Timofei Amvrosievich Strokach (russian: Тимофей Амвросиевич Строкач; uk, Тимофій Амвросійович Строкач, Tymofiy Strokach; 4 March 1903 – 15 August 1963) was a prominent military figure of the Soviet

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...

and KGB.

Early life and education

Ethnic Ukrainian Strokach was born on 4 March 1903 in village of Belotserkovitsy,

Primorskaya Oblast Primorskaya Oblast (russian: Примо́рская о́бласть) was an administrative division of the Russian Empire and the early Russian SFSR, created on October 31, 1856 by the Governing Senate.''History of Soviet Primorye'', pg. 31 The na ...

(today Astrakhanka in

Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of t ...

), in a poor peasant family of colonists from

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

. In 1914 he graduated a rural school and worked by helping his father. In January 1924 Strokach was called on

compulsory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

Career

From the very start in 1924, Strokach was enlisted in the

OGPU The Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU; russian: Объединённое государственное политическое управление) was the intelligence and state security service and secret police of the Soviet Union ...

Troops as a Red Armyman of the 58th Nikolsk-

Ussuriysk Ussuriysk (russian: Уссури́йск) is a city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, located in the fertile valley of the Razdolnaya River, north of Vladivostok, the administrative center of the krai, and about from both the China–Russia border an ...

Border Detachment quartered in Iman (today Dalnerechensk). In 1925–1927 he was a student of the OGPU Border School #2 in

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

. Here he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1927. Following its graduation, Strokach returned to the

Russian Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admin ...

in the 56th

Blagoveshchensk Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благове́щенск, p=bləgɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, meaning ''City of the Annunciation'') is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur and the Zeya Rivers, o ...

Border Detachment where he served as assistant commander and commander. In 1929–1932 Strokach served in the 53rd Daursk Border Detachment. In 1932–1933 Strokach was a student of the OGPU Border College. After its graduation, he moved to serve to border guard units in Ukraine. At first Strokach was a team commander of the 20th Slavuta Border Detachment, in 1935–1938 he was on leading roles at the 24th

Mohyliv-Podilskyi Mohyliv-Podilskyi (, , , ) is a city in the Mohyliv-Podilskyi Raion of the Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine. Administratively, Mohyliv-Podilskyi is incorporated as a town of regional significance. It also serves as the administrative center of Mohyliv ...

Border Detachment, with a small break in 1938 when he also became a regimental commander of the 162nd regiment headquartered in Voroshylovhrad. Just before the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, in 1938 Strokach became a commander of the 25th Border Detachment in

Tiraspol Tiraspol or Tirișpolea ( ro, Tiraspol, Moldovan Cyrillic: Тираспол, ; russian: Тира́споль, ; uk, Тирасполь, Tyraspol') is the capital of Transnistria (''de facto''), a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the ...

. Following the

Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina The Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina took place from June 28 to July 3, 1940, as a result of an ultimatum by the Soviet Union to Romania on June 26, 1940, that threatened the use of force. Bessarabia had been part of the Kin ...

, the detachment's headquarters was relocated to Kahul in 1940. In 1941–1946 Strokach was a deputy people's commissar of Interior of UkrSSR. Soon after the

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

invasion of the Soviet Union, in 1942 he was placed in charge of the Ukrainian Staff Directorate of Partizan movement. Same year Strokach became a member of underground Central Committee of the

Communist Party of Ukraine The Communist Party of Ukraine, Abbreviation: KPU, from Ukrainian and Russian "" is a banned political party in Ukraine. It was founded in 1993 as the successor to the Soviet-era Communist Party of Ukraine which was banned in 1991 (accord ...

. After liberation of Ukraine, in 1944 he was placed in charge of the Directorate in combating banditry. In 1946–1956 Strokach was a People's Commissar (Minister) of Interior (NKVD) of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

with a small break in 1953 when he headed the regional Interior service in

Lviv Oblast Lviv Oblast ( uk, Льві́вська о́бласть, translit=Lvivska oblast, ), also referred to as Lvivshchyna ( uk, Льві́вщина, ), ). The name of each oblast is a relational adjective—in English translating to a noun adjunct w ...

, while his position was held by

Pavlo Meshyk Pavlo Yakovlevich Meshyk ( uk, Павло Якович Мешик; russian: Павел Яковлевич Мешик, Pavel Meshyk; 1910 – 23 December 1953) was a Ukrainian Soviet security operative and NKVD officer. Meshyk was born in a famil ...

. In 1956–1957 Strokach was a Deputy Minister of Interior of the Soviet Union. During that period he was a commander of the

Soviet Border Troops The Soviet Border Troops (russian: Пограничные войска СССР, Pogranichnyye voyska SSSR) were the border guard of the Soviet Union, subordinated to the Soviet state security agency: first to the '' Cheka''/OGPU, then to NK ...

and Interior Troops. Due to his health conditions, in 1957 Strokach retired and continued to live in

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Ky ...

. He died there on August 15, 1963, aged 60, and was buried at

Baikove Cemetery Baikove Cemetery ( uk, Байкове кладовище) is a historic cemetery memorial in Holosiiv Raion of Kyiv, Ukraine. It is a National Historic Landmark of Ukraine and is known as a necropolis of distinguished people. It was established i ...

Awards

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...

(1943, 1948, 1949) *

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...

(1945, 1954) *

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 award established on July 29, 1942 ...

(1st degree, 1945) * Order of the Great Patriotic War (1st degree, 1945) *

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) 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 193 ...

(1952) * Honorary badge "Merited NKVD agent" (1942)

References

External links

*
Timofei Strokach
at Sword and Shield {{DEFAULTSORT:Strokach, Timofei 1903 births 1963 deaths People from Khankaysky District People from Primorskaya Oblast Generals of the Internal Service (Ukraine) Soviet interior ministers of Ukraine Second convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Soviet lieutenant generals Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine (Soviet Union) members KGB officers NKVD officers Burials at Baikove Cemetery Soviet border guards Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 1st class