Mikhail Mikhailovich Barsukov

Born Oct. 27 (Nov. 9), 1901, in the village of Sakulino, in present-day Kalinin Oblast; died Sept. 22, 1963, in Moscow. Colonel general of artillery (1944), Hero of the Soviet Union (Apr. 19, 1945). Member of the CPSU from 1924. In the Soviet Army from 1920.

Barsukov graduated from an artillery school (1923), from the Advanced Academic Training School for Officers (1931), and from the Advanced Academic Training School for Officers of the Academy of Artillery (1938). He participated in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–40 as artillery chief of an infantry corps. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 he was chief of field army artillery (June 1941–April 1943), commander of a breakthrough artillery corps of the artillery reserve of the High Command (April 1943–February 1944), deputy commander of the artillery of the Western Front (February-May 1944), and commander of the artillery of the Third Byelorussian Front (from May 1944 on). After the war he commanded the artillery of a military district and, from 1946 on, held high positions in the Ministry of Defense. He retired in 1961. He was awarded three Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of Suvorov First and Second Class, and medals.