Nestor Dmitryevich Kozin (Russian: Нестор Дмитриевич Козин; 28 October 1902 – 11 September 1992) 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 ...

major general. After being drafted into the Red Army in 1924, Kozin became an officer and from 1939 was a battalion commander in the

107th Rifle Division 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

. Kozin fought in the Yelnya Offensive after the 107th was moved west and became a regimental commander in the

100th Rifle Division The 100th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, formed twice. In November 1923 in the Belaya Tserkov area of the Ukrainian Military District, the 45th Territorial Rifle Division was establish ...

in August 1941. After the end of the Yelnya Offensive in early September, Kozin was awarded 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 ...

for his leadership and the 100th Rifle Division became the

1st Guards Rifle Division First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

. He then fought in the

Battle of Moscow The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II, between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated H ...

and in April 1942 was appointed commander of the

8th Motor Rifle Division NKVD The 8th Motorized Rifle Division of the NKVD Internal Troops (Russian: 8-я мотострелковая дивизия внутренних войск НКВД СССР 8-y motostrelkovaya diviziya vnutrenikh voisk NKVD SSSR) was formed in acco ...

. The division became the

63rd Rifle Division 63rd may refer to: ;Metro stations *Ashland/63rd (CTA station), on the Green Line *East 63rd-Cottage Grove (CTA), on the Green Line *63rd (CTA Red Line), on the Red Line *63rd Street station (SEPTA Market–Frankford Line) on the Market-Frankford L ...

in June and fought in

Operation Uranus Operation Uranus () was a Soviet 19–23 November 1942 strategic operation on the Eastern Front of World War II which led to the encirclement of Axis forces in the vicinity of Stalingrad: the German Sixth Army, the Third and Fourth Romani ...

. Kozin received the

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 and the division became the

52nd Guards Rifle Division The 8th Motorized Rifle Division of the NKVD Internal Troops (Russian: 8-я мотострелковая дивизия внутренних войск НКВД СССР 8-y motostrelkovaya diviziya vnutrenikh voisk NKVD SSSR) was formed in acco ...

for its actions in the offensive. The division continued to fight at Stalingrad and Kozin was wounded in January 1943. After recovery, he was sent to study at the Military Academy of the General Staff, where he remained until given command of the

13th Guards Airborne Division The 13th Guards Airborne Division was a division of the Soviet Airborne Troops. Its first formation was formed in December 1943 from airborne brigades and was quickly redesignated the 98th Guards Rifle Division without seeing combat in World War ...

in April 1944. During August and September, Kozin led the 189th Rifle Division during the Tartu Offensive. In September, he returned to command of the 52nd Guards Rifle Division and led it during the Baltic Offensive, Vistula–Oder Offensive, East Pomeranian Offensive and

Berlin Offensive The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...

. For his leadership of the division, Kozin was awarded the title

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 ...

on 29 May. After the war, he continued to serve in the army and retired in 1954. He lived in

Barnaul Barnaul (, ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob (river), Ob rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As of the Russian Censu ...

and died in 1992.

Early life and prewar service

Kozin was born on 28 October 1902 in the village of Burkovo-Pokrovskoye (now Novopokrovka) in

Tomsk Governorate Tomsk Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, the Russian Republic, and the Russian SFSR, which existed from 1804 to 1925 as part of Siberian Governorate-General (1804–1822) and West Siberian ...

. His father died when Kozin was still a child and Kozin became a farmworker. He then worked as a laborer at the Tatarsky railway station. Kozin received his only education during the Bolshevik

Likbez Likbez (, ; a portmanteau of , , meaning "elimination of illiteracy") was a campaign of eradication of illiteracy in Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 1930s. The term was also used for various schools and courses established dur ...

literacy campaign. 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 May 1924, Kozin was sent to the 35th Rifle Regiment of the 12th Rifle Division. He graduated from the regimental school in January 1925 and remained assigned to it as a squad leader before being sent to the Omsk Infantry School for further training in October 1926. Upon his graduation from the school in January 1929, Kozin was appointed a platoon commander in the 11th Rifle Regiment of the 4th Rifle Division, stationed at

Slutsk Slutsk is a town in Minsk Region, in central Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slutsk District, and is located on the Sluch (Belarus), Sluch River south of the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 59,450. Geography ...

in Belarus. Serving as officer for errands under the division commander from July 1932, Kozin was transferred to the

94th Rifle Division The 94th Rifle Division () was an infantry division of the Red Army that became part of the Soviet Army. Formed in the 1930s, the division spent World War II in the Transbaikal Military District, seeing its only combat in the Soviet invasion of Man ...

in the

Siberian Military District The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the ...

in November 1933. With the 94th, he commanded a company of the 280th Rifle Regiment at

Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yenisey, Yenisey River, and is the second-largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk, with a p ...

before transferring to the 281st Regiment of the division at

Achinsk Achinsk () is a city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the right bank of the Chulym River near its intersection with the Trans-Siberian Railway, west of Krasnoyarsk. It has a population of 109,155 as of the 2010 Census. History Achins ...

in April 1936. After serving as the assistant regimental chief of staff and battalion chief of staff in the 281st, Kozin became a battalion commander in the 503rd Rifle Regiment of the 91st Rifle Division, formed from the 281st, in September 1939, then held the same position in the 82nd Reserve Rifle Regiment. He became an assistant battalion commander in the district Commanders' Improvement Course (KUKS) at

Biysk Biysk ( rus, Бийск, p=bʲijsk; , ) is a city in Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Biya River not far from its confluence with the Katun River. It is the second largest city of the krai (after Barnaul, the administrative center of the krai ...

in July 1940, and in December was appointed commander of the 586th Rifle Regiment of the

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 ...

, the 107th Rifle Division was transferred to the front and engaged in combat on 16 July near

Yelnya Yelnya () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities * Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast, a town in Yelninsky District of Smolensk Oblast; administratively incorporated as Yelninskoye Urban Settlement ;Ru ...

. During the Battle of Smolensk, Kozin was reported to have shown leadership skills. In one action, he reportedly sent only one company in frontal attack against superior German troops and outflanked the German positions using his two other companies. This attack reportedly caused the defeat of the German troops and led to a breakthrough. In August, Kozin became commander of the 100th Rifle Division's 85th Rifle Regiment. He fought in the Yelnya Offensive at the beginning of September. The division became the 1st Guards Rifle Division, the regiment became the 2nd Guards Rifle Regiment, and Kozin was awarded the

for his leadership during the offensive. He led the regiment in defensive battles east of

Belgorod Belgorod (, ) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of It was founded in 1596 as a defensiv ...

and in December fought in the counteroffensive at Moscow. During the Yelnya and

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, ...

Offensives, the regiment advanced 150 kilometers. In April 1942, Kozin became the commander of the 8th Motor Rifle Division NKVD in the

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 ...

area. In June, the division was converted into the 63rd Rifle Division. The division fought in the Battle of Voronezh during the summer. In late November, the division fought in

. The 63rd was part of the 21st Army's main attack and broke through the Romanian-German defenses, advancing southwards. In the area of Raspopinskaya village, the division helped fully encircle two corps of the Romanian Third Army between 21 and 22 November. The 63rd's attacks reportedly split the pocket in half and then simulated a mechanized attack using the division's motor transport battalion. On the evening of 23 November, Romanian 14th Infantry Division commander General Stanescu surrendered the 27,000 troops in the pocket. For his actions, Kozin was awarded the Order of Suvorov 2nd class and the division became the 52nd Guards Rifle Division on 27 November. The division then fought in the Soviet attacks to shrink the Stalingrad Pocket. On 21 January 1943, Kozin was promoted to major general. He was wounded and sent to the hospital. After his recovery, Kozin was sent to study at the Military Academy of the General Staff. In April 1944, Kozin graduated from the academy and became commander of the

, part of 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 The ''Stavka'' ( Russian and Ukrainian: Ставка, ) is a name of the high command of the armed forces used formerly in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union and currently in Ukraine. In Imperial Russia ''Stavka'' referred to the administrat ...

'' Reserve). In August, he was transferred to command the 189th Rifle Division and led it during the Tartu Offensive. In September, Kozin returned to command the 52nd Guards Rifle Division. He led the division during the Baltic Offensive, where the division became one of the first to reach

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

. In January 1945, the division fought in the Vistula–Oder Offensive. From February to April, the division fought in the East Pomeranian Offensive. From 19 April, the division fought in the

. During the next three days, the division reportedly overran three German defensive lines and on 21 April the division was among the first to reach Berlin itself. During attacks on the northern outskirts of the city, the division captured 120 quarters in fighting from 22 April to 2 May. On 29 May, Kozin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for his leadership. He participated in the

Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 The 1945 Moscow Victory Parade (), also known as the Parade of Victors (), was a victory parade held by the Soviet Armed Forces (with the Color Guard Company representing the First Polish Army) after the defeat of Nazi Germany. This, the longest ...

on 24 June.

Postwar

After the end of the war, Kozin continued in command of the division, which became part of 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 ...

. He became commander of the 22nd Guards Mechanized Division in November 1945 and a year later transferred to the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

to command the 18th Separate Guards Rifle Brigade. After completing the one-year improvement course for rifle division commanders 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 ...

in February 1951, Kozin was appointed deputy commander of the

87th Rifle Corps The 87th Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army during World War II and the Soviet Army in the early years of the Cold War. World War II On 10 July 1945 it comprised 231st and 300th Rifle Divisions as part of 1st Red Banner Army, M ...

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 ...

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (, , ) is a city and the administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. It is located on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, north of Japan. Gas and oil extraction as well as processing are amongst the main industries on ...

. From February 1952 he served as chief of the district Directorate for Officer Redeployment. In January 1954 he was transferred to the reserve due to health issues caused by his war wounds. He lived in

Saratov Saratov ( , ; , ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River. Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the List of cities and tow ...

but moved to Barnaul in 1955. He became an honorary citizen of the city. In 1975, Kozin published his memoirs, titled "''Гвардейцы в боях''" (English: "''Guardsmen in Combat"''). Kozin died on 11 January 1993 and was buried at the Vlasikhinskoye Cemetery in Barnaul.

Awards and honors

Kozin was a recipient of the following decorations: *

(3) *

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 ...

(3) *

, 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 Since 2005, Secondary School No. 48 in Barnaul has been named for Kozin.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* 1902 births 1992 deaths People from Tomsk Governorate People from Tatarsky District {{DEFAULTSORT:Kozin, Nestor Soviet major generals 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 Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni