Nikolai Dimidyuk
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Nikolai Mikhailovich Dimidyuk (; 18 January 1937 – 29 March 2020) was an officer of 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 ...
. After service in the he rose to command the branch, with 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, ...
, just prior to the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
. He became the last commander of the Soviet Missile Troops and Artillery, and the first commander of the Russian Missile Troops and Artillery. Born in
Aleysk Aleysk () is a town in Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Aley River ( Ob's tributary), southwest of Barnaul. Population: 32,000 (1968). Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Aleysk serves a ...
, Dimidyuk studied at the and subsequently rose through the ranks of the Missile Troops and Artillery, commanding larger and larger units. Having impressed his superiors with his command of an artillery division, Dimidyuk received awards and was selected for further study at the Kalinin Military Artillery Academy. He then began service with the
Central Group of Forces The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...
in command of a regiment. Dimidyuk continued to receive postings and promotions, serving in several of the Soviet Union's military districts, including 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 ...
, 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 ...
and 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 ...
. Having attained high rank after studying at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Dimidyuk was appointed commander of the entire Soviet Missile Troops and Artillery in 1991, just prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He continued in command as the branch became the Russian Missile Troops and Artillery, overseeing major changes as part of the wideranging reforms of the Russian military. After retiring in 1997 he worked for Russian military export organisations such as
Rosoboronexport JSC Rosoboronexport (ROE; , ''Rosoboroneksport'') is the sole state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services. The Rosoboronexport Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSU ...
, prior to his death in 2020. Over his career he had received two Orders of the Red Star and the
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 ...
Second and Third Classes.


Early career

Dimidyuk was born on 18 January 1937 in the city of
Aleysk Aleysk () is a town in Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Aley River ( Ob's tributary), southwest of Barnaul. Population: 32,000 (1968). Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Aleysk serves a ...
, in
Altai Krai Altai Krai (, ) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai). It borders, clockwise from the west, Kazakhstan ( East Kazakhstan Region, Abai Region and Pavlodar Region), Novosibirsk and Kemerovo, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative ce ...
, then part of the
Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
,
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. He studied at the , graduating in 1957. Following his enlistment in the armed forces, Dimidyuk rose through the ranks, and was assigned to command an artillery division. After two years in this post his work resulted in the division receiving a rating of 'excellent', while Dimidyuk himself received a second award of 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 a place at the Kalinin Military Artillery Academy, which he graduated from with a gold medal for excellence in 1974. His next assignment was the command of an independent artillery regiment with the
Central Group of Forces The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...
. Under his leadership the regiment received excellent ratings and was ranked first in the group's units.


Higher commands

Having been rated as suitable for higher commands, in 1979 Dimidyuk was appointed deputy commander of the Missile Troops and Artillery in 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 ...
. During his time in this post, he oversaw training and exercises, and the testing and introduction of the
OTR-23 Oka The OTR-23 Oka (; named after Oka River) was a mobile theatre ballistic missile () deployed by the Soviet Union near the end of the Cold War to replace the obsolete SS-1C 'Scud B'. It carried the GRAU index 9K714 and was assigned the NATO repor ...
missile system. After a year as deputy commander, Dimidyuk was appointed commander of the Missile Troops and Artillery of the 29th Army, based in 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 ...
. He again concentrated on training and supply for his units, with the result that in the competitions of the Far Eastern-based missile brigades, the 29th Army's 103rd Rocket Brigade took first place. From 1982 until 1986 Dimidyuk served as chief of staff of the Missile Troops and 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 ...
. During this period he also studied as an external student at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, graduating in 1986. Following this he was appointed commander of the Missile Troops and Artillery in the Transbaikal Military District. Again, units under his command distinguished themselves in intra-service competitions.


Commander of the Missile Troops and Artillery

Promoted to major general of artillery on 3 February 1984, then to
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 ...
on 17 February 1988, Dimidyuk rose to be commander of the in October 1991, and then briefly of the Missile Troops and Artillery of the Ground Forces of the
Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization, regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an ar ...
, and finally of the Russian Missile Troops and Artillery following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
in December that year. During this time he oversaw significant reform and restructuring of his branch, as the
Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...
established to replace 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 ...
and reconstituted along new lines.


Retirement and later life

Dimidyuk retired from the armed forces in 1997 with 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, ...
, to which he had been promoted on 13 February 1992, and in 1998 he became Advisor to the General Director of Rosvooruzhenie, a state intermediary agency for exports and imports of defence-related and dual use products, technologies and services. He subsequently became Director for Special Assignments for the Rosvooruzhenie's successor organization
Rosoboronexport JSC Rosoboronexport (ROE; , ''Rosoboroneksport'') is the sole state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services. The Rosoboronexport Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSU ...
. Dimidyuk had authored various scientific papers and publications on a number of questions related to artillery and rocketry, and since 1993 he had been a corresponding member of the . Dimidyuk died on 29 March 2020 at the age of 83. He was buried in the
Federal Military Memorial Cemetery The Federal Military Memorial Cemetery (Russian: Федеральное военное мемориальное кладбище) is a national cemetery of Russia, located in Mytishchinsky District, Moscow Oblast, on the north-eastern outskirts ...
on 1 April 2020. He was married, with two sons. Over his career he had heen awarded two Orders of the Red Star, and the
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 ...
Second and Third Classes.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimidyuk, Nikolai 1937 births 2020 deaths People from Altai Krai Russian colonel generals Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 3rd class Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 2nd class Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Burials at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery