Viktor Nikolaevich Samsonov (russian: Виктор Николаевич Самсонов; born November 10, 1941 in

Dukhovnitsky District Dukhovnitsky District (russian: Духовницкий райо́н) is an administrativeCharter of Saratov Oblast and municipalLaw #78-ZSO district ( raion), one of the thirty-eight in Saratov Oblast Saratov Oblast (russian: Сара́товс ...

), General of the Army. He was the acting

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff ( ...

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 forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...

in 1996. He was replaced by Anatoly Kvashnin. Previously in 1993 he was Chief of Staff at the Military Cooperation Headquarters of the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...

. Born in 1941, an ethnic Russian. In the Armed Forces since 1960. After graduating from college he was sent to a

Naval Infantry Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

unit, and commanded a platoon and company. He graduated from the Far Eastern Higher Command School in 1964. Graduated from the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), 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 (rus ...

in 1972 (as a class-mate of future Afghan war commander Boris Gromov). Since 1972 he was a Chief of Staff of a motor rifle regiment and the Chief of Staff of a tank division in the

Transbaikal Military District The Transbaikal Military District (russian: Забайкальский военный округ) was a military district of first the Soviet Armed Forces and then the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on May 17, 1935 and included the ...

. Then a few years he was chief of staff of a Combined Arms Army. After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1981 he was commander of the 4th Army. In 1987 – 1990s – Chief of Staff of the Transcaucasus Military District, and at the same time in 1988 – 1990 years – the military commander in Yerevan. Participated in the localization efforts of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. In 1990 appointed commander of the

Leningrad Military District The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District. H ...

. A member of the Communist Party from 1960 until the termination of its operations in August 1991. During the

August coup August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named '' Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in t ...

in August 1991, he was appointed military commander of the Leningrad State Emergency Committee, said of the subordination of the orders of the State Emergency Committee and ordered a state of emergency in Leningrad and the surrounding areas.

References

*Военная энциклопедия в 8 томах. Издат-во Министерства обороны РФ, 1994–2002, том 7. *Russian Wikipedia

External links

*Jane's Information Group
Colonel General Viktor Samsonov
1941 births Generals of the army (Russia) Living people Frunze Military Academy alumni Soviet Navy personnel People of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt Soviet colonel generals 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 Recipients of the Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR" Far Eastern Higher Combined Arms Command School alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Deputy Defence Ministers of Russia {{Russia-mil-bio-stub