890, in Mitrofanovskoe, Stavropol’ Province; died Aug. 5, 1943. Soviet general of the army (1941). Member of the CPSU from 1918.

Apanasenko was born into the family of a farm laborer. He fought in World War I as an ensign. In May 1918 he organized and led a partisan cavalry detachment in the Stavropol’ region. After October 1918 he was commander of the 1st Cavalry Division of the Stavropol’ partisans (later the 6th Cavalry Division, which became part of S. M. Budennyi’s cavalry corps, and then of the First Cavalry Army). He graduated from military academy courses (1923), from higher commanders’ advancement courses (1928), and from the Frunze Military Academy (1932). He was commander of a cavalry division and corps and in 1935–37 deputy commander of the troops of the Byelorussian Military District. From February 1938 he was commander of troops of the Middle Asian Military District, from January 1941 of the Far Eastern Front, and from May 1943 deputy commander of the Voronezh Front. He has been awarded three Orders of the Red Banner and medals. He died from wounds during the battle of Kursk and was buried in Belgorod.