Ivan Moiseevich Tretyak (; 20 February 1923 – 3 May 2007) was a Soviet general who served in various positions in the

Soviet Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...

including as commander of the

Soviet Air Defence Forces The Soviet Air Defence Forces (; ) was the air defence branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Formed in 1941, it continued being a service branch of the Russian Armed Forces after 1991 until it was merged into the Air Force in 1998. Unlike Western ...

History

Born on February 20, 1923, in the village of Malaya Popovka, Khorol district,

Poltava Governorate Poltava Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire. It was officially created in 1802 from the disbanded Little Russia Governorate (1796–1802), Little Russia Governorate and had its capital in Polt ...

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

in a family of Ukrainian farmers He graduated from a seven-year school and the Poltava Agricultural College.''Сметана Ю. Я.'' К 100-летию генерала армии И. М. Третьяка, Героя Советского Союза, Героя Социалистического Труда, почетного гражданина городов Хабаровска и Опочки Псковской области. // Военная мысль. — 2023. — № 2. — С. 156—158. He was drafted 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 1939. In 1941, he graduated from the Astrakhan rifle and machine gun school. On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War from December 1941. He was a platoon commander in the 19th rifle brigade on the Western Front. Already in January 1942, he was seriously wounded. After recovery, he fought in the 29th Guards Rifle Division on the Western and

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 ...

, commanded a company, was deputy commander, and from July 1943 he served as a commander of a rifle battalion. Since 1943 he was a member of 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 ...

In the summer of 1944, the division commander, Major General Andrei Stuchenko, gave the Tretyak the combat mission of leading an advance detachment together with a tank battalion. Following the order, the tank crews and infantrymen drove into the German rear in vehicles and secretly reached the

Velikaya The Velikaya () is a river in Novosokolnichesky, Pustoshkinsky, Sebezhsky, Opochetsky, Pushkinogorsky, Ostrovsky, Palkinsky, and Pskovsky Districts of Pskov Oblast, as well as in the city of Pskov in Russia. It is the largest tributary of ...

River along forest roads. A ford was found, along which the detachment successfully crossed and, with a final night dash, reached the outskirts of the city of Opochka. The appearance of tanks with troops on their armour was a complete surprise for the German garrison, and panic arose. With daring actions, the soldiers captured the city, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. The city was held until the main forces arrived. Ivan Tretyak was nominated for the title of Hero. By the Decree of the

Presidium A presidium or praesidium is a council of executive officers in some countries' political assemblies that collectively administers its business, either alongside an individual president or in place of one. The term is also sometimes used for the ...

of the

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Based on the principle of unified power, it was the only branch of government in the So ...

of March 24, 1945, for exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the German invaders and the courage and heroism displayed in doing so, Guards Major Tretyak was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. From August 1944, at the age of 21, he commanded the 93rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 29th Guards Rifle Division. He particularly distinguished himself during the crossing of the Velikaya River and the liberation of the city of

Opochka Opochka () is a town and the administrative center of Opochetsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Velikaya River, south of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: History It was founded in 1414. At the t ...

in the

Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Pskov. As of the Russian Census ...

. He took part in the blockade of the Courland group of German troops. In November 1944, he was seriously wounded for the third time, and after the hospital he returned to duty only in March 1945. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, he continued to serve in the Soviet Army. In 1946, regiment commander Tretyak entered the academy. He graduated from 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 ...

. Then he served as deputy head of the combat training department of the

11th Guards Army The 11th Guards Army () was a field army of the Red Army, the Soviet Ground Forces, and the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1943 to 1997. History World War II For its prowess in battle, the second formation of the 16th Army was redesignat ...

in the

Baltic Military District The Baltic Military District () was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Baltic states, formed shortly before the German invasion during World War II. After the end of the war the Kaliningrad Oblast was added to the District's co ...

, commander of the 75th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the 26th Guards East Siberian Gorodok Red Banner Order of Suvorov Motor Rifle Division. From April 15, 1956, to October 19, 1957, he commanded the 26th Guards Rifle Division. He graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the

in 1959. From January 1960 he served as Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the 3rd Combined Arms Army in the

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF), previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG) and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG), were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupation ...

. From December 1964 to September 1967 he served as Commander of the 4th Army of the

Transcaucasian Military District The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of First Republic of Armenia, Armenia, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Azerbaijan, and Democratic Republic ...

. In 1967-1976 he served as Commander of the troops of the Belarusian Military District, in 1976 he refused the appointment of his deputy for logistics proposed by the

Minister of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

. In 1976-1984 — Commander of the troops of the

Far Eastern Military District The Far Eastern Military District () was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific Fleet and part of the Siberian Military District to form the new Eastern Military District. Histo ...

. On September 1, 1983, he received an order from the Chief of the Main Operations Directorate and First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces

Valentin Varennikov Valentin Ivanovich Varennikov () (December 15, 1923 – May 6, 2009) was a Soviet/Russian Army general and politician, best known for being one of the planners and leaders of the Soviet–Afghan War, as well as one of the instigators of the 1991 ...

to destroy a passenger Boeing 747 plane of the South Korean airline

Korean Air Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (KAL; ) is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin, Hanjin Group. The present-day Korean Air tra ...

, which violated Soviet

airspace Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as outer space which is t ...

, and carried it out, giving orders to his subordinates to destroy the aircraft. As a result of the incident, 246 passengers and 23 crew members died. From June 19, 1984, to July 11, 1986, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Troops. From July 12, 1986, to June 11, 1987, he served as Deputy

Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union The Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union () refers to the head of the Ministry of Defence who was responsible for defence of the socialist/communist Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1917 to 1922 and the Soviet Union from 1922 ...

and Chief Inspector of the

Soviet Ministry of Defense The Ministry of Defense (Minoboron; ) was a government ministry in the Soviet Union, which supervised the Soviet Armed Forces. The first Minister of Defense was Nikolai Bulganin, starting 1953. History The Ministry of Defence was renamed a num ...

. From June 11, 1987, to August 31, 1991, he served as Deputy Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union and Commander-in-Chief of the

. He was removed from office on August 31, 1991, immediately after the

1991 Soviet coup attempt The 1991 Soviet coup attempt, also known as the August Coup, was a failed attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) to Coup d'état, forcibly seize control of the country from Mikhail Gorbachev, who was President ...

. He was a candidate (alternate) member of the Central Committee (1971–1976) and a full member of the Central Committee from 1976 to 1990. He was also a deputy of the

of the 8th-11th convocations (1970–1989). He retired in November 1991 and died on May 3, 2007. He was buried at

Troyekurovskoye Cemetery The Troyekurovo Cemetery (), alternatively known as ''Novo-Kuntsevo Cemetery'' (), is a cemetery in Moscow, Russia. The cemetery is located in the former village of Troyekurovo on the western edge of Moscow, which derives its name from the Troye ...

in Moscow.

Awards

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 ...

(24.03.1945); *

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...

(16.02.1982); *

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442. Until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest order of ...

IV degree (23.02.2003); *four

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 ...

(24.03.1945, 04.05.1972, 21.02.1978, 16.02.1982); *three

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 ...

(15.07.1944, 14.10.1944, 22.02.1968); *

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 ...

III degree (29.09.1943); *

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky () is an Order (distinction), order of merit of the Russia, Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious ser ...

(20.03.1945); *

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 ...

I degree (11.03.1985); *two

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 ...

(05.07.1943, 1954); *

Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" (), also known as the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", was a Soviet Union, Soviet Order (honour), military order awarded in three classes ...

2nd class (22.02.1989); *Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3rd class (30.04.1975); *Soviet medals; *Honorary Citizen of the city of Khabarovsk; *Honorary Citizen of the city of Opochka, Pskov Oblast; *Three foreign orders; *Medals of the

Mongolian People's Republic The Mongolian People's Republic (MPR) was a socialist state that existed from 1924 to 1992, located in the historical region of Outer Mongolia. Its independence was officially recognized by the Nationalist government of Republic of China (1912� ...

and a number of other countries.

References