Georgii Zakharov

Born Apr. 23 (May 5), 1897, in the village of Shilovo, in what is now Zolotoe Raion, Saratov Oblast; died Jan. 26, 1957, in Moscow. Soviet military commander; general of the army (1944). Member of the CPSU from 1919.

The son of a poor peasant, Zakharov was drafted in 1915; he graduated from an ensign training school in 1916, fought in World War I as a second lieutenant, and was elected regimental commander in October 1917. He joined the Red Army in August 1919 and fought in the Civil War as a company commander. Zakharov graduated from infantry courses in 1920, from Vystrel, the higher infantry school of the Soviet Army, in 1923, from the Frunze Military Academy in 1933, and from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1939. From 1939 to 1941 he was chief of staff of the Ural Military District. Holding high command positions during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45, Zakharov was chief of staff of the Twenty-second Army, chief of staff of the Briansk Front, and deputy commander of the Western Front (from August 1941 to May 1942); chief of staff of the North Caucasian Axis and of the North Caucasian Front (from May to July 1942); chief of staff and deputy commander of the Southeastern, Stalingrad, and Southern Fronts (from August 1942 to February 1943); commander of the Fifty-first Army (from February to July 1943); and commander of the Second Guards Army (from July 1943 to June 1944). Commander of the Second Byelorussian Front from June to November 1944 and of the Fourth Guards Army from November 1944 to March 1945, Zakharov was appointed deputy commander of the Fourth Ukrainian Front in April 1945. Holding command positions after the war, he was a deputy to the third convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Zakharov was awarded the Order of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov First Class, the Order of Suvorov Second Class, the Order of Kutuzov First Class, and the Order of Bogdan Khmel’nitskii First Class, as well as medals.