Leonid Grigorevich Petrovsky (11 June 1897 – 17 August 1941) was a Soviet

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 ...

. He was the oldest son of

Grigory Petrovsky Grigory Ivanovich Petrovsky (, ; 4 February 1878 – 10 January 1958) was a Ukrainian Soviet politician and Old Bolshevik. He participated in signing the Treaty on the Creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Treaty of Brest-L ...

. He was born in what is now

Donetsk Oblast Donetsk Oblast, also referred to as Donechchyna (, ), is an Oblasts of Ukraine, oblast in eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. Its capital city, administrative centre is Donetsk, though d ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. He was promoted to

Komkor () is the syllabic abbreviation for corps commander (; ). It was a Military ranks of the Soviet Union, military rank in the Red Army and Red Army Air Force of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was als ...

from

Komdiv () is the syllabic abbreviation to commanding officer of the division (; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to command ...

in 1937. While in command of forces in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

, he was removed from command and expelled from the army. He was not executed like many of his colleagues. In 1940, he was reinstated in the army. He was a recipient of 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 ...

, 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 ...

and the

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 ...

. Less than a month after his death, his younger brother,

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

was executed on September 11, despite a request from his father for his release.

World War II

After the German invasion of the Soviet Union,

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 on 22 June 1941, the 63rd Rifle Corps was rushed to the front as part of the 21st Army of the Western Front, and fought in the defense of eastern Belarus against the German advance. On 6 July, the 63rd's 117th Rifle Division attacked across the

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

at night in what was planned as a reconnaissance-in-force. However, the attack surprised the XXIV Motorized Corps' 10th Motorized Division, and pushed the German troops back to the

Bobruisk Babruysk (, ) or Bobruysk (, ; , ) is a city in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babruysk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is situated on the Berezina River. Babruysk o ...

-Rogachev road. During the Battle of Smolensk, Petrovsky used his corps to temporarily halt the German advance in the

Rogachev Rahachow or Rogachev (, ; ; ; , ) is a town in Gomel Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Rahachow District. Rahachow is located between the Drut and Dnieper rivers. As of 2025, it has a population of 31,490. History The ...

area, one of the first successful Soviet counterattacks of the war. The 13 July counterattack across the Dnieper penetrated 810 kilometers into the defenses of the LIII Army Corps' 52nd and 255th Infantry Division, and captured Rogachev and Zhlobin. However, its success was fleeting, as the 63rd's advance was soon halted, and within a week, Rogachev and Zhlobin had fallen to the German troops again. On 26 July, the army and the 63rd Corps were transferred to the new Central Front. In mid-August, troops from the German 2nd Army and

2nd Panzer Group The 2nd Panzer Army () was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 2nd Panzer Group on October 5, 1941. Organisation Panzer Group Guderian () was formed on 5 June 1940 and named after its commander, general Heinz Gude ...

attacked south from Rogachev towards the 21st Army positions around

Gomel Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest ...

, encircling and destroying most of the army. Army commander Vasily Gordov requested that the 63rd Corps be allowed to withdraw to Gomel, but Stalin refused. Around this time, he was given command of the 21st Army, but as a result of the combat situation Petrovsky was unable to assume command. While attempting to break out of the pocket, Petrovsky was killed while defending positions in the village of Staraya Rudnya. Grigoriy Plaskov would later recall the circumstances of Petrovsky's death in his memoirs:

On August 17 at 0300, the signal for attack was given. In the first ranks of the attackers was the corps commander. Inspired by the personal example of the commanders, the units moved forward. And the Nazis, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated. Having repulsed all the German counterattacks and expanding the breakthrough, Petrovsky led the main forces of the corps to the southwest. Meanwhile, in the forest, east of the Khalch station, the 154th division fought the most intense battles with the Nazis, who sought to cut off our units of the escape route. The division not only covered the rear and flank of the retreating corps, but also managed to break through the enemy ring in this area. Petrovsky hurried here to help build on the success. Commander of the 154th division, General Ya. S. Fokanov and ndother comrades dissuaded Leonid Grigorievich from doing this, advised him to follow the main forces. But he was adamant: "I have nothing to do here, the worst is over." Staying with the covering units, Petrovsky fearlessly led them into battle. He was a man of great willpower and great energy. He was always seen in the most decisive places.

In an uncommon action for the Eastern Front, he was buried with full military honors by German troops and a cross was erected over his grave with an inscription announcing his bravery.

Bibliography

Citations

Bibliography

* * * Melnikov, Vladimir Mikhailovich. (2013). ''На днепровском рубеже. Тайна гибели генерала Петровского.'' Moscow: Veche. (Военные тайны ХХ века). . * * Письмо наркома обороны Маршала Советского Союза С. К. Тимошенко И. В. Сталину от 08.06.1940 г. No. 376с. Экз. No. 2.

External links

Официальный сайт музея «Дом на набережной»
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrovsky, Leonid 1897 births 1941 deaths Military personnel from Donetsk Oblast People from Bakhmutsky Uyezd Old Bolsheviks Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Soviet lieutenant generals Frunze Military Academy alumni Russian military personnel of World War I Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner