Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko (; 17 December 1901 – 1 April 1975) 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.

Early life and Russian Civil War

A Russian, Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko was born on 17 December 1901 in

Starodub Starodub (, , ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, on the Babinets (river), Babinets River in the Dnieper basin, southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 (1975). History Starodub has been known ...

Chernigov Governorate Chernigov 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 Cher ...

. During the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

, Nikitchenko 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 settlement of

Unecha Unecha (), a town and the administrative center of Unechsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, stands on the Unecha River (within the Dnieper's drainage basin, basin) southwest of Bryansk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: ...

on 27 October 1918 and was sent as a

Red Army man Red Army man () was the lowest military rank in the Red Army of the Soviet Union from 1918 to 1946. On 30 November 1917, after the October Revolution, the Military Revolutionary Committee cancelled all "officer and class ranks". Henceforth, the ...

to the commandant's platoon of the 1st Ukrainian Division. With the division, he fought on the Southern Front against the

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (; ), abbreviated to (), also known as the Southern White Army was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920. The Volunteer Army fought against Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists on the ...

. In February 1919 he was wounded and hospitalized until June. After recovering in June he was sent to the convalescent detachment of the 19th Reserve Rifle Regiment at

Bryansk Bryansk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), Desna River, southwest of Moscow. It has a population of 379,152 at the 2021 census. Bryans ...

, where he served as an assistant platoon commander in the regimental reconnaissance detachment from February 1920. In December 1920 he transferred to the 22nd Rifle Regiment at Liski as assistant platoon commander in the reconnaissance detachment. With the 22nd, he fought in the suppression of the Kolesnikov revolt near Ostrogozhsk. In April 1921 he was sent to study at the 27th

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...

Infantry and Machine Gun Command Course. As a cadet, he fought in the suppression of the

Tambov Rebellion The Tambov Rebellion of 1920–1922 was one of the largest and best-organized peasant rebellions challenging the Bolshevik government during the Russian Civil War. The uprising took place in the territories of the modern Tambov Oblast and part ...

between May and November of that year.

Interwar period

After graduating from the course in September 1922, Nikitchenko was appointed to the 143rd Rifle Regiment of the 48th Rifle Division of 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 ...

Rybinsk Rybinsk (, ) is the second-largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Yaroslavl Oblast in Russia. It lies at the confluence of the Volga and Sheksna rivers, north-north-east of Moscow. Population: It was previously known as '' ...

, where he served as an assistant platoon commander, platoon commander, and assistant company commander. Completing the commanders' refresher course at the Ashenbrenner Moscow Infantry School between November 1924 and July 1925, he returned to the regiment to serve as a company commander and chief of the regimental school. In October 1930 he transferred to the VTsIK Combined Military School in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, where he served as a tactics instructor and chief of a cadet battalion. At the same time he completed two night courses 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 late 1934 Nikitchenko was transferred to the 250th Rifle Regiment of the

84th Rifle Division The 84th Rifle Division () was an infantry division of the Red Army before and during World War II. History Prewar The 84th Rifle Division was formed in 1923 at Tula as one of several Red Army territorial divisions, assigned to the Moscow M ...

of the Moscow Military District, ending his studies at the academy due to the transfer to a different garrison. In August 1936 he was appointed chief of the 3rd section of the 6th department of the district staff. From November of that year he commanded a cadet battalion at the VTsIK Combined Military School, then from August 1937 was a tactics instructor at the Ivanovo Reserve Officers Improvement Course (KUKS). He commanded kursant battalions at the Kharkov Military School for Red Commanders and the Ordzhonikidze Red Banner Military School from April and November 1938, respectively. From July 1939 he served as assistant chief for training and personnel of the Odessa Infantry School, and from July 1940 was chief of the

Kamyshlov Kamyshlov or Qamışlı (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Pyshma River (Ob River, Ob's drainage basin, basin) at its confluence with the Kamyshlov (river), Kamy ...

Infantry School.

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 ...

began, then-

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 ...

Nikitchenko oversaw the formation of the Ufa Infantry School from July 1941, organizing the training process and preparing command personnel for the frontline. From March 1942 he commanded the 210th Cadet Rifle Brigade, formed from military schools in Bashkiria. On 15 August of that year, Nikitchenko took command of the

226th Rifle Division The 226th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed as one of the first reserve rifle divisions following the German invasion of the USSR. After being hastily organized it arrived at the front along the lower Dniep ...

, arriving at

Buguruslan Buguruslan () is a town in Orenburg Oblast, Russia. Population: History It was founded at the end of 1748 as a settlement (Buguruslanskaya settlement) by Russian peasants and artisans who migrated to the Volga region, on the ancestral lands o ...

for rebuilding. In late September the division was sent to fight in the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

and on 18 October 1942 joined the 66th Army of the Don Front. From 24 October to 2 February 1943 the 226th fought in offensive operations to destroy the German forces at Stalingrad. In January and early February 1943, in Operation Koltso, the division under his command, overcoming stubborn Axis resistance, assault-crossed the Mokraya Mechetka and on 2 February captured the ruins of the

Stalingrad Tractor Factory The Volgograd Tractor Plant (, ''Volgogradski traktorni zavod'', or , ''VgTZ''), formerly the ''Dzerzhinskiy'' Tractor Factory or the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, is a heavy equipment factory located in Volgograd, Russia. It was once one of the larg ...

. For this action the division was converted into the

95th Guards Rifle Division The 95th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 226th Rifle Division, and served in that role until well after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It ended the ...

on 4 May and Nikitchenko awarded 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 ...

on 14 February. He was promoted to the rank of major general on 1 March. After the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, the division was withdrawn to 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'' ...

before joining the

5th Guards Army The 5th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought in many critical actions during World War II under the command of General Aleksey Semenovich Zhadov. The 5th Guards Army was formed in spring 1943 from the 66th Army in recognition o ...

. Nikitchenko was hospitalized on 29 June and handed over command of the 95th Guards to division deputy commander Colonel

Andrey Lyakhov Andrey Nikitovich Lyakhov (; 25 August 1909 – 19 September 1943) was a Red Army Polkovnik, colonel killed in World War II who commanded the 95th Guards Rifle Division. Early life and prewar service Andrey Nikitovich Lyakhov was born on 25 Augu ...

. After Nikitchenko returned to command the division in September, he led it in the attacks towards

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

and

Kremenchug Kremenchuk (; , , also spelt Kremenchug, ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. The city serves as the administrative center of Kremenchuk Raion and Kremenchuk urban hromada within ...

. Crossing the

Vorskla The Vorskla (; ) is a river that runs from Belgorod Oblast in Russia southwards into northeastern Ukraine, where it joins the Dnieper. Geography The river's source is on the western slopes of the Central Russian Upland north of Belgorod. Wi ...

on 22 September, the division captured

on the next day. For distinguishing itself in the capture of Poltava, the division received the name of the city as an honorific. Continuing the offensive, elements of the division captured Kremenchug on 29 September. In late September and early October during the

Battle of the Dnieper The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 on the Eastern Front of World War II. Being one of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost four million troops at one point and stretched over a front. Ov ...

the division fought in heavy offensive battles in the Pyatikhatka sector, covering the right flank of the breakthrough of the 5th Guards Tank Army, then attacked towards Aleksandriya, ensuring the junction of the 5th Guards and 57th Armies. In November Nikitchenko fell ill and was evacuated to Moscow for treatment, then in late January 1944 appointed chief of the 5th department of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate of the Main Personnel Directorate and deputy chief of the directorate supervising

Suvorov Military School The Suvorov Military Schools () are a type of boarding school in the former Soviet Union and in modern Russia and Belarus for boys of 10–17. Education in these schools focuses on military related subjects. The schools are named after Alexander ...

Postwar

Postwar, Nikitchenko in April 1946 was appointed chief of the 3rd department of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate of the Ground Forces as a result of the abolition of the post of deputy chief of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate. From April 1948 he served as chief of the 4th department of the directorate before transferring to serve in the same position in the 3rd department in July 1949. From January 1950 to August 1951, Nikitchenko was at the disposal of the Main Personnel Directorate due to illness, then was appointed chief of a course of the correspondence department of the Frunze Military Academy. Retiring in October 1952, Nikitchenko died in Moscow on 1 April 1975.

Awards

Nikitchenko was a recipient of the following decorations: *

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 ...

(4) *

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 ...

, 2nd class * Medals * Foreign orders In May 2023

renamed a street in honor of Nikitchenko to

Dzhokhar Dudayev Dzhokhar Musayevich Dudayev (born Dudin Musa-Khant Dzhokhar; 15 February 1944 – 21 April 1996) was a Chechen politician, statesman and military leader of the 1990s Chechen independence movement from Russia. He served as the first president o ...

Street as part of the Ukrainian derussification campaign.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikitchenko, Nikolai Stepanovich 1901 births 1975 deaths People from Chernigov Governorate People from Starodub Soviet major generals Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet military personnel of World War II Frunze Military Academy alumni Academic staff of the Frunze Military Academy