Allegiance Soviet Union | Years of service 1924–1941 Died 25 July 1941 | |
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Native name Иван Сергеевич Горбачёв Service/branch NKVD Border TroopsRed Army Battles/wars World War IIBattle of Smolensk (1941) Battles and wars | ||
Ivan Sergeyevich Gorbachyov (Russian: Иван Сергеевич Горбачёв; 29 October 1902–25 July 1941) was a Red Army major general.
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Born in a poor peasant family, Gorbachyov became a revolutionary and joined the Red Army after the end of the Russian Civil War. He became an officer in the NKVD Border Troops and commanded a border detachment in 1941. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Gorbachyov became the commander of the newly formed 250th Rifle Division, which included many personnel of the Border Troops. Gorbachyov led the division during the Battle of Smolensk and died of wounds received in a counterattack.
Early life
Gorbachyov was born in Strechanovo, to an impoverished peasant family. He worked as a farm labourer. His family moved to Kamensk in Ukraine after the 1905 Revolution for economic reasons and Gorbachyov graduated from a gymnasium school there. He joined the Bolsheviks in Kamensk and participated in the Russian Revolution.
Interwar
Gorbachyov joined the Red Army in January 1924. In 1926, he graduated from the Ivanovo-Voznesensk Infantry School. From 1926 to 1934, Gorbachyov served with the Batumi and Nakhichevansk border detachments as a border outpost assistant chief, chief of a border outpost, and commander of a border sector. In June 1934, Gorbachyov became a student at the Frunze Military Academy, from which he graduated in September 1937. In October 1937, he became chief of staff of the 2nd Railroad Brigade NKVD. He became the brigade acting commander and was promoted to major on 27 September. In January 1938, he was posted to the Transbaikal Military District and became commander of the 54th Nerchinskozavodsk Border Detachment. In February 1941, Gorbachyov was awarded the Order of the Red Star on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Border Troops.
World War II
In early July 1941, Gorbachyov became commander of the newly formed 250th Rifle Division, which included many NKVD troops. On 15 July, he was promoted to major general. The division was assigned to the 30th Army and was deployed to the Western Front, fighting in the Battle of Smolensk. He was mortally wounded by shrapnel during a counterattack south of Belyi to relieve Soviet forces encircled at Smolensk. Gorbachyov died of his wounds on 25 July. He was buried in Olenino.
Personal life
Gorbachyov married and had a daughter, Galina, and two sons, Pyotr and Vladimir.