Viktor Semyonovich Rodin (Russian: Виктор Семёнович Родин; 19 November 1928 – 17 September 2011) was a Soviet

Strategic Missile Forces The Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation (RVSN RF; ) is a separate combat arm of the Russian Armed Forces that controls Russia's land-based intercontinental ballistic miss ...

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, ...

. Rodin was the head of the Strategic Missile Forces Political Directorate between 1985 and 1992 and also a Candidate Member of the

Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the Central committee, highest organ of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) between Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Congresses. Elected by the ...

between 1986 and 1990.

Early life

Rodin was born on 19 November 1928 to a peasant family in the village of Dubrovka in

Penza Oblast Penza Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Penza. As of the Russian Census (2010), 2010 Census, its population was ...

. After graduating from seventh grade, he enrolled in the Bednodemyanovsky College of Agricultural Mechanization. He became a Komsomol member in January 1944. In 1947 he became secretary of the local

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...

District Committee.

Military service

In 1949, Rodin was drafted into the

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 ...

. He became Komsomol committee secretary of a military base in 1951. In 1954, he graduated from the Leningrad Military-Political School. He became political officer of a motor rifle regiment with the rank of captain. Rodin graduated from Distance Education courses at the Military-Political School in 1964. After the end of the courses he became deputy political officer of a motor rifle division. In 1966 he became the political officer of the division. In 1967, Rodin was awarded a first

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 ...

. In 1969, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. In 1975, he was awarded the

Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 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 * H ...

3rd class. Rodin was head of the Political Directorate of the Turkestan Military District,

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

and the South-Western Theatre of Military Operations (TVD). In 1979, he was awarded a second Order of the Red Star. Rodin received 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 ...

in 1980. He served with the 40th Army in the

Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War took place in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from December 1979 to February 1989. Marking the beginning of the 46-year-long Afghan conflict, it saw the Soviet Union and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic o ...

. In 1982 he was promoted to colonel general. On 14 December 1985 he became head of the Political Directorate of the Strategic Missile Forces. He was awarded the

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

. In 1990, Rodin was awarded the Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd class. In November 1991 he transferred to the reserve.

Later life

Rodin lived in Moscow. He died on 17 September 2011 and was buried in the

Troyekurovskoye Cemetery The Troyekurovo Cemetery (), alternatively known as ''Novo-Kuntsevo Cemetery'' (), is a cemetery in Moscow, Russia. The cemetery is located in the former village of Troyekurovo on the western edge of Moscow, which derives its name from the Troye ...

Personal life

Rodin married Nadezhda Semyonovna and had two daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodin, Viktor 1928 births 2011 deaths Candidates of the Central Committee of the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Soviet colonel generals People from Penza Oblast 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 Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni