Aleksei Ivanovich Baksov (; 18 March 1907 – 26 November 1986) was a

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

colonel general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

and a

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

Early life and prewar service

Aleksei Ivanovich Baksov was born on 18 March 1907 in the village of Bolshaya Kamyshinka,

Saratov Governorate Saratov Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR. History On December 25, 1769, the Saratov province was established as part of the Astrakhan Governorate. On January 11, 17 ...

. From 1922 to 1925, he worked as a lumberjack at the 2nd State Plant in

Saratov Oblast Saratov Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Saratov. As of the 2021 Russian cens ...

and then as a recorder at the registrar's office in

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

. Conscripted into the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

in September 1926, Baksov was sent to study at the Lenin Combined Central Asian Military School in Tashkent. Upon his graduation in September 1929, he served as assistant chief and chief of line border outposts of the

Osh Osh is a city in Kyrgyzstan. Osh or OSH may also refer to: * Osh (food), in Tajik and Uzbek cuisines * Osh (singer) (born 1995), English singer and rapper * OSH, the IATA code for Wittman Regional Airport near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States ...

Separate Border ''Komendatura'' of the 58th Border Detachment of the NKVD Troops. From December 1932 he was chief of the line border outpost and assistant commandant of the 2nd sector of the 68th Border Detachment of the NKVD Troops. Baksov was sent to study at the Budyonny Red Banner Cavalry Officers Improvement Course (KUKS) from November 1934 to June 1935, then appointed senior course commander at the 2nd NKVD Border School in

Kharkov Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

. From May 1936 he studied at the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (), was a military academy of the Soviet and later the Russian Armed Forces ...

and after graduation in May 1939 was appointed deputy chief of the Main Directorate of NKVD Forces for the Protection of Important Industrial Enterprises.

World War II

After

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

began, then-Colonel Baksov was appointed chief of the operations department of the local air defense directorate of the NKVD in Moscow in September 1941. From June 1942 he was deputy commander of the 160th Rifle Division of the 40th Army of the

Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. First Formation (August - November 1941) General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it fi ...

, which he fought with in the Battle of Voronezh, during which the division conducted a fighting retreat to

Stary Oskol Stary Oskol (, ) is a city in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Moscow. Population: It is called ''Stary Oskol'' () to distinguish it from Novy Oskol () located south. Both are on the Oskol River. History Oskol was first mentioned i ...

and then to the line of the Don. From June to July Baksov was encircled with the division, but managed to reach Soviet lines with a group of soldiers, retaining their uniforms and documents. From 9 July the division transferred to the 6th Army of the

Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...

for rebuilding. From 6 August its units defended the eastern bank of the Don on the line from Pokrovsky to Petropavlovskoye, holding a bridgehead on the western bank of the river. On 29 November the division handed over its sector and by mid-December was concentrated in the area of Verkhny and Nizhny Gnilushy. From 22 December the division fought in

Operation Little Saturn Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The success of Operation Uranus, lau ...

. From 17 to 20 January 1943 the division fought in the Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh offensive, then was transferred to the 3rd Tank Army of the Southwestern Front and continued the offensive. When division commander Colonel Mikhail Seryugin was wounded on 18 February, Baksov took over command of the 160th. He led it in the

Third Battle of Kharkov The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by Nazi Germany's Army Group South against the Soviet Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19 February ...

, during which the division captured Kovyagi on 26 February. The 160th joined the 69th Army of the Voronezh Front between 4 March and 10 April. Despite the general Soviet retreat during the battle, Baksov was singled out for praise for an action on 6 March in which he "calmly and confidently accepted battle, resulting in the destruction of up to 80 enemy tanks and over 3,000 soldiers and officers. Temporarily retreating, the division confidently defended against the enemy, while preserving its personnel and weapons." For his "skillful leadership of the division and completion of assigned combat missions," Baksov was awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

. Seryugin returned from the hospital on 9 April and Baksov resumed his duties as deputy division commander. On 10 April the division was transferred to the 21st Army, redesignated the

6th Guards Army The 6th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought against Nazi Germany during World War II under the command of General Ivan Chistyakov. The Army's chief of staff was General Valentin Antonovich Penkovskii. The 6th Guards Army was ...

on 16 April, and defended the line of Krivtsovo, Igumenka, Sheino, and Ushakovo. It was converted to the

89th Guards Rifle Division The 89th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in April 1943, based on the 1940 formation of the 160th Rifle Division (1940 formation), 160th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of ...

on 18 April in recognition of its actions. From 11 May the division occupied a line of defense in the second echelon of the 6th Guards Army. In June Baksov was transferred to command the

67th Guards Rifle Division The 67th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 304th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was offici ...

. He led it in the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...

and the

Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation The Belgorod–Kharkov strategic offensive operation, or simply Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation, was a Soviet strategic summer offensive that aimed to liberate Belgorod and Kharkov, and destroy Nazi German forces of the 4th Panzer Army a ...

as part of the 6th Guards Army. In late September the division was withdrawn to the

Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK () or RGK ( comprises reserve military formations and units; the ''Stavka'' ...

with the 6th Guards Army and relocated to the vicinity of Gorodok, Kalinin Oblast. From January 1944 the division, part of the

2nd Baltic Front The 2nd Baltic Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. History The 2nd Baltic Front was formed on October 20, 1943 as a result of the renaming of the Baltic Front, it ...

fought in fierce fighting in the Idritsa sector, and in the Vitebsk–Orsha offensive and the Polotsk offensive during the summer. For distinguishing itself in the capture of

Vitebsk Vitebsk or Vitsyebsk (, ; , ; ) is a city in northern Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vitebsk Region and Vitebsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has 358,927 inhabitants, m ...

, the division was awarded the name of the city as an honorific on 10 July and the

on 23 July. Baksov was made a

for his leadership of the 67th Guards on 22 July. Baksov assumed command of the

2nd Guards Rifle Corps The 2nd Guards Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army during World War II. World War II The 2nd Guards Rifle Corps headquarters was formed by a Stavka order of 31 December 1941. The corps headquarters was formed in the area of Nakhab ...

of the 6th Guards Army of the

1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenko, succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. It ...

on 21 August, leading it in the

Memel Offensive Memel, a name derived from the Couronian-Latvian ''memelis, mimelis, mēms'' for "mute, silent", may refer to: *Memel, East Prussia, Germany, now , Lithuania **, (Klaipėda Castle), the in Memel, a castle built in 1252 by Teutonic Knights which w ...

. Shortly before the offensive began, German forces launched a counterattack against the army whose main attack fell in the sector of the corps. The counterattack failed to break through the defenses of the corps and in the October offensive battles the corps broke through strong German fortifications in the area of

Kuršėnai Kuršėnai (; Samogitian dialect, Samogitian: ''Koršienā'') is a city in northwestern Lithuania, Šiauliai County, Šiauliai district municipality. It is the twenty-fifth largest city in Lithuania. According to the 2023 estimate, it had 10,651 r ...

. Developing the offensive, the corps advanced more than 100 km in a few days, then as part of the 2nd Baltic and then the

Leningrad Front The Leningrad Front () was formed during the 1941 German approach on Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front on August 27, 1941. History The Leningrad Front was immediately ...

from April 1945 fought in the blockade of the

Courland Pocket The Courland Pocket was a Pocket (military), pocket located on the Courland Peninsula in Latvia on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 9 October 1944 to 10 May 1945. Army Group North of the ''Wehrmacht'' were ...

until the end of the war.

Postwar

After the end of the war, Baksov continued to command the corps. From August 1946 he studied at the Voroshilov Higher Military Academy, and upon his graduation in February 1948 was at the disposal of the Foreign Relations Directorate of the General Staff. After being sent on a government mission abroad, Baksov returned to the Soviet Union and in December 1950 became chief of staff of the Moscow Air Defense Region, which became the Central Air Defense District in June 1954. From September 1954 Baksov was chief of staff, and from April 1955 first deputy commander and member of the Military Council of the Moscow Air Defense District. He was placed at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces in August 1962, and in November of that year became senior representative (from September 1963 representative of the Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Armed Forces) of the Warsaw Pact to the

Bulgarian People's Army The Bulgarian People's Army (, BNA) was the army of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. It comprised the Bulgarian Land Forces, Air Force and Air Defence, Navy and supporting arms. Bulgaria was one of the signatories of the Warsaw Pact. Along with ...

. Baksov retired in February 1972 and died in Moscow on 26 November 1986.

Awards and decorations

Baksov was a recipient of the following awards and decorations: *

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

(2) *

(6) *

Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet Union, Soviet award established on ...

, 2nd class *

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov ( ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established during World War II t ...

, 2nd class *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War () is a Soviet Union, Soviet military Order (decoration), decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to Partisan (military), partisans for heroic deeds in the Easte ...

, 1st class *

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...

* Medals

References

Citations

Bibliography

* – Located in fond 1252, opus 1, file 15, list 107 of the Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence * – Located in fond 1252, opus 1, file 28, list 2 of the Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence * – Located in fond 1252, opus 1, file 12, list 1 of the Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence * * 1907 births 1986 deaths Soviet colonel generals People from Saratov Oblast Soviet military personnel of World War II Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Frunze Military Academy alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni {{DEFAULTSORT:Baksov, Aleksei