Matvey Burlakov
Matvey Prokopyevich Burlakov | |
---|---|
Native name | Матвей Прокопьевич Бурлаков |
Born | 19 August 1935 Ulan-Ude |
Died | 8 February 2011 Moscow | (aged 75)
Buried | |
Allegiance |
|
Service/ | |
Years of service | 1954–1995 |
Rank | Colonel general |
Commands held |
|
Awards | Order of the Red Banner |
Matvey Prokopyevich Burlakov (
Early life and Cold War
Matvey Prokopyevich Burlakov was born on 19 August 1935 in
Graduating from the
Withdrawal from Germany
On 14 December 1990, Burlakov became Commander-in-Chief of the
Burlakov, already scheduled to replace
As the withdrawal continued, Burlakov dealt with the issues of environmental damage and housing in negotiations with the German liaison team. As treaty agreements provided for asset value of Soviet real estate to be offset against the German compensation claims, the WGF systematically covered up environmental damage to increase the real estate value of its properties while German authorities attempted to document the damage. Burlakov insisted publicly that "many of the cleanest areas in East Germany today are to be found on the military training grounds of the WGF" and had Russian-language copies of a NATO environmental education film distributed to WGF troops, but these measures proved ineffective at changing the situation of environmental neglect that prevailed at former Soviet military bases in East Germany. The environmental situation was settled when Yeltsin and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl agreed to renounce both side's claims in December 1992.[8] Due to a lack of housing in Russia for withdrawn soldiers, Burlakov repeatedly raised the issue with the German side as early as October 1991, attempting to tie the pace of the withdrawal to the construction of housing, but this proved unsuccessful since the Germans were not responsible for the Russian housing delays. Attempting to gain greater financial support from Germany for housing construction, Burlakov repeatedly brought attention to the complete lack of housing for many withdrawn soldiers in press conferences. Nevertheless, only half of the planned housing stock was complete by the time the WGF completely departed Germany in mid-1994.[9]
Corruption scandal and retirement
In this position Burlakov repeatedly was at the center of media attention due to scandalous revelations of wide-ranging corruption and theft of state property in the WGF.[1] After the withdrawal of the WGF from Germany and its disbandment, Burlakov became a deputy Minister of Defense of Russia in August 1994. In November of that year, after the murder of the journalist Dmitry Kholodov, whose investigations implicated Burlakov and Defense Minister Pavel Grachev in crimes in the WGF, Burlakov was relieved of his position. He was retired in February 1995.
Burlakov served as head of the Union of Veterans of the Western Group of Forces (GSFG) from 19 February 1994 to his death.[2]
He married Viktoriya Nikolayevna, with whom he had a son and daughter. Burlakov died on 8 February 2011 and was buried in the Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow.[10] In commemoration, a memorial plaque dedicated to Burlakov was placed on the wall of School No. 42 in Ulan-Ude and in September 2022 a memorial bust of Burlakov was unveiled in the Oreshkov Park in that city.[11]
Decorations
Burlakov was a recipient of the following decorations:[12]
- Order of the Red Banner
- Order of the Red Star
- Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 3rd class
- Order of the Red Banner (Mongolia)
- Medals
References
Citations
- ^ a b c "Кто есть кто в отраслях российской экономики". www.whoiswho.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ a b c ""Оставалось дать сигнал — и все бы ринулось"". Kommersant (in Russian). 2005-03-28. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Kalashnikov & Dodonov 2019, p. 218.
- ^ Meißner & Morre 2021, p. 106.
- ^ a b Meißner & Morre 2021, pp. 129–131.
- ^ Meißner & Morre 2021, p. 133.
- ^ "Указ Президента от 26 сентября 1992 года № 1127 «О Главнокомандующем Западной группой войск (»". Ельцин Центр (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-05-29.
- ^ Meißner & Morre 2021, pp. 134–136.
- ^ Meißner & Morre 2021, pp. 138–139.
- ^ "Бюст генерал-полковника Матвея Бурлакова установили в столице Бурятии". БУРЯАД YНЭН (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "Торжественное открытие бюста генерал-полковника Матвея Бурлакова". u-udeckid.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "М.П. Бурлаков". Krasnaya Zvezda (in Russian). 11 February 2011. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
Bibliography
- Meißner, Christoph; Morre, Jörg, eds. (2021). The Withdrawal of Soviet Troops from East Central Europe. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 978-3-525-31127-1.
- Moscow AP: Jelzin entläßt General Burlakow. In: Berliner Zeitung. vom 2. November 1994.
- Heidi Borchert: Generaloberst Burlakow war der letzte Oberkommandierende der Westgruppe in Deutschland.[dead link] In: Märkische Allgemeine. vom 11. Februar 2011.
- Matwej Burlakow. In: Der Spiegel. 49/1995, 4. Dezember 1995.
- Kalashnikov, Konstantin; Dodonov, Igor (2019). Высший командный состав Вооруженных сил СССР в послевоенный период: Справочные материалы (1945-1975) [Higher Commanders of the Soviet Armed Forces in the postwar period: Handbook of materials (1945–1975)] (in Russian). Vol. 4. Ust-Kamenogorsk: Media-Alyans. ISBN 9786017887315.