Vladimir Sobachenkov () is a retired Soviet

KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...

officer who served as a bodyguard of

Leonid Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (19 December 190610 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, his death in 1982 as w ...

. On 23 March 1982, a platform with people collapsed above Brezhnev and his entourage at a factory near

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

. Sobachenkov was standing next to Brezhnev and managed to protect him from a direct hit. Brezhnev suffered a concussion and a broken

clavicle The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately long that serves as a strut between the scapula, shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavic ...

, whereas part of the skin was removed from Sobachenkov's head. He was hospitalized, but rejoined Brezhnev's security team in an hour. It was Sobachenkov and

Vladimir Medvedev Vladimir Timofeyevich Medvedev (, born 22 August 1937) is a retired Soviet KGB general and bodyguard who was responsible for personal security of Soviet leaders including Leonid Brezhnev and Mikhail Gorbachev. Biography Medvedev was born in vil ...

who found Brezhnev dead in his bed in the morning of 10 November 1982. After Brezhnev's death, his security team was disbanded. Sobachenkov was offered a low-profile position, but refused and retired from the KGB.Medvedev, 183

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sobachenkov, Vladimir Bodyguards of Leonid Brezhnev KGB officers Living people Year of birth missing (living people)