Viktor Kazimirovich Urbanovich (; – 2 June 1977) was a

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

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 ...

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

. Urbanovich worked as a

machinist A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who operates machine tools, and has the ability to set up tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling machines. A competent machinist will generally have a strong mechan ...

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

and was conscripted into the

railway troops Railway troops are soldiers who are also railway engineers. They build, repair, operate or destroy militarily relevant railway lines and their associated infrastructure. History The establishment of railway troops by the great powers followe ...

of the

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 ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but was discharged after being gassed. He 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 ...

during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

, resuming his service in the railway troops. Between the wars, Urbanovich rose to command positions in railway units of the

OGPU The Joint State Political Directorate ( rus, Объединённое государственное политическое управление, p=ɐbjɪdʲɪˈnʲɵn(ː)əjə ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əjə pəlʲɪˈtʲitɕɪskəjə ʊprɐˈv ...

Troops before holding staff positions in the NKVD Border Guards. After

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

began, he became commander of the 257th Rifle Division, but was relieved of command after it was surrounded on the

Northwestern Front The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-c ...

. Urbanovich briefly held regimental command and a staff position before taking command of the 252nd Rifle Division at the beginning of 1942. He led the 252nd and then the 186th Rifle Division in the

Battles of Rzhev The Battles of Rzhev () were a series of Red Army offensives against the Wehrmacht between 8 January 1942 and 31 March 1943, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The battles took place in the northeast of Smolensk Oblast and the south of Tve ...

, and in mid-1943 was promoted to command the 41st Rifle Corps, which he led for the rest of the war in its westward advance. Continuing his command into the early postwar period, Urbanovich commanded the

137th Rifle Corps 137th may refer to: *137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF, unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War * 137th Air Reconnaissance Regiment, air reconnaissance and guidance regiment, part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force * 137th Speci ...

in the early 1950s and served as an advisor to the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

, retiring in 1960.

Early life, World War I, and Russian Civil War

Urbanovich was born on in

. He worked as an apprentice machinist at the Fenikss railcar factory in Riga. After the factory was evacuated in May 1915 due to

, he became a machinist's assistant at the Main Workshops of the Riga-Oryol Railway. Urbanovich was mobilized for military service in December 1916 and sent to the 5th Operational Railway Regiment of the

as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

. During the retreat from Riga in August 1917, he was

shell-shocked Shell shock is a term that originated during World War I to describe symptoms similar to those of combat stress reaction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which many soldiers suffered during the war. Before PTSD was officially recogni ...

and gassed. After treatment in a hospital Urbanovich was discharged and placed at the disposal of the head of the steam locomotive depot of the Riga-Oryol Railway in

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...

. Working as a machinist in Oryol, he commanded a railway workers' ''druzhina'' (workers' militia) section there after the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

. During the

, in May 1918, Urbanovich joined the

and was assigned to the 21st Roslavl Railway Defense Regiment. With the regiment, he served successively as an assistant platoon commander, platoon commander, assistant chief of the machine gun detachment, and chief of armored vehicles. Urbanovich participated in fighting against the

Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine The Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine (; RIAU), also known as ''Makhnovtsi'' (), named after their founder Nestor Makhno, was an anarchist army formed largely of Ukrainian peasants and workers during the Russian Civil War. They protect ...

, the

Ukrainian People's Army The Ukrainian People's Army (), also known as the Ukrainian National Army (UNA) or by the derogatory term Petliurivtsi (, ), was the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1921). They were often quickly reorganized units of the former I ...

, and the

Armed Forces of South Russia The Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR or SRAF) () were the unified military forces of the White movement in southern Russia between 1919 and 1920. On 8 January 1919, the Armed Forces of South Russia were formed, incorporating the Volunteer Ar ...

Chernigov Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukrain ...

Kherson Kherson (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and , , ) is a port city in southern Ukraine that serves as the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast. Located by the Black Sea and on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, Kherson is the home to a major ship-bui ...

, and

Poltava Governorate Poltava Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire. It was officially created in 1802 from the disbanded Little Russia Governorate (1796–1802), Little Russia Governorate and had its capital in Polt ...

s. He transferred to the 86th Separate Railway Defense Battalion in October 1919, serving successively as an assistant company commander and company commander. After fighting against the Armed Forces of South Russia and Polish troops at

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Berdichev Berdychiv (, ) is a historic city in Zhytomyr Oblast, northern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Berdychiv Raion within the oblast. It is south of the administrative center of the oblast, Zhytomyr. Its population is approximat ...

, and

Mozyr Mazyr or Mozyr (, ; , ; ; ) is a city in Gomel Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Mazyr District. It is situated on the Pripyat River about east of Pinsk and northwest of Chernobyl in Ukraine. As of 2025, it has a po ...

, Urbanovich became temporary chief of the landing detachment of

Armored Train An armoured train (Commonwealth English) or armored train (American English) is a railway train protected with vehicle armour, heavy metal plating and which often includes railway wagons armed with artillery, machine guns, and autocannons. So ...

No. 19 in May 1920. With the 14th Army of the Southwestern Front, he served with the armored train in fighting near Kazatin and

Uman Uman (, , ) is a city in Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. It is located to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the east of the historical region of Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River. Uman serves as the administrative c ...

during the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

. Urbanovich entered the 27th Oryol Infantry and Machine Gun Commanders' Courses in August and after completing them in November was appointed a platoon instructor in the 2nd Reserve Machine Gun Battalion. From January 1921 he served first as a machine gun platoon commander, then as assistant chief and chief of the machine gun detachment of the 2nd Regiment of the

Cheka The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission ( rus, Всероссийская чрезвычайная комиссия, r=Vserossiyskaya chrezvychaynaya komissiya, p=fsʲɪrɐˈsʲijskəjə tɕrʲɪzvɨˈtɕæjnəjə kɐˈmʲisʲɪjə, links=yes), ...

. With the Cheka unit, he fought in the suppression of the

Tambov Rebellion The Tambov Rebellion of 1920–1922 was one of the largest and best-organized peasant rebellions challenging the Bolshevik government during the Russian Civil War. The uprising took place in the territories of the modern Tambov Oblast and part ...

, receiving 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 1923 for his actions.

Interwar period

Urbanovich transferred to the 25th Separate Road Transport Battalion of the Cheka in November 1921, temporarily serving as a company commander. The battalion was reorganized as the 5th Volga Railway Regiment in June 1922, and as a result he became a platoon commander and then a battalion

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

. He transferred to the 5th Nizhegorod Battalion of the OGPU Troops in January 1923, serving as a platoon commander, and from June of that year temporarily served as assistant commander of the battalion for personnel. Released for study in May 1924, he became a student at 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 ...

in September after passing the entrance exam. After his graduation from the academy, Urbanovich became an instructor and chief of the main faculty of the Higher Border School of the OGPU in July 1928. From November 1931 he served as temporary chief of the training department of the 1st Voroshilov Border Guard and OGPU Troops School, becoming chief of staff of the school in December of that year. Urbanovich became commander and military commissar of the 9th Railway Brigade of the plenipotentiary representative of the Moscow OGPU District in October 1932, soon transferring to the 4th Railway Brigade in January 1933 to hold the same position. From July of that year he held several positions at the Central Asia Border Guard and OGPU Troops Headquarters, being chief of the third section of the second department, chief of the first section of the combat training department, and chief of the combat training and armament department. After temporarily serving as the chief of the combat training and armament department of the Turkmen SSR Border Guard and OGPU Troops Headquarters from November 1934 he transferred to the Red Banner Far East NKVD Border Troops District in May 1935. With the latter, Urbanovich served as chief of the combat training and armament department and then as chief of staff of the district from February 1937. From January 1940, as a colonel, he temporarily served as chief of the first staff department of the NKVD Troops for railway facilities protection. Urbanovich became deputy chief of the combat training department of the organizational headquarters of the Main Directorate of NKVD Border Troops in April.

World War II

After the beginning of

, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Urbanovich was appointed commander of the 257th Rifle Division, then forming from NKVD Troops at Tula, in late June. He was soon promoted to major general. After the division finished its formation, it was sent to

Bologoye Bologoye () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities * Bologoye, Tver Oblast, a town in Bologovsky District of Tver Oblast ;Rural localities * Bologoye, Omsk Oblast, a '' selo'' in Rozovsky Rural Okrug of Russko-P ...

, joining the 34th Army of the

Reserve Front The Reserve Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. First Formation The Reserve Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war. The first version was created on July 30, 1941 in a reorganizat ...

(transferred to the

on 6 August) on arrival and participated in the

Staraya Russa Staraya Russa (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist, Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased over ...

counterattack. The army was forced to retreat to the

Lovat River The Lovat (, ; ) is a river in Vitebsk Oblast of Belarus, Usvyatsky, Velikoluksky, and Loknyansky Districts, as well as of the city of Velikiye Luki, of Pskov Oblast and Kholmsky, Poddorsky, Starorussky, and Parfinsky Districts of Novg ...

by the counterattack of German reserves. During the withdrawal, the division was part of the rearguard and kept open the retreat of the main forces of the army. The division was surrounded near

Lake Ilmen Lake Ilmen (, ) is a large lake in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. A historically important lake, it formed a vital part of the medieval trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Veliky Novgorod, which is a major trade center of the ro ...

and after it broke out Urbanovich was relieved of command in the second half of September for "unsuccessful actions." He was demoted to command the 295th Rifle Regiment of the 183rd Rifle Division of the 27th Army of the Northwestern Front. After being seconded to the Main Personnel Directorate of the People's Commissariat of Defense a month later, Urbanovich was appointed chief of the operational department of the 29th Army in November, participating in the Kalinin Defensive and Offensive Operations as part of the

Kalinin Front The Kalinin Front was a major formation of the Red Army active in the Eastern Front of 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 ...

. He took command of the 252nd Rifle Division of the 29th Army on 5 January 1942, leading it in the

. The division transferred to the 39th Army on 20 January and attacked towards the Osuga railway station south of

Rzhev Rzhev ( rus, Ржев, p=ˈrʐɛf) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population: Hist ...

during the Rzhev–Vyazma Offensive, tasked with reaching the Rzhev-Vyazma railway from the west. During the offensive, the division captured the strongpoints of Monchalovo and Popovka, going on the defensive fifteen kilometers southwest of Osuga station. It remained there for four months in the Rzhev salient in semi-encirclement, supplied only by a small corridor in the Nesterovo area. Between 2 and 5 July German forces cut off the 39th Army in

Operation Seydlitz The Battles of Rzhev () were a series of Red Army offensives against the Wehrmacht between 8 January 1942 and 31 March 1943, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The battles took place in the northeast of Smolensk Oblast and the south of Tver ...

with converging attacks on Nesterovo from Bely and Karskaya. Under these conditions, Urbanovich managed to withdrawal the division from the encirclement, showing "firmness in command" and "personal courage", according to evaluation by superiors. Urbanovich was appointed commander of the 186th Rifle Division of the front's 22nd Army on 30 August. The 186th defended positions on the north bank of the Molodoy Tud, and was transferred to the 39th Army on 5 October. As part of the latter, during a November local offensive in a secondary direction, Urbanovich commanded an operational group that included the division and the 100th Rifle Brigade. He was awarded the

on 8 April 1943 for the division's capture of Olenino during the Rzhev–Vyazma Offensive in late February and early March of that year. The 186th was withdrawn to front reserve on 7 March and then to the

Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK () or RGK ( comprises reserve military formations and units; the ''Stavka'' ...

, being relocated to

Plavsk Plavsk () is a town and the administrative center of Plavsky District in Tula Oblast, Russia, located on the Plava River. Population: Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Plavsk serves as the ...

, joining the 3rd Army of the

Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. First Formation (August - November 1941) General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it fi ...

in May. Urbanovich was promoted to command the 41st Rifle Corps of the 3rd Army on 5 July, leading the corps for the rest of the war; he was promoted to lieutenant general on 2 November 1944. 3rd Army commander

Alexander Gorbatov Alexander Vasilyevich Gorbatov (; 21 March 1891 – 7 December 1973) was a Russian and Soviet officer who served as an officer in the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War and as a colonel-general in the Red Army during the Secon ...

repeatedly evaluated him as a "skilled organizer and battlefield leader" during this period. He led the corps in

Operation Kutuzov Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German ''Ger ...

, the Bryansk Offensive, the Rogachev-Zhlobin Offensive, the Bobruysk Offensive, the

Minsk Offensive The Minsk offensive () was part of the second phase of the Belorussian strategic offensive of the Red Army in summer 1944, commonly known as Operation Bagration. The Red Army encircled the German 4th Army (Wehrmacht), Fourth Army in the city of ...

, the

Belostok Offensive The Belostok offensive () was part of the third and final phase of the Belorussian strategic offensive of the Red Army in summer 1944, commonly known as Operation Bagration. The Belostok offensive was part of the third, or 'pursuit' phase of Op ...

, the Mlawa-Elbing Offensive, and the East Prussian Offensive as part of the

, the

Central Front The Central Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War formed on July 24, 1941. The Central Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war. The first entity existed for just a month during the ...

, and the

1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds, The Second, or (The) 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Minute and second of arc, ...

, and

3rd Belorussian Front The 3rd Belorussian Front () was a Front of the Red Army during the Second World War. The 3rd Belorussian Front was created on 24 April 1944 from forces previously assigned to the Western Front. Over 381 days in combat, the 3rd Belorussian Fr ...

s. During this period, the corps participated in the capture of

Kostyukovichi Kastsyukovichy (; ; ) is a town in Mogilev Region, eastern Belarus. It is located in the east of the region, close to the border with Russia, and serves as the administrative center of Kastsyukovichy District. In 2009, its population was 15,993 ...

Rogachev Rahachow or Rogachev (, ; ; ; , ) is a town in Gomel Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Rahachow District. Rahachow is located between the Drut and Dnieper rivers. As of 2025, it has a population of 31,490. History The ...

Bobruysk Babruysk (, ) or Bobruysk (, ; , ) is a city in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babruysk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is situated on the Berezina River. Babruysk oc ...

Novogrudok Novogrudok or Navahrudak (; ; , ; ) is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Novogrudok District. As of 2025, it has a population of 27,624. In the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by King Mindaugas' son V ...

, Belostok, Ostrolenka, Willenberg, and

Heiligenbeil The term Heiligenbeil can refer to: *The German name of Mamonovo, Russia * Heiligenbeil concentration camp built near Mamonovo *Heiligenbeil Pocket The Heiligenbeil Pocket or Heiligenbeil Cauldron () was the site of a major encirclement battle o ...

. It went on to fight in the

Berlin Offensive The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...

in April 1945, entering the battle after the breakthrough of the German defensive line and participating in the reduction of the

Halbe pocket The Battle of Halbe (, Battle of the Halbe Pocket; , Halbe pocket) was a battle lasting from April 24 – May 1, 1945 in which the German Ninth Army—under the command of General Theodor Busse—was destroyed as a fighting force by the Red A ...

. For his leadership in the latter, Urbanovich received the

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov ( ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established during World War II t ...

, 1st class, on 29 May.

Postwar

After the end of the war, Urbanovich continued to command the 41st Rifle Corps in the Minsk (Belorussian from March 1946) Military District. He entered the Higher Academic Courses at the Voroshilov Higher Military Academy in May 1949, and upon graduation a year leader became commander of the

of the

Far Eastern Military District The Far Eastern Military District () was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific Fleet and part of the Siberian Military District to form the new Eastern Military District. Histo ...

. Sent to the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in April 1953 as the senior military adviser to the commander of a

military district, he became senior military adviser to the PLA deputy chief of the general staff for combat training. Upon his return to the Soviet Union in July 1957, Urbanovich was seconded to the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

for research work, and transferred to the reserve on 3 October 1960. He died in Moscow on 2 June 1977 and was buried at the

Kuntsevo Cemetery The Kuntsevo Cemetery () is a cemetery servicing Kuntsevo, Moscow. It is located on the bank of the Setun River, to the south of the Mozhaisk Highway (the continuation of the Kutuzovsky Prospekt). The local five-domed church was commissioned in 16 ...

Awards and honors

* Two

Order 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 ...

* Four

1st class *

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 ...

2nd class * Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd class *

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

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Urbanovich, Viktor 1898 births 1977 deaths Soviet military personnel of World War II Soviet lieutenant generals Military personnel from Riga Frunze Military Academy alumni Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union), 2nd class Soviet border guards