Gerasimov, Ivan Aleksandrovich

Born Aug. 8, 1921, in the village of Pestrovka, in what is now Sterlitamak Raion, Bashkir ASSR. Soviet military leader. General of the army (1977). Member of the CPSU since 1942.

Gerasimov joined the Soviet Army in August 1938. He graduated from the Ul’ianovsk Armor School in 1940, the Military Academy of Armored Troops in 1955, the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1966, and the Advanced Academic Courses at the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1972. Düring the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 he served on the Southwestern, Southern, Northern Caucasus, Transcaucasian, Voronezh, and First Ukrainian fronts as assistant and deputy chief of staff of a tank brigade and chief of staff and deputy commander of a tank regiment. He was named chief of staff of a tank brigade of the Far Eastern Front in October 1944; he later served as chief of staff of a tank brigade of the Second Far Eastern Front. Gerasimov took part in the war against imperialist Japan.

After the war, Gerasimov served in troop command positions. He was appointed commander of the Northern Group of Forces in February 1973 and of the Kiev Military District in June 1975. He became a candidate member of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1976. Gerasimov was a deputy to the eighth and ninth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Gerasimov has been awarded three Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Red Star, the Order for Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR Third Class, and various medals. Gerasimov has also been awarded foreign orders and medals.