Sergei Leonidovich Sokolov (; 1 July 191131 August 2012) was a Soviet military commander,

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 ...

, and served as Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union from 22 December 1984 until 29 May 1987.

Childhood and war service

The son of an

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 ...

officer, Sokolov's early years were marked by the upheavals of the Russian Revolution. Following his family's relocation to Kotelnich in the Vyatka province, he began his career in the regional consumer union before transitioning to Komsomol work. In 1932, Sokolov 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 ...

, embarking on a distinguished military career. Graduating from the Gorky Armored School, he served in the Far East, commanding various units with distinction. Notably, he served in the

Battle of Lake Khasan The Battle of Lake Khasan (), also known as the Changkufeng Incident (Chinese and Japanese: zh, s=張鼓峰事件, labels=no; Chinese pinyin: zh, hp=Zhānggǔfēng Shìjiàn, labels=no; Japanese romaji: ), was an attempted military incursion b ...

during the Soviet-Japanese Border Wars. He also fought against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Post war

He was Commander of 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 1965 to 1967 and First Deputy Defense Minister from 1967 to 1984.

Senior leadership

Sokolov was promoted to

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (, ) was the second-highest military rank of the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin wore the uniform and insignia of Marshal after World War II. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in ...

in 1978. He was in charge of Soviet ground forces during the

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until it dissolved in 1991. During its existence, it was the largest country by are ...

. He personally led the main Soviet incursion of ground forces on 27 December 1979. His actions and command strategies during the war made him one of the Soviet Union's most respected Marshals. On 28 April 1980 he was awarded the title

. Sokolov was appointed

Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union The Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union () refers to the head of the Ministry of Defence who was responsible for defence of the socialist/communist Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1917 to 1922 and the Soviet Union from 1922 ...

in 1984 and held this post until 1987, when he was dismissed by

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

as a result of the

Mathias Rust Mathias Rust (born 1 June 1968) is a German aviator known for his flight that ended with a landing near Red Square in Moscow on 28 May 1987. Then a teenage amateur pilot, he flew from Helsinki, Finland, to Moscow, without authorization. Accordi ...

affair. He was also a candidate (non-voting) member of the

Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the highest organ of the central committee in communist parties. The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in socialist and Islamist parties, such as the UK Labour Party's NEC or the Poli ...

from 1985 to 1987.

Post-service

From June 1987 to July 1989, he was a member of the Group of Inspectors General. For some time he was an adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the

United Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States The United Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States () was a short-lived military entity associated with the Commonwealth of Independent States. It was created in 1992 after the demise of the Soviet Union, and was intended to be the ...

/ From 1992, Sokolov was an advisor to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. In July 2001, he became an honorary citizen of

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. From 2002 to 2012, he headed the Club of Military Veterans at the Moscow House of War and Armed Forces Veterans. On turning 100 he stated, "Military service prestige will regain the importance it once had."

Death

Sokolov died of undisclosed causes on 31 August 2012, at the age of 101. He was buried on 3 September with full military honors at the

Novodevichy Cemetery Novodevichy Cemetery () is a cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist site. History The cemetery was designed by Ivan Mashkov and inaugurated ...

in Moscow, next to his wife of 70 years, Maria Samojlovna Sokolova (16 December 1919 – 28 August 2012) who had predeceased him three days prior.Globe and Mail

Personal life

He was survived by two sons, Colonel-General Valery Sergeyevich (born 30 September 1940), now a lecturer at the Faculty of Command and General Staff Military Academy, and Colonel-General Vladimir Sergeyevich (born 22 January 1947), who had retired during the war in Afghanistan and was chief of staff of the 40th Army.

Dates of rank

''From the corresponding article in the Russian Wikipedia'' *Cadet (May 1932 – November 1934) *Platoon Commander – November 1934 *Junior Lieutenant – 1935 *Lieutenant – 1938 *Captain – 1941 *Major – before 1943 *Lieutenant Colonel – before 1943 *Colonel – 9 September 1943 *Major General – 3 August 1953 *Lieutenant General – 25 May 1959 *Colonel General – 13 April 1963 *General of the Army – 12 April 1967 *Marshal of the Soviet Union – 17 February 1978

Honours and awards

;Russia *

Order of Merit for the Fatherland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...

; ** 2nd class (21 June 2001) – for outstanding contribution to strengthening national defense and active in the patriotic education of young people ** 3rd class (30 June 1996) – for services to the state and personal contribution to the development and reform of the

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation 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 Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent comba ...

** 4th class (2 November 2009) *

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky () is an Order (distinction), order of merit of the Russia, Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious ser ...

(23 June 2011) – contribution to strengthening national defense and long-term public activities * Order of Honour (1 July 2006) – for services to strengthen national defense and work on the patriotic education of youth *

Order of Zhukov The Order of Zhukov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation. The order is named in honour of Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov (1896–1974). History The Order of Zhukov was established by Presidential Decree 930 of May ...

(25 April 1995) – for actions in the leadership of the troops in combat operations during 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 ...

of 1941–1945 ;Soviet Union *

(28 April 1980) – for personal courage and the management of troops, manifested in the provision of international assistance to the

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, later known as the Republic of Afghanistan, was the Afghan state between History of Afghanistan (1978–1992), 1978 and 1992. It was bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, by Iran to the west, by the ...

* 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 ...

(30 June 1971, 28 April 1980, 30 June 1986) *

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 ...

, twice (20 April 1953, 22 February 1968) *

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 ...

, 1st class (6 May 1982) *

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 (6 April 1985) *

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 ...

, twice (14 January 1943, 6 November 1947) * Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class (30 April 1975) * Medal For Courage * Medal for Combat Service * Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin" * Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR" * Medal "For the Defence of the Soviet Transarctic" * Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" * Medal "For Impeccable Service" 1st class * jubilee medals ;Russian; non-governmental * Order of Saint Righteous Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, 2nd class (

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

, 2005) ;Afghanistan *

(1982) * Order of the Saur Revolution (1984) ;Bulgaria * Order of Georgi Dimitrov, twice (1985, 1986) * Order "The People's Republic of Bulgaria" I degree (1974) * Medal "25 Years of the Bulgarian People's Army" (1969) * Medal "30 Years of Victory over Fascism" (1975) * Medal "30 Years of the Bulgarian People's Army" (1974) * The medal "For Strengthening Brotherhood in Arms" (1977) * Medal "100 years of the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke" (1978) * The medal "90th anniversary of the birth of

Georgi Dimitrov Georgi Dimitrov Mihaylov (; ) also known as Georgiy Mihaylovich Dimitrov (; 18 June 1882 – 2 July 1949), was a Bulgarian communist politician who served as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party from 1933 t ...

" (1974) * Medal "100th Anniversary of Birth of Georgi Dimitrov" (1983) * Medal "1300 years Bulgaria" (1982) * Medal "40 Years of Victory over Fascism" (1985) ;Hungary * Order of the Flag of the Hungarian Republic with rubies (1986) * Medal "For military cooperation", 1st class (1980) ;Vietnam *

Order of Ho Chi Minh The Order of Ho Chi Minh () is a decoration of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that was first instituted on 6 June 1947. The creator of the order was the president Hồ Chí Minh. The Order of Ho Chi Minh is conferred or posthumously conferre ...

(1985) * Order "For Military Valor", 1st class (1983) ;East Germany * Order of Karl Marx (1986) * Medal "Brotherhood in Arms" (1980) * Medal "30 Years of the National People's Army" (1986) ;Jordan * Order of Independence , 1st class (1977) ;North Korea * Medal "40 years of Korea's liberation" (1985) ;Cuba * Order of Playa Girón (1986) * Medal "20 Years of Revolutionary Armed Forces" (1978) * Medal "30 Years of Revolutionary Armed Forces" (1986) ;Mongolia * Order of Sukhbaatar, twice (1971, 1986) *

(1982) * Medal "30 Years of Victory over Japan" (1976) * Medal "30 Years of Victory in Khalkhin" (1969) * Medal "40 Years of Victory in Khalkhin" (1979) * Medal "50 Years of the Mongolian People's Revolution" (1972) * Medal "60 Years of the Mongolian People's Revolution" (1982) * Medal "50 Years of the

Mongolian People's Army The Mongolian People's Army (, ), also known as the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army () or the Mongolian Red Army (), was an institution of the Mongolian People's Party, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party constituting as the armed forc ...

" (1971) * Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the MPR" (1982) ;Poland *

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland () is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident abroad. As such, it is sometimes referred to as ...

, 2nd class (1985) *

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

, 2nd and 3rd classes (1968, 1971) ;Romania * Order of Tudor Vladimirescu, 1st class (1969) * Order of 23 August (1974) * Medal "30 Years of Liberation from Fascism Romania" (1974) * The medal "For Military Merit" (1980) ;Czechoslovakia * Order of Klement Gottwald (1985) * Medal "For the strengthening of friendship in Arms", 1st class (1972) * Medal "40 Years of the

Slovak National Uprising Slovak National Uprising ( Slovak: ''Slovenské národné povstanie'', abbreviated SNP; alternatively also ''Povstanie roku 1944'', English: ''The Uprising of 1944'') was organised by the Slovak resistance during the Second World War, directed ag ...

" (1985) * Medal "50 Years of the

Communist Party of Czechoslovakia The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia ( Czech and Slovak: ''Komunistická strana Československa'', KSČ) was a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992. It was a member of the Com ...

" (1971) ;Finland *

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland (; ) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The ...

, 1st class (1986) In July 2001, on the day of his 90th birthday, was awarded the title "Honorary krymchanin" and made an honorary citizen of

Evpatoria Yevpatoria (; ; ; ) is a city in western Crimea, north of Kalamita Bay. Yevpatoria serves as the administrative center of Yevpatoria Municipality, one of the districts (''raions'') into which Crimea is divided. It had a population of His ...

References

External links