Fesin, Ivan

Born June 11 (24), 1904, on the khutor (farmstead) of Muravlev, in what is now Belaia Kalitva Raion, Rostov Oblast. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (Mar. 1 and Nov. 1, 1943). Major general (1943). Member of the CPSU since 1929.

Fesin joined the Red Army in 1926. He graduated from the Vladikavkaz Infantry School in 1930, the Frunze Military Academy in 1941, and the Voroshilov Higher Military Academy in 1949. In 1930 he joined the troops of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45, Fesin commanded a rifle regiment on the Western and Northwestern fronts. In 1942 and 1943 he commanded the 13th Motorized Rifle Brigade on the Western and Voronezh fronts, and in 1943 and 1944, the 236th Rifle Division on the Southwestern and Third Ukrainian fronts. From 1944 to 1948, Fesin was head of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet Moscow Infantry School. In 1950 he joined the faculty of the Voroshilov Higher Military Academy. He has been in the reserves since 1965.

Fesin has been awarded two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov Second Class, two Orders of the Red Star, and various medals.