Georgy Semyonovich Rodin (Russian: Георгий Семёнович Родин; 19 November 1897 – 6 January 1976) was a

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 ...

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

. Rodin fought in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as a non-commissioned officer of the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

. He joined the Red Army in 1918 and became an officer, fighting in the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

. In 1938, he was transferred to the reserve but returned to active duty in 1939 and led a tank battalion in the

Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military conflict by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Second Polish Republic, Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Polan ...

. Rodin led a tank regiment in the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

and became commander of a brigade in December 1940. The brigade became the

47th Tank Division 47th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 47th Reserve Division (German Empire) * 47th Landwehr Division (German Empire) * 47th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) * 47th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht) * 47th Infantry Division Bari (Kingdom ...

in March 1941. 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 ...

, the division retreated across Ukraine. Rodin was seriously wounded in the battle for

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

. In March 1942, Rodin took command of a tank brigade and in June became commander of the

28th Tank Corps Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight. Eighth may refer to: * One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole * Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet) * Octave, an interval b ...

, which he led during the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

. He became commander of Southwestern Front tank troops in October and was given command of the 30th Tank Corps. During the summer, the corps fought in

Operation Kutuzov Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German ''Ger ...

and became the 10th Guards Tank Corps for its actions. During the February 1944 Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive, Rodin reportedly sent an incorrect message about the capture of

Volochysk Volochysk (, ; ; ) is a small city located on the left bank of the Zbruch River in Khmelnytskyi Raion, Khmelnytskyi Oblast (Oblast, province) of western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Volochysk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukra ...

to army headquarters. For this he was relieved of command and sent to command a training tank brigade in the rear. Rodin retired in 1946 and died in 1976 in

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...

Early life and early military career

Rodin was born on 19 November 1897 in Bolotovo village of

Oryol Governorate Oryol Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 to 1928. Its seat was in the city of Oryol. Administrative division Oryol Governorate consisted of t ...

. In July 1916, he joined the Imperial Russian Army and was sent to the 32nd Reserve Regiment at

Vladimir Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology ...

. In November, he was sent to the Western Front and became a platoon commander of the 219th Kotelnichevsky Regiment in the 55th Infantry Division. He fought in the

Baranovichi Baranavichy or Baranovichi is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Baranavichy District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has a population of 170,817. ...

area. In March 1918, he was discharged with the rank of senior non-commissioned officer. In June 1918, Rodin was drafted into the Red Army and became a platoon commander at the Oryol Military Commissariat. In November, he became a cadet in the Oryol Infantry Courses and upon graduation in August 1919 became a platoon commander in the Consolidated Oryol Regiment. Around this time, he joined the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

. From April 1920, he was a platoon commander, company commander and assistant chief of intelligence of a reserve regiment of the 9th Kuban Army. In February 1921, Rodin became a platoon commander of the 2nd Rifle Regiment of the 18th Kuban Army. He fought on the Southern Front against the

White Army The White Army, also known as the White Guard, the White Guardsmen, or simply the Whites, was a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and Anti-Sovietism, anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. T ...

led by

Anton Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (, ; – 7 August 1947) was a Russian military leader who served as the Supreme Ruler of Russia, acting supreme ruler of the Russian State and the commander-in-chief of the White movement–aligned armed forces of Sout ...

and Konstantin Mamontov, as well as against rebellions in

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

Kabardia The Grand Principality of Great Kabarda, also known as East Circassia or Kabardia (), was a historical country in the North Caucasus corresponding partly to modern-day Kabardino-Balkaria. It existed as a political community from the fifteenth c ...

and

Ingushetia Ingushetia or Ingushetiya, officially the Republic of Ingushetia, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is part of the North Caucasian Federal District, and shares land borders with the country o ...

. For his actions, Rodin was awarded honorary weapons by the Military Council of the

North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces from 1992-2010. Before 1992 it had been part of the Soviet Armed Forces since 1918. In 2010 it became the Southern Military District and lately also included t ...

Interwar

After the end of the war, Rodin served in the 2nd, 115th and 65th Rifle Regiments in the 9th Army as a platoon commander, assistant company commander and deputy battalion commander. In 1923, he graduated from the Rostov refresher courses and in 1925 from the Vystrel Postgraduate Commanders' Courses. In December 1926 he was acting company commander and then battalion commander and chief of the headquarters of the Vladikavkaz Infantry School. Rodin was also appointed commandant of

Rostov Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

. In December 1930, Rodin became the assistant commander and then commander of the 234th Rifle Regiment. He became commander of the separate tank battalion and tank troops in the

25th Rifle Division The 25th Rifle Division () was a rifle division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War, formed twice. Formed in 1918, it was a Russian, and later Soviet, Red Army formation formed on the Eastern Front during the Russian Civ ...

from December 1933. In 1934, he graduated from the Commanders' Technological Improvement Courses. In 1936, Rodin was awarded the

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 ...

for his unit's performance in training. He transferred to the reserve in April 1938 but restored to active service in May 1939. Rodin became commander of the 21st Tank Brigade's 27th Tank Battalion. In September, he led the unit in the

. At the beginning of 1940, the 24th Tank Division's 24th Tank Regiment was formed under Rodin's leadership. Between 12 February and March he led it in the

. In December 1940, Rodin was given command of the 23rd Light Tank Brigade, which became the

in March 1941, part of the 18th Mechanized Corps.

World War II

After Operation Barbarossa, the 18th Mechanized Corps covered the retreat of the 12th Army and the 18th Army. In the

Haisyn Haisyn (, , ) or Haysyn is a city in central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Haisyn Raion within Vinnytsia Oblast. It is located on the in the eastern part of the historical region of Podolia. Its population is Name It i ...

the 47th Tank Division was encircled but managed to break out. During the battle for Poltava, Rodin was severely wounded. In March 1942, he became commander of the 52nd Tank Brigade. On 27 March, he received 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 ...

. In June, he was given command of the

. In July, the corps was subordinated to the

1st Tank Army The 1st Guards Tank Red Banner Army () is a tank army of the Russian Ground Forces (Military Unit Number 73621). The army traces its heritage back to the 1st Tank Army, formed twice in July 1942 and in January 1943 and converted into the 1st ...

and then to the

62nd Army The 62nd Army () was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. History The Army was formed on 28 May 1942 as the 7th Reserve Army, a part of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. The formation wa ...

. The corps fought in the attempt to break through to encircled 62nd Army units on the Don during late July. On 27 July, elements of the corps crossed the Don and achieved some success against the 3rd Infantry Division and 60th Infantry Division. On 4 August, Rodin was promoted to Major general. In late August, the corps was put in reserve in the

Volga Military District The Volga Military District (PriVO) was a military district of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation that existed from 1918 to 1989 and 1992 to 2001. The district headquarters was located at Kazan, Saratov and Kuibyshev (Samara) at differen ...

. From October, Rodin was the commander of the Tank Troops of the Southwestern Front. In April 1943, Rodin became commander of the 30th Urals Volunteer Tank Corps, then in 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'' ...

(Stavka Reserve). On 7 June he was promoted to Lieutenant general. In July the corps became part of the 4th Tank Army. From 30 July, the corps was part of the Bryansk Front and fought in Operation Kutuzov. According to Vasily Badanov, the corps advanced 65 kilometers between 26 July and 11 August. On 27 August, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner again. From September, the corps was in Stavka reserve. In October it became the 10th Guards Tank Corps for its actions. In February 1944, the corps was part of the 1st Ukrainian Front and fought in the Proskurov-Chernivtsi Offensive, part of the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive. During the battle, an inaccurate message about the capture of

was sent to army headquarters. Despite a successful battle Rodin was relieved of command and on 25 April appointed commander of the 6th Training Tank Brigade. On 3 November, he was awarded a third Order of the Red Banner for over 20 years of service. Rodin received the Order of Lenin on 21 February 1945 for 25 years of service.Decree of the USSR Supreme Soviet of 4 June 1944 "On Red Army Long-Service medals and orders"

Postwar

In the summer of 1945 Rodin became commander of the Belorussian Tank Camp. He retired in July 1946 and returned to Oryol. He became head of the Oryol

DOSAAF DOSAAF (), full name ''Volunteer Society for the Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy'' (), was a paramilitary sport organization in the Soviet Union that was concerned mainly with weapons, automobiles and aviation. The society was establ ...

committee and was a member of the CPSU regional committee. On 2 November 1972 he was declared an honorary citizen of Oryol. Rodin died on 6 January 1976.

Personal life

Rodin married Militsa Georgiyevna.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodin, Georgy 1897 births 1976 deaths People from Oryol Oblast People from Orlovsky Uyezd (Oryol Governorate) Bolsheviks Soviet lieutenant generals Russian military personnel of World War I Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War People of the Soviet invasion of Poland Soviet military personnel of the Winter War Soviet military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner