Nikolai Vasilyevich Kalinin (

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

: Николай Васильевич Калинин; 10 March 1937 – 7 March 2008) was a

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 ...

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, ...

. He commanded the

Soviet airborne The Soviet Airborne Forces or VDV (from ''Vozdushno-Parachuting, desantnye voyska SSSR'', Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска СССР, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) was a military branch, separate troops branch of the Soviet ...

from August 1987 to January 1989, after which Kalinin became the commander 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 ...

. In August 1991, he supported the coup d'état attempt and was relieved of command after the coup failed. After retiring in 1993, Kalinin died on 7 March 2008.

Early life

Kalinin was born on 10 March 1937 in Malye Kurashki village in the Lyskovsky District of

Gorky Oblast Nizhny Novgorod Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Nizhny Novgorod. It has a population of 3,119,115 as of the 2021 Census. From 1932 to 1990 it was known as Gorky Oblast (). The oblast ...

Military service

In 1958, Kalinin graduated from the Leningrad Infantry School. He served as a platoon and company commander. In 1968, he graduated from 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 ...

. From 1968 to 1969, Kalinin was a battalion commander in the 111th Guards Airborne Regiment. In 1970, he became chief of staff of the regiment, and its commander in 1972. In the same year, he transferred to become deputy commander of the 105th Guards Airborne Division. Kalinin commanded the 7th Guards Airborne Division between 1973 and 1975. In 1977, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff, after which Kalinin became a corps commander. In 1979, he became an army commander. From 1983 to 1985, he was the deputy commander of the

Carpathian Military District The Red Banner Carpathian Military District (, ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Cold War and subsequently of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the early Post-Soviet period. It was established on 3 May 1946 on the ...

. Kalin was appointed deputy commander 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 ...

in 1985. In 1986, he was transferred to lead 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 August 1987, he became the commander of the

. In January 1989, Kalinin became the commander of the

. After assisting the

State Committee on the State of Emergency State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

during the

August Coup The 1991 Soviet coup attempt, also known as the August Coup, was a failed attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) to Coup d'état, forcibly seize control of the country from Mikhail Gorbachev, who was President ...

in 1991, Kalinin was replaced by Vladimir Mikhailovich Toporov. On 20 August, Kalinin declared a curfew 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 ...

Later life

Kalinin died on 7 March 2008 at the age of 70, three days before his 71st birthday.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalinin, Nikolai Vasilyevich 1937 births 2008 deaths Soviet colonel generals People from Lyskovsky District Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 2nd class Frunze Military Academy alumni Commanders of the Soviet Airborne Forces Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni