Mikhail (Mikael) Artemievich Parsegov (; 15 June 1899 – 26 April 1964) was a Soviet military commander,

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, ...

of artillery (1958), and

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 ...

(1940).

Early service

Parsegov was born in the village of Madatkent (now Kolkhozashen) in

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh (, ; ) is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik. Its ter ...

, to an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

family. His father worked as a

potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US *Potter, Arkansas *Potter, Nebraska *Potters, New Jerse ...

, his mother ran the household. At age 12, he was left without parents and went to work 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 worked at a ginnery in the city of

Andijan Andijan ( ), also spelt Andijon () and formerly romanized as Andizhan ( ), is a city in Uzbekistan. It is the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Andijan Region. Andijan is a district-level city with an area of . Andijan is the most ...

. Parsegov was drafted into 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 ...

in 1916. From September 1916 to November 1917 he served during the

First World War 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 ...

on the Caucasus Front, initially as a private in artillery units, then as a gun commander with the rank of senior artillery officer. In 1918, Parsegov voluntarily joined 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 the same year he was admitted to the

All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) 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 ...

. He began his service in the fortress of

as an assistant

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

commander, then for some time he acted as

commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

of this fortress. From November 1918 to November 1919, as a

commander fought on the

Turkestan Front The Turkestan Front () was a front of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, which was formed on the territory of Turkestan Military District by Order of the Republic of Turkestan on February 23, 1919. It was formed a second time by the direc ...

, fought against the

Basmachi The Basmachi movement (, derived from ) was an uprising against Imperial Russian and Soviet rule in Central Asia by rebel groups inspired by Islamic beliefs. It has been called "probably the most important movement of opposition to Soviet rul ...

– in Andijan, Kokand, Namangan, Skobelevsky areas; in the spring of 1919, he was wounded. In February 1920 – July 1921, as part of the Bukhara Front, he participated in the liquidation of gangs of the Bukhara emir. Since July 1921 – the foreman of the

battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

. He ended the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

as a

commander. In 1922, Parsegov graduated from the Tashkent artillery command courses. He served in the

Leningrad Military District The Order of Lenin Leningrad Military District () is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010, it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern ...

: from November 1922 – gun commander of the battery; from February 1923 – Chief of Communications of the Battery of the 14th Separate Regimental Heavy Division of the 11th Rifle Corps; since November 1924 – head of the chemical

. In 1926, he graduated from the artillery Red Banner Improvement Courses for command personnel, after which he was appointed commander of the training battery of a separate heavy artillery division, and in February 1927 – commander of the training

of the 13th Field Heavy Artillery Division. From March 1928, he temporarily commanded the 3rd Division of the Heavy Artillery Regiment of the 13th Rifle Corps, and from April 1929, the division of the 13th Corps Regiment. Since August 1930 – commander of the 5th Separate Territorial Artillery Battalion of 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 ...

. Since November 1931 – commander and commissar of the 57th Ural Artillery Regiment of the

Transbaikal Military District The Transbaikal Military District () was a military district of first the Soviet Armed Forces and then the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 17 May 1935 and included the Buryat Republic, Chita Oblast, and Yakutia. Chita was ...

. Since 1932, Parsegov studied at the

Mikhail 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 ...

, which he graduated in 1936 with a gold medal. Then in May 1936, he was appointed commander of the 69th Heavy Artillery Regiment of the

19th Rifle Corps The 19th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. The 1st Pacific Rifle Division was shifted into the 19th Rifle Corps of the Siberian Military District in June 1929 after the 5th Army (RSFSR), 5th Red Banner Army of the RSFSR was disband ...

Winter War

In July 1937, Parsegov was promoted to the post of chief of artillery of the

. On 17 February 1938 he was awarded the rank of

brigade commander A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

,List of Conferring the Highest Officer Ranks in the Red Army (1935–1939)
/ref> and on 5 November 1939 – a divisional commander. Since December 1939, he participated 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 ...

, was appointed chief of artillery of the 7th Army under the command of the Commander of the 2nd Rank,

Kirill Meretskov Kirill Afanasievich Meretskov (; – 30 December 1968) was a Soviet Union, Soviet military commander. Having joined the Communist Party in 1917, he served in the Red Army from 1920. During the Winter War of 1939–1940 against Finland, he had t ...

. The commander of the artillery of the army,

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

Mikhail Parsegov, constantly traveled from unit to unit, taught artillerymen to scout, detect and destroy enemy bunkers, mine traps and other fortifications and fire weapons. The artillery units of the 7th Army under the command of Mikhail Parsegov destroyed many enemy fortifications and firing points, paving the way for the advance of infantry. The gunners of Mikhail Parsegov were especially distinguished at Lipolo and in the battles on the Trongsund direction. At the beginning of March 1940, after powerful and lengthy artillery preparation, the Mannerheim Defensive Line was broken. The troops of the 7th Army went on a decisive attack. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union of 21 March 1940, for the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command and the courage and heroism shown to it, the

Mikhail Artemyevich Parsegov was awarded the title

with the award of the

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 ...

and the Golden Star medal. On the same day, he was awarded the rank of

corps commander Corps Commander, or "Corps Commander: Operational Manoeuvre Group" is a set of micro-armour Miniature wargaming rules designed by Bruce Rea Taylor and Andy Ashton and published in the UK by Tabletop games copyrighted by B. A. Rea Taylor, A. Ashto ...

. In April 1940, Parsegov participated in a meeting at the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of the commanding staff on the collection of experience in military operations against Finland, where he expressed dissatisfaction with the work of intelligence and insufficient training of reserve officers, and also noted the crucial role of

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

in breaking through fortified areas. On 4 June 1940, he was re-certified as a

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 ...

of artillery. On 26 July 1940, Parsegov was appointed inspector general of artillery of the

. At a meeting of senior management of the Red Army on 23–31 December 1940, he expressed dissatisfaction with the training of commanders. Since June 1941It was not possible to establish the exact date of taking office. In different sources there are dates on 14, 19 and 21 June – chief of artillery of the

Kiev Special Military District Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Great Patriotic War

At the outbreak of the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

, Parsegov was serving as the chief of artillery of the Southwestern Front (that is, in the same position). He participated in the Kiev Defensive Operation. Covering the retreat of the Soviet troops, the artillerymen under the able command of Parsegov caused considerable damage to the enemy's equipment and manpower. Because of this the enemy's advance on Kiev was delayed for more than two months. In autumn 1941 Parsegov participated in the Donbas Defensive Operation. During the counterattack near Moscow, he skillfully planned and clearly guided the artillery of the forces of the right wing of the Southwestern Front in the Yelets Offensive Operation. From 24 December 1941 Parsegov was the commander of artillery of the South-West direction. He distinguished himself in the Barvenkovo–Lozovaya Offensive Operation. From 5 March 1942Soldat.ru
/ref> he was commander of the 40th Army of the Southwestern Front, transferring in May 1942 to 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 ...

. According to the chief of staff of the Bryansk Front, Mikhail Kazakov: The 40th Army participated in the Voronezh–Voroshilovgrad Defensive Operation; on 30 June 1942, enemy forces, concentrating large forces against the right wing of the army, broke through the defense of Soviet troops in the cities of

Livny Livny (, ) is a town in Oryol Oblast, Russia. As of 2018, it had a population of 47,221. :ru:Ливны#cite note-2018AA-3 History The town is believed to have originated in 1586 as Ust-Livny, a wooden fort on the bank of the Livenka River, ...

and

Volchansk Volchansk () is a town under the administrative jurisdiction of the Town of Karpinsk in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volchanka River (a right tributary of the Sosva in the Ob's basin), north of Yekaterinburg, the administrative ...

, which led to the encirclement of many parts of the 40th Army and the rapid advance of the enemy to

Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...

. In this regard, Parsegov, who was in a state of severe psychological overstrain, was removed from his post on 3 July 1942. Until 26 July 1942, Parsegov was in the reserve of the commander of artillery, and then was appointed chief of artillery of the

Far Eastern Front The Far Eastern Front (Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War. Early war service Тhe Far Eastern Front wa ...

. In this position, Parsegov made a lot of efforts to strengthen the combat effectiveness of the artillery units of the Far Eastern Front, applying in practice all his knowledge and experience of several wars. During the

Soviet–Japanese War The Soviet–Japanese War)Known in Mongolia as the Liberation War of 1945 () was a campaign of the Second World War that began with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria following the Soviet declaration of war against Japan on 8 August 1945. The ...

, Parsegov was the chief of artillery of the

2nd Far Eastern Front __NOTOC__ The 2nd Far Eastern Front () was a Front—a formation equivalent to a Western Army Group—of the Soviet Army. It was formed just prior to the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and was active from August 5, 1945, until October 1, 1945. His ...

. The troops led by him, along with troops from other fronts, crushed the deeply echeloned fortifications of the Japanese and defeated the

Kwantung Army The Kwantung Army (Japanese language, Japanese: 関東軍, ''Kantō-gun'') was a Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army, general army of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1919 to 1945. The Kwantung Army was formed in 1906 as a security force for th ...

. He skillfully directed the artillery of the front to force the

Amur The Amur River () or Heilong River ( zh, s=黑龙江) is a perennial river in Northeast Asia, forming the natural border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China (historically the Outer Manchuria, Outer and Inner Manchuria). The Amur ...

and

Ussuri The Ussuri ( ; ) or Wusuli ( ) is a river that runs through Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krais, Russia and the southeast region of Northeast China in the province of Heilongjiang. It rises in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, flowing north and formi ...

Rivers A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

. His troops participated in the liberation of

Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...

and other

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

cities and towns, as well as southern

Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, p=səxɐˈlʲin) is an island in Northeast Asia. Its north coast lies off the southeastern coast of Khabarovsk Krai in Russia, while its southern tip lies north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. An islan ...

and the

Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands are a volcanic archipelago administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the Russian Far East. The islands stretch approximately northeast from Hokkaido in Japan to Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, separating the ...

After the war

In the post-war period, Parsegov headed the artillery 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 ...

, and from September 1946, he was deputy commander of the artillery of the

Northern Group of Forces The Northern Group of Armed Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army (Russian Ground Forces starting 1992) stationed in Poland from the end of Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fa ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. In June 1948, at the end of the Higher Academic Courses at the Kliment Voroshilov Higher Military Academy, he was appointed commander of the artillery of the

Belorussian Military District The Byelorussian Military District (; alternatively Belarusian; ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces. Originally formed just before World War I as the Minsk Military District out of the remnants of the Vilno Military District an ...

, and in June 1954 he was transferred to the

to the same position. On 18 February 1958, he was awarded the rank of

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, ...

of Artillery; since August of the same year he served concurrently as a member of the Military Council of the

. In May 1961, he was relieved of his posts and was at the disposal of the Commander in Chief of the Ground Forces. Since August 1961, he was appointed head of the 1st Faculty of the Mikhail Kalinin Military Artillery Academy. Parsegov died on 27 April 1964 in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. He was buried in the city's

Bogoslovskoe Cemetery Bogoslovskoe Cemetery () is a cemetery in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is located in the Kalininsky District, Saint Petersburg, Kalininsky District of the city between and . The name comes from the church of John the Apostle, (, Ioann Bogoslov) ...

, with a monument erected on his grave. In Kolkhozashen, the native village of Mikhail Parsegov, a bust monument was erected.

Awards

*Gold Star Medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union (21 March 1940); *Three

Orders 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 ...

(15 January 1940, 21 March 1940, 21 February 1945); *Four

Orders 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 Sovi ...

(22 February 1938, 27 December 1942, 5 November 1944, 20 June 1949); *

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 (8 September 1945); *

Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on January 24, 1938 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the twentie ...

(1938); *Other medals.

Military ranks

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

– 30 December 1935; *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

– 21 December 1937; *

Brigade Commander A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

– 17 February 1938; * Divisional Commander – 5 November 1939; *

Corps Commander Corps Commander, or "Corps Commander: Operational Manoeuvre Group" is a set of micro-armour Miniature wargaming rules designed by Bruce Rea Taylor and Andy Ashton and published in the UK by Tabletop games copyrighted by B. A. Rea Taylor, A. Ashto ...

– 21 March 1940; * Lieutenant General of Artillery – 4 June 1940; *Colonel General of Artillery – 18 February 1958.

References

Sources

*Team of Authors. The Great Patriotic War. The Commanders. Military Biographical Dictionary / Edited by Mikhail Vozhakin – Moscow; Zhukovsky: Kuchkovo Field, 2005 – Pages 165–167 – *The Command and Command Staff of the Red Army in 1940–1941: Structure and Personnel of the Central Apparatus of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union, Military Districts and Combined Arms Armies: Documents and Materials / Edited by Vladimir Kouzelenkov – Moscow–Saint Petersburg: Summer Garden, 2005 – Page 181 – 1000 Copies –

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parsegov, Mikhail 1899 births 1964 deaths Soviet colonel generals 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 Russian military personnel of World War I Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Frunze Military Academy alumni Soviet military personnel of the Winter War Burials at Bogoslovskoe Cemetery Soviet Armenians Soviet military personnel of World War II